Peace inspite of the 7 o' clock News

Our lives aren’t any less fettered by “fightings and fears within and without” than that of those who lived two thousand years ago. The Bethlehem Bugle of B.C. 4 would have reported the dreadful news (those near synonymous words) that our very own newspapers carry almost every single day. Lies, cheatings, murders, wars… would have figured in their headlines just as they steal ours.

In the light of the imperfection and warped nature of human predicament, it is not hard to imagine that those folk who were going about their work so long ago would have dismissed the angel choir for the seeming incongruity of the message they were trying to convey, “Peace on earth, goodwill among men.” I wouldn’t have blamed them if they had dismissed the experience as being the result of a combination of the tedium of labour, calamitous political climate and wishful thinking.

It must be credited to them, for they did not allow themselves to be consumed by doubts; It wouldn’t be very far from the truth to imagine that they had in them the peculiar strain to search inspite of doubts; For Scripture narrates that they made haste to Bethlehem and found the baby just as the angel had announced. We know from Scripture and other sources that since that fateful night, things in the world didn’t change. They probably woke up the next day and found that some of their sheep had been stolen and they definitely woke up to the unpleasant reality of the Roman occupation of their country and they continued to be fleeced by those corrupt tax collectors. However their lives changed. In their lives they saw fulfilled the peace that was announced by the angel for they came away praising and glorifying God. While the world remained the way it did, their lives were changed (changed to be agents of change perhaps).

The sorry state of our world should not be an impediment to our encounter with that ancient yet new message of peace on earth and goodwill among men. We will encounter this peace, which often appears paradoxical, only when we meet Christ, even the babe that the shepherds saw in the manger, the Prince of Peace. And our lives will be so changed even if tomorrow morning’s headlines remain the same. And perchance, we will in our small way strive to be the agents of change that God wants to bring about in the world.

Cracks in the Ceiling

In flustered frustration Jake stormed into his room. He had just endured what he thought was a grueling three hour lecture debunking all that he held to be true. This was his first year of undergraduate studies in world religions. In his heart he knew he ought to have defended his faith but it felt as though reason had deserted him and words failed him. While fellow students contributed with jeering remarks and witty quips, he sat as helpless as a nestling that had fallen off the tree, unable to defend his faith in the presence of his skeptical professor and ‘highbrow’ classmates.

He tossed his dog-eared book on the table and lay on his bed looking intently at the cracks in the ceiling wondering why he had been so tongue tied. He was practically raised in the church. Jake, along with his brother, sisters and parents, was an active member of his church. The exemplary life of his parents egged him on to be the Christian that they desired him to be. Growing up, he faithfully attended Sunday school; He never missed a single youth group bible study session. To further bolster this Christian upbringing, inspite of acute financial constraints, his parents ensured that he and his siblings attended a private Christian school.

And now in the presence of these erudite academicians, who appeared to possess a ready answer for the volley of questions directed towards them, Jake felt powerless; And on certain few and far in between days when he did find his voice to deliver a spirited apology, all he could muster for a question like, “Okay, Jake, why does your ‘good’ God allow bad things to happen?” was a staller, “Well…uh.. hmm..”

Intently peering at the cracks in the ceiling, Jake began to mull over and question his very own faith. And the cracks began to widen.

The ‘Jake Scenario’ is not some stray exception to the rule; frighteningly it is becoming the rule with a few exceptions. After four-years in college the percentage of those who call themselves “born-again” falls by 41 percent. Furthermore, according to George Barna only 20 percent of students who were active participants in the life of the church as teenagers remain “spiritually active” (www.barna.org). A dark and despairing verdict indeed!

What has been the Christian response to this dire predicament? (I can’t speak for every Christian response, but only for that which I have seen.) The blame is often put on “faulty curriculum.” And there is livid and irate outburst against liberal professors. In talking about this issue there is no dismissing the findings that 72 percent of professors and instructors in colleges across the U.S. described themselves as liberals. ("College Faculties A Most Liberal Lot, Study Finds," By Howard Kurtz, Washington Post)

That being said I want to add that the woes of the aforementioned dire-predicament don’t solely rest on the percentage of liberal professors. There are a few other contributing factors that aid if not propel this steady decline of young people who call themselves Christians. One could be the reluctance on the part of adult Christians to foster in the minds of children a spirit of enquiry. Difficult questions are rarely discussed around our dinner table. And the Church in most cases is plagued by what John Stonestreet calls the “myth of adolescence,” that treats young people in a way that relegates to a footnote if not dismisses their capacity to think and be interested in profound topics. He further makes a harsh pronouncement when he says, “It is foolish to expect students to take Christianity and the world seriously if all they have been exposed to at youth groups is games, pizza and mindless mini-therapy lessons that may or may not come from Scripture.”

It is more than vital that we tell the rich narrative of God that all of Scripture relates and this grounding would stand them in good stead when the storms of doubts assail. And even when they are still very young it is imperative that we encourage them to ask difficult questions. It is essential that our children know and believe that their faith is reasonable and that they need not check out their intellect in their pursuit of faith. (And that means that we as adults need to think, talk and more importantly find answers for ourselves from Scripture.) Let not those tough questions be steered only along the lines of certain talking points, but let it also enable them to see the plethora of issues that plague the world today – human trafficking, international relations, emerging technologies to mention but a few. We cannot afford to live in the bubble of ignorance and apathy. And more importantly we need to encourage them to find the answers for themselves in the word of God, for He promises us that those who seek in earnestness will find. Next, it is vital that our children are exposed to non-Christian worldviews. So when they hear a liberal professor debunk their faith not only will they be able to defend their faith but also be able to assess his views as stemming from a certain other worldview.

I quite recently came across a one-year-college-level academic program called Insights – Intensive Study of Integrated Global History and Theology. It aims at precisely helping students heading out to college not only to understand their belief but also to understand the different worldviews out there. Its core elements include the Bible, History, Theology, Missions, Culture, Worldview, Religions, Philosophy and Ethics among others. It also enables students to earn college credits. On reading about the program from students who attended this course, I learnt that it enabled them to understand that “the kingdom of God is the theme and the story” they want to live.

It is absolutely vital that we engage our children in meaningful discussions about God and what we believe in; in order that they might find within the confines of a Christian setting scope for questions answered and doubts cleared. For that will definitely bolster their strength to stand up for their faith. In John 14:26 we read that the Spirit of God will enable us to remember what we have been told by God. A prerequisite is in us knowledge of the truth. And it cannot be stated enough that we ought to instill not only in ourselves but also in our children a sound knowledge of the truth so that when the time comes they will be reminded of what they have learnt and will be filled with wisdom and the right words by God even as they defend their faith.

'Apologie' for an Apostle

Brainerd and I have been reading a book these past couple of days. The author makes covert suggestions that the apostle Paul had a clandestine motive for preaching the message that he did. It must be added that the idea she is trying to purport is not even a novelty, but cud that popular media masticates to a pulp. We see countless instances where television documentaries and popular books vie for the attention of an audience who would concur with their undermining of traditionally held values and beliefs.

The author’s not so blatant claims aim at projecting Paul as being an ill-informed, self-contradicting, self-seeking, man who oft allowed the status quo to remain for fear of opposition. She says that the hellenistic Paul never fully understood the essence of the Torah (The Jewish bible, and the first five books of the Christian bible), hence he pitted the gospel of love against the religion of Laws. In addition to this she adds that Paul contradicts himself when he talks about the observance of the Law. Furthermore, she says that Paul fearing the discredit of the Romans abstained from addressing issues like slavery. Finally she delivers what surely would appear like a deathblow to the very germ of traditional Christian belief by suggesting that the Christian faith is but the creation of one man called Paul.

The author’s claims appear alluring till one delves deeper into Scripture. Paul might have been informed by the Greek translation of the Torah, but one must also add that he learned at the feet of Gamaliel, a Palestinian master of Jewish law. Paul doesn’t contradict himself when talking about the Law, rather all along he states the inadequacy of the law in providing salvation; It is vital that we understand that while the Christian faith subscribes to salvation through Christ, nowhere does it undermine the place of good works that the Law requires in the life of a saved human being.

In answering the final suggestions that the author makes regarding the self-seeking nature of Paul, I can only go back to his conversion, the life of hardship and imprisonment and his eventual martyrdom. Paul, an ardent persecutor of the church ,had his life-altering experience on the road to Damascus. His conversion was almost dream-like. Only days ago he participated in the execution of Stephen, one of the early Christian believers, and now he was on his way with letters from the high priest to the synagogues at Damascus authorizing him to bring bound any follower of what was then called the Way. Nothing save divine intervention could have brought about so great a change. So devout a person, could not have abandoned all that he held close to his heart just in order to create personal, posthumous fame. If fear of the Romans held sway in Paul’s life he wouldn’t have willingly allowed himself to stand trial and even face death in the hands of the Romans. In my opinion nothing authenticates the message more than a life so drastically transformed – from persecutor to persecuted!

In Paul we do have a member of “so great a cloud of witness.” May our conversion experience be as real if not as dramatic as Paul’s and may we be willing to be as fearless for the sake of Christ and His gospel.

Speak Oft with the Lord

There are many a memories - priceless, valuable and much cherished memories - of my dear mother, who died a few years ago. She was a darling. No girl could have asked for a better mother. We shared a very beautiful relationship. She told me off when as a mischievous little girl I disobeyed my parents, She counseled me yet gave me the room “to grow up” ( I must admit, looking back I wouldn’t have been as charitable as she was to me), as a young woman I found in my mother my closest friend and confidante. And even now with her gone, every memory of her is vibrantly alive inside my head and I want to keep her thus alive by sharing the legacy she left behind.

My mother whom I fondly called amma was a full time school teacher, a pastor’s wife – full time, and without a moment's hesitation I can avow a full time mother. She was a friend to anyone who just needed a shoulder to cry on, a generous giver to those who needed help (and some of the things that my mother did I only discovered from the various eulogies delivered and crowds of genuinely anguished town-folk at her funeral). In spite of so juggling different roles and responsibilities, she maintained such poise even in the midst of daunting situations and God knows she had to encounter many. Even as a young person in her thirty’s her health was failing and even though that took its toll on her, she never allowed that to get in the way of her cheery disposition.

On seeing her I have often wondered, “Where does she find the strength to do all that she does, even when tied down with a debilitating illness?” And now with her gone I still ponder, “How was she able to live the life she did in spite of those harsh realities that she often encountered?” And in response one image repeatedly comes to my mind; that of my mother in the quiet of the early morning, sitting on “her” chair in the living room, even before any of us woke up, with her glasses perched on her petite nose, poring over her worn-out bible. And I know that time of reading the word of God would be preceded or followed by a time of laying bare her heart to God; the evidence of which was but the quiet movement of her lips or her tear stained face.

Of all the lessons I learned from her, and there are many, the one that I think she would have wanted me to hold onto tenaciously is this “communion with God.” Now I know why she was unfazed while in the midst of agonizing difficulty – in her body, in her spirit and in her mind. She would never attempt to explain her self when misunderstood or maligned; she would never find an excuse to shirk her responsibilities at work and at home; and she did not flinch in the eye of suffering, because she had battled with every burden that threaten to consume her by “taking it to God” in the still of not just a particularly troubling morning but every morning. She did indeed speak oft with the Lord. The lesson she taught, not only with her lips but also through her life, will ever, ever remain with me. May God give me the strength to be at least half the person that she was.

Thy Kingdom Come

Patrick McDonald, founding director of Viva Network, relates the poignant particulars of an afternoon in a small village in the foothills of the Andes. He had just arrived at Itirapampa, and was discussing with the local pastor the logistic of the mission trips he was coordinating, when in rushed a woman whose “furrowed face” and “stubby fingers” bore testimony to a hard life in these remote parts. In her arms she cradled a baby who was evidently in dire need of immediate medical attention. As the sky overhead darkened with the gathering storm clouds, amid the helpless wailing of the woman, the pastor prayed while Patrick “stood there in the back” wanting to do something yet not able to. It wasn’t long before the child stopped breathing and the lifeless arm fell to the sides. The child probably had died because of diarrhea from drinking polluted water.

This is not a stray incident rather it is a reality that many wake up to every single day. Just yesterday I was reading a news article beneath a heartrending picture of a toddler with a nearly empty bowl in her tiny grasp. The World Food Programme is to close twelve of its feeding centres in Somalia and in neighbouring Kenya. Other countries like Ethiopia and Uganda are restricting their services on account of lack of funds. Undoubtedly, the ones who would be most affected would be countless scores of children. My husband and I received an email from a Christian organization asking that we partner with them in their providing for impoverished children in just one neighbourhood in Ethiopia. It was deeply disheartening to learn that they needed eighty thousand dollars for this year and they were able to raise just fifteen thousand.

Of the many woes that plague the world around us what has been brought to attention here is the fate of children. Patrick McDonald writes that nearly 26,600 children die everyday from preventable diseases or hunger. Why are children at such peril when there are so many of us Christ followers around? It is an uncomfortable and difficult question to find answers for. I can’t help but wonder that a lot has to do with our eschatological stance.

One might wonder how ones view of the end time would affect his/her present Christian responsibility. In my opinion it does influence and shape the direction not only of our thoughts but also of our actions. If we believe even as we wait for His second coming that Christ’s Kingdom is here, in “the now,” because of His glorious death and resurrection and is not some distant event far away in the future we would strive more diligently for the perfect cause of the Kingdom; which along with the salvation of souls is also the alleviation of temporal sufferings of folk; that includes provision of the means of sustenance - food and shelter; medicines and even means and equipment for accessing clean drinking water. Let us not be dulled by a pessimistic gloom that dictates the belief that things would remain as they are, if not worsen before the millennium of Christ’s rule. For His kingdom is here within us and without and we are called not just to pray that His will be done here on earth as it is heaven, but we are also called to work tirelessly toward that end, with His abounding grace.

To echo Patrick McDonald’s sentiments, equipping a church in a remote location with a “first-aid cupboard full of anti-diarrhea and other medicines,” or better still finding a way whereby they would have clean drinking water; partnering with organizations like World Food Programme or even writing a cheque to All God’s Children “would not require us to re-mortgage our homes or complete PhDs – it just has to be done. For pity’s sake, let’s get it done!”

In God's Image!

After a seemingly endless stream of lectures at college in Coimbatore, India where I was getting trained to be a teacher, my classmate and I walked home under the relentless and sweltering glare of the Sun. As we walked we talked about things pertinent to our course and about generalities that occupy the imagination of twenty year olds. After a half hour walk I reached my room.

I was staying in the house of a school headmistress as a paying guest. And I sorely missed home and friends. Just in order to alleviate the misery of being by myself I was in the habit of busying myself during those long evening hours that almost always seemed to crawl at snail’s pace. I filled my evening with walking and reading lest my mind wandered to sad thoughts that one is wont to when alone or away from home. And on that given day, as soon as I came back from classes, as usual I sat on the wooden bench in the narrow kitchen and I pored over The Indian Express sipping a cup of over sweetened tea. Just as I finished reading the regional news and turned the page to world news I heard aunty (the headmistress in whose house I was staying as a paying guest) yell at a feverish pitch, “You must come and watch this.”

I quickly walked up the narrow flight of stairs to her room, where there already was quite an assemblage peering intently at the television screen. From the jigsaw puzzle of the newscaster’s commentary, aunty’s interjections and the noisy observation of the other folk there, I gathered the horrific picture of what had happened in America on the 11^th of September, 2001. We kept silently flitting in and out of the room; we couldn’t keep ourselves away from the heart wrenching scene of loss. In a strange sense it was our way of expressing solidarity with those who had lost everything.

Over the years I have often wondered, what is it about us humans that we can grieve for the suffering of another we have never even met; Without skipping a beat our hearts begin to feel the pain of someone half way across the globe. In the tragic unfolding of human grief, humanity reaches out to each other. In the last couple of days I have heard so may heroic narratives of men and women who gave their todays so that someone else might have their tomorrows. They looked the horrific scenes of grief in the eye and rose above it in reaching out to fellow human beings.

I can’t help but think that the capacity to share in the suffering of another is the divine spark in us. This to me is one of the irrefutable proofs that we were indeed made in the image of God. In feeling another’s pain, in our reaching out and in our giving up of ourselves for another we truly reflect the God in whose likeness we were created.

What we do to the least of these...

For those of us living here in America the Health Care Reform has indeed become the bone of contention. Some are very vocal about their support for the reform suggestions still others are vociferous about their disapproval of the proposal. Not a day goes by without the news broadcasters drowning the very rudiment of journalism (for it is rarely unbiased and informational) by their opinionated vehemence. I must admit information is indeed very hard to come by; God knows that my husband and I have been trying hard to glean that ever elusive unbiased and honest information. I won’t pretend like I am privy to every minutiae, whatever I am about to say stems from my reading of the word of God and I bring to the table my understanding of the ethical and moral issues surrounding the providing of health care in this country, of which I am but a fledgling member.

A close relative narrated to us only last week the sorry tale of his woes about his very personal experience with the health care system here. He said that he has had that experience of being turned down by a health insurance company because medical records revealed a certain visit to the doctor. Even though I have been here only a while I understand what such a rejection portends. Without health insurance, treatment for one’s sickness is a near impossibility simply because of the exorbitant prices that one would have to pay. It just seems a very sad state of affairs that someone would be deprived of the prospect of getting help and treatment because insurance companies refuse to cover them. And this is just one example of the fact that the present health care system is not all that it should be in a country that is still considered the wealthiest in the world.

In a system where health care and insurance are so closely related, that it is difficult to see any lines separating one from the other, I believe, health care reform is no longer a political issue where citizens bound by loyalties should feel the strong need to toe the party line, but rather is a moral issue where every human being is called to strive to set right a system that is skewed.

Before I extend my reasons for supporting the oft heard “public option” (see footnote 1), I must reiterate that I have no expertise on the subtleties that might be involved in this system (and it is needless to say that practically every system has its share of it). My support for it comes from my strong allegiance to God’s directive or must I say that which is implied when He said, “what you do to the least of my brethren you do it unto me.” I do understand that with the public option there is a possibility of a “federal takeover of health care” and there is much fear and I would not say that it is unfounded because that might be a real likelihood; and a lot remains to be seen; No one can vouch for a health care system that is still a conjecture. With the public option perhaps there would be tax increases for folk who might be in a position to afford it. But these are chances followers of Christ should be willing to take. Because with the reduced cost of insurance that the public option brings there could be a possible avenue of respite for those who otherwise might be forced to make that painful choice between putting food on the table and getting a life threatening illness treated; For health insurance plans sometimes exclude those who are ill and almost always exclude those who don’t have the financial means. We as Christians are called specifically to come alongside those who have not the strength, wealth or the voice to be heard. Who knows the tide might change and we might become “the least of these.” We must ever remember to love our lesser privileged neighbor because the basis for our social ethic is concern for “the least of my brethren.”

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Mathew 25: 34-40).
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Footnotes

1. “A government –run health insurance plan that theoretically offers coverage at a price below that of private insurance plans. Federal leverage could lower administration costs and reimbursements to doctors and hospitals” – Health –care Glossary: Terms you Need to Know, TIME Magazine, August 31, 2009. It must also be added that the public option in its present proposed form is to function alongside other private insurance companies.

O! To be a Child again.

Last Thursday I woke up reminiscing about what in retrospect surely seems like unalloyed happiness. It was as if I had been transported to a time in my life when my mother was still alive and I was not weighed down by all that burdens an adult – even one who lives in the one-thirds world; even one who is blessed with health and strength; even one who enjoys the love of a godly husband; What is it about my childhood that fostered a sense of being unfettered in spite of worries? I did worry even as a child. Images of my father being wheeled on a stretcher into the hospital are as vivid to me now as it was when I was four years old. I had allowed myself to imagine all the worst that could happen to me. Yet there was something back then that loosened my anxiety and despondency.

What is it about us adults that we so allow ourselves to be gripped by anxious rumination that it clouds our very vision causing a lack of ability to see past our worries? We are anxious about “what we will eat or drink; or about our body, what we will wear.” We worry about the future – what is to become of us when we are old and grey? We worry about paying bills; we worry about raising children in a dangerous world. There are times when we even peer outside our world and cannot help but be deeply concerned about all that is amiss in the world at large. We see people being torn apart by brutal violence. And we are consumed by fear and worry. We cannot be loosened from these cords that so bind us.

My father says that circumstances have remained the same. There have been “fighting and fears within and without”. And my cousin agrees that while “life as it happens out there, generally speaking, is pretty much the same since the beginning of time,” she also adds, “life as it happens to us is constantly changing.” It is as if we view life through different lenses. As children we were either free of care or we had the capacity to quickly move on to more encouraging and less fearful thoughts.

Even as a child, it was not something that had loosened my anxiety; it was Someone. This Someone is none other than the Lord, who was there when I was a child; is here even now and will be there till the very last breath escapes my lips. His mercy and compassion “will aye endure.” When faced with daunting fears we can only stretch out our hands and cling to the One who is compassionate and able to still our troubled minds with hopeful assurance. He who was there in our childhood is here present in our today and will be with us always. May we have the grace to trust Him more.

The Carpenter!

Growing up in a small community in southern India, where everyone it seemed knew everybody else, my identity was closely knit to those whose child I am. Being the only child of parents who were personages – my father, a vicar and my mother, a school teacher in what at that time was the only girls’ higher secondary school in town – I was known as the vicar’s li’l girl or as Mrs. Jerome’s daughter.

Having come from such a background, it is not very hard for me to imagine how it must have been for Jesus when he went visiting in Nazareth and folk dismissed him as being an ordinary-one-of-us (Mark 6:1-6) Christ was being defined by who his parents were – “Isn’t this Mary’s son?” – and also by what he did for a living - “Isn’t this the carpenter?” In the preoccupation of their knowledge of who his parents were and what he had accomplished professionally, their eyes were blinded and their sense dulled to the reality of who he was – not merely a wonder-worker, but the Son of God. Nazareth might not have known or acknowledged the Christ, but He knew who He was.

While I take great delight in being identified as my parents’ child and while I take pride in what I have accomplished and while I might even be pained by some elements of the past, it is absolutely vital that I grasp who I am on account of what Christ has done for me. I am a “sinner saved by grace.” I am a follower of Christ and I am entreated by the Master to live a life that would witness to the fact.

When folk try to conform you to what they know about you, may you have the strength to respond, “I am that but I am also beyond that.” May we allow God to define who we are in Him.

(Essay written from notes taken down one Sunday morning at church. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Charles Meyers at St. David’s Anglican Church, North Hollywood, California.)

Of Equality!

It has often been argued that there is a hierarchy in God’s crowning creation – humanity. The arguments employed to substantiate the hierarchy that places man above woman finds a rationale in the biblical narrative particularly the creation account of Genesis 2 - After the creation of man God said that it was not good for man to be alone hence He would make a helper suitable for him; and also the account of the fall in Genesis 3 – The woman is deceived by the serpent. Her vulnerability to being deceived and also her creation after the man (as his help) are often cited as reasons to ascertain the superiority of the man over the woman.

Often folk allude to the instructions of the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:12 -where he states that women are not to teach a man and must remain quiet - as a directive for every generation and every place. Paul states that women are to abstain from teaching men because of the aforementioned Genesis 2 and 3 accounts which tell that firstly, the woman was created after the man and secondly, the woman was the one who was deceived by the serpent. These portions of scripture have proven to be very difficult to understand and come to terms with and portray Paul as being subject to a patriarchal mindset as feminist interpreters often say.

In order to shed light on these perplexing issues it is important that one returns to studying the biblical text and allow it to speak. It must be noted that according to the creation account of Genesis 1 God created man and woman to be equals.

“God created human beings in his own image,

In the image of God he created them.” (Gen. 1:7)

The inequality and hierarchy was the pitiable result of the fall of humanity (Gen. 3:6) where the woman is cursed to a life of being ruled by the man.

If God created human beings – man and woman – to be equals; and if the inequality arose as a result of the fall and the subsequent curse; and if Christ’s redemption through the cross removed the curse; and if Paul preached the redemption of Christ through which the curse is removed – for Paul elsewhere says that there is “neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female,” (Gal. 3:28) for in Christ everyone is one; Then why would he preach inequality in 1 Timothy 2:12?

There must be an interpretation other than the one that is commonly heard. Shannon Lamb in her essay on 1 Timothy 2:12 says that the woman’s vulnerability stems from the disadvantage of being formed second. (It must be clarified that this disadvantage in no way points to inferiority.) It is possible that she might not have had access to God’s direct command. Adam on the other hand as we know from Scripture had a first hand hearing of God’s directives. I find myself in agreement with Lamb for the Genesis narrative also appears to point to the self same fact. For when the serpent attempts to entice the woman into eating the forbidden fruit, she responds, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden but God did say, ‘you must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden,’” It is noteworthy that she does not describe the tree as the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” for that was how the tree was described to Adam. There appears to be a miscommunication of sorts. It is not hard to imagine that the serpent could have exploited her seeming sparse knowledge for only after the serpent explains about the tree does she begin to see that it is good for food, pleasing to the eye and more importantly desirable for gaining wisdom. If the woman was deceived, the man’s offense was disobedience. For the man’s error is not that he listened to the woman (as Lamb argues God created human beings to be equal and listening is something that equals do.) but rather that he ate the fruit that God had clearly directed him not to eat. Hence the fall of humankind happened not because of the alleged inferiority of women rather because of the frailty of human beings – man and woman.

In the light of these observations and also the fact that Paul was addressing the problem of false teaching in the epistle to Timothy it seems only too plausible that Paul could have asked women, who at that given locale and time might not have had access to “the written and taught word,” (Shannon Lamb) to abstain from teaching falsities till they were better equipped. And it definitely is hard to believe that Paul who lived and died to preach the redemption of Christ through and because of which all curse is removed would have preached a contrary teaching.

Feminist interpreters claim that the biblical account is patriarchal. On occasions it might have been interpreted in order to suit patriarchal sentiments. But even if the biblical account might appear to lend itself to patriarchal interpretation it is only because of the fall of humanity and its after effects. I believe that the Scripture is neither patriarchal nor feminist and in studying the word of God we need to approach it as human beings in desperate need of the message.

Friends and Foes!

All too often we dismiss the Sermon on the Mount as being too Utopian to be realized. Even some of the greatest and best minds have argued that Christ’s teachings are applicable to only certain individuals as a paradigm of inner perfection.

In trying to find an example after whom we can model our lives, we rightly fix our eyes on Jesus. In fixing our attention entirely on the passion of the Christ, we sometimes lose focus on His life and teaching. The Sermon on the Mount as found in the gospel of Matthew (Mt 5.) is indeed a lucid account of what Jesus Christ taught.

When dealing with living in an imperfect world, with imperfect people, as imperfect persons, we find the Sermon on the Mount an almost impossible ideal. We are tempted to wonder, “Surely God does not intend for us to follow these high ideals.” Was He speaking in earnest when He commands us not to succumb to anger? The truth of the matter is He asked us not to continue being angry, instead we are asked to reconcile with those who have offended us.

When Christ taught on the mount, He gave us an achievable task and not some illusive ideal. The teaching about friends and foes has been on my mind these past few days. It was said that we should love our friends and hate our enemies. We need only to turn on the seven o’ clock news and also read pages of history to find horrendous evidence of that maxim. Contrary to that common dictum, Christ asks us to love our enemies and pray for those who torment us. A way of life that is diametrically opposed to our natural inclination; but achievable when we ourselves are transformed by His grace. The love that Christ talks about here is not something that comes easily. It is a love that stems from our will, when every fiber of our being cries out against it. The will by itself can be weak in the face of our basic instincts. That is the reason why Christ also asks us to pray for our enemies. There is something therapeutic in telling God of the ones that hurt us.

Why should we live the values of such a seemingly “upside down” kingdom? Because we are children of God and we are called to be like Him. And Christ not only preached about it but through the cross He became our example. May we be strengthened to live according to the standards of this kingdom that is here. A kingdom established in love through grace.

Righteous Anger!

An interesting discussion with a group of friends last night had me thinking. Our conversation was centred upon anger – that state of being that leaves none exempt. Beside a lively discussion on anger, the outcome and a healthy response, something else was brought up that encouraged serious thought. The thought - provoker was what we call righteous anger and we are often given license to practise it. Righteous anger can be defined as that state of being when one is chagrined because of wicked thoughts, vile deeds and fiendish attitudes.

I have often heard people quoting as an example of righteous anger Christ at the-cleansing-of-the-temple episode, where He drives out money-changers and merchants from the temple premises. He did that because these greedy men had no trouble destroying the sanctity of this place of worship. Quite thoughtlessly they relegated God to a position of insignificance if not non-existence with their trade and commerce. In quite a dramatic fashion Jesus turns over their tables, one of the gospel accounts records that he even made a whip of cords which he used to drive these men and their merchandise out.

In the very context of our day and age there is an unsettling abundance of wrong. Bonded laborers in a remote village; a spindly legged boy bearing the burden of supporting his poverty stricken household working in an unsafe environment for a paltry sum of money; these are but just a couple of examples of the injustices that have so ravaged our world. Our chagrined response to these galling situations could well be righteous anger. Considering that there is this genre of anger for which we have been given an allowance, can we also respond the way Jesus did? The answer to that question is an emphatic “No!” for the simple reason He is God incarnate and we are merely carnal.

Jesus Christ when he walked this earth was fully human while still being entirely divine. It is the divinity of Christ that is made manifest here. His anger was directed against the offense. Even at our best our anger (righteous or otherwise) stems from the deep reservoir called self and me. Our humanity blinds us or must I say prevents us from being able to distinguish between the offense and the offender. At some thin line our loathing for the wrong gets translated into our repugnance for the wrongdoer; something that the Christ would never have done even in the angry turning of the tables.

Our humanity curbs us from possessing righteous anger in its unalloyed and purest form. That being said, what do we do about all that is going awry in our world? We can’t turn a blind eye. We are called to action, prayerful action; But it would do us well to check out anger at the door before we act. I am not of the opinion that we aren’t to be angry, because we can. However we can be ineffective if we bring anger to the table because anger in our effort to redress can be more detrimental than helpful. We are called to stand for the truth and speak the truth but our challenge lies in doing it in love.

Law! Where is your sting?

The most recent overturning of a ban of federal funds to healthcare entities outside the country which also provide abortion services has evoked such a passionate response from many a section of society. Almost everyone has an opinion and is vociferous either in support or in condemnation. I have my opinions. As strong as they are, I won’t be presumptuous enough to assume that I understand the implications of this executive order in its entirety. Considering the complexity of human existence, none can claim complete comprehension.

Through a crass adaptation of what Samuel Johnson said I desire to put forth my sentiment. "A country is in a bad state, which is governed only by laws; because a thousand things occur for which laws cannot provide…" For my part I know that rules and regulations, laws and legislations by themselves are of little consequence. Neither can they curtail nor do they provide license. They might momentarily stall an act or momentarily provide reprieve to do something that was previously prohibited. I say momentarily for the simple reason that the law is not expansive enough to cover every situation, every time.

Let me illustrate it with an example from my world. I am a teacher and I know that there are some standards that students the world over have to abide by. It is small matter whether they study in India or in America. Students have to do their work diligently and honestly. They should be respectful toward each other. How often do we see students who live by these principles all the time? They do abide by these conventions under the watchful eye of a teacher or a parent, but do away with it when there is no one around. In another instance, my husband and I happened to see an unruly driver flouting every rule in the book and I am most certain he would be immaculate in his adherence, if a law enforcing officer was close at hand. My point is that even at best our effort is but a shoddy and hypocritical attempt at obeying merely the letter of the law.

C.S. Lewis talks of the law of right and wrong, what the old thinkers called the Law of Nature. He says that unlike the law of gravitation or the law of heredity, man can choose either to obey the Law of Nature or disobey it. That is the reason why we see students, drivers and every one of us doing things we know to be wrong. Neither can the law force us to do what is right all the time nor can it make right that which is wrong. The fact of the matter is that it is impossible to fulfill the essence of the “law’s demands”. We repeatedly find ourselves falling short of those standards – both human and divine.

It is indeed a grim reality. For a self-sufficient generation it is a sobering fact – the inadequacy of the law and our utter inability to fulfill even that which it requires. We are in a desperate and dire need for an inward transformation that can be wrought perhaps only by a Power higher than ourselves. It would indeed do us well to realize our insufficiency.

"Crime and Punishment" and Then There is Forgiveness!

“God's justice, tardy though it prove perchance,
Rests never on the track until it reach
Delinquency”(Robert Browning, Cenciaja)

Looking back into the past, I vividly remember an exchange I had with a friend. With very little effort I can conjure to mind the exact content of our conversation. Struggling with her own faith she asked in all earnestness, “Why does God require a sacrifice?” My credentials as a theologian equipped enough to answer questions of that profundity go only as far as being a clergyman’s daughter. I didn’t attempt to answer her question as if I understood everything back then and that is still not my intention. However I want to share my understanding as best as I possibly can.

From the abyss of confusion, as an ardent seeker she asked why God would require a sacrifice to cancel sin. If God is all powerful, could He not have annulled the penalty with a wave of his hand? What was the purpose of a sacrifice? And why was there a gruesome sacrifice on a cross? Answers are indeed hard to come by.

"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?" (Browning, Andrea del Sarto)

When language and even coherent thoughts flounder in such seas, I like to bring to mind my uncomplicated mother’s anecdotes (I’m sure she read it somewhere, but only she could use it so appropriately) – simple yet steeped in insightful wisdom.

There once lived a Judge, wise and honest was he; but his better virtue was his heightened sense of justice. He had a barefaced braggart for a son who was vain and wanton. The father’s repeated reproof and persistent plea fell on deaf ears for this son continued in his vicious ways. One day, along with his equally prodigal friends he decided to go on a joy-ride in a stolen car. While recklessly driving this expensive car, he drove into a wall. He and his friends were spared however as ones being saved from the very jaws of death because the car was mangled and destroyed beyond recognition or repair. It was an offence and the case was brought before the Judge; everyone waited with bated breath wondering what this just Judge would do. Would he pardon his son, He was definitely vested with that power. Or would he punish him with a judgement he deserves.

With the poise that the office demands, the Judge pronounced the judgement. It was the highest penalty. The accused was to pay in full for the car. The audience exclaimed, some with approval and others in shock, for it was a well understood truth that it was a near impossibility - the son could never bear such a fine. Amidst the various response, one stands out - the just act of the Judge and the anguished love of a father. I call it one response because it stems from one man – The Judge, the father. After pronouncing the judgement, the Judge removed his judicial robe and walked to the accused, took out his cheque book and he paid the fine.

His sense of justice prevented him from dismissing the offense of the son; and therefore he meted out that verdict. He also knew that there was no way his son could pay for his offence; hence in love he bore the punishment himself. In answering my friend’s questions, (Why does God say that the wages of sin is death? Why can’t he dismiss it and pretend like it didn’t exist?) I can only say that God is just and His fairness wouldn’t allow it. However the story doesn’t stop there, for if it did stop with the justice of God, we would all perish. It extends to the love of God that made a provision for us in the death and resurrection of Christ, even my Saviour (John 3:16; 1 Peter 3:18).

May our response to the love of God always be as reverential as our response to the justice of God.

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"Crime and Punishment" (Dostoevsky)

The Roses Outside Our Window!

"Life wouldn’t be worth living if I worried over the future as well as the present”

(W. Somerset Maugham (1874 – 1965), ‘Of Human Bondage’, 1915)

Invariably our every waking minute is plagued by anxiety and we agonize even in our dreams. Worry sometimes appears to have become synonymous with our very existence. We spend our days in a blurry rush, from one fretful thought to another. This belaboring of the point perchance is a reflection of what used to be mine own disquiet with stepping into the unknown.

I have always been a worrier, my father would say in jest that I worried because I had nothing to worry about; under the weight of this crushing load I have often envied that resilient quietude that my husband possesses. My dear mother also had the self same disposition of tranquility amid the tempest (God knows she was buffeted by many a tumultuous wave). And often I wonder why that quietness and peacefulness has so eluded me.

I must confess that the stillness of heart hasn’t eluded me, on the contrary I have hid myself from it. And in so doing I have cheated myself the joy that is indeed my portion. However there is hope for me yet and there is for you too even if you traveled long on that vessel called worry.

I read an online devotional yesterday and it was not merely inspiring but challenging as well. The passage of scripture was an account of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt and the subsequent years in the wilderness. The narrative of their constant complaining irks us and we are all too quick to criticize the shortness of their memory of God’s goodness. It wasn’t long before I realized that in accusing them I am only indicting myself because I am just as guilty. God has in the past accomplished near impossible things in my life yet I look to things in the future and worry. This worry ,I know, is but grumbling in disguise. I need to believe, we need to believe that He who wrought great things in the past still has the power to bring to pass far greater things in the future.

If I stop here I won’t be sharing the lesson I learned; because there were some soul searching questions at the very end of the aforementioned online devotional that opened my eyes to a condition I hadn’t seen. Those questions, it seemed, were intended solely for me; “What were the reasons behind the Israelites' chronic lack of faith? What are the wonders God has done in my own life? Why is it that I fail to trust God despite evidence of His goodness and power?” The answer rang loud and clear, Discontentment. I never fully appreciate the goodness of God’s gift, I am forever seeking after fresher bestowal. I must clarify that I am an exponent of dreams and visions for our tomorrows; however we must understand that it is but a fine line that separates dreams and discontentment. We do have the right to dream but it is definitely not God honoring to be discontent.

"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today" (Dale Carnegie).

Hope these words of wisdom will egg us on to be grateful to God for all His blessings; will encourage us to live this gift called now and here.