When people of different cultures and religious beliefs are in dialogue, a question that often
comes to the fore is: “Can we always hope? And in what?”
It’s a question that resonates most intensely not only in times of difficulty and painful suffering or defeat but also when we feel disappointed and deluded by the ideals and values we have held dear and which have fascinated us in the past.
It is precisely during these times of doubt that we are prompted to reconsider the values and beliefs that lie at the very basis of our hopes. These values give us the strength to face our doubts and reveal the greatness of human nature: men and women are capable of falling down and rising up again, they can acknowledge that they all have their weaknesses but without succumbing to uselessly dreaming of finding miraculous solutions.
Believing is much more than hoping for a solution to our problems; rather, it is the drive within
that allows us to keep going. It is in those difficult moments that life mysteriously can become a
real gift.
Believing is like a commitment that gives meaning to life always. Unlike accepting a contract that you sign once and then never look at again, believing transforms and permeates every daily choice.
One method that may help us to do so is to avoid thinking about dramatic and extreme situations which can only make us afraid and block us, but to face the small difficulties of each day, sharing them with our friends. In this way, if we do not lose heart, we will discover many new opportunities to believe and to give hope to those around us. The strength of friendship seeks the good of the other.
It is easier to feel strong and courageous when everything is going well but it is when we are aware
of our vulnerabilities that we can build something that will remain after us. We become aware of
this through the conviction we gain when we have shared life with someone who believed beyond
everything, who struggled and suffered, and whose love brought them close to everyone. When
these people conclude their lives on this earth, they leave such an imprint and their memory is so
vivid that -mysteriously- whether we are religious or non religious, their example makes us say, “I
believe, I believe. Let us continue together!”

Photo ©Sasin Tipchai – Pixabay

THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. dialogue4unity.focolare.org