By Ishongkun Kurbah csc –
Readings: 1Kgs 21:1-16; Mt 5:38-42
Retaliation and revenge are in human nature. You hit me I hit you back. Humility and meekness seem to find difficult to have a place in human lives. Humility and meekness are considered to be the qualities of the weak. I remember as kids if you were punched and you did not punch back you would be called a coward. You had to punch back to prove that you were brave and strong and not a coward.
In this world where power fights against power and one wants to show that ‘I too am powerful and strong’ Jesus invites us to transcend our human and natural instinct, to overcome violence by love and to conquer power by humility. Showing off power does not happen only in the outside world. It happens in the family as well. Both the spouses want to show their power and one does not want to be humble to the other, and where children do not want to be submissive and obedient to their parents.
Sometimes I feel that we are afraid of becoming humble and meek because we might be termed as weak or we ourselves think that by humbling ourselves before others we become weak. Let us remember that humility, meekness and obedience are values held by Christ and many saints. Let us pray that Jesus may show us that humility and obedience are virtues of a true and a strong disciple.