The
Lenten-Musings 39
Wednesday,
February 27
Read:
Mark 7:24-30
People Fall. Some fall in
their credibility, some fall from positions of authority, while some fall from
grace. All these create a negative and a cascading effect in the minds of all. Recently
there was one fall, that people just laughed, not because the person fell, but
the way the person organized herself after the not so pleasant incident in a very
high flying programme. The world and the media are talking about the fall of Oscar
award winner Jennifer Lawrence. The incident happened on Oscar night, when the
winners of different category was being announced. Jennifer Lawrence won the Oscar
for best actress, for her role in the
movie "Silver Linings Playbook". But as she went to receive her Oscar,
she tripped and fell. For a moment, that tripping overshadowed her walk to
receive the Oscar. Though the tripping incident was considered not a good
gesture in front of an august audience, the fall became the talk of town. What
made people love Jennifer and her fall on
the steps leading to the podium, was the way she responded at the press
conference in a very genuine and funny manner when the people from the media
tried to belittling her about her fall. Here was an actress who has made it to
the top, yet being mocked in full glare. But she handles the pressure and
negativity in a very composed manner. At the backstage when someone from the
press asked her whether she purposely fell, her reply was "Of course it
was". The answer to the next
question was something that she was very genuine. To the question about what
was going through her mind as she tripped and fell, she innocently replied that
she said a bad word. People in the press conference and the actress were just
enjoying the conversation. That is when she was asked what was the process that
she undertook to come to Oscar?. Pat comes the reply that she woke up, tried a
dress, took a shower, got her hair done and came to Oscar. Here is a lady, an
actress, who is on the top of world, yet
very genuine, simple not trying to prove to the world or show to the world
about the accolades and the honour that she received, on the contrary trying to
be as simple and genuine. Neither having any arrogance nor showing off to the
world that she is the award winner.. What should be emphasized in each of our
life, should be the ability to be genuine in our life, genuine when we are in
the heights of glory or even when we become the laughing stock in front of
others. Genuiness is very rare and that is something that we need to cultivate
in our life.
In Mark 7: 24- 30, we find Jesus
exalting a woman for the way she replies, for the way she responds to life when
things were not going the way she desired. This incident happened in the region
of Tyre, where Jesus encounters a Syrophoencian woman, whose daughter is not
well. She seeks the help of Jesus, but at this point of time, Jesus uses a
different approach to understand her need and her genuiness both about her need
and about her approach to life especially in related to the suffering of her
daughter. The way Jesus treats the woman, especially someone who has come to
seek help may be assumed very distressing. But, here is Jesus testing the genuiness of her
faith and her coming to his presence. Though the words of Jesus seems to be
very taunting she is calm and composed. When Jesus tells her that it is not right for children's bread
to be tossed and given to the dogs, she replies that she would be comfortable
even if she gets the crumbs that lie under the table. Here is a woman whose
focus is only to alleviate her daughter's suffering and hence she is willing to
be very humble and genuine in her approach to Jesus Christ. What Jesus appreciated
through her reply, I feel is that He
found the woman to be very unassuming, genuine and innocent even in times of
adversity. It is this genuiness that leads to healing of her daughter. Though Jennifer
Lawrence tripped and fell in front of an august audience, she was very genuine
and sincere to acknowledge who she was and
responded without any pretense about the so called infamous incident. What is
needed in our life which our Lord teaches us that, we need to be living our life in genuine way,
life without any pretense, so that others can truly see who we are, appreciate
our true identity and our worth. When we are genuine and comfortable with
ourselves we will be comfortable everywhere and with others too. Let us build
up a life of genuiness in this time of Lent.
