Healing is Holistic

II Kings 4 : 1-7

Key Verse:
So she came to the man of God and gave him word of what she had done. And he said, Go and get money for the oil and make payment of your debt, and let the rest be for the needs of yourself and your sons. (Verse 7)

“We cover you at every step of your life”, “you insure your faith in us, we assure your security”, are captions of the leading insurance companies in India today. The prophet, whose widow comes to prophet Elisha for help, in our reading for today unfortunately did not and could not insure his life, rather spent everything in the service of the Lord, except saving a jar of oil. As we read through this particular passage, we are reminded of two particular invisible ailments that have been bothering the widow, the mental agony of economic inability to pay back the debts made by his husband and the psychological stress she is undergoing because of the fear of forced child labour or slavery that is to come to her children as a result of it.

One is struck with awe for the prophet Elisha’s response and reaction to the situation. 1. His presence of mind, 2. His presentation of the miracle, and 3. His preparedness to heal the invisible hurts of the widow. Unlike today’s Christians and the church who romanticize the needy, and assures a mere prayer support with out addressing the need, Elisha was prompt to act and performed a miracle that healed the widow to become economically self sustained and saved her children from becoming child labourers. Elisha could have very well said a prayer, and would have sent the widow back, or would have asked the widow to support his ministry first by giving half of the oil, or with his stature would have assured her a compromise with the creditor, but Elisha responded differently. He revealed the mind of God, to be on the side of the helpless suffering from chronic ailments in the society and performed a miracle with the help of ordinary means available from within the community and healed the ailments the widow was undergoing.

The Churches today, which boasts of its healing crusades and meetings, needs to rise above it and strive to exercise such a presence of God’s mind, and be prepared to perform healing by addressing the needs of the people, particularly the ones pushed down in the society in all dimensions. Let the Church as part of their healing ministry cover the lives of the ones suffering from physical and mental ailments at every step of their life, and assure them health and happiness. Unless the churches today insure and assure health and healing from the societal evils, our mission of healing will not have any meaning and direction. Come true such a mission of healing.

Prayer: God of healing, make us as a Church to insure health and healing at every step of the lives of our people in the society.

Reflection: “When life is holistic, so should be the Churches’ mission of healing.”

Christmas Lyric – 2008 (in Telugu)

Pallavi:
Theevra vadamu tandavinchina vela
Shatru bhayamu avarinchina vela
Agra varnulu krurulaina vela
Vugravadulai himsinchina vela

Anupallavi:
Ashanti, asatyamu, anyayamu
Asooya, anaikyatha, anagarpu
Rajyamele ee samayamulo
Kristu janma ku saaramela //Thevra//


1. Shantisamadanamu – Devunee danamu
Shantirajya stapana – Devunee thapana
Kristhu janma ardhamu – Devunee paramardhamu // Ashanti//

2. Cherapattabadina variki – Veedudala vemochana
Choolakana brathukulaku - Rakshana neerikshana
Kristhu janma ardhamu – Alpulaku paramardhamu //Ashanti//

3. Bheedhalaku subhavaartha – Krsithu janma vaartha
Dhanikulaku durvaartha - Krsithu janma vaartha
Kristhu janma ardhamu – Samanamaina rajyamu //Ashanti//

4. Navasamaja stapana – Kristhu raakaku karanam
Narahimsa neermulana – Kristhu rajya dhyeyamu
Kristhuvale neevundina – Kristhu janmaku ardhamu //Ashanti//


(English Translation)
Chorus:
With terrorism dancing around us
With fear of enemies enveloping us
When the upper castes turn extremists
To torture the poor and the helpless

Refrain:
Where fear, falsehood and injustice
Resentment, division and oppression
Rule the world we dwell in
What is the relevance of Christ’s birth there in?

1. Peace and harmony Gods good will revealed
God’s reign of peace God yearns to prevail
The meaning of Christ’s birth Gods ultimate jubilation

2. For those that are chained to give freedom and liberation
For the subjugated to give hope and salvation
The meaning of Christ birth for the lowly is jubilation

3. The news of Christ’s birth good news to the poor
The news of Christ’s birth bad news to the wealthy
The meaning of Christ birth is a kingdom of equality

4. The reason for Christ’s coming to establish a new world
To demolish the perpetrators of life, the aim of Gods reign
To imitate Christ in you is the true meaning of Christmas today

(This lyric is written and composed by me for Christmas 2008, in a context when the innocent people of India were brutally killed by terror attacks, when people in India have become innocent victims of religious fundamentalism and when Dalits & Tribals continue to bear the curse of caste discrimination, re-thinking what is Christmas) - Patta

The Safety of Minorities Ensures the Safety of our Country

The year 2008 is remembered with memories full of stains of blood, violence and displacement of Dalit Christians in Kandhamal, Orissa, caused by the attacks of the inhuman religious fundamentalists. It has witnessed the killings of nearly 50 people, displacement of nearly 50, 000 people and about 10, 000 people even till today to reside in the relief camps. Religious fundamentalists had their day, attacked Dalit and Tribal Christians so brutally, killed innocent people, destroyed their property and created a fear psychosis among people, all this just for the sake of professing their faith boldly and openly in the values of Jesus Christ, which was a means for their Liberative living. When the violence was on, police machinery were mere spectators and did not come in rescue of the victims, most perpetrators of violence went scot-free and the governments as usual were docile, came late and said the violence is a ‘national shame’. For already five months till now, the survivors had to be in the camps with meagre basic amenities. No Christmas celebration all across India would have gone without contemplating on these black memories. Most churches either cancelled their festive celebrations in solidarity with the victims and survivors of religious and ethnic violence in Kandhamal or held the occasion in a low profile. Most homilies for the Christmas called on the people to bring peace on earth and create communities of peace by bridging the gaps among people of different faiths.

During the very first week of 2009, on the 5th January, a bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan of the Supreme Court of India, the apex court of justice had said that it cant allow the persecutions of minorities in India, and called on the State Government of Orissa to resign if it is unable to protect the minorities in its State. The bench of jury also criticised the State Government for addressing the issue very late after the displacement of 50, 000 people and for stepping in late to contain the violence in Kandhamal. It also said that no minority in secular India should be unsafe.

All the responsible citizens in India welcomed the judgement, for such judgements once again reminded the citizens that secularism is alive, justice is not dead and constitution provides hope for all its people. It has reiterated that until and unless the minorities in India are safe, India cannot be safe and secure. Hope that at least this judgement shall wake up the governments to ensure that they shall provide safety and security to all its citizens, with out any religious colour attached. Now the challenge ahead is, how far can such genuine judgements instigate the governments to address the rights of the minorities?

Even earlier the Central Government had sent an advisory to the Orissa State Government regarding their inefficiency in dealing the violence in its state. But again political interests superseded the constitutional interests and such an advisory became mere eyewash. In such a situation how can this judgement of Supreme Court challenge the governments to ensure safety to its people? Now the Orissa government rather than having introspection from the judgement, will take this judgement to its majority people in Orissa, and can gain sympathy from them and may even use it for a political mileage. This judgement will now be used by the opposition parties in pointing the ruling governments inefficiency and will use it for their own political mileage too.

Therefore the challenge for the civil society is to make sure that the state government shall accept its biased governance, and should make all the politicians irrespective of their political affiliations held responsible for wedding religion with politics and for fanning the violence in the state. The other role of the civil society is also to take this verdict to the people, and make them understand the importance of peace and peace building and thereby should create harmony among people of different faiths. Now the situation also calls for an urgent unity among all minorities and responsible citizens to withstand the forces of fundamentalism and make secularism and justice to be established.

Acharya Vinobha Bhave ‘s famous Anthyodaya is Sarvodaya becomes so relevant, that when the least in the society receives transformation only then the whole society is transformed. Therefore unless the minorities in India are safe, the whole country cannot be safe. Let us all as faithful citizens of this great country India pledge to counter all forces that create hatred among people, faiths, religions and regions and try to make secularism triumphant.

7th January 2009

Epiphany, the Celebration of Freedom

As the New Year ushered into our lives, the celebration of the manifestation of God to the nations, observed as Epiphany brings the hope of God and God’s revelation to all people across the regions and religions. During a time, when God has been portrayed as an exclusive entity by each individual faith, Epiphany makes us realise the freedom of God in revealing God’s-self through God’s own choices and God’s own ways. Traditionally Epiphany is associated with the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the people, who came from far eastern nations and religions by following the star of Magi to Bethlehem. Besides this the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist, Jesus’ miracle at Cana and Jesus feeding the five thousand people are also the concentric events attached to Epiphany. Epiphany is also the celebration as important as Christmas to Christians of several traditions. What is the relevance of Epiphany for us today? Does the celebration of Epiphany have any significance in our faith pilgrimages? Three dimensions in Epiphany I would like to draw your attention to.

Epiphany, the Celebration of God’s Freedom
Epiphany basically is the celebration of God and God’s freedom to manifest and reveal. God can manifest God’s-self in any form, image, way and substance. No one can limit God and God’s manifestation to a certain formula or principle, or can fix God to a particular time and place or can draw boundaries to God. Epiphany reminds us the infiniteness of God, and makes God to express God’s freedom in expressing God and in revealing God. As Epiphany is the manifestation of God to the nations, God celebrates God’s freedom in manifesting to any nation in any point of history and in any number of ways God can. When God as a Word became flesh (John 1:14), and when God manifested in human flesh (I Tim 3:16), and when baby Jesus Christ was manifested to the followers of Magi, all these events expresses God sheer freedom. God in human flesh was something unimaginable for the then people, who limited God to only holy of the holies and to the holy sanctuaries. But God in all freedom manifested in human flesh. When theologies from above were the norm of the day, God in all freedom chose to manifest from below, as human being, in human flesh and in human form. When Jews thought God was only to Jews, Christ’s manifestation to the people from far eastern religions once again expresses God’s freedom plan that Christ is for all and to all peoples. Therefore on this day of Epiphany, lets celebrate God’s freedom and let us be humble enough to know that God can be manifested in any way, in any religion and in any circumstances. Lets feel good about God’s freedom, and celebrate Epiphany.

Epiphany, the Celebration of Religious Freedom
When God manifested in God’s mysterious ways to the nations, Epiphany is also the celebration of religious freedom of the people. It was the people’s choice in accepting the manifestation of God, when God appeared in flesh, it was the choice of the people from far eastern countries and religions to receive the manifestation of Christ, and it was the choice of the people to believe in the ‘Son of God’, as was manifested during the baptism of Jesus Christ. If Epiphany is the celebration of God’s freedom it is equally important to know that God does not reveal in vacuum, rather reveals in histories and to people, and manifestation of God becomes meaningful only when it is received and accepted voluntarily by the people of God. During the days when ‘conversions’ and ‘re-conversions’ are on the rise, religious freedom and expression of ones individual faith in all freedom becomes immanent and this Epiphany reinvigorates the spirit of religious freedom. People’s freedom of choosing a faith, participating in faith exercises and propagating their faith experiences should not be curtailed, and that is the calling of Epiphany. Every faith needs be respected, every faith experience needs to be appreciated and every person’s choice of reaching to any form of God’s manifestation should be upheld for that is the ethos of Epiphany. Epiphany thereby builds community of people, and encourages people to express their religious freedom, affirming their own faith experience.

Epiphany, the Celebration of Creation’s Freedom
When God manifests in different and diverse forms, the basic question that emerges is why does God manifest to different people in different forms? God’s manifestations in varied forms are basically for the sake of people and creation. When the creation is groaning in all bondages and when the humanity is caught up in several bondages created by caste, class, religion, gender etc., the manifestation of God is to make people and creation free from all their clutches. Therefore, as we commemorate the manifestation of God to the nations, it is make creation live in all freedom and to enjoy such freedom that comes from the manifestations of God. God revealed God’s-self to liberate and save this creation from sinful conquests. As God manifests, creation dances in all freedom for in the manifestations of God, there is total freedom and total liberation. Therefore, as we celebrate Epiphany today, let us resolve ourselves to celebrate the freedom in creation and the freedom of creation given by God through God’s myriad revelations. As God manifested to the followers of Magi, they would have carried forward the message of freedom back to their eastern countries and would have continued to channel freedom to people and creation caught up in the web of bondages. Their Darshan of God would have strengthened them to witness the gospel of freedom to all people they come across in their pilgrimage of faith. Therefore, commemorating the manifestations of God during Epiphany, let us all celebrate the freedom of creation and let us resolve to liberate it, and make our earth and country free from all conflicts and discriminations.

May I wish you all a very Happy Epiphany and pray that we become the recipients of the manifestations of God, and be open to see God in different and diverse traditions, sciences, ideologies and religions. May our celebrations of Epiphany build communities of peace & freedom in our local localities and in our times, give up our exclusive claims on God and become the agents of freedom.

6th January 2009

The Magnificat & its Magnitude

Re-reading the Canticle of the Virgin Mary
Luke 1: 46-55

My soul is deeply wounded with hurts, insults and pains
And my spirits are drowning in the floods of sorrows and rains
my soul still glorifies the Lord, seeking justice as all gains
And my spirits rejoice in God my saviour despite my stains & strains

When I am rejected and discriminated as polluted
People conspired, laughed at me, brought me to public and collated
For except you O Lord none has been mindful
Of me your humble servant to do any thing needful

Though all my family members call me cursed
Blaming me that I made the image of our family bruised,
But there will come a day when all generations call me blessed
For the Might One has been doing me great things so impressed.

As a Wonderful Counsellor, God solaced and comforted me as lovingly yours
As a Mighty One, God strengthened me with all God’s powers
As an Everlasting God, God journeyed with me in my darkest hours
As a Prince of Peace, God encouraged me to win over all conflicting towers
For holy is God’s name and truly victory flowers

When I am surrounded by fear
When I am pushed down to death near
I could only fear God who is so dear
Realising that God’s mercy is with me now here
From generations to generations vivid and clear

When several arms geared up to stone me to death,
God’s mighty arm guarded me from above and beneath;
When the proud religious heads gathered to take me for a ride,
God scattered the pride, saving me as his bride

Those that are drunk with power and are lusted with hierarchy,
God will throw down such to their cruelty and anarchy;
God shall lift up those who are humble and suffer sinful tyranny
For God shares freedom to both few and many.

Those that go to bed every day in hunger,
Those that curse the selfish accumulators in anger,
God will fill them with good things satisfying
And sends the rich empty, for God it’s justifying

God has always remembered to be prudent and merciful
Helping all the slaves in the history to be liberated in their full
Making all our ancestors to be such channels so graceful
Leaving a legacy to carry forward and be fruitful

(This Magnificat has been re-read by juxtaposing two important contexts. One situating Mother Mary as a young woman, who faced great challenges in her society as she had to be conceived even before she knew her husband Joseph, and the other in light of the realities of violence against women, a continuing reality in all histories.)

Hope against Hope

The Message of Christmas Amidst Human Rights Violations

The ongoing episodes of violence in India, where violence on account of terrorism, violence in the name of religion, violence in the name of caste and violence in the name of patriarchy, have been on the rise. Due to which, the secular ethos of our country and unity among people of different faiths has been at stake. Against the canvas of this scenario, what does it mean to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ? What is the relevance of Christmas for our times? When human rights violations are recorded on a higher scale in India, what is the message of Christmas?

Yesterday on the 9th Dec 2008 it was observed by the media that Bakrid the Muslim festival was celebrated on a low key due to the recent bomb blasts. Madam Sonia Gandhi, the president of the Congress Party in India did not celebrate her birthday yesterday, to be in solidarity with the victims of the recent terrorist attacks (this was for a political mileage). In the context of the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai & Assam, in the background of the recent killings and attacks on the Dalit Christians and Tribals in Orissa by the fundamentalist groups, should we as Christians celebrate Christmas?

Generally, Christmas these days is associated with the pleasure and pomp, leaving the significance of it at the back door. Every day there are carol-singing groups that visit every Christian house, door after door to share the joy of Christmas. All through the month of December, there are several celebrations of Christmas, children Christmas, women Christmas, youth Christmas, elders Christmas, pre-Christmas, town Christmas, and united Christmas etc. you name it and you have it, so many celebrations. All of these either end in a good fellowship dinner or exchanging gifts between one another, in which all Christians are satisfied and are self content. We Christians are least bothered of our neighbours who are living in pain and pathos due to the human rights violations in their localities. Can we really think of what is Christmas to such people who are undergoing trauma, fear, and anxiety caused by violence, oppression, discrimination and marginalisation? Particularly in the context of the nun, who was raped in the violence in Orissa, and where such incidents have become rampant, is there hope in Christmas?

The birth of Jesus Christ in a manger in a small town of Bethlehem basically is a challenge to all the human rights violations that are being done during his times. Allow me to present the context of Jesus’ birth, particularly the life of a young woman who had to been the innocent victim of discrimination. The context then had been ruled by human rights violations, and the birth of Jesus gives a hope to all those victims.

Young Woman Mary, the victim of Discrimination:
Young woman Mary had to be conceived even before she got married to Joseph. Imagine the plight of this young woman, the insults she had to face, the criticisms she had to hear to and the amount of depression she had to go during her early trimesters of pregnancy. The whole society looked down upon her and discriminated her on many fronts of her life. Probably she reflects the norm of her society, where many men raped, exploited and spoiled the lives of women. Probably she is one among many women who had been the victims of human rights violations of her day, and she represents those victims. Hearing that young woman Mary is a pregnant, her family would have rejected her, her friends would have rejected her, her society would have thrown insults at her and at every nook and corner of her little town, ‘young Mary & her pregnancy’ was the talk of the town. No one came in rescue of her. Socially she was crushed, it was unbearable for her to take on the discrimination the society had shown to her. Probably no doctor in her town would have preferred to give her the required medical assistance, for she was treated as polluted. The religious leaders of those days would have passed on several sanctions on Mary, for her so called ‘unethical’ and’ illegal’ conception, and would have even banned her to enter their worship places and community gatherings. Probably many of her co-woman and family members would have advised her to go for an abortion, so that not many would come to know about her pregnancy. Mary sorrows knew no bounds that even her betrothed husband Joseph had also made up his mind to divorce her secretly. Even to think still ahead, probably Mary had this tag of stigma of ‘pregnancy from unknown’, and that would have been one of the reasons for no room for Mary to deliver the baby in Bethlehem, for most people in Bethlehem were reluctant to offer their houses and rooms to such ‘illegitimate’ births. Mary had to bear everything to save the saviour Jesus. On the whole, the young woman Mary had to bear the brunt of being the victim of the Human Rights violations of her times.

God, the Hope for Human Rights
In this Christmas story, when young woman Mary become the victim of human right violations, when her right to live, right to enjoy life have been curtailed, the message of hope comes to her from the God of hope. In all through the nine months of Mary’s pregnancy, if at all she had endured to any of the insults and succumbed to the pressure and depression she underwent and imagine if there would have been a miscarriage for her or was forced to abort the baby, baby Jesus would not have born, and there would have been utter hopelessness in their family and to the whole strings of Christian faith. God provided hope to the victimised Mary and stood by her in her times of trouble. When no one came in rescue of her, she replied to the angel o God, “ behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) She realised that it was only from God that she has hope, and no one can really understands her position and pain in her situation. God is a God who gives hope to the victims to overcome their situations of hopelessness. God is the one who journeys along with the victims in their journey of struggles. That’s the message of Christmas, the message of hope to all those in helpless situations and hopelessness. God stood with Mary, and she emerged victorious from all her insults and injuries.

Therefore the role of those believe in the birth of Jesus Christ, is to become the beacon and channel of hope to all those victims of human rights violations today. and I affirm that is the calling of Christmas to all of us. Until we become the carriers of hope in our fragile and volatile situations, our Christian calling has no meaning, message and direction. In the context of violence, let us give hope to this world to become peacemakers. In the context of fundamentalism, let us be the hope in resisting such forces in our communities. In the context of casteism, let us be the hope in liberating all those people that are oppressed. Christmas is the celebration of hope, and in hope, let us all resolve to become the harbingers of peace and hope in our contexts. May the spirit of hope enlighten all our hearts and minds to become the light of hope in our local contexts, and only then Christmas is meaningful.

Wishing you all a very meaningful observance of Human Rights Day, a hope filled celebration of Christmas and a challenging new year with hope as our guide and strength.

“Singh is King”

Thanking God for the Life of Mr. VP Singh

The sudden demise of Mr. Vishwanath Prathap Singh, the former Prime Minister of India on 27th November 2008 creates a vacuum in the modern political history of India, for his ardent fighting spirit for the cause of the social liberation and transformation, cannot be filled or replaced. His death comes on a day when the NSG Commandos in Mumbai are fighting against the terrorists in saving several citizens, who had been held captive, in an outrageous terrorist attack in the country.

This fighting spirit of the commandos’ parallels with the life of MR. VP Singh, who all through his life had fought against forces of evil with out any fear. The people of India cannot forget the great soul Mr. Singh, for his creative and innovative visions and plans in transforming the society. He remains immortal by his initiative to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission, which brought the Backward Castes into the main fray in the political scenario. His straight forwardness did not yield him power for long tenures and always held the image of ‘Mr. Clean’ all through his political career. If his tenure had continued for long, the long pending just struggle of Christians of Dalit origin in granting them Scheduled Caste Status would have been ensured.

He is also the one who spiritualised politics, when he went to Punjab seeking open forgiveness for the ‘Operation Blue star ‘, by arresting Mr. LK Advani, who was on his ‘rathyatra’ to Ayodhya. He did had that courage and boldness in being firm on his beliefs and values for justice, and least cared for the consequences to follow, where even his government had to fall by the withdrawal of support from BJP.

Long before, he joined the politics; he had been a pioneer in donating huge lands to the landless peasants as part of the ‘Bhoodhan Movement’, which reveals his virtues of selflessness and beliefs in equality, countering greed.

Today’s politicians have a lot to learn and follow from the life and leadership of Mr. Singh. His leadership skills, his passion for the cause of social justice, his desire for equality and his courage in countering any force that forges justice and peace have made an indelible impact on our country’s credibility and rich heritage. When the present political arena has been rotted to sub-standards, Mr. Singh becomes an icon, to whom the politicians can look up to in gaining strength and courage in being firm for the cause of justice. When the whole fraternity of politicians from across the nation stand up to salute the man with values and virtues, we the people of India lose a great statesman and an ideal leader of our times. Mr. Singh, we the India will miss you and we the India shall live up to the visions and directions of your leadership and promise that we shall carry forward the rich legacy, you have left. We thank God for the life and leadership of Mr. VP. Singh, and express our condolences to the bereaved family. Mr. VP Singh, you are truly a king!