the black dot
One day a teacher entered the classroom and told the students to prepare for an unexpected test. They all sat at their desks fearfully awaiting the exam that was coming. So, the professor handed out the tests with the text face down, as was his custom.
After everyone received the sheet, he asked to turn it over. Surprisingly for everyone, there was no question or written text; just a black dot in the center of the leaf. The teacher, seeing the expression of surprise that everyone had, said the following: now you are going to write a comment about what you are seeing. All the students, confused, then began the curious and strange task.
At the end of the time, the teacher collected the sheets, stood in front of the class and began to read the essays, one by one, aloud.
All the tests, without exception, defined the black dot, trying to explain its presence in the center of the sheet. After reading, with the classroom in silence, the teacher began to explain: this test does not count for a grade; It just serves as a lesson to everyone. No one in the room has written on the blank sheet. You have all focused your attention on the black dot.
This is what happens to us in our lives: in the life of each one, in the life of a couple and family, as well as in society. The Gospel of Saint Matthew (7,1-5) exhorts us to remove the beam that we have in our sight before removing the speck from our brother’s eye; It makes us understand that we must first look at our own defects before criticizing the defects of others.
A Greek myth wanted to explain why we are more likely to see our brother’s mistakes before our own: the pagan divinity had placed on men’s shoulders some saddlebags that they had to carry on their chests and backs; In the front saddlebag they carried the defects of others and on their backs their own; for this reason, they see other people’s mistakes more easily. In this way, we understand why those children in the story focused their reflection on ‘the black dot’ and not on ‘the blank page’.
That teacher made us aware of the frequent fact of focusing attention on the speck that others have in their eyes while we forget the beam in front of us, which prevents us from seeing how much good there is in creation, in people. We have reached the point that the good news on the radio, in the press, on the small screen, does not attract our attention; we are waiting, hunting for bad news and it is this that has an impact.
This attitude of focusing on ‘the black spot’ is very frequent: the spouses blame each other for their defects, forgetting the qualities and virtues of the spouse; parents warn their children of their misbehavior, but overlook the good they do. E. Villagrán points out that “many times parents address their children to command them, to punish them, to call their attention, to correct them, but rarely or never to praise them, congratulate them, motivate them, applaud them, recognize their qualities, successes, successes and progress”.
And he adds: “children should be congratulated, encouraged, thanked, encouraged, motivated so that they feel happy and willing to continue fighting for their own benefit and improvement. Children are very pleased to hear words of affection and enthusiasm from their parents; this helps them value what they do and value themselves as people”. Who does not like to receive a compliment, a few words of encouragement? Acknowledging how much good there is in people is ultimately a recognition of the Creator who has distributed his perfections and talents among men.
All of us are a blank page on which we must write our own history, built on the development of the many talents that God has given us. This is our great responsibility, but also our best honor and satisfaction: to make the blank page a testimony of the goodness that is in our being.
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