The Journey 256: What can you contribute to life that will make a difference?
Read: Mathew 26:26-29
Keeping Memory Alive. As 11th memorial day functions of 9/11 fades into history, there are hundred of people who have still not come into terms with the disaster that not only shook the pillars of this nation but the very core of countless families. Some have accepted the tragedy and have moved on with good memories of their loved ones, while some have consciously done something that keeps the memory of the loved ones for ever. CNN news agencies brought out this week a wonderful testimony of a wonderful parents Elizabeth and Stephen Alderman who lost their 25 year old Peter, the youngest of their children on 9/11. He was attending a conference at the Word Trade Centre when tragedy struck. The tragedy happened when both of them were on vacation in France celebrating Stephens 60th birthday. They were desperate when they learnt about the attacks and knew that their son was in the vicinity. Though they desperately tried to reach him, they could not and finally their worst fear were confirmed when the authorities called them up to tell about the worst news that they could ever hear in their life. Peter was gone and their world lay shattered. Both Elizabeth and Stephen recounts as to how Peter was full of life and laughter and their every existence and reason to live was their children. With Peter gone, the parents felt not only a deep anguish and pain but a void that would be hard to fill. That is when the parents decided that the memory of Peter has to be kept alive. In searching of a meaningful way to honour life, they learned that more than 1 billion people experience torture, terrorism or violence in their life, thus going through emotional wounds that stays with them for the rest of their life. According to sources, incidence of traumatic depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorders exceeds that of HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB combined in the Saharan Africa. According to them billions of dollars are spent in fighting HIV/AIDS but if nobody cares about the trauma that people go through, and if no one is there to help them also to live qualitatively, all these funding does not do any meaning. It was this concept and objective that made them to start the Peter C Alderman Foundation. Today the foundation runs about eight trauma clinic in Cambodia, Uganda, Liberia and Kenya and they conduct an annual training conference in Africa on dealing with traumatic depression. Here is a wonderful parents leaving the memory of their lovely child in the most wonderful and meaningful way. Ways by which a community, a people in an entirely different continent is blessed. Both Elizabeth and Steve belong to a class of people who keeps the memory alive through changes and transformation in the live of people while we have people who wants to keep memory alive by wanting to inscribe their name even on the cross that they want to donate to a church…..Strange. As we meditate on the theme “Transformed Living” what is important for us in our life is to see is that how do we make our life a transformatory experience to others so that they remember not us but the change that we could do in their life. In Mathew 26: 26– 29 we find our Lord celebrating the last supper and the institution of the holy communion. What Jesus does through this last supper is keeping his ministry of service, sacrifice and redemption alive in the minds and hearts of people for time immemorial and for countless generation. We remember Jesus and his death on the cross every time we celebrate and participate in the Lord’s table. Memory that is kept alive through vicarious suffering and through the sacrificial death and life style of our Lord. This is what our Lord also demands from us. We need to keep our memory alive not through inscriptions on certain objects but through our life transformatory and sacrificial actions that brings about changes and transformation in the life of other. While Stephen and Elizabeth is doing this through their foundation, we also consciously need to do the same.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla
Keeping Memory Alive. As 11th memorial day functions of 9/11 fades into history, there are hundred of people who have still not come into terms with the disaster that not only shook the pillars of this nation but the very core of countless families. Some have accepted the tragedy and have moved on with good memories of their loved ones, while some have consciously done something that keeps the memory of the loved ones for ever. CNN news agencies brought out this week a wonderful testimony of a wonderful parents Elizabeth and Stephen Alderman who lost their 25 year old Peter, the youngest of their children on 9/11. He was attending a conference at the Word Trade Centre when tragedy struck. The tragedy happened when both of them were on vacation in France celebrating Stephens 60th birthday. They were desperate when they learnt about the attacks and knew that their son was in the vicinity. Though they desperately tried to reach him, they could not and finally their worst fear were confirmed when the authorities called them up to tell about the worst news that they could ever hear in their life. Peter was gone and their world lay shattered. Both Elizabeth and Stephen recounts as to how Peter was full of life and laughter and their every existence and reason to live was their children. With Peter gone, the parents felt not only a deep anguish and pain but a void that would be hard to fill. That is when the parents decided that the memory of Peter has to be kept alive. In searching of a meaningful way to honour life, they learned that more than 1 billion people experience torture, terrorism or violence in their life, thus going through emotional wounds that stays with them for the rest of their life. According to sources, incidence of traumatic depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorders exceeds that of HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB combined in the Saharan Africa. According to them billions of dollars are spent in fighting HIV/AIDS but if nobody cares about the trauma that people go through, and if no one is there to help them also to live qualitatively, all these funding does not do any meaning. It was this concept and objective that made them to start the Peter C Alderman Foundation. Today the foundation runs about eight trauma clinic in Cambodia, Uganda, Liberia and Kenya and they conduct an annual training conference in Africa on dealing with traumatic depression. Here is a wonderful parents leaving the memory of their lovely child in the most wonderful and meaningful way. Ways by which a community, a people in an entirely different continent is blessed. Both Elizabeth and Steve belong to a class of people who keeps the memory alive through changes and transformation in the live of people while we have people who wants to keep memory alive by wanting to inscribe their name even on the cross that they want to donate to a church…..Strange. As we meditate on the theme “Transformed Living” what is important for us in our life is to see is that how do we make our life a transformatory experience to others so that they remember not us but the change that we could do in their life. In Mathew 26: 26– 29 we find our Lord celebrating the last supper and the institution of the holy communion. What Jesus does through this last supper is keeping his ministry of service, sacrifice and redemption alive in the minds and hearts of people for time immemorial and for countless generation. We remember Jesus and his death on the cross every time we celebrate and participate in the Lord’s table. Memory that is kept alive through vicarious suffering and through the sacrificial death and life style of our Lord. This is what our Lord also demands from us. We need to keep our memory alive not through inscriptions on certain objects but through our life transformatory and sacrificial actions that brings about changes and transformation in the life of other. While Stephen and Elizabeth is doing this through their foundation, we also consciously need to do the same.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla