Focolare Movement

Unity: A Crazy Dream

Aug 10, 2013

Excerpt from a talk given by Chiara Lubich at WYD 2000 in Rome, Italy. An encouragement to proclaim the Gospel through the way we live and the words we say. There's great resonance with the message of Pope Francis in Brazil

“In the beginning it was the love for God overflowing from our hearts that made us spill our rediscovery of the Gospel to many others. How could this happen again today? By trying to be faithful to the way of life that the Holy Spirit suggested to us back then. Above all to be authentic Christians who first live what the Gospel teaches, people of whom it can be said what was said of the early Christians: ‘Look! See how they love one another. Each of them is ready to die for the other.’” Then, we should be Christians by being people who love everyone without distinction. And our love for everyone should be practical and concrete. We should be Christians who first live this kind of love and then talk about the Gospel to everyone.

And even though you can’t always talk about it with your tongue, you can always allow your heart to speak by showing personal interest in others, calling them by name, for example, greeting them in a way that makes them feel that they’re important to you, that you aren’t indifferent to them, that a bond already exists between them and you, even if it’s only one of silent respect.

If they are able to capture these silent words, then they cannot but make an opening in their hearts. Then there will be no need to wait; say a few words, but say something. Begin, for example, from your own experience with Jesus; talk about him.

Let’s try to fill our days with these types of gestures and words that perhaps we’ve never performed or spoken before. We will bring Jesus’ charm to the world and many people will find themselves falling in love with Him. Then the Kingdom of God will spread beyond our expectations. It will grow so much that you will be able to look ahead as Jesus did when he invited everyone to universal brotherhood as he prayed: “may they all be one (Jn. 17:21).”

It might sound like a crazy dream, but it is a dream that might come true because it’s the dream of God.”

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