God's inadequacies

 Watching the movie, Karuppu, reiterated even God's inadequacies in the face of human free will.  In a fantasy world, God can play the 'God mode' and 'set right' all things! But in reality, even God is limited! The movie attempts to 'liberate' God and assist him work 'outside the God-mode'. It even throws an open challenge to God to work in and as the human mould.  So far so good! 

However, the rest of the movie takes recourse to a fantasy, without making any serious effort at addressing an evil plaguing our Indian judicial system. The closest the movie comes to making a possible response or proposing a way forward, through the maze of the judiciary is citing fear.  Fear among the people, especially those directly involved in judicial matters: lawyers, judges, court staff... Fear primarily of the Divine.  But, that is a very lame attempt.  

For if those involved in the court process were God-fearing, the whole system would have never got corrupted in the first place.  And if everyone was so obedient to God, the courts would be redundant! 

In comparison to this movie, the other recent movie of Surya titled Jai Bhim is a much more powerful and sensible one. 

Nonetheless, the movie is a rather good trigger for discussion in a Theodicy class.  God is omnipotent, and almighty, all powerful; but before the human free will, God makes himself and is 'limited'. 

Travesty of Justice

To take my mind off the hundred and one things that were literally eating my brain, I watched the Tamil movie Karuppu, yesterday. Wrong choice!! It only added fuel and angst to my already preoccupied mind.

The movie is centred around the Indian judiciary system, or rather the inbuilt corruption and red tape that cripples the system so badly that while apparently everything is as per the process, the results are totally skewed and wrong.  The process itself, is so prolonged that even when justice is served, the intermediary costs are exorbitant.  The movie clearly indicates that even if God himself were to follow the legal procedure, he/she would be unable to do anything differently!  

Having to undergo the same judicial trials of matters concerning various issues of the communities, in the last four years, I could very much vibe with the sentiments of the victims, as I watched the movie.  The only difference being, the dozen cases that I'm involved in aren't anything serious or life-altering for me personally or for the community that I'm representing.  But that is not the case for most people approaching the courts for justice.  Their needs and demands are far, far, far more pressing, basic and absolutely human.  A decision - if at all, one arrives at it - is enough to break a family, shatter dreams, plans and even alter the lives of individuals and families irrevocably. Besides the corruption underlying the whole system, the duration these court cases take is perhaps the most agonising and traumatic aspect. 

During my 5 year tenure so far, there is only one case that has seen us walk out of the court for good. Only one.  That too after 17 long years! Presently there are 11 ongoing issues, with 9 of them being initiated within the last 5 years!  

The part and the whole

 What if one confrere constantly gets his various parts repaired!  He is regularly getting some part or the other of his body treated. Sometime it is his eyes that need check up.  Other times there are multiple operations to cure his hearing.  Then there are visits to the dentist.  Not to count the number of hospitalisations for various other reasons. 

By itself, it sounds odd. But what is more annoying to me is that the person himself is doing no good.  As a whole he is not involved or actively contributing to anything anywhere.  So I'm wondering what is he getting himself repaired for?  

Or perhaps I'm getting paranoid or manic about the individual!

Stay hidden

 The pic says it all!

Carryon!

 Another instance of consistency and focus, rather than getting lost in the maze or craze of power politics and positions: the story of Elijah and Elisha.  

The latter asks for a parting gift from his mentor.  The master, does not promise him.  But states that if he does see him being taken upto heaven, he will have his wish granted.  Elisha sees the other being taken upto heaven.  I asked myself, what if he had not seen him and he was not granted his wish.  Would he still have carried on the apostolate?  

I guess he would have!  With what he had.  To ask and pray for more and better is fine, but the granting or receiving of it is not a criteria to carryout one's work.  One does what one is to do, not because there is some reward or award but because that is a good thing or the right thing to do. 

Superb title and inspirational lives

 This evening after supper as I was glancing through the news, I came across the following headline and it certainly caught my attention

Meet India’s first family of Chess: Father who never watched, mother who can’t name the pieces, two grandmasters

I could easily guess from the title what the content of the article (published in Financial Express) could be. But the title itself is superb! 

More interesting and inspirational is the content of the article.  It describes how the family still continues to live in the same house, as before.  That the father of the house stays home (primarily because of his disability) but watches his family earn name and fame across the globe.  The mother accompanying the siblings as they travel the world, playing off world champions and becoming grandmasters themselves.  The parents themselves are grandmasters, albeit in a different life game - like most parents, in the whole living kingdom. 

Salesian poverty

 An extract from the book titled Don Bosco Up Close, by Teresia Bosco (English translation) 2023 edition, p. 122. The following is a testimony shared by Fr Francis Dalmazzo, during the process of Don Bosco's canonization and who had the fortune of being one of Don Bosco's boys at the oratory.  

When he (Don Bosco) came to Rome once, when the Salesians were still living in Via degli Specchi, he found very poor lodgings, so poor that I (Francesco Dalmazzo) was obliged to give up my bed and sleep on the sofa, and when he looked at the table in the middle, made of ubleached wood, covered with a miserable spread, he was consoled and said to me: "Oh, this is what I like: here is a real Salesian house!" And he laughed heartily.  

As I read this passage for our spiritual reading, I could not but think if anyone today would have the courage to say such a thing at any of our Salesian houses.  First of all, there would be the totally opposite scenario: lavish dining hall, exquisite furniture, posh flooring, special cots and mattresses, costly electronic gadgets and a lavish spread at the table. 

Don Bosco grew up poor and knew the value and necessity of poverty for our apostolate.  He could have very well continued being a diocesan if he wished to become rich.  Working for the POOR and abandoned youth, and being materially rich are incompatible!  

Addiction and responsibility

 Among the many vices some of us find ourselves making exceptional progress with, there is one who is an alcoholic.  He attended a 5-month deaddiction therapy at a reputed institution.  The person in discussion, was asked to stay on another month at the centre and was then assigned to a particular rural community, as teacher.  

From the de-addiction centre the staff accompanied him to his place of appointment.  The very next day, this particular confrere went into town and got drunk.  The very next day!  So much for a 6 month therapy.  This drinking binge continued for a couple of days and then he was 'air-lifted' to the centre because his body started to react badly and he needed to be hospitalised.  

Within two days after being discharged from the hospital, he is now getting ready to go to another therapy centre to take part in a three-month course!  

The travesty of this whole episode is that everyone, except the one in question, is keen to make a change!  And everyone thinks attending courses or therapy session will make him get rid of his addition.  He is barely given time to make that decision and LIVE IT! This is like sabbatical after sabbatical, with hospitalization sandwiched in. The confrere needs to take responsibility for himself. And if he isn't willing to, then he ought to bear the consequences of that refusal.  Pampering one for eternity is detrimental not just to the Province/Congregation, but worse for the individual himself. I fear we are making all the decisions for him and he is happily feeling guilty about it all, without making any serious efforts at change, relying neither on God, nor on self-control, nor out of righteous fear of any repercussions. 

Drops or floods?

 A few years ago there was an itch to engage in new ministries, new types of apostolate and be creative in reaching out those in need.  While the concept in itself looks appealing, there was a lurking danger: the focus was on trying something new, not on the purpose!  

Often we try to multiply or increase the number of services.  But the fact is not about the number of services or the creativity with which we engage in the outreach, although each of them has a significant impact, but about making our outreach impactful.  Rather than do a hundred and one unrelated good things, which do not have a direct impact on the lives of people, which create only a temporary or illusory effect, the attempt to be make our apostolate integral.  Rather than carry out the ministry as piecemeal, or scattered or segmented, the effort should be to make it unified and complementary. 

We do all that we do, with a singular focus and purpose.  Without that primary binding motivation and guiding principle, all our efforts remain scattered and like drops in the desert; while the efforts are proportionate to a flood in a desert!  

No luxury to worry about the heat

 This year's summer has been extremely hot!  The worst prolonged hot days, ever!  Nonetheless, life goes on. We all adapt and carry on.  

Often I've thought and in the house spoken about the poor people who work, out in the open.  Being inside the building and barely stepping outside, we feel cooked. What about those poor people slogging it out, eking their living out in the open, under the direct sun. However, there too, life goes on.  We grin and bear (and burn!). 

The following quote from one poor lady in Madhya Pradesh, (as reported by the BBC website) about the Indian summer sums up the reality of Indian life, especially that of the poor: 

Poor people don't have the luxury of worrying about the heat.

Most of us Indians, have greater adaptation and endurance capacity than other world citizens.  We adapt.  More out of necessity than choice.