Continuous adaptation without getting lost

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

GIVEN the rapid developments all over the world, we are faced with the big challenge of how to adapt ourselves to them without getting lost. Definitely, we are in for a very rough ride here, and we should just learn how to manage, not minding so much the unavoidable errors and the demand of the usual “blood, sweat and tears.”

We are reminded of this duty in that gospel episode where some of the usual critics of Christ compared the disciples of John the Baptist with those of Christ. (cfr. Lk 5,33-39) “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same,” they said. “But yours eat and drink.”

That’s when Christ told them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?” And then he made this simple explanation as a way of how to do the proper adaptation due to varying circumstances: “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak.”

The ability to face the challenge of continuous adaptation without getting lost starts with anchoring ourselves firmly and deeply on Christ. He is the embodiment of perfect adaptation without getting lost.

Being God he became man. He tried his best to identify himself with our sinful condition by becoming like sin without committing sin just to save us. (cfr. 2 Cor 5,21) He perfectly fits what St. Paul once said about being all things to all men. (cfr. 1 Cor 9,22)

We cannot deny that there are just so many things to orchestrate and to put into some kind of organic whole, with due attention to the priorities given to each item. We cannot deny that along the way, we often get entangled with some distractions that can get so bad as to hook us in some form of addiction and obsession.

This does not mean that we should close ourselves from these developments taking place like a fish that tries to avoid the murky waters by staying away from the waters. Of course, we should try our best to avoid the so-called near occasions of sin, but given the necessity of getting involved in the current developments of the world, we just have to learn how to do the appropriate maneuvering.

Yes, we cannot avoid getting dirty along the way. We would always be hounded by temptations that would coddle our weaknesses. Falls, mistakes and sins are likely to happen. But that’s the challenge we have to face. Those falls can be the occasion to learn and grow in the appropriate skills and virtues.

We just have to learn how to be tough, never giving up in spite of the falls and errors, since God, with his mercy, will always clean us if we would just bother to go to him and to be with him as much as possible.

What can help is for us to be constantly aware of the ultimate purpose of our life here on earth and to pursue it with as much zeal as we can muster. We can say that the more zealous we are in pursuing that goal, the less problem we would have in terms of living order amid the confusing developments.

Deviations from the pursuit of that purpose can always take place. But we should just try our best to be quick to correct those deviations, no matter how slight.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com