What is the boundary between hope and utopia? The history of human thought is dotted with promises that have ignited hearts and triggered revolutions, followed by bitter disappointments. Is it still worth believing, working and fighting for change?
A lesson can come to us from the simple observation of nature: the seed which, once planted in the ground, disappears, dies, to release its vital force and bear fruit. The farmer plants it with the certainty of the fruit, even if he may not be the one to see it appear. But only in this way can life be passed down and perpetuated over generations.
Each of us also has the opportunity to sow the seeds of life around us, in a land that is perhaps arid and even inhospitable. Let's do it with the certainty of the harvest. Let us encourage others and together prepare the conditions to sow peace, hope and happiness. We will have the strength of community.
We sow generously, believing that the future will bring us fruits. It is the experience of great politicians, those who believe that it is with courageous choices that a better world can be built, even at the cost of paying the price for their courage in the short and short-sighted prospect of subsequent elections. It is the same experience that parents live who know how to raise their children with an eye on the future, even when it costs them to maintain a coherent educational example, or teachers who do not chase easy popularity of the moment. This is the experience we can have despite the difficulties. Each of us can feel the strength of being part of a bigger picture if we can look to the future in the dimension of the common good and not on the immediate perspective of small personal interest.
According to some sociologists, the drama of our time is not so much the economic crisis but rather living imprisoned by fear, anger and mistrust regarding the present and the future. And this paralyzes and prevents the progress of civil society. “Trust” – in others, in the future, in the results of our actions even beyond ourselves – could be the most important word to launch a true social revolution. Hatred annihilates; love always wins and bears fruit.
In 1994, an American boy, Nicholas Green, was fatally injured due to mistaken identity during an attempted robbery. The news shocks, the newspaper headlines speak of revenge and a climate of hatred grows. Until the boy's parents make a sensational gesture: "Nicholas - they say - loved life and loved Italy". They do not ask for revenge but express the desire that his organs can be donated to give life back to others.
It is a shocking sign: justice takes its course, but this act surpasses the brief time of the news and becomes a seed that bears fruit. Today, after 30 years, many remember Nicholas and his family. And in Italy the culture of organ donation has grown enormously.