Diplomacy

“When someone weeps, we must weep with them. And if they laugh, rejoice with them. Thus the cross is divided and borne by many shoulders, and joy is multiplied and shared by many hearts. Making ourselves one with our neighbour is the way, the main way, of making ourselves one with God. (…)

Making ourselves one with our neighbour for love of Jesus, with the love of Jesus, so that our neighbour, sweetly wounded by the love of God in us will want to make himself or herself one with us, in a mutual exchange of help, of ideals, of projects, of affections. Do this until establishing between the two of us those essential elements for the Lord to say, ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matt. 18:20.) Until, that is, as far as it depends on us, the presence of Jesus is guaranteed, so that we walk through life, always, as a little Church on the move – Church whether we are at home, at school, in a garage or in Parliament.

Walking in life like the disciples of Emmaus with that Third among them, who gives divine value to all our actions.
Then we are not the ones acting in our life, we who are miserable and limited, lonely and suffering. The Almighty walks with us. And whoever remains united with him bears much fruit.

From one cell come more cells, from one tissue many tissues. Making ourselves one with our neighbour in that complete self forgetfulness which is possessed (without realizing it or specifically trying to do it) by someone who thinks of the other, their neighbour.

This is the diplomacy of charity, which has many of the expressions and aspects of ordinary diplomacy, hence it does not say all that it could say, for this would not be liked by others or be pleasing to God. It knows how to wait, how to speak, how to reach its goal. The divine diplomacy of the Word who becomes flesh to make us divine. This diplomacy, however, has an essential and characteristic mark that differentiates it from the diplomacy spoken about by the world, for which to say diplomatic is often synonymous with reticence or even falsehood.

The divine diplomacy has this greatness and this property, perhaps a property of it alone: it is moved by the good of the other and is therefore devoid of any shadow of selfishness.

This rule of life ought to inform every kind of diplomacy, and with God it can be done because he is not only the master of individuals, but king of the nations and of every society. If all diplomats in the exercise of their duty were inspired in their actions by charity towards the other State as to their own, they would be enlightened by the help of God to such an extent as to contribute to the establishment of relationships among States as they ought to exist among human beings.

Charity is a light and a guide, and the one who is sent as an emissary has all the graces to be a good emissary.

May God help us and may we co-operate, so that from heaven the Lord may see this new sight: his last will and testament brought to life among the nations.

It may seem like a dream to us, but for God it is the norm, the only one that guarantees peace in the world, the fulfilment of individuals in the unity of a humanity that by that point would know Jesus.

Chiara Lubich

(an extract from Meditations, New City London, 2005)