Food for thought

Soul-ly responsible
By Zabariah Matali
FAITH or religion is something one does not like to discuss unequivocally.
It is regarded as an individual sacred, transpersonal and spiritual commitment to the Higher Being — one's Creator.
Yet religion has been proven throughout history to be a major determinant in unifying people while on the other extreme a major source of discontentment and violence leading to blood-spattered, mindless killing and war.
History has proven this time and again.
According to the 2005 survey of Encyclopaedia Britannica, the vast majority of religious and spiritual adherents follow Christianity (about 33 per cent of world population), Islam (about 20 per cent), Hinduism (about 13 per cent), Chinese folk religion (about 7 per cent), and Buddhism (about 6 per cent).
Others include atheists and indigenous traditional religions.
Major religions in the world hold onto the principle of truth and justice, love and compassion, fairness and tolerance, responsibility and accountability and respect for life.
In fact, at the 1992 Parliament of the World's Religions, hundreds of representatives from most of the major religions developed an accord around key values they had in common — tolerance, non-violence, truthfulness, respect for life, equal rights, solidarity, a just economic order and partnership between men and women.
If truth be told, there are common threads in moral values of these major religions, where there is actually more agreement than differences.
Then why all these senseless intractable conflicts in the name of religion happen?
I believe that it is no coincidence that the two great religions in the world are commemorating their most significant date in history and in their belief system — Islam with the Birth of Prophet Muhammad and Christianity with the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ side by side, today and tomorrow.
Perhaps it is indeed divine intervention and that our Creator is telling us to stop and ponder the implication of the dates and the meaning of our actions, reactions and yes, inactions too.
The recently concluded 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit that proposed for an international high-level meeting to promote a "dialogue of civilisations between Islam and the Christian world" is indeed a major step that should be lauded and supported.
Religious communities and faith-based groups, perhaps more than any other groups, are capable of making peaceful and meaningful changes towards sustainability.
Faith and sustainability seems to be at odds with each other but upon closer examination, we will see that that is not so.
Religions contend with people's ultimate questions — Who are we? Why we are here? What are our relationship with others and our relationship with the rest of the world?
By helping people to grapple with these questions can lead to profound and, admittedly, profoundly difficult changes.
Religion has the power to appeal to the best and even the worst in us, as well as to encourage us to readdress our lives.
Perhaps this long week-end is a good time to soul-search ourselves, to find solace in the face of daunting challenges — both inner as well as outer conflicts; a time to reflect upon our values, our priorities and our jaundiced perceptions of others.
Indeed it is a time to search for Higher common ground, a time to heal, reconciliate and forgive.
Yes, a time to be soul-ly responsible not only to ourselves but more importantly to our Creator.

• Zabariah Matali works with Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM) Sarawak.