Stay youthful and skilful
Young Dhaval Khatri is a unique painter without hands who had a “brush with death” while flying kites on his terrace. His hands accidentally touched a live electric- wire, and he was flung down, unconscious, half- dead. Timely medical intervention saved his life though both his hands were amputated. Since he was refused admission into educational institutions, his never- say- die parents put a paint- brush into the stumps that were formerly his hands. Today, Dhaval is a skilled painter who says: “I’m not an artist by choice but by chance.”
Today is “World Youth Skills Day” with the UN’s theme: “Skills development to improve youth employment”. There’s great wisdom in the age- old adage: “Idleness is the devil’s workshop.” See the news. While youthful Serena- Sania- Saina are invincible on courts, young criminals are convicted in courts for chilling crimes ranging from rioting to rape, and theft to terrorism. Why do some youth develop skills while others desire to kill?
We all have strengths and weaknesses. No one is pure saint or perfect satan. In my years of work with youth in colleges, villages, slums and Tihar jail, on the one hand I’ve seen some of the finest youth wasting their talents, courting self- destruction, while, on the other, I’ve known youth who, with very limited talents, have made a name for themselves, made their families proud, and contributed to society’s common good. These youth have optimised their potential, and, with some societal help, have achieved much.
“Grace works upon nature” is an ancient Christian belief. “Grace” is a God- given gift — roughly paralleling the Indic divine daana or Latin Donum Dei — which is given in differing degree but in large measure to all. Everyone has spiritual capacity to be loving, wise, sensitive, courageous, generous, forgiving, compassionate, etc., and everyone is also endowed with talents to contribute to the fields of art, sport, music, medicine, science, literature, politics, agriculture, etc. No two people are blessed with exactly the same graces and talents. And God showers gifts not as finished- products but as potentiality to be realised. Thus, it’s said: “What you are is God’s gift to you; what you become is your gift to God.”
Let’s remember: ( a) you/ I have immense potential for growth; ( b) Through silent reflection and soul- searching sadhanas, you/ I gain awareness of what we are uniquely capable of and called to become; ( c) you/ I can either be a help or hindrance in developing others’ skills; ( d) trust in God coupled with hard work ensures success; ( e) youthfulness is more a matter of one’s outlook than of one’s age.
Handless Dhaval attributes his success to chance, not choice. Whether you believe in chance-grace-karma-destiny-providence luckfortune- whatever, you certainly have a choice. So stay youthful, graceful, skilful, hopeful, helpful, joyful and fruitful.
Francis Gonsalves is a professor of theology. He can be contacted at fragons@ gmail. com