I am honored and humbled by this opportunity to address you on this occasion, in this place.

This is a wondrous occasion of diverse representation of religious traditions in Wisconsin. Although interfaith gatherings have become more common, especially since 9-11, this is the 5th Interfaith Awareness Week. In 1998, Wisconsin's proclamation of an Interfaith Awareness Week (that I called Religious Diversity Week in the proclamation's initial draft) was the first in the nation. Others have followed this example in their own localities with various levels of success.

With all this wonder and positive regard for those that believe differently, let us not lose track of the significant issues presented by interfaith activity, of living in a free society where individuals can live out their religious faith as they choose. We cannot ignore that the conflicts of absolute understanding in religious traditions have ravaged the world in the past and threaten the world today.

Interfaith service, education, leadership, ministry is "between faiths." It is the backyard fence where neighbors meet in small communities across our state. It is not the dinner table, despite appearances that may suggest otherwise.

One thing I appreciate about interfaith work is that it is "between" faiths (lit: inter- between). It is not meant to integrate or create new religions. It is simply dialogue and working with those that have a different faith and believe differently. Rev. Dr. Martin Marty of the Public Religion Project, himself a Lutheran pastor, said that only a small percentage of people are converted by interfaith activities. The majority, he reported in 2000, find their own faith in their own tradition deepened as a result. (I think he said 85%) Indeed, this has been my experience. My faith has only deepened in experience and _expression. People of different faith traditions can come together for a variety of reasons, but they cannot come together in peace with dreams of domination or conversion of others.

Having contemplated interfaith issues for many years, I am convinced that any response to the problems presented by interfaith activity must begin with my internal atmosphere, my religion, my spirituality - each one of us according to their conscience. Then, the outward response to the community and the world as a whole will be effective. Ethical and moral behavior has a basis in our beliefs.

There are three things that I believe can improve relations between those that believe differently:

1. Follow our own traditions. There may be novelty in another's religious tradition or cultural _expression, but we must be clear of the path we follow. It is only by being a "good" Christian or good Buddhist or good Muslim or good Hindu or good "whatever" as we may be that we can find inner peace; that we can find congruency between the inner life and outer life to influence the world around us. Peace in the world begins with peace within each of us. But this is only where it begins...

2. We need to develop greater interactive vocabularies so that we can discuss our spiritual insights with each other without getting caught up in rhetoric. Then we can avoid getting misled by those that would use their religion to further personal agendas.

3. We need to be allowed to struggle with our personal issues related to diversity openly. How do we feel about those that believe differently?

In my tradition, we are taught to love all people, including our enemies. We are taught to be agents of peace in distress and light in darkness. As we have been given freely, so we give. There are those, we believe, that can exclude themselves by their free will. But their fate is between them and God; our interactions with them must be without judgment, as our neighbors. We are taught that love and free will are so intricately connected that we cannot suppress another's free will and still demonstrate love. Indeed, we cannot be instruments of peace if we cannot love others as ourselves, allowing others freedom to worship and belief that may be very strange to us. There is no compulsive reaction that requires us to believe as they do just because we love them enough to allow for divergent beliefs and choices.

One question I have pondered in coordinating interfaith activities, "How do you include an exclusivist?" So often we feel our safety depends on homogeny rather than in a supreme beneficent entity that may have greater plans than any of us on our own can comprehend.

It makes sense that if everyone believed the same thing, there would be a peace - of sorts, but we know from our common experience in modern society that it is extremely unlikely that peace will come in this manner. There are those that are threatened by the free exchange of ideas and use this neighbor fence-line where interfaith gatherings meet as a scapegoat. I have met those also that are still searching and those that are full of their over-riding theology - both exclusivists and relativitists as well as atheists - who, in one way or another, distort the reality of diversity to meet their agendas. Some of these have the best of intentions.

Knowing that we can't seem to rid of differences, I have taken up the "celebration of diversity" approach. Homogeny may seem like a paradise to most, but it is only a panacea. The reality is there is no indication that homogeny will happen and all the violence and "ethnic cleansing" that we have endured in this world over the centuries hasn't moved it any closer.

I believe that the future will have to deal with honoring tremendous diversity in a peaceful manner and, yet, having a standard of moral and ethical conduct that is acceptable to all. Pointing fingers at those that we can easily see are in conflict does little to resolve the conflict and only facilitates a means to feel superior - which then mostly likely creates greater conflict rather than movement toward peace.

"Everyone is entitled to his own faith. No one should violate the intimate, spiritual life of another. That's how I think now, that's how I have thought in the past, and if I live any longer, that's how I'll think then," said Bulgarian Orthodox Bishop Boris Kharalampiev who, as a priest, helped stop the deportation of the Jewish citizens of his city in 1943.

In Orthodox Christianity, there is an acceptance of "mystery." There is mystery and paradox in the belief of created beings with free will. It is a mystery how a beneficent God in His love can allow free will choices of His created beings that may be the antithesis of all that He is - Goodness, holiness, love. Despite the philosophical and theological implications that are regularly debated at seminaries and Internet forums, pondering of such mysteries matters little if we are unable to manifest, even in an imperfect manner, the attributes of goodness, holiness and love.

It is our ability to allow others' free will that is the gift of loving them. Not that we have much choice. However, there are those locally, nationally and internationally, that still try to assert their will upon others, often justified by quotes from religious scripture or religious teachers. Gandhi said, "Any assertion of will upon another is an act of violence." This may be a guiding principle for gauging the validity of those that are called religious teachers, regardless of their tradition.

So many groups are working at "willing" a positive future. Unfortunately, some, if not most of these, have conflicting outcomes. For instance, large numbers want to have a Christian future, either where we have realized we are all Christians or only those that are Christian are left living. Either way the outcome is the same. Even though I have to admit that I have a utopian mind set in my views of the future, I need to still deal with the present reality according the tenets of Orthodox Christianity.

St. Seraphim of Sarov, a 19th Century Russian Orthodox saint and mystic, once said, "If you find inner peace, a thousand around you will be saved." Perhaps his words can motivate us to go deeper into our respective traditions. "We will find benefit for ourselves when we start seeking benefit for our neighbor." 4th Century St. John Chrysostom reminds us.

I am fond of looking to the world of the seventh generation children. What kind of world should they have? I do hope they will have thousands of different flowers to enjoy and are able to play with hundreds of different butterflies. Diversity is important and full of wonder.

I believe that we can have harmony with diversity of belief as a symphony has harmony with a diversity of musical instrument. However, harmony can only be achieved if each instrument is tuned properly.

Religion is for each of us to learn and grow spiritually in humility and wisdom. Living our lives in the best way to honor our Creator means accepting the reality that He could have made a homogenous and subservient people, but instead He allows diversity of organization and belief.

Once I give up trying to convince everyone of my beliefs and just be a believer, be a Christian rather than try to make more Christians, my faith - my ability and capacity for love - becomes large enough to even include God, myself - my enemies and nay-sayers - all created beings.

As a bishop of my own jurisdiction and hero of the 20th century, Paulos Mar Gregorios (of blessed memory!) said, "It is our faith in the Divine that permits us to freely embrace the whole of humanity in a warm embrace of love and respect for their dignity and freedom."

My hope is that we will never be afraid to admit, "There is Truth!" and "There is Goodness!" regardless of who or what tradition or belief may have expressed it. Just as many can admit to the awe they experience at the grandeur of the natural wonders of the world like the Grand Canyon as well as the human-constructed wonders like the Great Wall of China. Both of which can be seen from space.