The constant news of war and violent acts of terrorism around the world and especially, lately, in Africa and the Middle East, might make us doubt the possibility of peaceful coexistence in our society, and to think that perhaps it is no longer possible. Unfortunately, this way of thinking is reinforced every day by the media that create in us a sense of hopelessness and helplessness.
However there are signs of real hope, demonstrating that mercy and solidarity exist even in our society. The meetings of religious leaders willing to work for peace and the common good, the great efforts of the Pope to promote a culture of encounter through dialogue and gestures of solidarity, the commitment of governments and organizations in humanitarian aid ... all these are concrete examples of a search for the common good and the building of a culture of solidarity.
An important challenge is to join forces, foster communication and dialogue to promote a culture in which mercy and solidarity are the main criteria of political and social decisions. It may seem a virtually impossible task if you look at it only from a human point of view, but it is possible if you start with an openness to the transcendent, allowing yourself to be guided by the light of the good news.
Without this ability to see things from a gospel perspective, we can easily fall into relativism, and an attitude of indifference that cuts us off from others, looks only at the differences, and leads to distrust of those who do not think or believe as we do.
The outward movement to the marginalized that the Pope has asked of all the Church, and which he addressed explicitly to the Salesians, is not only a geographical or social shift. It is above all an attitude that leads us out of our comfort zone and our security to meet others.
In his last message from the "Dear Confreres" series, in the month of September, the Rector Major suggested concrete measures to enables us to walk the path of mercy in our personal lives and in our communities. He proposed concrete attitudes which may seem simple and achievable in daily life, but at the same time they require enormous effort and a capacity for sacrifice.
"Give reason for our hope" is an invitation that you won’t find on the big stage of the communication and entertainment industry. Basically it is about witness that communicates our belief in the transcendent and our profound adherence to God’s way of thinking. By the witness of our lives we transmit hope and confidence in the times we are living.
