People are in fact conducting dialogues about these very issues. They did not, however, begin their conversation with these issues. Before dialogue partners reach the point of exploring the ideas that constitute the great distinctions among the faiths, a good deal of preparatory work has to be done. This work is a process of coming to know and appreciate the dialogue partner. One might say that one has to learn to walk before learning to run.

In the last few weeks, I have had an opportunity to engage in some interreligious "walking." We are all familiar with the figure of speech "common ground." In the land of Israel, Jews and Christians find literal "common ground," as we consider how meaningful this "Holy Land" is for both of our religions. And so I walked such common ground as I experienced Israel with a group organized by the Jewish Federation of Springfield.

Above all, we find this common holy ground in the city of Jerusalem, the city sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and the site of much strife among these religions. We spent time at the sites most sacred to Jews and Christians: the Western Wall remnant of the Temple precincts, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

My hosts were determined to make sure that I could celebrate Mass on Saturday, April 27, our last evening in Jerusalem. As it happened, earlier that day I suffered heat stroke in the 104-degree weather of the Dead Sea, and was in no shape to celebrate Mass that evening. I waited until Sunday evening when we were in the northern Golan Heights at a collective farm (the Hebrew term is kibbutz). I was reminded that, in Judaism, 10 is a minyan, that is, the quorum needed for starting prayer in a synagogue. The group managed to provide half a minyan for this Mass, and heard New Testament scriptures, including the "New Jerusalem" from Revelation and Jesus' command "Love one another" from John.

(Incidentally, this kibbutz had an American Western theme. The room where I celebrated Mass was decorated with a picture from the film The Magnificent Seven. Someone noted Yul Brynner and remarked, "Oh, it's Pharaoh.")

With the entire tour group there were many opportunities to talk about Christianity, and the Israeli tour guide turned the microphone over to me quite frequently. Such questions as "What's a beatitude?" arose. At Capernaum I told the story from Mark's Gospel about the men opening up the roof to bring their friend to Jesus, and Jesus' tying of forgiveness of sins with physical healing. People were genuinely interested in what I had to say. One evening in Haifa, at a Chinese restaurant, a group of 10 of us reflected on the meaning of our respective faiths.

Did we solve the world's problems? Certainly not. We did, however, take an opportunity to appreciate each other's histories and faith-heritages. When possibilities for misunderstanding abound, such appreciation is no small thing. We must keep walking together. Each of us must find a partner and a stretch of common ground for carrying this out.