A Jesuit Response to The Prevailing Climate of Divisiveness, Hate and Intolerance

Introduction: A Shared Dream

"Although we hail from different lands, we share one earth and sky and sun, remember friends the world is one." This is an excerpt from the song "The World is One" by Mohammad Rafi. Yes, we all have a desire and a dream to see our world in peace and united as one family. However, today it is becoming increasingly difficult to see this dream fulfilled. The world is being torn apart by violence, hate, and intolerance. There are people with vested interests who try to create division among people and sow the seeds of hate and intolerance for their personal gain. In response to this, I would like to discuss "A Jesuit Response to the Prevailing Climate of Divisiveness, Hate, and Intolerance."

Jesuit Commitment to Reconciliation

The Jesuits have been actively involved in the fight for reconciliation and justice. In GC 36, we have taken this up as a major priority in our apostolate. Today, we need to put more effort into this fight, especially against intolerance. As GC 32, decree 4 states, "We must put all that we are and have, our whole persons, our communities, institutions, ministries, and resources." The recent statement of the JCSA (Jesuit Conference of South Asia) on tackling saffronisation was a bold initiative. We need to stop being mute spectators and take actions that will create waves of change. I would like to articulate some concrete actions that we Jesuits need to take.

Raising Awareness

First, we need to create awareness about this threat. We must work with people and groups sharing our concern to spread this awareness. We need to take the initiative to create awareness in our society, church, institutions, parishes, and various other centers. We need to review the value education being taught in our schools. It is disheartening to see that some leaders of these groups creating intolerance have studied in our schools. We need to be bold in pointing out threats posed by these people. As Robert Frost said, "Freedom lies in being bold." If we want to see a world free of intolerance, we need to fight boldly now.

Addressing Religious Fundamentalism

Second, we need to stem out religious fundamentalism from our own church. We must eliminate the belief that our church is the true and superior church. Instead, we need to create an image of a tolerant church. The best way to fight intolerance is to be tolerant and respect other people’s beliefs and cultures. It would be futile to Christianize the whole world and yet find people unable to love each other. What we need to do is work on spreading a message of love, peace, and tolerance.

Promoting Interreligious Dialogue

Third, we need to work to create effective dialogues between religions, races, and tribes. We have been actively involved in interreligious dialogues, but the progress seems slow. We need to delve deeper and bring out effective actions and solutions. We should encourage celebrating festivals of other religions and conduct interfaith worship services. Those in formation should be actively involved in these dialogues. I found it very beneficial to me when I attended one of these dialogues as a Jesuit Junior. It changed my perspective on other religions. We also need to promote inculturation and intercultural exposures.

Focusing on Youth Ministry

Fourth, we need to give greater importance to our youth ministry. It is regrettable that we have often paid less attention to youth ministry. Youth, being future leaders, must be inculcated with a spirit of love and tolerance. Many youths have fallen prey to false propaganda. We need to create platforms where we can listen to their views and expressions. Creating organizations like JYF (Jesuit Youth Forum) can be a place where youth, irrespective of race or religion, can come and learn about each other's religions and beliefs. We can also instill in them values of human concern by inviting them to work with JRS and Jesuit Volunteer Service. Paying more attention to youth ministry is an urgent call today.

Utilizing Mass Media

Fifth, GC 31 gave us a clear direction that we need to make the best use of mass media in our ministry. Fringe groups and fundamentalists have exploited mass media to their advantage. We too need to make use of this powerful tool to fight against them. There are many Jesuits who have done courses on mass media and communications; it is time they put into practice what they have learned. In mass media, social media is an effective tool that we can use today as a weapon to fight intolerance. We can share our views with others who share the same concern through social media. Social media can be used to break down boundaries created by humans.

Building Networks

Sixth, we need to create networks with society, the church, and other social organizations to promote the ideology of secularism. We can conduct seminars, rallies, and awareness camps to spread awareness and promote the idea of a pluralistic and inclusive world. We can also promote the idea of a diverse world, as someone beautifully said, "The beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people." Creating networks to hold discussions with various groups that share our ideas and concerns can create waves of change. If we interconnect all our institutions and hold simultaneous seminars and rallies on this issue to create awareness, we can make a big difference in the world.

Creating a Jesuit Connection

Seventh, we can create a "Jesuit connection." Today, with social media, we can easily connect with other people. At present, we number 16,378, to be precise. If all of us connect with at least 10 people, using social media to share our concerns, we will ignite a big spark of change. This is not difficult, especially with platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter. All we need to do is to sit down and spend a little time sharing our views and listening to their views.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

Finally, as we take up this action, we must learn "to love and serve in all things," as our founder St. Ignatius would say. We must also return to our spiritual exercises where, on the last day, we contemplate to attain love and find God in all things. This should constantly ring in our hearts as we work to stem out intolerance and create a world of peace and love. Let us be bold and not be afraid to row into the deep, as GC 36 called us to. I finally conclude with the words of Martin Luther King Jr., "If we are to have peace on earth...our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective" (King, 1967).

References

Frost, R. (n.d.). Freedom lies in being bold.

King, M. L., Jr. (1967). If we are to have peace on earth...

Rafi, M. (n.d.). The World is One.