Editorial / Vorwort

Der Hauptteil dieser Ausgabe des Verbum SVD ist auch dem Thema des XVII. SVD-Generalkapitels gewidmet. Beim Nachdenken über das Thema „...Interkulturelles Leben und interkulturelle Mission teilen“ stellte sich mir – neben den konkreten und praktischen Aspekten – auch die Frage nach dem Ziel. Welches Ziel wollen wir mit interkulturellem Leben und interkultureller Mission erreichen? Die Antwort ergibt sich aus dem Reich-Gottes-Thema: „Weil wir berufen sind, zu anderen Kulturen zu gehen und das Charisma der Internationalität zu leben, besteht unser besonderes Zeugnis für das Reich Gottes darin, seinen universalen Charakter und seine Offenheit für die Vielfalt ins rechte Licht zu rücken ... Unsere missionarische Berufung besteht ... nicht nur darin, im apostolischen Dienst für das Reich Gottes Zeugnis abzulegen. Sie beinhaltet gleichermaßen, unter uns selbst eine missionarische Ordensgemeinschaft zu formen, die ein glaubhaftes Zeugnis vom Reich Gottes darstellt“ (XV. SVD-Generalkapitel). Für eine Vertiefung dieser Gedanken waren Dokumente der Föderation Asiatischer Bischofskonferenzen (FABC) sehr anregend. Hier sei nur kurz darauf hingewiesen.
Seit einigen Jahren befasst sich FABC mit dem Thema „Harmonie“. Das mag zunächst als ein sehr asiatisches Thema erscheinen, aber das Wort trifft auch in anderen Kulturen unserer globalisierten Welt auf Resonanz, auch wenn das Verständnis von Harmonie unter-schiedlich sein mag und hin und wieder zu übersetzen ist.
1. Harmonie in interkulturellem Leben und Mission kann nicht als System zur Vermeidung von Konflikten oder zur Verewi-gung des status quo verstanden werden ... Harmonie setzt das Lernen neuer Kulturen voraus und erwächst aus der Begegnung mit kulturell, religiös und sozial „Anderen“.
2. Bei Harmonie geht es nicht um die Verwischung von Unterschieden, um so eine Einigung auf alle Kosten zu erreichen; im Gegenteil liegt der Test echter Harmonie in der Akzeptanz von Verschiedenheit als Reichtum ... Unterschiedliche Menschen, Kulturen, Glaubenstraditionen, Ideologien und Weltbilder können einander bereichern und ergänzen. Das Zulassen von Pluralität – Einheit in Verschiedenheit – ergibt sich aus dem Verständnis von Mission als prophetischem Dialog.
3. Harmonie ist eine globale Vision, die die gesamte menschliche, kosmische und göttliche Wirklichkeit betrifft. Harmonie kann nicht auf eine rein äußere Ordnung reduziert werden, sondern erfordert den Einsatz der ganzen Person: Herz, Gefühle und Geist ... Das Konzept der Harmonie betrifft die tieferen Dimensionen der menschlichen Existenz und fordert immer wieder den ganzen Menschen, auch in Verbindung zu Gott, heraus.
Harmonie führt zu Befreiung und Leben in Fülle, Freude und Friede. Leben ist nicht statisch, sondern dynamisch. Begegnungen führen immer wieder zu Erneuerung. Dieses Verständnis von Harmonie kommt der christlichen Botschaft sehr nahe. Gott bietet allen Menschen durch Jesus Christus die Fülle des Heils an. Aus der Perspektive des Glaubens ist Harmonie eine Frucht des Reiches Gottes, das bereits jetzt in der Welt und in den Leben von Menschen wirkt.
In diesem Verbum SVD bieten verschiedene Autoren ihre Beiträge zum Thema Mission an. Der zweite Teil über die Geschichte der SVD-Generalkapitel, Überlegungen zu interkulturellem Leben und interkultureller Mission, zum Thema Ausbildung und zu Erfahrungen mit Missionaren und Mission können hier gefunden werden.

Dedicating the main part of this issue of Verbum SVD also to the theme of the XVII SVD General Chapter, “From every nation, people and language: sharing intercultural life and mission,” I asked myself: what goal(s) do we want to reach with intercultural life and mission? The response seems closely related to giving witness to the Reign of God: “The Reign of God is a Reign of Love that includes absolutely everyone... Our call to mission is not only a call to witness to God’s Reign through our apostolic service. It is equally a call to build up among ourselves a missionary religious community that gives an ever more credible witness to the Reign of God...” (XV SVD General Chapter). For a deeper understanding, I was inspired by reflections found in documents of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC).
For some years now FABC has been devoting special attention to the theme of “harmony.” It may be a very Asian theme, but it’s a word that resonates also with other cultures in our globalized world, although understandings of harmony will differ and the term may require some kind of translation.
     1. Harmony in intercultural life and mission cannot be seen as a
     system to avoid conflicts and thus perpetuate a status quo...
Intercultural life and mission are being lived in the midst of this world. Missionary challenges or situations vary, depending on con-texts. The learning of cultural, religious, social, etc. realities is a very basic prerequisite for engaging in mission. We are continuously called to enter into dialogue with people and realities surrounding us and of which we ourselves are a part. One should be on guard against idyllic peace or a sinful counterfeit of harmony in society (or community) which could be promoted at the cost of justice or authenticity for furthering vested interests and egoistic goals.
Harmony is promoted neither by a blanket-acceptance of an unjust status quo, nor by compromising with evil, nor by an involuntary tolerance of the other, but by a courageous condemnation of evil in its various forms. Avoiding conflicts may always be a temptation in in-tercultural life—for the sake of harmony and peace. But it will not work: we have to face our own and the reality of the other and we have to be open to change in our personal and communal lives. Harmony demands a transformative attitude and action, to bring about change also in intercultural life and mission. This can be provided only by a prophetic spirituality which exercises charitable but courageous criticism of the situation.
     2. Harmony does not consist in leveling differences so as to reach a
    consensus at all costs; on the contrary, the test of true harmony
    lies in the acceptance of diversity as richness...
This implies accepting pluralism and the otherness of the other; at the same time a capacity for thinking in a global way. One of the serious obstacles to harmony is the attitude of exclusivity, not being willing to open oneself and see the beauty and truth in the other. At the root of this attitude is the failure to view the complementarity which exists between people, cultures, faiths, ideologies, worldviews, etc. For the promotion of harmony, it is important to cultivate an all-embracing and complementary way of thinking. This is very demanding, but an important element of living intercultural life and mission. Accepting the otherness of the other as a gift, openness to being enriched by one another will not only change ways of community living, but will also influence our mission and the face of Christianity. Mission understood as prophetic dialogue will challenge our ways of seeing reality, our basic attitudes and the very proclamation of the Christian message in word, action and witness.
    3. Harmony is a global vision that concerns the whole of the hu-
    man, cosmic and divine reality. It cannot, in fact, be reduced to
    an external order, but requires the involvement of the whole
    person: heart, sentiments and mind...
There is an intimate correspondence between the exterior world and the inner world of the self, even to the extent that the realization of harmony in world and society would presuppose integration and wholeness within oneself.  Harmony can be perceived and realized at various levels: harmony in oneself as personal integration of body and mind; harmony with the Cosmos, not only living in harmony with nature but sharing nature’s gifts equitably to promote harmony among peoples; harmony with others, accepting, respecting and appreciating each one’s cultural, ethnic and religious identity, building community in freedom and fellowship; harmony in our collaboration as a means of promoting harmony for all in the world; and finally harmony with God or the Absolute or with whatever we perceive as the ultimate goal of life.
The pursuit of harmony in all its dimensions results in liberation and fullness, joy and peace, which are lived in a way that is not static, but dynamic, as life and movement. Therefore harmony is not something achieved once and for all, but it is something which we have to strive after indefatigably in the midst of the vicissitudes of history, with an awareness that ultimately harmony is not a human achievement, but the gift of divine grace.
From all of this emerges how the vision of harmony dovetails profoundly with the Christian message. The notion of harmony, though not the term itself, is a major theme of Christianity. This term can express the sum total of salvation offered by God through Jesus Christ. In the eyes of faith this vision needs to be understood as the fruit of God’s Reign present and operative in the lives of people and in religions, both at the level of their concrete daily commitment and at the level where global intuitions are generated. Harmony is, thus, another way of pronouncing the reality of the Kingdom of God.
With this issue of Verbum SVD different authors are offering their contributions on SVD life and mission. The second part of the history of SVD General Chapters, reflections on intercultural life and mission and experiences with missionaries and ways of mission can be found in this present volume.