The Whiplash
Be guided by the Holy Spirit
The air traffic control radar beacon system
(ATCRBS) is a system used in air traffic control (ATC) to enhance surveillance
radar monitoring and separation of air traffic.
It consists of a rotating ground antenna and
transponders in aircraft. The ground antenna sweeps a narrow vertical beam of
microwaves around the airspace.
When the beam strikes an aircraft, the transponder
transmits a return signal back giving information such as altitude and the
Squawk Code, a four-digit code assigned to each aircraft that enters a region.
Information about this aircraft is then entered
into the system and subsequently added to the controller's screen to display
this information when queried. This information can include flight number,
designation and altitude of the aircraft.
When we gaze up into the clear night sky what do we
see? A glorious sky with twinkling stars and non-twinkling planets, and of
course, the moon; you may even spot the strobe lights of an aircraft preparing
to land.
The sight being so magnificent and heavenly that
you may be seized by a spiritual fervor to give glory to God.
We spy God and heaven in wonderous sights, in cool
feelings, in beauty and in cleanliness. It is a natural response from our mind,
spirit and soul.
Is God only in the heavens? Or is God also in
"hell" - Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek – ‘on’ earth (not in its
bowels) where we choose not to look?
In the squalor and the stricken (diseased,
incapacitated, maimed, naked, imprisoned). Are we able to see God in this inglorious
suffering? What did the prophet Isaiah say about Jesus 700 hundred years
earlier to Jesus' birth?
“He had no stately form or majesty to attract us,
no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man
of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He
was despised, and we esteemed Him not.” (Isaiah 53:2)
For God is good. ‘Squalor’ and ‘stricken’
is not good. But that’s where God is even if we do not want to accept it.
God is with the ‘affected and infected’ and with
the care givers like the Sisters of Missionaries of Charity devoted to taking
care of the ‘sick and dying’.
God is to be found in all acts of love. God is with
whoever feels abandoned. God was with Hagar and her son, Ishmael in the
wilderness of Beersheba (Gen 21:17). God is with whoever needs mercy and
love.
God is in His instruments, the care givers. God is
in those they minister, the ‘dregs of society’. God is in the work of charity.
God, who was invisible to them in their abandonment, is made visible to those
who are being aided through the work of charity. It is divine intervention
through a human act.
“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when
did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?
When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When
did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will reply,
‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of
Mine, you did for Me.’ (Mt 25:37-40)
If people deny existence of God today the reason
are primarily two-fold, one understandable and the other debatable:
1. Understandable: They are self-satisfied,
self-contained, self-actualized, self-oriented that they have no need for
God
2. Debatable: They, in fact, do a lot of good for
the poor and needy, but believe their humane acts of charity is just that
humane / human – no involvement of God or a higher being
Many of us take the first part of Jesus’ word to
heart, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your mind” (Mt 22:37), but skip the second part conveniently, “love
your neighbor as yourself” as we too are ‘self-satisfied, self-contained,
self-actualized, self-oriented’ and stay far from the “one of the least of
these brothers of Mine”.
It calls for a deep transformation of mind and
reorientation to the personal purpose that God has called us to.
If I were a priest or a social worker, addressing
the needs of the ‘least of the brethren’ would be the purpose of the vocation
and so works of charity is a natural outcome of the vocation.
If I were a doctor than addressing the needs of
“one of the least” would be par for the course as I would tend to their
sickness and wounds as part of my profession.
Like the young and brilliant doctors who make
‘hell’ heaven on earth by their commitment to serving the poor in government,
Christian, and other charitable hospitals.
They are driven by a purpose. They studied hard,
cracked the competitive exam, with only one intent: to serve. They make
do with whatever remuneration that is paid by such institutions. When their
financial needs increase, they take to private practice without prejudice to
their regular job - working long hours to make ends meet.
There are lay people who set aside one day in the
week or a fortnight and as a family pay a visit to a home – for aged or sick –
and spend time with the residents. Some distribute food to the needy on weekly
basis and even daily. Visit prisons with the prison ministry.
I do none of the above and fear the whiplash of Jesus’
admonishment:
“Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart
from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and
his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and
you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I
was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not
visit Me.’ (Mt 25:41-43)
Jesus is telling me I cannot do anything on my own.
I need you to take care of the “least of the brethren”. In whatever way
possible.
To physically minister is good. If that is not
possible as a fulltime or even as a part-time activity (teaching children who
are challenged to study in a regular school), support financially those who
serve. That is equally good. Though nothing beats personal interaction with the
‘least’, even occasionally, just to be in touch.
The Holy Spirit is the best guide to neutralize the
feeling of condemnation should we be subject to the feeling that we are not
doing enough for the ‘least of the brethren’.
When Jesus was on earth, we found Him on earth, and
through Jesus we found God the Father in His person, too.
“Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are
going, so how can we know the way?”. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had
known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and
have seen Him.” (Jn 14:5-7)
During His ministry Jesus often referred to his
imminent passion, death and resurrection. The apostle refused to ‘interiorize’
the foreboding message.
The passion and death occurred and yet the third
part, the ‘rising’ still did not come on the apostles’ radar, even after Mary
Magdalene and other Mary proclaimed it after returning from the empty tomb.
Even John the beloved apostle of Jesus did not believe until he entered the
tomb. (Jn 20:8).
While that was the general case, poor Thomas got
dubbed for posterity with the moniker ‘doubting Thomas’ when he was simply
someone who asked a lot of questions (see above) and would not believe until he
was given rock solid proof – Jesus Himself – with the gaping wounds to survey
up close.
Now that Jesus had risen there was another problem.
He was going up to His Father and panic among the apostle was reinfused. Jesus
calmed the apostles down and assured them that He is not going to leave them
orphaned.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you
forever— the Spirit of truth. (Jn 14:15).
Ask for the Holy Spirit and you will receive; Seek
the Holy Spirit and you will find; Knock on the doors of the Holy Spirit and He
will come and sup with you. (Rev 3:20).
Our prayers are taken up to heaven by the Holy
Spirit like the ‘beam of microwaves from the ground antenna’ to God’s heart,
which is like the aircraft ‘transponder’.
And, like the aircraft transponder, God too sends
signals back with detailed information through the Holy Spirit. But sometimes
God does not, like the UFO – Unidentified Flying Objects – sighted by the ATC
that does not send back any signal.
At such times we need to heed St Paul’s advice,
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Prepare the way for the Holy Spirit in your heart
as John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. Read the Word of God and
understand God’s will in your life. The Holy Spirit will come and answer all
your prayers and will draw you closer to God that you may do His will.
Feel assured and not be worried of the whiplash of
not serving the ‘least of the brethren’ as your human mind perceives it.
Trust in God, in His love and his mercy, and in the
wisdom that the Holy Spirit will share with you when you ask.
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