There are times when it is helpful to look back and imagine how things would have turned if individuals with the freedom to choose their destinies chose otherwise than what we already know from our history. What if the six Brothers assigned to the Far East had cold feet and reconsidered? What if the Brother Superior discerned otherwise and changed their missionary assignment? What if those tasked with a critical mission turn their backs because they lack the audacity to embrace the challenge?
It is difficult to second guess what was in the minds and hearts of these pioneers when their boats set sail from Antwerp with the mission to lay the Lasallian Foundation in East Asia 170 years ago. What is certain is that the tiny spark that has since become a living Lasallian flame would not have been kindled, and this part of the globe would have been a little less brilliant.
Even today, we recognize the urgency of responding to so many emerging educational needs in our world and the ever-complex problems of intergenerational poverty and ignorance. The legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle and our vibrant Lasallian tradition have engaged in intercultural and interfaith dialogues in Asia through the decades. The Lasallian spirit of faith and zeal has taken root in Asia's fertile soil and grown into a sturdy tree. Let us celebrate the past with a fresh resolve to recreate our future.
It is our turn today to be the change we want to see. Let us nudge the dream within to sail on and conquer the deep; for while it is safer to stay closer to shore, boats were built to ride the waves.
Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC
