3 August 2009
What we can do to prevent the world from becoming religiously and politically poralised.
Oliver McTernan speaks on 'Wogan' BBC Radio 2:

I am just back from Istanbul where I spent the last few days in discussion with a group of thirty American evangelical pastors, Muslim political thinkers and activists, and Western secular politicians. On the surface it may seem a bit of an odd group but we began our regular meetings a year ago as we recognised that there was a growing gap in an understanding and therefore a real risk of greater polarization between evangelicals, Muslims and those who have a totally non religious world view.

The purpose of our meetings is to help the participants to recognize what we hold in common despite the real differences that can exist in our approach to life and politics. This was our fourth meeting and I noticed a real development in the way the group related to one another as we have come to know and trust each other. But what makes this process somewhat unique is the fact that it’s more than just a talking shop as we are committed to work together between meetings.

A good example of this is when I was in Gaza last week I was accompanied by an evangelical pastor from Texas. Bob Roberts wanted to see for himself what he and his community could do, despite their religious and political differences, to alleviate the suffering of the million and a half people who live there. He is now planning to get some of the eye doctors belonging to his faith community to accompany him on his next trip in order to plan a project aimed at improving the facilities and medical care at the local eye hospital.

It may seem a small gesture given the scale of the needs in Gaza but in a world that runs the risk of becoming religiously and politically polarized such human contact and co-operation is extremely important in helping to keep in focus our common humanity.

Terry, what a wonderful difference could be made if we could replicate groups like this on the local community level. It would be great if believers and non believers could come together not just to discuss what they have in common but to plan ways in which they can unite in improving life for those in need either in faraway places or in their own immediate neighbourhood.