Pensare globalmente e agire localmente

In questa video intervista, realizzata dal servizio di comunicazione del Consiglio Ecumenico delle Chiese, esplicito una convinzione non solo mia e per nulla originale: se si vuole camminare verso la giustizia e la pace per tutti, dobbiamo pensare globalmente e agire localmente. Non è uno slogan, ma un difficile percorso di discernimento che parte dalle persone concrete e arriva a loro.

Se necessario, predicate anche con le parole

Oggi, nel corso delle giornate del Pellegrinaggio di Giustizia e Pace del Consiglio Ecumenico delle Chiese in corso di svolgimento a Bogotà (Colombia), ho tenuto una meditazione biblica sul brano di 2 Corinti 8,1-9.
Vi sottolineo come i più poveri siano spesso i più generosi; evidenzio il rischio di una guerra tra poveri fomentata da chi invece di combattere la povertà cancella la presenza stessa dei poveri; ricordo la dimensione rilevativa della povertà crisdtiana: noi annunciamo Cristo che da ricco che era si è fatto povero per salvare l'umanità
La conclusione è lasciata alle parole rivolte da Francesco d'Assisi ai suoi seguaci, inviati poveri tra i poveri: "Andate e predicate il Vangelo. Se necessario, anche con le parole".

Meetings of the Reference Group and Theological Study Group

for the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace

6 to 13 February 2018, Bogotá, Colombia

Conflict-Peace-Diakonia-Sustainable Development

Morning Prayer 9 February 2018

Scripture reading 2 Corinthians 8:1-9

We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints—and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you. Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

Reflection/Bible Study (br Guido Dotti)

Paul is fundraising for the community in Jerusalem and realize a truth that so many times we too could realize, if only we were able to look at what is happening around us: the fact that poor are more generous than others! It is the same truth we heard yesterday from Berit’s report in the word of a campesina: “the poorest people are the most generous”.

The Christian community in Macedonia suffered a lot, “a severe ordeal of affliction”, but they transformed these sufferings in joy through the generosity towards their sisters and brothers in Jerusalem. Like the widow in the Temple, they did not give “some money”, but “out of their poverty gave everything they had, all they had to live on” (cfr. Mk 12,41-44).

How many times, all around the world and at any moment of the history, the solidarity among poor allowed them to fight against suffering and distress and to create communion. This attitude, deeply human, becomes – thanks to the grace of God – a sign of the disciples of Christ. Macedonians discovered that in Christ they were one body with their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. So they were able to offer “beyond their means”, to “gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us”. We are called to give our whole lives to our brothers and sisters in humanity, like Jesus gave is life for his friends.

Let us be silent for a while and remember the poor we met in our lives and the lessons of generosity and love they gave us. Let us thanks God for their witness and pray for them and with them.

But in our days we discover also poor fearing other poor, and – because of that fear – fighting against them in a horrible war among poor.

I’m thinking to what is tragically happening in Italy and in Europe with migrants.

So self-called Christian countries are refusing to listen to the Gospel that still says to us: I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25-35).

When the “other”, the stranger is shown and seen not as a human being, I feel not responsible for him/her, I can avoid to take care of him/her.

When we accept the language of politicians and media too often speaking about migrations and rarely about migrants, when we use numbers, statistics and avoid to call a human being with his/her name… then we are ready to fight and kill them, no matter if using weapons, hunger or indifference.

This dangerous fear, this attitude to feed war among poor must be an alert also for all our humanitarian work.

Paul fundraising for the community in Jerusalem and the response he received from the poor and suffering community in Macedonia, show us that, instead of planning aid “in poor’s name”, it would better to put poor in touch, support their efforts and help their natural conscience to be part of a unique body: humanity.

Let us be silent for a while and remember men, women and children died in the Mediterranean Sea, in Lybian prisons, in the desert, under the bomb in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan… Let us thanks God for people of good will that try to face this tragedy and let us pray God to convert our hearts.

A third reflection comes from St Paul’s last words in this passage: “you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor”. In these bad times our rich societies prefer hidden the poor, push them far from the touristic sites, ignore their presence and close the eyes in front of their needs. So, instead of fighting poverty and its causes, we deny the presence of the poor among us and, if it becomes evident, we fight the poor!.

But, according to St Paul’s words to Corinthians, poverty is not only nor primarily an ethical issue. It is a kerygmatic one. It concerns who Christ is, not what we have to do.

Chosen poverty, living and fighting among the poor is not a commandment, it is the simple and more trustable way to show the right image of Christ.

In all our ethical behaviours it is not a question to be obedient to one or more commandments.

It is a question of which Christ are we preaching, what kind of Good News are we proclaiming.

We can’t speak about love and mercy, without living them day by day, where the will of God put us, with the gifts the Holy Spirit granted us.

We can’t preach solidarity with the poor without sharing their condition. Doing that and following Jesus path, we shall discover true richness for us and for all surrounding us.

Do not forget St Francis words sending his disciples poor among the poor: “Go and preach the Gospel. If necessary, even with words!”.

Let us be silent for a while and remember all those that nobody remembers. All the marginalized, all the human beings that we refuse to see. And let us pray for them and for Christians that choose to became poor to enrich others, as Christ did for the sake of humanity.