Friday of the 4th Week of Lent
Wis 2:1,12-22
Jn 7:1-2,10,25-30
…but they are misled, their malice makes them blind. They do not know the hidden things of God, they have no hope that their holiness will be rewarded, they can see no reward for blameless souls.
I was watching a snippet from an old horror movie recently, and this high school boy was being bullied relentlessly by some high school jocks. They tailed him and attacked him and filmed the whole incident like it was a huge joke, ignoring the poor boy’s pleas. I couldn’t bear to watch the rest of it. Thankfully, it was just a snippet which ended shortly after, but what pains me is despite this being ‘just’ a movie, such incidents do exist in real life. Closer to home, there was a bully who recently left a message on his victim’s mother’s mobile phone, asking her to choose how she would like her daughter to die. Would she like her daughter dissected, he threatened, or would she like her daughter’s life to end in school? He also threatened to kill the victim’s parents. The chilling part is that the bully was just 9 years old when this incident came to light.
It really pains my heart to see how young these perpetrators are becoming. Bullies believe that strength is might. Physical strength to push you around and threaten you, mental strength to break your spirit. They believe that might is right. Power is everything. Power over their victims, power over their minds. How did such people deviate so far off course from doing what is right? Experts have weighed in on bullying, blaming lack of parental guidance, social media, peer pressure, childhood trauma. Yes, all this may play a part, but is this all just rhetoric? Crime is being committed by ever younger juveniles, believing they can get away with any sort of punishment just because they are minors. We are being prevented from doing anything because stepping in sometimes may mean we get charged instead. With no visible means of defending ourselves, bullies are running wild.
Today, the Book of Wisdom is showing us that it is evil that is blinding the evil-doers from understanding that there is a ‘bigger picture’. They do not know God, therefore they do not care. For them, there is only one life, and that is here on earth, and it is finite. There is no understanding of God’s love and purpose for each of us, or eternal life with Him. There is no truth that is guiding them to a better life. The moral compass was broken from the start; there was never any idea of north.
Brothers and sisters, I wish I could offer some sort of solution to this problem, but I can’t. I can only ask each of us to pray, pray for more kindness in a world that desperately needs it. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if each of us focused on becoming kinder people and doing good things, instead of depleting our energy with hate, anger and revenge? This was a question posed to me by an inquisitive child. Out of the mouths of babes come the simple solution. And perhaps there is some logic in it. Perhaps if we were to focus on becoming better versions of ourselves each day, focus on doing the right things – good things – then there might be less wars, less crime. Blue sky scenario maybe? But I do dare to dream it, and I will pray for it.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Annette Soo)
Prayer: Almighty God and Father, when I think of the state of the world today, it saddens me to see how far off the course we’ve gone; and if it grieves me, it must grieve You more. In this powerless state, I know that there is power in prayer, and I pray oh Lord, for a kinder world, a better world where we can live harmoniously together, and in that kindness, may we see Your love shine through.
Thanksgiving: We give thanks, O Lord, for the kindness of people and strangers around us. They give us hope that kindness is still very much alive, and will eventually, triumph.
OXYGEN 
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