Towards a New Humanity

Chiara Lubich

It is not impossible for us to dream of something which few people today dare to admit: that the world can change and that, contrary to an obvious decadence in many areas, we are moving towards a new era. Alongside all those who today seek the good of humanity and, in a deep union of purpose with them, we believe and want our particular contribution towards the renewal of the world to be this: to offer an experience of the Gospel, with all its repercussions on our human, earthly and social living.

We know that as human beings we carry something like an incurable wound within us, a nostalgia for the supernatural: the divine torments us, the infinite pursues us and the eternal attracts us. We know that even if we succeeded in renewing the whole of humanity by truly building a new world, our hearts would not yet be fully satisfied.

Why? Because we are made for a life that never ends. Thus it is necessary to stress another truth too, namely, that in building the earthly city, even now we can build something which does not pass away because through our our toil and labour we can contribute towards the "new heavens", and "new earth" (2 Peter 3:13), that await us.... It is a truth which raises our minds. It is a consoling and sublime vision of our calling to transform the earth through our work.

But there is a condition required for all of this to come about. Our human works will remain if they have been built in the world according to the commandment of love (Cf. GS 38). Now who gives us the guarantee that our efforts are being made in the right way? Who can tell us that we are truly building on the rock of love, thus assuring us that what we are doing will not perish?

Jesus in our midst. Jesus in our midst makes every society, great or small, sublime. It is He who makes every society both a cell of the earthly city and a cell of the heavenly city as well — He gives us the guarantee. In fact, He is fully present wherever love is alive. He is both gift of God and, at the same time, fruit of our mutual charity, which we must place at the basis of all our activities.

Jesus in our midst! In Him, therefore, lies the project for a new humanity; in Him lies the guarantee that what we do will remain. How can we not consider the fascination of the journey which we have set off on and which stretches out before us? And how can we help but think and dream of a new humanity when we have here with us, the One whose Spirit has said: "Behold, I make all things new" (Rev 21:5)?