On Tuesday, I did the usual at 12pm whereby I ate lunch at my camp's cookhouse.
It was a delicious and satisfying meal, though I couldn't remember what I ate for that particular lunch. I then proceeded to empty my tray and plate in the washing area. As I was making my way to the wash basin, I saw a bird on a table, eating the remnants of food that was left on it.
A bird? What so special about it? As I was moving closer to it, it started to panicked. By nature, any bird should fly away but this bird didn't, or should I say it couldn't do so fast enough. To my horror, I saw the feet of the bird. It has no claws at all! It was just two little stumps jutting out of its body. It looked to me more like sticks than feet. The bird was all alone and it was staring at me with fear. After a while, it manages to slide off the table and flew away.
I was astound for a moment. I was thinking, what kind of bird was that! It looked weird and out of the norm. I then looked around me and I saw many other birds congregating, but the poor little bird 'stood' there all alone, isolated at one little corner. Why was the bird all alone? Was it because of its feet or the absence of them?
It hit me hard as I saw that sight. Somehow, I related it back to what I see around me every day. It seems to me that this world has a way of treating things that are different. We see how humans treat humans with physical disabilities. Whenever we see a person with cleft lips or distorted facial features, what comes into our minds? Sadly, for many of us, the first thought is always, " Eww, what a weirdo." We find it uncomfortable and we tend to avoid association with these people. How often do we offer our help to the blind when they are boarding a train? It seems to me more often than not, help was called for before it can be offered. Seldom do we see it the other way round. Is it always part of our natural instinct that we tend to shun away from people that are different, that are less fortunate as compared to us? What really is the real reason when we help these people? Is it to show to others how helpful and caring we are? Were the acts of kindness really genuine concern towards the unfortunate or were they just a show to glorify oneself? Are we like those birds that congregate around each other?
I find myself guilty of these at times too. On many occasions, I just shun away from a beggar with obviously 2 legs gone. Somehow, as the years go by, this heart of mine have grown cold. "Let him be!" says my heart for the love once present no longer lives within me.
His disciple asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."
John 9:2-3
LORD, I come before you with shame, for many times in my life I've stripped myself off the love that you clothed upon me. The mercy and grace you laid upon me was forgotten, resulting in my ignorance and arrogance towards the unfortunate. May you once again light up the passion within me, so that I may be filled with the great power of your love. Let me be the work of God, the work of God that will be displayed in their lives...
Forgive us LORD for our selfishness......