At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose. Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day, for it is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.’”     

The movie "The Kite Runner" begins in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan in 1978 before the Russians, the Taliban, the Americans and the anarchy. Two boys, Amir and Hassan, were the best of friends. Their hobby, as the hobby of many of the young children of the city was kite flying, and the game of trying to cut other kite strings with their own. Amir was an excellent flyer of kites; Hassan was the best kite runner in the neighborhood, correctly predicting when a kite will return to earth and waiting there to retrieve it as a trophy. Within the chemistry of the times, Hassan met up with some other older boys who considered him inferior because of Hassan's race, and proceeded to rape him. Amir, unseen and very afraid, watching from a distance, did not help. Immediately, Amir's cowardice began to haunt him, and he finally found a way to make Hassan and his father leave. Even as Amir grew into adulthood and moved to the United States, his cowardice was always with him. When given the chance, he finally did something about it.

Jesus knew that he was disturbing people, especially his own Jewish people and the occupiers of his land, the Romans. The Jewish people did not want the Romans to bother them, and since the Jewish man Jesus was calling attention to the Jewish race, they wanted him to leave. Moreover, since the Romans had a right to execute people, Jesus' followers were most concerned about Herod, the Roman ruler, who would not hesitate to use the death penalty because he had already done it with John the Baptist. For the people who loved Jesus, Herod and what he could do was a formidable problem. Jesus knew the problem, but in his mind, a person did not run away from a problem. You face it and continue to do what you are called to do. As he tells his followers: "I must continue."

In the movie "The Kite Runner," Amir had done something wrong in his childhood: he had neglected a friend. It was always on his mind. He had run away from the problem, and knowledge of what he had done was a constant thought even as he settled upon a new life, and began to enjoy it. When given an opportunity, he understood what he had to do. He had run away from the problem long enough. He had to face it, and do as much as he could.

As we look back on our lives, even if it is a short amount of time, we may regret some things that we have done. We may have hurt someone, we may have done something to a friend or perhaps a family member. Our Christian obligation is really very simple: we must face the problem. We must make amends if amends are to be made. It may mean doing something on behalf of another; it may mean just praying for someone in a sincere way. Moreover, we must learn from any past mistakes. We must study our lives right now, and decide never to say or do anything that we will regret in the future.               

THOUGHT
 
PRAYER

Good and gracious God, we make mistakes. We know that. As we look at our pasts, give us the grace to face those mistakes and never run away from problems. Help us imitate    your Son's determination to do what is right. Be with us, we pray. 

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America