AsiaNews: the trip to India and the Good Samaritan
Rome (AsiaNews) - In January, AsiaNews organised a trip to India with a group of 33 people, following requests of many of our readers. "You talk a lot about Asian countries . . . . Why don't you show us and let us see the situations you report?" many said. This led to the idea of organising trips to the Holy Land, India, China, and (hopefully) to Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and many other countries.
The latest trip to (northern) India touched the cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Agra, Varanasi, and Kolkata. Here we were able to discover the great history of the Indian subcontinent, and the stories of the Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh faith, as well as the lively presence of the Church and Christians.
In fact, the high points of our trip were the meetings with PIME sisters at the Versova leper colony (covered in this issue) and an interfaith Dalit community living in the countryside of Varanasi, as well as prayer and witness of the Sisters of Mother Teresa of Kolkata.
Even today, weeks later, participants send me their thanks. For them, the trip was a more of a "pilgrimage" than a visit, something that changed their lives and put them in communication with so many of their brothers and sisters who suffer from disease, exclusion, and famine; who nevertheless live a strong and active faith.
In some way, this small experience had Pope Francis' approval. On 23 January, he issued in fact his Message for the 48th World Communications Day, titled Communication at the Service of an Authentic Culture of Encounter.
In it, the pontiff said that against a backdrop of the "globalisation of indifference", the "scandalous gap between the opulence of the wealthy and the utter destitution of the poor," and the "walls which divide us," the world of communication has the "power" of creating "neighbourliness".
For this to happen, certain conditions are necessary according to the pope, namely "the ability to be silent and to listen;" the certainty that "encounters" are "true" and not manipulated; the capacity to "dialogue" convinced that "that the 'other' has something worthwhile to say, and to entertain his or her point of view and perspective."
All of this can lead us "to appreciate more fully the important values inspired by Christianity, such as the vision of the human person, the nature of marriage and the family, the proper distinction between the religious and political spheres, the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity, and many others."
All this looks describes our trip to India, where along with the surprise at the grandeur of Eastern religious traditions, we were moved by the loving impulse of men and women missionaries who are building a new world shaped by the Christian faith.
For Pope Francis, this approach should always be present in social networks because even "The digital highway is [. . .] a street teeming with people who are often hurting, men and women looking for salvation or hope."
Hence, it is necessary that journalism not be just mechanical in nature. For "only those who go out of themselves in their communication can become a true point of reference for others. Personal engagement is the basis of the trustworthiness of a communicator."
In our reporting, we need people who can bear witness, not just do a job. Only then will Christians engage in mission on the web, a mission that closely resembles that of the Good Samaritan.
Indeed, in concluding his message, the pope said, "May the image of the Good Samaritan who tended to the wounds of the injured man by pouring oil and wine over them be our inspiration. Let our communication be a balm which relieves pain and a fine wine which gladdens hearts. May the light we bring to others not be the result of cosmetics or special effects, but rather of our being loving and merciful "neighbours" to those wounded and left on the side of the road. Let us boldly become citizens of the digital world. The Church needs to be concerned for, and present in, the world of communication, in order to dialogue with people today and to help them encounter Christ. She needs to be a Church at the side of others, capable of accompanying everyone along the way."
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