Man of mercy

We can all change for the better

For years I have been amazed by the unexpected changes in some people and, lately, it happens more and more often. Months ago, on the occasion of the inauguration of a beautiful little park in a town in the province of Varese, a gentleman had the unhealthy idea of using that moment to show off his membership of a famous Italian political party, setting up a gazebo adorned with various flags bearing the logo. The party appeared to be the organizer of the event, which in truth had been wanted and managed by a group of volunteers far removed from the vulgar politics of that symbol. That man had appropriated something that neither he nor his superiors had contributed to creating and not only that, he had started offering a coffee to all the participants with the clear intention of "buying" their favors. Many people immediately underlined the gravity of that gesture, but others instead complimented the gentleman and his party. In summary, the politics of the absurd had once again won over the naivety of many citizens.

Knowing well the history of that little paradise, built to involve people with praiseworthy activities such as collective gardens or local markets, and knowing very well who the authors of this gift were, I felt obliged to protect their work. Perhaps mistakenly, but without premeditation, I approached him with the desire to explain that that gesture could have been avoided, and that it would have been better to dismantle everything before someone chose much less diplomatic paths than mine. I didn't mean to threaten him, and I wasn't that "someone" either, but perhaps the phrase had reached him with that meaning. In fact, he reacted angrily; insulting me and loudly declaring his disgust towards me. For him I was a useless journalist, a servant of power, one of those who can be bought with a little money and also the result of corrupt politics.

Aside from the fact that the qualification of journalist is not part of my CV, the rest of the insults caught me unprepared and (alas!) my reaction was not so kind. The next few hours were very tense; partly because of the sense of guilt that has gripped me for years every time I do something that conflicts with the peace choices that I want to carry forward, and partly because of the threatening looks and continuous attacks that the gentleman continued to throw at me for days both on the street and on social media. And while my anger towards him waned, his continued to grow week after week.

This is why I would never have thought about what happened next. Once the storm passed, I met that man on various occasions and his gaze on me was no longer the accusatory one of the previous months. One day he was repainting the doors of the church, another the walls of the oratory, yet another he was cleaning the long road that led from his house to the center of the town. Sometimes I even noticed him peeking behind a hedge while volunteers were maintaining the bus shelters, and then I saw him join them. And he also did it during the usual activity of collecting cigarette butts from the roadsides and for the construction of the Christmas Village. The political activist I had known as an opportunist and angry was turning into a different man and the inadequacy he had shown in the past had vanished. Indeed, he had changed into voluntary actions.

I can't know if his change is the result of something in particular, the only thing I can be sure of is that there has been a change; in attitudes, actions, but mainly in gaze. One day he approached me kindly, it seemed like he had something very important to tell me. He wanted to apologize for what he had done and what he had told me. I pointed out that it wasn't necessary and that his words had moved me.

Each of us can make mistakes, I for one am constantly making mistakes, but I believe that those who humbly manage to recognize it, to apologize, to seek forgiveness in their own conscience, are far ahead on the path towards discovering the true meaning of life. I can only say THANK YOU to that gentleman, today he is a true man of mercy.

Max Laudadio

NP Gennaio 2024