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It’s been an extremely difficult time for British troops in Afghanistan recently. The sight of so many coffins being driven through the streets of Wootton Bassett is enough to move the hardest heart to tears. So many young lives lost; so much potential wasted and so many families having to come to terms with the loss of a son or daughter remind us that war brings a terrible cost. And these dreadful losses have caused people to ask questions: Is it worth it? How many more lives must be lost? Why are we in Afghanistan at all? etc. These are not easy questions to answer yet one wonders whether if after eight years this conflict can be resolved militarily. Sooner or later one side will have to talk to the other as unpalatable as that may sound to some. Islam is a major world religion just as Judaism, Christianity and Hinduism are too. And I guess that within each of them a minority of extremists would like to steer that religion along a pathway determined by them. This is why dialogue is so important if there is to be any hope of peace. Getting behind the rhetoric to discover why people resort to violent acts to pursue their ends. All parties think they have right on their side but the truth is that we all make mistakes. And history bears ample testimony to conflicts that were started by bigotry, misunderstanding and religious fervour. So the question we might like to consider is how much we know about major world faiths. What, for example do you know about Islam? What do you know about Hinduism? And what do you know about Judaism? When I did my degree I did a study on Islam and enjoyed it very much. Christians and Muslims share a common heritage stretching back through the Old Testament to Abraham - but there are major differences too which should not be underestimated. Nevertheless, when we encounter people of other faiths we could start by finding that common ground always remembering that God loves them just as he loves us. That doesn’t mean we compromise our faith, certainly not, but it does mean listening to other people to learn something of their beliefs, practises and way of life. The alternative is that our ignorance causes them offence simply because we didn’t bother to find out. That cuts both ways of course! But as we are followers of Jesus Christ we must follow his example regardless of what other people may think of us. When Jesus passed through the territory of the Samaritans, Israel’s arch enemies, his fellow countrymen were less than happy yet he did it anyway. But Jesus didn’t venture there to stir up trouble or provoke a scene. He went to demonstrate God’s inclusiveness of all people regardless of what others may think about them. And that was a hard lesson for Israel to learn even in Jonah’s day years before! The problem is you can’t build bridges between people while looking down the barrel of a gun, flying planes into tower blocks or planting bombs on trains. That way leads only to greater alienation, further mistrust, reprisals and more loss of life.
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Nevertheless, the way to understanding isn’t easy and there will be times when we will want to give up. But as armed conflict cannot solve the kind of religious extremism we see in the world today “disarmed dialogue,” in the name of Jesus, offers the world a better way; one that will bring an end to the tragic loss of life (on all sides) that we find so distasteful.
Derek Marsh
August 2009
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