Building a Bridge of Tolerance
Stanley Jawa SVD
Much is said about tolerance, especially religious tolerance. Promoting tolerance and building good relations is a process which often takes a long time. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by learning about other religions and cultures.
I had this experience when I went home to Indonesia last August. I had a great time being with my family, and I also had a wonderful experience visiting my brothers and sisters at a mosque in my village of Maunori, Flores, Indonesia.
The population of my village is about 500, and there are approximately 150 Muslim families. Fortunately, Catholics and Muslims have very good relations. When Catholics sponsor Easter and Christmas events, the Muslim community helps out. In return, Catholics do the same for Muslim events.
I was at the mosque right after they celebrated their Friday noon prayer. Their imam came to my house to invite me to be a guest speaker at their mosque. I was very much honored to be among them, since I had never been in the mosque before. I thanked God for this great opportunity, not only as a Catholic priest, but mostly as a Divine Word Missionary priest.
In my talk, I emphasized how good it was that we were able to live together in whatever situation and circumstance. I said: "We all worship the same God, but in different ways. God knows our desires to worship Him. He has never taught us to hate each other. He invites us every single day to build a bridge of love, peace, and joy. This must be a life-long commitment for all human beings."
After being together with them, I had a chance to tour the mosque. Again I thanked God for the great blessing that I could come and share his love with them.
In closing, we often say, "Actions speak louder than words." We need to always actualize what we speak. As Divine Word Missionaries, we are called to evangelize and to let our love be well known to every nation, race, religion, and community.
About the Author
Fr. Stanley Jawa SVD was ordained in Indonesia in 2007 and received his mission assignment to the United States. He currently ministers at Notre Dame Catholic Church in St. Martinville, Louisiana.
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