By Anjum Anwar, Dialogue Development Officer, Blackburn Cathedral

MY FRIEND, Canon Chris Chivers, used to say ‘every drop washes the stone’ … an old African saying aptly describing my passion for trying to understand those who are different.

One has to build relationships and over time we create trust to have complex conversations.

Both Canon Chivers and I are faithful to our respective faiths and we both take our lead from two of the most important personalities to have walked the planet … Jesus and Muhammad.

However, today many followers of Jesus and Muhammad are at loggerheads, and many cities have witnessed reactionary violence. If Jesus and Muhammad could see such acts, how would they react?

I am sure they would be saddened to see that their name being used to create havoc instead of peace!

Jesus and Muhammad have over 500 years gap between them and today they influence 3.5 billion people, yet the schism between the two communities is sometimes far greater because we have moved away from their teachings.

Their message was always to worship one God and live peacefully and honestly. What would happen if they both walked into the Bank of England and demanded a change in the financial policies of the way we ran our banks? Would they be considered radicals?

Would Jesus and Muhammad approve of our political system and of our political leadership? Would Jesus and Muhammad be happy with the way we are treating our planet?

Would they be pleased with the way we run our churches and mosques, or would they ask our priests and imams if they are actually responding to the questions that the public is asking? We need to respond to these questions and try to understand at what point we left the way of Jesus and Muhammad and how we return to the path that has become fuzzy over time.