Consecrated religious life, motivated by a charismatic ardor and a project of evangelization, has introduced the intercultural experience in its forms and lifestyle since ancient times. But, not all members have been able to internalize the depth, richness and beauty of the intercultural experience, often confused with multiculturalism or internationality.
The community with intercultural experience is not formed through putting people of different cultures under one roof. The real intercultural communities must be consciously created, intentionally promoted, carefully nurtured. The intercultural experience requires some conscious personal attitudes, certain flexible community structures and a particular spirituality. Both parties – the one that embraces and the one that is upheld – must interact in such a way that the entire community is enriched by the presence of the other. Both parties should recognize that diversity is divine and that the other is necessary for community relationships. The inspiration comes from the triune God himself, who is always in a mutual relationship and in dialogue with the other, inviting community members to build mutual relations and dialogical intercultural living.
Over the next few years, we will be talking about this topic in our communities, provinces and regions. The meetings, in addition to being informative, want to highlight the importance of basic and fundamental attitudes to begin a dialogue, in the community, with intercultural characteristics. One of these attitudes is doing the exercise of welcoming others as they are, without wanting to change them so that they resemble us, assuming our values or our way of creating history. It is a question of walking barefoot to feel the floor of another culture and enjoy and share the desire to walk along, without prejudice, without pre-judging, and with no claim to changing the other. Rather, together we learn to recognize and nurture the seeds of the Gospel present in every culture, that is, we learn from each other. Another attitude is humility and respect, because in a cross-cultural experience, we are guests in the life and mission of the other, and also we are the hosts of the life and mission of the other. It would be good to ask ourselves, how do we appreciate the cultural diversity that exists in the community? In the practice of hospitality, in what way do I welcome every member of my community? What have I learned in living with so many different people?
Sr. Ieda Maria Tomazini