STOP PLAYING THE BLAME GAME

When God asked Adam why he had eaten the Forbidden Fruit, Adam blamed Eve (and God who made such a "helper" for him). When God asked Eve why, she put the blame on the Serpent. God had reached the end of the line. Had God proceed to question the Serpent, whom would the Serpent have blamed? God! It was all God's fault for creating the cosmos! By playing the Blame Game, we refuse to admit the truth. Not only can we not solve the problem, but we will also make things worse. Then the whole Creation would have become absurd if God had not intervened.

Last year, at the early stage of the Umbrella Movement, the administrations started and kept blaming foreign influences which, until today, could not be verified. How convenient an excuse it was! Foreign influences were everywhere in a cosmopolitan city like Hong Kong. To show their love and care for the youngsters who took to the streets, the authority blamed the pan-democrats for instigating the youngsters. One year after the end of Umbrella Movement, the administration still does not give even a little thought of how far the government was responsible for creating this "deep-level contradiction" within the society. At the wake of the Mongkok protests which turned ugly on the first Lunar New Year night, the government blamed the so called "localists" ... It is not my fault. Am I my brother's keeper? Worst of all, the administration was playing a more dangerous game by defining this incident a "riot" which could easily turn into an excuse to call in the PLA once the police is proven ineffective in containing the situation. The so called "riot" lasted for 7 hours and the police starts rounding up "suspects" ...

The Catholic Church starts the Lent Season today, the Ash Wednesday. To prepare ourselves to partake in the resurrection of Christ, we should fast, pray and give alms. We should repent and turn once more towards God. We should make God our centre of being etc. For me, this Lent Season is going to be a forty-day retreat. I will try to empty myself to make room for God. The first thing to empty is the habit of playing the Blame Game. Look hard at myself to see how much I am responsible for the misery suffered by my neighbour. If I refuse to see the truth, I will never be free.

Merciful Father, correct me when I start playing the Blame Game. Amen.