Living together

No, not a homily on the ethics of cohabitation. Archbishop Robin Eames has said the peace process will only succeed if people learn to live together. He put it like this: "Unless you get people at the local level where they are, living and working and loving and being with their loved ones, politicians can do everything they like, but they will never bring about reconciliation".

 

I agree. How often we just ignore the other side - on the school bus, as we pass cars parked by a church. We have to move on from that.

 

However, reconciliation doesn't mean agreeing on everything. Like a family which has arguments sometimes, we have to learn to stick together while not seeing eye-to-eye all the time, running that fine balance between stating our views respectfully and being open to other angles on things. This takes good manners as well!

 

Eames has set a pretty good example himself, demonstrating a good working relationship with his Opposite number, Dr Seán Brady, even though they have some differences in the detail of their inherited theologies. (So what, I say. I think they both know Jesus is who matters).

 

The question for us is, what can I do today at a local level to engage meaningfully without selling out my own principles?