Bishop’s Pastoral Message 2010
SOLIDARY, UNITY, SYNERGY
There is a story of a Blind man and a paralyzed man wanting to cross the river on a log which fell across its banks. Both of them were not able to pass through: one could not walk and the other could not see. Then they found a solution: let’s unite our strengths: I have strong legs said the blind man and I have good eyes said the paralyzed man. I will be your eyes and you will be my legs… and both of them crossed the river the blind man carrying the paralyzed man on his shoulders.
Synergy is the power which different forces can build when they are put together. Two or more strengths put together make a power stronger than its mathematical addition. We could then say 2+2 = 5. Your strength and mine together are stronger than the 2 of us: this is what we can call SYNERY which is more than simple unity. Unity makes strength stronger than itself; it makes “synergy”…
No person is an island nor has the right to be happy alone, we are called and sent to each other, under this light then unity and synergy become something greater: it becomes “COMMUNION” the unity of all strengths motivated by faith and love for a common purpose: this synergy started by Christ unites us in communion,
We are celebrating our golden anniversary as a Diocese. As we are trying to renew ourselves and the church. If we put our hearts into this, we will certainly get dirty, tired, exhausted. Putting resources, talents, tears, joys and pains together and journeying side by side gives us the energy we need to endure the crossing of the hot and dusty desert of that part of the world which is still affected by sin, following Christ our leader in building a new world, and a new church…
In the past year we have focused our efforts on Solidarity, caring for each other, reaching out to others in their needs. We have trained leaders in the technology for teaching others to do so, we need now to get closer together and sweat it out without discouragement. Results might not come as we would like, but the seed of the kingdom must be plated and rot under the ground first so as to bear fruit.
Lets’ plants deep roots… A falling tree in the forest makes a lot of noise. More noise than a million growing trees. We might not make noise, but we will make history by the rebirth and re-launching of our church after the first 50 years.
Dynamic Fidelity means loyalty to the roots and courage to bear new fruits…
Best wishes for a new pastoral year. The diocesan Team has planned and will implement programs for building better parish synergy, let us give our full support, 100%