Take fraternity wherever there is division
Take fraternity wherever there is division
Stop to give comfort to others
Stop to give comfort to others
Behold, I am making everything new! (Rev 21:5)
This word of life is taken from the book of Revelation, the text that concludes the collection of writings that are found in the New Testament. As the name implies, it unveils and reveals: in fact, the aim of the author was to help the reader understand the significance of the last things that will occur at the end of time: the return of Christ to earth, the definitive defeat of evil and the rising up of a new heaven and a new earth.
It is not an easy text to understand. It dates back to the years 81-96 AD when Christians were facing fierce persecution and there was an atmosphere of fear in their communities. They had begun to wonder what would become of them and the message that had been entrusted to them? Some were asking why did God not intervene?
This was the situation when the author was sent into exile by the Romans to the island of Patmos. While he was there, he began to have a series of visions and was commanded to write them down.
Behold, I am making everything new!
The book of Revelation sought to bring hope to persecuted communities: despite the difficulties and violence they were experiencing at the time and the uncertainty of the future, it conveyed the message that good will ultimately triumph and God will make all things new.
Today too, when we watch the news or read the headlines, we see so much tragedy and distress in the world that we risk becoming desensitised to it all… But there is a Father who weeps with us; there is a Father who sheds tears of infinite compassion for his children. We have a Father who waits in order to console us, because he knows our sufferings and has prepared a different future for us. This is the great vision of Christian hope, which stretches over all the days of our life, every day of our existence, and seeks to raise us up once more [1].
Behold, I am making everything new!
We cannot know when and how this will happen and there is no point in searching for the answers. What is certain, however, is that it will happen.
“The final pages of the Bible show us the ultimate panorama towards which a believer is travelling: the Jerusalem of Heaven, the heavenly Jerusalem. It is described as an immense ‘tent’ where God will welcome all people and dwell with them forever (Rev 21:3). This is our hope. What will God do when we are finally with him? He will show us infinite tenderness, like a Father who welcomes his children who have long struggled and suffered. Behold, the tent of God is with all men and women! … He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor mourning, nor weeping, nor pain, for the former things have passed away… Behold, I am making all things new!’ (Rev 21:3-5). 21,3-5). The God of newness [2].
Behold, I am making everything new!
How can we live this month’s Word of Life?
«It assures us that we are on our way to a new world that we are preparing and building right now. Therefore, this is not a mere invitation to disengage and escape from the world of the present. God wants to renew all things: our personal lives, friendships, married love, families; he wants to renew social life, the world of work, school, culture, leisure, health, the economy and politics… in a word, all areas of human activity. But to do this, he needs us. He needs people who let his Word live in them, who are his living Word and are like Jesus wherever they are» [3].
A young Christian woman called Alice understood that following God’s call meant that she needed to change many aspects of her behaviour and allow God to act more fully in her life and so renew it from within. She received the ‘immense gift,’ of the opportunity to spend some time in India. There, she began to understand real joy and she felt immersed in God’s grace, even during difficult times. She spent time in prayer, community life, and volunteer service. She was deeply touched by the children she met in the orphanage because even though they had nothing, they were incredibly enthusiastic and taught her a lot about life. Alice’s time in India was not just a trip, but a pilgrimage, a journey of ‘ups and downs’, where she had to ‘empty her rucksack’ but found enrichment and freedom.
Edited by Augusto Parody Reyes the Word of Life team
[1]Cf., Pope Francis, General Audience 23 Aug 2017
[2] Ibid.
[3] Cfr. C. Lubich, Parole di Vita, Word of Life
Photo ©Shelby-Murphy-Figueroa-Unsplash
Building a new future
Since ancient times, men and women have nurtured the desire to know what the future will bring and have used magical rituals or the interpretation of natural signs in order to do so. Great works produced by different cultures and religions in the past reveal this need. It often arises during periods of great suffering for a people or nation.
But is it really useful to know what will happen? What do we gain by knowing in advance what we will experience or how we will cope? None of the legendary traditions reveal this completely, and more often than not, symbolism hides the very concrete search for and expectation of a better tomorrow that gives meaning to today’s suffering.
We could say that we are not concerned about the future when things are going well, however, when they are going badly, we are sustained and encouraged by the hope that tomorrow will be better. It is then that many of us feel a deep need to await a new, different world, not only for ourselves but for everyone.
Today’s world expresses a “cry” that emerges from all of humanity. Even if we are not directly affected, we only need to watch the news or leaf through the newspapers to become aware of tragedies of all kinds. How do we react? Are we so accustomed to this negativity that we are immune and simply try to survive or, on the contrary, do we think deeply about the future and act accordingly?
The world we imagine and desire certainly does not yet exist but, as George Orwell reminded us, it is possible that it will be. But what does this mean? What can we do? We find an answer in the thoughts of Albert Camus: “True generosity towards the future consists in giving everything to the present.” [1]
The future, therefore, is not just something to await but can be prepared and, in a sense, anticipated even now. It depends on our attitude and our daily actions. We do not know when we will see the fruit of change: it is like a silent seed that grows without us noticing and, over time, becomes a plant capable of nourishing, protecting and generating life around it.
We cannot imagine the consequences but they will certainly be new and creative. The future is unpredictable but it will develop according to relationships that have been transformed, feelings shared and solidarity that has become action.
We need courage to be a driving force for change and renewal in society; we need to allow ourselves to be challenged by people who suffer, who are aloneor need our help or advice. Even though we will encounter difficulties and inner struggles, there will also be moments of joy and real fulfillment.
Recently, an event was held in Florence to raise awareness and involve participants in a network of fraternity. There were opportunities to reflect and share experiences on how to build a future of peace in various areas such as economics, trade unions, industrial reconversion and ecology. This is an initiative that we want to spread rapidly to other cities and countries.
Take courage! We are builders and not spectators and our goal is to create a future of fraternity, harmony and peace.
[1] (L’Hommerévolté, 1951).
Foto © Thophilong-Pixabay
Be gentle
Be gentle