An esteemed reader sent me a message that day, saying,
“Truly, I feel good when you talk about the charitable and benevolent. Yet, you have to talk about those who pain others and how they not only hurt others, but themselves first and foremost. That is why I sent you a short movie. I do not know where it was shot: maybe somewhere in Eastern Asia where someone discovered late that he wrong another!
Regards, “
This movie, which is a few minutes long, is about a shop area. One morning, upon opening his store, the owner finds a homeless person sleeping at the door. He kicks and scolds him! The poor man hurries in order not to receive further kicking. Yet, he returns at night to sleep at the shop door! Days elapse with the same scenario taking place: the owner either kicks the man, showers him with water, or shouts at him. The man leaves, then returns. As for the rest of the owners, they just reject such harshness. Yet, they cannot prevent the man from it. One day, the owner comes ready to scold and kick the man out. Yet, to his amazement, he does not find him. Neither does he see him on the following day. Days elapse without the owner’s seeing the man. So, he starts thinking of what could have happened to the man who did not return.
One day, while the owner is thinking of the poor man, he sees that cameras he had fixed outside the shop. He starts watching the recorded scenes and the past incidents. He sees himself kicking the man, shouting and throwing water at him, and the man moaning. Then, he sees him sleeping at the door on many nights after closing down, thus preventing thieves from robbing the place several times. Even more, the poor man used to quarrel with whoever threw garbage at the door and would clean in the place. He also sees others treating him kindly and offering him food with true love. Most impressive is that he sees the man preventing thieves from robbing the shop, the man resists them and they stab him to death! Here, tears of remorse fill his eyes! He realizes how much indebted he is to that person who never got the least kindness or even pity from him.
This is the way of the world! During our lifetime, we encounter people who we might not wish have been present, believing they are not of benefit or worth! Even more, we might think their presents is harmful and try to oust them either through asking them to leave, scolding them, or insulting them. When they leave, we just discover how good and supportive they were and how harsh we were. This harshness prevents lots of blessing which we do not heed. They will become a fire that burns our lives first. Be, thus, humane for yourself first.
General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
