The motion from the Diocesan Board of Interfaith Relations (Addendum 14) is really an invitation to explore God beyond the boundaries of our faith tradition.

Why would we want to do this?

Because, in our wisest moments, we all know that God is a lot bigger than the theological formulas and doctrines which we build around him.
In our brightest moments, as the Archbishop mentioned in his Charge, we know that, in the history of creation, God has been around a lot longer than all our recently formed revelations.
And because, in our highest moments, we all know that God is not restrained by doctrine or dogma - but that he is present and active whenever and wherever life itself exists, or as Bishop Peter Lee says ‘ we cannot ignore the fact of God’s abiding concern for and continuing activity in the whole of creation.’

Thus if we are to truly seek all of God, I believe we must feel equipped and safe enough to seek him, or, at the very least, to notice and acknowledge him, outside our own system of belief. This is known as the path of deep ecumenism.

The Cape Town Interfaith Initiative and the Diocesan Board of Interfaith Relations both give us some encouragement in this work and guide us in the two directions that are reflected in this motion.

Firstly towards a healthy engagement with individuals and institutions of non-Christian faiths in order to build friendship, understanding and a deeper awareness of God’s work in our world.
The pay off here, of course, is freedom and a growing of one’s own faith. My experience is that when I am working with friends of non-Christian religions, I always find myself left feeling more grounded and rooted in my own faith.

The Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh says ‘ Through the practice of deep looking and deep listening, we become free, able to see the beauty and values in our own and others’ tradition.’
And goes on ‘ When you touch someone who authentically represents a tradition, you not only touch his or her tradition, you also touch your own.’
One of my heroes, Fr Bede Griffiths, a Benedictine monk who lived for over half a century in India running a Hindu Christian Ashram, says that ‘the time has come to share one another’s spiritual riches’. And ‘the meeting has to take place, not with doctrines and arguments, but at the level of interior experience.’

It is my experience working in the CTII that real dialogue happens when we speak from the heart and share our common humanity.

The second direction, which the motion indicates, is the opportunity to collaborate around critical issues of our time. As you know the Interfaith movement in South Africa grew out of the anti-apartheid cry for justice. Today there are enough common enemies to demand that that religious communities continue to collaborate on matters of justice, moral regeneration and social development. We have a Government who is always willing to listen to the voice of the faith communities. Thus in our motion we encourage participation and support of all faith based alliances especially those formed around HIV/AIDS, poverty and community safety. Again we would want to acknowledge the Archbishops lead in this direction, and his willingness to pick up issues at the Interreligious Commission on Crime and Violence. However we would also like to see similar structures set up at local level. Community Interfaith Forums (CIF’s) are being formed to assist in this process of cooperation around local issues.

The very act of combining skills and resources around local issues develops, I believe, a healthy interfaith culture of cooperation and understanding.

As to the questions raised in Resolution 27 of the 59th session of Synod around interfaith worship, the motion, I’m sure, allays any fear of syncretism or compromise in this regard. ‘Interfaith worship’ does not happen. Worship/prayer rituals remain within the particular faith community and as such are focussed and exclusive. We do not have interfaith Eucharists or an interfaith Shabbat.
The present Pope is very good on this. When he calls religious leaders together in Assisi he brings them together to share the concerns and encourage the response and then sends them to temple, church, mosque, and synagogue around Assisi to carry out their own religious rituals.

The only time people of faith gather together is for those occasions outlined in the motion - memorial, protest and solidarity, and thanksgiving. At this time, for example, as a nation we come together to honour the spirit of women. And it is entirely appropriate that on Sunday afternoon people of all faiths will be expressing their gratitude and drawing on their traditions to acknowledge the women of this country. Later this month we will have a day of remembrance for all the children who have been killed on the streets of our parishes and acknowledging the pain of the bereaved parents. People of faith will gather for a prayer vigil and of course what better place to gather than the people’s cathedral, St Georges. We can be proud that our mother church can continue to open its doors to people in pain seeking justice and seeking change.

The City of Cape Town is now one of an Interfaith Partner Cities Network along with Chicago, Barcelona and Jerusalem and others. Internationally we are envied for our religious diversity. None of us have to travel far to find to find our Jewish, Hindu or Muslim neighbour. We have a wonderful opportunity in Cape Town to model an interfaith culture of tolerance and respect for all.

The motion therefore calls for engagement and collaboration and of course between the lines suggests that we may need to let go of our desire to have exclusive rights on God’s action or a monopoly on Divine interest, and perhaps the hardest to let go of the desire to be right in a way that makes others wrong.

But most importantly we do not need to be threatened. We are the keepers of a unique revelation in Jesus Christ; we have an insight into God that is too precious to keep to ourselves. Our evangelism becomes less results based and more home based - a true sharing of the hope that lies within us. As we listen to the passion of others we have so much to share.

Let me close with the final words of the motion.
Your support of this important motion for our time will lead us all to a greater understanding and deepening of our own faith as well as empowering us all
to live knowledgeably,
to rest comfortably,
and to speak confidently,
in a world of many cultures and faiths.