I came across the above photos taken on 16 October 2022, from the farmland below our cottage, of a green Asian bee-eater, who found its prey while perched on a cable. It stayed still and observant and noticing a dragonfly in its vicinity, flew to trap it between its bills. It was during about fifteen minutes of waiting, this bird found its feed.
Three years later, it is only occasionally I find this bird in the vicinity of our garden. They were regular visitors earlier. The farm field since getting converted into a rubber nursery, many birds have moved out of our vicinity.
These birds and others have been displaced by the changes brought by ' economic development action'!
This brought a greater awareness about the displaced people in different places in the world on account of land development, ethnic tensions, invasion by foreign county, racial conflicts, civil war, terrorist activities and natural calamities.
There is denial of wellness, if one is already vulnerable or socially or economically disadvantaged.
I happened to read yesterday from Seeds of Hope by Henry Nouwen, on 'war and Peace' (p179):
'As a community of peacemakers, it is our task first of all to recognise and affirm the great human gifts, the warmakers carry within themselves. We have to seem them as caring, loving and concerned human beings, who, just as we, desire peace and freedom, even though they are for fighting as the way to do it.
As much as we have to confess our own dark forces to each other, so much do we have to reveal the gifts of peace in those, whose lives and works we hope to change. When those who are for fighting recognise that they have real talents for peacemaking within and among them, they may become free enough to let go of their fears and claim their liberty to live together as brothers and sisters.... Many conflicts between people are rooted in their seep seated self-loathing. This makes them think little of themselves and makes them rely on suspicion than on trust. But to the degree that people recognise their human talents to make peace and claim as God-given gifts, the chances for disarmament become real. In the face of possibility of peace, war can gradually be considered very old-fashioned way of living together'.
It occurred to me that true disarmament springs from cultivating the habit of trust, fully knowing that trust deficit is a big gap too difficult to be overcome! However that alone is the journey, that shall set us free to develop a greater belonging to each other!
Jesus of Nazareth admonished His followers: 'Love your enemy, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly' (Luke 6:27-28).
Another photograph taken a few years ago, which captured my attention was the mosaic of colours in a garden! People are similar with diversity of colours of history and heritage, all blending well to create a humanity of co-pilgrims on earth.
I wish the preoccupation with 'what we shall eat, what we shall put on and where we shall live' will become less of a preoccupation !
The Asian bee-eater did not go hungry!
Is that not an invitation to make trust as our habit in our relationships!
If trust shall undergird and guide us, we create space for peace for all to dwell in harmony!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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