On Sunday I had
the privilege of preaching at a special thanksgiving service for the staff of
the Fiji National Provident Fund. While my role was to provide spiritual
nourishment to the staff and their families and pray for the first three FNPF
staff to be deployed to the Fund's subsidiary in Papua New Guinea, in all
honesty the highlight of the service for me was the musical offerings presented
by staff and especially by their children.
As I listened to
the impromptu children's choir sing "Love makes the world go round,"
I couldn't help but be moved and inspired. it wasn't just the lyrics of the
song or the cuteness factor of the children; it was the innocent belief in the words they were
singing. By innocent I am not implying that their literal belief in the transformative
power of love, kindness and goodness when shared with the other, is naive. What
often strikes me is that how they choose to believe that this is possible despite
the many instances they may witness or indeed experience that to the contrary.
Being in a religious
gathering, I couldn't hep but reflect on
the words uttered by Jesus nearly two thousand years ago, "Who ever wants to
enter the Kingdom of God must do so like a little child," and said that to
"those such as them belong the Kingdom of God."
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| Antonia Bhagwan, Angelica Roadhouse and Isabel Dayal of class 302 of Holy Trinity Anglican School prepare for their field trip. |
Yesterday
(Tuesday) I spent the day with my daughter as her class (302, Holy Trinity
Anglican School) went on a field trip so that the class four, six and eight
students, sitting for their national LANA examinations could have some relative
peace and quiet. The trip included visits to Koronivia and Nadurulolo
Agricultural, Plant and Freshwater Fish research stations and Nausori Airport.
The children and the teachers, parents and guardians had a great adventure and
learning experience at places we have often passed or bypassed on our way to and
from Nausori and travelling along the King's Road.
Having spent the
greater part of the last two years abroad with my nose buried in theology books
and academia; I have been paying my dinau (debt) to my family in terms of
quality time and duties. In fact, when I suggested that this week could be my
wife's turn for making breakfast and lumch for the children, she reminded me
that after being away for so long, it was not just my week on duty, it was my
year!
I have begun to make
up for my time away, especially from the children, by allocating special one on
one time with them. Apart from playing with them and helping them with their
homework, this "one on one" time is to listen to what their issues
and concerns are about school, home, and life in general. While only time wil
tell if I am able to maintain this commitment, it has been an amazing time of
reconnecting.
Often we adults
are so concerned with speaking to and directing our children or too busy maling
them into mini models of ourselves that we neglect to listen to their voices
until they breakdown in tears or tantrum. Sometimes, convinced tht children
should be seen and not heard, we miss simple but profound truths, uttered by
those unencumbered by fears of being politically correct or socially
acceptable.
The classic
example of this is the story of the Emperor's New Clothes, by Hans
Christian Anderson.
When the two con
men presented the"imaginary" and thus invisible clothes to the
fashionista king, the Emperor did not
see any colors and could not feel any cloth between his fingers. The two
scoundrels draped the new clothes on him and then held up a mirror. The Emperor
was embarrassed but since none of his bystanders were, he felt
relieved. "Yes, this is a beautiful suit and
it looks very good on me," the Emperor said trying to look comfortable.
"You've done a fine job." "Your
Majesty," the prime minister said, "we have a request for you. The
people have found out about this extraordinary fabric and they are anxious to
see you in your new suit."
The Emperor was
doubtful showing himself naked to the people, but then he abandoned his fears.
After all, no one would know about it except the ignorant and the
incompetent. "All right," he said.
"I will grant the people this privilege." He summoned his carriage
and the ceremonial parade was formed. A group of dignitaries walked at the very
front of the procession and anxiously scrutinized the faces of the people in
the street. All the people had gathered in the main square, pushing and shoving
to get a better look. An applause welcomed the regal procession. Everyone
wanted to know how stupid or incompetent his or her neighbor was but, as the
Emperor passed, a strange murmur rose from the crowd.
Everyone said, loud enough for the others to hear: "Look at the Emperor's
new clothes. They're beautiful!" "What
a marvellous train!" "And the colors!
The colors of that beautiful fabric! I have never seen anything like it in my
life!" They all tried to conceal their disappointment at not being able to
see the clothes, and since nobody was willing to admit his own stupidity and
incompetence, they all behaved as the two scoundrels had
predicted.
A child, however,
who had no important job and could only see things as his eyes showed them to
him, went up to the carriage. "The Emperor
is naked," he said. "Fool!" his
father reprimanded, running after him. "Don't talk nonsense!" He
grabbed his child and took him away. But the boy's remark, which had been heard
by the bystanders, was repeated over and over again until everyone
cried: "The boy is right! The Emperor is
naked! It's true!"
Out of the mouths
of babes indeed.
"Simplicity,
Serenity, Spontaneity"
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