Viktor Frankl, a great doctor born in Vienna and pertaining to the Jewish race spent three years in the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Dacau. As a doctor he spent most of his time tending to other Jewish people who were in the concentration camp. He spent a lot of time trying to alleviate the sickness and the pain suffered by so many in these inhumane conditions. But most of all his presence inspired hope and courage to those who came in contact with him. Towards the end of the war he was planning to escape from the concentration camp with some other people. Over a number of weeks he tried to set aside some items that might be of use for him once he made his escape. He collected the few possessions that he had such as his loved bowl, warm clothes and paper so that he would be able to write the book about his experience that he always desired to publish. On the day that the escape was planned he quickly visited his patients. He came to a man who was dying and as Viktor Frankl drew close to him, the man said, to him, “So you too are getting out”. In reality what that dying man was staying to him was, “So you are going to abandon us too in order to save yourself”. At first Viktor disregarded these words and kept on with visiting the other sick people.
When he finished seeing all the sick people, he went back to the dying man. That man still gave him the same look; a look which penetrated Viktor’s deepest part of his being. After a while, he squeezed the dying man’s hand and made a decision not to escape but to stay in the camp to continue his work of healing in all the different aspects. That decision involved big risks and continuing hardship yet it also brought him peace of mind and heart. Viktor Frankl survived the horror of the concentration camps and he dedicated the rest of his life helping others experience the same peace of mind and heart that he encountered in the midst of much adversity.
This message of firmness to the commitments that we make is so relevant for our society today. At times I have the impression that we are living in a society of “drop outs”. There seems to be a prevalent idea that I will stick to the commitments that I make if that commitment continues to be advantageous for me or for as long as I achieve what I want. I meet with so many situations that at the first sign of difficulties or tough going many simply give up on their commitment. How often have we heard these comments “If I do not agree with this, I opt out; I resign”. “If things do not go my way I seek another path” “If this situation involves sacrifice and at times having to take a back step for the benefit of others, I back off”. The result is that for many, motivated solely by what is good for me, life becomes a series of going from one so called commitment to another, from one relationship to another without finding peace and fulfilment for one’s life. No wonder that the lives of so many are so full of upheaval and trauma.
A radical decision to follow Jesus does not make us immune from difficulties or moments of turmoil. It is rather a certainty that the teaching Jesus challenges to the core certain values and principles that are promoted by some sections of our society. It is always hard to hit back with forgiveness in the face of being judged or treated unfairly. It demands great courage to respond with compassion when you are facing aggression. It takes great strength and perseverance to keep the family together in the face of disappointment and rejection. It takes great faith to respond with love when your whole body is crying out for revenge. It is only with the power of the life giving presence of Jesus Christ within us that we can be powerful instruments of good, honesty, and hope. It is only when we are empowered by the presence of our God in us that we persevere to become more and more a source of blessing to those around us.
We still remember what happened in Poland not so long ago when Lech Walesa and the non–violent workers movement “Solidarity” gave so much hope first to the shipyard workers of Gdansk and then to the whole Polish nation during the communist era. Why was this movement successful? The reason is that because it was motivated and based on the teachings of Jesus. Lech Walesa has this to say. “The solidarity movement was successful because at every point it fought for whatever solution was the most humane, the most worthy, and for whatever was an alternative to brutality and hatred. When it needed to be, it was also a movement that was persistent, obstinate, unyielding, and that is why we eventually succeeded”.
These same sentiments and attitudes apply to all of us who are committed to follow Jesus as we recall that today is National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday. Bishop Michael Putney, the Bishop of Townsville in his homily notes to mark this day reminds us that “It would be easy to see the relationship between indigenous and non indigenous Australians as purely as issue of social justice, of economics, or politics. Far more importantly, it is a religious and spiritual issue. For disciples of Jesus there is no black or white. There is no indigenous or non indigenous. There are only fellow disciples, brothers and sisters. Some are strong and some are weak. Some are powerful and some are powerless. Some are rich and some are poor. Some are educated and some are not. Whoever we are, we belong to each other. We have a responsibility for each other and if we are followers of Jesus, we must carry each other’s kindness.
God Bless.
