29/09/2024

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Anyone who is not against us is for us.”

Jews, Christians and Muslims all subscribe to the Original Testament with its Deuteronomy 6,4 – love God with all your heart, soul and might; and Leviticus 19,18 – love your neighbour as yourself.

Thus, wise and holy people in all of these three Abrahamic Faiths should be allies. 

As I put it, they should see themselves as ‘different regiments in the same army’. Each has its own officers, uniforms and customs, yet each should aim to bring God’s Ten Commandments into social reality.

Fear creates barriers, builds barricades. In the Bible the phrase ‘ do not be afraid’ appears 365 times; once for each day of the year.

In principle, I see differences as enriching rather than threatening. That may be due to the fact that when aged six I arrived in England, I was called a BF – bloody foreigner. Sport – football and athletics - built bridges and made me ‘one of us’ rather than ‘one of them’.

Women and men, laity and clergy,  the young and the old, the UK and Europe can be – on a good day – mutually enriching rather than threatening.

Life is short so why not make it best – rather than the worst? Build bridges. After all, the Pope is the Pontifex Maximus uniting humanity and God, and humans with each other. His visits to 40 countries demonstrate his desire to bring people together – peacefully.