The “Fire Within” Prize: a spark that changes the world

The ‘Fuoco dentro‘ (Fire Inside) Prize is awarded to women and men who are committed to changing the world by becoming witnesses for others through their lives. It was established by the Archdiocese of Milan and Elikya, an association working for social improvement that has been active in different spheres of civil and religious society since 2012. This year’s prize-winners included Margaret Karram, President of the Focolare Movement. Below is the message she sent on the occasion of the award ceremony.

I wish first to address a warm greeting to all of you who are taking part in this award ceremony!
[…]
First of all, I would like to thank His Excellency Mario Delpini, who with his words has inspired this important initiative and also the Elikya association that epitomizes a spirit of brotherhood, inclusion and care for those who are most vulnerable, which is at the basis of all its activities.
I confess that, on the one hand, the conferral of this award surprised me while, on the other, it led me to a deep reflection on the “golden thread” that continues to wind through my life. I wondered what was the spark that ignited the “first fire” in me.
I would say that the first “flame” was placed in my heart by my parents. I was born in Haifa, Israel, to a close-knit Christian family of Palestinian origin, which always encouraged me not only to accept others, but to love them according to the gospel meaning of the word.

This gave me a deep faith that has never been extinguished to this day; the faith that one day humanity will be one family of united peoples. As a child, I thought that when I grew up, I would like to do something to build peace and to oppose injustice.
And when, at the age of fourteen, I came to know the spirituality of unity, Chiara Lubich, the founder of the Focolare Movement, shared with me her passion for the prayer of Jesus: “May they all be one”.

I discovered in the words of the Gospel not only a spiritual dimension, but a social one. I understood that I could love everyone, Palestinians and Israelis, by respecting their history, and above all by making their pain my own and creating opportunities for dialogue and mutual trust in order to build bridges. I felt a passion for fraternity grow in me more and more and I found the centre of my life
in God, in His love and in His peace, which I wanted to bring to everyone. I believe peace is exactly like fire: it must be nourished so that it continues to “burn”, and this requires sacrifice. Above all it requires knowing how to forgive. I deeply believe in this gesture, that Jesus was the first to put into practice, and that works real miracles. I have seen them with my own eyes, but it asks something of us, which is often to take the first step, and that is
not easy.
Let me tell you a true story. I lived and worked in Jerusalem for 24 years and our community, the focolare, was in a Jewish neighbourhood. One day, our neighbour invited us for coffee
and during the conversation, I said I was an Arab. She stopped and said to me: “This can’t be … I have never let any Arab into my house (if you have seen the latest news, you can understand why…). I felt like leaving immediately, but I then I thought it could be a unique opportunity to build a relationship. She said that she had never thought of us Arabs as people. She had a very
negative idea of the Arab people, as if they were all terrorists. Thanks to our meeting, she changed her mind, because since then we have been good friends.

My experience is that by putting ourselves in an attitude of dialogue we can determine even whether there is peace or war; and it is in this untiring dialogue, guided by the spirit of the Gospel, that I place my hope for my land, the Holy Land and for every nation that is in a situation of war and violence.

But what is the “fire” that burns within me now and that I would like to share with you? I have a very strong desire to live for peace and justice and to share this passion with those I meet every day. I would like to conclude with a passage that I find challenging at this time, but which gives me light, it is: I must make peace first of all within myself… I must avoid acting according to my first impression, my first impulse, even if the reason to do so seems very good, very right and very true.
Having made peace within me, I must bring peace to my neighbour. I must be careful how I act and speak so as not to wound, not to offend. I must speak and act gently and calmly. I must listen to, consider, and understand the person near me, before and more than what is of interest to me.
Peacemakersare those who restore and maintain unity. Peacemakers resemble Jesus; therefore, they will be called children of God (cf. Mt. 5:9). And it is with this wish, to be “peacemakers”, and bearers of the fire of unity that I greet you and thank you again for having honoured me with this award, which I accept not only on my own behalf but on that of the Movement I represent.

Thank you again!

Margaret Karram
(photo: © CSC Audiovisivi – Laura Torelli)