IDEA OF THE MONTH - JANUARY 2022
Who among us, whatever our culture of origin, has not felt a desire for the truth? And to possess it, we venture into unthinkable paths that lead us to this truth: a book, a study, moments of dialogue between different ideas.
In the old days, sages looked to the stars for that longed-for truth.
And it is this fact that inspires our Idea of the Month. We know that, more than 2000 years ago, the sages undertook a journey, following a star in search of a greater light that would give them hope. Their desire for the truth was so great that they dropped everything and set out on a journey without knowing where they would go or what their destination would be.
It is an invitation to each of us to do the same: to step out of our comfort zone to open ourselves to mutual acceptance, to leave everything behind to embark on a path together that will lead us to something greater. And like the star of old, today each one of us is called to be a visible sign of fraternity for others, a light that can be a guide and an orientation for this humanity thirsty for truth; a light that, first of all, shines in the depths of our consciousness and becomes brighter with love.
At the same time, each one of us is called to sharpen our gaze to discover this light in those who accompany us in our daily lives and, therefore, to share our riches.
In order to follow this path, it is essential to recognize ourselves for what we are: small, fragile, always in need of forgiveness and mercy, and therefore sincerely willing to assume the same attitude towards others.
Chiara Lubich's words can help us, when she reminds us that we have the immense privilege of the gift of life to “recognise that I am nothing”, and to say this not only with words.
To cancel our thoughts or our will, it is enough to stop thinking about ourselves and think about the will of the other that is indicated to us in the present moment. To have love for one's neighbor in one's heart, sharing with them the yearnings, the sufferings, the problems, the joys, putting oneself at the service of the defense of human dignity, especially the poorest, the weakest and the marginalized.
If we are always “love”, we will be – without realizing it – “nothing” and we will also be a shining point in the lives of many.
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A love that is light, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH, based on the Word of Life of the Focolare Movement, emerged in Uruguay in the context of dialogue with people of different religious and non-religious convictions. The motto of this initiative is “Building Dialogue”. The purpose of this publication is to contribute to promoting the ideal of universal brotherhood. The IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently translated into twelve languages and distributed in over 25 countries.
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