Concealing - revealing

Often we use different tactics to cover up our faults and failings.  We twist words, design a behaviour, manipulate feelings to our advantage.  Most often politicians and lawyers use language to manipulate meaning and convince their hearers into believing them, most often of things they know are not true!

Modern media and communication channels, far from merely portraying reality, are rampantly used to basically present a very biased picture of reality, convincingly.  The camera lens and the newspaper ink are not really rear-view mirrors.  Gleaning through these messages and information to sift and find out what actually is the case is not always easy. 

However, every time one generates a subtle message, or acts in a particular manner for the public, those words or actions cannot be totally classified as concealing or hiding.  They actually reveal what kind of person one is!  If one is careful to see through, the words or actions, one will notice what's hidden and real and not be bluffed by what is projected or presented.  In this process one gets a glimpse of not only the other person, but of oneself too!  

Defining human nature

Human rights are sometimes based on human nature.  Meaning that there is something special about the human species that qualifies it to be treated in a more dignified manner than say a chair or a lamp post.  But this human nature is not merely something natural.  For that matter even animals have a nature. So if we consider naturality the chief characteristic of a nature then there would be nothing special or unique about human nature.  The emphasis needs to be on 'essential trait' but this cannot be something static or frozen.  There are aspects of it which change but others that ensure continuity.  So perhaps, the following definition (as found here), could be taken as a functional one...

Human nature is best conceived of as a cluster of homeostatic properties, ie of traits that are dynamically changing and yet sufficiently stable over evolutionary time to be statistically clearly recognisable.

And just like life cannot be shown apart from living, human nature is not something that can be identified apart from the human person.  It is not something that exists independently or abstractly.  It inheres.  

Shifts and changes

It is almost a year and half since I came to the UK and looking back I can certainly see that there are areas of life that I've grown in and others not so.  I certainly have a different take on religious life and spirituality but certain other things still remain the same.  Among the new things that I've gained - besides the extra kilos I've put on, thanks to my rather sedentary life - is a growing interest in gardening.  Perhaps it has much to do with my own need to keep myself busy, an alternative to get out of the room!  But even that is not a regular activity I can keep myself busy - thanks to the British weather! However, gardening is certainly one area that I've tried out new.  

On the other hand, my habit of keeping up-to-date of Salesian matters has drastically taken a back seat!  Leave alone, reading Salesian material or texts, I'm not really sure of the latest developments about the upcoming General Chapter!  So has my social and public interaction!  Given the situation wherein we are living, away from the school and the parish, there is hardly anyone I meet other than Katie, besides the community members.  From being surrounded all the time by so many students or children all time, everytime, to hardly seeing anyone has been the greatest shift in my regular life.  

Am not very sure where study of philosophy fits in: better or worse?  All said and done, am happy to have this opportunity to see life and the world differently.  

Reincarnation and driving

While talking about the tyre and the replacement of it with a new one, I expressed surprise that we had to replace the whole tyre rather than repair the small hole.  I stated that back in India, I have driven vehicles with torn, patched, stitched and stuffed tyres - and am very well living to tell the tale!  Fr Kevin humourously interjected: "Oh, driving in India!!  I'd never drive in India!!  Not only there but in any place where they believe in reincarnation!"

Well its true that traffic in India is chaotic - in fact, crazy, in comparison to the organised traffic adherence here in the UK.  For most Europeans the first and most vivid memory - in fact, the most horrifying one - of India is the traffic they see as soon as they come out of the airport.  I've seen and heard the experience of people myself, back in India whenever someone came from Europe to the Provincial house and even now listening to people who have been to India!

However, there is some method in the madness - if one may be permitted to call it so.  According to statistics in the year 2016, in India, there were 1,50,785 deaths; while in the UK there were only 1,792 deaths and 181,384 casualities.  But compared to the overall population and the state of affairs, the Indian figures though big, are relatively small - if not, a small miracle!  (A bigger miracle would be getting our Indian population follow traffic rules!)

Tyres and times: old and new

Last weekend one of our cars was indicating low tyre pressure.  After a while I found out that there was a screw stuck in the tyre. However, was surprised to be told that the whole tyre needs to be replaced rather than mending that one small hole!  It was not as if the threads were worn out or anything, just that the 'tyre was damaged'! 

Photo source: An old news article on 'illegal tyres'

I remembered the old jeep at Ramanthapur.  The tyres stuffed and stitched and patched and what not, and still running in perfect condition.  The jeep itself was very old but I loved it, much more than the other new vehicles in the house.  It was tough and functional.  It could be used for anything and everything: transport for people (remember taking 15 children in it was no bit hassle - not even for the children), distributing bakery products, getting tons of provisions (sacks and sacks of rice, flour, sugar...), getting goods for the technical school (wood, metal, cloth...)... and even when it was parked in the house, the boys would use it as a jumping board to jump from!  The tyres of that sumo jeep were anything but old - leave alone new! 

I was told that the insurance would not cover costs in case there was an accident and it was found that the tyre was not replaced.  Furthermore, the hole could not really be repaired! Really??  I wonder if there is anything that is 'repaired' in this country; everything is mostly replaced with a new one! 

Son of a carpenter

'What part of Joseph's personality did Jesus imbibe or exhibit?', was the question that Fr Kevin began his homily with, this morning during the Mass of St Joseph, the worker. 

• Was it his relational skills which saw him relate to practically everyone in his surrounding with the same respect and dignity?  
• Was it his workmanship which saw him be dedicated to what he considered was his primary duty?
• Was it his ability in recognizing that he is not the only one at work in the society and hence form constructive alliances and build a network of hard working people from different backgrounds?
• Was it his attitude towards the working class of the society, whom he treated with equal dignity and compassion as any intellectual or civil servant?  
• Was it his concern and affection for the women who followed him or met him during his journeys and visits to the different regions of Israel?  
• Was it his calm and serene nature that helped him stay focused and polite, even when the whole crowd was against him? 
• Was it his down to earth use of imageries in communicating the richness of the Kingdom to his listeners? 
• Was it his grace to be able to mingle and be at home with the hoi polloi of the society, even though he was the son of God?
• Was it his words and phrases and accent and gestures? 
• Was it his dressing sense, his hairstyle, food habits and 
• Was it his knowledge of farming and fishing which he clearly used lavishly in his various anecdotes and parables (surely much more than carpentry!)? 

Matthew 13: 55 expresses the amazement of those who witness Jesus' ministry and ask: "Isn't he the carpenter's son?..."

St Joseph the worker

(A hymn to St Joseph, as found in the breviary, on this feast day of St Joseph the worker)

Joseph, the scriptures live to trace

the glories of thy kingly line;

Yet no succession of thy race, 

no long posterity was thine... 

And though thy Son were God indeed, 

over that home no angels sang, 

but still, through years of toil and need, 

hammer and mallet bravely rang;

And surely 'twas a gracious thing

when, standing at this father's knee, 

the world's great Craftsman and its King

not king but craftsman learned to be.  

Indeed a very humbling but powerful testimony of the role and person of Joseph.  Will certainly appeal to anyone who has seen life in its ups and downs and yet not been carried away or bogged down by anything, always striving to maintain a sensible balance in both the divine and the not-so-divine...

Tree line in time

For quite sometime now, I've spent some time almost every other day admiring the growth of foliage on the trees right outside my window.  From bare twigs to fully grown branches and leaves, the view  has been really humbling and inspiring.  On the whole there has been a very smooth and even growth over the past month of April, since I began to take snaps of it at regular periods.  However, the most phenomenal and rapid growth was during the couple of days that we had the bright sunshine and warm weather.  Those days I could really 'see' the growth!

April 8

April 11

April 16

April 19

April 21

April 24

April 25

April 30

The only downside of this natural transformation: I can no more view the open field across the road.  Will miss watching children gleefully run or glide on their scooters, ahead of their parents, or learn to ride a bike, all fitted with the protective gear;  the dogs frolicking in the grass and shooting off to retrieve the ball (I guess it must be a great thrill for the dogs which barely have some open space back at home!);  some elderly sitting on the bench lost in thought... nonetheless, a prayer for them all!

The cartoon link

This particular sketch neatly and succinctly links the recent Windrush immigration scandal that has hit the UK and the birth of the royal prince...  I guess only comedy and cartoons can achieve this unique blend of reality and bitter truth, without initiating a war! 

I guess this also portrays a sense of 'urgency' and the degree to which one can get paranoid when one is hell bent on achieving success at any rate!  

The fallen soldier

Here's the monument at the Chertsey town centre dedicated to the fallen soldiers from Chertsey, especially those who fought in the Great war (1914-1919)...

In the backdrop is St Peter's Anglican Church. 

I think practically every town and village in this whole country has a monument dedicated to the memory of those killed as soldiers during the World Wars.  There would be hardly any part of the country that did not have some of its residents enlist and fight during the past wars.