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Westminster Interfaith Newsletter
Issue 63 – September 2009
The Little Way
First of all, we wish to convey belated but heartfelt greetings for a Happy New Year to the Jewish community and a Happy Eid to all Muslims. We also wish Happy Divali to all our Hindu, Jain and Sikh friends and families.
I was really saddened to hear and read about the increase in hate crimes and anti-religious protests and demonstrations that are taking place quite close to home. I refer to the murder of an elderly worshipper outside a mosque in Tooting and the attack on another Muslim nearby as well as the anti-Muslim demonstrations in Harrow. All this in a so-called democratic, post-industrial, civilised society we call Britain. These are not isolated events. The number of these incidents is rising throughout Europe, as well as religious and ethnic persecutions throughout the world.
It is easy to blame gangs of youths or a handful of fanatics for these crimes, but isn't that how the Fascists and Nazis started their reign of terror in the 1930s? And then look what happened! We are all to blame. We have created the society we live in and it is up to us all to help build a better world.
The articles in this issue are full of optimism and sound advice. They all point to practical ways of relating to people, of doing dialogue and co-operating with our fellow human beings. Henri Tessier advocates personal friendships. Members of Youth for Unity apply the Golden Rule in all their encounters. Indeed, if we all treated each other as we would like to be treated ourselves in every moment of the day in all situations, the world would slowly but surely change for the better. We, like the Christians of the Holy Land, who are living a very precarious existence, "are called to serve not only as a beacon of faith to the universal Church, but also as a leaven of harmony, wisdom and equilibrium in the life of a society which continues to be pluralistic, multi-ethnic and multi-religious" (Benedict XVI in Jerusalem, 12 May 2009).
If we are looking for opportunities to practise the Golden Rule, there are many coming up over the next few months. The theme for Home Mission Sunday this year is: They will know God by the good works you do. Next month, CASE (Catholic Agency to Support Evangelisation) is launching an initiative called Little Way Week (18-24 October) to coincide with the end of the tour of the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux in England and Wales. We should all get involved by doing at least one little daily activity of service for a week as a way of reaching out to others with the love of Christ. By her "Little Way" Thérèse came to realise that, in God's eyes, small things done with great love are just as powerful as heroic deeds performed on the larger stage of life.
Let's not just limit these small acts of love to one week at the end of October but from now on, right through One World Week and Inter Faith Week and beyond. There are plenty of opportunities of reaching out to others. We might have to make the first step, but with a little imagination, a touch of good will and courage, perhaps a sprinkling of prayer and trust in God, everything is possible.
Look at the calendar of Religious Festivals and the list of forthcoming events. They should fuel our imaginations. As Pope Benedict said at Bethlehem in May: "You have the human resources to build the culture of peace and mutual respect, which will guarantee a better future for your children. This noble enterprise awaits you. Do not be afraid!"
Jon
