Narvik: I was there!

Situated in the arctic landscape of Norther Norway, the location is perfect. The town is surrounded by astonishing nature, mountains and fjords, something that characterizes… bla, bla, bla and more brochure bla, bla…

For me, Narvik is a small cozy town with more history than inhabitants, a very lovely place to visit, everything is in a fair walk distance but especially the mountains are very near, for ski lovers this is probably a dream town.

Between the beautiful mountains and the shores of the fjord, the landscapes constitute an unforgettable panorama, totally worth to see. For many of us just knowing that to be in Narvik means crossing the Polar Circle latitude line was already an attractive idea that rendered the whole trip more fun.

We were students from many places of the world, studying in many universities and colleges in Norway, gathered to celebrate the National Assembly of the International Student Union. The host branch made a fantastic job from the beginning to the end; it seems that the passion and charismas of the internationals together with the Narvik style of hospitality is a very effective combination.

Being in the northern part of Scandinavia also means the possibility of seeing the natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights or Polar Lights. Our eyes to the sky were raised many times by all of us during the nights. One of us claimed, and still assures, that we saw it, a weak one, but one!! For the few of us who got that “lucky” chance, is up to each one to try to see “another” or to erase that item from the to-do list.

A lot of non-peaceful situations had happen in Narvik throughout time, when moving around the town is impossible to not get immerge in those pieces of history. Is a little city were people have a hard-working tradition, enough things and facts to be proud of and few offers for night life activities, and of course the fun is your own responsibility. Is a kebab-free town (at least for what we could see) in which, with the excellent guide of the “internationals-locals” can become a terrific city to experience and have exciting adventures.

Also published in:

http://www.mybestjourneys.com/story/2009-11-06/narvik-i-was-there

Manifesto of my Believes and Spirituality. Life reflections of a Theist.

First I must say that I am just finishing the first quarter of my life, so the deep of these reflections are limited to what the time and life has given me and is what I have until now.

I was born in a Catholic family, the costume is that the parents baptize you during the first 2 years of age to keep the traditional rituals of Catholic Church membership, whereas it is done for faith or social pressure/costume is a very thin line to state, that I will not discuss here. I was not only born but also raised inside the Catholic womb, I did all my basic education in a Catholic private school run by (and many times for) nuns. Outside those 2 imposed appendixes pushed into my life, I also have what is the brightest aspect of Catholicism in my life: the Focolare movement. It also came through my family, but moreover it was my own decision to keep being part of it.

I am very grateful of being born Christian and also Catholic; I thank God for all that has happen in my life, for the full development and construction of my whole being until now.

I have such an excellent parents and broad family, who have teach me, more with acts than with words, some concrete family values that are now part of my integral and spiritual being. The friends I have and have had are also excellent (the standpoint of they meeting me or I meeting them is irrelevant) I have manage to learn from the many experiences with them or through them and incorporate all that builds up.

The most important thing that I have learnt from the years of my life attending the catholic school and church, I can summarize it in: the importance of living what you are preaching.

Via strong experiences and symbolic examples I understood that True Christianity does not require especial clothes, rituals, structures, hierarchies or churches. Perhaps, like any other Spirituality, what it requires is meanings, actions, integral commitment and the radicality of applying it to one´s life and create a life-style full of it.

In that sense, that is why the Focolare movement spirituality became such a bright spot on my life line. This movement push one to seriously consider a life-style that overcomes the rancid borders of the churches, a life-style that is based on a real call for human unity and fraternity, all and each one in their own faiths, believes and convictions, but united by the unquestionable truth of a God that loves humanity with all our differences and diversity. There, one can see not just the inutility of conflicts and fights among the various beliefs and faiths, but it becomes obvious that the goal of the human kind is to be happy and God´s goal is that we reach that. And the easiest and more concrete way is through our brothers and sisters, all in unity, is a collective action. (I agree that there are also other ways, but I found this to be the more efficient)

So, from my experiences, reflections and meditations I feel every day closer to God. I am decisively and convinced of sticking with these ideas and answering to this life-style in its radicality, rejecting structural, hierarchical and misleading ideas, concepts and interpretations of the churches and appreciating a one loving God spirituality with the Christian faith in the base of my life-style.

To be more clear, I am Theist, I believe in God, without doubts, I do understand others believes, faiths and convictions from which I can encourage them to live it fully, but I decide to follow another line.

I personally don´t see the point of referring to God by name, any name (whereas is an Arab name, Hebrew name, Chinese, modern or ancient name). There is no gain on giving God a face (gender, ethnic and skin color included). There is no point on structuring which is “the way” or “how to” contact God of communicate with God or “be” with God. And definitely there is no relevance on sub-dividing or sharing God´s power or Divinity (whereas is with other gods, or other bodies like the Son and the holy spirit, or with other figures like Mary, the saints or the angels) Is not that they existed or not; or that they are fair life-style examples of relevance to anyone or not, is just that if you have God, and a way to get connected with God (like through the brothers and sisters) why would you need to refer, claim, ask or need someone or something else? I do not see why and further more I do not feel I need more.

I am sure and confident that God will keep guiding my way to happiness while I keep running in this everyday-challenge of searching God in every moment.