Fr Eamon Adams shares some insights on dialogue and its importance in society.
As someone who was born in Northern Ireland in 1967, one year before the outbreak of what is referred to as “the troubles,” I am all too aware of the heavy toll that can be demanded when dialogue is absent.
Over those years in Northern Ireland, there were too many funerals held for the victims of violence; too many mothers and daughters, sons and fathers, brothers and sisters denied the opportunity to share their lives with family and friends. Too many people had their lives cut too short.
What caused the troubles in Northern Ireland? The causes, both direct and indirect, were so numerous that it is impossible to pinpoint only one. However, if we ask a different question we might cast a little more light on the topic at hand.
Why did it take so long to begin the process of resolving the problems of Northern Irish society? The answer to this question is much clearer than the first question we posed. The refusal at all levels of society to dialogue, both exacerbated and prolonged the body- and-soul destroying violence of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
When, eventually, dialogue was entered into by a few brave souls, it became the catalyst for overcoming years of bigotry, sectarianism, injustice and violence. In short, dialogue was the answer to the Northern Ireland question.
The role of dialogue, however, is to be found not solely at the dizzy heights of international disputes and major national conflicts, but also on the more mundane levels of life. There is a role for dialogue in the smaller, but no less important, dramas of our everyday lives such as important family decisions, unforeseen problems that can arise between husband and wife. In short, dialogue provides the firm foundation upon which the glorious cathedral of honest communication is built.
Although dialogue by no means guarantees a solution to our problems, we can be sure that a lack of dialogue will inevitably make things worse. Without dialogue we are destined to fall ever deeper into the abyss of hopelessness that so often leads to physical and emotional violence. Dialogue is always good, while lack of dialogue is, at best, precarious.
Although it is true that inter-religious dialogue can be a complex and demanding task, the simple truth is - it is good to dialogue. Through inter-religious dialogue we learn not only about our brothers and sisters of other faiths, but also about our own faith.
Through dialogue we are led into that sacred space that lies within each of us, and, in turn, we are led to stand together as witnesses to the sacredness of the natural world and to each and every person within our world. Inter-religious dialogue is a quest, a quest for the sacred.
Fr Eamon Adams SSC who lives and works in Seoul, South Korea has studied Buddhism for many years.
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