Are we star-gazing?

Many may think that some Christians, this January, have decided to go star-gazing. This is because the theme of this year’s Christian Unity Week was ‘We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship Him’ (Gospel of Matthew, 2:2), words uttered by the Magi, the wise men from the East who travelled to worship the newborn Jesus.

Well, those among us keen to pray for the much-needed unity among divided Christian Churches have not borrowed any telescopes and pointed them to the skies. The reason behind the words describing the theme lies in the fact that this year’s material for Christian Unity Week – after Malta’s take in 2020 – has been prepared by a group of Christian Churches in the Middle East, among which Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and others.

I admit that the theme is an original one indeed. It entails reflection on the existential theme of the journey of life, as well as the urgent path towards Christian unity. The theme invites Christians to reflect on the light of the guiding star which accompanied the Magi to Jerusalem and to Bethlehem. There are many instances and situations when we may feel lost or demotivated or helpless when faced with so many trying situations. All we need is that guiding light which provides security, serenity and solace. For Christians, that guiding light is the Lord Himself.

When Christians seek to overcome ages-old divisions between their respective Churches and communities, and collaborate, they not only become a source of light to each other but also to individuals and communities of other faiths or no specific belief.

Christian Unity Week, which has been organised since 1908 and which was marked last week, is an annual opportunity for Christians from different Churches to come together and pray for unity. This is called ‘spiritual’ ecumenism. Other ecumenical initiatives focus on joint charitable projects, discussion on faith matters, as well as on the “ecumenism of life”. The latter is the most basic and can be carried out by anyone. It entails knowing your neighbour or colleague at work who happens to belong to a different Church from yours. Interesting oneself in what the other cherishes and holds dear is a first important step in ecumenical dialogue.

At the time being, the Ecumenical Commission of the Archdiocese of Malta is seeking to reach out to young people with the aim of instilling a greater ecumenical awareness among them. In fact, this year’s local ecumenical prayer resources, while basing themselves on the material provided by the Holy See and the World Council of Churches, have, in part, been prepared by young people at the Junior College of the University of Malta.

This year also marks the centenary of the birth of Maurice Eminyan SJ (1922-2010), one of the pioneers of ecumenical dialogue in Malta and founder of the Malta Ecumenical Council in 1995. We thank God for Fr Maurice while we strive to pursue his legacy. He was a bridge-builder between separated Christians.

Fr Hector Scerri – Ecumenical Commission, Malta

The Ukraine crisis. Or is it?

A poster of Vladimir Putin is used as target practice along a trench on the frontline near Zolote village. Photo: AFP

It is difficult to catch on to a conjurer’s trick because, while your attention is on the right hand, the left has already done the move.

In the current crisis, all eyes are on eastern Ukraine. Knowing Vladimir Putin, however, it all seems too obvious. So obvious, in fact, that it could just be a distraction. Putin is so devious, as proven in the Crimean affair, that nobody can really tell what his intentions are. But I’ll hazard the following.

1. Confusing and manipulating the West to gain better control over world economic affairs. Poor appeasement tactics by the West won’t help anyway. We’ve already been there with Hitler.

2. If military intervention really is on the cards, Ukraine may not be the real target at all. It would be far more strategically useful to Russia to claw back the Baltic states. Bear in mind also that the Kaliningrad area is actually a part of Russia, separated from the motherland by Lithuania. Also, it borders Poland. Military exercises in Belarus can facilitate this, yet are close enough to Kiev to confuse us further.

3. If Ukraine is the real plan, then I suspect the main and initial thrust would be via Odessa.

God help us either way.

Bernard Manduca – Swieqi