When Hope and Love Should Rule our World

Music Artists for Peace in studio to record ‘Tuishi Pamoja’ (Swahili for ‘we want to live together’) song track. Photo used with permission by Africa Faith and Justice Network.

by Melody Maravillas, Congregation Chief Financial Officer

During a museum trip, I chanced upon a lithograph by George Biddle. Fire appears to rain down on a perverted world, where greens and blues depict decay instead of life. The scene is so irrational that it is difficult to make any sense of it. A woman sits on top of a braying donkey as Father Time is goaded on by a pig riding on his back. Predatory dinosaur skeletons loom over an emaciated white horseman struggling to spread light amid the chaos. People cower underground in fear, some of whom have died waiting for a savior. The art evokes confusion and despair. Biddle’s work is titled Si Regnent Saeculum Nostrum Ignorantia Timor Odiumque (If Ignorance, Fear, and Hate Should Rule Our World).

What would our world look like if we flipped the script?

In his message for the 2025 World Day of Peace, Pope Francis said, “Hope overflows in generosity; it is free of calculation, makes no hidden demands, is unconcerned with gain, but aims at one thing alone: to raise up those who have fallen, to heal hearts that are broken and to set us free from every kind of bondage.” Building the world we want begins with hope. With hope, our hearts open to inspiration that leads to action.

Such an inspiration arrived during a gathering organized by Francesco Collaborative for faith-based investors. For two days, we were immersed in prayer, discourse, and even dreaming. What change is possible when our finances reflect our faith? I found myself in a conversation about the Jubilee year and Pope Francis’ appeal, once more, to cancel the debt of developing nations. Freedom from debt addresses global inequities and restores balance. With autonomy over their finances, developing countries have the opportunity to invest in their societies and improve their condition. Doesn’t the Pope’s call apply to us as well?

In the spirit of the Jubilee, CSJP’s Impact Investing Committee selected to forgive its oldest investment, a loan made to Mercy Community Capital (MCC) almost 30 years ago. MCC provides low-cost capital for projects that strengthen communities. Their affordable housing developments benefit low-income families, seniors, farm workers, and people with special needs. Forgiving this loan releases the funds for other good works of MCC. In their acknowledgment, Stefanie Joy (President of MCC) wrote, “Your donation will allow Mercy Community Capital to continue to work to create a more humane world where poverty is alleviated, communities are healthy, and all people can develop their full potential.”

The wonderful thing about hope is that you don’t need much. All you need is a glimmer, a sliver, or a spark to make an impact that spreads to others.

For many of our dialogues with large corporations, we own less than 0.1% of their outstanding stock. With that small opening, we can engage in their human rights and environmental policies. We educate and advocate, pointing out areas in their operation that might be perpetuating harm to the earth, children, indigenous people, and other vulnerable communities. Despite our current societal challenges, there are corporations that are willing to implement change. We use these small wins to encourage others to follow suit.

The charities we support are remarkable at stretching a dollar or pound. Several grants made by CSJP have funded programs that tap into the healing power of music. The Hope Bridge program by Collateral Repair Project has helped youth refugees in Jordan recover from trauma and find means of expression. Another program by Africa Faith and Justice Network produced a multilingual song that is being used to spread peace and unity among the diverse ethnic groups in Congo.

In his final Easter message, Pope Francis urged us to continue to hope, "That hope is not an evasion, but a challenge; it does not delude, but empowers us." When we allow ourselves to envision a life-giving world, we can take steps to get there. In such a world, we celebrate each other’s differences. Children grow up healthy and enjoy the presence of their elders. Families are able to remain in the lands where their ancestors dwelled. Creation thrives. This is what I imagine when Love should rule our world.

This article appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of Living Peace.