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PortuguêsBearing witness to fraternity
Have we ever witnessed an unusual event that made such a big impression that we wanted to tell other people about it? Or, conversely, has another person told us about something that was vitally important to them?
This month's idea invites us to witness and share positive experiences that can transform our lives and society around us.
Cezar Kurti, an Albanian writer and translator who held no religious beliefs, was always fascinated by the words of the historical Jesus. Kurti considered him to be one of humanity’s greatest martyrs. Throughout his life, with love and humility, the writer wanted to witness to the value of unity and fraternity among all people. Among many other activities, he translated Dante's Divine Comedy and Chiara Lubich's book Meditations for his people.
Looking back at history, the experience of many different communities who have shared the proposals that Jesus made to the people of his time, we are invited to explore the intrinsic force of his words today. They still resonate strongly within us, urging us on to greater fraternity and communion in our relationships. They encourage us to build more supportive societies where communities are based upon deep and intimate relationships, attentive to inequality and inclined towards actions that promote peace.
Today we often see people of different faiths, political options, ethnicities and cultures who strive to love and work together to improve the quality of life in their area. This is a witness to fraternity - whether it be on small or large scale – and it encourages us to firmly believe that universal fraternity is possible. Their example both attracts and engages us. Together with others, we will find the strength within to overcome fears and also bear witness to fraternity through our actions.
The women and men who followed Jesus were transformed by hearing his message. We, too, can witness today that the love he proposes sets us free, breaks down all barriers and links us all as true brothers and sisters.
Let us unite our small forces, our talents, our creativity and our freedom and set out on the road to fraternity with greater courage. We know that living mutual love is contagious because it responds to a vital need that we all feel.
Our witness can encourage and impel others who, seeing us, will join us to work faithfully and transparently to build that common good to which we all aspire.
THE IDEA OF THE MONTH, based on texts from the Word of Life, was born in Uruguay as part of the dialogue between people of different religious and non-religious convictions, whose motto is 'building dialogue'. The aim of this publication is to help promote the ideal of universal brotherhood. The IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries
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