121. Baby Jesus Among the Mumbai Grenades

 
That statement is not far from the truth. We all saw the Italian cook of one of the hotels under siege facing all odds to take some powder milk to his six months old daughter barricaded in hiding in one of the rooms.

That reminds me of what Saint Joseph must have gone through, how frantic he must have been to find a place for Jesus to be born.

This was not exactly the opening I had in mind some days ago when I went to take photos of various nativity scenes that one of our local shops specializes in. I had things like the humanity of Jesus in mind, and how we often and easily overlook that factor. Strange how when we think of things of God we think of great, glorious supernatural elements that do not at all pertain to the world and humanity. Yet where is the great, glorious and sublime in a father treading through grenades to get milk to his daughter? Or in an infant wrapped up in rags placed in a cave or a stable, for indeed, do we know in effect which?

If we look through the eye of the material world, of competition, riches, power, strife, greed we can’t see the great, glorious and sublime in those adults who are unable to feed themselves, in those who are incontinent and smell, in the layabouts, the drunkards and the homeless. But they are the ones who will bring us honour and glory in the eyes of our Maker because if we do something for them, we did it for Him.

When young, I spent my Christmases, not all mind you, among the dropouts, smelly and whatever other scum the gutter could throw up- it is something I recommend all youngsters should try- for one Christmas, at least- it will do you more good than you will be able to do to
others.

But to put the balance right, when I went to ask permission to take photos of their nativity scenes which of course are on sale, the owners of “Green Is” smiled. However, I guess they felt some apprehension, because those who know me, are never certain what to expect- Nevertheless, one thing they are assured of- I never write with the aim to publicize anything.

In these troubled times, those who have taken the lives of others leave us helpless, because life can be destroyed by a human hand, but it can never be given back. And even though some of us know we are only here in passing, nevertheless we don’t want to be cheated of travelling to the end of that journey and savour, no doubt some of its pains, but also its many joys which at present are hidden from us.

And one of these joys is to contemplate how the mind of man has interpreted his vision in a concrete way, that birth, the human birth of the Lord.