Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
15th Eurasian Economic Summit
(Istanbul Convention Center, April 10-12, 2012)
Introduction
It is an honor once again to address the Eurasian Economic Summit, which is organized annually by the distinguished Marmara Group and this year is considering various aspects of the relationship between economy and dialogue as well as of development and women’s rights in our world. We have been asked to address how sustainability and economy can be promoted through intercultural and interfaith dialogue.
Cultures and Faiths in Dialogue
As a young boy, we recall seeing Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, an extraordinary leader of global vision and ecumenical sensitivity. He was a tall man, with piercing eyes and a very long, white beard. Patriarch Athenagoras was known to resolve conflict by inviting the embattled parties to meet together, inviting and telling them: “Come, let us look one another in the eyes, and let us then see what we have to say to one another.”
This notion of looking at each other honestly in order to understand and cooperate with one another is surely critical to any concept of intercultural and interfaith dialogue. In recent years, we have all been encouraged as we witness constructive and creative changes in contemporary Turkish society with regard to openness and inclusion of other faiths and minority communities.
By the same token, the various gatherings initiated by the Ecumenical Patriarchate serve to bring cultures together in order to establish more meaningful communication with one another. The underlying principle behind any such dialogue is that all human beings ultimately face the same problems in life. Therefore, dialogue draws people of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds out of their isolation, preparing them for a process of mutual respect and coexistence.
Of course, some people have strong – we might say fundamentalist – convictions that they would rather sacrifice their lives than change their views. Others are unfortunately even willing to take the lives of innocent victims to defend these views. This is why we are obliged to listen more carefully, “look at one another” more deeply “in the eyes.” For, in the final analysis, we are always closer to one another in more ways than we are distant from or different to one another. We share far more with each other and resemble one another far more as members of the same species than we differ in terms of culture, religion and background.
The Imperative of Dialogue
We hear it stated often that our world is in crisis. Yet, never before in history have human beings had the opportunity to bring so many positive changes to so many people simply through encounter and dialogue. While it may be true that this is a time of crisis, it must equally be underlined that there has also never been greater tolerance for respective traditions, religious preferences and cultural peculiarities. We are blessed to experience the fruits of this tolerance and dialogue in modern day Turkey.
This does not mean that religious or cultural differences are insignificant or inconsequential. Accordingly, then, we do not approach dialogue in order to impose our arguments on our opponents. We approach dialogue in a spirit of love, sincerity and honesty. In this respect, dialogue implies equality, which in turn implies humility. Honesty and humility dispel hostility and arrogance. So we must ask ourselves: Are we prepared to respect others in dialogue? How willing are we to learn and to love? If we are neither prepared to learn nor willing to change, then are we truly engaging in dialogue? Or are we in fact conducting a monologue in our society, culture and religion?
True dialogue is a gift from God. According to St. John Chrysostom, fourth-century Archbishop of Constantinople, God is always in personal dialogue with human beings. God always speaks through people and cultures and religions, even through creation itself. This is precisely why dialogue is the most fundamental experience of life. Dialogue promotes knowledge and rejects ignorance; it reveals truth and abolishes prejudice; it cultivates bonds and refuses to narrow horizons. Dialogue enriches; and whoever refuses dialogue remains impoverished.
Conclusion
In this regard, we must confess that religious leaders bear a special responsibility not to mislead or provoke in the process of dialogue. Their integrity plays a vital role in the promotion of intercultural and interfaith communication. In the fourteenth century, St. Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonika, conducted theological discussions with distinguished representatives of Islam. In one such conversation, a Muslim leader expressed the wish that the time would come when mutual understanding will characterize the followers of both religions. St. Gregory agreed, emphasizing his hope that this would come sooner than later. It is our humble wish that now will be that time. Now, more than ever, is the time for intercultural and interfaith dialogue.
We would not be so naïve as to claim that dialogue comes without risk or cost. Approaching another person – whether another culture or another belief – always comes with uncertainty as to the final result. One is never sure what to expect: Will the other suspect me? Will the other perceive me as imposing my own way of life or ideology? Will I compromise – or even perhaps lose – what belongs uniquely to my tradition? These questions plague us when we approach for dialogue. Nonetheless, when one surrenders to the possibility of dialogue, something sacred happens. In the willingness to embrace the other, beyond any fear or prejudice, the reality of something – or Someone – far greater than us takes over. Indeed, then, we recognize how the profit of dialogue far outweighs any peril.
Beloved distinguished friends, we are convinced that, in spite of any cultural, or religious differences, we are much closer to one another than we could ever imagine.
