“I know I’m stating the obvious… the difference is always made by us—each one of us—by the way we choose to live what happens.” These words arrived via WhatsApp, the incipit of a message from Antonio Piscitelli who, together with other dedicated volunteers from all over Italy, quite literally moved themselves—and mountains and seas around them—to organize the pilgrimage to Pompei marking 50 years of Fede e Luce in Italy. The message recounted a few things that went slightly awry right at the start of the four-day gathering in mid-September; in this issue you’ll find some of the most significant voices that were heard then (the rest are available on fedeeluce.it). The long message went on to describe people who, when faced with unexpected difficulties, welcomed the discomfort and managed to discover positive side effects within it. It ended with these words: “I’ve decided that during these days, whatever happens, I will remember these people and how they made the real difference.” I would especially underline that “I’ve decided.”
One hundred and thirty issues ago, Mariangela Bertolini wrote in an editorial: “Stop for a moment and try to understand. It’s something we should do from time to time. It’s what Ombre e Luci proposes to its readers every time.” Stopping, understanding, deciding: actions that can radically change the way we live, when they bring us back into contact with what surrounds us—with people and with reality—without turning our gaze elsewhere. From this choice—apparently small, yet profoundly concrete—comes the possibility of changing something, of making a difference. It is a concreteness powerfully echoed in the coming of the Child we await at Christmas. Ombre e Luci exists to offer us the chance to pause, reflect, listen, and look with new eyes at the stories of those who live fragility and hope—including our own. Thank you to all who choose to support Ombre e Luci. Through a concrete gesture, they ensure that these voices continue to be heard, that reflection remains alive, and that the light does not go out. Dear readers, warm wishes for a peaceful Christmas!
