Christmas is a Revolution
«Since Christmas is regarded by so many as one great celebration among many, more sumptuous than sacred, it is good to look back on some of the authentic sides of the event. There is an abysmal difference between the birth of a mighty earthly potentate of which the ancient world dreamt and the hidden and unnoticed birth of Jesus. And it is this contrast that marks with infinite and unforeseen originality the birth of Christ the King, born of a poor maiden in a stable cold and bare. He really didn’t look like a God. The start of his revolution in this way provides no prideful aspect, but only humility, for drawing the sons of God to Heaven, beginning with those who slept in the dirt – the slaves, the unemployed, the outsiders: the scum. With this tiny infant, love and freedom were born. This is the endless discovery. The universal love which he teaches will annihilate the system of co-existence largely comprised of political arrogance, abuse of authority, idle usury, contempt for work, degradation of women, corrosive envy as the basis of a system which is imposed on millions of slaves, people without rights, truly the living dead. Of course, for those who are grafted into this system, proclaiming such a tiny infant, is total madness, inconceivable and it could cost you your head: “You will be hated by all nations because of me.” Blessed are the poor. And blessed are those who become poor in order to help the poor. Blessed are you who are now hungry. . . but woe to you rich.” Imagine the rage, the scandal of those for whom money was the supreme good and a blessing from God. They went on killing each other only to possess a few more acres than the ones they already owned. They unleashed riots and created demagogic uprisings and were taken by swollen livers and heart attacks in order to puff up their profits. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. . . To those who strike you on the right cheek, offer the other as well. . . Give to those who ask, and ask nothing in return. . . Your ancient ancestors said: Do not murder: whoever murders will be brought before the judge. . . But I say to you: whoever grows angry with his brother will be brought before the judge. . .” The greatness of this tiny infant appeared threatening to the honor of the soldiers and the war industries; whereas not hating your brother is equivalent to putting an end to fighting, faction and violence. This greatness would turn society – poor us! – into a peaceful coexistence. Living in peace would allow us to make every day Christmas. And this is the revolution of Christ: opposed to the curse of death; continually making us to be reborn. And so the greatest commandment – he said – is to love the human person, and it is the way to love God. Love others to the point of giving our lives for them, not to the point of killing them. This, briefly, is the meaning of Christmas for humankind, granted to us in order to raise us to divinity. It changes our past way of life with the end of wars, ugly passions and greed. It is the beginning of universal love, which makes “all one” and allows for no division of caste, class, or politic. With his life and death Jesus preaches and teaches life. But evildoers don’t want life; they want death. And so they have been working with united effort today, with atomic weapons, the poisoning of the environment, anarchy in the fields of the distribution of oil and food supplies, a fitting end for humankind. Many delude themselves playing with mythologies. They love peace and come up with war treaties; they seek economic equality, as with class hatred they enliven conflict and trigger disorder and unnecessary strikes that bring harm to ordinary citizens. They awaken (. . .) the desire for a supposedly “strong” regime, believing that this will enable them to live in peace. In keeping with Christmas we celebrate with cake if it helps to inspire love; but above all we celebrate reconciliation, which puts an end to diseases of the spirit and brings you more health. We celebrate in gratitude to the Lord and to Mary who have suffered in order to teach us and help us to put an end to our suffering». In: «Città Nuova», 1974, n.24.
A modest last minute compromise was reached in Durban. The conference lasted a day longer than was foreseen and didn’t produce a new binding agreement, but postponed its drafting to 2015 and its enforcement to 2020. This confirms the general tendency of recent international negotiations on climate change: deadlock. We are witnessing on a global scale, a typical scene of sibling fighting. Everyone is waiting for the other sibling to take the first step to resolve their differences. The Kyoto protocol for reducing greenhouse gases that was extended until 2015, is insufficient because of its limited objectives and because highly-polluting countries do not adhere to it. Some of the big “historic” polluters would like the so-called emerging countries to be the ones to reduce emissions. 
Neverthelss I remain optimistic. I believe that humankind will find a solution. Some countries have already understood the strategic importance of renewable energies. The European Union fits into this context with its ‘20 20 20’ (reduction of greenhouse gas by 20%; reduction in energy consumption by 20% through the use of renewable energy.) Isn’t there a risk of these decisions being to the disadvantage of emerging countries? The risk is there. In fact, some rightly oppose the reduction of greenhouse gases while remaining to stand on the side of emerging countries where a large portion of the population is still without water and electricity. It would involve supporting renewable clean energy. It makes you wonder why the rich countries do not surrender their patents. Why do they export polluting industries? Among those who hold this position there is also the Catholic Church. In Durban there were representatives of a 190 countries who seek large accords among States. But on the micro level, can’t something also be done? Yes, of course. Personal involvement, consumer and voting choice and simpler lifestyle are all important actions that can be taken. Moreover, EcoOne is trying to also develop a debate on the level of the relationship between human beings and nature. . . Could you explain that a bit more? What are EcoOne’s proposals for a more sustainable life? EcoOne’s proposal stems from the thought of Chiara Lubich. What has Chiara taught us? Not so much the latest techniques for saving energy, but an outlook toward nature that is new. She made us gather the presence of God beneath things. She made us understand universal brotherhood, which means brotherhood with other peoples within our generation and among generations as a response to questions such as: ‘What kind of planet will we leave to our children? What kind of air will they breathe?’ By reflecting on a man-nature relationship in this renewed way, we find a possibility for overcoming an excessive anthropocentrism; that is, of considering man as absolute dominator and destroyer of nature in order to make money, of no longer thinking of nature as the center, up to the point that human beings become a “disturbance” in the cosmos. We believe that the answer lies rather in the gift of ourselves, in the human person as a gift along with our fellow men and women and with nature, of which we are not the masters but the custodians, the administrators, because God has entrusted it to us. Luca Fiorani, researcher at the 
Lonavla is famous for its pleasant climate on the Deccan Plateau, two hours from Mumbai. Sixty scholars have gathered there for the Fourth 