The Moral Compass

John Chapter seven (John 7: 1-30) portrays two groups of well-determined and motivated people. Both have well defined mission to accomplish. There are the leaders of the people, the high priests, the Pharisees, etc. planning, plotting and scheming to kill Jesus. They are so well motivated that they will not rest until it is accomplished. On the other side we have Jesus, motivated as he says, to do the will of his father who sent him and from whom he is come. He knows what will happen, he is waiting for his hour. He too will not rest until his mission is accomplished.

Two sides: one looking for an opportunity to kill, another waiting for his hour to die. The maxim of every war, every capitalistic business is, kill but don't die. You may destroy others, but don't get destroyed. Brutally put, but its true. It is the military dictate and of every country. It is the business rule of every corporation. We teach it to our kids, through the games they play. We remind ourselves of it often in our management programs through an icebreaker. Think of the game ‘saving your balloon’. You have to protect your balloon while shooting down others balloons. The management lesson from it is, to be alive on this planet, kill, but don’t die.

Gandhiji, in his nonviolent campaign, always maintained, there is no cause big or worthy enough to take another's life. Albert Camus, a French philosopher and political activist, though he was an absurdist, who found no meaning/purpose in life, along with Gandhi confessed, “There may be causes worth dying for, but none worth killing for.” Never destroy or kill others’ peace of mind, business, family, and life, instead look for opportunity to die a little for the same, and build them up. Sacrificing a little for the sake of the other must be our greatest motivation. It is not how much motivated you are that matters but what is your motivation. It is not the speed of the walking that matters but the direction of our walk. Speed becomes an advantage only when the compass is in the right direction.

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SPRINGBOARDS and WALKING STICKS

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