Jewish-Christian dialogue: the importance of the roots

I think that in the plant kingdom we know of no plant without roots. The deepness and visibility of these roots may differ, but the roots are an integrating part of all that has branches, leaves, flowers and fruits, in whichever realm. Hence it is a given fact that this reflection – however obvious it may seem – is not trivial, and it involves every living organism, whether in the plant or animal kingdoms, whether it is expressed in simple or complex forms of life, that include mankind. In fact, all of us are aware that we are not without roots: whatever their nature, they convey the yearning and the need for belonging that represents a fundamental feature of every son of man throughout the world, which encompasses every aspect of human life, in every field. Sociologists have shown that even religious feeling, a typical trait of every human being, is far from being a dimension per se, one that can live a life of its own. In other words, scholars make it clear that even the inborn spirituality of every man and woman has powerful roots that go back in time and to different geographical areas, intertwined with culture, language, artistic developments, and in many cases also with our way of living. Whether or not they are immediately recognizable, roots are built in every religious belief.

In 1990 the Italian Bishops Conference established the Day for the furthering and development of the dialogue between Catholics and Jews; and it is no coincidence that the theme of first of these Days focused on “the Jewish roots of Christian faith and the need for dialogue.”

In fact, Israel, understood as the inexpressible interlacement of history, culture and faith, as the sense of belonging to a land and to every land, “is the holy root from which Christianity developed”, as underlined, inter alia, in the Catechism for adults of the Italian Catholic Church (11,5).

Hence, it is the undeniable root that is critical to the plant’s nourishment.

Indeed, Judaism cannot be reduced to something that is concealed, hidden, that is a typical feature of roots. On the contrary, it continues thriving in many different shapes and “branches” that characterizes their full vitality- in spite of those who still today consider Judaism a remnant of the past, a fossilized evidence of a historical period that ended with the coming of Christianity. Not by any means. Judaism remains an awe-inspiring, majestic tree, which, thanks God, not even the most vicious, sinful historical events have managed to destroy

Thus the fact that Christians view Judaism as their “holy root” in no way diminishes its importance, nor does it shroud its value. In fact, it means acknowledging that’s it’s precisely whence we continue drawing our indispensable lifeblood. Severing this bond, or failing to acknowledge its importance, would constitute a death sentence for Christianity.

Hence we can easily understand why it is no coincidence that January 17 is celebrated every year as the Day of Jewish-Christian dialogue: as a gateway to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and as the first irreplaceable movement of a symphony whose bonds are yet to be fully discovered, delved into and enhanced. Furthermore, these bonds have the power to revitalize also the lifeblood of relations between Christians, whether they belong to the Orthodox, Catholic, or Protestant traditions. In fact, I firmly believe that every effort aimed at the mutual understanding of Christians and Jews, and all efforts aimed at recognizing that Christianity would be unthinkable without the Judaism of yesterday and of today, can only bring positive fruits. It is comparable to a precious plant that deserves the full care of its gardener: an attention that is never occasional or superficial but rather represents a special attention that is enriching all year round and every year of our life.

(*) director of CEI National Office for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue