Guard your compassion

 Here's the extract of the letter (dated 23 July 2026) written by Amol Palekar addressed to the Gen-Z students protesting at Jantar Mantar over the last few days.  I liked especially the concluding words of encouragement: 

Take care of one another. Guard your compassion and your hope.  Do not allow anger to harden into hatred.  Stand firm.  Walk forward without bitterness, without fear and without apology. 

Trust

The whole phenomenon of trust and hope is a very illogical one.  Nothing exemplifies this more than the following verse from Hebrews (10:23):

Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is faithful. 

We persevere in hope not because we trust in our capabilities or strength but because we trust God to be faithful - even if we are not! 

Contrast this with one Anthony DeMello's quotes:

A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on it's wings. 

Perhaps the only difference here is that trust is not in a material object but a living person.  Only that logic makes sense - some sense.  But still this aspect of trust can never be fully explained away.  Nonetheless we trust.  We hope! 

Hope vs Skepticism

What if we cannot know the final judgement (either in Christian terms or in ordinary day to day life experience)? 

• Suspend judgement.
• In suspending judgement we can either have the attitude of a skeptic and say 'nothing can be known - end of everything!' Or have hope!  
• Neither despair nor presumption. 
• Which of the two attitudes (skepticism or hope) we adopt decides the mood. 

God's Rosebud!

An interesting anecdote and poem about discernment. 

A new minister was walking with an older, more seasoned minister in the garden one day. Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older preacher for some advice.

The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals. The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry. But, because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact. It wasn't long before he realized how impossible this was to do.

Noticing the younger preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the older preacher began to recite the following poem...

It is only a tiny rosebud, 

A flower of God's design; 

But, I cannot unfold the petals 

With these clumsy hands of mine. 

The secret of unfolding flowers 

Is not known to such as I. 

GOD opens this flower so easily, 

But, in my hands they die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud, 

This flower of God's design, 

Then, how can I have the wisdom 

To unfold this life of mine?

So, I'll trust in God for leading 

Each moment of my day. 

I will look to God for guidance 

In each step along the way.

The path that lies before me, 

Only my Lord and Savior knows. 

I'll trust God to unfold the moments, 

Just as He unfolds the rose.

Certain hope

We do so many things in life, some of which are clearly geared towards a far distant dream.  We are hopeful and in a sense sure of achieving that dream - we wouldn't be spending all that time and energy if we were not 'so sure'.  However, not everything has to go our way either.  Things may go haywire and our sustained and years of effort may be totally lost, in view of the intended purpose.  It certainly causes pain and heartache. But I think what causes real pain and suffering is when you realize that the effort is 'wasted' not because it was worthless or you failed, but for some silly and absolutely ridiculous reason as your caste, or religion, place of birth, or some else's like or dislike. How to face angst? Helpless anger?

To see a life, especially a young promising and enthusiastic life, killed in some senseless violence.   To see an activist being murdered for fighting what everyone knows is a just cause.  To hear of a whole family shattered by the rape of a young daughter, only because they belonged to a particular caste, or religion or section of society.  To come to know of a friend who has been denied promotion or benefits due to him only on account of him being of a different group than the one in authority... all of this puts to question the notion of having a dream, slogging it out for it... If all one works for can be wiped off by something so trivial and for no reason, then why strain? 

Yet we do!  We invest our time and energy in our plans.  We slog it out for our dreams.  We plan for years ahead of us.  We hope! If we let doubts or fears grow, we'd not be able to do anything at all! 

(But merely having hope is like walking carefully through a minefield - hoping that we do not step on one!  As long as I'm not the one stepping on, everything is fine.  Doing something about the minefield itself is an act of courage.)  

Beginning from Jerusalem

Jesus appears to his apostles and assures them that He is not a ghost.  He shares a meal with them and then explains the Scriptures and its fulfillment in him (may not have been the best time to do so, especially after a meal, but given the circumstance, I'm sure they were all awake and perfectly attentive!).  The gospel of the day concludes with these words of Jesus

Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

Three weeks ago was Easter.  In these three weeks much water has passed under the bridge, especially in world politics.  Syria has just been bombed.  What course of action - or reaction - would follow is awaited.  And that is not the only tension and confusion in the globe.  Practically every part of the world is plagued with unrest and war-like situation.  Even the very place mentioned in the gospel is at the heart of some unrest.  In such a situation, it is ironic to hear that 'repentance, forgiveness of sins' would be preached to all nations, that too beginning from Jerusalem!  Really?

However, hope is always there to assure us of things different.  But hope is not the only thing.  There is the ground-reality of goodness too.  While media, national and international, trains its lenses on the war-games, deaths, scandals, and every sort of evil one knows and at times even of those unheard, there are the untold stories of good deeds being carried out by ordinary folks all over the world.  Perhaps there are too many to be spoken of or broadcasted and that's why the media chooses to ignore them or offer some only by way of closing notes.

And so we live, by hope and trusting in the goodness of humanity...

Easter hope

Easter Sunday (April 16, 2017)

Easter is a celebration of hope. Breaking open from His tomb Jesus shows us that no difficulties or challenges can overcome us completely. Hope is always a good thing. And no good thing ever dies. It is lack of hope that actually imprisons us and saps all enthusiasm and energy.

The resurrection reminds us of the hope that is never to be lost. It opens our hearts to the reality of this world, a reality that can always be made better than what it is today. Easter offers us hope to embark on this journey. Most importantly Easter challenges us to open our hearts to Jesus. To let Him burst forth through us. That so touched by the Lord and filled with Him, our hearts, like the tomb, cannot but open up and spill Jesus into the lives of all those around us.

Holy Saturday: Silence

Holy Saturday marks the death of God. The day is akin to an eerie silence that pervades all around us and everything is still. Bereft of all plans, all hopes, of everything we had, we stand still. Not sure what next. It is like Saul after he was blinded after his encounter with the Lord near Damascus. Utterly helpless. Not sure what the future holds. Not convinced of the past one has lived. Yet it is these days that mark the conversion of Saul to Paul. His introspection where he has nothing to claim his own or anything for sure is what paves the way for his transformation. Holy Saturday offers us the same tomb-experience. Of being silent. Of being still.

As Christians, we often kill this experience or brush past this opportunity for the silence is haunting. We prefer the sentimentality of Good Friday or the thrill of Easter Sunday. The stillness of Holy Saturday is too demanding. Yet one is challenged to live it. Imagine the state of the apostles, of Jesus' disciples, of Mother Mary. They did not have the assured guarantee of the Sunday resurrection. They lived through the Holy Saturday and therefore Easter meant more than Jesus' resurrection to them. It paved the way for their own transformation too.

What faith can do (Kutless)

Easter hope

Today was Easter Sunday.  There could be a million lessons we draw from this significant day/event. For me today was a reflection on hope.  And defining hope, I figured it could be stated thus: that which keeps alive.  

Hope is essentially a silent ingredient in every great virtue.  It is perhaps the launching pad from which many a person do and achieve great things.  It is also true that there are other virtues that truly assist and support in the process, but the one that keeps them all 'alive' is perhaps the hope that what one is after is real and possible.

As Andy states in the movie, the Shawshank Redemption,

... hope is a good thing, perhaps the best thing. And no good thing ever dies.

To believe...

Here's a very touching prayer song on ... To Believe.

Before I lay me down to rest

I ask the Lord one small request

I know I have all I could need

But this prayer is not for me

Too many people on this day

Don't have a peaceful place to stay

Let all fighting cease that your children may see peace

Wipe their tears of sorrow away

(Chorus)

To believe in a day

When hunger and war will pass away

To have the hope amidst despair

That every sparrow's counted

That you hear each cry and listen to each prayer

Darker nights but brighter stars

I spent the whole day in bed today!! Call it luxury or misery or both, I just couldn't help it. My whole head was like a big crude piece of lead weighing a ton!! Added to that my nose and throat were sore like hell. So for once I did not hesitate to swallow a tablet this afternoon. I just cannot afford to be down again tomorrow. So I guess God has His own ways of making me take medicine and not take pride in avoiding it.

And in the mail that I received from Fr Koshy this evening, this is what I found at the end of it...

The darkest stars have the brightest stars.

Human will vs circumstances

It has been raining since Friday afternoon (that's four days continuous) and there is no sign of any let down either. Everywhere there is water. Yesterday afternoon, I had the Israelites-Red Sea experience... nearly five times I had to get off my bike and push it through knee deep waters flowing across the road. Thank God, there were always some children or young people to assist people like me all along. If not, there is every possibility that due to the force of the flowing waters both the person and the bike would be carried away!

However what amuses me is the grit of people. Left to me, I'd just sit back in my room and 'enjoy' the rain (if I didn't have the inauguration of Sabbavaram coming up this weekend) - 'all the days of my life'! People outside too did the same... till Sunday. On Monday morning when the rain did not show any signs of leaving, people were out of their house, back to work!! How fast we get around (and over) situations and do not let them hamper our life, when it is a matter of survival and sustenance!

A goal beyond Ordination...

This evening I found myself enjoying the play 'Witness to Hope'... a play being put up here at KJC, Bangalore on the occasion of the Feast of the Assumption and Independence day. Since I would miss the real show, I sat for the dress rehearsal this evening. Moreover, I never really 'watched' a play so far. Being in formation houses, I was always involved in the play or drama, so never really got to sit back and watch one. However, I wish to watch a real commercial play in a theatre someday. Perhaps the next time in Bangalore!!!

As for the play 'Witness to Hope', it is based on the life of Pope John Paul II. It is scripted rather decently, though not without some glitches (technical, factual and dramatic). As I watched the play what emerged strongly was once again my pet idea that the real passion of visionaries is something much beyond the here and now. For Carol Wojtyla, priesthood was only a means to a higher goal... for him it was to spread love and hope to all humanity, especially to his Polish people torn apart by violence and hatred. As I had the opportunity to give the goodnight to the community here, I shared the same message: have and know the goal of your life and do not have such petty goals as ordination/Priesthood or Perpetual Profession.

To dream and survive on dreams!

These days everyone is talking about the transfers. With practically everyone being told to 'be ready', the guess game is getting all the more intense day by day. I also realise how different people see themselves and the roles they play in the various communities, fulfilling the different responsibilities entrusted to them either by the Province or by the local community. Then there are the 'dreams' and 'plans' and 'ideas' about the 'next' place.

An article in the paper today was quite in contrast to all this. It was about the plight of the poor in the various parts of the country for whom the only thing they possess is their dreams. And what are their dreams? One solid meal atleast once in a life time, one cake of soap to have a bath, one piece of decent clothing, one good harvest, one heavy rain, some fresh vegetables for their kids... that's all. Just that. Nothing more! Not even the faintest hope that just any one of these would ever become a reality.

While some dream all the time, for very many dreams is all they have! Some dream and others survive because they dream!

To be part of making history!

TV has a knack of drawing people in to help him out with his work. I've watched him do this with others and now he's got me for the school! Since yesterday I see myself drawn in for the school work, in a big way. At times, I too fear what would be the future of this project, but I take it as another lesson in trust and hope - something, I'm learning the ropes of very tangibly these days! Let's see how things proceed. Frankly, I don't mind getting involved in this, for it is totally a new field of apostolate for me. Not that I'm going to managing schools, but this pioneering of an institute especially one with such a high expectation. I wish to fill in that lacuna which others do not see or bypass (religious, I mean): planning and chronicling of minor factors which sometime or the other prove to be of great relevance!

Luckily, Fr Sebastian did not announce about the issuing of the admission forms in the Mass this morning. That would have got lost in the confusion that followed with regard to the election of the Parish Council! What a fiasco! Anyway, as I see it, the school will be received well; may not go down with the Catholics very well, but there are others who are eager to be part of Don Bosco!

Called to trust, to believe!

The past two days are a real lesson in trust and hope. Not that I've learnt the lesson; far from it, it is only the beginning. But looking ahead from where I now stand, I only see chaos and riot. With these so distinct, it is difficult to trust and hope for anything good - leave alone anything better and greater.

Yet I'm called to trust that the future is going to be good, fine, OK...!

Faith, Hope and Charity: Vehicle recovered!

Exactly 10 days ago, our four-wheeler was stolen. People kept asking me if there was any news about the vehicle ever since. I really had no hopes, whatsoever. I was only striving for the insurance money! Today evening the Police called me to say that they secured the vehicle. Of course, in their own shady style, no one was apprehended! But it was a good experience spending 7 hrs in the police station, listening to their vague description of how they traced the stolen vehicle - in fact they never told me anything worthwhile! Even otherwise it was worth an experience chatting with them, listening to their interrogation style, their sharp lookout for the DCP (who happened to arrive just as we reached for an inspection), their "respect" for the higher ups, their documentation procedures and of course, when there was no one else in the room, there were the mice running all along the walls of the narrow rooms. Goes without saying that I had to grease their palms too. In Maliekal's language it would be: They ask without asking! Well at the end of the day (now it is already morning), the vehicle is back in our garage: perfectly intact except for the number plates and the side stickers!

Ultimately today it was a triumph of Venkat's (our driver) faith, my hope that they would release the vehicle today and perfect "charity" for the policemen! Praise be to God!

Faith, hope and charity: vehicle stolen!

This afternoon I was in for a rude shock: our driver called up from the city to say that the four-wheeler, he took to run some errands and do some purchasing, was MISSING!! He had the presence of mind to complain to the nearest police station and then all the confusion began. Our initial hope was that it was towed away by the traffic police van for wrong parking. But nothing of that kind happened. The vehicle was indeed gone! Running up and around the police station, trying to reach the driver (he had left the mobile in the vehicle itself!), contacting different people if they could track the mobile or the phone sim card... Luckily the Police Station SI was a very courteous guy. He and his staff did attend to our request and were cooperative. They did not seem lax or indifferent at least.

Anyway at this moment, optimism is something I'm struggling to find the meaning of! Faith... I have very little of it! Yet I hope, we get it back. And charity, oh boy, what generosity to offer a Chevorlet (Tavera) in charity! But truly I really loved that vehicle!

The Kite Runner (2)

There is something about the character of Hassan in the movie 'The Kite Runner'. I haven't read the original book by Khaled Hosseini but perhaps the characterisation of the boy for the movie is done with delicacy. Whatever it may be, I was wondering as to why it is that this 'flat-nosed' character is so very gripping, though the movie focuses most on Amir Jan. Perhaps he stands for hope and optimism. When everything around him was hostile and unpleasant, he choses to stand for something (friendship, I believe). He his priorities right. Even if his whole world came crumbling down, he would not have given up on his friend. He trusted in friendship, even when his best friend accused him falsely.

Why is it that even after such a shameful exit from the house, he chooses to come and safeguard that very house, even to the extent of laying down his life for it? Hassan isn't one with education or bright intelligence, but is one gifted with a very large heart. There is something so mysteriously inspirational about such characters. Without demanding it, they inspire goodness in people.