By CC Pung
Justice of Peace
THE new Pope calls for the building of bridges and being part of ‘the conversation’.
I like it because of the number of bridges I’ve unwittingly burned to the detriment of my life, and my later realisation of the importance of ‘conversation’ (dialogue, exchange of opinions, different perspectives, etc) in moving ideas forward and winning consensus.
The pontiff words made me think of the celebrities’ out-of-this-world take on fashion at the recent and always-decadent Met Gala.
It reflected our age of insanity, the desire for that minute-of-fame notoriety and the pursuit of something ‘new’, never-ending what it is so long it’s never heard of.
Well, building bridges and consensus are not new.
But like tyres that are circular, they always worked.
The ancients told us there’s no need to try to reinvent the wheel.
But we all know someone, perhaps even ourself, who have foolishly tried.
Well have to see how this new Pope act out his mantra.
Catholicm only showed some sign of growth in the last few years after lengthy period of decline.
Unpleasant stories of the church from a long time ago, abuses in the clergy, relevance, gender debates, LGBTQ+, women priest, etc.
Bridges are hard to build.
Prejudices are hard to break.
Dogmas cuts both ways.
It’s hard just to talk about uncomfortable subjects, must less to talk in order to be able to agree to disagree.
On a rare occasion talking with a Muslim friend about suicide bombing when the brutal acts were perpetrated by what the media called ‘radical muslims’, I was reminded that almost all faiths commanded their followers to be doggedly committed.
The vegetarians sworn against eating meat.
The self-harm and paganistic rituals of numerous beliefs.
Beliefs, the radical varieties, stir something on the dark side of their practitioners, and manifest in ways so ugly that even non believers shudder.
So, where does a belief cross the line marked by humanity?
Beliefs come in many languages. People communicate in different tongues.
The religions tried form the beginning of time to talk with and to each other, build bridges to reach out to each other.
What’s the chasm? What’s in the chasm that continues to keep humanity apart?
I’m convinced it is hate.
Most of us hate this or that, and yet have no idea where it came from, or why.
If you had a chance, I challenge you to not just talk vaguely about bridge-building or consensus, but behoves and brave to lay it out that it is the big HATE that we’re trying to navigate.
