By Rolando Lazarte
In the document which the Group Kairos-Nós Também Somos Igreja presented to the IMWAC (International Movement We are Church) international Meeting, held in Lisbon in October 2012, we can read as one of the Brazilian Group’s proposals to the other participants of that meeting:
“Enhancing inter-religious dialogue and the practice of integrative and inclusive spirituality, without ideological, doctrinal or institutional frontiers.”
Here and now, I intend to just develop, even in an incipient way, something about this issue. While all of us are, at least intellectually, in favor of religious pluralism, not always we have a positive attitude about other religions with which we must deal in current society. This should not be seen as a critique presented by me, but rather as a point to be noted. Because more of we understand that not only each of the religions is a path to God, but, more radically, each person goes through a single path, fully personal and singular, towards God, more we will be able to have a more fluid, more realistic understandig, regarding to what is the connection of every human being to God.
The human being is a totally changing reality, constantly changing. Our group Kairos/Nós Também Somos Igreja, enhances an open attitude regarding the search of God. Beyond doctrines and institutions, there is the mystery of life, the exchange between those who seek to live in harmony with the Divinity. Just because our practice is strongly focused on the Gospel, it is rather focused on the life, on the authentic person’s search for a harmonization of our everyday existence with the divine will.
In this sense, just because there is in a deep respect for the Catholic tradition and the biblical precepts and rituals, the prevailing attitude should be of discernment, of authenticity in search of truth, rather than believing in dogmas from top to bottom.
When we talk about an integrative spirituality, we are saying there is not a decoupling between everyday life and spiritual or religious life. Life is sacred. Everything is sacred.
Rather than to lose time with erudite or intellectual explanations , we should try, through study and reflection, to exercise the exchange of experiences and findings, growing together in community, strengthening our belonging to the family, to the society of which we are part, and to the country and to mankind as a whole.
Translation: Alder Júlio Ferreira Calado