The
Lenten-Musings 35
Thursday,
February 21
Read:
Mark 5: 1-20
It is quite
normal for many of us to offer a penny or food when we see someone begging or
homeless. The first lessons on giving are taught by parents to their children
is by normally giving something to the
man on the street. For many people it would be strange news when they know that
in United States there are sizable people who are homeless and are in dire
needs of food, shelter and clothing. Hence looking at the countless people who
are homeless and in need of food, organizations especially those organizations related to church's do food
drive or help out in community kitchen to feed the homeless. However, a recent
news item about laws regarding helping the homeless is creating ripples and
sense of disgust among the minds of common people. According to laws that have
been passed by different city council, feeding the homeless is banned and if
you are caught feeding the homeless then you could be fined. This depends on
which city that you live. Some of the cities that have banned feeding the
homeless is Philadelphia, New York, Orlando, Houston, Las Vegas and the list
goes on. In other cities where feeding the homeless is not banned, many
requirements are put if you want to feed the homeless. The requirements like
taking food preparation course, acquiring expensive permits are some of them.
One may feel absurd at why such rule has been imposed. When asked as to why
feeding the homeless is banned, the
reasons are varied. Some cities feel that there are health risk involved when
so called good samaritans distribute food, while other feel that they don't
want the homeless people to congregate in one particular part of the city where
they will be fed and many other such reasons. The city has in fact asked the
law enforcement agencies to help them to enforce this rule. In a country where
more and more people are denied place in shelter homes, and are now on the streets, when government is
finding it hard financially in helping these homeless people, it is strange
that instead of looking at a humanitarian way of solving the issue of feeding
and taking care of the homeless, the government, city and civic official are turning
to the law books, to eradicate the issue
of homeless people. The reasons that the
city gives in banning the feeding of the homeless could be justified according to
them, but then one needs to think
whether an alternate provisions in the law has been created or envisaged so
that the homeless do not go hungry or are denied shelter homes. I think we live
today, where we want our world to be beautiful, where we don't want the sight
of the homeless, the poor, the wanderer
to be a part of our environment. And the best way to drive them away is to annihilate
them. At this time of lent, it is important that we think whether we can widen
our world to incorporate into our world and whether we could be sensitive to
the need of those people who are denied the basic rights like food, shelter and
clothing.
In Mark 5,
we find Jesus Christ making a deviation
in his journey. He deliberately goes to the land of Gerasenes. His intention of
going to Gerasenes is because in that mountain, in that valley lives a demon possessed
man. A man who lives all by himself, a man who lived by the tomb. Mark describes the man as someone who was
very strong, that nobody could bind him
even with chains and a man who always hurt himself and cry out. A man who lives
isolated life or a man who has been condemned by the people, the society to
live isolated life. It is to this unknown man that Jesus goes and searches for
him. As Jesus comes in searching for him, the man is surprised and shouts to
Jesus Christ, asking him what is it that He wants to do with him, or in other sense
what is the relationship or the cause that makes Jesus Christ to come to him.
The man request Jesus Christ not to hurt him. He is already hurt, his life is
in a mess and in isolation. It is from this crisis of isolation, the crisis of
isolation and being denied of one's basic right, that Jesus Christ brings
healing to this man, making him well. In v: 15, we find that when Jesus heals him,
he becomes normal; dressed and in the right state of mind. A man who lived in social
isolation or was forced to live in isolation is brought back to the main frame
of the society, to the same society which denied his basic right of shelter, food and
clothing. Here is Jesus Christ teaching through his encounter with Legion, that
the need of the hour is not to shunt out those people who are homeless or who
are different from us out from the main frame of the society, on the contrary
work or plan in such a way that every person feels that he/she is part of the society,
irrespective of his financial, or social status. Jesus teaches us to widen our
world so that we could incorporate those less fortunate people, also to be a
part of our wide world. Let us therefore not think how to annihilate those who
are less fortunate, on the contrary devise laws and reforms so that the issue
of poverty, distribution of wealth and food are all seen in the right
perspective, thus making our world more humane and also sensitive to the needs
of the less fortunate ones. That is what we need to do this lent.
