If there's one issue that unites us as spiritualities, it's the pursuit of the common good. We want every person who makes up society to be treated with dignity, to be protected by fundamental rights, and for their voices to be heard by all institutions.
Precisely, at least in theory, this is also a quest for democracy: the possibility of influencing, as citizens, the very political future that will ultimately impact the construction of a better world. This world is possible when we work collectively to bridge the gaps of inequality and the many differences that sometimes separate us.
Therefore, it is important that we be aware of the role we play as religious communities, not only in defending human dignity and freedoms, but also in our contribution to democracy in the places where we live. In this way, we can consider concrete actions that contribute to the agenda of pluralism that shapes our society.
We are a large community working actively , both from our beliefs and through other actions that contribute to real change. That is also our mandate: to serve others and seek equality and social justice.
“ An individual has not begun to live until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity,” said Martin Luther King. Fortunately, this is also a premise of our worldview as religious communities.
And what do we have to offer?
First, the certainty that we are not outside of what they call democracy, and for the same reason, we must insist on being part of the deliberative spaces open to citizens. Although it is important that we persist in influencing our territories and engaging in dialogue among ourselves, we cannot ignore the conversations that take place among the great diversity of voices that make up a society.
Let us remember that from within the religious communities themselves, we have created organizations that seek to protect the right to food, to shelter, to education, and many other rights that we have helped to fulfill with our actions, often in places where the State has played a passive role.
Secondly, we can be a bridge of dialogue between different communities and institutions. We have the tools to be direct participants in the transformation of the world precisely because we shape it from different positions: as women, as diverse ethnic groups, and from our academic, social, or economic situations. Of course, always from our spirituality and all that this entails.
In Latin America, we have seen how the role of religious communities has been key in mediating conflicts—sometimes even with illegal groups—and although some have been more frequent, the rest of us can also demand these spaces for direct conversation in the search for peace.
Finally, through spirituality, we have the responsibility to provide internal pedagogy. On the one hand, for younger generations who are just beginning to understand social dynamics, and on the other, for those who, for whatever reason, have chosen to distance themselves from active participation in democracy.
Religious communities are called to contribute to strengthening the sovereignty of peoples so that they may elect leaders with a true vocation, who address the needs of the various population groups that make up our society.
The commitment must be to recognize our own voice, the important role we play in transforming the world, and to continue heeding the call of our spiritualities to build a greater, more just community.