As we reflect upon the growing unrest and sectarian strife in the Middle East, at first glance it seems so difficult to find signs of hope. Consider, for example, the situation in Tripoli, one of Lebanon’s most divided cities, where sectarian antagonism chokes civic society and precludes the intermingling of Alewites, Sunni’s and Druze among …
‘No-one who knew Frans van der Lugt, the Dutch Jesuit priest murdered in Syria, was surprised by his refusal to leave the besieged city of Homs. He had spent almost 50 years in Syria and had been in Homs since the siege began more than two years ago’. So writes Bethlehem-based writer Daniel Silas Adamson in …
The Buddhist concept of reincarnation, while both mysterious and intriguing, is hard for most Westerners, particularly those of us who subscribe to a Christian worldview, to grasp. That’s why this educational film is so important. ‘Unmistaken Child’ follows the four year search for the reincarnation of Lama Konchog, a world-renowned Tibetan master who passed away …
I have finally got round to watching Velcrow Ripper’s award-winning documentary, ‘Scared Sacred’. Against the backdrop of a world overwhelmed by turmoil and suffering, Ripper sets out on a unique, and often difficult, pilgrimage. His task is to visit what he calls the ‘Ground Zeros’ of the planet, and in doing so, he poses the …
The religious scholar, former nun and inter-faith activist, Karen Armstrong, has called upon faith leaders to collaborate to promote peaceful coexistence. You can see her interview with Al Jazeera’s Riz Khan below. The Charter for Compassion is an excellent initiative that works to bring people of faith together – have a look at the website …
Rising Restrictions on Religion – Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. This report makes for sober reading – it shows that restrictions on religious beliefs and practices rose between mid-2006 and mid-2009 in 23 of the world’s 198 countries. Because several countries with increasing restrictions on religion are very populous, however, the increases affect a …
Laurie Goodstein of the New York Times has recently penned a very interesting piece on Eboo Patel of the Interfaith Youth Core in the US. Disillusioned with the superficial nature of the Interfaith movement and its failure to engage with the ‘grassroots’, Patel was driven to try something new and meaningful, hence the term ‘Interfaith …
I’ve started a new website for a new organisation – The Merton Fellowship for Peace and Contemplative Living in Ireland. The fellowship is an informal network of individuals interested in living a life of peace and contemplation based on the example and writings of Thomas Merton, the Cistercian monk and spiritual writer. The fellowship, which …
