Speaking in a godly way about your faith

                                     

                                              


A self-proclaimed prophet who is building up a cult in Sri Lanka has caused a huge uproar because of derogatory comments he made about Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. This is not the only incident of this nature. We have had extremist Buddhist monks with political agendas attack the beliefs of Christians and Muslims. Sadly, the authorities haven't done much to bring them to book.

Sri Lanka is a country where Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity are practised by its people. If we allow these irresponsible behaviours, we will be playing into the hands of those who are waiting to destroy interreligious harmony and understanding in our land.

The time has come for all of us (of the four religions) to ask, "How could one talk about his faith with a person of another faith in an inoffensive manner?" Sharing what you believe is not easy. There are sacred truths that are unique to each faith and could also be totally opposite to the truths in the other faith.

If we sincerely seek harmony between the religions, we have to learn to talk about the difficult truths that we have between them. It cannot be done in a sermon, which is very monologue-like. Opportunities should be given for people of other faiths to ask questions and engage in healthy dialogue. Hard truths can be discussed in a loving, non-threatening environment.

We Christians talk so much about speaking the truth in love, as taught in Ephesians 4:15. The "love" referred to in this verse is AGAPE. It is a self-sacrificial love that works for the benefit of the loved one. When it comes to sharing my faith with a person of another faith, it has to be done in a spirit of self-sacrificing love. I must speak the truth in order to build up and not tear down. I must not speak about the truths in my religion using repulsive language to run down the truths held by people of another faith. This is why St. Paul has instructed us in Ephesians 4:29. "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

 

Rev. Asiri P. Perera

May 25, 2023

 

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