Perspective of God, from God's side

This morning during our common discussion, Palli made a very profound intervention.  Though very many were up in arms against him for that statement, without actually giving it a thought, they actually proved him right - even in their criticism of him! 

What he pointed out to us all was that we Catholics often project ourselves out of the world and speak of ourselves as if there is the world outside of me and then there is me (or us).  

While elaborating that point he made another distinct point which went unnoticed.  It was about our perspective of God or even that of Jesus.  We hold onto that perspective, most often what is commonly preached in the church, and refuse to see that perhaps sometimes even God himself may not be happy with that imagery we have of him.  

To drive home the point Palli stated that Jesus said, whatever you do to the least of your brethren you do it for me... he never said, do it to your brethren because you love me.  This reference to the Scriptural quote was to drive home the point that God does not wait for us to do good out of love for him. The very fact that we do some good to those in need is already done for God - even if we do not have that intention of attributing or sourcing it from God. 

While trying to get my head around his passionate appeal, I was reminded of Richard Rorty's book Philosophy and the Mirror of nature.  Remembering a philosophical title after long!!!

Youth group

How do I offer the young a cause to work for? 

But, do I actually have to? Because they are more attuned to the reality of the world than I. 

Perhaps it is more of learning from them. More of accompanying them. Standing by their side. At the most, offering them guidance (based on my experience and age), some direction, at times perhaps boost their morale, helping them stay focused... 

The first question stems from our insistence in the province, on forming youth groups... which I feel, in itself is good, but useless. The formation of the group is useless if not accompanied or preceded by the question: Why form the group? What for? And if it is a group activity, all the members of the group will naturally vibe with that ‘why’, unless imposed by someone outside.

Tying our own feet...

More than ever, I've come to realise that the more we invest in infrastructure, the more we are tying down our own selves, especially in terms of our apostolate. With our ever increasing craze to build structures, even with already built buildings lying idle or under utilised, we tend to push for newer buildings. 

The skewed logic being: We needed the space, so we built. But over the years, the numbers are constantly dwindling and in quite a few places we hardly have any resident students or boarders. And since the building is there, we feel the need to fill it up with children. Even if the need isn't that or has totally changed.  So the reason for staying behind and doing the same work as before is that there is the building!!  

I'm reminded of an incident in Hollywood which struck me very deeply...Ward Kimball was an animator for the Walt Disney Studios in the 1930’s. He was on the team for the first full-length animated feature by the Disney studio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

He spent 240 days working on a single four-and-a-half-minute scene. In that scene, the dwarfs were cooking a meal for Snow White, and he covered every detail. When the time came, to review the film, Walt Disney personally reviewed the scene and commented: “That scene is hilarious. It’s terrific.” 

Then, he added, “But, I think it interrupts the flow of the movie so we need to cut it out!” 

So off went that scene - 240 days of immense work, scrapped in order to preserve and enhance, the greatness of the film! 

I wish we had that courage and vision of Ward Kimball to be able to see the greater picture and adapt accordingly, however painful it may be. 

I managed to get a clip of the same production... 

Religious apostolate

As religious our apostolate is taking up tasks that need to be done, and there’s no one doing it. We undertake works that are urgent and necessary but none willing to do. Doing what everyone is doing, especially if they are doing it better than us, is no charism. That’s the corporate mode or race. Not a religious commitment. 

Secondly taking up something new is not for the sake of ‘doing something new’ but because there is a felt need and our apostolate is a response to that need. 

Contextualising this for us Salesians I ask myself: As SDBs what is the need that is demanding our intervention, especially in the youth sphere? 

Whatever the need I could think of (work for migrants, those addicted to drugs or social media, those struggling with mental health issues, young couples...), it struck me that our response necessarily does not mean starting something totally new. It mostly implies transforming existing modes of apostolate into something relevant. Perhaps it is easier to start something new, rather than adapt obsolete traditions and works to something relevant for the day and today’s need.

 

Marriage isn't for everyone

An interesting translation of Mathew 9: 11-12

But Jesus said, “Not everyone is mature enough to live a married life. It requires a certain aptitude and grace. Marriage isn’t for everyone. Some, from birth seemingly, never give marriage a thought. Others never get asked—or accepted. And some decide not to get married for kingdom reasons. But if you’re capable of growing into the largeness of marriage, do it.”

I think this edition of the text is much much more mature and sensible, than the one's I always have heard.  The translations I have heard so far are always used to exalt the 'supremacy' of priestly and religious life - something I have always condemned. 

No vocation is greater or lessor.  Only our response to it! 

 

Too much money

In 1871 Don Bosco sent professor Don Paolo Albera, who was later to become his second successor, to found the Morassi house in Genoa. 

Don Albera had accepted a few gifts of money from friends and acquaintances because he knew he would need funds to set up the new house. Before he departure, Don Bosco asked him if he needed anything. 

"No, thank you, Don Bosco! I already have five hundred lire." (500 lire then would be approximately INR 35 today!)

"But that is too much money," protested Don Bosco. "You will find Providence in Genoa as well as in Turin." 

The saint took a few lire from a drawer, handed them to Don Albera and took the five hundred lire bill. 

When this became known, everyone laughed, and Don Bosco chuckled: "It would be an insult to Providence to put away a fund for future needs." 

Such was Don Bosco's trust in Divine Providence.  While he struggled for funds all his life, even as a boy, he never doubted the maxim 'God provides', no matter how big or small his initiatives were. I think a major source of this confidence comes from the realisation that all he did was actually God's work, not his! 

When Don Bosco was being photographed (photography a rare novelty then) he chose to be photographed hearing confessions; and the boy making his confession is young Paul Albera.

Inverse of values and roles

I’m beginning to notice a very strange but sure trend in movies. A growing subtle shift in preferences of negative personalities over persons with honest and value-based priorities is quite disheartening. The worst is that we very unconsciously side by the former, even to the extent of going against the latter (leave alone, mere preference for the former). So one finds oneself rooting and exalting for the hero who is actually doing evil; and the honest civilian or police officer or forest guard becomes the villain. A typical example of this is the ongoing blockbuster telugu movie Pushpa. 

In the movie Pushpa, a sandalwood smuggler is the hero and the forest guard (even though equally egoistical) is the villain. When I watched part one of this movie, I never felt anything odd. It is only when I watched part two of the same (which wasn’t as well made as the previous one) did it suddenly strike me that the whole movie is an exaltation of a smuggler!

Another blockbuster, Salaar, again is of a mercenary! The other recently successful movie, Lucky Bhaskar, is of a bank employee who scams the public fund. Each of these movies shows intelligent men successfully get away with illegal activities and are blatantly portrayed as ‘success stories’.

Salesian Youth Movement (SYM)

Salesian Youth Movement (SYM) is an apt name. And I think we Salesians should not lose sight of the meaning of this very name... a movement. Not an event, a mere celebration or an achievement. But a movement. A process. 

The greatest challenge we face is to regularly ask ourselves (and subsequently, the youth) as to what is the PURPOSE of this movement. Without a clarity and consensus about this purpose and goal, our youth groups, fests, gatherings and other such events are scattered mount Tabor experiences – leading to a good and nice feeling at the moment, but of no real use in the long run. 

The greatest risk is that we make our youth dumb and superficial. By nature, the youth are a dynamite; but if they are not challenged well beyond their capacity, they become hollow and settle for the least of standards and capacities.

Spread the good

 One of my favourite anecdotes: 

There once was a farmer who grew award-winning ‘corn’ (maize). Each year he entered his corn in the fair-competition conducted at the state-level, where it won a prize. 

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him. Among the many great practices that this farmer had adopted, the reporter also learned something highly interesting about how this farmer grew corn… … and which made him to win a prize every year. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn… his best variety seed… with his neighbouring farmers! 

“How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are also entering into competition with you?” enquired the bewildered reporter. “Why sir,” replied back the farmer, “didn’t you know one of the important realities of life? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. 

If my neighbours grow inferior variety of corn, the cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn as well. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn. 

This is the reality of life that I have realized: In order to get the best out of life, I need to give my best to the other!”

Cancelling a wrong call

 The other day I received a call and before I could answer it, the call got cut. Within a couple of minutes my phone rang. It was the same number that had called earlier. This time it rang long enough and when I answered it, the person at the other end politely apologised and said it was a wrong call!!! He had called the second time to say to me that the first call was a wrong call!! 

This incident reminded me of an incident while at Karunapuram. Nagothu Balakishore was appointed the bell ringer for that month.  One morning when he rang the rising bell I, as the assistant, realised that he had rang the bell one hour early (instead of 5.45 am, he had rang the electric bell at 4.45 am). By the time I realised that he had mistaken the time, nearly half of those who had woken up were already in the wash area brushing their teeth.  They had now clue that it was only 4.45 am.  I met a very confused Kishore near the bell, who was surrounded by a few of his companions, some not so happy!! Anyway, as I made a round of the wash areas informing the brothers that there was a mistake and that they could get back to bed for another hour, I suddenly heard the bell ring again!! 

When I rushed to the bell switch I see Kishore ringing the bell again. Shocked, I asked him why the second bell. He sheepishly replied, "To cancel the first bell."  Now those who had not woken up at the first wrong bell were also awake!!