By Shiju Joseph csc –
Readings: Gal 5:1-6; Lk 11:37-41
For the last few months, the governments and social media influencers have been asking people to ‘wash hands.’ Their efforts did find some success as a good number of people became aware of the importance of washing their hands to prevent infection. In the beginning of the pandemic, instruction to ‘wash hands’ came with a twenty-second duration as a condition. But now, the twenty-seconds part is largely forgotten. It is now common to see people washing hands: sometimes with and sometimes without soap, often less than even ten seconds.
Much like many other habits we have come to understand as important to follow, ‘washing hands’ also has lost its purpose. The same can now be said about wearing masks. Human capacity to become slave to customs, rules, practices and addictions is noteworthy. Many still ‘wash hands’, and ‘wear masks’ without worrying about whether the way they do these are fulfilling the purpose they are intended for. In personal and spiritual lives too, empty practices and un-understood rituals are followed unquestioningly and without paying attention.
These can, and often do, attain more significance in practice than more meaningful and relevant issues. How else can we justify our preoccupation with providing the poor with access to rituals than with access to food, access to Sunday worship than access to medicines? We must wonder what creative expression Jesus will use for us in these pandemic days.