We start 2016 with an overwhelming sense of trouble around the globe. The world is in desperate need of peace and justice. The examples of the lack of peace are countless. It's easy to say that we are not emotionally or spiritually affected by it. But I do enough counselling and spiritual direction to know that many of us walk around with heaviness about the state of the world. A way forward seems insurmountable. Much of the global tension is rooted in a lack of tolerance for people of other faiths, languages and traditions. It seems that we are going in reverse order rather than moving forward in understanding and acceptance.

Let’s deepen our prayer this month for peace and tolerance. Pope Francis' universal prayer intention entrusted to the worldwide Apostleship of Prayer is a fitting way to open this new year. He invites us to pray for interreligious dialogue: "That sincere dialogue among men and women of different faiths may produce the fruits of peace and justice." 

Francis uses a helpful adjective to describe what he means by dialogue. He prays that it be sincere. The presumption is that he is contrasting sincere dialogue with a half-hearted dialogue that is quickly forgotten once the eyes of the world are focused on the next crisis in another part of the world.

What makes dialogue sincere? Both sides come to the table on equal footing. Even if they disagree with each other, can they at least assume that the opposite side has something worthwhile to say? Are they willing to exercise trusting listening? Are they open to mediation and intervention by a neutral party? Do they actually want to have a dialogue with the other, or are their minds so closed that dialogue is impossible? 

We have to acknowledge the fact that there are some nations and terrorist groups who have no desire to dialogue or negotiate. The Islamic State (Daesh) and Al Qaeda have shown over and over again that, negotiations or no negotiations, they will kill as many people as possible, and in the most sensationalist manner. They will rewrite history by destroying artifacts from the past. They aren't interested in dialogue, whether sincere or insincere.

How do you dialogue with terrorists? We have witnessed the fact that reasonable voices, those who are less fundamentalist in their adherence to their religious beliefs, are usually open to dialogue. Is that where we have sincere dialogue, so that good religious leaders can find ways to influence their radical brothers and sisters? Sincerely good Christians and Muslims and Jews want peace as much as any of us. 

There are isolated experiences of extreme intolerance in Canada, but peaceful coexistence and understanding are the predominant experiences in this country. For the most part, we feel secure at a cafe, on public transport and in a shopping centre. Canada has traditionally seen itself as a cultural mosaic. This has been contrasted with images such as the melting pot, which is used to describe the ideal of assimilation in places such as the United States. A cultural mosaic is a mix of ethnic groups, languages and cultures that coexist within society. It's what we mean by multiculturalism. 

Statistics Canada portrays a profile of this country that, early in the 21st century, has become progressively more and more multi-ethnic and multicultural. Canadians listed more than 200 ethnic groups in responding to the 2001 Census question on ethnic ancestry. I live in one of the most multicultural cities in the world and so I see the results of that diversity on the Toronto streets and subway everyday. Our Canadian culture is enriched by our ethnic diversity. Is it possible that Canada's example of diverse peoples living in harmony can teach the world something about dialogue? 

Let's do the hopeful thing in this seemingly hopeless era. Let's continue to pray. Once we abandon hope, we have started down the slippery slope to the way of proceeding of the terrorists, with the Mad Max kind of competition between Al Qaeda and ISIS.  Interreligious dialogue is possible. There are enough sincere and hopeful people out there. Let's pray that all of us may be more willing to dialogue.