To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic #KAIROS20
To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic: KAIROS, you are a light in the world.
Let your light so shine before men (and women), that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven: Matthew 5: 16.
“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is because human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.“
Howard Zinn
It seems that Howard Zinn is describing KAIROS.
Let us take a few minutes to reflect and see what such words mean for us…
Many times in our discussions and talks in daily life, we focus on cruelty, bad things and negativity. We become hostages to such bad feelings. We become impotent, suicidal, restless, prisoners, helpless, and hopeless.
My reflection and call are not to dwell on either pessimism or on optimism.
Pessimism will lead us astray. We lose our initiative and creativity. It might lead us to be extremists and violent.
On the other hand, optimism will not only lure others, but we will also deceive ourselves. Let us be realistic and not romantic.
I am neither pessimistic nor optimistic. I am cautiously hopeful. Hope entices all of us to live in the light
Living in the light helps us express things as they are and call things by their names.
Let us contemplate and please tell me what you call the following:
By being present here and in partnership with KAIROS as KAIROS people, you have already done many sacrifices by choosing the less travelled road. You make the road by walking in our shoes. Your courage has been clear by such choices. You have decided to move from your comfort zone. Sometimes you risk your lives or are exposed to being called by different names because of your stand for justice. Life after all is a matter of choices. Your example is an act of love in the light equipped with faith and hope.
The question which poses itself nowadays and persistently is, ‘can we practice more compassion and kindness to ourselves, to our colleagues and to even others who are not equipped by such values and morals?’
As you know, hope transforms persons, relationships and complexity.
It tells us that acting upon small things will lead us to more successes. Hope calls us to act, in however small a way. We do not have to wait for some grand utopian actions. It helps us to move from breakdown to breakthrough, it transforms anger into flowers and trees of compassion. Hope helps us to transform division into diversity in unity. It tells us that all of you are a renewable source of hope. You are unreasonably reasonable to join this less travelled road.
KAIROS is an act of unconditional love; all of us are walking the Stations of the Cross…the good news is that such a tiring, exhausting and devastating way leads us to the Holy Sepulcher. The tomb is empty, Jesus is risen. Hallelujah, yes, we definitely believe in life after death. We want to live our life before death. Theologically, I believe in the resurrection. After all, this is my faith but also, I believe that injustice will not last forever. Together by the years to come, eventually, we will overcome all kinds of injustices.
Together we are celebrating life as we celebrate our 20 years of a united vivacious movement encouraging all of us from different walks of life and from various countries to contextualize and live our faith in action working for justice around the world.
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Together we will live in the light, and we will celebrate differences. After all this is the baptism of hope and the holy relationship between Hope, Agape and Faith under the umbrella of Holy Light that shines upon all of us through the tireless work, sacrifices and successes of KAIROS. Such voices and works are manifested in offering costly solidarity, hearty empathy, rigorous empowerment, solid advocacy, truthful accompaniment, and unconditional support. You have been reinforcing our faith and rekindling our hope throughout the struggles against all kind of injustice everywhere.
Truly as Martin Luther King said, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly”.
All of us are invited to live in the LIGHT of KAIROS. Congratulation KAIROS people. We wish a long life for the organization, and we ask God to bless all of you wishing you the best in all walks of your lives.
Zoughbi Zoughbi, Founder and Director, Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center.
