Mutual respect not confrontation

"Let one hundred flowers bloom." This slogan uttered by Chairman Mao Zedong in February 1957 is generally increased ten fold becoming "let one thousand flowers bloom".

The full quotation from Mao read:

"Letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend is the policy for promoting progress in the arts and the sciences and a flourishing socialist culture in our land."

Some say that Mao was not really interested in enhancing diversity but was only interested in getting his adversaries to speak out publicly so that they could be identified and taken good care of. Whatever the case with Mao's intention, I think, that history proves that the promotion of diversity is generally a positive thing. The more ideas, opinions and positions there are the merrier, so long as these ideas are well thought out before being expressed and the opinions and positions taken are based on research and reflection.

When this is not the case, the one hundred flowers would look more like an overgrown front garden than a beautiful one.

Over to England

This beautiful garden is constructed when we genuinely listen to each other instead of insulting each other. Archbishop Vincent Nichols, during the installation Mass as the Archbishop of Westminster on May 21, 2009 said that:

"Let us be a society in which we genuinely listen to each other, in which sincere disagreement is not made out to be insult or harassment, in which reasoned principles are not construed as prejudice and in which we are prepared to attribute to each other the best and not the worst of motives."

These wise words are as applicable to Malta as they are to Great Britain, perhaps more so over here.

Across to the US

A couple of days before, May 17, President Obama was participating in a potentially explosive situation. He was addressing those gathered at the eminently Catholic University of Notre Dame for the commencement celebration. Many Catholics vehemently opposed the invitation, saying that a President who was in favour of allowing abortions should not have been there. Obama recognised the controversy and appealed for the quest of the common ground. The future of humanity depended on the result of this quest, he said.

"We must find a way to live together as one human family. Moreover, no one person, or religion, or nation can meet these challenges alone. Our very survival has never required greater cooperation and understanding among all people from all places than at this moment in history. ... ... when we open our hearts and our minds to those who may not think like we do or believe what we do -- that's when we discover at least the possibility of common ground."

Since we do not and cannot agree on the legality or otherwise of abortion is there no dialogue or concrete action possible between the two sides? Obama made this proposal:

"So let's work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term."

He continued:

"I will not pretend that the challenges we face will be easy, or that the answers will come quickly, or that all our differences and divisions will fade happily away. ... ... Life is not that simple. It never has been."

Back to Malta

The words of Archbishop Nichols and President Obama are very useful in Malta as well. We are a Mediterranean people, easy to ignite and explode. This is one of the characteristics of oral-aural cultures everywhere. We tend to be polarised and see things as good or bad, them and us. We go for extremes. We debate more than discuss. We try to win the argument not to find a mutually agreeable solution. We love to have a thesis and antithesis battling it out until no synthesis is found. Perhaps I am exaggerating a bit but I guess you get the drift of my argument.

We are all guilty.

We do this in politics. The most recent example is the group of friends set up on one of the social networks saying that they "hate Gonzi and the PN". I would have dismissed it as a youthful prank were it not for the presence of two Labour MPs among the "friends".

This tendency to paint those of a different opinion as enemies is present at all levels of society and in all institutions: unions, the Church, the parties included.

In times of crisis, we do have the ability to get together and move on together. One can point towards many examples of great maturity by all our political leaders in their attempts for reconciliation and the search for the common good. The experience of diversity in unity is cherished, lauded and enjoyed in such circumstances. However, we tend to do this mainly when we move very close to the precipice.

We - believers and non-believers; red, blue and green; etc - should learn more from the great Mediterranean evangelisers, Paul. During one of his voyages, he went to the Areopagus in Athens in an attempt to dialogue with Greek philosophers. The altar dedicated to the Unknown God provided his basis for finding the common ground. The dialogue was easy, but nonetheless necessary.

Bishop Nichols in his inaugural speech said that "He (Paul) struggled to find the language in which the insights and light of Christian faith can be brought into dialogue with the finest minds of his age. ... ... St Paul did not seek to impose his beliefs nor exploit anxiety or fear."

Would not our living in Malta be much better if the Pauline strategy should be adopted by church, political, union, business leaders and followers?