Dialogue and Alliance 25th Francophone Scriptural Sharing in Paris, France

“Dialogue and Alliance” organized its monthly interfaith meeting on the theme: of “Cultivating empathy.”

There were just over 20 people present in Paris, with Zoom connections from the following 18 countries: Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Spain, United States, France, India, Kosovo, Mauritius, Mali, Northern Macedonia, Monaco, Democratic Republic of Congo, Switzerland, Chad, etc.

The first reading was a look at Judaism. It was a text taken from the 4th chapter of Genesis, verses 1 to 16. This passage was commented on by Rabbi Gabriel HAGAI, an orthodox Jew of Sephardic tradition, trained in Jerusalem and Boston (USA).

The second reading brought a Buddhist perspective. It was a quotation from the book “Living in Mindfulness,” by the Vietnamese Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh (1926-2022), which was commented on by Venerable Michel THAO CHAN, president and founder of the Cercle de Réflexion des Nations.

We had a short cultural break with the song “Empathy” performed by the poet, slammer, composer, and guitarist KALIMAT.

The last reading brought a Christian perspective. According to John, verses 32 to 37 of the 11th chapter of the Gospel. They were read to us by Mr. Modeste AMOUSSOU, then commented on by the Benedictine Brother Benoît BILLOT.

The meeting concluded with a question and answer session led by Mr. Laurent LADOUCE, a researcher with the Universal Peace Federation.

P.-S. The next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, June 18, on the theme of vulnerability.

The recording of this session is available on the Facebook page: fb.watch/kINKfH0Qhr/