In the darkness of the night, it is possible to see one’s self. It is rarely pretty. If one is willing, you can see father than you thought possible. It is easy to get depressed. I know that my life is filled with petty actions and thoughts. One might aspire to greatness however the road is often filled with anything but.
I listen to the rhetoric of a wisdom father and wonder. “Believe me, I do my level best to keep a clear conscience before God and my neighbors in everything I do.” (Acts 24.16) How could anyone be that good?
We turned the corner just past the usual road into the slums of Bangalore and Parikrama’s school.
“Do you see that shop selling coconuts?”
“You mean the shack with a tin roof, leave siding, and a tin back?”
“Yes, that is the one. It is the home of one of our students.”
“Really? How is s/he doing?”
“Very well. He has been with us from the beginning.”
“Amazing.”
“There is more. He is sitting for the entrance exam for engineering school next Thursday.”
“How, why?”
“We believe in him. He believes and has worked hard.”
It is one thing to talk a good game. It is another to put one’s time and energy where one thinks that one can make a difference. Yet, everything fades in the reality of someone from the slum that consistently acts on an opportunity in the midst of a harsh unforgiving environment. In the beginning, the odds were against him. There were unlimited reasons why he should not have succeeded. Yet, he has a world of opportunity in front of him. He knows this within his heart. He belongs.
The last statement says it all. He belongs and always has.
Yes, he has done much. He deserves to be recognized and rewarded. His work speaks to anyone willing to pay attention. He will not go quietly. He will contribute to his world. Anything is possible, especially in the dark night of my soul. We belong to God, then and now.
