Hope you are all doing well. It seems that after a long time the spring has come and we have a better weather now. Hope this would help the farmers to plant the seeds. Hope this would continue until every farm work is done. We continue to pray for a good weather for the farmers in the days to come.
One of my friends who was in charge of a school was sharing with me about one of the employees in the school. He told me that the employee in question was not a good employee. He was slow in doing his work and was not so good at even teaching. I asked him why could he not warn him about his performance and ask him to better do his job. This friend of mine told me that the particular employee was a good person except for his job and that he did not want to offend the person. He also told me that if he would reprimand him, he will not respect and behave rudely toward him. He would also behave offensively against him.
I was surprised by my friend’s answer. All that the employee was to do was do his job for the pay he gets. If he is not doing it, he should be reprimanded or fired. Because, it is the question of the future of the children. If he is offended for being reprimanded for not doing his job, or even if he would offend the employer back for doing an employer’s job, that is fine. It is okay to be offended. So, I told my friend, “For a good cause, you can offend and you can get offended too. So, do what you need to do”. Then my friend told me that he would do it as needed.
This is one trouble among us too. We more often tend to keep quiet even when we see that things are not done right. Fearing to lose relationship, or fearing to be offended, or trying to please everyone or for any other such little reason, we do not point out the mistakes of others. This has two repercussions. They are: one, the bad result of the act when it is done wrong or when not done at all. Second, the person fails to learn or correct his course of action or life. We also fail in our duty to correct something or someone that is wrong. This is not being Christian.
In the life of Jesus, we see that he was straightforward saying right what is right and saying wrong what was wrong. Of course, it led him to unjust condemnation and death. But Jesus never withdrew from doing what was right. That is what we are called to do, do always what is right what ever it may cost. But we do not do it for fears I mentioned above and more. This needs a lot of courage and faith in Jesus. Let us have it.
Offend and Get offended.
God bless.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Fr. A. Antony