World Interfaith Harmony Week
February 1-7 2021
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Interfaith harmony: Implementing the transformative agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals PHOTO:UN Photo/Manuel Elias -2016 |
Interfaith Harmony: from the United Nations The first week of February is marked as World Interfaith Harmony Week, during which religious leaders are urged to use their pulpit to promote interfaith dialogue, mutual respect and understanding across different faiths. As mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace, states are encouraged to promote spreading the message of interfaith harmony and goodwill in the world’s churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and other places of worship. In these trying times, we need this spirit more than ever. |
We are one human family on a tiny planet in an incomprehensibly vast universe of divine creation.
We are gifted with life through forces entirely beyond our control.
We live between the mysteries of birth, death and eternity for a relatively short time in a 13 billion year old universe.
Our lives depend on a flourishing biodiversity in the web of life. We become who we are amidst king prawns and kookaburras, waratahs and wallabies.
It would be absurd for our life to be lived otherwise. In this context, World Interfaith Harmony is an obvious necessity.
But, as we know the United Nations has had to create this special week to help overcome disharmony.
It took the inspired leadership of H.M. King Abdullah of Jordan for the UN to adopt this beautiful idea in 2010. He could see the necessity of a fresh initiative to foster a culture of peace and non- violence based on dialogue, cooperation and compassionate service.
World Interfaith Harmony Week invites us to imagine our one human family living in peace, guided into vibrant and creative harmony by people of faith who are completely honouring the deepest truths of their faith tradition.
The beauty of this imagining meets the harsh reality of disappointing leadership which continues to fan hate and fear out of ignorance or in pursuit of some deluded form of supremacy.
The times cry out for unifying leaders. Not more of those who either ineptly or intentionally cause disunity.
The necessity for unifying leaders who encourage compassionate cooperation has been evident throughout the pandemic. We see the same necessity in relation to preventing climate change and to healing the consequences of violence, in its myriad forms.
In Victoria, including in Melbourne and Geelong, we are blessed with a high quality of harmony between faith leaders. A peaceful culture based on dialogue and trust- building initiatives has evolved out of necessity, as we have addressed complex issues together.
The World Interfaith Harmony Week gives us an opportunity to celebrate this achievement and to draw more people into embracing this as our common future.
We can glimpse how beautiful Victoria can be as a completely harmonious State of Compassion.
We can see how much our world needs such places of inspiration.
With our sacred texts in hand, we have only to look into the eyes of little children to be recommitted.
The World Interfaith Harmony Week in February gives us an opportunity to renew our commitment.
This is an idea whose time has come. Both as a matter of beauty and of necessity.
Today we pray for peace amongst religions.
Bishop Philip Huggins, NCCA President
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| Interfaith harmony: Implementing the transformative agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals
PHOTO:UN Photo/Manuel Elias |
