The Better Samaritan

I'd like to add something to the Gospel Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10: 25-37): The Jew going down the road to Jericho was ambushed, robbed, beaten and left for dead... the Priest passed by without as much as a word of consolation, do did the Levite. But the Samaritan took it upon himself to nurse him and get him to a nearby inn for further attention. (Now for my addition...) He left the inn to trace the very track the Jew undertook, in order to encounter the robbers who did this to the Jew. He met them in order to help them see what good they could do in life. He wanted to show them what great things God wanted them to do rather than get stuck in the wilderness, running, hiding, looting and bringing harm to fellow human beings. He went back to the route to ensure that no one ever has to endure what the Jew endured during his journey.

What the good Samaritan did was indeed praiseworthy, noble and courageous indeed. But what the 'better' Samaritan did was empowering; not just tackling the individual symptoms of a malice but tackling the very root of the issue. Given our potential today, we really can effect changes that eradicate some of the evils that plague our society... if only we can move beyond the 'single Jew' at hand.

Philosophy as an art and a process

Philosophy is basically an art and a process; an art of asking relevant meaningful questions and the process of seeking the appropriate meaning of those questions for a better humanity. It is not that the answers are irrelevant, but certainly not in comparison to the process of arriving at those answers.

Limping back to normalcy

I'm happy today... the bilirubin count in my blood has come down (from 8.2 to 3.1). That's a good sign says my doctor. What's happier is that he has permitted me to take something of the normal diet. Wow!! that's a great blessing. I had two plateful of rice after I came back. Not only was I hungry but the joy of eating something as of normal was great. However, I've got to be careful... rest, medication and diet are still prescribed for another two weeks.

Being good

Yesterday I had the good fortune of watching some parts of the movie 'The Express'. The movie is about a black young man, Ernie Davis and his coach, Ben Schwartzwalder trying to make a headway and live the game of football, at the height of the segregation era in the States. It is very inspirational. Beautiful acting by Dennis Quaid (the coach) and Rob Brown (Ernie Davis). The theme and the narration of the same is done very well. Watching these movies we see how foolish and idiotic history has been in believing being guided by something as trivial as the colour of our skin. It is all the more painful to see how this history is repeated in our times for the very same trivial or meaningless reasons. In times like these, it is truly great to watch people like Ernie Davis and Bob Schwartzwalder stand for values greater than shallow 'ideals' petty minds wallow in.

I liked the part where Ernie Davis thanks everyone for the Heisnman trophy and his coach especially. He describes his coach as a 'good coach and a good man'. That's a glowing tribute!

From the 'Dean's office'!

I'm now back in my own room and this is the first posting from my own desk... thanks to Fr Wilson for making sharing his internet connection with me. This is good news, that I don't have to keep carrying back and forth my laptop to the staff room to view mails and keep myself 'online'. However, I'm also conscious not to get stuck to the net. I very well am aware that Brothers are my priority. So I've decided that I'll use my computer 'according to the community time-table', i.e., when Brothers have the chance to use the computer lab. Trust that should help me stay sufficiently detached!

Getting back on my feet

I resumed my Anthropology and Methodology classes today. It was good getting back to tickling the minds of the Brothers and prodding them to think and reflect. But I really feel exhausted. Moreover tomorrow is Fr Wilson's b'day. Luckily most of the things are prepared and ready. A few guys whom I entrusted something to animate get back to me only now, with empty minds and pathetic looks. But on the whole these guys here are a talented lot. They really can do much, much better than our Salesians. However, they don't feel the need to exert themselves. That's the only lacuna.

Charity, yes but coupled with empowerment

As I type these few lines inside, the distribution of notebooks to the deserving children is going on outside in the Seminary campus. Fr KT is all about the place ensuring that only those 'deserving' get the books and that others do not hijack the opportunity. That's a rather difficult task given the fact that everyone wants a piece (as big as possible) of a free cake! To then distinguish those who really are the deserved ones from those who can manage perhaps the biggest challenge. However, that so many children are helped annually with their studies is indeed a very noble task.

All said and done, I still have my reservations about the help we give. We still thrive in that old 'give and help' model, rather make a shift to the 'help and empower' model. I know it is easier said than done, but unless we make that shift, we never really 'help'. Some ways in which I see that this shift can be made are the following (drawing inspiration from the movie, Pay it forward):

• Get these children (and especially their parents) to commit to completing their basic studies.
• Ensure that these children put in their best (if they are not serious about their studies, pull back the educational support extended to them and offer it to those really serious about their studies)
• Put into the heads and hearts of these children that this help now being offered to them has to be replicated by them to others when they are able to stand on their own two feet. (It is surprising to see those children who once received help, now married and have children of their own, coming back to again ask for help for their children!!). Fr KT tells me that of the thousands helped so far, only one has come forward to help others, now that he is well settled.

Charity is a good thing but setting a movement by which each one, in whatever capacity is able to help, joins in is indeed a greater act. It liberates and empowers.

Team over individuals

The current FIFA cup 2010 has proved one thing: that team counts more than individuals. All those whose names were tossed about as potential cup 'getters' have all left the stadium with their heads downcast. I watched the quarterfinal match between Argentine and Germany yesterday, though for only a while. I was surprised to see the Argentinians play like our Brothers. Those talented and acclaimed as goal scorers were all the while dribbling and dodging three to four German defenders, regardless of the fact that their own teammates at other places were standing unmarked awaiting a pass, something that rarely happened. Germany surely deserved the win as they proved to play as a team rather than rely solely on individual strikers. I did not watch the other quarterfinal between Brazil and Netherlands, but I guess the same lacuna sunk the Brazilians. I'm glad that this has World Cup has seen team play override individual talent and solo play.

Taking a stand

Here at Kondadaba, my life is on a 'hibernation' mode still. Plan to 'resurrect' on Monday... I'm giving myself a discount of one week from the Doctor's prescribed rest of one month. One of my main priorities will surely be to get the Brothers stand for values, as individuals. A common phenomenon at Kondadaba (as it was 10 years ago) is that Brothers take shelter in the group. They wouldn't want to stick their head out for anything - in spite of knowing that it is good, true and worthy enough to take the risk. I realised it is not out of ignorance that they would like to remain silent when they ought to speak out, but it is out of sheer fear of what others will say. It is the lack of moral courage to face what is wrong with a firm heart and take a stand. Most of the Brothers are good and virtuous but not courageous enough to take a stand, especially when it comes to taking a stand in public. Like I told them bluntly the other day during the goodnight, if they do not have the courage and the moral authority to tell their best friend that what he is doing is wrong, they are not going to be any better 'Priests' or 'prophets' later after their ordination.

Courage to believe

Fr TV Thomas telling that St Thomas was a courageous apostle was quite amusing to hear. However he had his reasons: he was not one to be coerced into conviction about Jesus. Perhaps he was confident that Jesus would not have appeared or been partial to others (appear only to them and not to him after his resurrection). Furthermore, when out of fear all the apostles were huddled inside the room, what was Thomas doing outside? Surely one needed guts to be out, when all your human thinking forced you to stay indoors.

As I started preparing for the reflections for February 2011, the first day's readings reflected exactly the same thought: the courage to believe, especially when others around are waiting and watching as to who would say what and take what step. The woman suffering from the hemorrhage, the official whose daughter was declared dead, chose to believe otherwise in spite of the whole crowd's opinion and 'conviction'. Now that really calls for courage... courage to believe. And it is exactly that which assures their triumph... 'Go, your faith has saved you.'