By Mike Murray
Mike Murray, a member of Focolare North America’s grassroots ‘Call to Action’ initiative, shared the following reflection on how one simple question led to an unexpected journey of dialogue and friendship across the divides of the Middle East.
Call to Action brings together members of the Focolare Movement who feel especially called to seek practical ways to respond to what Pope Francis often called “the cry of humanity”—the suffering caused by war, injustice, loneliness, and division. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by the world’s conflicts, participants look for opportunities to build relationships that foster understanding and hope.
That spirit led to an unexpected encounter during an international Focolare gathering I attended in Rome. Amid news of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, I felt compelled—as a U.S. participant at the meeting—to reach out to participants from Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and neighboring countries with a simple invitation: Could we meet?
Their response was one of surprise.
“Why?”
My answer was equally simple:
“I would like to know how you are doing.”
Despite a busy five-day schedule, seven of us eventually gathered over lunch. The conversation began with genuine concern—Are you safe? How are your families?—and soon grew into a more personal exchange about living amid conflict, loss, resilience, and hope. What began as a conversation among strangers quickly became an encounter among friends.
Together, we recognized a shared desire to continue the dialogue and to invite others into it. Participants from the Middle East expressed interest in engaging with people in North America to explore how we each experience conflicts and help each other to respond in positive ways. Before leaving Rome, we agreed to establish planning teams in North America and the Middle East to develop a larger gathering rooted in mutual listening and authentic dialogue.
A few weeks later, that commitment took its first concrete step as five members of the Call to Action team met online with seven Focolare members from the Middle East to build our relationships, establish planning teams and shape the next phase of this shared journey.
The future of this initiative is still unfolding. Yet it already offers a powerful reminder: peace often begins not with grand strategies, but with the willingness to stop, ask someone how they are, and truly listen