Is this the society we belong to?

(November 5th 2020) Here’s an article I wrote for the October issue of my church magazine… The month of October is a time to reflect on what Mary and consequently the term ‘Woman’ mean to us. Mary is many things, Mother, Protector, Guiding star, Helper of anyone who calls upon her, and a wonderful Friend and Confidante. And all this rests mainly on her nature as a divine person, it has nothing to do with virginity or the lack of it. She gave birth to Jesus, what if she hadn’t… would she still be holy? Yes, she would, just as you and I are holy, because we all are made in the image and likeness of God and God cannot create something that is substandard. Being the Mother of Jesus, elevated her womanhood and made her one of our most trusted sources of refuge and strength. As I sit here writing this, I am struck by how deep our discord is between the concept of Woman and the way she is perceived in society. The front page of The Hindu newspaper, dated 1st October 2020, depicted two glaring incidents that reveal the malaise hidden deep in our society. The first article was about a group of men revelling in their not guilty verdict while the second picture depicted the funeral pyre of a 19-year-old girl who died a horrible death after being raped and strangulated. With all the incriminating evidence and eyewitnesses, the courts couldn’t prove any crime occurred, what hope then do the dying embers carry? It’s ironic, that in a country like ours with innumerable goddesses and female deities, the female form is still subjugated and objectified, as the courts in the country spend years and taxpayer’s money, debating and allotting land to build places of worship to God, while trampling all over His divine spark that resides in every human soul. We’re all made in the image and likeness of God, yet we worship the invisible God who apparently resides in the confines of a building we humans built for Him. How can people claim to respect Mother Mary or other female deities yet go about committing such heinous crimes? It is easy to think that this is not a widespread crime, but a simple experiment, like riding any bus during the peak hours, for example the 29C bus, will provide conclusive answers. Of course, with so many humans jam packed into a bus, there will be many good deeds. At the same time, there will be a lot of depravity too that goes unnoticed and that’s when the questions arise, as to what sort of parents could bring up perverts who find nothing wrong in violating personal boundaries and revelling in the trauma they induce. This is a normal occurrence in the life of any woman, being subjected to unwanted attention and abuse no matter where she goes and what she does. As a society, what does that say about us? Educational reforms that enable a deep change in perception is necessary from a grassroots level. Instead of spending crores of money on statues or other buildings of worship, don’t you think a truly loving Father would be pleased when his children are treated well and led to the truth? It’s not enough to talk or write about these issues, understanding has to go deep for evolution to occur. Understanding can only come from within, when we look deep into our souls and see what kind of people we are and what values we inculcate in the younger generation. Worship is not meant to be undertaken only in a specific place; it should be a way of life in the way we treat everyone around us. And who better than Mother Mary who showed us how to love and live a life of worship pleasing to God.