A Letter from Penang!

Dear Marists,

I am writing this editorial from Penang, where the 2006 John Main Retreat and Seminar is being held. Dom John Main was a Benedictine monk, responsible for re-igniting the tradition of Christian Meditation in the mid 1970s. This ancient tradition dates back to the Desert Mothers and Fathers of the 3rd century. Its remarkable growth world-wide is living proof that this is a work of the Holy Spirit and pure gift to Christians everywhere.

The retreat, Harmony in the Soul, was led by Fr Laurence Freeman, O.S.B., Director of the World Community of Christian Meditators (WCCM). In a series of profound talks, Fr Laurence led us to a vision of harmony, not just for the individual, but for the world. He began with the present dis-harmony in the Middle East and asked the question: Why does such violence exist among the three sister religions of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, who all worship the one God?

Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country (95%) and so Fr Laurence looked at the prophetic figures of Noah, Abraham, Moses Jesus and Mohammed through the writings of the Q'uran. These prophets were continually calling people away from idolatry and back into harmony with the one, true God. Listening with open hearts and minds, we came to see that there was much common ground in these three great monotheistic religions. In the Q'uran, Jesus is seen as a prophet, heralding a new chapter in the revelation of God's mercy to humanity. Both Jesus and the virgin Mariam are venerated. But neither Muslim nor Jew believe in the divinity of Jesus. There are clear differences in our faiths. These differences must be acknowledged and honoured! They should not be reasons for disharmony but rather, the basis for creative dialogue. It is in this tension between the common ground and the differences of our Faiths that our deepest identity is to be found.

WHO AM I?

What does it mean to say "I am a Christian?"

It is in this risky place of creative tension that a Muslim or Christian or Jew can discover what it really means to be a Muslim, Christian or Jew! If our identity is not clear and strong, the differences become divisions and hence, threatening. We can fall into the shadow side of monotheism, claiming God as our God only possessing Him with arrogance, superiority, exclusivity and even hatred. The question of the identity of the Christian is answered, not with dogma or theology, but with the experience of the Resurrection.

The final words of advice from Fr Laurence on how best to live this Christian identity were surprisingly simple: "All we can do is witness - without arrogance or superiority or exclusiveness; and the most powerful witness is local, modest witness. We cannot change the world! But we can make a difference in our little part of the world"

To Jesus Through Mary

Maria Baden

The website for Christian meditation is www.wccm.org