Friends On A Calypso Journey Through Life by Melvyn Brown

FRIENDS     By Melvyn Brown

I am by no means a supporter for “losers” and “wasters”, but I think of them as my “friends” in this calypso-journey through life. Being the way they are is, perhaps, the way God wants us to learn not to neglect our duties, to be more responsible, to thank the Creator for ones well-being and competence. My “friends” are clearly the instruments and showpiece of the Lord.

I often help these “Friends” of mine in small, efficient and effective measures. Without having to tell them, they do odd jobs and receive food, at times money as the situation arises. They don’t know it but, they are my “friends”. By the act of being who they are – they also serve.

A few years back there was an American TV Series called FRIENDS. The dominant significance of that popular series was the enthusiasm riveted into the theme of friendship. I became a big fan, hoping it would salvage all the anger and pain in society with laughter and hindsight-criticism of the way the world wobbles in cockeyed celebration of hopelessness.

Week after week I was thrilled to follow the often small and minor mess in the lives of the characters. Fun-filled and continually an embarrassment to most of the viewers, FRIENDS, often hit the top-ten best TV Series, in comedy. In my personal collection of DVD’s I have Ten Seasons.

In FRIENDS, the characters always stood by each other through thick and thin. They cared and shared as best they could. They fought and made up and radiated good values. They classified the cause of war and peace in current trends onboard. The only thing that never changed was faith, trust and hope in all that they went through.

                  - By Melvyn Brown@Calcutta. August. 2015

Pope Paul VI by Melvyn Brown

THERE IS MAGIC IN WORDS BY MELVYN BROWN

THERE IS MAGIC IN WORDS

First impressions always matter, not always in looks or good dressing habits, but as the proverbial saying goes that what comes out of the mouth hits (impresses) harder.
People like to grumble about ‘coop-like apartments’ (four rooms and you can’t swing a cat). Rapid growth of city populations, and despite the crack-down on Maggi’s, the mumble grumble is a presence in many social circles anywhere in the world. But these people are few.

The fact remains “that what is said is often bread” to heal, preserve, promote and protect. Also to inspire. The Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, ex-President of India, who died recently said,” Don’t declare a holiday on my death, instead work an extra day, if you love me.”

The potential of magic in the words spoken is a rare power to generate love, forgiveness and peace. Someone once said, “To err is human, to forgive, divine” Think about it. In 1939, Scientist Albert Einstein wrote to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt that America should start an atomic research program. Was it a stroke of wisdom?
Dada J.P. Vaswani, a Sindhi philosopher and teacher launched in 2012, The Moment of Calm. It was to be a global initiative for world peace. He said, “ The Moment of Calm marks the birth time of one Apostle of love and peace.” He has the firm belief that there is one need the world hungers for, and that is forgiveness.
To the modern generation in the millennium, Pope Saint John Paul II, said: “Be not afraid”. It was a positive assurance that evil could be overcome in not being afraid. Jesus said from the Cross, to which he was nailed and dying : “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing”. (Luke 23:34).
The testaments made down the passage of time is unthinkable. As I said earlier, “What is said is often bread”. But that may come with limits, it’s what you can do with it. Have a good week ahead.

- By Melvyn Brown@Calcutta- August. 2015.

The Spiritual Formation of A Consecrated Life by Melvyn Brown

The Invisible Middle Class by Melvyn Brown

The Invisible Middle Class by Melvyn Brown

It speaks volumes about the flakiness of politics that leaders and country candidates who most often emerge as winners in elections seldom speak about the Middle Class while campaigning. Their campaigns focus on the rich and the poor.

I have borrowed, bought and browsed through books and magazines on society, the fragile economy,unemployment, unsustainable debt, and how imperiled attempts are being made abroad to stabilize the single European currency. Always, the tone and presentation in all the books I have read and flipped through, were peppered with fillers and features on their nations impact on the rich and the poor.

It was a surprise for the media last week when Pope Francis, after a gruelling trip to Ecuador, Paraguay and Bolivia, acknowledged what one reporter had to say about the middle class. The Vatican always faces challenges to talk sternly, to invoke and revoke, to make threats of discipline, to re-evangelise in the West. Pope Francis had spoken for almost an hour on the defence of the poor, making it a plank of his papacy. The journalist wanted to know why the pontiff had not spoken about the "working, tax-paying" middle class. "You're right. It's an error of mine not to think about this,," the Holy Father said. It was a rare "papal mea culpa". The Pope thanked the reporter for his "good correction".

The overburdened middle class have an eerie mirror designed to ignore their contributions in work and efforts made towards the growth of society. The view from the gallery is a comedy. The middle class pledges, while the rich splurge and the poor benefit to some extent.

The middle class are responsible, have no time to be disillusioned, pay their taxes, work hard, spend on education, luxury, civil renewal and are, in turn, brow-beaten by the system to keep labour unions afloat, and human resource development projects alive - all for the shifting coalitions in politics to comfort the rich and the poor. The equation is : the rich get richer and the poor, poorer.
God bless you and your loved ones.

The Melvyn Brown News bulletin 5 July 2015

Epistle for the Coming Jubilee Year of Mercy