It
has been rightly said by Mazinni “A person may die, but the truth implanted by
him can never die.” History bears a
testimony to the indisputable powers of non violence and truth. There have been many people who have endured
great suffering and pain and emerged victorious in life. Lives of great people would bear testimony to
the courage of conviction and willingness to pay the price for the same. Such people live on in the minds and hearts
of people. Their example motivates and
inspires others to take the road less traveled.
And yet stories of hatred, violence, despair and destruction loom large
in the news headlines. Confronted with
problems, pain, unjust suffering and challenging situations, farmers, students,
couples and others often take the short cut of ending their lives. Suicide, murder, violence seem to take the
upper hand. Some people think that
might is right and muscle power can settle scores. Endurance and perseverance often take a back
seat.
It
is in this context we must reflect on the crucifixion and death of Christ on
Good Friday. A man who went around doing
good, who made the lame walk, the lepers clean, the deaf hear and the dump
speak was accused and condemned due to vested interests, by religious leaders
of his time who could not face the light of truth as propounded by Jesus of
Nazareth. Those who believed in
religious fundamentalism, who never practiced what they preached, who only
practiced piety to get appreciation and approval those who ignored the cries of
the poor, fabricated cases against the innocent Messiah and felt victories in
his physical death. This very act paved
the way for eternal life; Jesus destroyed death by dying on the cross and confirmed
eternal life for humanity by rising from the dead on the third day.
Christ’s
death on the cross signified the victory of love over hatred and cruelty. The Roman soldiers had spears and swords and
their hatred towards him would culminate in his death on the cross. But their
hatred and cruelty received only one response – forgiveness. All through Jesus’s life there have been two
great approaches to life, one against the other. On the one side was hatred and on the other
was love. They beat him with a whip
until his back was an open wound. They
drove nails through his hands and suspended him upon a cross. All day long the battle raged. Hate surrounded him on all sides. But love upheld him. When the battle was over, hate lay beaten in
the dust. Christ’s non-violence
represents the impotence of hatred when confronted by the power of love.
The
cross is also a symbol of faith’s victory over cynicism and despair. Many of us, unfortunately, seldom recognize
this hidden conflict. We have given up
searching for the meaning of life or contemplating over its apparent
absurdities. We are too busy with the
mundane. Fortunately, for the most part,
life treats us reasonably well on the surface.
But this is not true of all people.
Many have more than their share of tragedy. The pain and injustice that they see on every
side cause them to lose all faith in God and in life. If ever there was a person who had the right
to doubt God, and to despair of the human race, and to become cynical about
life, that person was Jesus. But listen
to him as he prays for his persecutors, “Father forgive them, they know not
what they are doing.” Listen to him as
he tells a dying thief that they will be together in paradise. Listen to him as he says, “Father, into your
hands I commit my spirit.” Through all
the injustice and pain, his faith in goodness and justice did not fail. He kept on believing in God, he kept on
believing in people, believing in life.
At Calvary, Faith won a resounding victory over cynicism and despair.
Finally,
the Cross represents the victory of non-victory over force. Jesus looked so weak on that cross that
day. He had no sword and no spear, and
not even one soldier on his side. All
his kith and kin were onlookers from afar. The only thing he could do was to
pray to seek forgiveness for his enemies and then die. The world had never witnessed a more pitiful
display of willful helplessness than that.
Though he could, he did not call a battalion of angels to come to his
defense. He simply died. For some time it simply seemed that violence
was the victor. But two thousand years
later, we commemorate not the military might, but a man who died on the cross. That apparent defeat at Calvary has turned
out to be the greatest victory of all time.
It has given Jesus an
unparalleled place in history. Without
striking a blow, he has conquered more hearts and changed more minds and
inspired more deeds than Caesar’s soldiers ever dreamed.
Mahatma
Gandhi applied the power of non violence to political situation on a mass scale
against the strongest colonial power and then established that non violence is
the weapon of the strong and not the weak.
He often spoke of soul force and brute force. Gandhi said, “An eye for an eye will make
both blind.” Though non violence and
truth, Mahatmas Gandhi could bring political freedom tour country and at the
same time he dreamed for a greater freedom of the spirit.” The non violent suffering of our countrymen
reminded us that the Cross really is a symbol of victory. It is not strange that on Good Friday we
celebrate faith rather than doubt. Two
thousand years have passed that only non-violence can combat and defeat brute
force. Do we dare to believe it? But what is more important, do we dare to try
it?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Fr. Davis George, Principal, St. Aloysius College
(Autonomous), accredited A+ by NAAC,
College with Potential for Excellence, Jabalpur - 482001.
Email: dgeorge55@gmail.com
This entry was posted in Good Friday Message
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