God is my Pilot, I am only co-pilot / இறைவனே என் படகோட்டி நானோ உடன் பணியாளி

 

 As I look back at my whole life during the last eight decades,

it has become clear

how God writes straight with crooked lines.

 

In seeing and appreciating a Picture, we must not put our nose to the Picture,

but stand away from the Picture at a reasonable distance and then look at the Picture.

What appeared as crooked lines at short distance, will fall into place to give a beautiful Picture.

 

So is the understanding of life,

when we look back from a reasonable distance,

all that took place in the past  our own lives.

 

After my 80th Birthday I tried to look back closely at everything that happened to me

from bith to schooling to public life.

 

It is my conviction that God has been writing in crooked lines which I did not understand,

but now I see them falling into a clear Picture to say that

 

God is my Pilot

and I am only a co-Pilot!

 

while God is the Unknown Source of all

and has revealed in various ways and through various religions,

to me God had revealed Himself through Jesus Christ

and through his church.

 

Looking back at the turn of Events during my life at home in the Family,

in the School with my fellow students,

in the life of the University

and through decisions I made surprisingly with ununderstandable Courage,

against the reasonable wishes of the Family, and even against the counsel of a priest,

I conclude that God had led me through crooked ways

into this present life as a catholic prist for the last 50 years

to serve a People in the Name of God!

 Hence after my 80th Birthday, 

I have Accepted this last phase of life

Only to prepare myself more intensely for the next phase, namely, the Eternal Life with Him

And to offer my services as a humble instrument of God 

to bring Peace and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

How can a man be a co-pilot or co-operator with God?

God in His  wisdom has given his creature man,

Unique and supreme qualities to be a co-operator with Him in His creation, 

evolution and unfolding the secrets of His creation.

We have only to consider the faculties given to man.

Just think of my conscience as the little spark of Divinity in me 

to feel the presence of God and to converse with Him.

Just think of the power of reason and intellect in man

Which go on discovering and unfolding the wonders of God's creation.

These gifts make man fit to be a co-operator or a co-pilot with Him.

At the present phase of my involvement in politics

 in the name of God and on behalf of my people

I am at variance with the majority of Vociferous Tamils. Why?

All along my life,
right from 1956 onwards
when the ethnic conflict was initiated by the Sinhala Only act,
I have followed my Christian concience
and my convictions therein.

Hence my participation in youthful politics,
or later with the Tamil Leaders
and even with the LTTE leader,
I have acted with my concience based on Christian convictions.
I have never blindly followed or obeyed orders from any political leader.
I continue to do that even today,
and that is misunderstood by many,

Not only by the Hindus who recognise me in my political role,

But sadly also by my own Christian brothers and sisters,

Who confine themselves too much within the traditional church,

And distance themselves from what is happening to humanity

In their neighbourhood.

They reamain apolitical and selfish without the Christian vision

Of love, mercy, solidarity which Jesus showed in His preferential love 

for the victims of injustice, discrimination and oppression.

To understand my views or stance
vis a vis the current political issues of interest to the Tamils, 

one has to understand me as a man of God, as a co-pilot, 

in my decision making and steering in unpopular directions.

Jesus, the Pilot of my life, speaks to my conscience in prayer,
and says "look there, turn right, attend to them"
and I obey my Lord and God, my only Pilot!!!

But to hear God's directions and to execute them,
I must drive ready to hear his voice
and with short notice to change direction!
That means, I give attention to Master's voice
and  do not make long-term plans!