Klaus Hart Brasilientexte

However, when plumbing the dark passages of the interior life, guided by faith and/or meditation, we trip particularly on emotions which betray our reason: we are offensive with those we love, rude with those who treat us kindly, selfish with those who are generous with us, overbearing with those who welcome us with thoughtful gratuitousness.

If we manage to go deeper, beyond egotistical reasoning and possessive feelings, we get closer to the source of happiness which is hidden behind the ego. As we travel the deep pathways which guide us towards it, moments of joy are consubstantial with the spiritual state, as in love.

Happy New-Year is, therefore, a wish for spiritual emulation. Of course, many other achievements can give us pleasure and joyful sensations of victory. But they are not enough to make us happy. It would be better to have a world without poverty, inequality, environmental degradation or corrupt politicians!

The unhappy reality which surrounds us and for which we are responsible either by option or omission, becomes a loud appeal for us to get involved in the search for ”another possible world. However, it still will not be a Happy New-Year.

The year will be new if, within us and amongst us, we were to overcome the old. The old is all that which no longer contributes towards making happiness a right for all. In light of a new civilization framework one must overcome the productivity-consumerist model and introduce, in place of the Gross National Product (GNP), the Happiness National Product (HNP), based on an economy of solidarity.

If the new becomes advent in our spiritual life, then we will certainly have, without miracles or magic, a Happy New-Year, even though the world remains in conflict, cruelty is transformed into sweet principles and hatred disguised in loving discourse.

The difference is that we will be aware that, in order to have a Happy New-Year, it is necessary to embrace a resurrection process: become pregnant with ourselves, turn ourselves inside out and leave pessimism for later.

*Frei Betto is a writer and advisor to social movements, author of ”Um homem chamado Jesus (A Man called Jesus “ a novel) (Rocco).

Copyright 2010 by Frei Betto – Without prior authorization, the reproduction of this article is forbidden by either electronic or printed means. Contact: MHP “ Literary Agents (E-mail: mhpal@terra.com.br)
ABOUT THE AUTOR

He is a Brazilian Dominican with an international reputation as a liberation theologian.

Within Brazil he is equally famous as a writer, with over 52 books to his name. In 1985 he won Brazil™s most important literary prize, the Jabuti, and was elected Intellectual of the Year by the members of the Brazilian Writers™ Union.

Frei Betto has always been active in Brazilian social movements, and has been an adviser to the Church™s ministry to workers in Sáo Paulo™s industrial belt, to the Church base communities, and to the Landless Rural Workers™ Movement (MST).

In 2003-2004, he was Special Adviser to President Lula and Coordinator of Social Mobilisation for the Brazilian Government™s Zero Hunger programme.

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