The crowing Cock

I no more need an alarm to get up early in the morning as this Cock in the picture habitually crows around the same time every day. It was only a few days back, I was able to have distant view of this cock, while Anna and I were on our evening walk.

Traditionally the people of Switzerland depended on the bells that chimed hourly for being informed of the chronological time, when people did not have individual wrist watches about 200 years back. 

Similarly in this part of India, it was the cock that woke up the farmers  office goers, school going children, working women, etc. early in the morning, when people did not have individual wrist watches  or alarm clocks, until recently. The Cocks in the neighbourhood produced a cacophony of sounds as they would crow in unison or reciprocally around the same time in the morning.  The rural neighbourhood would have many of them as most individual households reared Cocks and Hens for eggs and meat. Now it is a rare sight even in rural areas as the life style of people has changed from agrarian to white or blue collar jobs. 

A cock is both beautiful and majestic. It protects the Hens and accompanies them during the day, while they go searching for food in the neighbourhood. The Cock is alert and quick to sense any danger. It would crow if it senses a danger from predators in a special way that the hens escape from the sight. 

I continue to be amazed by many roles which animals and birds play to make our lives easy to live. The nature is rich with God’s abundance of provision for our well living.

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)     

Cheerful visitors!

A group of medical students dropped in a week a before Christmas, asking ‘how we can we help in decorating the department for the children’s Christmas get-together!’. So they spent an afternoon getting the hall ready to welcome children two days later.

During that visit, I heard them say about their wish to help in different departments as they have spare time time in between their class timings and personal study. They were most vocal about the value of getting involved in different activities, to get a sense of the different ways a hospital reaches out to  people in need.

To me, their cheerful intent was in itself a Christmas gift. Several experiences during the last one year, during our involvement with the students made me aware that the students look to us for being guided into creative explorations to offer service.

It is this youthful spirit, the champions of anti-corruption campaign have used to create a movement of protest against of politics of convenience and gain. 

I wish we would be more responsive to the needs of the youth for identity, belonging and adventure. When we can engage them at that wave length, they would be our intimate associates to respond the channellisation of  their youthful energy and passion creatively.

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

    

During a walk !

During the morning walk, I sighted these two scenes during the same week, the butterfly and the warblers both of them engaged in something that drew my attention.

The butterfly was feeding on the honey and providing pollination. The warblers were engaged in romantic communication and pairing. 

The nature is the theatre where life is formed and nourished. It happens all the time and only occasionally we pause to receive the fullness that it can bring to us!

I continued my walk on both days carrying the sights in my heart. I started my walk in an agitated mood over what happened in the shop the previous day, when the shop keeper refused to me give me a change of five rupees saying that he had no coin or currency equivalent to that. I felt intimidated and exploited over his behaviour.

As I watched these and some other sights during the walk, I realised that we are surrounded by larger scene of beauty, richness, provisions and profoundness. I had dropped my camera case during the walk, which someone found and brought back walking all the way to where I lived.

We are easily prone to be irritable, angry and reactive. We need to guard ourselves from such a tendency knowing that we get good deals and acts of kindness most of the times. 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)  

Teenagers of today!

I have some opportunities to be involved with teenagers in my place of work. I have had  some pleasantly surprising experiences recently during my contact with them.

Two boys talked about their habit of foregoing two meals a week and transferring the saved cost of the food to a children’s home, which they visit once a month and spend an evening with the children at the home. They come back refreshed from their visit knowing how the children live contented lives in spite of having to grow up without parents who died due to AIDS or natural calamities. The children continue to challenge them to live more prudently rather than getting carried away by the fancies and fantasies of adolescence.

Three girls spent all the days of their extended week end designing and decorating a children’s resource centre and made the place visually friendly for children. They keep dropping in to be involved with the children during the weekly play group.

Three other students got involved to help a family  who needed assistance to send their son to vocational training and continue to support his education.

I came across an initiative by the students to make the campus green and be free of plastic waste, which is making some impact.

Anna was able to get 23 medical students to register with the indian Council of Medical Research to do a small research project during their third year of medical study.

Yes, teenaged have their mind of their own and can go either way: in  a creative way or self seeking way.

It is for this reason, they would need mentoring. To accompany them thoughtfully and staying with then in their ups and downs is worth it because such acts of kindness would make a change in their lives. I wonder whether we make enough ti me to do this!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Know no limits

One of the highlights of the activities of the department in 2013 where I work, in connection with its first anniversary was a T-shirt design competition for the students of the medical and nursing colleges. One of the designs which was picked up by the judges was this with the caption, ‘Know no limits’. This was designed by a student who has overcome  some difficulties and and is on a journey to actualise his dream. 

I liked the emphasis on ‘knowing’. The phrase reminds us of an ongoing process which does not stop at any time in our lives. We need to know about ourselves, others, environment, opportunities, challenges, … and the source of our life and being, who is God.

This journey of knowing is fascinating to those who view  knowledge as a mystery. There is much which can be known and there is a lot that would remain unknown to human mind.

This calls us to believe that the journey of knowing involves pushing the boundary of knowledge further and further.

I feel that those who have various types of needs in the intellectual, physical, language or social domains are constantly challenged by the circumstances to overcome the difficulties and hostility in the environment. They thrive on the collective determination to challenge the ‘limits’ others or the environment impose on them.

One child of ten years who visited us last week with limitations in independent walking told me that his desire is to walk freely and play cricket. I thought he had a realistic expectations.

We impose limits on ourselves. This captions suggests that we free ourselves from our self imposed limits.

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Being child-like

I was at a function recently when the children’s play area in the Christian Medical College, Vellore was dedicated and inaugurated by Bishop Mar Aprem of the Chaldean Church. After he cut the ribbon and offered the dedication prayer, he moved around the play area and sat in the swing to the delight of all of us who were watching him. Bishop Aprem is well know for his friendly and  cheerful disposition so much so he looked younger than before, when I met him this time. 

Bishop Aprem published about seventy books among which his collections of jokes are oft quoted and widely read. He has a gift to be original in narrating jokes. His jokes are a good blend of morals and humour.

Knowing him to be ‘set free’ in his spirit with joy and gladness, it was hilarious to see him in the swing.

While travelling after a meeting, I happened to be seated next to him in the train compartment. He narrated some lovely and stimulating experiences of his biography starting from his childhood. He started writing down jokes, he heard at the meetings, as an exercise to stay awake during the long deliberations of the meetings. He is a keen observer of human behaviour and advocates spirituality of integrity and contemplation. He relates to others easily and lovingly. He listens patiently and attentively.

I was glad to have met a Bishop, whose way of living corresponds to what Jesus challenged us to be: 'become like little children’.  

M.C.Mathew.    

Flowers and Candles

This is a common sight on the altars of many Churches.

I have often wondered how the candles and flowers came to be added on to the altar which used to be the only symbol on the altar in the early centuries!

The Cross continues to be at the centre of the altar in most churches and is central to the faith traditions of all denominations although some denominations do not use the symbol of the cross visibly on the altar. The cross is a converging symbol of our faith and hope. It inspires, challenges and and evokes worshipful fervour in human hearts. The cross is a symbol inviting us for meditation, reflection and celebration. Its sacredness gets trivialised sometimes when it is used as a symbol of power, authority and control.

The flowers have another effect on us. The flowers on the altar symbolise the fragile human beings, whom God invites to His sacred presence. The Jesus of Nazareth, who said referring to His crucifixion, that ‘if I be lifted up from the earth then shall I draw people to myself’, is always on a journey to find us .The flowers on the altar remind us of where we belong to. We belong to God and is being drawn to His presence. Every time we look at the flowers on the altar, we ought to be thankful that the cross is the cause for our inclusion into God’s presence. The flowers share the fragrance and beauty to others.  The flowers therefore remind us that we  come to the sanctuary to experience God’s nearness to us and we return from the sanctuary with the blessing to be  a means of grace to others.

The candles have traditionally been a symbol of light that we are called to be. Jesus Himself said that, ‘you are the light of the world’.

 The altar is place of communion- God meets with us in silence.

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)