AN INCIDENT

In 1940, a landlord in eastern U.P. grew angry with a village cobbler. The cobbler had delayed repairing his shoes. He was summoned to the landlord’s house. The landlord stood with a stick in hand and ordered him to take off his shirt. The cobbler obeyed immediately. He not only removed his shirt but also turned his back toward the landlord and sat silently, making it easy for him to strike. At first, the landlord was furious at the sight of him. But when the cobbler said nothing and quietly sat with his bare back exposed, the landlord felt pity. He put his stick aside and let him go, saying, “Go, but don’t repeat this mistake.”

If we look at the situation around the 1940s, Indian society was still governed by a feudal social order. The cobbler at that time was completely helpless, while the landlord held absolute power over him. What then saved the powerless from the powerful? It was conscience—the inner voice that God has placed in every human being, whether good or bad. When the cobbler humbled himself, the landlord’s anger cooled, and his conscience awoke, breaking through the temporary veil of rage.

If, on the other hand, the cobbler had answered back or resisted, the landlord’s anger would have grown, completely suppressing his conscience. The cobbler would then have lost the only ally that exists in the heart of every oppressor for the oppressed. The Creator of this world has built it with profound wisdom. Even when a person seems utterly abandoned, some hidden support still exists—provided he does not, through foolishness, deprive himself of it.

The landlord had physical power, but the cobbler had God’s power. And who can stand against God’s power? Conscience in every human being is God’s court of justice. Present your case in that court, and you will never again feel the need to complain of injustice.