Beyond darkness !

Th above picture of the woodland beyond the stream below our property, taken from our courtyard in the morning, when the dark clouds covered the sky, gave me an alarm signal of the impending torrential rain!  The wind was getting stronger and branches of the trees were swaying. The cacaphony of birds was in the air. The electricity connection was put off centrally. The darkness was thickening outside and inside!

Amidst that disturbing scene of the fury of nature, what surprised was the bright sky below the thick and dark clouds in the picture below. At the top of a tree, a Bulbul had found its secure place amidst the wind and rain. The patchy bright sky, although surrounded by the thick dark clouds all around, prompted me to look for more sights that can counter the mood of fear!

 

That was when, I heard the bird call of a Magpie Robin. It was different from the other distress calls of birds in the garden. It was a tuneful bird call like what a Magpie Robin would give away in the morning, when it is calling out for another Magpie Robin for courtship. It took a while to locate this bird which was perched on a cable, a distance away. It did not stop to sing. The visibility dropped further and the noise level with the pouring rain drowned the bird call. Its voice was heard only feebly amidst the roar of at the rain, but it did not stop to sing. 

My attention turned to the flowers in our garden (below). They looked bright even in the darkness of the morning. The sight of the singing bird and the shining flowers turned my thoughts to the realities beyond darkness. There is another dimension of peace amidst darkness!

After the rain receded, I got out to see how the rain affected the flowers in the garden. I found some battered flowers, like the one below. But the ants had crawled on to the flower for nectar soon after the rain.

Some flowers like the one  below did not suffer from the fury of the rain. That brought to light that some flowers are fragile and more vulnerable. Some flowers are conditioned to survive the  force of the falling rain. 

The darkness covered the land and trees initially. The sky then brought light from a patch of brightness. A Bulbul stayed on the top of a tree with no cover above. A Magpie Robin was singing tunefully during the rain. Some flowers were battered by the rain and some survived well. 

The above thoughts summarise what was beyond darkness!

The human psyche has a tendency to feel the traction to notice the darkness and loose sight and thought of many hope giving scenes beyond the darkness. 

I reflect on this theme, when the news of a terrible moral darkness is in the public domain,  created by human behaviour in Manipur, when a crowd of people paraded naked women in the street, while the crowd watched and cheered. This happened about two months ago and the news was blocked as internet and social media remained suspended in Manipur state for two months. 

It is a dark hour for a civilised society. It is beyond comprehension that this could happen! More horror stories of hate, violence, murder and setting fire to  houses and places of worship are trickling in!

Amidst this moral darkness, there are stories of small groups of people giving shelter to those who lost their houses and the belongings. There are others who run community kitchens. There are volunteers all over the country who are engaged in initiating a relief package for those who suffered. Those who lost their lives have left behind families who have lost the earning members, for which the volunteers are providing some respite. 

Florence Nightingale lit the light of hope when she cared for people injured in the war. Mother Teresa carried the homeless from the road side to shelters of safety and care. Baba Amte created a place, Anandwan, a home  of hope for those displaced from their homes and society when they were found to have leprosy. The political ideologue, Rahul Gandhi, walked recently 4000 kilometres across India with the purpose of 'Bharat Jodo' (unite India) meeting thousands of people to give hope when the country has been divided by an ideological thrust imposed by a political party. 

We do not sit or live in darkness, but are lights in darkness.  

This message came to me alive when I read the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews, in the New Testament of the Bible, where we have a long list of people who lived to bring hope beyond the adversity they faced. 

The 12th chapter of the book of Hebrews, begins with a call, 'Since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let also lay aside every encumbrance,... and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us'. 

The darkness is therefore the reason for us to light our candles and allow them to stay in the lamp stand. Every act of kindness, self giving, thoughtfulness and service is like a lighted candle in darkness. Let us live carrying our lighted candles. 

The darkness is not the end; Light and hope would be the outcome even if we have to tarry!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)