Daring to be different

By
Fr Joachim D'Souza Capuchin
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Daring to be different

“It’s easy to stand with the crowd, circle, congregation or crew but it takes courage, firmness, fortitude to stand-alone” or to say Swim against the stream or tide. Go against prevailing opinion or thought, Shakespeare used a similar metaphor in 2 Henry IV (5:2): “You must now speak Sir John Falstaff fair, which swims against your stream.” Going against the current, be countercultural, and have the courage to give witness to the truth both by the way we live and the way we speak. Going against the current of the worldly culture in which we live, and be swept away by its decadent customs, ways, and fashions. These words are crystal clear and come straight to us with the question, are we ready to stand alone? Or in other words, are we daring to be different?

Why we swim along with the current? There is a tendency type or trend in and around us to have peaceful swimming or journey without hurdles handicap and hindrance, but when the storm faced or if there are bump lump or hump on the road we get frustrated annoyed and give up easily. Life is not always the bed of roses, but there are thorns, arrow and thistles. There is a saying even a dead fish can go with the flow. We are not dead but alive and full of spirits and dreams to be fulfilled if so then why we swim along with the current? We do live and believe in a compromise formula “do not touch me and I shall not touch you”. Is it the world expects? Life is much more than compromise, concession and settlement.

Daring to be different in Thoughts: on 2020 July 10th, a notorious don who had more than 60 criminal cases against him was encountered? Or killed? No one perpetuates, bolster, maintain or preserve his criminality and supports him, but the way of ‘encountering’ is a question to be asked? We believe in Democracy, and we follow the law of the land – Indian Constitution; we pledge our confidence in judiciary system if so then why this kind of encounter or confrontation? The persons who supposed to speak are silenced; electronic gadgets who bombard are mum and mute. If there is a short cut in catering justice, then why do we require a system. There is fear in man to express one’s thoughts because they are aimed, targeted, marked and blacklisted. A whistleblower very next day his relatives, houses, property and accounts are sealed. Freedoms to express one’s thoughts are curtailed; in a way, we are made deaf and dumb. Influential, impressive forceful and powerful people are grabbing, grasping capturing the government land but they are left free but poor destitute Dalit who are living under the sky, nothing to eat, zero to hold on, are tortured tormented ultimate fate consume pesticides.

Daring to be different in Words: Today, people are blackmailed, hands are tied, and lips are stuck, attached and fixed. Honesty, morality and sobriety are at the crossroad.

Gujarat woman cop Sunita Yadav (Lady Singham Sunita Yadhav)  forced to resign for doing duty threatened by minister’s son, no action by superiors who tried to sweep the matter under the rug and asked her to leave the spot. This apparently frustrated the woman constable, and she resigned on 11.07.2020.

Daring to be different in Deeds: The video went viral for its misogynistic and criminal content ‘low level’ Youtuber, Shubham Mishra goes on a rant and takes the liberty to abuse the comedian for her ‘jokes’ with utmost crass words, cussing at her mother and sister and boldly described in graphic detail of how he would ‘rape’ her. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche’s phrase “Silence is worse, all truths that are kept silent become poisonous” are we perpetuating poison or glorifying the criminals, supporting the wrongdoers, upholding the offender?

Time has come Live without pretending, Love without depending, Listen without defending and Speak without offending. Dare to be different?

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    Fr Joachim D’Souza, Capuchin is a catholic priest obtained his Doctorate in the faculty of Human Rights. He has finished his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Laws (LLB) and completed Masters in Sociology and Laws (LLM). He is engaged in teaching philosophical and Theological colleges and a resource person in current subjects at various institutions. As an advocate mediates to settle the long-pending litigations of property, families and drafts the legal documents. Presently resides at Asha Kiran, Heroor, Brahamavar, Udupi, Karnataka, India.

Mobile: +91- 9902774580

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Fr Vincent D Souza, Capuchin, Mogarnad
4 years ago

Dear Fr Joachim, thanks a lot for the practical and enlightening article. You have really explained what it means daring to be different. Standing outside the crowd is always challenging and prophetic. The article is comprehensive and well written. Wish you the Best in the future.

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