We're all in with a chance

 

Within the last two weeks, the world has witnessed two defining, human tragedies,occurring at sea.  Each saw the sad loss of life and let's be very clear - the loss of any life is significant and to be acknowledged as such.  Basically, all life is precious.  I start with this introduction as what sruck me, in following both these stories, was how conflicted and distorted a picture of humanity arose before my eyes.  

The first tragedy featured a shaky boat, full of  fleeing north Africans and west Asians, seeking asylum in Europe. It sank in the Mediterranean under the watch, of the Greek Coast Guard.  Hundreds were lost at sea.  A few days later, a sumersible with five passengers, wealthy men of privilege, was off an adventure to view the Titanic, when it went missing.  The alarm was raised and what pursued was a massive, international search and rescue mission, undertaken at great expense, only to find that the tiny vessel had imploded.  All five were lost.  The response to each tragedy could not have been so starkly different, with the two responses highlighting a frightening divide in how humanity views and treats humanity.     

Whoever the person is - gender, race, creed, socio-economic status - we are all human beings, deserving equal respect and enjoying equal dignity.  What the two observed and contrasting responses did was to put into question this basic premise about the value of life.  What is evidenced when comparing the responses to these two tragedies is that the world showed much greater attention and concern to the plight of the five lost in the submersible, over the hundreds of asylum seekers lost in the Meditarranean.  

We can then rightly suppose that the world cares more for people of wealth and privilege, than people who are poor, vulnerable and desperate.  As I look at the world's comparative lack of concern for a lost boatload of  poor people, fleeing poor countries, caught in conflict, I shake my head and think, "How unethical our world is".   

This is just wrong for human life is human life, end of story.  Put politics and all other external considerations aside.  No matter who they are, what their purpose may be or where they come from, dignity belongs to all human beings and all life is precious.  What a tragic and unethical world is one that judges and discriminates human being against human being, saying that one is worth more than another, based on mere externals.  In doing so, our world is denying many their chance in life, simply because they are poor, different and threatening our comforts.  

Life is life.  We are all in it together.   Pope Francis is right in observing that humanity is "suffering from a famine of fraternity".   I hate to finish on a negative note as this world is a good place to be; this is a good time to be alive and every human being is precious.  These are basic truths that we ever need to affirm.      

Prepare yourselves with enthusiasm

"Prepare yourselves with enthusiasm" are the words of encouragement, which Pope Francis delivered to the youth of the world, as World Youth Day 2023 approaches. 

Approach the journey with enthusiasm, approach the journey of life with enthusiasm.  This is good advice for life, not just for going to World Youth Day.  

In offering it, Francis also gives us a recipe for having an enthusiam for life.  

1)  Be people with a vision, dreaming dreams and not just being overcome by the burdens of life.  

2)  Have hope, hope rooted on good values and a sure forundation, such that our vision is ever possibble.  

3)  Live, going forward, being firmly rooted in who we are and where we come from.      

And so the admonition for living a good and fruitful life is that we always go forward 

Siempre avanti!  

 

Do we really get it?

Thailand's tallest building in Bangkok

As I passed a spot well-known to me, early one recent morning, I happened to look up and saw a sight that immediately took my attention.  I had to take a photo and place it on Facebook, which I did.  It attracted many Likes and some interesting comments. 

A few commented on how quiet the street was for Bangkok.  One comment hinted at it being late at night.  Good guess but it was rather early morning, before the masses hit the streets.  Another comment made me smile as the question was - Is this building falling apart or is it meant to look like that?  

I smiled as this building was constructed at great expense to be not just the country's tallest building, but one of its most creative and outstanding ones.  The locals refer to it as the Jigsaw Building.  

During the same week, I read a recent line of Pope Francis that stays with me.  He said - "In today's world, the feelings of belonging to the same humanity are weakening" (Fratelli Tutti 30).  I think, 'how true'.   

I was then talking with a good friend about a world that seems to be less caring about the plight of the other.  As we lose our sense of connectedness, we will care less.  We agreed that we live in a less caring world.  There is a war in Ukraine.  Who really cares?  There is a war in Sudan.  Who really cares?  There is a war in Myanmar.  Who really cares?  

Yet the truth is that, as we care less about the other, so we impact more negatively upon our own plight.  This is because the reality is that all of humanity is interconnected.  We all belong together.  The truth is that, as chaos or catastrophe hits one part of humanity, so it impacts upon all of humanity.  If we believe we can protect or hide ourselves from the plight suffered by the rest of humanity, we are living in a fool's paradise.   . 

As the human race is seemingly tearing itself apart, for whatever reason, a related prophecy is given by Francis - "The dream of building justice and peace seems like a utopia of another era".  

Do we really get it?  Or do we just see flawed buildings which, in truth are works of art?  

Time for a story

Meeting God  (Author and Source Unknown) 

There was once a little boy who wanted to meet God.  He knew it was a long trip to where God lived.  So he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer, and he started his journey. 

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman.  She was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons.  The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase.  He was about to take a drink from his root beer, when he noticed the old lady looked hungry.  So he offered her a Twinkie.  She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.  Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again.  So he offered her a root beer.  Once again she smiled at him.  The boy was delighted.  They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.  

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman and gave her a hug.  She gave him her biggest smile ever.  When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face.  She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?"  He replied, "I had lunch with God."  But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what?  She's got the most beautiful smile I have ever seen!"      

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home.  Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?"  She replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God."  But before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."