We’ve Gone Our Way and Learnt the Hard Way
“You are a morning person, Uncle”, my nephew remarked,
rubbing his eyes, as he tried to stay awake after a late night to make it to a
ride-hailing cab to sleep out the rest of the day at his home. “I start my day
with Holy Mass”, I said. I don’t know what awaits me for the rest of the day.
With God’s leading, I should get through it unscathed. And so, it is. If your
day was not so great, you may want to ask yourself how you start the
day.
“Everyone is looking for you!” my host at Siddapur, Orange
County/Evolve Back, Coorg, exclaimed. At the break of dawn, I had got up and
‘wandered’ off to Church. I stepped out of the estate gate, turned left and
kept walking. I was a recent convert - from Church-going to Going-to-Church. Later
in the morning, when my host came to the lodge to invite me to breakfast, I was
missing. That set in motion some commotion.
Why such a fuss over a missing person? Was this dacoit-infested
Chambal Valley? No, worse. It was inhabited by marauding elephants. They rarely
asked for ransom or spared their prey. This was Coorg. People don’t generally ‘wander’
at that hour. Wherever I had gone was cause for concern. When I returned, there was relief and mild
reprimand, mixed with wonder at how I found the church and found my way back
through the forest. This was my first time in Coorg. How did I do it? I have no
idea. I wanted to go to church, so I was led and returned safely to my host.
“Everyone is looking for you”. Not me, but Jesus. 35 Very
early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and
went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon
and his companions went to look for him, 37 and
when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
If we have a long day ahead with much to do – and to do it
right – it is best to take time off to pray and make the day regret-free. Jesus
had much to do. 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go
somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I
have come.” 39 So he travelled throughout
Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. (Mk 1:
35-39)
Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “I love Jesus” but
“Christians, hmmm”. Britishers colonised India with the intent to spread
Christianity. Instead, their unwelcome rule contradicted the very ethos of Christianity:
love for neighbour through humility, not dominance, as exemplified by Jesus.
12 When he had finished washing their
feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you
understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You
call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now
that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one
another’s feet. (Jn 13: 12-14)
How do we wash each other's feet? Ritually, perhaps, but we
can do better.
When you’re having a busy day or just immersed in a book or
movie at home. A loved one asks you something. Your flow is interrupted. You
can choose to ignore it or bookmark the page – bookmark as a metaphor – and
attend to what is being asked – and then return to your book or movie. You would
have washed “one another’s feet”. You were Jesus for that moment. The one you
visited just this morning.
Interruptions can be life-changing for you and for the one
whom you attended to as the Bible teaches us:
In Genesis 12:1-4, God interrupts
Abram’s life, asking him to leave his country, his people, and his father’s
household for a land He would show him. At the time, Abram was settled and
likely comfortable, as we were with the book, euphemistically speaking. This
divine interruption was radical. It marked the beginning of God’s covenant with
him, promising to make him the father of many nations. Abram’s willingness to
obey without hesitation underscores the importance of trusting God’s plan, even
when it disrupts our routine or comfort.
In Exodus 3, Moses was tending his
father-in-law’s flock when he noticed a bush that was on fire but not burning
up. When Moses approached, God spoke to him, calling him to deliver the
Israelites from slavery in Egypt. This interruption came when Moses was living
a quiet life in Midian, far removed from his earlier years in Egypt. God’s call
redirected his life toward a mission of liberation and leadership. Moses’
experience shows that God’s interruptions come when we least expect them, leading
to responsibilities and purpose.
In Acts 9, we read about Saul (later
known as Paul), a zealous persecutor of Christians, being interrupted on his
way to Damascus. As he travelled, a bright light from heaven flashed around
him, and Jesus spoke to him, asking, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” This
divine interruption completely changed Paul’s life. From a persecutor of
Christians, Paul became one of the most influential apostles, spreading the
gospel throughout the known world. His story reminds us that God can intervene
in even the most unexpected moments, redirecting us from destructive paths to
ones filled with purpose and transformation.
In Mark 5:25-34, while Jesus was on His
way to heal Jairus’ daughter, He was interrupted by a woman who had suffered
from a bleeding condition for twelve years. She believed that if she could
touch His cloak, she would be healed. When she did, Jesus felt power go out
from Him and stopped to address her. This interruption not only resulted in the
woman’s healing but also displayed Jesus’ compassion and willingness to be
interrupted. It shows us that divine interruptions are often opportunities for
healing, restoration, and deeper connection with God.
This morning, it seems like a
day when everyone is ‘rushing’ out. First, my nephew; then my wife. She was heading
to an unfamiliar address guided by the map sent by an acquaintance. I
interrupted, to her chagrin, to help set the map on the phone. She said she
would do it on the way since she was late. My normal reaction when I am trying
to help and it seems like an intrusion is to shrug my shoulders and walk away.
Knowing my wife’s custom of
multitasking while driving, which sends shivers through me, I insisted on
setting the map on the phone. In the process, I noticed the phone was on life
support. The consequences are clear. With the phone on the blink and no map, my
wife would be driving blind. She would not be able to multitask either – small
mercies. Nor would she return with the relative she was going to fetch. With
timely interruption, my wife came home with the relative, safe and sound.
Like interruptions, perceived
disruptions in our lives when relationships go wrong are a time for
introspection, not action. We need to go to basics. The issues in our
sacramental marriage, raising children, or home or workplace responsibilities.
These are priceless gifts from God. Matters may not go our way because of
differing expectations, but a sacrament must be honoured, not our selfish ego.
God intervenes if you let Him.
He will if you’re open to His will. He knows who is open to His will. They come
to Him in the morning. Others He has counted the times He has tried to help. We
went our own way and learnt the hard way. We returned, achieving nothing. Remember
the Prodigal Son?
-
Mathew Anthony
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