Holiday Reflections - Part 2

by Surath Fernando

Whilst I respect and admire the spirituality and religious leanings of the country. It is the people who I have met and their stories that have moved me the most. In particular, it is one person who has shown me the power of combining spirituality with religiosity.

He is a priest who I will not name so as to not embarrass him if he stumbles on this blog. In the words of Robert Frosts eternal poem, he is one who chooses "the path less travelled" and for him "it has made all the difference".  And whilst his life has been split into many remarkable episodes, it is three particular ones which highlight a life of courage, faith and belief in both God's providence and His plan.

The first of these three episodes was whilst he was serving during the late 80s. At the time Sri Lanka was going through a leftist insurgency. And as is the way with such things, this uprising was quelled with swift and direct violence. Hundreds were murdered. Burning bodies were strewn openly across the streets. It was a truly horrible chapter of the country's war torn history.

This priest reported the violent actions of the government forces. He took it up both church and government hierarchy. For his actions, he was confronted by a stranger one night who proceeded to attack him with a knife. The injury was so bad, he had to physical hold his internal organs together. Remarkably he says he felt no pain during the incident.

Luckily, with the help of his staff and local buddhist monks, he was able to get to a hospital and receive the appropriate medical treatment. The price of right action is high, but here is a man who is willing to go the distance. Imagine if we all stood for our convictions and acted as God intended. Perhaps some of the greatest atrocities of our generation might have been avoided.

His second challenging appointment was as the local priest of a very rural district in the early 90s. He was replacing a priest who was shot and killed during the longstanding civil war within Sri Lanka.  It was a courageous decision on his part. The area he was entering was part of the civil war zone. The church complex contained evidence of this conflict in the form of strewn bullet holes. And the town itself consisted of a very small Catholic community.

Upon entering the community, he threw himself into mission work. He set up a school for young children. He adopted a policy of inclusion not exclusion. Thus inviting the majority Buddhist population of the town to join his school.

Slowly with love, understanding and mutual respect he was able to win the confidence and backing of the local townspeople. To the point where he became a respected member of the community. This was done with a strong attitude of Christian love and acceptance to all. We would all do well to learn from such a powerful story. To treat each other as brother and sister. Irrespective of race, colour, caste or creed.

The final story I wish to share is one of God's divine providence. Whilst the priest was serving in this rural town, he met a foreigner who regularly attend mass. This individual was working as part of a charity providing services in rural parts of Sri Lanka. They became quick friends. So much so that when a  local child was tragically killed by snake bite whilst going to the outdoor toilet, the priest and this foreigner collaborated to provide everyone in the small community with roofed toilets.

Years later, whilst the priest was completing his PhD in theology at the Vatican, he ran into this same foreigner. It turned out that this individual was related to one of the royal houses of Europe.  Remembering their work together he was able to organize a private audience with some important people. Suffice to say, the priest's reputation preceded him and everyone was quickly impressed with both his life story and the strength of his administration skills. 

On account of these factors, the priest was able to obtain funding for projects in Sri Lanka. One of which was for the schooling and lodging of orphaned children. It is a powerful story of serendipity and God's providence.

It's also a story of how each person we meet on our life's journey can have a deep and profound effect on both our destiny and that of the people around us. It reminds us that we are all connected, like one large root system belonging to the tree that is life.

Each of us contains a miracle and it is God’s plan that moves us towards fulfilling this miracle. But darkness gathers the closer we move towards realizing this destiny. It arrives in the form of doubt, indifference, narcissism and false idolatry. When we forgo these distractions and surrender ourselves completely to His will, we are able to reflect His glory. When this happens we are no longer mere mortals, but messengers. Guided by the One hand that wrote creation. By His hand in doing His work our souls transcend our earthly bodies. To shine bright, bring hope and light up the darkness.

So in summary, this trip has shown me the wonders of spirituality. Its ability to move people towards His will. But more importantly, it has shown me that the ultimate truth can only be achieved when this spirituality is channelled through religiosity to love, surrender and glorify God.