Juanma, "crazy" for big ideals
A young man who knew how to love in a practical way and to give his life for others
18/02/2010
His friends prayed : ‘Oh God, send us those who are ‘crazy’ and give themselves 100%’, who forget about themselves, who know how to love in a practical way and not just talk about it, those who give of themselves right to the end...’ This was the choral prayer of ‘Juanma’s’ friends at his final farewell mass. This is his story as told by one of them.
Juan Manuel Avila was born on 28 January 1986 in Mendoza (Argentina), a city at the foot of the Andes, the fourth child in a lovely family. Those who knew him will know that he always had a great zest for life. He didn’t want to miss a moment.
Whilst he always stood out as someone who was ready to give himself to others, there was a moment, after an accident he had, when he started asking himself about the meaning of life and how he wanted to spend it. He used to say to us that God had given him a second chance and he didn’t want to waste it!
He started a serious search for something that would fill his life. Ines, a fellow-student, who was a member of the Focolare Movement, introduced him to the ideal of unity and from that moment he understood that it was worthwhile giving everything to God. He was like that man in the Gospel story who, having found a precious pearl, sells everything he owns in order to buy it. This ‘ideal’ for him meant a world where we are all brothers and sisters and he was ready to commit himself in the front line for this dream.
He was fascinated by the idea of communicating this ideal to others through music. As a result the ‘Give Peace a Hand’ concert was born, which has already had two editions. He always used to say to us that, in a different way to other social commitments, what he had discovered was the possibility of living 24 hours a day with others for this dream – in practical ways, in day-to-day life, in simple ways but always aiming for the higher things.
After he had participated in a ‘Mariapolis’ - a Focolare event, where everyone spends a few days together and tries to live according to the light of the Gospel, a real testing ground of solidarity - he went to England for six months. When he came back he threw his energies into the activities of ‘Youth for a United World’, and in January 2007 asked if he could become a ‘Gen’ (short for ‘New Generation’ - the young people of the Focolare), and so started a beautiful ‘divine adventure’ with the Gen.
His love seemed to have no limits - wherever he went he sowed the wish in others to unite to his dream. They were people of very different backgrounds who were attracted by his life style. He became an ‘Assistant’ for the younger teenagers in the Movement, who he had particularly at heart, and accompanied them in their growth in the ideal of unity. He was especially gifted with young children. He used to dress up as a clown at their parties and many around were struck by his joy that was contagious. They were many and varied - friends from a very poor neighbourhood in Mendoza with whom he shared the hope of building a more just world, the school where he worked and which he wanted to become an ‘ideal’ school, and all those he met each day, including the people he met during his last trip.
On 25 January last, together with another Gen, Federico, he set off on a holiday. They had decided to visit a very beautiful area in the south of Argentina called ‘El Cajon Azul’ (The Blue Box’) in the Rio Negro Province very close to the 42nd Parallel. After climbing for three hours they reached a really beautiful spot. Juanma had been really looking forward to this trip. He was really taken by the view and he said to Federico: ‘This place is God’s House, this must be Paradise, God is here.’ Federico replied: ‘ But Juanma, God is everywhere.’ ‘Yes, but if he had to chose a spot he would set up his Headquarters here’, Juanma answered.
After having had his photograph taken by his friend, he slipped and fell in the rapids of the river. They searched for his body frantically for six days until he was found. Juanma had reached another ‘summit’, the final one, to remain always in God, as he had wanted.
He taught us that, notwithstanding our mistakes, we have no excuse not to give ourselves totally. We must take up the baton now and pray that through the witness of his life there might be more and more people who are ‘crazy’ with great ideals in this world.
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