Newsletter - 13th November 2021
A Contribution to Unity and World Peace
MANIFEST 2000 - UNESCO
Is world peace possible? At what price? More than institutions, human responsibility is decisive.
For the idealist, peace must triumph someday, because that is good. The realist will object: we cannot abolish war, it is in the nature of things and in human nature.
From a responsible perspective, neither the stars, nor statistics nor genes decree war and peace, but our free will.
Moreover, war and peace are not decided by them, but by me, by my daily spirit of discord or concord.
The question is not, “When and how will the world live in peace?" But rather: “What will I do today for peace?"
The 2000 Manifesto for a Culture of Peace advocates this attitude:
“Aware of my share of responsibility… I make a commitment in my daily life, my family, my work, my community, my country, my region to: respect all life, reject violence, release my generosity, listen to understand, preserve the planet, reinvent solidarity”.
These points are not new, their list remains open. The novelty is to evoke responsibility.
Often, a fundamental internal human contradiction feeds the explosion of external violence, against others. Political power tends to systematise, rationalise and justify outbursts of violence, giving them the form of war. The enemy is seen as the character whose submission or elimination will appease the collective fury. A return to peace and a "normal life" will become possible again. For Jacques Le Goff, the Crusades served as an outlet for bellicose passions and social tensions arising from the demographic boom in the West. War, a perverted religious rite, would provide a collective catharsis. True peace, on the contrary, offers conversion.
Focus of the week
Net for God, 16 November 2021
"It is a time to make big dreams, to reconsider our priorities… and to commit ourselves to act in our daily lives on what we have dreamed about" writes Pope Francis in the book Let Us Dream.
Come along and join the Prayer Group at 8pm to watch the video.
Net for GOD "Come and See",
23 November
Many of you may have questions about what happens in these meetings. This is an opportunity to find out more about how the group works and what it means to “listen to what the Holy Spirit wants for us here and now”. If you are interested please join us at 8pm in the church.
Refreshments will be served at the end of the session.