A stranger in His own crib...

My trip with Fr Lens' people to Ramanthapur was an interesting one! For one, I wasn't sure of the road leading to Birla Mandir and once there, I wasn't sure of the one to Ramanthapur. Anyhow, made it with some help and direction from Shekar, who was driving the other vehicle.

But the best to happen was at Ramanthapur. The boys had just concluded a solemn celebration and were relaxing. I was walking around saying hello and hi to a few along the way. Then I saw the crib in the playground. As I reached closer, I was a bit shocked: within the crib were three boys - had another decided to join them, that would have surely been the end of the crib!!! Anyhow, what startled me was not that boys were in the crib but that they were fighting in there!! On reaching near, I watched silently. Very soon one of the senior boys arrived and got the three boys down from the crib. One of those inside was busy tying the knot on a balloon which he had just taken from the ceiling of the crib. The senior questioned why did he take the balloon from the crib. The boy answered, "Mine broke, so I took this!" A short argument ensued as to did he get the permission of Fr to take the balloon. Anyhow, soon all the boys were lost in the big playground.

There I was left alone watching the crib. And I said to myself and to the baby Jesus therein: For sometime both You and I did the same thing - just stood and watched!

Here were three boys INSIDE the crib! (Must have been the magi/three kings in their previous birth!) What mattered to them most at that moment was the balloon hanging idly there. For the senior boy what mattered was that the younger fellows don't break the discipline of the house. And here I was, thinking whether what mattered most was truly Jesus? Him, the Saviour? Well, He surely didn't have anything to say to these three boys who almost brought down the crib with them.

Perhaps this is what Jesus does in this world. We live in a world not created by us, we take and break things not belonging to us, we squabble and argue over things we never own. Yet the One who really made, owns and keeps in order is silent - silently watching the whole drama! We enter His house and fight among ourselves over things that are truly His! And He listens... and listens!