Faults are thick where love is thin!

I must confess that ‘those days’ I was too simple! Too innocent! I would think and perceive things in different ways than I do today. I was just out of the novitiate, the first stage of Jesuit formation. I prefer to call the novitiate ‘the Jesuit making factory (!). I had just passed a few weeks since I took my first vows. The teachings of my novice director were still vivid in my mind. He knew soon I would be entering into a new world. The two years in the Novitiate was many ways a ‘protected and safe haven.'

It was that time I met a girl. Our age must have been the almost same. We were happened to be in a meeting. Though we did not talk but exchanged smile. While leaving, she came to me and asked if we could be friends. I said ok. I thought it was a joke. I was proved wrong when after a week a got a mail. That was the beginning, which continued for many years. She would often share with me her stories, her aspirations, her joys and sorrows. I would write to her once in a while. Deep within me I had a fear that ‘too much closeness is not good for my religious life.’ But I would enjoy reading her letters and even would look forward to it.

We met each other for another occasion just for ten minutes. It was just before my birthday. She presented to me a gift. I was pleasantly surprised. That short meeting gave me much joy. By now we knew each other quite well.

Then I had to move to another city. But our communication did not stop. Regular emails, occasional phone calls and some time hand-written letter went on. But I must confess that I was very passive. I would entitle myself as a receiver. On her birthday she sent me a card and a gift. What a contradictory! I was supposed to do that. She sent a short note- I want to share with you the joy of my birthday! That was first time I felt little awful. I felt bad that all these years I have been very passive.

In the evening she called me. I asked her, “Why are you so good to me?” she laughed.

Again I said, “I am unworthy to be your friend.”

From the other end she said, “Faults are thick when love is thin. I like you and I love you as my friend.”

Now why do I remember this today after so many years? Recently I have been doing a paper on social justice based on the theme of prophet Amos. Coincidently I have also read and heard some incidents in my country. The incident like- wife is killed by the husband or brother is murdered by another brother is quite regular news item. All these things gave me an opportunity to ponder over the problems in our society. As I was trying to analysis the situation, I found many of the problems are human made and we can easily avoid them.

One thing I found missing in our society today is love and concern for each other. We are happy with our lives. We have hardly any time for others. Often we fail to find good things about others. We point out others faults easily. It happens more with the person with whom we do not get along.

I wish and hope that we have more time for love and less time to find faults of others…