Islam and Franciscanism: A Dialogue

The Exodus Motif in Christianity and Islam

77 “I do no longer adore what you adore!” The Exodus Motif in Christianity and Islam —Its relevance for the dialogue between Islam and Franciscanism— Thomas Mooren, O.F.M. Cap. He started for the door, then turned back. “Would Fletcher have made a good priest?” “No, Father,” Tom answered without hesitation. “There’s more to this job than memorizing scripture and church dogma.” “What’s he lacking?” The priest thought for a moment. “Compassion,” he said softly. Tami Hoag, Night Sins 1) Introduction There are many possible avenues one can take while being in dialogue with the other, be it the other religion, the other political system, etc., or simply the other person as a human being. But whatever the approach we choose to take, we know that, once engaged towards the “otherness of the other,” we have to leave behind us at least something of our own Self, i.e., of the old Self before we entered the road of dialogue. Everyone who has engaged into a true dialogue knows how a new Self may be born in the process — sometimes in a very painful way — a Self enriched by the presence of the other who knocks at my door and at whose door I knock. Truly, this new, enriched Self is also one who has “lost weight” — illusions, prejudices, a couple of expectations and hopes and other similar things. However, if I had never left home, so to speak, I would not have learnt anything about the other-world out there, and consequently nothing about my own Self. I call this spiritual adventure during which, in one way 78 THOMAS MOOREN, O.F.M. CAP. or the other, we are leaving our Self behind us, the “exodus gesture.” As we can easily see, the exodus gesture is essential for the dialogue. We have to summon the courage and energy of Abraham who once left his homeland, departing for a place only the Lord knows. 1 But the exodus motif is not only of interest in pinning down the specific kind of mental awareness needed for a successful dialogue, that is, as a description of the mind-stage of the participants in any given dialogue process, but also opens up a road towards the understanding of the spirit of religion as such, of what a religion really means to its followers and to those who try to understand it. Particularly obvious is this in cases like Buddhism or Taoism and naturally in the case of the three great Semitic religions; Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, to name them in the order they have appeared in history. Nobody for example can understand Buddhism without taking into account the story of Buddha leaving his home, for example, leaving behind himself his wife and his little son Rahula in order to strive for enlightenment. Here the touching story, certainly a crucial moment in Buddha’s life: Now the Future Buddha... thought to himself, “I will take just one look at my son;” and, rising from the couch on which he was sitting, he went to the suite of apartments occupied by the mother of Rahula, and opened the door of her chamber. Within the chamber was burning a lamp fed with sweet-smelling oil, and the mother of Rahula lay sleeping on a couch strewn deep with jasmine and flowers, her hand resting on the head of her son. When the Future Buddha reached the threshold, he paused, and gazed at the two from where he stood. If I were to raise my wife’s hand from off the child’s head, and take him up, she would awake, and thus prevent my departure. “I will first become a Buddha, and then come back and see my son.” So saying, he descended from the palace. (Warren 1978:62). And who has not heard of Lao Tsu’s Tao Te King, where the spirit of “exile,” of breaking away from the world and going out into the woods first and thereupon into one’s own inner Self is omnipresent as the foundation of wisdom itself? Here are some words of chapter 64 of the famous book: ... He who acts defeats his own purpose; He who grasps loses... 1 For the dialogue process see also Mooren 1994:18-54, 107-114. THE EXODUS MOTIF 79 Therefore the sage seeks freedom from desire. He does not collect precious things.... He brings men back...