Back to the senses …

It was during our recent all-Kerala 'Dharma Rajya Sandesha Yatra'. The drunken man was quite a nuisance. Ever since our artist began her performance in the street corner he was showing all sorts of vulgar signs at her. A policeman who was standing in the crowd told him to behave himself. But there was no change, he kept on creating nuisance for the lady artist. Finally the policeman gave him a hard slap. The drunkard seemed to have regained his senses. He left the scene. Many of us need a similar ‘shock treatment' to wake us up from our drunkenness of various kinds. People today are intoxicated with many things ....... Some are addicted to alcohol and drugs. ‘Consumerism' is an intoxication for the modern world. TV has also become an addiction for many. Cricket is an obsession for most Indians. 'Novenas' and 'devotions' are becoming religious addictions for many. Over eating is a regular indulgence ..... so goes the woes of modern man. A tragedy, an accident or sickness, death of a dear one, betrayal by a trusted friend, something shocking is needed to wake us up, and bring us back to our senses. These 'shock treatments' often turn out to be blessings in disguise for many of us. An encounter with death in air accident was needed to wake me up from my addiction to consumerism and materialism at one stage in my life. A family break up was necessary to wake up one of my friends from his eternal laziness. A ‘crash' in his business enterprise was required to save another friend from an impending health disaster. Tragedies have a potential either to bring out the best in us or the worst in us. It all depends on how we respond to them. 'When things get tough, the tough get going. All sufferings have hidden within them great redemptive powers. We only have to discover and use them wisely. It is here that one can come to understand the significance of the 'cross of Christ'.