Jewish - Christian - ... Muslim?

There's a certain balance conceptually and aesthetically to the structure of The Twelve Points. Four, four and four. Calls to Christians, calls to Jews, calls to both together. Three movements as in a musical work. And thus – as in music – as in any representation that involves a structure, there is some repetition. Though, again as in musical repetition, the returning formulations are not redundant. Even when it’s the same exact words, repetition builds in us in such a way that we hear a difference, intensification and recognition that's not identical to the first time we encountered the phrasing. Here the wording is not exactly the same as what came before. We also encounter that in music; sometimes we get the same exact notes repeated – though even there we hear them differently each time. But sometimes there is indeed repetition with variation. One or several notes are different in their very form. And so something new is suggested, a nuance is evoked.

For example, what do you think of the specific invitation addressed to Muslims? Ought Jews and Christians enlarge their circle of dialogue to include Muslims? Or would a better model be to have three bilateral conversations: Christian-Jewish, Jewish-Muslim, Muslim-Christian? Both? Neither?

Conceptually we are returning to the very ideas – in their general direction as well as in significant instances, explorations of what more specifically might be at stake in these major themes; so that for the most part we refer you to all that comes before in our guide to the previous challenges of The Twelve. What we will engage separately vis-à-vis these remaining four calls is the one theme that is rather new in each. In this the ninth challenge we see as rather distinctly highlighted 'the foundational truth that each human being is created in the image of God.' From this principle, all else that is represented in the ninth call derives.