Do you see? What do you see?

The disciples were in a storm (Mark 6: 45-52). They are straining against the oars: definitely a terrifying and life-threatening situation. But what is more terrifying and life threatening is their dullness of mind. It is said that their minds were hardened. Jesus walks towards them on the water and they were busy and preoccupied with the waters under his feet. Only negative thoughts come to their minds; and rightly so when they saw Jesus coming to them they thought a ghost was coming. When our mind is dull we stop seeing, and often begin to see wrong things. Their negative thinking makes the situation worse. Jesus in fact was not worried about the storm but the dullness of their minds. We see something similar with the disciples running off to their little village Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-35). Jesus had openly spoken to them about his suffering, death and resurrection. Now Jesus was dead, buried, and the women disciples had already brought the news of resurrection to them; but we see them running away in terror to their little comfort zone. Their hearts were dull, and they could not recognise Jesus.

Active mind

Here too the disciples had just witnessed the miracle of the loaves; and so soon they had lost their sense of wonder, belief in the impossible, and belief in miracles. If our minds are dull we will continue to live in the storms of life. We will continue to return back to Emmaus, our little village in fear and uncertainty.

This is a tragedy that can set in our lives, relationships, and vocation: we lose the sense of wonder, and nothing amuses us anymore. Life becomes a series repetitions, routines and rituals. And I feel if religion has anything to do with modern lives it is to rekindle in people the sense of wonder, hope in the impossible; in other words, to enlighten minds.

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wandababerMarch 4, 2022 at 11:51 PM
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