Introduction
The controversies surrounding Mother Teresa of Calcutta became evident through her letters which revealed a huge discrepancy between her inner state and the public demeanor (Van Biema 38). In the public, Teresa had displayed the image of a woman in perfect union with God. However, the letters reveal the doubts that engulfed daughter of Calcutta for nearly six decades. It follows that most of the life of Mother Teresa was filled with doubt about the existence of God. The absence of God in the life of Mother Teresa sharply contradicted her vision and passion regarding the art of giving. The letters reveal that the gap between Teresa’s outward life (a life exhibited through smiles) and her inner being widened when she embarked on a journey to tend to the poor and the dying. In my view, I find this revelation quite intriguing because it is difficult to reconcile the two versions of Mother Teresa. In this essay, the author explores the circumstances that could have triggered the iconic figure in the Catholic Church into exercising duality in the way she lived.
Organization
The letter reveal that Mother Teresa compared her life to that of an individual living in hell. Because of this dryness, loneliness and torture, Teresa doubted the existence of God. She referred to her smiles as similar to a clock that hides everything. Even though the rationale for hiding her experiences from the public does not come out clearly, it is discernible from her life journey that she desired humanity with compassion and love for the poor. Mother Teresa was not happy about the growing inequalities that put one part of humanity on one side while placing the second part of humanity on the other. In this regard, she chose to live a worthy cause, regardless of the difficulties and pains that she could have encountered on her journey. In addition to this proposition, it is arguable that Mother Teresa a mortal being, lacked immunity for against loneliness, and dryness. Perhaps in the course of her mission, Mother Teresa encountered challenges that needed consolation and support from God. But God does not come to mankind in physical sense. God comes to mankind in a spiritual sense. The spiritual embodiment of God may not happen immediately we need it. In this regard, it was possible for Mother Teresa to feel lonely and dry.
The story reveals that Mother Teresa had decided to take a medical course that would equip her with the basic skills of attending to the sick. At the start of the journey, she wrote about the joy and peace in her heart. Her encounter with an old man lying on the street baffled her. She recalls that there was nobody to attend to the old man. On her subsequent encounter, she came across a woman that had been left to die of starvation. These events confirmed to her the reality of unequal society and the nature of the work for she was prepared to launch.
The decision by Mother Teresa to keep away her letters from the public is not a subject of controversy. I believe that there was no bar placed for people who have intimate relationship with God to reveal everything regarding their inner lives to the public. Mother Teresa was being human when she chose to confide in a few of her confidantes. In her letter to Picachy in April 1959, Teresa pleads with Picachy to destroy any written letters (van Biema 43). She explains this vividly that revelation of these letters to the public would make people to view her as Jesus when she is Jesus. As if she had prophesized this scenario, the revelation of Teresa’s letters sparked sharp debate among atheists and people of little faith. Aspersions have been cast on the doubt that characterized the life of Mother Teresa. She regarded the absence of God in her life as the most shameful situation in the history of her life.
Mother Teresa wrote to Jesus when she lamented at the pain of emptiness. The intriguing part of this letter is when she acknowledges God’s love for her but admits that the coldness and emptiness in heart is so great that nothing touches her soul (40). This revelation is disturbing considering what people already knew about the life of Mother Teresa. Her unusual humility and love for the downtrodden was a clear indication of presence of God in her life. But this letter repudiates the perceptions that people had towards Mother Teresa.
Response
The reading draws useful insights that can shape the life of Christians. The work of Mother Teresa became a significant treasure in the Catholic Church. No Christian denomination in the world has matched this church on the subject of giving back to the needy. The reading teaches Christians that no human being is perfect. Even though Mother Teresa did not wish that her letter should be made public, the decision by the Catholic Church to reveal these letters was an indication of the church’s commitment to uphold virtue. Mother Teresa reminds the Christian faith of the need to recognize the gaps in the society and initiate methods by which these gaps can be filled. Her story teaches about sacrifice, endurance and resilience in the face of adversity. Even though she contributed towards charity, it is evident that the mission lacked hardship.
Conclusion
In light of the story, it is clear that Mother Teresa lived a double life. This life consisted of an outward demeanor characterized by smiles while the inner life comprised pain and misery. The widening discrepancy between her two worlds revealed the absence of God in her life. However, the life of Mother Teresa calls upon Christian to respond to the call of giving.
Work Cited
Van Biema, David. “Her Agony.” Time. 2007, September 3. Print.
