Steadfast Builders of a New World
How can we overcome the temptation to be brought down by the difficulties we face nowadays? By relying on God who, in Jesus, became our neighbor as we journey through life, while being active, creative and responsible protagonists, doing our part in building a ‘new world’ founded on Jesus’ commandment of mutual love.
“Trust in the Lord forever; for in the Lord God, you have an everlasting rock.” (Is 26:4)
The Word of Life that we want to live this month is taken from the book of the prophet Isaiah, a wide-ranging and rich text which is very dear to Christian tradition. In fact, it contains greatly loved writings, such as the announcement of Emmanuel, “the God with us”1 and the figure of the Suffering Servant2 who forms the background to the accounts of Jesus’ passion and death.
This verse is part of a song of thanksgiving that the prophet puts on the lips of the people of Israel when, having overcome the terrible ordeal of exile, they finally return to Jerusalem. His words bring hope to the heart because God’s presence beside Israel is faithful and unwavering as a rock; God himself will sustain every effort made by the people as they rebuild their civil, political and religious life.
While the city believed to be ‘lofty’ will be razed to the ground3 because it was not built according to God’s plan of love, the one built on the rock of closeness to God will enjoy peace and prosperity.
How can we overcome the temptation to be brought down by the difficulties we face nowadays which can lead us to close in on ourselves and cultivate feelings of suspicion and mistrust towards others?
As Christians, the answer is certainly to “rebuild” with courage by first trusting in our relationship with God who, in Jesus, became our neighbor as we journey through life, even when we travel along the darkest, narrowest, steepest and most winding of pathways.
However, this faith does not mean passive waiting. On the contrary, it asks us to be active, creative and responsible protagonists in building a ‘new city,’ founded on the commandment of mutual love. This city has open doors and welcomes everyone, especially “the poor and oppressed”4 who have always been the Lord’s favorites.
As we travel along this path, we are certain to enjoy the company of the many men and women who hold dear the universal values of solidarity and the dignity of every person, as well as that of respect for creation, our “common home.”
“Trust in the Lord forever; for in the Lord God, you have an everlasting rock.”
In the Spanish village of Aljucer, an entire community is committed to building fraternal relationships based on open and inclusive forms of participation.
They tell us: “In the summer of 2008, we set up a cultural association, with the aim of carrying out activities of various kinds, both of our own initiative, as well as in collaboration with other associations in the area. Our goal was to promote spaces for dialogue and international humanitarian projects.
For example, every year since the beginning, we have organized a solidarity dinner for the Fraternity with Africa project, to finance scholarships for young Africans committed to working in their country for at least five years. These dinners bring together about two hundred people and are supported by shopkeepers and other groups.
We have also been very happy to collaborate with another association for many years now. Together we organize an annual event that is open to people from the worlds of culture, music, painting, and literature, as well as to representatives engaged in politics, business, and medicine. It is an opportunity for all of them to share experiences from their working lives and the deeper reasons for the choices they have made.”5
“Trust in the Lord forever; for in the Lord God, you have an everlasting rock.”
We are looking forward to Christmas. Let us already begin to prepare for it by welcoming Jesus in his word.
He is also the rock on which to build the city for all people: “May we be the very embodiment of this city, let us make it our own, experiencing the power it unleashes in us and around us, if we live this way. Let us fall in love with the Gospel to the point of allowing ourselves to be transformed by it and thus enable it to overflow onto others. … We will no longer be the ones who live: Christ will be formed in us. We will be free from ourselves, from our limitations, from all that enslaves us. In addition, we will see the revolution of love break out – the revolution that Jesus who is free to live in us, will enkindle in the society around us.”6
Letizia Magri
1 Cf. Is 7:14 & Mt 1:23.
2 Cf. Is 52:13-53:12.
3 Cf. Is 26:5
4 Cf. Is. 26:6
5 www.focolare.org.
6 C. Lubich, Word of Life, September 2006
