Prayer: breath of the soul that makes us brothers and sisters

 It is from prayer that I draw the strength to live for a united world, and overcome the conflicts and injustices that are part of daily life. There is much hatred in the world, yet in different places, people actively seek peace, holding public manifestations, prayer vigils and through fasting. If we base our lives on the law of love, we can bear witness to the fact that brotherhood is attainable and that it is possible for different peoples to live together.

I am 18 years old. I come from Somalia and I am a Muslim. I have been living in Italy for 17 years now.

My family and I are part of a group of Christians and Muslims who meet together to dialogue and exchange life experiences in an atmosphere of brotherhood.

Some time ago, I was invited to attend a meeting in Rome with Muslims who want to live for a united world. I still remember those very beautiful and profound days with people who came from all over to discuss equality and mutual respect among religions, and about peaceful living together.

I also remember Chiara Lubich’s words: “So that good may triumph over evil, there has to be a common effort to create all over the globe that universal brotherhood in God which the whole of humanity is called to fulfill. Brotherhood which, alone, can be the soul, the springboard, for a more just sharing of goods among peoples and nations.

From this meeting, I learned new ways of sharing peace with everyone. For example, our neighbor who lives in the apartment below us often used to come and knock indignantly at our door because we are a large and lively family. We calmly explained to him that we have two small children and we have tried our best to solve the problem by keeping quiet at night. To reach out to him with love, we brought him a little food, or some meat, whenever we have it.

Another experience: during our Italian lesson, our professor once mentioned some very negative things about Islam which were not true. I did not react aggressively; I merely explained to her that Islam considers “peace” as one of its pillars, and that one of its greatest values is the freedom to follow God’s law. When I finished, she said, “Thanks to you, now I understand. I realized I do not know your religion very well.”

(N.A. – Italy)