Useless anxieties

Someone today asked me how I could be happy, when there is this pandemic wreaking havoc everywhere around me?  I did not respond since the one asking me was very emotionally disturbed and anxious.  But I said to myself, "Why not?  I am happy.  Not that I am unaware of the plight of people but that there is also so much goodness and life around me that I cannot be blind to.  More than happy, I am contended.  Contended that I am doing what I can, in spite of the luxurious life I live."

I am happy and contended to have a house to live in.  A comfortable and cosy house, with a large self contained room for myself.  Really lavish food everyday!  Food splendid enough to put the royal household to shame!  I have no requirement of mine lacking: clothes, footwear, gadgets, wifi and internet.  I have a homely community with whom I can interact everyday.  I have time at my disposal to use for what I think best.  No other serious commitments that leave me craving for spare time.  So what is there that I should be sad about?

In all honesty, I am doing the best I can given the present circumstances for those around who need help.  The only thing I don't do is, worry! Neither do I fear for what will come; if I will fall sick or something may happen.  For if that happens, then so be it.  I do not see any point in losing my peace of mind - and the ability to do some good - for what may happen later.

During Mass, after the 'Our Father' there is a beautiful prayer said by the priest:

Deliver us, Lord,
we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress, and useless anxiety as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Fr Ronald Menezes, one of my former Rectors, used to add the highlighted phrase!  

For peace

A recent article on BBC debates the legitimacy of the air strikes on Syria (Syria air strikes: Were they legal?).  While it does not necessarily justify the Western attack, it does lay bare the loopholes in the whole political system whereby collection action or response is blocked, thereby leading individual states to take action.  This action by individual states, rather than the UN Security council, though "illegal" goes by the same regulations as that laid down by the Security council.  The article certainly shows the actual inefficiency of international bodies, like the UN, when it really matters. 

Even after years of technological advancement and a history replete with wars and destruction, we have still not mastered the art of consensus building.  If at all, the consensus (albeit partial) arrived at, is for destruction and not peace!  Wonder if there is anyone, the common folk, surviving in Syria!  They are bombarded by the regime, the rebels, the Kurds, the Turks, the neighbours, the Russians, the West.  Know not what else is left to be bombed.  God alone knows what information and stories those surviving are fed with - leave alone, food and water!  And after all this, we still expect those surviving to be 'normal'? 

Time and again, our actions prove that national, political, religious, economical factors outweigh humanitarian concern. Wonder what's more precious than human life and dignity? 

Eternal peace?

From a school girl's essay:
Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, and since then we have had two minutes of peace every year.

Peace: Trust in the Father

Reflection for April 20

“Peace be with you...”

Jesus' repeated salutation after His resurrection: 'Peace be with you'. Given what those close to Him have gone through and are still going through, this greeting seems a bit odd. They are not troubled but sad. They grieve his absence but are not agitated. And to that add the fright of seeing a 'ghost'! Why peace then? Perhaps the way Jesus lived His life holds the key.

Jesus was always tranquil and serene. Never too excited about anything or too depressed. There was a sense of balance and equilibrium, not only in His actions but in His words and thoughts too. Even in the garden of Gethsemane when very well aware of what lay before Him, He did not lose it. His trust in the Father was so great that He knew it would all be fine. Peace is what fills ones heart when there is an underlying trust that no matter what and how things appear on the surface, there is a foundation that stands strong. No matter how sad, stressful, uncertain and hopeless the present moment seems, the Father will take care. He is at work and therefore I can rest

.

Cure is the poison

Am reading stuff related to the World wars, the guerrilla warfare and the more recent war on terror... part history, part politics.

One particular author, Joseph Conrad while writing about the The Hague 'Peace' conventions of 1898 and 1907 speaks of them as the "solemnly official recognition of the Earth as a House of Strife".  In its pursuit of peace, to limit and 'humanize' war, the Hague convention, began the codification of warfare.  Not only did it drastically cut down the goal of peace from well-being to non-war, but also create of a category of illegal, illegitimate warfare by listing down how warfare should be carried out.

One might argue that it was only trying to reduce the extent of damage by drawing boundaries of acceptable behaviour.  However, it reduced itself from establishing peace to resolving conflicts... the latter being only a part of the former.  The League of Nations did the same.  Wonder if the United Nations is doing any better?

This is a typical example of how a cure is worse than the disease itself.

Peace

Soon after the attack on a Berlin shopping street by a man who ploughed through the public in a truck during the Christmas season, there was unprecedented security everywhere. If that dampened the shopping spree of people (didn't, according to me), is debated. However, one of those days there was a photo in the newspaper showing gun wielding policemen in front of a large crib at display in a market area.

 The title read: 'So much for peace and goodwill to all men...!' 

Waves

Fr Joyce, the Provincial of the Salesian Province of Bangalore, during his welcome words to the members of the major superiors of the Salesian Family, narrated a short story.

The small wave complained to the big waves that it was tired of life and fed up.  That the big waves were all the time dominating and gulping the smaller waves was its main point.  This grumbling went on for some time and when it had finished the big wave replied, "Big or small, we all are basically made up of water!"

Forgetting this reality would result in squabbles and misunderstandings and complaints and competition.  Awareness and acceptance of this essence will only aid in growth and peace.

Learning what not to...

We have learned to enjoy stress instead of peace, excitement in lieu of Rest, and to extract from the confusion of day-to-day life a small core of exhilarating experiences. I doubt that mankind can tolerate our absurd way of life much longer without losing what is best in humanness...

Rene J. Dubos

Finding peace

There are times when I close myself in my room, seeking solitude and rest.  At times it helps, at times it only aggravates my disturbed mind.  And the other day as I was changing the page on the calendar, I read this quote (by Virginia Woolf) at the bottom of the page:

You cannot find peace by avoiding life.

I guess she is right. Being an ostrich does not help, certainly not the ostrich itself! But I guess one does need moments of silence and being all by oneself to make some  sense of what is going on around me. However, it is also a matter of prudence, when to withdraw and when to charge headlong!

Peace

Peace, is often mistaken for absence of war and turmoil.  That's as good as saying there is silence in the graveyard. Peace actually comes when there is truth, justice and love.  It does not wipe away differences, or anxieties or troubles.  In fact, they abound... but the difference is that there is a certain balance and harmony in it all.  Even if there is chaos, there is growth and peace.

However, when there is no worthwhile value existing and everything is 'silent', that kind of peace is what cowards and fools crave for.  Without truth, justice and love, no peace is ever possible!

Lots of 'Peace'

Let me begin my Advent blogging on a lighter note. This morning for the Responsorial psalm, the Brother reading it had not practiced too well. Naturally there was something for me to be amused about in spite of the seriousness with which I intended to participate in the Holy Mass. The Brother kept reading the word 'peace' fast and short, and for all of us hearing it, it sounded like 'piss'. So here's the psalm, as heard by most of us today: 

Pray for the PISS of Jerusalem!May those who love you prosper!
May PISS be within your walls,Prosperity in your buildings.Because of my relatives and friendsI will say, "PISS be within you!"

Well, that was a lot of 'peace'!

Building Bridges

Bridge-builders, including Jesus, usually start building a bridege from one side.  You can't build a bridge from the middle as even an engineer will tell you.  You must choose a starting point. What the Gospel is saying, pure and simple, is that wherever you're going to start building  your bride, you better start from the side of powerlessness, not power.  Because if you start on the side of power you'll stay there forever. You really won't build any bridges.  

[An extract from Jesus' Plan for a New World, p. 68].

That's quite a revelatory and challenging thought for ministers of today.  Very true given the fact that there are no neutral positions when it comes to discipleship and commitment. 

Contentment

In the parable of the vineyard owner who pays equal wages to all those who labour in his farm, those who work the whole day and those who labour for just the last hour... this is quite an amusing parable (Matthew 20:1-16a). I fear most of us who consider ourselves the 'chosen one's' or the privileged will find ourselves too in this line and worse still, be found grumbling that God has been unjust to us. And what would be our line of argument? The same as those who argued that God was being 'partial' (generous) to those who did 'less than us'. Isn't being chosen by God Himself, in itself not a privilege? Is not being in His vineyard a real blessing?

May peace and contentment reign in our lives.

Fear of others or Love for solitude?

For the Christmas midnight Mass, I joined Fr Wilson to L'kota, the substation. I preferred that to the monotonous and l...o...n....g service (read as sermon) of Kondadaba! It was good... silent, smooth and I was left to myself without having to run around and see that things are in place or singing is ready and what not. I thus stayed put in my place till the end of the Mass. Spent time remembering and thanking all the people close to me and trying to recollect and pray for those clinging on the edge of my memory.

However, once the celebrations began after Mass, I slowly sneaked out. I felt much better outside than in the humdrum of all that jing-bang. I know not if I'm growing more and more introvert for fear of facing the 'others' or is it just that I find silence and solitude more meaningful than noisy celebrations. For now, I prefer to go by the latter!

Silent Night, yes! Holy night? I doubt!

Christmas has come and gone! Great... very silent, peaceful and truly relaxing at least personally. I surely must have put on 4 to 5 kgs in the past one week alone... I'm not blaming the cakes or the getting over of the jaundice diet, but the tranquility and peace of the place has been very very soothing. I just breathe easy, pray well, spend time doing what I like without any great pressure or tension and best of all, not disturbed by a hundred and one fellows barging in and out of my office for all and any matters.

Of course, the calamity has been Jesus... He has been totally forgotten!!

Hudson, Vivekananda, Gandhi, WTC and 9/11

There was an interesting discovery I made this evening as I glanced through The Hindu of September 19, 2010. It was an article titled Vivekanada, Gandhi and 9/11. The author, Rajni Bakshi weaves together three other significant 9/11s which indeed prove as crucial crossroads in the history of humanity. The first 9/11 is that of 1609: the day Henry Hudson, the first European landed on an island called 'Menatay' - today it is Manhattan.

Within half a century of Hudson's landing, much of the native population had been wiped out by European guns and germs, those who survived retreated inland.

The next significant 9/11 is of 1893: the day Swami Vivekananda gave his famous "Sisters and Brothers of America" speech at the World Parliament of Religions at Chicago. A day for celebrating peace and brotherhood through reason.

Vivekananda realised that all spiritual striving is beyond reason, but reason is the only way to get there. For, reason is the greatest gift of the human existence.

The other great 9/11 is of 1906: a day when Gandhiji first spoke of Satyagraha at the packed Imperial Theatre in Johannesburg.

In an atmosphere charged with anger and the will to fight, Gandhi dropped an idea that acted like a depth charge. Let us fight disciriminatory laws by refusing to comply - by offering unflinching non-violent resistance. His logic was impeccable. Truth is God and God is love. It follows that a struggle for justice cannot involve hurting one's opponent. Instead, the 'other' in a conflict must be weaned from error by patience and sympathy. In turn, this means cultivating the willingness to examine 'truth' in all its many dimensions. This can only be done by being strong - not physical strength but the strength of truth-force or love-force.

What I liked best was the author's intention of drawing our attention to not the incident itself but the attitude with which we recall those incidents. That these ground-breaking events took place, is a fact, but with what outlook and attitude we face today and especially live the events related to these 9/11s is what really matters.

From Don Bosco, on Sanctity

As I was editing the Salesian Ordo, I came across this message on sanctity. It is from the life of Don Bosco and Dominic Savio. It is said that when Dominic Savio approached Don Bosco with the request to make of him a saint, this is the action plan that Don Bosco drew up for him:

1. Cheerfulness: Whatever disturbs you and takes away your peace cannot come from God.
2. Do you duty in the study hall and in the Church. Application to study and to work and to prayer out of love for God.
3. Do as much good as you can to others. Help your companions always, even when it costs you sacrifice.

... very providential that I should see it today!!

Sankranti and light

Today is Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival of the Hindus. I'm glad it is now, not so much for its religious significance but for the political peace that it has brought about. Not that it is going to last for long, but it is a welcome break from all the confusion and turmoil that has been created in the state for the last month and more! Hope this gracious feast helps the politicians see the light (the feast centres around the Sun god!) and resolve issues without adversely affecting the lives of the common man.

But I do miss the kites this time. The rain god seems to be angry ... it has been raining since yesterday morning!

Excercising will or power

The latest attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team while in Pakistan and the subsequent accusation of one of the Pakistani ministers that it is the handiwork of Indians (Pak minister blames India for attack on Lanka team) is a strange twist to the whole debate of terrorism. We Indians have always thought of Pakistan as a terrorist state and viewed every Pakistani as a terrorist. Statements accusing Pakistani infiltration come easy to us. Now for once we are on the receiving end. Of course, the first reaction is to brush it off as 'bullshit'. But all the same it is good to introspect and see what it really means - and feels - like to be accused of something. Whether the accusation is right or wrong is another issue. I think we need to be fair enough to be open to such a criticism and introspect rather than jump the gun.

Our strength lies not in the amount of ammunition we have or we use but in the will power we exercise in retaining the ammunition in our stores - long enough for it to decay!