Posts

Johan, a destra, insieme al Comitato Direttiv

A Passing of the Torch: An Interview with Johan Soderkvist, Outgoing General Secretary of GBU

Tempo di lettura: 4 minuti

Johan (on the right in the photo, alongside the GBU Board) shares his story in this interview. His time as General Secretary (GS), the evolution of GBU, his future, and his advice for Francesco (on the left in the photo), the new General Secretary.

Johan, you’re stepping down as General Secretary this year after how many years?

I became GS in 2009/2010, so officially it’s been 15 years. But in reality, I was already active as GS from 2005 because I was President of the GBU Association, and I took care of some aspects of the GS role, which didn’t exist at the time. So, it’s either 15 or 20 years!

So, we can call this a moment of great change in your life and in GBU’s history. How did you come to this decision? Wait… were you fired?

Yes, finally I can say it officially: they got rid of me (laughs). Actually, the term of a GS, by statute, is five years renewable. After these five years, we ask ourselves whether to continue or not. Twice, the Board and I chose to continue. 

After the first five years, I felt there was still much I could give, and it was easy to decide to continue, together with the Board. Five years ago, however, was a somewhat particular period, especially from an administrative and GBU development point of view, so it was also a necessity.

I loved being the GS of GBU and I had many satisfactions and blessings in these 20 years of teamwork. Today, the Staff team is full of capable people, and I felt it was the right time to make room for others to exercise their gifts in this role.

What will you do now? Will you remain involved with GBU?

Three years ago, IFES asked me if I wanted to commit to their Governance program, which involves training the Boards of GBU groups in various countries around the world. It was a proposal in line with my gifts and passions, because I will be dealing with leadership and structure. So I accepted the proposal, aware that it was not compatible with the GS role.

It seems the timing was good.

Yes. A prospect of service in IFES at a time when I was starting to think that someone else could continue as GS with GBU. The desire to leave the role to someone else after about 20 years coincided with the arrival of this proposal to be more involved in this IFES program, where I was already involved since 2019 as a TRAINER, to help the various Boards of GBU groups internationally.

Now a question that to answer properly might require writing a book (why not do it?!)… Thinking about these 20 years, what was GBU like when you started as GS and what is it like now?

This is probably the most encouraging and blessed aspect of these years. We started from a much smaller GBU, in terms of the number of national groups, students involved, and Staff around Italy, but also in terms of donations and finances in general. Looking at the numbers, it’s a completely different GBU.

Looking at what GBU does and its mission, the roots are the same. The passion is the same, as is the centrality of the student and consequently the vision of Sharing Jesus from Student to Student. All these things have remained almost the same.

In these years, we have added a lot of structure around these foundations. For example, today we have a path to train coordinators, the same for Staff in Training. As we grew, it was necessary to add structure because the risk would have been an isolated and detached growth, while this way there is organized and homogeneous growth. Today we are still a student movement founded on students, but in some ways, we are a more structured and connected organization, more capable of relating to different churches from different contexts, with more students, with a richer Staff team, whilst being present in more university cities.

What happens now? Will you remain involved with GBU? What will your role be?

My work in IFES will not take up all my time. I will certainly remain available to the GBU and the new GS. There will be a transition period between me and Francesco, to give him and all the Staff time to get used to the new setup. After that, I will still be available to the GBU. Certainly, there are areas where I could continue to serve with some of my specific gifts, without conflict with the GS role or with Francesco, also considering his gifts, which are many and different from mine.

Francesco will be the new GS of GBU and will certainly appreciate some advice from you! What advice would you like to give him?

In these months, I’ve thought about it several times, because I’ve analyzed the good things and the less good things of my journey. I wouldn’t want to give Francesco a list, but rather share some reflections

I believe that Francesco should feel free to use the many gifts God has given him and his passions, and lead GBU through them, towards the goals we have before us. In doing so, I hope he will want to preserve the structure we have managed to create in these years, or at least improve or adapt it to the times, to remain stable on a foundation that is necessary, and that also allows him to freely exercise his gifts and help GBU to “change” in the things he feels need to be changed, created, or implemented. I am sure he will find his space and his personal way to carry out the role of General Secretary.

I hope he continues to do collaborative work, where every element of GBU feels part of the family. This will become increasingly complicated as we grow, we have seen it in the last ten years; similarly, there are different ways to involve everyone, especially for those strategic aspects that concern long-term work. It will be important that this is maintained.

I am confident that the Board has made an excellent choice. I am certain that Francesco will bring valuable and unique contributions, different from mine. I trust that the Lord will continue to bless the GBU and guide all of us in our work of sharing the Gospel in universities.

by Domenico Campo, GBU Staff Worker in Sicily

Faith is harmful (?)

Tempo di lettura: 4 minuti
by Cristiano Meregaglia, GBU Staff worker

This article is a summary of a workshop that Cristiano himself offered to the students at our event Formazione GBU (ndr)

“Imagine there’s no heaven / It’s easy if you try / No hell below us / Above us only sky / Imagine all the people / Living for today… / Imagine there’s no countries / It isn’t hard to do / Nothing to kill or die for / And no religion too / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace…”

Lennon, John. Imagine

This is what John Lennon sang in 1971, hoping for a time when people could finally live just for today, without being oppressed by the thought of a heaven or hell awaiting them at the moment of death, and a world where there would be no nations and religions opposing one another, preventing peace that would otherwise be possible.

Of course, even more than 50 years later, these words and these hopes are still present and strong in the society we live in, suggesting that faith is not only rationally unsustainable but also morally harmful, and that, therefore, society would be much more functional if every religious root were to be uprooted from it. This idea has been explicitly supported by the main exponents of t

The “new” ateism

This idea has been explicitly supported by the main exponents of the so-called New Atheism movement, who, without mincing my words, have dedicated long pages to describing the great evils that religion has produced throughout history, from the Crusades to the Jihad, from religious wars to contemporary theocratic regimes, clearly highlighting how the solution for a better world seems to be precisely what the Beatles singer envisioned.

It is interesting to note, however, that although these authors are labeled as new atheists, the ideas they support are anything but new, as they are effectively derived from the reflections of past thinkers. Among these past thinkers, it is impossible to ignore Bertrand Russell, who, with his collection of essays compiled in the text Why I Am Not a Christian, represents, in fact, a normative reference for much of the literature produced within the New Atheism movement.

Religion: a disease to be eradicated

In one of those essays, titled “Has Religion Contributed to Civilization?”, Russell presents precisely those arguments that, decades later, Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, Odifreddi, Augias, and other contemporary intellectuals continue to propose to argue for the damage religion has caused. Specifically, Russell argues that religion is “a kind of disease, born out of fear and a source of unspeakable suffering for humanity,”, his point of  view relating to both the intellectual and moral spheres. On the one hand, the philosopher claims that religion hinders free thought and rational inquiry; on the other, by imposing a morality considered absolute and anchored to archaic concepts, it also creates the conflicts that are at the root of human unhappiness. Thus, he concludes the aforementioned essay writing:

“With the progress of knowledge and technology, universal happiness can be achieved; but the main obstacle to using them for this purpose is the teaching of religion. Religion prevents our children from receiving a rational education; religion prevents us from removing the fundamental causes of wars; religion prevents us from teaching the ethics of scientific cooperation instead of the old, aberrant doctrines of guilt and punishment. Humanity may be on the threshold of a golden age; but to cross it, we must first slay the dragon guarding the door: this dragon is religion.”

Russel, B. “Perché non sono cristiano”, Longanesi & C., Milano, 1960, p.24

Now, as biting as these criticisms may be, it is helpful to point out that it is legitimate, and perhaps even necessary, to agree with some of the claims made in the essay. It is undeniable that many people, claiming to be Christians (or of other religions), have indeed committed reprehensible acts throughout history, often abusing their social position provided to them by religion; and it is equally understandable to agree with the insistence on the need to reject an uncritical faith (one that is not aware of what it believes and why it believes it).

That being said, it is also necessary to point out that such criticisms are, in fact, open to strong counterarguments, which can be articulated along three lines of response.

1. The preaching of Christ and its impact on society

First of all, it is easy to demonstrate how the true Christianity, as embodied and preached by Jesus Christ himself, is radically different from other religions and, in many cases, from how Christians have portrayed it. True Christianity, in fact, far from being a source of violence, has at its root the persuasion through inner contrition rather than external coercion through the use of force. It is of no coincidence, therefore, that when Jesus, just hours before his death sentence, was in Gethsemane and Peter tried to defend him with weapons from his enemies, not only did he order his disciple to put away his sword, but he also healed the servant of the high priest who had been injured by that sword (Mt 26:51-52; Lk 22:51).

Furthermore, it is easy to show that true Christianity is not only not a cause of harm to society but that society as a whole has benefited from the influence of Christianity, which has created hospitals, the Red Cross, orphanages, universities… to the point that an atheist journalist wrote in The Times that in Africa, the contribution of evangelism to the progress of society has far exceeded that provided by any other organization, governmental or otherwise (M. Parris, The Times, 27.12.2008).

2. A society that wants to get rid of God

Secondly, it can just as easily be shown that a society in which God is removed opens the door to any violation and abuse by the powerful, precisely because it removes the premise that one must be accountable for his own actions before a just God. The 20th century is full of such examples, from Stalin’s Russia to Mao’s China, to Pol Pot’s Cambodia. Nobel laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, in this regard, stated that “if I were asked today to formulate as concisely as possible the main cause of the ruinous Revolution that swallowed up 60 million of our people, I could not put it more accurately than to say: men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened” (A. Solzhenitsyn, Templeton Prize Address, 1983).

3. Flawed argument

Finally, it can be pointed out that the very principles by which religion is criticized today are Christian principles, principles that would not exist without the cultural revolution brought about by Jesus and the subsequent Christianity. The freedom, equality, progress, and peace that seem to be questioned in society by religion are, in fact, nothing more than the product of Christianity, and we are so immersed in them that they are like the air we breathe (cf. G. Scrivener, The Air We Breathe, Introduction).

Partners wanted!

Tempo di lettura: 3 minuti

by Simon Cowell, GBU Staff worker in Bari

One of my favourite bible passages is Philippians 1.  The letter to the Philippians is rightly known as “the letter of joy” for the deep connection between the apostle Paul and this small church in the ancient Roman city of Philippi.  Having greeted the church, the first thing Paul writes is this:


I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.  I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:3-5

Did you notice the main reason for the apostle’s profound gratitude to God?  It’s their partnership in the gospel – this good work started in them by God, so that this church wouldn’t just be recipients of the gospel but active participants in it.  Sometimes we don’t think about how amazing this is: Paul, this giant of the early church, history’s first great missionary, the man chosen by God to take the gospel to the Gentiles – this man considered the partnership of this tiny, insignificant church to be immensely precious, and brought him great joy.  Why?

Partnership in the gospel

Paul knew that the work of the gospel is too big, too vast and important to be left to the “professionals” or “experts” (even those as able and gifted as the apostles!)  Proclaiming Jesus, and the eternal life to be found in him, is the main mission of the church – of the whole church, including that small community in Philippi.  This is a profound biblical truth: every Christian ministry is fundamentally collaborative.  In the case of Paul and the Philippians, it was Paul who criss-crossed the Mediterranean (multiple times!), preaching Christ and founding churches.  It was the Philippians who contributed in two vitally important ways: prayerful support, and financial support.

The importance of prayer

Referring to his imprisonment and his gospel “rivals”, Paul writes this to the Philippians: “I know that this will lead to my salvation through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ”.  Even though they weren’t physically with him, Paul explains the importance of their prayers in the midst of his difficulties – they are the only thing he mentions other than the help of the Holy Spirit!
Partnership in the gospel means praying; interceding with the Lord of Hosts to do what only He can do: transform hearts and minds to accept Christ Jesus and the eternal life that only he can offer.

The importance of giving

Still writing to the Philippians, Paul speaks various times of his joy in their financial partnership in the gospel:


“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me… no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone”

(4:10, 15)

Paul also emphasises that this financial partnership is not a matter of his needs, and certainly not of his greed.  Rather, he underlines the benefits that they receive as a result of their generosity:

“Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that is increasing to your account… and my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”

(4:17, 19)

All of this to say that giving to those who proclaim the gospel isn’t just a sacrifice, or even an investment, but a means but which God blesses even the giver.  When we give we are growing in spiritual fruitfulness; when we give, strangely, we receive from the divine riches.  No wonder the apostle was full of joy to see these precious brothers and sisters openly show the work of the Spirit in them!

The GBU, the gospel and you

Partnership in the gospel, therefore, is one of Paul’s main reasons for thankfulness and for joy.  And the mission of the GBU is that the proclamation of the same gospel of Jesus Christ might continue even today, in every Italian university – that we might in some way be sharing Jesus from student to student.  But just as Paul couldn’t and didn’t want to take on this project alone, so it is for us in the GBU. 

We’re looking for partners!  We’re looking for people who are going to strive in prayer together with us, who also want to see Jesus proclaimed and glorified in Italian universities, and who want to support this work financially.  If you’re not already our partner, or a member of the Associazione GBU, or a financial donor, then today’s the day to start this beautiful partnership – for the salvation of souls, for the growth of the Italian (and beyond!) church, and for our mutual building up in the faith.  To find out more, click the link below!

https://gbu.it/en/how-to-donate/

un-SATISFIED

Tempo di lettura: 3 minuti

Emanuele Berti tells us about his experience with the “Mission Week” that the GBU Florence group organized from March 11th to the 14th.

PREPARATION

Preparing for the week, for me, was a process that was as challenging as it was formative. It began several months ago and has proved to be an ongoing challenge. The choice of the theme and its development were particularly complex. Each time I found myself doubting the outcome, and I had difficulty figuring out what was an appropriate approach to engage students. Initially, I explored concepts such as victory and defeat, and the meaning of life, focusing on the reality of university students.

Later, under the Lord’s guidance, I oriented the theme toward dissatisfaction. In collaboration with other coordinators and staff, we looked for ways to address this topic with students. However, we opted for a direct approach with students through questions, which we often use in the GBU to initiate discussion. We also used a poster board, which summarized the concept of dissatisfaction through two key phrases: 

  1. “Human beings are often dissatisfied not because they want too much, but rather because they want too little.” By C.S. Lewis
  2. “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will thirst no more.” John 4:14

I have realized in this preparation how constantly revisiting and reworking ideas is a challenging and tiring process, but I have also realized how essential and necessary it is; not only in preparing for an evangelistic week!

THE WORK IS IN YOUR HANDS

We planned the evangelistic days with personal prayer during the mornings, and then devoting the afternoons to evangelism and interaction with the students. On the first day, we gathered for an analysis and study of the Gospel, exploring its meaning and how to convey it to the students. The enthusiasm and joy I felt during the first day of preparation was so intense that the next day I found myself in bed with fever, nausea and sore throat! I spent two days in bed.

Initially, I was sorry that I could not attend, but then I felt great joy in knowing that others were at the university, sharing the Word of Jesus with students. I realized that the Word and the Gospel are free, not imprisoned, and continue to spread, despite our limitations.

WE ARE STRONG ONLY IN THE LORD

On the last day, after much prayer, I was able to find the strength to get out of bed and reach the university, joining the others. Although I was still sick, voiceless, with some fever and tiredness, I experienced how the Lord works in our very weakness. The warmth of the sunshine and the encouraging conversations lifted my spirits. To attract people, we had decided to use a little door and a ball. At first, they did not arouse much interest, but once we figured out how to make use of them, the Lord acted in an extraordinary way. We proposed a game in which, in exchange for a prize (a candy), people had to answer a question. In addition to the main poster board, we displayed another one with the pattern of the two ways of living, represented by six pictures illustrating the gospel. It was surprising to note that almost all the people, at least a dozen, understood the meaning of the gospel on their own after I asked them to try to understand what the pictures meant. It was a real miracle, and some people even agreed to come to the Mark Drama.

SATISFIED

These days have made me realize even more that only the Lord Jesus can truly satisfy. We can find many religions, ideas and sources of entertainment, but only Jesus can reconcile us with God. He is the only righteous one, the only sinless one, the only one who can redeem us and give us eternal satisfaction, a satisfaction that knows no end. He is the water that quenches our thirst — forever! Through His mercy, God welcomes every student, whether they have been a lifelong blasphemer, an arrogant person or an atheist. If they repent and believe in Jesus, they can be reconciled and God awaits them with open arms, rejoicing for the lost sheep who has been found, for the one who had died and has come back to life.

Emanuele Berti, GBU Florence student

Our Inheritance

Tempo di lettura: 3 minuti

How easy it is to lose or squander an inheritance. If you type the words “squandered inheritance” into Google a series of stories come up, one sadder than another:

“Woman inherits a fortune, squanders it all and ends up living on the street.”

“My brother squandered my mother’s money and now he won’t even contribute to the funeral expenses.”

“She spent 92,000 euros a month. The squandered inheritance of Lisa Marie Presley – daughter of Elvis.”

This year at the Festa GBU we thought about the legacy of the disciple of Christ, of what awaits the believer in the future. For those who live by faith in Christ today, the best is to come. It is not here in the present, it is in the future; and the disciple simply has to look up to contemplate it. 

We studied 3 passages to meditate on this secure future: 1 Peter 1:3-5, Hebrews 12:1-3 and 2 Timothy 4:1-5.

The characteristics of this inheritance

Peter urged us to rejoice in the fact that we are a guarded people for a guarded inheritance, all because of the Lord’s great mercy. Three words are used to describe this inheritance: incorruptible, spotless and unchangeable.

Incorruptible – Isaiah describes our existence as covered by a veil – a veil that covers the face of all peoples (Isaiah 25:6). Death. Any organism living in this world today is subject to the corruption of death that consumes and defiles everything. Except the believer’s inheritance. It is incorruptible!

Spotless – blemishes, impurity, darkness. It is perfect in every sense; it is the definition of beauty and can never be infected by our sin. It is spotless.

Unalterable – it is protected from death, and protected from wickedness and is also protected from time. It is an inheritance that does not grow old. The woodworm, the moth cannot destroy it. The rust, the sun will have no effect on it.

An inheritance guarded in heaven by the Lord for a people guarded by the power of God – the power that created the sun, the stars, the black holes, the Himalayas, the Mariana Trench. The power that raised Jesus from the dead! That same power is functioning as a shield around the heirs to bring them to the end of their journey. Let us celebrate the certainty of our inheritance!

The gaze fixed on the champion!

Instead, the author of the letter to the Hebrews explains that God’s children are a people who persevere to the end by fixing their gaze on Jesus. They run with perseverance, convinced of the possibility of finishing the race, throwing off every distraction and destroying every sin that would like to deceive the heir. They persevere with their eyes on Christ, the model, the means and the medal of faith.

The model, the example of how to run with perseverance. Look at his courage: he did not give up. Observe his conviction, focused on the goal. Reflect on his submission to the Father’s will, and note the chronology of faith: suffering now, joy in the future, cross first, crown later.

The means, because of his running, because of his perseverance, the believer today can run in the race of faith, confident that the road is no longer blocked by his sin. He can go all the way to the presence of the Father, thanks to Jesus!

The medal is what awaits the athlete of faith at the end of his run. Jesus himself is the prize of faith; he is the inheritance. The believer does not run to win a gold medal, or a yellow shirt, or the shield, or the world cup. The believer will receive at the end of this race, a much, much more precious thing-Jesus himself, incorruptible, spotless and unchangeable! We win him and he wins us!

Passing the baton

Paul with his last words implores his son in the faith, Timothy, to pass on the message of inheritance to the next generation. The heir is sure of his inheritance, sure that he will make it to the end of the race through God’s power and through his perseverance, is called to preach the word of inheritance to his and the next generation. And he is called to do so with urgency, with patience and with suffering.

Discouragements, disappointments, frustrations, obstacles, attacks and opposition are part of the believer’s life. Shame in the present, glory in the future. Cross today, crown on that day. Suffering now, yet our inheritance is incorruptible, unblemished and unalterable at Christ’s return. This is the living hope of Christ’s disciple! God will bring us through faith to that day and so let us run with perseverance, eyes fixed on the prize, on Jesus, proclaiming the Word to all.

,

Faithfully fulfill your service

Tempo di lettura: 3 minuti

By Giovanni Donato, Staff GBU Siena

A new academic year has begun and, like every year, the GBU has organized  Formazione (Student Leaders Training Conference) –  which is attended by all those who will be student leaders for GBU. This year, I was asked to preach from the book of 2 Timothy, which I was honored and pleased to do!

2 Timothy is probably one of the most suitable texts for such a retreat, the purpose of which is to exhort, train, and challenge the GBU coordinators (student leaders). I say this because that is precisely what Paul wishes to do with Timothy in writing of this letter, and every exhortation, every rebuke, every challenge that Paul issues to the young leader Timothy is easily applicable to young student leaders who are about to begin a new academic year with enthusiasm, but not without concerns.

In our four days together we were able to consider and meditate on the entire letter, however below I would just like to highlight two main lessons from 2 Timothy:

The call to Christian leadership is a call to suffering

Several times in the four chapters that make up 2 Timothy, Paul mentions the word suffering; he encourages the young leader to be ready to suffer for the sake of the gospel (1:8) and to patiently endure the suffering he will encounter in ministry (2:3, 4:5). Paul reminds Timothy that he too is suffering unashamedly for the sake of the gospel (1:12, 2:9), that he is also patiently enduring suffering for the sake of the elect (2:10), that his entire ministry has been marked by suffering (3:11); he informs him of the fact that he has been abandoned by all those who had been close to him up to that point (1:15, 4:9-10, 4:16) and how he had been violently attacked by someone whom he had until recently considered his friend (4:14-15). He makes it clear to Timothy that all who choose to be serious about God (“living piously”) will necessarily face persecution (3:12). Wow, put like that the call to leadership does not sound very inviting… However, Paul in this letter is not only saying that the call to leadership is only a call to suffering (thank God!), but it is also a glorious call!

The call to Christian leadership is a glorious call

In his letter, Paul repeatedly emphasizes the importance, honor, and even beauty of serving God. He reminds Timothy that the holy call to serve the King of kings is not received because of good conduct, but solely because of the glorious grace of God (1:9) that has been manifested to the world through the appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ (1:10). He explains to him that such a glorious calling is worth suffering (1:12) and that God is the one who will uphold us by his power (1:8) and guard us carefully until the day when we can lay down our arms (1:12). He exhorts young Timothy to invest time and energy into people who would one day take his place so that the flame of the gospel could continue to stay burning and be passed on throughout the unfolding of history (2:2); he urges him to watch over, care for and protect the body of Christ (2:14, 3:1-9), watching over it with love, humility, patience and consistency (2:15-16, 2:22-25). He called on him to preach God’s inspired Word faithfully and passionately (4:2), to use the gifts God had given him (1:6), and to faithfully fulfill the service the Lord had entrusted to him (4:5) because at the end of this great adventure, entry into God’s heavenly kingdom (4:18a) and the crown of righteousness that the Lord, the righteous judge, would award to all those who joyfully awaited Jesus’ return (4:8)

Through the study of this letter we were able to do what Paul desired to do with Timothy through the writing of this letter: to exhort young Christian leaders to faithfully serve the Lord, not to be surprised or upset when they encounter suffering in their journey, and to always remember that the holy call to serve King Jesus is a glorious call that has been given to us by the grace of God and for which it is worth even suffering and dying, waiting for the day when we will meet him in glory.

Happy New Year and happy service to all GBU coordinators and to all those in the body of Christ who hold leadership and responsibility!

,

A JOY THAT SPRINGS FORTH EVEN IN SUFFERING

Tempo di lettura: 2 minuti
Elena Montaldo, coordinator of GBU Torino 

As someone who studies Primary Education (ed: education = training), the word “training,” has a special value.

Its meaning is not summed up in the systematic transmission of knowledge, but indicates a desire to render someone competent. In other words, they are able to rework and apply that same knowledge that they learnt in the context of reality. This is possible only if there is a social network that provides those being trained, stimuli to which they can respond.

Student Leaders Training

This year’s Student Leaders Training meant all of the above to me and even more. It was  more than a context where students from all over Italy gathered for three days in Florence to listen to teaching, study the Bible together and participate in various  seminars. Here I even had the opportunity to lead an inductive Bible study, a prayer meeting, as well as planninng events and meetings for the new GBU students and to share GBU with university students in Florence itself.   

For the first time as a coordinator, after years of participation in the GBU, I felt that I was an irreplaceable part of a project that has Love as its engine and People’s Lives as its goal.

The theme

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul speaks as a father who, shortly before his death, addresses his son. The very one who had been the author of massacres, violence and persecution of Christians, after meeting Jesus, finds himself writing in prison, abandoned by all and condemned to death because of his faith in Him. 

An absurd decision in the eyes of many, but not to his own who saw joy flowing from his suffering. With his life, until his last breath, Paul had in fact led many souls to receive the salvation that comes from faith in the One who first gave His life and rose again to give them Life forever.

Reading and studying his words together with other students who, like me, received that same news and chose to believe and live for this same reality – I felt like the recipient,  together with Timothy, of that same letter. 

Let’s start again

During our Student Leaders Training we coordinators were confronted with an example of faith that laid bare our fears, insecurities and worries that anyone, in living to the fullest an ideal that goes against the grain, faces sooner or later, and then removed them. Together we understood the deep meaning of the ministry we believe has been entrusted to each of us Christian students within the GBU.

I realized how much courage and strength it can take to consistently maintain this life choice. At the same time, I realized even more deeply how worthwhile it is to live it out fully so that more and more people will know the Love and grace that the God of the Bible has shown, through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus, in order to have a personal relationship with each of them.

Now we are ready to begin again, each where he or she lives in Italy. This time, however, with the knowledge that everything we do in our own small way has a common goal and a joy that springs even in suffering.