VULNERABLE NOT INVINCIBLE (Human not Vulcan)

Chris Pine as James Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock

I watched STAR TREK lately. The latest one, although this is the beginning of the USS Enterprise. It is a prequel movie. This tells how the crew started out especially James Kirk and Mr. Spock. James Kirk was played by Chris Pine and Mr. Spock by Zachary Quinto.

I’ve never given thought of how their story can be related to something important in my life until I recalled the death of a child by one of our friends.

Our friend’s son, an 11 year old boy died due to meningitis. I rarely heard this disease compared to dengue and measles. I never knew how deadly this can be. It only took two days in the hospital before his life was taken. I was called to pray for this child when he passed away. I don’t quite understand meningitis except for the fact that it is deadly but it can avoided with immunization.

REE AIDEN, we call her REAI

It scared me knowing that my almost 2 year old child has not completed her immunization. Immunization for meningitis is not free in the health center. You have to ask for it with a private pediatrician. And that can be expensive. But losing a child could be worse. When we had the required money, we gave our child the immunization. We felt safe for she is now immune or invincible to this dreaded disease. There are still several immunizations our child needs. It will have to wait until we have money.

The movie tells about their origins. James Kirk’s father got killed saving all of them while he was being born. And Mr. Spock happened to be half-human and half-Vulcan. Vulcan is the race of Mr. Spock. They are highly intellectual beings possessing no emotions. Mr. Spock’s mother happens to be a human. It showed how Mr. Spock as a child was ridiculed for being half human. They viewed him as a weakling for possessing emotions. And they taunted him for this emotion to come out. And it did. Anger came out and he beat the other Vulcan child. For the Vulcan race, possessing no emotion is an asset. It is being invincible to everything. Emotion or the capacity feel is a liability. To feel is to be vulnerable.

It wouldn’t be long when I felt a deep sense of conviction in my heart. I felt guilt, shame, anger, jealousy, and pain. It is then that I wished I was of a Vulcan race and not human. I wish to have no sense of emotion…. I wish to be immune to all emotions. If there was only a vaccine for it.

I wish I could not feel guilt when I have violated a moral standard.
I wish I could not feel shame when I have done or said something incredibly stupid.
I wish I could not feel anger when others have violated me.
I wish I could not feel jealousy when others have done better than me.
I wish I could not feel pain when others belittles and misunderstands me.
I wish I was Vulcan and not Human…..
I wish I’m invincible, not vulnerable, impervious to pain.

If there are vaccinations to keep children safe from any diseases, then it would be great if there is a vaccination for all the negative emotions that a man can feel. It would help man to be invincible and not vulnerable. It would help man not to deny what he feels. There’s nothing to feel anyway. There would be little or no tears at all. It would help him pursue his goals unmindful of the feelings he has whether he fails or succeeds.

But would that be truly great?

When the going gets painful, we wish we could never feel it. We hate being vulnerable. But probably, it’s not a bad thing. Being vulnerable, to be able to feel all the pain and the rest of the negative emotion may prove to be our advantage.

To feel guilt is to realize we have violated a standard and it teaches to be humble with our ways.
To feel shame is to realize we have been rude and bashful and it teaches us to be cautious and considerate.
To feel anger is to realize we have standards that cannot be violated but we can adjust and be patient.
To feel jealous reveals our weakness to be better than others and directs us to be contented to what we have and be joyful for others.
To feel pain is to realize we are human after all. I could never go further than this.

To be vulnerable is a gift we often misunderstand. To be vulnerable is not a sign of weakness. To be vulnerable is the basic connecting point we have with others. To be vulnerable is to be able to listen to others who are in pain and not judge them. To be vulnerable is to let our guards down and remove our masks to reveal who we really are. To be vulnerable is to simply take that risk that while we may get hurt, we may also find what life is all about. To be vulnerable allows us to invite others and share our pains.

I look upon the cross where Jesus was crucified. Here is a God perceived to be invincible and powerful. Nothing could ever hurt Him. But on the cross, He was totally vulnerable. Too vulnerable that He died. Jesus was vulnerable. He felt the pain and absorbed it all. He was one of us. He went through untold suffering to let us know He understands and He shares what we go through. We’re not alone after all. He was no Vulcan. And that makes Him truly a God who cares and loves because He knows pain and suffering.

In a world full of guilt, shame, anger, jealousy, and pain, we are called to be vulnerable. It’s the only way where we can understand these people and help them find healing and grace. It’s being vulnerable that people will connect with us.

I feel, I hurt, I connect, I understand…..
I am VULNERABLE, not INVINCIBLE.
I am HUMAN, not VULCAN.