Spirituality for Combat

TOC -- Preface | Introduction | Opening | Presentations | Responses | Reports | Poems |

 

RESPONSES ON NATIONAL PRESENTATIONS

Group Reports | Conclusion

Bishop Yap Kim Hao

Since Asians are basically religious people, there is an experience of spirituality. Are there really different spiritualities, that one can so easily identify as Buddhist, Islam and Christian? And if we are really coming out of a mystical tradition, these religious labels, these Christian denominations, do not mean that much. Because, the spirituality of people means almost a direct relationship of a person with whoever he or she regards or affirms as God, and how God works as a spirit in the world. So the spirit is one.

To what extent are we sensitive, (even though we come from a Christian community) to the spiritual experiences of our Asian people coming from various religious traditions? Even though we may now affirm a certain spirituality, we always talk about the Christian spirituality, and it is very hard for us to remind what that really means. Of course, traditionally and conceptually we say that this is what Christ reveals to us. So this is one issue we have not grappled against the experiences of the people, if we start with the experiences of the people. As has been earlier indicated in terms of: what the people understand the spirituality to be? and how they can move on in that interfaith context as Asian people in a higher level of spiritual experience as they face the common struggle? It seems to me to be still very artificial if we each one run back to our Christian sources knowing that it is there. But, it does not remain there within our own religious traditions.

I sense that in all our discussions there is a very strong assertion of spirituality. This is no longer an issue about the place of spirituality in the struggles in which we are engaged. There is a strong assertion of spiritual dimension in all that we do. The difficulty that I find is that in our frustrations and disappointments with what goes on in the life of the Church and what goes on within Christian spirituality there is an attempt to shy away and try to ignore it, and embrace the so-called spirituality of the people, denying therefore, what is within our own tradition. There is this confession of faith in the midst of struggle; just real confession in the faith in which he was brought up and rejected, and that too affirm it.  This is, therefore, the integrity, that will show itself in your relationship with your tormentors also, who persecute you. This is not a denial of faith but a real affirmation with integrity, It is when you approach people with integrity in a real search for spirituality coming out of your own religious traditions, then you begin to gain the respect of others.

Mr. Jeffrey Abayasekera

I would like to underline the following points which came up here and which were reflected in our group:

  1. That spirituality of, for, or in combat, can arise only in the midst of struggle;

  2. This spirituality is being preserved within koinonia;

  3. Common leadership, a different style of life, a building up of cadres and extending of that influence;

  4. Building up of the movement from among the people itself so that it has very much to do with common life, with new style of community life;

  5. Symbols, themes and devotion, both secular and religious, and their reinterpretation. It is very creative from our Asian context, especially the secular ones.

  6. We have to go a little deeper into analysing as to what moves people and keep them moving; and the interaction between the secular and the religious.

  7. Reflection and refreshment in the struggle is very much lined up with worship. All the criticism we face about activists is our failure to take into account that there is a point at which we have to step back and analyse. That itself is done with certain amount of quietness and seriousness.

  8. The place of the Holy Spirit: Whether the Holy Spirit was the basis of this spirituality for combat? On the one hand, there was a feeling that we are imposing some Christian concept on the spirit for combat which is there already. How far is it valid?  At the same time, the word spirituality comes "as inspiration of the spirit".

  9. I think it is a Christian word, which we are imposing. We could have thought of another word, but not spiritual. We have to see whether the Holy Spirit is the basis for this or not. In other words, we need a redefinition of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and how the spirit operates in other religions. We feel the need for a link between the religious and secular spirituality. I feel there is a real fusion between them and their following into one another is quite natural.

  10. The spirituality that oppresses, which came up very forcefully from the Pakistan presentation, and used by the dominant classes in power. We may call it the state religion, which is something that enslaves and oppresses. It could also be called a religious ideology. The acceptance of this situation in a fatalistic way; the people accepting this kind of religion/spirituality that is given to them by the dominant classes. We did not get the other side of religion, and fail to discover the liberating, motivating factors in a religion. In our analysis of a situation, we must point out the liberating elements in the religions. Or are we taking a position where the people have not begun to re-appropriate symbols which have been taken by the dominant class to opress? Whether there is not a re-appropriation of these in the people's struggle? Can we deny that? If so, there is only one type of religion operating, which is of the oppressive type.

  11. A position was taken that "every revolutionary action being spiritual and solidarity being an expression of spirituality". It is very important and it came out forcefully. How do we link that with the heritage that we bring into the struggle, if every human action, revolutionary action for change, is spiritual. When one throws oneself into the struggle for the sake of other people, that is a spiritual act: this relates to the sense of spirituality that is coming out of a tradition.

  12. The need for a search for common religious basis for motivation over and against a feeling that we are doing it alone. This kind of interreligious common action and the search for something new in the struggle like "image of man" can be a motivation. This is where we have to articulate in dialogue with people of other faiths and ideologies.

  13. Racial discrimination was mentioned and the question is: How to transcend this racial discrimination and racial consciousness? The answer seemed to be in small inter-religious dialogues and common action. It is a huge problem especially where it is propped up by the state power.

  14. Whether combat is possible in repressive states? What kind of combat are we talking of in authoriatarian, repressive Asia? What are the possibilities? What are the forms of combat other than the open confrontation with the state power, in which we will not survive?

  15. Action Groups being in a crisis of survival: is another area we have to search our own authenticity and denounce our self-righteousness, our ego in terms of groups and individuals.

  16. The need for common strategy to combat repression, and of coming together, which itself is a new phenomenon. How to hold the common action together; where common spirituality emerges by holding groups of diverse ideological and political affiliations in one common front?

  17. The critiqiue of power, especially of political parties in power and governments in power. The need for developing people's power vs power of established political institutions, without renouncing power.

  18. What is Church in the midst of struggle: a sustaining group, a sharing group? What are its implications for ecclesiology?

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TOC -- Preface | Introduction | Opening | Presentations | Responses | Reports | Poems |