The workshop begins with a Monday evening worship service. This year we gathered at First United Methodist Church, situated immediately east of and just across the street from the site of the Murrah Federal Building, which was bombed on April 19, 1995. Two thirds of the physical plant of First United Methodist had to be rebuilt after the bombing.

The homilist was Catholic Archbishop of Oklahoma City Paul Coakley, who referred to the compassion which is necessary for achieving greater unity among Christians and among people in general — a compassion which manifests itself in the aftermath of terrorism and natural disasters such as the tornadoes which are so common in Oklahoma.

Speakers at the Workshop focused on the Second Vatican Council, in recognition of the coming 50th anniversary, this Oct. 11, of its opening. One speaker described the pre-council contacts which Pope John XXIII made with the Archbishop of Canterbury (head of the Anglican Communion) and the general secretary of the World Council of Churches. The assembly listened, rapt, with, I believe, a sense of joy and pain at the great steps taken toward Christian unity and the awareness of how much more we must do to achieve the unity which is a necessity if we are to witness effectively to Jesus.

The pain is further felt, of course, when we go to our separate eucharistic celebrations. We Catholics gathered for Mass at the St. Joseph Old Cathedral, immediately west of and just across the street from the Federal Building site. This church, too, was heavily damaged in the bombing of 1995.

We spent one entire evening contemplating the bombing. We gathered for prayer at the Jesus Wept statue which had been erected on the site of the Old Cathedral rectory. Our prayer wove together Biblical verses and Native American prayers. I found this pair quite moving: "When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like those who dream" (Psalm 126: 1) and a Dakota prayer song: "And we sang our prayer song: You cannot harm me. You cannot harm one who has dreamed a dream like mine."

We walked across the street to the National Memorial and Museum. The memorial is open at all hours and is beautifully lighted at night. The museum immerses the visitor in the sights and sounds of that terrible day and all that followed. One display is an editorial cartoon of a man deep in contemplation who says, "I don't know which to be more ashamed of — that I thought it was one of them — or that it turned out to be one of us."

We Catholics, of course, cannot forget that the bomber grew up Catholic.

I came away from Oklahoma City with an idea which I can't wait to try out. The speaker who offered this idea suggests that this can work for progress in dialogue among Christians, and also between Christians and non-Christians. Seek to verbalize for your dialogue partner his or her faith position to his or her satisfaction. I can already imagine how such an effort emphasizes an appreciation for the other and puts the brakes on our tendency to oversimplify what we think others believe. Such a practical step can help to advance the dreams which must be realized.