The Journey 295
Read: 1 Corinthians 12
India’s national airline is always in the news, seldom for the right reason. Last week it caught national and international attention for absurdities that the aviation authorities, the crew members of the airline and passengers created in an Abu Dhabi– Cochin flight. The problems for the travelers began even before the take off. The flight from Abu Dhabi to Cochin which was scheduled to take off at 9.15 pm from Abu Dhabi took off only at 12.55 am, flight delayed by three and a half hours. As the passengers settled down in the flight they did not know that there were more misery in store for them. The flight that was supposed to land in Cochin at 3.30 am had to diverted to Thiruvanathapuram following bad weather at Cochin. The passengers That was when all the problems seems to have begun. The passengers seems to be visibly upset at the change of destination and as they raised their genuine concerns the crew members seemed to be very evasive. This made some of the passengers to go near the cockpit and raise a ruckus at the unjust treatment being meted out to them. Hearing the commotion, the Pilot pressed hijack alert, throwing all the security agencies round the country and defense establishments in a tizzy and an emergency situation was declared at Thiruvanathapuram airport. The security forces surrounded the aircraft and problems seemed to go out of hand. The passengers who had to go to Cochin were told that they would be taken there by road and this led to further argument. After a wait for over 10 hours an alternative flight was arranged and passengers finally reached Cochin at 4 pm. A four hour journey for passengers costing them almost a one full day. At the end of this harrowing experience who learnt a lesson– the passengers or the airline?. The loss is always borne by passengers who tend to depend on national airline for various reasons. But there are certain facts that we tend to ignore. The national airline tend to always treats its customers in a very shoddy manner, not only in the gulf and the north American route, but also in the European sector, but this is more on the gulf sector since passengers also behave in the most unruly and abusive manner in this sector. Why does this happen always to a malayali….I think we the malayalis need also to be blamed. When we are in a foreign country we abide by the rules and go strictly by the rule book, but the moment we are in India, then it is a totally a different outlook. There is brazen show of muscle power, political connections or verbal power. We do not have the patience to seek a prudent and an alternative way when a problem arises and try to take law in our hands. More than that one can never find a malayali agreeing on another malayali with regards to a solution to a common problem. Unity is very hard to find among malayali population because each one wants to score a fast buck on the other. My friends have told me that when they have agitated for a better pay in the gulf countries, their agitation failed because there came another malayali who was ready to work for wages lower than the one offered earlier. This put a spoke in unity and combined efforts to bring justice to the job. What happens in all these cases is that each one tries to think about his own benefits and gains rather than thinking of corporate or community gains. Thus in the end everyone suffers. I believe this is true in community of believers too. You have today believers who are concerned only about themselves, their spiritual needs, their fellowship, their group of so called friends, thus creating a group of self righteous Christians not concerned about the needs of others and living often in isolation without any commitment to the community, to the church and to the society. How do we bring change in such setting and situations?
One of the most beautiful passages the describes the relationship of one believer to another is seen in Paul’s description of the church in 1 Corinthians 12. In verse 26, Paul says that if one member suffers all suffer together with it and if one member is honoured all rejoice together with it. Here Paul brings to our attentions an important aspect in our community faith living. The first aspect is to understand that when one member suffer, the effect of that suffering will be borne by others too. Or in other sense Paul teaches us that we should be willing to travel with the one who suffers in his journey so that ultimately both the person and the companion finds hope and peace in crisis situations. To isolate oneself from another persons suffering creates an environment where tomorrow as I suffer, I may not find anyone to share my grief and sorrow. The result today especially among us is that each one goes through pain and crisis but not ready to share with others and there are others who are not willing to bear in another's burden nor to listen to what others go through. Hence all of us live stressful lives with no sense of community, nor qualitative relationship. This is not what God has envisage in his concept of Church. The body of believers needs to be united so that the suffering and the pain of others affect us too and we make a common effort to cope up with the crisis of others thus also being united in our witness for Christ. It is this corporate effort needed not only in our Christian life but also in the problems that we face when we travel with Air India too.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla
India’s national airline is always in the news, seldom for the right reason. Last week it caught national and international attention for absurdities that the aviation authorities, the crew members of the airline and passengers created in an Abu Dhabi– Cochin flight. The problems for the travelers began even before the take off. The flight from Abu Dhabi to Cochin which was scheduled to take off at 9.15 pm from Abu Dhabi took off only at 12.55 am, flight delayed by three and a half hours. As the passengers settled down in the flight they did not know that there were more misery in store for them. The flight that was supposed to land in Cochin at 3.30 am had to diverted to Thiruvanathapuram following bad weather at Cochin. The passengers That was when all the problems seems to have begun. The passengers seems to be visibly upset at the change of destination and as they raised their genuine concerns the crew members seemed to be very evasive. This made some of the passengers to go near the cockpit and raise a ruckus at the unjust treatment being meted out to them. Hearing the commotion, the Pilot pressed hijack alert, throwing all the security agencies round the country and defense establishments in a tizzy and an emergency situation was declared at Thiruvanathapuram airport. The security forces surrounded the aircraft and problems seemed to go out of hand. The passengers who had to go to Cochin were told that they would be taken there by road and this led to further argument. After a wait for over 10 hours an alternative flight was arranged and passengers finally reached Cochin at 4 pm. A four hour journey for passengers costing them almost a one full day. At the end of this harrowing experience who learnt a lesson– the passengers or the airline?. The loss is always borne by passengers who tend to depend on national airline for various reasons. But there are certain facts that we tend to ignore. The national airline tend to always treats its customers in a very shoddy manner, not only in the gulf and the north American route, but also in the European sector, but this is more on the gulf sector since passengers also behave in the most unruly and abusive manner in this sector. Why does this happen always to a malayali….I think we the malayalis need also to be blamed. When we are in a foreign country we abide by the rules and go strictly by the rule book, but the moment we are in India, then it is a totally a different outlook. There is brazen show of muscle power, political connections or verbal power. We do not have the patience to seek a prudent and an alternative way when a problem arises and try to take law in our hands. More than that one can never find a malayali agreeing on another malayali with regards to a solution to a common problem. Unity is very hard to find among malayali population because each one wants to score a fast buck on the other. My friends have told me that when they have agitated for a better pay in the gulf countries, their agitation failed because there came another malayali who was ready to work for wages lower than the one offered earlier. This put a spoke in unity and combined efforts to bring justice to the job. What happens in all these cases is that each one tries to think about his own benefits and gains rather than thinking of corporate or community gains. Thus in the end everyone suffers. I believe this is true in community of believers too. You have today believers who are concerned only about themselves, their spiritual needs, their fellowship, their group of so called friends, thus creating a group of self righteous Christians not concerned about the needs of others and living often in isolation without any commitment to the community, to the church and to the society. How do we bring change in such setting and situations?
One of the most beautiful passages the describes the relationship of one believer to another is seen in Paul’s description of the church in 1 Corinthians 12. In verse 26, Paul says that if one member suffers all suffer together with it and if one member is honoured all rejoice together with it. Here Paul brings to our attentions an important aspect in our community faith living. The first aspect is to understand that when one member suffer, the effect of that suffering will be borne by others too. Or in other sense Paul teaches us that we should be willing to travel with the one who suffers in his journey so that ultimately both the person and the companion finds hope and peace in crisis situations. To isolate oneself from another persons suffering creates an environment where tomorrow as I suffer, I may not find anyone to share my grief and sorrow. The result today especially among us is that each one goes through pain and crisis but not ready to share with others and there are others who are not willing to bear in another's burden nor to listen to what others go through. Hence all of us live stressful lives with no sense of community, nor qualitative relationship. This is not what God has envisage in his concept of Church. The body of believers needs to be united so that the suffering and the pain of others affect us too and we make a common effort to cope up with the crisis of others thus also being united in our witness for Christ. It is this corporate effort needed not only in our Christian life but also in the problems that we face when we travel with Air India too.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla