Tuesday, November 27, 2018

The Coming Near of God - Luke 21:25-36

Reflection for First Sunday of Advent 2018 




This link is my reflection for the First Sunday of Advent published in the Political Theology Network.

Wishing you a blessed and a meaningful season of Advent. 

regards,
raj 

Sunday, November 11, 2018

When the Poor Widow in Mark 12 Speaks…


Towards A Decolonial Reading

Life wasn’t all too good with the Roman oppression all around. Soldiers on their horses march every day on our streets to display their military power. Empire has taken over every institution in our country including our temple, for now our religious leaders speak the language of the temple and exploit the poor and vulnerable. My devout loving husband raised an alarm against the empire and exposed the exploitation in the temple, for which act he was falsely framed with charges of treason, incarcerated for years and eventually killed by the military powers of the empire. I have now become a young widow, left alone to take care of my children with the meagre means of living. As a single woman I go from pillar to post in meeting the ends of our lives. With the growing injustice in the temple I have stopped going to the temple now, with hope in God just dwindling about. My name is forgotten, my voice is unheard and am pushed into ‘unspeakability’ by the society around.



Over the past few days I have heard of the Jesus’ movement going on, for I heard of a man called Jesus who was speaking like my husband in all courage and boldness against the exploitation done by the religious leaders and the empire. I knew that this man called Jesus will not live long, for he will face the fate of death unjustly like my husband. I rejoiced for the fact the he exposed the evils of those in the powers, which gave me a hope that God is not dead, for God is alive. In that sense of hope, I thought let me go to the temple to offer and pray for justice and peace in our land.

As I went near the temple, I saw a great crowd moving in and out busy with buying and selling of goods. How sad the temple once built for worship has now become a place of unjust commercial activities. As was the tradition, women are not allowed any further into the temple except into the outer court. Then I saw those men, the religious leaders with long robes in the temple who mocked at me, calling me names and laughed over the death of my husband. Reminding that anyone speaking against empire will have to die.

In all that buzz of business going around, I went into a corner to find some peace and pray to God for peace and justice. I wept and prayed to God for liberation of our land from oppression of the empire. I wept and prayed for my kids and for the difficulties we have been facing. In that time of prayer, God listened to my prayer and gave me a spirit of peace, which the world did not give. God strengthened me by calling me to make myself present at the temple to keep reminding the religious leaders of their exploitation. Yes, I thought I should visit temple everyday to keep reminding these men on long robes of their fake spirituality for they do things in the temple only for the ‘sake of appearance’ without any fear in God or the Scripture.

Then towards the end went to the treasury box to make an offering to God and dropped the remaining two coins that I have all, saying a prayer ‘God bring us peace and justice.’ Just before me, I saw this man on long robe offering a huge sum of amount in the offertory box, again showing off his pride exposing his false spirituality. I went in all sincerity and faithfulness and not only dropped the two coins but also offered myself in the presence of God to fight injustice by my presence in the temple. After all, our Scripture says to care for the widows and orphans, and here are men in their long robes exploiting us.

I made my offering and was on my way home. Suddenly I saw this man from that just movement, Jesus standing at the offering box and saying to his disciples that I have put in more than those who are contributing for the treasury. I smiled at his observation, thinking I don’t care what I have given, for I have given my offering heartfully to God and not for the sake of the people. For Jesus recognised that I have give it in my poverty, because I came into the temple to offer myself for peace and justice in the land. Then those dozen men with this man Jesus were surprised with their mouths wide open, not understanding all Jesus said. However, I went home that day with a sense of hope, with a sense of commitment to make my presence in the temple a symbol of resilience and to contest injustice in all forms. Later as I thought this man Jesus was killed and was crucified, buried and then in a miraculous way God on the third day rose him, and from then on I began to follow Jesus, and hosted a church at our house. God was faithful to me, I brought up my children and they journeyed far and wide to share the testimony of Jesus in all the Asia minor. God of grace did not leave me nor forsake me. Jesus Remembered me in the temple, Jesus Recognised my offering, Jesus Revealed the hypocrisy of the men on long robes.


Rajbharat Patta,
Remembrance Day,
11th November 2018


Pic courtesy: https://junkyardwisdom.com/2016/10/17/what-jesus-saw-in-the-widows-offering/

In the context of the ongoing war in the land of the Holy-One, which side do you support?

When nearly 9000 people are killed in this brutal war, Which side do I support?   When civilians, hospitals and places of worship, churches ...