The Dignity to Give and Receive

"Nobody is so poor that he/she has nothing to give, and nobody is so rich that he/she has nothing to receive." 

These words by Pope John-Paul II, offer a powerful direction for all who want to work for peace. No peace is thinkable as long as the world remains divided into two groups: those who give and those who receive. Real human dignity is found in giving as well as receiving. This is true not only for individuals but for nations, cultures, and religious communities as well.

A true vision of peace sees a continuous mutuality between giving and receiving. Let's never give anything without asking ourselves what we are receiving from those to whom we give, and let's never receive anything without asking what we have to give to those from whom we receive.

                                                                                       - H. Nouwen 

Um sussurro no caos.

Patience

Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control: the arrival of the bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict. Patience is not a waiting passivity until someone else does something. Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later and somewhere else. Let's be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand.

- Henry Nouwen

City Prayer

"Jesus, thank You for loving my city and everyone in it. Bless my city with an outpouring of Your love and kindness that leads everyone to see Your goodness and turn towards You."

Oração

A atual crise de refugiados levanta muitas questões e expõe muitas necessidades. Os cristãos e a Igreja têm a oportunidade de estar entre os primeiros a responder.

Deus da Graça,

Por cada criança que verte lágrimas,
Por cada mãe sem voz,
Por cada pai desesperado,
Por cada família desalojada e apátrida,

Clamamos a ti:

Pelos que estão de joelhos, incapazes de dar outro passo,
Pelos que se sentem perseguidos e sem esperança,
Pelos que vivem o desesperado cativeiro do medo,

Move-nos a agir,

Enche-nos de compaixão,
Faz-nos canais do Teu amor,
Senhor, que não tinha onde repousar a cabeça.
Senhor, que chora pela cidade.
Para agir com amor e compreensão,
Para oferecer esperança e fortalecer o fraco,
Para pôr as necessidades do abatido à frente das nossas,

Tem misericórdia, ó Senhor!

Pelos que estão tomados pelo desespero,

Tem misericórdia, ó Senhor!

Amacia os nossos corações,

Tem misericórdia, ó Senhor!

Senhor, cuja família teve de fugir do país.

Tem misericórdia, ó Senhor!

Move-nos para fazer a diferença,

Tem misericórdia, ó Senhor!

Oração de Fred Drummond, Diretor de Oração da Aliança Evangélica do Reino Unido.

We can’t ignore the city...

We know we can’t ignore the city because it is God’s invention. He had an original plan, and we’ve done our best to ruin that plan. Now he desires to redeem it. He calls us into the city to love, to preach, to identify, and to bless.

A importância da Cidade

The city is more important than ever. Right now, more people live in cities than at any other time in human history. Never before has the majority of the world’s population been an urban population. 

Cities have always played a central role in human history. 

Cities have long stood as powerful places of cultural development, influence, and invention—offering hope, refuge, and new beginnings. But never before have cities been as populated, powerful, and important as they are today. 

The world is changing. Our world is experiencing the largest movement of urban growth in history. Our world is now predominantly urban, and there’s no going back. This new reality, this new world, presents a historic opportunity for Christians. 

- Why City Matters

STEPHEN T. UM & JUSTIN BUZZARD