Sometimes you get the impression that you are the most miserable person in the world with all the hardships of life. Everyone but you seems happy, you are the only one who carries burdens and life is one whole merry-go-round for the privileged few.

In reality, at some time or other in our lives we all have to carry the burden of the cross. The shocking thing though is when a broken person holds a grudge against society in general and lashes out by being destructive in all aspects.

Unfortunately, those are the emotions of a person whose life is without God.

This is a true story of a little boy who years ago taught me that suffering is part of life and the release of suffering is through prayer and God and not hitting out at people.

There was this man who loved his little boy immensely. He was the apple of his eye. Every day after his job was done he used to go home and play with his son for hours on end. They played together with one wondering who was the happiest, whether it was the son or the father. One day “dad” realised he had a pile of work which had been shelved for too long and he wanted to get it done, so sadly he noted that he wouldn’t be playing with his son that evening.

An idea came to his head to help keep his son active. He searched his office and noticed a magazine with a large map of the world on the cover. He quickly picked up the map and tore it to shreds and put them in his pocket. When he arrived home his son came quickly to greet him, rubbing his hands in glee because his dad was going to play with him. The father explained that he had a lot to do and wasn’t able to play with him. Still, he grabbed his son by the hand led him to the kitchen.

Taking out the pieces of the map, he arranged them on the kitchen table. He explained to his son that it was a map of the world and while the latter would unite the jumbled pieces together, the father would complete his work. The father obviously thought that this was something that would occupy his son for hours on end. Half an hour later the boy excitedly told his father that he was ready and asked whether they could now play together. The father was flabbergasted and asked himself how it was possible that his son could have finished the job in half an hour.

The poor man couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his son’s completed map so he asked him what kind of powers he had used to get the map done so quickly. The red-faced innocent little boy answered, “Easy dad, when I turned the pieces of the map there was a face of a man”. When I sorted the pieces the world came into place. What destroys the world if not a person who is destructive?

This little boy who is now a missionary in India taught me that anger, hatred and vengeance are man’s weapons that harm others.

Only love and forgiveness can mend people’s lives. A life without God is like a bulb with no filament. No wonder that even on an island such as ours there is violence. If a man cannot find peace within himself, can there be peace on this island?

I rest my case.

Valerie Borg

MLP councillor

Valletta