Friday, April 18, 2014

Good Friday Reflection on “I Thirst”

Good Friday Reflection on “I Thirst” 

"I Thirst"
Good Friday commemorates the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on the cross. While hanging on the cross shedding even his last drop of blood Christ cried, “I thirst.” People such as Mother Teresa who have tried to understand that cry have brought revolutionary changes in society.
Here Jesuit Father Cedric Prakash reflects on what that cry means for the current world.
“I Thirst!” …. when I hear the cries of my people; millions of them all over the world! Cries which are barely audible, cries which are ignored. They are the cries of the poor and the marginalized; the vulnerable and the exploited; those who live outside the periphery of society; those who struggle day-in and day-out for their existence, for dignity and for equity.
And I say: “But Lord, when were you thirsty?”
“I Thirst!” ….when I experience the helplessness of children. The unborn child about to be aborted; the child who has been denied her childhood – no school, no recreation, no nutritious food; the child who labors hard in the mines to bring in a little money for the family; the child who is sexually abused – by family members, by outsiders and even by so-called ‘holy’ men.
And I say: “But Lord, when were you thirsty?”
“I Thirst!” … when I feel the pain and trauma of so many women today. They weep all the time! They are not treated as equals nor respected in a male-dominated society; many of them are condemned to drudgery. They are trapped and trafficked and become victims of terrible crimes. Society at large just doesn’t seem to care about their safety and security.
And I say: “But Lord, when were you thirsty?”
“I Thirst!” … when I see the ravages caused by communal violence. People kill, rape, burn, loot and plunder in the name of ‘religion’. God does not permit such heinous acts. The victim-survivors are relentless in their pursuit for truth, justice and peace. But the main perpetrators still roam scot-free with impunity and immunity.
And I say: “But Lord, when were you thirsty?”
“I Thirst!” … when I walk with those who are dispossessed and displaced. I remember the journey to the ‘promised land.’ Today mega projects like shopping malls and river-fronts for the rich, polluting industries for the profiteering corporates, mighty commercial establishments of the builders lobby, has robbed the ordinary and poor citizens of what is rightfully theirs.
And I say: “But Lord, when were you thirsty?”
“I Thirst!” … when I observe the struggles of the dalits, adivasis and other minorities. They continue to be systematically targeted; denied in subtle ways of what is rightfully theirs. They no longer have access to their, ‘jal, jungle and jameen’. A fairly large group of them is still condemned to manual scavenging. When they are thirsty they are not permitted to drink from ‘the well’ even today!
And I say: “But Lord, when were you thirsty?”
“I Thirst!” … a million times in today’s world – and you keep on gazing at me dying on the cross. You are afraid to show the courage to quench my thirst in the world you live in – to accompany the poor and the unloved; the dying and the destitute: the old and the sick; to take a stand for Truth and Justice; to give and not to count the cost; to serve with love.
And I continue to say: “But Lord, when were you thirsty?”
(Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is the Director of Prashant, the Ahmedabad-based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace.)

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