A common sight outside most homes in the villages around us is the hanging rubber sheets for drying in the sun.
Many houses in our neighbourhood have rubber trees in their backyard, from which they receive the sap to make the rubber sheets. This was a source of steady income for families who live their retired lives. But the prices of the rubber sheet declining, it is not even economical to tap the trees as some families do not recover the cost of hiring workers to tap the trees. Those who planted rubber trees twenty five years and had hoped for good income for about fifty years now resort to selling the trees for timber, which give then better price!
The farmers have a strong feeling that industries receive more benefits than farming from the government sources. There is lot of truth in it.
This points to another existential struggle in this culture. Most people feel compelled to have large houses. They take loans to build the palatial houses and spend a good portion of their income paying back the bank learn taken to build houses.
Do we need large houses when the current norm is a small family!
We have large church buildings to meet for worship, which are built with imposing appearance. Do we need such edifices!
I heard yesterday a Catholic Bishop admonishing the listeners in the Maramon Convention that the congregations ought to be concerned about a dwelling place for the poorer people in their community rather than build large church buildings or spend for celebrations and festivals. I saw a procession about one kilometer long taken out, at the occasion of the festival of a church, with every other person carrying a decorated umbrella! It was a sight of extravagance! Jesus of Nazareth received only greetings with palm leaves, while He rode on a donkey to the synagogue for attending the festival of Passover!
I feel that it is the time to review the way we live! Can we live with less creature comfort with more mindfulness of people around us!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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