Re-understanding Lord's Prayer

http://www.romanroadimchurch.org.uk/uploads/news/id310/24th%20July%20-%20Luke%2011%20vv1-13.mp3

Screening Theology: Engaging Faith & Film

Postcolonial Reading of Indian Jesus' Film Karunamayudu

On the day of Ramadan, when our kids were at home enjoying a holiday due to teachers' training day at school in Manchester, we as a family watched the revised version of the film Karunamayudu on our Xbox at home. Both me and my wife remembered watching this film as children in our childhood in local cinema theatre in our town in its longer version, and also watched it when the film was screened on a 16mm screen on the streets of our locality in India. The film had made an indelible impact on us as children, for visualization of the gospel narratives came alive for us from this film.

Now watching this film after a long time helped me to review this film from the perspectives of postcolonial theological positioning. The film becomes an important theological resource for those engaging in postcolonial enterprise, for the plot of the film, the characters of the film, the content of the film and the ethos of the film all depict a new flavour and genre to the gospel narratives in the Bible. The film was produced and released 38 years ago in 1978, the year I was born and has had a wide reception ever since then for it was dubbed in to several Indian languages and was screened on several village and remote streets of India over the years. The film is popular in Hindi as Dayasagar, in Tamil as Karunamoorthy and has been used for evangelistic purpose, though the intention of the film makers was commercial in character. The film locates Jesus story in a culturally contextual setting to India with Indian professional film cast performing the roles. The film brings out several postcolonial pointers, of which I will mention just two for our discussion here. Allow me to mention that film is a 'public text' that calls the audience to engage publicly in reviewing and interpreting it without limiting it with any conditions. The film is reviewed subversively and subjectively to screen theology. A profound theology is screened in this film, for this film becomes an important factor in the construction of faith.

1. A Subversive Postcolonial Hermeneutics:

The film's script provides a directive for subversive postcolonial hermeneutics, for the plot of the film was positioned in a colonial setting of Rome, where Palestine was subjugated to Roman oppression with Barabbas and Judas fighting for liberation through revolution. It was into that setting that Jesus sets his mission through love, justice and peace in order to establish an alternative kingdom called Kingdom of God in opposition to the Kingdom of Rome. Unlike most Jesus films in the West, which tries to film Jesus story from the written gospels with less or no relation to his own context, Karunamayudu brings in the message of the gospel more powerfully, for Jesus' story was located into his own context and was reinterpreted into the world views of the audiences in India. The film makers were bold to read between the lines and behind the lines of the gospel narratives and have used hermeneutics of imagination, hermeneutics of translation and hermeneutics of indigenization. “Where in the Bible did Jesus, Judas and Barabbas ever met?” asked my son as we were watching the film, and I thought that was the strength of the film for it courageously knitted the plot of Jesus story with subversive imagination. The film no doubt became a 'visual gospel' for many people, it became a 'visual Bible' for many people of different faiths who did have the luxury of reading Bible, appropriated the content of this film as 'scripture'. The film did play a role in the formation of faith in Jesus Christ. Cynics contested that the film did not hold the accuracy of the gospel texts and even questioned the authority of the extra canonical narrative plot of the film. On the whole the film employed a subversive postcolonial hermeneutics of interpreting the texts of the scriptures, particularly Jesus story, with a visual difference, helping the audience to revisit the Eurocentric notions of 'scriptures', and also calling the audience to enjoy the freedom of liberative hermeneutics embedded into the context and content of the film. Indian music, song and dance as projected in the film all bring Jesus' story nearer to the Indian audience. This Jesus' film in a way contests the authority of 'print tradition of texts' and helps to recover the tradition of 'oral texts' of the Scriptures which were forgotten and even erased.

Another important character in the film, my younger son's favourite character was Malachi, who was blind man but with profound theological perspectives, for a song has been filmed with him where he questions 'if God ever existed let him come down now to meet to the needs of the people.' He was eventually healed by Jesus and gets back his vision, and recognizes and acknowledges the political messiah in Jesus. There is a deep subaltern epistemology that was expressed through his character, for his non-conformist theological positioning reflects the goals and aspirations of the subalterns of Jesus times. This Indian Jesus' film provides new vistas in screening theology, which takes form and shape beyond written-ness of theology.

2. A Subjective Postcolonial Christology:

Unlike the titles of many Jesus films in the West, which carry the triumphalist titles like 'King of Kings' or popular titles like 'Passion of Christ', this 1978 Telugu film was titled as Karunamayudu which means 'Compassionate Man', projects a subjective postcolonial Christological title to the film. No where in the Bible is this title used for Jesus like the Son of God, Son of Man, Son of David, Lord, Master etc. though he was understood as a man full of compassion, and to entitle the plot about the life of Jesus in such a way, projects the subjectivity of the Indian understanding of Jesus. In a colonial context, where the whole Palestinians were longing for freedom, the longing for a political messiah was well projected in the film, for Jesus comes as Karunamayudu, whose politics are counter-cultural to the Roman empire and also to Barabbas-Judas duos violent strategy. Such a counter-cultural Christology suits to the Indian context, for there has been a yearning for such a political messiah who is an embodiment of compassion, who comes from among the community in addressing the unjust situations of our times. Jesus' portrayal as a carpenters son is to communicate that he is a boy living next door to the audience. Jesus' mother Mary teaches to read scriptures to him as boy, and when Jesus meets her he bows down to touch her feet, his meek outfit and body build up, all project the subjective Indian Jesus. Such a portrayal contests all forms of the macho- Jesus, who is all mighty and all powerful.

Dwight H. Friesen in his PhD dissertation on “An Analysis of the Production, Content, Distribution, and Reception of Karunamayudu (1978), an Indian Jesus Film”¹ expounds 'hybrid Jesus' in the film and argues that the cinematic Indian Jesus was so visualised to suit and meet the expectations of the audience of multiple religious traditions of India. He further expresses that this Indian portrayal of Jesus story is to 'diffuse his reputation of foreign God.' However the subjectivity has been of the Indianness, but which Indianness? According to Dwight's analysis the film reflects a resonance to the Hindu mythological portrayals, for example the ascension episode was projected with Jesus becomes bigger and bigger, dwarfing the human community. A Dalit assertion of Jesus would have been even more appealing to the audiences to express Indian subjectivity in the context of postcolonial theological enterprise. One has to be aware that the film has been produced and filmed by a commercial film company who were predominantly Hindu in 1978 to attract popular Indian audiences. Dwight's analysis of Jesus in the film as 'Indian guru' meets to the theological expectations of the inter-faith theological genre in India, but such a portrayal excludes the indigenous communities spiritualities and their aspirations for liberation.

The passion narrative of the film was also dealt with so much care, though there has been an element of over-romantisization of his suffering. Jesus was brought as a criminal to Pilate, where the religious leaders accuse him of religious crimes for which they demand crucifixion, and ultimately the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus, suggests the political naivety of the plot.

On the whole, the Indian film Karunamayudu provides a new terrain for postcolonial theological engagement, for it opens up a new conversation on texts, hermeneutics, epistemology and theology and encourages to construct theologies beyond mere written-ness or words. The hard questions that comes to the fore are, if such Jesus' films are projected as 'visual scriptures' how will people with visual disabilities receive and understand it? Does other films not carry and communicate the values of the gospel? There are some conservative Christians in India who deem watching films as something 'sinful' needs to understand that films are texts that have loads of meaning embedded in them and there is nothing unchristian about watching films.

After 1978, there are several other Indian Jesus' films that were produced and several English films were dubbed into Indian languages, however hardly any of them carried this postcolonial tenor of Jesus' ministry into their plot and contents. Bible ki Kahaniya (Stories of Bible) was an Indian television programme that was televised during 1993 to 1995 in Hindi language with huge Bollywood cast based on Bible. This programme received a huge response from Indian audience for it was televised on the national TV channel Doordarshan. However, it was stopped abruptly for several reasons and did not carry this postcolonial context into its plot.

This review is merely invitational for a more engaged conversation on film and faith. Faith and film should not be seen as opponents but be viewed as complimentary to each other, for there creative convergences between them that evolves and emerges. Faith certainly comes from hearing, and film provides that hearing aid with audio-visual effects. This Indian Jesus' film Karunamayudu opens up new horizons to construct Jesus' story and his gospel relevant to our Indian context, specially from Dalit and Tribal perspectives, for a post colonial lens of reading and re-reading of film, theology and religion from subaltern standpoints becomes immanent and necessary.

Rajbharat Patta

11^th July 2016

Full Length Film can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEhJxsAulx4

1https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1842/5805/Friesen2010.pdf?sequence=1

The Politics of Good Friday

When thinking of ‘good Friday’, I always thought, for the person on the Cross to whom Jesus said that ‘today you will be with me in paradise’, it was a ‘good Friday’, and to the other person who mocked Jesus it was a ‘bad Friday.’ What is ‘good’ in ‘good Friday’ has always been a perennial question that people of faith communities across the histories and contexts keep interrogating with.  How can the brutal killing of Jesus on the Cross be called ‘good Friday?’ What is the politics of ‘good Friday?’

There have been theories on the etymology of the ‘good Friday’ for some have referred it to ‘God’s Friday’ for it synchronizes with the root meanings of ‘goodbye’ which means ‘God be with you.’ The day has always been referred to as ‘holy Friday’ like that of the rest of the week days in the ‘Holy week.’ In my local Church tradition, ‘good Friday’ is translated as ‘Maha Sukravaram’ (‘great Friday’ in Telugu language), where the emphasis of Jesus’ act on the Cross has been considered as great sacrifice for the salvation of the entire humanity.

On the one hand, we are aware of Plato’s theory of ‘Form of Good’ which is understood as the ‘ultimate principle’, for the ultimate ‘good’ illuminates all other forms, both in the empirical world and in the world outside of time and space. On the other hand, there are philosophies that profess that there is no such a thing as good and evil, and they are only as people desire, where ‘good’ is recognized as a ‘subjective value.’ All of these thinking direct us in our grappling with ‘good’ in ‘good Friday.’

‘Good Friday’ is not about ‘romanticizing Jesus suffering and his death,’ rather a call to locate God among the crucified.  There was a political bargain from the courts of Pilate, whom to crucify and whom to leave scot-free, and we know that the community chose ‘Barabbas’ (Bar Abbas in Hebrew means ‘Son of God’), which lead Jesus to his crucifixion.  Good Friday, the day on which Jesus was killed is highly political, for Jesus died a political martyrdom. Therefore, one cannot unthread the political aspect of Jesus’s death on Cross from his holistic act of salvation. ‘Good Friday’ also calls us to unpack it from the colonial enfleshments that it carries, for this ‘good Friday’ is also understood in contrast to ‘black Fridays’ (very colonial term) where consumerism is celebrated to its core. Here is a subversive reading of ‘good Friday,’ which serves as one perspectives among many, that helps us in problematizing the same for our times today.

1.      ‘Good Friday’ is about exposing the unjust political systems of the state that represses and criminalises Jesus for believing and professing in an alternative value system which is the Kingdom of God, for he was nailed on the Cross with an inscription ‘King of Jews.’ Jesus’ disapproval of a military state led him to be branded as a ‘political insurgent’ and eventually led him to be killed on the Cross. 

2.      ‘Good Friday’ is a day where an innocent Jesus was falsely implicated and was taken to be crucified on a Cross, along with two other bandits of his times, at a public criminal execution place, which was ‘outside of the camp.’ It was a place where the soldiers gambled on Jesus’ clothes, spit on him, and rebuked him with all possible insults. Jesus died as a political martyr.

3.      When Jesus cried ‘my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ many around his Cross mocked him saying that he was calling on Elijah for help and rescue. To that question, we see that there was silence from God’s side. We run a risk of translating God’s silence as God’s absence. The politic of this saying needs to consider that God joins in the suffering of people, where God grieves along with those that are suffering to lead them into the resurrection experience.

4.      The politics of ‘good Friday’ is always related to the ‘best Sunday’ to come, the ‘Easter day’, where God raised him from the death. It displays a politics of hope, for death and regimes of oppression are defeated and chained in the empty tomb of Jesus Christ. Resurrection of Jesus from death was a huge blow to the empire that believed that there is no opposition to their force, for on that day death died and was buried.

‘Good Friday’ therefore challenges us humanity to locate crucified Jesus’ among us, among our histories, among our contexts, who are opposing the repressive regimes of our times, and stand along with them in their struggles for justice, the highest good. ‘Good Friday’ finds its fuller meaning not in religious sanctuaries, not in our cosy comfortable zones, not in our parochial colonies but on the public streets where people are time and again crucified by the unjust systems of violence. ‘Good Friday’ comes alive and becomes meaningful ‘outside the camps’ of our times, in the veli vada (untouchable ghettos), in the refugee camps, in the excluded zones, in the prisons, etc. ‘Good Friday’ becomes relevant by disavowing hegemonic powers and principalities that suppress and marginalize people and communities and by standing for justice and peace of our times. The calling of our spirituality is to become politically sensitive to our contexts and attempt in relating our faith to the times of our times.

Wishing you all a meaningful observance of Good Friday.

Rajbharat Patta

Pic courtesy: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b6/fc/22/b6fc2293a751e215dc7f8c25af6441ba.jpg

‘Hosanna’ as against ‘Roman Mata Ki Jai’: Palm Sunday Challenge

The occasion of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem before facing Cross and crucifixion, which is observed by Christians as ‘Palm Sunday’ is an important event in the life and mission of Jesus Christ. It is important to know how the passage containing this palm Sunday story in Bible is named, particularly the passage from Matthew 21: 1-11 is titled as ‘Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem’ (NRSV), ‘Jesus comes to Jerusalem as King’ (NIV), ‘Jesus triumphant entry’ (NLT). All the titling is basically ‘interpretation’ of the people who have compiled the texts as different versions of the Bible, and therefore seeks verification. When I read this text from Matthew, I understand this text as Jesus’ contestation of triumphalism, and if I have to title this passage, I would like to title it as ‘Jesus’ anti-empire procession’ or ‘Jesus’ contestation of triumphalism’ or ‘Jesus counter-hegemonic ride’ or ‘Citizens shouts ‘Save us’ from oppressive regime’ or ‘Turmoil in the city’.

1.      Jesus’ Counter-Hegemonic Procession into the City:

Jesus lived at a time when Roman oppressive regime was ruling them, for Jesus’s community were under occupation, and have been subjective to exploitation by rulers, governors, priests and other religious authorities. It was a usual practice of the Roman army to conduct a military parade with horses on the streets of Jerusalem prior to the festival of Passover as a sign of their authoritarian power and rule, for their arms and weapons were at public display to frighten and threaten people who are subjective to them. Year after year, the occupied people have witnessed these military parades of the army in the streets and have been frustrated with this kind of rule. Therefore, Jesus’s procession into the city is a march of counter-hegemony, contesting against the oppressive regimes, parading on a donkey with people holding palm branches, which was their yearning for the coming of an alternative kingdom as against the kingdom of Rome.

2.      Jesus’ Anti-Empire Procession into the City:

Jesus’ procession into the city was a pre-planned one, for he ordered the disciples to go and fetch the donkey and the colt and prepare for this ride. Jesus’ ride on the donkey is an expression of his anti-empire ride, displaying an alternative kingship, as against the pomp and royalty of the Roman emperors and the empire. This was a public march against the empire of his times. This was a march of the colonized against the colonizer. That is the reason there was ‘turmoil’ at the end of the procession as recorded in 10v. ‘When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil.’ This was a march that stirred the city, that was ended in a turmoil, which exhibits, the angst of the colonized against the oppressive empire. Towards the end, the identity of Jesus was revealed, which wasn’t in any way kingly, but it is recorded in verse 11, ‘the crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’ Here is the Jesus movement, which is run by an ordinary man from a village called Nazareth in Galilee who was running an anti-empire procession in the capital city of Jerusalem, in which act, the crowds have seen ‘a prophet’ in Jesus.

3.      Citizens Shouting ‘Save us Save us’ over against ‘Roman Mata Ki Jai’:

Jesus’ political march in the streets of Jerusalem was well supported by the people, the citizens of that nation who were shouting ‘Hosanna to the son of David, Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven.’ These shouts are of prominence, for the citizens of Roman empire were compelled to shout ‘hail Caesar’ for rulers who were called ‘Caesars’ claimed themselves to be sons of God, who were sent by God to rule the empire. The other popular slogan during their times was ‘there is no other name under the heaven by which men can be saved than that of Caesar.’ In contrast to this empire slogans, the co-citizens of Jesus were shouting ‘Hosanna son of David.’ This was the genuine yearning of the citizenry as they were looking for ‘freedom’ from these oppressive political regimes. I guess the gospel writers censored the other bit of these shouts like save us from what? Or save us from whom? The shouts could have been ‘Save us from Rome’ Save us from Caesars’.  The empire in a way was forcing its citizens to understand it in today’s terms to shout, ‘Roman Mata ki Jai’ (Mother Roma be hailed), but citizens’ shouts ‘Hosanna’, ‘save us’, which depicts the peoples’ anti-empire cries and aspirations to save them from the rule of oppression. These may look as slogans or shouts, but they convey deep ideologies and belief systems. The crowds could have been booked under ‘sedition’ laws and would have branded ‘anti-nationals’ for shouting something radically different from their dominant rhetoric.  It was in such a context, the citizens of a small territory in Judea were subverting the whole understanding of empire and were shouting ‘Hosanna to the son of David’ and ‘Hosanna in the highest’.

In light of this reflection, the call for us this Palm Sunday is to commit our faith communities to join with Jesus on his anti-empire, counter-hegemonic processions, shouting ‘Hosannas’ ‘God save us from these oppressive regimes of our times.’ Jesus’ alternative kingship and his alternative to the ‘roman empire,’ which he inaugurated in ‘kingdom of God’ should be our public faith belief, narrative, aspiration and paradigm.

Join with Jesus, this Palm Sunday in creating a turmoil in the context of empires, manifested as caste, class, patriarchy, race, religious nationalism, etc.  Join with Jesus this Palm Sunday in the mission of liberation that he has embarked against Caesars and their policies and join with Jesus and his co-citizens who boldly and courageously shouted against the dominant ideologies and stood undeterred even to the extent of being blamed as ‘anti-nationals’. Join with Jesus in a procession against the ‘honour killings’ that keep happening unabated in the name of caste. Join with Jesus this Palm Sunday to publicly express our solidarity in action with ‘exiled citizens’, ‘refugees’, ‘migrants’, ‘undocumented asylum seekers’, ‘homeless’, ‘excluded’, ‘marginalized’ and join with them in their struggles for justice.

Wishing you a Meaningful Palm Sunday.

Rajbharat Patta,

18^th March 2016 

Picture courtesy: http://blog.youversion.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/jesus-welcomed-into-jerusalem-1024x461.jpg

Mother Mary had a Song for her Son, What Song do you have for your Children? : Mothering Sunday 2016

(A picture of Mother Mary and Jesus from African tradition as found in the Church of Annunciation at Nazareth) 

Mary’s song, the Magnificat, (Luke 1: 46-55) is a description of Mary's aspirations for her son Jesus and reveals her role as a mother. When most mothers sing lullaby to their children, Mary has a very revolutionary song that she had to sing when she was pregnant with Jesus. There should have been several songs available for Mary in Nazareth those days, for she could have either chosen a hymn from Psalmody or from their regular hymnal, but she chose to compose a contemporary song of justice, her own yearning for her society, and sang it for her son Jesus. Her situation and context of oppression and discrimination, demanded mother Mary to sing this radical song of justice. This song reveals her mothering quality, her dream for her son, and raised Jesus with those values and ethos and Jesus eventually lived up for all those that her mother aspired and raised him with. This song could have been the song that Jesus heard her sing daily, and learnt it as an anthem of justice for his mission in his life. 

Mothering Sunday is an opportunity for parents to compose and sing songs for their children, penning their dreams and aspirations for their children. This Sunday then calls us as parents to commit ourselves to raise our children in fulfilling our aspirations for a just society. May we like mother Mary get inspired to sing songs of justice for our children. I specially remember mothers like Radhika Vemula mother of Dalit martyr Rohit Vemula, Meena Devi mother of Kanhaiya Kumar, President JNUSU and several other mothers whose names have been undocumented, forgotten and erased by the dominant patriarchal society, for they as mothers sang songs of justice and liberation for their children, and their children lived out their dreams for a just world. Thanking God for the gift of motherhood, and remembering all our mothers for their love, care, sacrifice and dreams for their children. Mother Mary had a song for her son, what song do you have for your sons and daughters? Here  is her song... what is your song? 

Luke 1:46-55

⁴⁶ And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
    Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
⁵⁰ His mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
⁵¹ He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
⁵² He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
    and lifted up the lowly;
⁵³ he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
⁵⁵ according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Raj Bharath Patta,

camp: Bogota, Colombia 

4th March 2016 

Fasting as an Act of Public Theological Witness: A Lenten Imperative

Public Reading of Jonah 3: 1-10

 

With the advent of the season of Lent, Christians globally have been busy preparing for the season. Fasting has been the buzz word this season of forty days, for people have been seeking various reasons to justify their fasting. Fasting has become trendy these days, for some give up a meal during the day, some give up eating meat, some give up drinking alcohol, some have proclaimed fasting on social media, some have given up Facebook, some have given up whatsapp and the list goes on. These trendy fasting, people say are part of a spiritual discipline, for at least, they can work out on de-addictions on their addicted habits. Whatever be the reasons, Fasting in the season of Lent has been a key element, which has been practiced from times immemorial continues to find an important place in the lives of the faithful.

 

Unfortunately, fasting remains to be a self-centric element in the lives of Christians, and has not permeated towards the cause of transforming the society. Fasting is not merely an act of self-piety rather has a public theological relevance, for it is intended to bring justice in the society. ‘Fast unto Justice’ is a rendering in that line which has had its deep Biblical and theological moorings. Duetero- Isaiah is very succinct on such an understanding of fasting, for in Isaiah 58: 1-12, he reminds the people the kind of fasting that is acceptable in the sight of God. This season of Lent, let us resonate with Isaiah and imbibe ‘fast unto justice’ as an act of our spiritual calling and strive towards justice through our fasting.

 

Liturgy as a Public Act:

Ronald Theimann’s important contribution to public theology is linking liturgy as public responsibility, which has a great relevance in public theological enterprise. In his book, ‘Constructing a Public Theology: The Church in a Pluralistic Culture’, he explains that, “the etymology of the word liturgy, which is leitourgia, is a Greek noun meaning, “the discharge of public office.” In the context of Greek polis, leitourgia involved engaging in public office at one’s own expense, thereby offering service to the state and so contribute to the well-being of the community or koinonia. The language adopted by the early Christian community for its own worship life was clearly and explicitly public or political language…The righteousness of faith must result in transformative justice within the public realm. Thus Christian worship is essentially political, and the leitourgia of the Church extends naturally and directly into political action.”[1]

 

Liturgy has been mostly limited to the worship done in the Church, and has not really taken political meaning out of it. By making public theology liturgical, public theology’s political characteristic is revealed and calls on the Christian communities to relocate their worship practices beyond their worshipping structures into the public sphere. A public political act of spirituality is envisaged by the Church, for only then her public witness is felt and impacted.

Therefore, the need and relevance of fasting becoming a public act aimed towards bringing justice and transformation to our society is imperative and instructive for our spirituality. One should also realise that there is no command for Christians in New Testament to fast, however Jesus did comment on fasting, where he emphasised not on any “show-off” or for boasting on self-pride and on self-righteousness, but said that it should be an act between an individual and God (Mathew 6: 16-18). That relationship between God and an individual should be reflected in acts of justice in our contexts.

 

In light of the discussion that Fasting as an act of public theological witness, the experience of prophet Jonah and his community’s fasting is of great relevance for us today, specially during this season of Lent. Allow me to present to you a public reading on Jonah, a prophet from the margins, and try to capture fasting from his community.

 

Jonah: Prophet from the Margins

Prophet Jonah is a minor prophet in the prophetic literature, and the story of Jonah has been one of the most favorite stories of all children for the involvement of fish in the story resonating with the modern fictional stories. Jonah as a book in the canon is independent of the historical settings of the Israel, and has therefore been related to several contexts. The book of Jonah begins with the title, ‘Jonah’s disobedience’ for he flees to Tarshish, when he was called to go to Nineveh. He has been branded by those in the centers as the disobedient person. No one has ever asked what could have been the reasons why he had to flee away to Tarshish? Probably, he wasn’t yet ready to proclaim the judgment about the wickedness of the city, when there has been lots of wickedness within his own contexts. He wasn’t willing to be a missionary in a foreign land, allowing a prophet to arise out of the Ninevehian context, however conditions demanded that he had to at the end, land up as a migrant missionary in Nineveh. He was called as ‘reluctant one,’ ‘a lazy sleeping guy’ when there was a greater storm, he was a ‘run away missionary’, the ‘main culprit for the raging storm’ and therefore had to be thrown away into the sea. The only human being in the history of human kind, who had to live in the belly of a fish for three days, spending time in prayer and confession, and most times he is viewed as a superman who spent three days to be alive.

 

Jonah is a Prophet from margins, marginalized by the writers of the canon for not weaving his experience into the very fabric of the life and witness of the people of the OT. He is further pushed into margins, for his disobedient attitude to the word of God, for fleeing to a different destiny, for falling asleep when there is a raging storm, and for allowing a vicarious throwing into the sea. When there would have been total disappointment and hostility from ‘God’, from the co-passengers for trespassing, for sleeping without a concern, for being the sole reason of the raging storm etc. Jonah would have been totally looked down by the corridors of canonical writers, by the co-passengers and even by the people of Nineveh, who would have seen him as an alien after being vomited by the fish on their shores. What can you expect from such a person like Jonah? Out of his margins, God chose Jonah to deliver God’s people by speaking God’s justice at difficult moments of history.  Jonah, emerges as a political missionary who proclaims the gospel of repentance, as a mission from the margins to those in the centers.

 

It was a day of fasting at the city of Nineveh. After the miraculous save of Jonah through the belly of a fish, Jonah finally arrived in the city of his destination, Nineveh to proclaim the prophecy of God. At prophet Jonah’s call, the entire city from the king to the citizens to the animals joined the fast and put on sackcloth seeking repentance from God for their wicked deeds. The cry of Jonah, as recorded in Jonah 3, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown” put the city to test and gathered the political attention, for His Highness the King of Nineveh took the lead and made it a public policy in calling for a fast with his royal proclamation. The call for the fast included turning away from the evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands, besides putting on the sackcloth and ashes. The call for fast on that day put God in a fix to change God’s plan for the sake of the life for that city. From the clashes of conflicts, the city went into fasting and ashes, and out of ashes, the city came out into a splash of liberation and life.

 

1. Fasting Challenged the Polis (5 V)

As Jonah proclaimed the prophecy of God, the people of Nineveh believed God, and sought God’s help through a very democratic, political and spiritual way of fasting. This idea of fasting emerged from among the people of the city. The fast they proclaimed was communitarian and for the need of their city. Their fast was not for a selfish need or for an individuals need or for an exhibition of their piety. Their fast was a political necessity, for it challenged the whole of the city. As the fast was proclaimed, everyone in the city without any objections or reservations or concessions observed their fast by putting on their sackcloth and ashes. Great and small in the city, man and women in the city, child and adult in the city, the sinning and the sinned-against in the city, powerful and powerless in the city, irrespective of their lines of divisions and identities, the city came out to the open for a fast in support of their city. When the whole city got together to fast, both the sinned and the sinned against joining the fast meant repentance with regard to the sinned and an indication from the sinned-against that time is ripe for reconciliation. This fasting, which included everyone and in which no one was excluded, displayed the true spirit of fasting. It was this fast that challenged the city.

 

2. Fasting Challenged the Polity (6-9 Vs)

With the impending peril at hand, when a fast was proclaimed by the city, the royal power at the city, who represents the polity, furthered the fast. The fast for the city was a mandate that emerged from the people and for the people, and therefore His Royal Highness was challenged to endorse it and made it a public policy for the good of the city. The king with all his power consciousness could have easily downplayed and rejected the idea of fasting, for as kings they only know to feast and they cared least if the city would go into a doom. The king was challenged by this fasting, and therefore at the peoples call for fast, he had to rise from his royal throne, had to remove his royal robes and had to cover him with sackcloth and had to sit in ashes. The spirituality of this fast was such, that it demanded the powerful to give up their power costumes, attires, attitudes and masks, and calls for a wholesome solidarity with the powerless and weak symbolized through ashes, the waste product that comes after the consumption of energy. The fast for the city challenged the king to issue a public decree calling everyone in the city to restrain from food and feed and be in solidarity for the cause by putting on the sackcloth and ashes. The royal public decree calls everyone in the city to turn their evil practices, practices of discrimination and oppression and to turn away from violence that was in their hands. The king also felt, such a fasting that comes from the community may also challenge God.

 

3. Fasting Challenged the Prophecy (10V)

The king, who was challenged by the communitarian fasting, felt that even the prophecy from God could be challenged of such fasting by people attempted for a change in the city, and may change God’s plans for the sake of promoting life. As was foreseen, the fasting challenged the polity and eventually challenged the prophecy of God according to the writer of this book. The prophecy from prophet Jonah that ‘forty days from now, Nineveh shall be overthrown’ was challenged because the fasting was for the sake of community and not for an individual need. The prophecy was challenged for the barriers of power, for the powerful gave up their power and joined the common, and the community encouraged each other along with the creation to save their city. The prophecy was challenged that the residue ashes became the common binding and bonding symbol in the city, which reveals their deepest concern for righteousness. The prophecy was challenged for both the oppressors in the city and the oppressed in the city joined together to fast, where the oppressor sought repentance from God and the oppressed and oppressed could see justice being enforced in the land. This fasting challenged the prophecy of God, for it was political in nature, for the fast focused on ‘save the city’. This fasting was for the common good of the people and the community in the city, and it has shown the city’s belief in God and in their spiritual quest for God’s intervention. On all these counts, this fasting by the city of Nineveh challenged the prophecy of God and challenged God, for according to the understanding of the writer of the book of Jonah, the city did not perish as was willed by God earlier.

 

Jonah’s Mission from Margins in the book of Jonah is the recognition of the fact that

• God is concerned about unrighteousness as disastrous for creation.


• God’s concern of impending danger as proclaimed by the prophet can bring people and powers together for common good, which directs the mission as lobbying.


• The righteous could feel excluded in this process of reconciliation like Jonah, and such people need to include themselves in God’s act of reconciling all.

 

As churches, we are called to prophecy, reconcile and heal our situations of wickedness and bring in transformation to our localities and societies. The polis, the polity and the prophecy were thoroughly challenged by the fasting of the people in Nineveh, which brought in a change within and around them. Out of clashes they went into ashes, and out of ashes they came out splashing life and change.

 

During this season of Lent, when many people want to fast, as a spiritual discipline for forty days, there are several challenges for us from this text.

 

• Fasting is not for an individual piety, but has to be corporal and for the transformation of our society. This season is an opportunity to give up our self-righteous attitudes and publicity displays on our acts of fasting.
• Don’t take fasting during this season in vain, for many think this season can be an opportunity to cut down their calories and use it as a period to slim down their bodies. Fasting is not a cosmetic exercise.
• The account of fasting in Jonah resonates with Duetro-Isaisah’s understanding of fasting, which is recorded in Isaiah 58: 1-12, to fast unto justice. Fasting is a spiritual exercise for justice. ‘Fast unto justice’ is the need, meaning, purpose and direction of our fasting today. The call for us it to proclaim a fast unto justice against the injustices of our times and strive to establish a just society.

• In the context of the Campaign for climate justice, should not our fasting in this season sensitize our congregations and communities to be akin with the flora and fauna, address acts of greed and save our splendid earth?


• In the context of the growing violence, oppression and discrimination done in the name of caste, gender, sexuality, religion and region, should not our fasting in this season conscientize our communities to become peacemakers and bring in justice and liberation?

 

Lent is a season to ‘spring forth’ for justice, and let the experience of Jesus’ Cross inspire and challenge us to partake in doing actions for justice. Jesus was nailed to Cross for he stood and strived for justice of his times, for he proclaimed an alternative vision to the reign of Roman empire in the vision of Kingdom of God, for he sided with those on the margins and for willing to be branded as ‘criminal’ for the sake of the values he preached and practiced. God’s resurrection strength did not leave Jesus, for he rose again on the third day defeating the forces of death, and springing up in new life.  Wishing you all a meaningful season of Lent, and let our fasting turn into actions of justice and help us to join along with experiences of Cross in our times today and make resurrection a reality for our times.

 

Raj Bharath Patta,

Lent 2016

 

 

---

[1] Ronald F. Thiemann, Constructing a Public Theology, The Church in a Pluralistic Culture (Kentucky: Westminister/ John Knox Press, 1991) P.113-114

Picture courtesy: http://www.orthodoxherald.com/wp-content/uploads/fast-lent.jpg

Confessing our Hypocritical Silence on Caste: Rohit Vemula Turns 27

If Rohit Vemula was alive today, he would have celebrated his 27^th birthday on 30^th January, 2016, but he joined ‘the stars from shadows’ becoming a martyr, sowing his life as a seed for an uprising of a ‘Student Spring’ to defeat forces of casteism and institutional violence. Yet, Rohit today is alive even in his death, for his life in death is awakening the conscience of global communities in making institutions of higher learning as zero-tolerant zones for discrimination. If I had to send a birthday card to Rohit, I would have written on it, “Brother Rohit, Your life in death challenges us to confess our hypocritical silence on caste and such forms of discrimination.”

Rohit, a young Dalit PhD scholar in Science & Technology from Hyderabad Central University (HCU) along with his four other friends were expelled from the University after a complaint given by a student leader belonging to the student wing organisation of the ruling party at the Centre. Rohit and his friends experienced social exclusion from the University officials, where their scholarships have been discontinued and they were not allowed to enter into the hostels and the administrative buildings of the University.  Rohit and his friends lived in a tent outside the gate of the University calling it “Velivada” (Dalit Ghetto). Rohit killed himself on 17^th January, 2016 in one of his friend’s rooms in the University, leaving a powerful letter behind in which he mentions, “The value of a man was reduced to his immediate identity and nearest possibility. To a number. To a vote. To a thing… My birth is my fatal accident.” Following this incidents, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) at the HCU has been demanding justice for Rohit, and there are several student protests across India and elsewhere demanding justice for Rohit. There is a ‘Student Spring’ which is taking its ripple effect, challenging several students to fight the evil of caste and other forms of discrimination. It was unfortunate to see dominant groups suspecting Rohit’s Dalit identity and stretching forth discussions on his identity rather than the reasons that led to his death.

At this point one has to be also reminded about the ‘saffronization’ project, which has been at its zenith under the present ruling government in India, for in May 2015 the Ministry of Human Resource Development has derecognized the Ambedkar-Periyar Study Circle at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai. Later from June 2015 there have been strikes by the students at the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) for appointing saffron activist as its Chairperson. In October 2015, there has been an Occupy University Grants Commission (UGC) protesting against the government’s decisions. In January 2016, we now have the death of Rohit, a Dalit scholar at HCU, which has to be observed in light of the saffronization project. One of the demands of the JAC at HCU is to get the two ministers of the Central cabinet involved to be sacked and arrested for their involvement in Rohit’s death.

Rohit’s martyrdom has raised several challenges within me, and provoked me with anger to voice out all the more for justice and liberation in our societies. Two important questions came across me during these days, for one is How does the death of Rohit in Hyderabad affect us in UK? or Does Rohit’s death has any call for us in the West? And the second is, What is the Christian response to Rohit’s death? Allow me to briefly elaborate on these.

I.                    Does Rohit’s Death have any Message for those in the West?

As I shared about Rohit’s death to friends here in Manchester and in UK, several friends kept asking me ‘so what?’ there are so many deaths happening across the globe and if a single soul died in Hyderabad, what is it for us? In trying to answer these questions, we have organised a ‘Solidarity Vigil for Rohit’ at Manchester and there has been a mixed response to it. Here are three answers in that direction.

a.      Recognise the Systemic Oppressive Caste Practices as Discriminatory:

Dear friends in the West, Rohit’s death was not an ordinary death, but when he dreamt to become a science writer like Carl Sagan, exclusion, marginalization, discrimination in the name of caste and institutional violence has killed him, shattering his dreams and taking away his life. Many of you would not know the complexities of a systemic oppression called caste, where human beings are divided and discriminated based on their descent and occupation, Rohit’s death is a wakeup call to recognise that there is a monster called caste, at whose altar several people are slaughtered under its evil claws, just because they are born out-side of their system. Caste is practised across all religions, and has permeated into all structures and functions of Indian societies. Some have asked is caste practised in West? The answer is an affirmative yes, look at the associations of South Asian Diaspora in the West, most of them are named and based on their caste identities. Recognise the systemic oppressive practice of caste as discriminatory and as inhuman.

b.      Recognise Other Forms of Discrimination & Institutional Violence in your Contexts:

Are global institutions of higher learning safe spaces, free from discriminations? Rohit’s death in Hyderabad calls for a social audit of all institutions of higher learning to check how safe are these spaces for students? What are the forms of discriminations that exist? Discrimination in the name of class, race, gender, sexuality, disability etc. have been rampant, and it is time to address and defeat these forms of oppression from all academic institutions.  

c.       Participate in the Transnational Student Spring for Justice:

The Joint Action Committee at HCU is demanding for justice to Rohit. Our student societies are called to join with the students at HCU in making a global solidarity for student justice. The call is to create a transnational solidarity for justice, so that student issues can be addressed and networked globally and nationally cutting across territorial and other boundaries. Students are encouraged in the West to call on Indian Embassies in their respective countries and demand accountability for Rohit’s death and engage in international advocacy for justice to Rohit. Rohit’s death is a call for active student activism of students in their respective Universities. Impress upon your local MP’s on the death of Rohit so that they can see Foreign Office to demand justice for Rohit.

II.                  What is the Christian Response to Rohit’s Martyrdom?

The recent suicides of young Dalit men and women due to the unbearable torture of discrimination on the basis of caste continue to be a reality of our times. Rohit’s voice was unheard, his cry for justice went unheard and his tryst for destiny had to come to an end abruptly. Rohit’s road to death started with the day he joined these institutions, for the institutions of higher learning have become fertile crescents for caste perpetrations. The voices of the dominant continue to amplitude their power by suppressing the cries of the oppressed communities. They bring in the argument, as those that have ‘merit’ will be rewarded, and lets do away with the reservation systems. And students, who enter these educational institutions through reservations and quotas, undergo a hell lot of discrimination and humiliations. Thankfully Rohit joined the University not on reservations. Where is the space for the voices of our young Dalits to speak out and articulate? Where is the space for dialogue and mutual understanding in situations like that of this? Is the society open enough to listen to the cries of the Dalit communities? Questions concerning this go on and on, but the fact of the matter is, are the voices of Dalit youth heard or muted?

Time has now come to listen to the voices of the youth from across our Churches and societies, and more certainly the voices of our Dalit young people, whose voices have been marginalized, for being Dalit and for being young. Jesus Christ as a young man, voiced out against the injustices done in his days, and has given space for those voices that were marginalized in the society to be heard. As a Church, we need to confess that not enough space was given to the voices of young people, for always their voice was sidelined under the guise that these voices are from inexperienced and so on. On reading Rohit’s final letter, where he mentioned ‘my birth is a fatal accident,’ I was reminded of Job in Bible, who complains that ‘it was better for him to have born.’ However, in light of Rohit’s death, I wanted to read Jesus’ encounter with a Woman whose voice was finally heard, for Rohit’s voice was unheard and unattended to.

The Biblical Context

In Matthew 15: 21-28, we see a Canaanite woman, who cried to Jesus for healing her daughter who was demon possessed. Here is a voice of a woman, a Canaanite, and more over who had a daughter who was demon possessed. I assume that this woman would have been a young woman probably a single parent, who took all the courage to voice out the need of her daughter. It was at a region of Tyre & Sidon, a geography little alien, which was outside of the so-called chosen places like Jerusalem, where they believed that God dwelled. This was also the place where Elijah was fed by a widow of Zeraphat in (I kings 17:9). Here comes a woman to Jesus shouting for the healing of her daughter. Her little one’s life is threatened by forces of evil and she on her behalf cries out to Jesus Christ. Peace at home and peace to her daughter is at stake, she came in search of life and peace to Jesus Christ, recognising that Jesus affirms in life, and no matter what may come, Jesus shall stand for life and deliver peace and justice. Her prayer was a paraphrased version of our theme ‘God of life lead us into justice & peace’, “have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” Her life context projects lifelessness, peace-lessness and unjust-ness. Her shout was a prayer for life, prayer for peace and prayer for justice.

Jesus’ Silence: Unheeding the Cry

At that very instant, when the woman made her prayer, verse 23 says, ‘Jesus did not answer her a word’. Did Jesus become deaf at that point to listen to the voice of that woman? Jesus till then spoke to Pharisees who came and asked about tradition, and gave an eloquent speech on things that defile etc. Why did Jesus not answer her a word.  Was Jesus closed in making a conversation with a woman, who was from a different community? Was Jesus worried that his Jewish male identity would be maligned if he spoke to a woman in need? Was there not a space at Jesus for the voices that are in deep distress and pain? Jesus who helped at giving answers to people, is not without a word to reply. Jesus could have answered, with an yes or a no, but he was silent. Was Jesus contemplating what to answer to that woman who came in a context when her daughter’s life and subsequently her life was at risk? Whatever be the reason, Jesus’ silence and his reluctance to answer to her voice probably would have pained that woman at that moment.

Disciples Grievance: Silencing the Cry

Now enters the disciples, to add fuel to the fire and not just asked or requested Jesus, but were begging Jesus ‘to send her away, for she is crying after us.’(23b). The cry of that woman whose life and peace was at stake, was jarring to the ears of the disciples, was a disturbance to their following Jesus and the disciples were even prejudiced, thinking that the woman was crying after them. This act of the disciples is yet again to suppress the voice of that depressed woman. The yearning for life, justice and peace was a matter of no value to these disciples, who were interested in hearing to Jesus on various aspects of healing. At the behest of the disciples, Jesus gives a political answer with some shades of theology and philosophy, telling that his jurisdiction is within the house of Israel and was destined for the lost sheep within that fold. By this answer, probably Jesus thought that this woman would leave that vicinity, for his intellectual propositions cannot be challenged. The woman did not give up, until her voice was heard, and in all desperation, probably in a louder tone, she knelt and asked Jesus to help her in 25 verse. Now for the second time she makes a prayer, ‘Lord help me’. Jesus now took the occasion to interpret his theological answer from a day-to-day affair and said how just it is to take the bread from the child and throw it to the dogs? Jesus probably again would have thought, with this kind of analogy, this woman would shut up and leave.

Woman’s Resilience: Affirming her Cry

All the more the woman was more challenged and replied in all boldness to the analogy with yet another analogy, that ‘even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the masters table.’ That day she made it a point to make her voice be heard at any cost with any kind of theology. Her strong voice for healing, her cry for justice and her tongues for liberation challenged a person like Jesus and brought in a change in him. No doubt the disciple would have been dumb at the response of Jesus when he said, ‘ O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ The woman’s voice was finally heard. Jesus who was silent, Jesus who was diplomatic in his answers, Jesus who was philosophical in his responses, was now challenged and amazed at the faith of this woman, was impressed by her longing for life, peace and justice and was impelled to pronounce healing on the woman and her daughter. By her resilience, she made the silent Jesus speak and lead her into justice and peace. By her faith, she saw to it that there was healing that day in her house. She overcame Jesus’ silence, she overcame disciples grievance, and she overcame the torments for life that day. God of life, cannot be silent to the cries of the groaning world for peace and justice. God was accompanying her in her resilience and helped her by granting her healing through Jesus Christ.

a. Let us as Churches Listen to the Voices and Cries of Rohits:

As Church we have most times been reluctant to listen to the voices of youth like Rohit and all the more like Jesus and the disciples, our adults and elders in the Churches gave reasons to let down the voices of youth. This woman, challenged Jesus, challenged the disciples and I believe even the Church today for we need a change from within, where we can move from speaking and being a noisy church to a church where we allow the voices of youth and those in distress speak out, where we can move from preaching mode to listening mode, and where our Churches become the platforms for the varied and diverse voices of youth to be heard and attended to. The silence of Jesus, the grievance of disciples was challenged by the resilience of this woman, who spoke in all courage to voice out for her daughter’s need. The voices of youth are always kept in a mute mode, and let us give them a voice. Wake up Church to voice out the voices of young Dalit people in our contexts. Rohit is challenging our silence and is calling us to act, voice out for justice.

b.      Let us Confess as Christians for Discriminating Scheduled Caste Christians in Our Churches: 

Rohit’s death is a call for repentance to Christians for discriminating Scheduled Caste Christians in our Churches blaming them that they have compromised on their faith for the sake of reservations in education. We have consciously and unconsciously practiced discrimination in our Churches in the name of caste and it is high time we confess our superiority complex and seek God’s forgiveness.

c.       Let us as Churches Confess our Hypocritical Silence on Caste:

Felix Wilfred in one his essays on ‘Subalterns and Ethical Auditing’ explains about the ‘hypocritical silence on caste’, where he expresses that caste though is observed scrupulously by the elite upper class and caste groups, they still do not want to speak about or do want to be seen talking about caste. He goes on to explain, that, ‘like the proverbial cat that has nine lives, caste takes on ever new avatars which makes it difficult to censure and bring under ethical auditing.’ He further goes to say that, ‘the Dalits speak about caste without inhibition, because they want to exorcize this demon. On the other hand, upper castes want to be silent on caste in public and derive all the benefits and power through it.’[1] Therefore the dominant castes only enjoy the benefits of and from the caste and remain to be silent even in times of deaths of Rohit’s that continue to happen.  It is a convenient choice by all people to remain silent and thereby see that caste and its ramifications are alive igniting and inviting violence and oppression on Dalits. Bonhoeffer says, “Silence on the face of evil is sin.” Rohit’s death is a call to confess our hypocritical silence on the face of an evil practice called caste.

d.      Let us as Churches Join with Student Movements in Demanding Justice for Rohit:

Let us acknowledge that we are our brother’s and sister’s keepers, trying to be conscious of our contexts, trying to analyse and address the conflicts done in the name of caste. Christian public witness is to be the conscience keepers of our society. Our prophetic calling is to join with other student movements in demanding justice for Rohit, and see to it that we can prevent several other Rohits in not becoming victims of caste discrimination.

Allow me to conclude with a personal letter that I have written to Rohit, after his death.

Dear brother Rohit,

I know you are no more with us to receive this letter as I write to you, but I know that you from eternities, where stars reside are listening and looking to us in silence. You have been alive in your death and thereby now calling us all to awake and speak for justice. I write to you confessing my and our insensitive attitudes towards the evil forces of caste & institutional violence. You in the context of violence and violation of rights, stand as an epitome and an inspiration for commitment for justice and liberation. Your life has testified to the very fact that, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Keep talking to us my friend Rohit. As I speak to you, we pledge that we would give up caste practices and other forms of discriminations in our Churches, institutions, communities and societies. We commit to prevent many other Rohit’s from being murdered by caste and its cruel manifestations. To us, faith communities, your life has taught us a lesson that, ‘God works through bold & courageous people like you and many others like you who are committed to become martyrs for the cause of justice and liberation.’ You live in our hearts, for your love for equality and justice will keep inspiring and influencing many generations of young people of now to the ones that are to come in future. I will become your unfinished dream for I am Rohit. You are 27 today and as you grow old, may our commitment to fight discriminations be strengthened. We shall overcome…

Raj Bharath Patta

29^th January 2016

---

[1] Felix Wilfred, Asian public Theology critical Concerns in challenging Times, (New Delhi: ISPCK, 2010) Pg 30-32