Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has emphasised the power of friendship as a common value shared across all faiths which helps transcend boundaries and brings communities closer together.
Archbishop Fisher was speaking at the 14th annual Iftar Dinner on 18 March at St Mary’s Cathedral House.
The dinner brings together representatives from different faith traditions in a spirit of conviviality and friendship to honour the Muslim community in their fasting month of Ramadan.
Archbishop Fisher told the gathering that sacred texts across the Abrahamic faiths all place central importance on the value of friendship which is also extolled in the great philosophies and spiritualities of ancient India and China.
“The Qur’an speaks about choosing good companions and nurturing those friendships, going out of your way for your neighbours, entertaining your guests generously, looking out for each other, being generous expecting no return and supporting each other in faith and virtue,” he said.
“Friendship with family, tribes, strangers, above all God is a recurrent theme of the Jewish scriptures. Proverbs proclaims that a ‘true friend sticks closer than kin’, is there in good times and bad, and should be treated kindly.
“And in the Christian scriptures we find Jesus is a friend loved people. He had a very close bond with the Twelve, who crisscrossed the Holy Land with him and with whom there was deep affection, regular misunderstandings, occasional betrayal, but ready reconciliation.”
The 70 guests attending this year’s Iftar Dinner reflected the rich diversity of faith traditions in Australia, including representatives from the Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh communities.
Alongside Archbishop Fisher at the dinner was Cardinal Mykola Bychok, Eparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania and brother Bishops Brian Mascord from the Diocese of Wollongong and Gregory Homeming OCD from the Diocese of Lismore, Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Meagher and Emeritus Bishop Terence Brady from the Archdiocese of Sydney.
The Grand Mufti of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, was amongst the special guests as well as Dr Benjamin Elton, Chief Rabbi of Sydney’s Great Synagogue and its president David Lewis.
In his speech, Archbishop Fisher reflected upon the importance of friendship between faiths at such a critical time.
“The ‘elephant in the room’ tonight is the tension and acts of hatred that have marred our world and our own city in recent times. There are many things we each might say about that. But I think we could all agree that our world needs more friendship at the moment,” he said.
“Should we count as friends only those who think like us, look like us, speak our language, have the same hobbies and interests as us, or worship like us? Our faiths say ‘no’. Friendship might come naturally with those with whom we share such things, but the three Abrahamic religions all praise hospitality and friendship given to outsiders, to strangers.
“Part of the power of friendship is that it can transcend boundaries, which makes it especially important at a time when we are tempted to fall back into tribalism, into a toxic ‘us versus them’ mentality.”
The Moderator of the Uniting Church Synod of NSW and the ACT, Reverend Faaimata Hiliau was attending her first Iftar Dinner at cathedral house after her installation as Moderator last year.
She said the archbishop’s address was a salient reminder of the enduring beauty, resilience and transformative power of friendship in our world.
“As the archbishop noted, it is easy in times of conflict and discord to retreat to those communities of people whom we share beliefs and backgrounds with. However, the weight of bonds forged outside of these borders is where the catalyst for change occurs and tensions can be transcended,” Reverend Hiliau explained.
“It was a joy to break bread with so many friends from diverse ecumenical and faith communities. It was also an honour to meet His Eminence Cardinal Bychok who was recently appointed the youngest cardinal in the Catholic Church. May we continue to stand together in friendship and peace.”
The President of the National Sikh Council of Australia, Amarinder Bajwa, said the Iftar Dinner beautifully exemplified interfaith harmony, mutual respect and the spirit of togetherness.
“As we broke bread together, I was reminded of the words from the Guru Granth Sahib. That universal emphasises universal brotherhood and the oneness of humanity: ‘There is one Father of all, and we are all His children. You are my Great Lord and Master,” he said.