Let me begin my reflection by sharing with you a tale from ancient India as retells by Henri Nouwen. It is a story of four royal brothers. These four royal brothers decided each to master a special ability. They left their home and went to search their specialty in any field.

“Time went by, and the brothers met to reveal what they had learned. "I have mastered a science, said the first, "by which I can take but a bone of some creature and create the flesh that goes with it.

"I, said the second, "know how to grow that creature's skin and hair if there is flesh on its bones.

The third said, "I am able to create its limbs if I have flesh, the skin, and the hair.

"And I, concluded the fourth, "know how to give life to that creature if its form is complete.

Thereupon the brothers went into the jungle to find a bone so they could demonstrate their specialties. As fate would have it, the bone they found was a lion's. One added flesh to the bone, the second grew skin and hair, the third completed it with matching limbs, and the fourth gave the lion life. Shaking its mane, the ferocious beast arose and jumped on his creators. He killed them all and vanished contentedly into the jungle” (Adapted from the book of Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Wounded Healer).

This story captures well our condition, especially the ongoing war in Ukraine and Russia. With all our knowledge and advance in technology, we sometimes cannot control or rather misuse all this power. We created things but we cannot control and thus we destroy one another. Indeed, the Russian invasion of Ukraine this year has not only triggered large-scale humanitarian, migration, and refugee crises, it has also added downside risks to the global economy that is still dealing with the COVID pandemic.

While we are trying to recover from the Covid pandemic, another crisis comes. Thus, we ask WHY? Why O Lord? How long? Perhaps, there’s no answer to these questions if we only center our lives on the things we created, protect ourselves, our countries with guns or atomic bombs. This is what Jesus addressed to the people who stared at the beauty of the temple, and he warned them, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” They were shocked with Jesus’ words. Impossible! This temple is the center of our faith and lives. They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” To them Jesus replied, “Beware that you are not led astray.”

Beware that you are not led astray! This is Jesus’s invitation for us who sometimes worried, confused, hopeless, wrestles trying to cope with the crisis or uncertainty. Do not be afraid. Be present at every moment. Be focused. Be rooted. Center your life in God. Goals and dreams can consume us. Possessions and property can turn and destroy us-unless we first seek God's kingdom and righteousness and allow Him to breathe into what we make of life.

Beware that you are not led astray. Let us stare at the living Temple of God, Jesus. Let us not stop stared at or stand outside the temple, but let us worship Him, the True Temple, who listens and gives us hope. For He said, “the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him.  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”