By Varghese Alengaden
Indore, May 14, 2020: I received many personal emails responding to my reflection on migrant workers which was published in Matters India under the title, “Workers Deserve Justice not Charity.”
Bernard Colombe from Lyon, a city in France, sent me a reflection related to the plight of the migrant workers in the background of the encounter of two disciples with Jesus on the road to Emmaus:
“What were you talking about while walking? This was the first question that this mysterious traveler asked us, with his face hidden by an artisan mask. Ali and I had left the city of Chennai three days ago, as soon as the government had announced confinement. We are from the same village and we decided to go back quickly because our work in the building was going to stop. We had to try to survive in the country, rather than starving to death in our slum. We were paid by the day.
It was Ali who first answered the traveler’s question: Coronavirus of course! Ali couldn’t say coronavirus. In his defense, this word was unknown last week. He did not write Tamil, his family had other concerns than sending him to school. Yes, we are talking about this Mr. who are screwing us up. And not just ours. But where are you from? You did not know? But if, since you have a mask … Not us, you can’t find these things in our slum.
The man in the mask made us talk for a while. We found him more sympathetic, little by little. He was interested in our family life, work, village, our religions. We chatted freely. From time to time, he quoted a text from the Upanishads, or from the Koran (Ali was surprised) and even from the book of Christians. But he seemed to also know science, medicine. He cheered us up.
One had the impression that he understood our misfortunes. But how? He didn’t look swarthy like us, nor too skinny. I saw scars on his hands, maybe an accident.
We arrived in a village, apparently nicer than the one from yesterday where we were thrown.
It was going to be dark. We wondered what we were going to do, with this hunger for three days. It is true that our religions have accustomed us to fasting, but still. At this moment, the guy says to us: Come on, we stop here for a while. We think quickly: who will pay? The guy adds: I’m the one offering you the meal this evening! We looked at each other, in silence, half-smiling, half-worried. It may be good to take.
The three of them sat on the little benches of the lady who was selling lentil soups. We eat, we watch him, him silent, as if he were saying a prayer. Then, with a beautiful smile, he wishes us a good appetite. Not hard! First meal in three days, it warms the heart.
Then he said: There is a chapati seller over there, go get a good package. I will reimburse you. As soon as we finish the soup, we go quickly. When we come back, no one! Shock!
Fortunately, the lady arrives: Here! Your masked companion, he paid for the soups and asked me to give you these tickets for the rest of the trip. The two of us: But did you know him? Loosely, it seems to me that I had seen him the other day, but with his mask.
Ali and I went back on the road, without waiting, we wanted to talk to the family about this incredible thing. All of a sudden, a flash. I say to Ali: I am Hindu but at school with the Catholic sisters, there was a gentleman in a room who intrigued me: he seemed to be nailed to a board. He was dead of course. So what, Bhupa? said Ali: The guy in the mask, did you see his hands? Yes I saw his hands and even on his feet, he had such scars. Wouldn’t it be him?”
As I was reflecting the plight of migrant workers who are still walking in the roads of India with their women and little children I could hear the severe criticism by many against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and bureaucrats for their failure in handling the issue of the migrant workers.
The above mentioned reflection from my French friend made me think of our failure of not recognizing Christ who is walking on the roads as a migrant worker. We missed the opportunity of playing the role of Simeon who helped Jesus to carry the heavy cross. We missed the opportunity of playing the role of Veronica who wiped the face of Christ. We missed the opportunity to offer food and water to the workers as Jesus did to the disciples on the road to Emmaus.
Both sides of the main roads all over India have dioceses and religious congregations with many big educational institutions, churches and convents which are locked and not used in these days. Why didn’t the religious and priests who worship Christ day and night recognize Christ passed through the roads in front of their houses and institutions?
As the disciples to Emmaus failed to recognize the Risen Lord when He was with them, hundreds and thousands of disciples of Christ did not recognize the living God in flesh and blood walking in front of their communities and institutions without food and drink. They failed because they were busy worshiping God in front of the tabernacle which was empty of living God. Many worshiped the virtual God in the TV sets and missed the opportunity to meet and experience the real God in these migrant travelers.
If the disciples were alert and attentive to meet God in flesh and blood they would have waited like Zacchaeus who climbed the Sycamore tree for these workers to come and welcomed them to their institutions, churches and convents to offer food and rest to Christ in these migrant workers.
They would have made arrangements to use some of their school buses to ferry these workers at least a hundred kilometres. With the influence and contact the prestigious schools and colleges have with the government officials they could have got all necessary permission to organize this massive operation.
The Church lost the opportunity to bear witness to Christ, the true evangelisation. It is high time Christ’s modern disciples got out of the churches and switched off the TV sets to meet the living God out there in the streets and hospitals.
Some superiors restrained their enthusiastic young members to join the voluntary works to fight against Covid-19 with hundreds of dedicated lay people. They were afraid of the members getting infected by the virus. What do they understand from the words of Christ, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). What do we learn from Saints Maximilian Kolbe, Damien and many others?
The traditional religiosity conditions the religious and priests to do only the routine works of charity and rituals. The Church may oblige to give their hospitals and institutions at the demand of the government. Often members wait for instruction from bishops and superiors to act. Those who are engaged in social works and nursing may be permitted to do the minimum works and others will sit and delegate their job to God in saying routine prayers. They fail to recognize God as the disciples on the Emmaus road.
Creativity comes from spirituality which goes beyond all routine practices and saying loud prayers. They become proactive to get into the world and make things happen. Spirituality makes people foresee and plan to meet God and worship Him in ordinary situations and in ordinary human beings.