Temperance diffuses
My wife and I were to visit our grandchild at our in-laws’ home. A difference of opinion arose. My wife wanted to avoid lunchtime. She did not want to burden our in-laws, at such short notice, to cobble together a meal for us too. Such a silly thing to quarrel over, but it escalated into an argument over niceties, visiting during lunchtime, etc.
Of the seven deadly sins (addressed in ‘You Can Pray, But the Darn Thing Persists’ posted on Substack on October 1, 2026), of ‘gluttony’ I cannot be accused; of hunger at mealtime, yes.
I held myself back as my wife went on, a nod to me tempering my ‘explosive temper’ when most regretful words (never foul) emerge unprompted, provoked perhaps. I had to remind myself what happened between Peter and Jesus. Jesus wanted to do His Father’s will. Peter, emboldened or frightened at the prospect of Jesus dying, wanted Jesus to do his will.
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (Mt 16:21-23).
My concerns were merely human. Unintended fasting was not my thing. Hunger should be fed. Not anger. Bangalore’s notorious traffic triggers claustrophobia, a panic attack. When combined, I was staring at a potential disaster of a trip. Of course, our quarrel had potential, but did not come anywhere near what happened on the Flydubai flight, designated FZ1073, carrying 174 passengers—Israeli citizens returning from Dubai to Tel Aviv—when it found itself soaring above the desolate expanse of the Saudi Arabian desert. Just two hours into the journey, chaos erupted in the cockpit, transforming the flight into a scene of horror.
The co-pilot, a native of Oman, initiated a surprise and brutal attack on the pilot, who hailed from Gujarat, India. Armed with a knife, the co-pilot’s sinister objective was to bring the aircraft down, obliterating the lives of 174 individuals flying thousands of feet above the earth. It felt like a direct echo of historical tragedies, a potential reenactment of events like the terrorist attacks of 9/11, fueled by an ideology intended to incite chaos and fear - an act of Jihad.
What ultimately defeated the imminent threat was not just strategy but the extraordinary presence of mind exhibited by an individual, even while he was suffering grave injuries.
I am referring to myself: as I faced my wife’s verbal assault for prioritising hunger over etiquette and courtesy to the host, I prayed, “Lord, allow it to pass”. It would not. Then I sternly said to my wife, “Stop”. I did not say that I was slowly turning into Mount Vesuvius. In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius, a stratovolcano located in the modern-day region of Campania, Italy, erupted, causing one of the deadliest eruptions in history. My wife stopped. Peace prevailed. I bailed on visiting my grandchild. My wife and son went and had a great time. The restless volcano rested.
Once the hijacker was restrained and the threat neutralised, Captain Machar, despite losing significant amounts of blood and feeling the effects of his injuries, managed to divert the aircraft toward Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
I wondered what if the flight was over Iran, low on fuel, and was forced to land in Minab.
174 captive Israelites in the hands of Israel’s arch-enemy, Iran. Taken hostage and housed among the families of the 165 schoolgirls and staff killed on a Saturday in what Iran has described as a United States-Israeli attack on a girls’ school in the southern city of Minab.
Instead of using the hostages as tools to end the war, Iran does what Paul in Romans and Elisha in the Book of Kings do. They treat them with great care.
As the enemy came down toward Elisha, he prayed to the Lord, “Make these people blind.” So he made the Aramean army blind, as Elisha had asked. Elisha said to them, “This is not the right road or the right city. Follow me; I’ll take you to the man you are looking for.” Then Elisha led them to Samaria. After they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “Lord, open these men’s eyes so they can see.” So, the Lord opened their eyes, and the Aramean army saw that they were inside the city of Samaria!
When the king of Israel saw the Aramean army, he said to Elisha, “My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?” Elisha answered, “Don’t kill them. You wouldn’t kill people whom you captured with your sword and bow. Give them food and water, and let them eat and drink and then go home to their master.” So, he prepared a great feast for the Aramean army. After they ate and drank, the king sent them away, and they went home to their master. The soldiers of Aram did not come anymore into the land of Israel. (2 Kgs 6:18-23)
By staying quiet, I made peace with my wife. It was all so unnecessary. My in-laws were not home. There was no question of burdening the hosts. My daughter would have ordered us a meal. I would have got to spend some time with my granddaughter.
But not all was a loss. The Good Lord wanted me to write this reflection as a teaching that Satan is prowling at the door. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Pe 5:8) Do not return a missile for a missile. It leads to mutual destruction.
Therefore: “If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” (Rom 12:20). Not to incinerate, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit. To return kindness with kindness.
- Mathew Anthony
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