Free from prejudice

We decided to join together with a lively community of Evangelical Methodists in our city, in helping out the many North African immigrants who live in our area: Tunisians who work as labourers in silk production; Senegalese and Moroccans who work  as travelling sellers. . . . Many of them do not find a hot meal during the week. So we planned on setting up a canteen where they could be served hot meals when they come for the public market each week. We take turns buying the food, cooking, serving and eating with them. So many prejudices and stereotypes crumble between one dish and the next.     S. F. (Italy)

A seed of unity

While in hospital for a small surgery I read a book given to me by my fiancé. It contained factual experiences of Gospel life. They were beautiful but I said to myself: “It’s impossible to really live this way.” Then my fiancé introduced me to some of these people and, speaking with them, I saw instead that it could be done. This opened a new path for us. We married with the intention of keeping our family open to others. At first I wasn’t religious even though I belonged to the Evangelical Church and Anna was Catholic. As we began to live the Gospel I began to realize that I should first go and give witness in my Church. So I did. I made contacts and now belong to the parish council. Through our lives we’d like to show our children and everyone we meet how beautiful Christianity is, making our family a small seed of unity.      D. J. K. (Germany)

Peace

The many more violent clashes inside my country had produced a strong sense of anger and revolt within me. I suffered because of my helplessness in front of so much injustice and suffering. Innocents murdered, families chased from their homes and villages in ruin. I felt like I was drifting away from God, as if I were dying within myself. That night, describing to my wife the way I was feeling, she proposed that I make one more effort to leave at dawn and go to welcome some refugee families who had fled their devastated village. We went and one of the families with three boys came to stay with us. Then peace returned to my heart.     J.P. (Lebanon)

Source: Il Vangelo del giorno, Città Nuova Editrice.