Building the Kingdom of God through education.

Our languages often conceal a deep and ancient root which we are not always aware of, yet it conveys a meaning that is much deeper than the mere words we pronounce, because it plunges into experiences of centuries, at times even millennia, that our forefathers underwent and that became part of the collective conscience of peoples and nations.

This is the case of a word that appears in our vision: to build. Apart from the obvious sense of “constructing”, to build in the ancient languages refers somehow to “growth” and “house”. When we build something, we are always, even unconsciously, putting up a house where we intend to grow, or to make someone grow.

How profound to apply this peculiar meaning to the Kingdom of God! Many a time, we refer to the Kingdom of God as a place so perfect and pure, that it would not surely need our effort to be built.

And yet, there is something that sets our hearts on fire when we embark on an enterprise, when we dare to dream high or when we aspire for something greater than the usual, comfortable life. Something that pushes us towards greater heights not only in view of the future life, but even in this earthly one. It’s common, both for grown-ups and children, to experience a wave of boredom as soon as the first days of the much-sought-after holiday have passed. This is even truer for those who have experienced (or still experience) the lack of an occupation: God made us to work, the whole of our being is constructed in such a way that we need to do something with our minds, our souls, our hands.

Building the Kingdom of God means to create a house that fits to the standards of God. It is at the same time a great pursuit and an answer to our inbuilt need to make our lives useful.

We do that in a number of ways: the beauty of the buildings and the structures, the care and cleanliness of the compound, the personalized focus on each learner, the sports and clubs are not ways of marketing. We truly believe that whatever we do is an attempt to be perfect as our Father, who is in Heaven, is perfect (Mt 5:48). And as all attempts, at times we go wrong, and we apologize for that. To God first, and to men after.

However, despite the shortcomings and falls, I have witnessed a community of adults and children that is committed and ready to learn. People who have not only found a house, but desire to make it better for themselves and others. This is what the Kingdom of God is all about: untiringly hoping that our efforts are actually building something good in the midst of a world that seems to have forgotten its Creator.

The past year has been a tough one: we have witnessed the disaggregation of the social and moral issue of the society, the explosion of wars and the absence of forgiveness. Maybe some of us were affected by financial or personal issues that insinuated the ancient serpent’s doubt: “God doesn’t love you”.

At Urafiki Carovana we keep on working to the best of our capabilities to show, in words and actions, that the reality is exactly the opposite.

With my best wishes in Christ.

Fr. Mattia