Feb 1, 2025 | Idea of the Month
Sometimes we are faced with situations where it is difficult to make a judgment or take a clear position. Wetry to understand the deeper meaning of whatever we are facing and comprehendits significance andvaried perspectives.
We need a light to guide us. Just as underground miners move forward one meter at a time with the help of a simple lantern, we too have a light that can illuminate our steps, one by one. We know what this is: love for each other is a powerful light that guides us and helps with the difficult task of informing our personal consciences as we journey through life.
We need to be able to be aware of the complexity of views and opinions held by people around us or those we meet sometimes by chance. It is important to always maintain a sense of honesty and to be aware of the limitation of our own point of view. Openness of mind and heart, the fruit of true love, creates a capacity for a dialogue that listens, that looks for the good in the other person and is open to the possibility of creating something together.
Timothy Radcliffe, one of the theologians present at the last Synod of Bishops of the Catholic Church, referred to this personal need we may experience. He told members of the Synod that: ” The bravest thing we can do is to be honest with each other about our doubts and questions, those for which we have no clear answers. Then we will approach each other as fellow seekers, beggars of truth (1)”.
In a conversation with members of the Focolare, Margaret Karram commented on this reflection: ‘Thinking about it, I realised that many times I did not have the courage to really say what I thought: perhaps because I was afraid of not being understood or because I didn’t want to be different from the majority. I realised that being “beggars of truth” means having that attitude of closeness towards one another, in which we seek the good of the other.”(2).
This is Antía’s, experience. She is a member of “Mosaico”, a performing arts group that began in Spain in 2017. It is composed of young Spaniards from different backgrounds and cultures who use their art and workshops to offer their experience of fraternity to others. Antia tells us: ‘It connects with my values – a fraternal world, in which everyone (very young, inexperienced, vulnerable…) gives their contribution to the project. “Mosaico” makes me believe that a more united world is not a utopia, despite the difficulties and hard work involved. I grew up working in a team where dialogue was too honest at times and I often gave up on my own ideas which I believed to be the best. I see that in this project “good” is built piece by piece together, by us all ” (3).
1. Timothy Radcliffe, Meditation to Synod of Bishops, 2.10.2023
2. Margaret Karram, President of Focolare Movement, 3.02.2024
3. Mosaic GRLP
Foto: © Comunicazione Loppiano
THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefs“. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities.
Jan 1, 2025 | Idea of the Month
When people of different cultures and religious beliefs are in dialogue, a question that often
comes to the fore is: “Can we always hope? And in what?”
It’s a question that resonates most intensely not only in times of difficulty and painful suffering or defeat but also when we feel disappointed and deluded by the ideals and values we have held dear and which have fascinated us in the past.
It is precisely during these times of doubt that we are prompted to reconsider the values and beliefs that lie at the very basis of our hopes. These values give us the strength to face our doubts and reveal the greatness of human nature: men and women are capable of falling down and rising up again, they can acknowledge that they all have their weaknesses but without succumbing to uselessly dreaming of finding miraculous solutions.
Believing is much more than hoping for a solution to our problems; rather, it is the drive within
that allows us to keep going. It is in those difficult moments that life mysteriously can become a
real gift.
Believing is like a commitment that gives meaning to life always. Unlike accepting a contract that you sign once and then never look at again, believing transforms and permeates every daily choice.
One method that may help us to do so is to avoid thinking about dramatic and extreme situations which can only make us afraid and block us, but to face the small difficulties of each day, sharing them with our friends. In this way, if we do not lose heart, we will discover many new opportunities to believe and to give hope to those around us. The strength of friendship seeks the good of the other.
It is easier to feel strong and courageous when everything is going well but it is when we are aware
of our vulnerabilities that we can build something that will remain after us. We become aware of
this through the conviction we gain when we have shared life with someone who believed beyond
everything, who struggled and suffered, and whose love brought them close to everyone. When
these people conclude their lives on this earth, they leave such an imprint and their memory is so
vivid that -mysteriously- whether we are religious or non religious, their example makes us say, “I
believe, I believe. Let us continue together!”
Photo ©Sasin Tipchai – Pixabay
THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. dialogue4unity.focolare.org
Dec 1, 2024 | Idea of the Month
We may feel frightened when life presents us with challenging and unexpected choices but, nonetheless, it is then that our values and the desire to live with integrity clearly emerge.
It’s not always easy. When the answer to a situation requires our free and personal choice, we may feel that we are taking a difficult gamble, almost a leap in the dark, and we need the strength to go beyond our own limits.
Where can we find the strength to do this? For some people it comes from faith in the supernatural and belief in a personal God who loves us and accompanies us. For everyone it can come from the closeness of friends, of “travel companions” who support us, trust us and who we feel are near as we journey through life. They bring out the best in us and help us overcome the apparent “impossibility” of our insufficiencies to achieve the “possible” of a coherent way of life.
This happens as a consequence of relationships that are reciprocal and impacts upon us as members of a community. As Chiara Lubich said in 1948, using language typical of the time: “Let’s go ahead! Not with our strength, petty and weak as it may be, but with the omnipotence of unity. If we remain faithful to our commitment […] the world will see unity.”[1]
Going beyond our limits opens us to new opportunities and experiences that might otherwise seem out of our reach, allowing us to believe and witness that nothing we hope for is impossible.
But is it possible to believe “that everything is possible” in the face of the absurdity of Evil? This is the great question that humanity continues toask today as it has always done in the past.The absence of response unites everyone, believers and non-believers, as they search for the answeron a journey that can only be undertaken together. Because if “Evil” remains a mystery, the force of “Good” is equally powerful. There is no answer, but a way of understanding.
Edith Bruck recalled this in a recent interview.ii She was deported to Auschwitz at the age of 13 but still today, in her nineties, is a real witness of peace. When the war ended, she and her sister were faced with a dramatic dilemma. “Five Hungarian fascists who had supported the Nazis begged us to help them return home secretly and we did so by helping them on their journey. We shared bread and chocolate with them. It was one of the most intense moments I had ever experienced spiritually. I was treating someone who could have killed my father as a friend.” The decision was not easy and she argued a lot with her sister, but they did it because they thought that perhaps, this way, these people would never mistreat a Jew again. [2]
THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. dialogue4unity.focolare.org
Photo: © Pixabay
[1] Chiara Lubich, “Letters of the Early Times”.
[2] Marisol Rojas Cadena SER- article on E. Bruck 26/01/2024
Nov 1, 2024 | Idea of the Month
Every day we are bombarded by images that emphasise the value that our society places upon appearance. Globalization imposes a model in every part of the world whereby wealth, power and physical beauty seem to be the only values. Yet it is enough to stop and observe the people we meet daily in our cities (on trains, in the underground, on the street) to realize that there is a different reality, made up of small daily gestures of solidarity: for example, there are parents who accompany their children to school, nurses who get up at dawn to go to work alongside people who are suffering and there are workers who carry out their tasks with great commitment in factories, stores andoffices. In addition, there are countless voluntary activities.
There is a need to look truthfully at the world and go beyond appearances. We should value the positive in each person and realize that it is these small daily gestures of support and solidaritythat keep society on its feet. Even more revolutionary are the actions of those who, despite living in situations bordering on poverty, realize that they can still “give” in some way. Theywelcome others, share a meal or a room because there is always someone who has “more need” than themselves.Furthermore, they do this out of a sense of justice and with a generous and selfless heart.
We know that giving does not refer only to material things. Chiara Lubich used to tell us,: let this be the word that gives us no respite. “Let us always give; let us give a smile, understanding, forgiveness, a listening ear; let us give to others by drawing on our intelligence, our will, our availability; let us give our time, our talents, our ideas (…), our actions; let us share our experiences, our abilities and our possessions. By constantly reviewing what we no longer need and and sharing with others, we ensure everything circulates. ‘Give’ is the word that could accompany us always.”1
This idea, then, is an invitation to have a generosity that comes from within, from the purity of hearts that knows how to recognize the suffering of humanity and see themselves reflected in the disfigured faces of their neighbours. This is the very gift that makes us free and more capable of loving.
This what Etty Hillesum experienced. She was, a young Dutch woman who lived the last years of her life in a concentration camp before dying in Auschwitz. She was able to love the beauty of life till the very end and gave thanks for “this gift of being able to understand and ‘read’ others. Sometimes I see people people like houses with an open door. I go in and wander around corridors and rooms: each house is furnished differently but, basically, they are the same as one another – consecrated dwelling places” (…). And there, in those hovels, populated by crushed and persecuted men and women, I have found the confirmation of this love.” 2
There is a logic in freely giving to others because it creates a peaceful community and urges us to care for one another.It helps us focus upon profound human values in our everyday lives, without attention to outward appearance. It is a change of mindset that can become contagious.
Venant was born and raised in Burundi. He recounts, ” In the village, my family had a good farm, that always produced a good harvest. My mother believed that everything was a gift from nature and so, each year, she used to gather the first fruits and punctually distribute them to our neighbours, starting with the neediest families and then allocated only a small part of what remained to us. I learned the value of selfless giving from her example ”.
[1] CH – April 23, 1992
[2]Etty Hillesum, Diary
©Photo by Mdjanafarislam – Pixabay
THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of NonreligiousBeliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. https://dialogue4unity.focolare.org/en/
Oct 1, 2024 | Idea of the Month
“Service” is a word that may seem old-fashioned in certain contexts. Servitude is certainly
unworthy of human beings when it is imposed or endured because of poverty or discrimination.
Instead, the “spirit of service,” especially when it is reciprocal in a community of any kind, is
a witness to changing social relationships that break down old patterns of behaviour and new
power structures. Indeed, service lived with humility characterizes protagonists of real progress.
Nitin Nohria, former dean of Harvard Business School, says that in the future, being a good leader will require learning about humility. He believes this “future” has already begun. According to him, humility will have to become a key word in the profiles of the next generation of aspiring managers andhe does not lack experience in this field. He says this because he realizes that the current trend of being increasingly competitive is producing results completely opposite to expectations. It is creating people who are psychologically fragile, needy, narcissistic and obsessed with appearance (1).
After all, great women and men are recognized through their small actions, just as ancient Eastern wisdom reminds us: “The largest tree is born from a small shoot. The tallest tower is born from a mound of earth. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” (2)
Living this way requires a conscious and free choice: it demands that we do not liveclosed in on ourselves and our own interests, but that we“live the other”,and feel whatever they feel, carry their burdens and share their joys. We all have responsibilities, bothlarge or small, and areas of authority. They may be in the political or social fields or within our family, school or community. Let us take advantage of our “places of honour” to put ourselves at the service of the common good, building just and supportive human relationships.
This is also how Igino Giordani, writer, journalist, politician and family man, lived during a time marked by dictatorship. To describe his experience, he wrote: ‘Politics is – in the most dignified
Christian sense – a “servant” and must not become a “master”: nor should it abuse, dominate or dictate. Its function and dignity is to be of service to society, to be charity (3) in action, to be the highest form of love for one’s homeland.
It was probably the personal relationship that Chiara Lubich had with this man who was
rooted in his time but also saw beyond its barriers and walls that led her to remind usmore than
once that true politics is “the Love of Loves,” because it is the means of the most authentic and
disinterested service to humanity in fraternity.
(1) Michele Genisio “Umiltà” (in press)
(2) Daodejing,64
(3) Giordani uses the word charity not in the ‘welfare’ sense, as it is usually understood, but in the Christian sense, which indicates the highest form of love.
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THE IDEA OF THE MONTH iscurrentlyproduced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of NonreligiousBeliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. https://dialogue4unity.focolare.org/en/
Sep 1, 2024 | Idea of the Month
We have probably experienced how, at times, even though there are ideas and beliefs that lie deeply in our hearts and consciences, it is difficult to put them into action. It may help us to live an inspirational thought each day and know that other people all over the world are doing the same. We will not feel alone but part of a worldwide network. This was the intention that led to the development of the Idea of the Month: it was initiated by a few people in Uruguay who were passionate about dialogue and the ideal of unity.
This practice led to groups developing all over the world for people who want to reflect upon the Idea of the Month and share experiences of living it. Infact, in many places, these monthly meetings have become the norm. Could this become just a habit? Could the Idea become simply an all-encompassing good precept that is disseminated online like so many others on virtual groups? Certainly this is the biggest risk for initiatives of this kind. However, it is important that we do not settle for empty words and repeated platitudes. The English have the proverb: ‘Actions speak louder than words’. In the Netherlands, there is the saying: ‘Talk does not fill holes’. These expressions do not come about simply by chance. We can,however remember there is a word that guards against the risk of this happening and that word is ‘consistency’.
In the book entitled The Book Of Joy, the dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu [1] highlights some points that can help us to live with consistency. First of all, we can listen to our consciences. Each person can assess what is their heart’s desire because this will almost certainly be linked to those human values that give a sense of happiness. We can also ask ourselves if what we want is just for ourselves or will it benefit others too? Will it serve a small number or many people? Now or in the future? When we have thought about these matters, we can formulate an intention for the day, with practical commitments even if they are small. For example, “Today I want to greet everyone; today I will be less judgmental; today I will be more patient…”
But how do you find the courage to follow your conscience? You need to speak to wise people about your ideas and try them out whilst remaining open to the possibility of being wrong. When you finally reach a mature decision, you can begin to put it into practice together but then regularly take time to reassess, renew and strengthen goals. You should not let setbacks, lack of cooperation or established but unhelpful habits put you off track and lose sight of what you hope to achieve.
This was seen in the actions of Piero Taiti when he began to know the Focolare Movement. He was truly a man of dialogue. This was seen in the many journeys he made to the little town of Fontem in Africa and in the personal relationship he built with the ‘focolarini’ for whom he held great respect. He saw that they were people whose actions came before their words and who worked with open minds alongside people, like him, who did not share their faith. He later found that his friendship with Chiara Lubich was a point of deep encounter and sharing of profoundly human values. Until the end of his life, Piero’s actions demonstrated and transmitted the power of this encounter in all areas of his life – as a family man, husband, doctor, politician and trusted friend of so many who recognised his moral calibre.
Not words, but actions. This gives energy to a person and makes them happy within. Living this way, we serve our neighbours.
[1]The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abram published in 2016 by Cornerstone Publishers
THE IDEA OF THE MONTH, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s ‘Centre for Dialogue with People of Non-religious Beliefs’. It is an initiative born in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text to different cultural sensitivities. www. dialogue4unity.focolare.org
