Increasingly the Christian community world-wide is entering into dialogue with people of other faiths. Interfaith dialogue has become vital for peace-building.
Interfaith dialogue is both a challenge and a gift.
It is a great challenge to formulate what we believe in a way that is authentic and intelligible for someone of a different faith, though they may not share our conviction.
It is a challenge to do so without confronting or showing disrespect for that person’s own tradition and faith.
It is a challenge to stick with interfaith dialogue at times when we feel that for every three steps forward we are taking two backward.
And yet interfaith dialogue is a precious gift. It enables us to discover the common humanity in the “other” and even to forge relationships that enrich all of our lives. It is a wonderful experience to undertake a project together for the good of the whole community. And it is a great gift to learn about each other’s faith, discovering the richness of other traditions, the compassion of people of a different conviction, and common ground, e.g. in striving for peace.
QCT is involved in interfaith dialogue in various ways.
In the Queensland Forum for Christians, Jews and Muslims ("The Forum") representatives of QCT meet with representatives of the Jewish Board of Deputies and the Islamic Council of Queensland. This forum was set up approximately three years ago, while a Jewish-Christian dialogue had been taking place for longer.
Taking inspiration from the Australian National Dialogue of Christians, Muslims, and Jews, the Forum has given itself a set of purposes and objectives which clearly position it as a bridge-building and peace-making body of the Abrahamic Faiths in Queensland.
One project of the Forum was to compile three short brochures, "On Entering a Church", "On Entering a Synagogue", "On Entering a Mosque". These contain explanations of religious practices in places of prayer/worship in the three traditions. They describe in a simple manner what a visitor should do in order to feel comfortable and not to offend.
Every two months, members of the Forum - there are five from each faith - meet to discuss topics of interest and joint activities. During the meal that follows, to which all contribute, conversation is often light-hearted. More often than not it will revolve around the different dietary stipulations and ways of preparing food according to the Muslim and Jewish faiths. The results of that preparation, as QCT delegates can attest, are certainly very tasty.
Joint events are posted in the calendar on this website (What's on). An Abrahamic Faiths Concert was held on 15 November, 2007, in cooperation with the Multi-Faith Centre of Griffith University. A further such event is planned for 13 November 2008 - so keep the date free.
QCT maintains regular links with the Multi-Faith Centre at Griffith University (MFC). The MFC is a unique "safe" space in which people from different religious traditions, from schools, academic institutions and faith groups can meet without fear to discuss issues that affect them all.
Occasionally QCT co-hosts events with the MFC, such as the Abrahamic Faiths Concert on 15 November, 2007. In 2005 QCT and the Multi-Faith Centre jointly organized an interfaith workshop on the relationship between our faiths and the way we regard the natural environment.
The MFC allows for short prayers and messages from faith representatives at the commencement of many of its events. QCT is often asked to present such a prayer on behalf of the Christian community.
The General Secretary of QCT is a member of the Advisory Board of the Multi-Faith Centre, which meets twice a year.
The significance of harmony between the religions in forging harmony in the whole community has not escaped both state and federal governments.
For QCT, this means that now and then we are asked to provide Christian representation at events organized in particular by Queensland Government. This generally means preparing a short prayer for multi-faith prayers in commemoration of a certain event - on the eve of Australia Day, for example.
"It is an exciting challenge to prepare a message and prayer that will fit into two minutes, something that will speak of the deep truth of reconciliation we find in the Christian gospel, but in a language that will be intelligible to hearers of very different backgrounds," Glenine Hamlyn reports. "It is an opportunity for the Spirit to work in ways we could not imagine, while we let go of all attempts to convince anyone that our faith is better than the others. The important thing is that others see the integrity of our witness, though they may not share our faith. And just as it is not uncommon for me to take away something I have heard in the prayer of another faith representative, something which helps me to grow in my own faith, so I trust that others will be enriched by the words of the Christian faith which they hear."
In March 2007, Multicultural Affairs Queensland hosted an Abrahamic Faiths Forum in Parliament House, Brisbane. Participants were invited from the three faith groups. This was an all-day event designed to inform a broad cross-section of the faith communities but also politicians about the Abrahamic faiths and the way they work together. A small group of QCT representatives was involved in months of planning prior to this forum. Some good recommendations resulted, but one of the main positive outcomes of the event seemed to be the networking that took place between participants.
QCT is represented on the Steering Committee of this new initiative, which is supported through a grant from Multicultural Affairs Queensland.
Together for Humanity aims to break down barriers between the Abrahamic faiths in particular: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. To this end interactive workshops are held in primary and secondary schools.
Together for Humanity is currently looking for presenters for this programme. Click here for information and a flyer.
