My words are not my own; they belong to the One Who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own (Jn.7:16-17).
I no longer believe in interfaith dialog. For a short time, despite misgivings, I attempted an exchange of ideas with those of other faiths or of no faith, but truthfully, I could see no benefits at all from the attempt. Those who believe passionately cannot "exchange ideas," as we see plainly on another level in the U.S. Congress. They can only fight for control of the legislation, getting the best they can for their viewpoint or ideas of the way things ought to be.
No one comes to God through an exchange of ideas, because the grace of God operates on another level altogether. No one comes to God by being convinced of some else's viewpoint, but only by the sudden or gradual opening of the mind and heart to the light. The problem with dialog is that all we have for the exchange is our own words, our own viewpoint --- but Jesus first of all did not engage in dialog with the world of Judiasm---the scribes and Pharisees,---- and secondly, He did not use His own words, but the words given to Him by the Father, who alone knew the spiritual state of the ones who listened to Jesus.
At any given moment, the Spirit of the Lord hovers over our souls, and He is always leading us to a new place out of the darkness that envelops us. Only He knows at each moment the word we need to hear for our healing. Isaiah says this: The Sovereign Lord (--i.e., the One Who is above all)--has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught (50:4).
I do not say that we must not enter into conversation with the world, but our words must be those of Jesus speaking through us in love--words of comfort, words of healing, words of truth, words of freedom from fear, words that make a way in the wilderness for those trapped in darkness.
Paul, in his passion for the Jewish way of life, could never have entered into "dialog" with the new Christian community; it took the grace of God to open his mind and heart to the new Way of Jesus. C.S.Lewis, though he was in dialog with his Christian friend Tolkein for many years, was not converted to Christianity by Tolkein's faith, though it did lead him to become a theist from his original atheistic stance. The step from theism to mysticism came through the mysterious grace of God. I cannot help thinking that Tolkein stopped "dialoging" with Lewis and began instead to pray for him.
Yesterday I wrote that we must all come to the realization that we are but obstacles to the kingdom of heaven. As John the Baptist said, "I must decrease; He must increase." When we finally come to realize that we have nothing to say to those who do not believe, we make room for the grace of God to operate. As we move back and submit to the grace of God in the lives of others, it may surprise us that what we so desperately longed for is coming to pass.
Paul said, "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power" (I Cor 2:2-5).
It is impossible, I think, to "dialog" with those who do not believe in the Son of God. But we can pray that God Himself will give to them His very own Word spoken in His beloved Son.
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