SEVENTY-TIMES SEVEN-TIMES

Last afternoon, I was telling these young boy and girl, that they both had to ‘consciously’ work towards improving their relationship with their parents. “For you guys, everyone else should come later… yes, including your thick friends or your boy-friend or girl-friend,” I told them. 

They were teenagers and they were in a relationship. Their parents did not know about it… and, they both were afraid, that their parents would spoil things if they came to know about it… and, I knew that telling youngsters, in such a situation, “Everyone else should come later… and, your parents first,” was too naive or ‘impractical’. 

Parents are the biggest enemies… to any teenage couple. The love-birds!

And, here was this old-man advising our new-age teenagers, “Sweethearts, take your parents into confidence… Win them over… Build your communication with them, bit by bit…. Layer by layer… do it consistently, consciously… do it with lots of patience…”

The young man was getting restless… 

Like all other young kids, he too loved his parents… But, like most kids of his age, he was convinced, that his parents, somehow, ‘never understood him’… ‘never allowed him to do what he wanted’… ‘never really appreciated him for what he was’… He argued, that ‘they only cribbed, complained, yelled and condemned’… 

“Tell me sir, how much patient you can be?” the young man protested with suppressed pain, “Is it not frustrating and hopeless?”

The young man was asking me, “Sir, tell me, how many times should I tolerate my parents' nagging?”

“Seventy-times, seven-times… Seventy-times, seven-times… Seventy-times, seven-times…” I was telling the young man what Jesus had told his beloved disciple, Peter.

“Master, if my brother sins against me, how many times should I forgive him? Seven times?” the disciple had asked the Master.

The Master had answered, without even  blinking: “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-times, seven-times.”

Yes, forgiveness was to be such… unconditional, and limitless… One had to have loads and loads and loads of patience, tolerance… and, one was expected to forgive his ‘hurting and sinning’ brother over and over again..

Is that Love? And, is that the only way for Peace?

So, without even blinking, I, too, had told this angry young-man, “Dude, tolerate your mom and dad – their cribbing and nagging – not just seven times, do it seventy-times seven!”

Yes, it is not easy to do that. Jesus Christ’s message always comes simple… but, it needs a mind of steel and heart of gold to follow him. It takes real honesty and courage to follow what Jesus instructs…

But, is there another way of Loving? Another way for Peace?

I was telling the young boy and the young girl, 

“Let your parents be your well-wishers 

in your relationship… 

Don’t ‘exclude’ them… ‘include’ them…

 Keep that as a goal… 

Work towards that bit by bit, every single day, 

and, do that with infinite patience…”

They were not Christians… and, so, I had to explain to them the meaning of Jesus’ words:‘Seventy-times seven-times.’

The resistance had dropped, last afternoon. The young man and the young girl had to go home… to their parents. They could not be happy unless they were happy with their parents… with out their ‘blessings’.

So, the silence had come… and, I knew, though it was difficult, that was the only sensible way of ‘coming home’… Making peace with the ones who always came first!

I had promised the young teenager-couple that I would be writing on the subject today. Here I have done it. This is for them. And, for all other angry young men and women… It is for me and you… Because, we have never stopped asking:

“Master, how many times should we forgive? Is seven times enough?”

I bring you the inspiring song of David Meese – ‘Seventy-times seven’ with its amazing lyrics. Hope, it will bring the silence on all of us…

Seventy Times Seven

This prison has no walls
This bondage has no chains
My memories have no mercy
There's no one left to blame

Wish I could force back the hands of time
And right every wrong
Grant me just this one last chance
Before it's gone, gone, gone, gone

How could I be so blind as to doubt Your love?
How can I go on living without Your love?

Seventy times seven
Will You forgive me for all that I've done?
Seventy times seven
I'm so afraid of what I've become

For all the promises laid to waste
For all the seeds unsown
For all the justice I never faced
I must now atone

Is there a soul that can't be saved?
Is there a heart that has no hope?
Is there a peace that can still be made?
Please say, it's so

How could I be so blind as to doubt Your love?
How can I go on living without Your love?

Seventy times seven
Will You forgive me for all that I've done?
Seventy times seven
I'm so afraid of what I've become

Seventy times seven
Will You forgive all that I've done?
Seventy times seven
I'm so afraid of what I've become

And if I should kneel before You
Would You lay Your hands on me or turn me away?
And even if I should tremble
Deep in my heart, I won't be afraid
I won't be afraid

Seventy times seven
(I won't be afraid, I won't be afraid)
Seventy times seven
(I won't be afraid, no, no, no)

Seventy times seven
Will You forgive me for all that I've done?
Seventy times seven
I'm so afraid of the man I've become

Seventy times seven
Will You forgive all that I've done?
Seventy times seven
Your love can save me from what I've become

Seventy times seven
Seventy times seven
Seventy times seven

(From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/d/david-meece-lyrics/seventy-times-seven-lyrics.html)

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pics.: Supriya Chavan