NVUEKAMA’S RAT: MODEL FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS

NVUEKAMA’S RAT: MODEL FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS

By Rev. Fr. Louis Nvuekama Zamoi

The rat in the picture invaded my room one evening and stayed for three days and nights. During the three days and nights, it went all around my room, eating anything it came across, books, and clothes among others. I bore it patiently during the first night, but on the second and third nights, I decided to stay awake with a panga and a big stick. But for the two nights, I didn’t succeed in hitting it despite my sleeplessness. I tried several times but it would run faster and hide among the tables and books, sometimes even under my bed. On the fourth night, I decided not to look for it or chase it. I remember it running provocatively over my mosquito net at around midnight, but I refused to get up because I had been troubled for two nights with no success. So it freely made a lot of noise for me throughout that night. But when it discovered that I was not reacting to whatever it was doing, instead I was comfortably and calmly sleeping, it decided to get out through a hole between the doorpost and the wall from which it had entered. Unfortunately, it had grown fat within the three nights, probably it had eaten as much as possible. So the head entered the hole but the body could not, because the hole was too narrow for the body now. The head could not retreat and so it got stuck in the place as seen in the picture. I heard some noise at dawn near the doorpost but I did not bother to light that side because I knew I would not solve the problem myself by whichever means. Little did I know that my enemy was suffocating to death. I only saw the rat hanging dead in the morning and I took the picture. This happened on Monday 25th March 2024, just the day after Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion according to the calendar of the Catholic Church.

The ordinary incident narrated above set me to great contemplation and I asked myself several questions; why did I not succeed in hitting the rat during the two nights of struggle? Why did the rat not try to go out on the nights that I was fighting it? Why go out when I was very calm and not fighting it? Why did it die by itself rather than me killing it with my big panga or my stick? Why did I spend two sleepless nights for a rat that was going to die by itself? Between me and the rat, who emerged victorious at the end of the story? Why did all this happen during Holy Week when Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection are commemorated?

In response to the above questions, I discovered that non-violence is the best model for problem-solving. Our world is full of problems, but the way we solve whichever problem that comes our way is what matters. Many people, choose to fight back like I did on the second and third nights (Violence model of solving problem), others choose to run away from problems(Escapist Model). Others like me(on the fourth night) choose the non-violent model of solving problems. The non-violent model was developed by Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg and is based on the belief that all human beings have a natural desire to fulfill their needs and avoid pain. It involves the following five stages; Observation, Identification of feelings, Identification of needs, Brainstorming on potential solutions, and agreement on a solution. Since I conflicted with a non-human being, with which I could not brainstorm and agree on any solution, I thought the best model was violence, only to discover that non-violence was still the best model.

This same model is seen in Jesus Christ, who is seen suffering at the hands of wrong men. He endures the tortures and the shame and pain of the cross without fighting back. He told the disciple Peter to put his knife back to its sheat, and not to use violence to solve the problem. He had the power to call Heavenly powers to fight for him, but he decided to use the non-violence model. Surrendering to those who were crucified like a lamb that is led to the slaughter house and does not open its mouth in front of its shearers (Isaiah 52: 7). But at the end of the third day, he emerged victorious over death.

Non-violence helps the perpetrator to change and be a better person. The rat had changed and decided to go away, not because I was fighting it, but because I was just very calm and non-violent. It died probably because death is indispensable for every living creature, but perhaps it died a better rat like the repentant thief (Lk 23:43). It is not therefore a Christian virtue to delight in the death of anyone, not even the worst sinners. We have a Christian duty to pray for the wrongdoers and help them through the non-violence model to repent and become better people. Violence only aggravates and perpetuates sins but non-violence mitigates and puts an end to violence. In our world today, revenge (kick-me-I-kick you) is the common model of conflict resolution. Unfortunately, it does not resolve the conflict.  This is the cause of the terrible things that we experience in our families in particular and in our country in general.

Jesus has taught us to be non-violent in front of our intimidators and tormentors, and that we should pray for their conversion. He has also taught us that every bad deed of ours will be rewarded someday, maybe in the immediate future or the very distant future. So let us always do good to others and we shall remain happy.