18 January 2019
Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
I grew up in a tropical country where Bamboo trees are a part of the culture. However, bamboo is often underrated because it does not have a sturdy trunk. Instead, it has a slender stem that readily sways with a gentle touch. Bamboo is often mistaken as a fragile tree or even grass. Despite this, there is an ancient proverb, “In time, even the strongest wind tires itself out, but the bamboo remains standing tall and still.” Indeed, bamboo can withstand more than twice as much weight than brick or concrete. A friend of mine uses the metaphor, “heart of steel” to describe a resilience person. I think a “heart of bamboo” is a more appropriate metaphor because, believe it or not, bamboo can withstand more stress than steel while being stretched, pulled or bent.
In the Gospel reading today, Mark talks about the resiliency of the litter-bearers. If we pay close attention, Jesus praises the litter-bearers’ faith instead of the paralyzed man. In other words, Jesus heals the paralyzed man in response to the faith of the litter-bearers. In this story, for the first time, Mark uses the word pistis(faith), the same verb that appears in the calming of the sea (Mark 4:40) as well as when saying faith can move mountains (Mark 11:22-23). Mark understands faith in different ways. Faith is not a pre-condition for healing. Rather, it shows the willingness of suffering people to break through physical and social boundaries to approach Jesus. In other words, Mark does not simply see faith as an intellectual conviction but also resiliency to break through barriers as Jesus praises the faith of the litter bearers who disrupt the assembly under the roof.
Like bamboo that symbolizes resiliency, we need to pray for the grace to be resilient in the midst of trials and difficulties in our lives. Pray that God may give us faith that allows us to break through social and physical boundaries.