On 2 June 2000, the first conference on ‘Communication and Unity’ was held, in which Chiara Lubich presented to those attending, the model of the ‘great communicator’: Jesus in the moment of his forsakenness, the mediator between humanity and God. She then listed the guiding principles of communications inspired by the charism of unity. It is unthinkable that a new communication be imposed from above, by some international agency or institution. It will come rather from the experience of communicators who have God-Love as a model for communication and as a paradigm for professional relations. Guiding principles of our communication—And indeed it is God-Love that those of us who are involved in communication seek to draw upon. They have developed out of their daily experience an original way of communicating. We present it here as a small contribution to the body of research being developed today. The first thought: for them communication is essential. The effort to live the gospel in everyday life, the experience of the Word of Life, has always been indissolubly united with communicating it, describing the various steps and the results, since it is a law that we love others as ourselves. They believe that what is not communicated is lost. So life generates light, both for those who speak and for those who listen, and it seems the experience is fixed in eternity. They have almost a vocation for communication. The second thought: to communicate, we feel the need “to make ourselves one” as we say, with the one who is listening A third thought: emphasize the positive. It has always been our way to put what is good into light, out of a conviction that it is infinitely more constructive to point out what is good, dwelling on the good and positive aspects, than to stop at the negative, even though whoever is in a position of responsibility has the duty at the proper moment to point out errors, shortcomings and failures. Finally: the person matters, not the media, which are merely an instrument. Bringing about unity first of all requires the indispensable means, which is the person, St. Paul’s new self, who has welcomed the mandate of Christ to be leaven, salt, light of the world.

Chiara Lubich

(Chiara Lubich, Essential Writings, New City Press, New York, and New City London 2007 p. 295-296)