Reflections In a Lake
Cain and Abel came to the banks of an enormous lake. They had never seen anything like it.
"There's something inside it," said Abel, looking into the water, not knowing that it was his reflection. Cain noticed the same thing, and raised his staff.
The image did the same thing. Cain stood waiting for the blow; his image did the same. Abel studied the surface of the water. He smiled, and the image smiled. He laughed out loud, and saw the other imitating him. As they walked away, Cain thought:
"How aggressive those creatures are who live in there."
And Abel told himself:
"I'd like to return, for I met someone both handsome and in good humor."
Friday, November 27, 2009
Ps.82:3,4. Right to Live and God’s Justice.
Ps.82:3,4. Right to Live and God’s Justice.
“Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute” (V.4)
Establishment of justice is one of the concerns of the Psalmist and psalmist asks for God’s intervention to establish justice so that the weak and powerless may be able to live. The importance of justice in the human realm is emphasized in vv.3-4. In v.3 “give justice” and “maintain the right” are parallel, just as the nouns “justice” and righteousness are frequently parallel(Amos 5: 7,24;6:12).
Justice and Relationship.
Justice and righteousness are not just abstract principles or ideals; rather, they have to do with the very concrete matter of how human beings relate. For the God of Israel, the criterion of justice involves what is done for the weak, the orphaned, the destitute, the needy (Ps. 9:7-9,18; 10: 17-18; 68:5-6,113:7,146:7-9). Here again, the establishment of justice and righteousness is the measure of divinity and of human life as God intends it.
Justice, Power and Life.
V.4 allows even more specificity. Justice and righteousness involve the very concrete matter of how power is distributed in the human community, and thus the matter of who has access to life. In Biblical terms, only persons whose lives are threatened need to be rescued or delivered. For instance, the Psalmists often plead in life-threatening situations for God to rescue them from the wicked. The verb “deliver” is used to describe what God did to save the Israelites “from the hand of the Egyptians” (Ex.18: 9-10). The word “hand” describes “grasp”, or more to the point, “power”.
The Gods should have delivered the weak and needy from the power of the wicked (v.4), but it was precisely the wicked to whom the Gods have been partial (v.2). For the God of Israel, things are right in the human community when power is distributed in a way that all persons, especially the powerless, have access to the resources that enable them to live.
Right to live and the justice issues are intertwined and one cannot separate justice from life. One who travels with God should seek justice so that God given life may be nurtured.
Thought of the Day- Denial of Justice is denial of life because God is a God of Justice
Prayer- God of Justice, be with us in the struggles to establish Justice to all. God of deliverance, challenge us to engage ourselves in the struggles of the weak and powerless so that everybody may live according to your will.
“Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute” (V.4)
Establishment of justice is one of the concerns of the Psalmist and psalmist asks for God’s intervention to establish justice so that the weak and powerless may be able to live. The importance of justice in the human realm is emphasized in vv.3-4. In v.3 “give justice” and “maintain the right” are parallel, just as the nouns “justice” and righteousness are frequently parallel(Amos 5: 7,24;6:12).
Justice and Relationship.
Justice and righteousness are not just abstract principles or ideals; rather, they have to do with the very concrete matter of how human beings relate. For the God of Israel, the criterion of justice involves what is done for the weak, the orphaned, the destitute, the needy (Ps. 9:7-9,18; 10: 17-18; 68:5-6,113:7,146:7-9). Here again, the establishment of justice and righteousness is the measure of divinity and of human life as God intends it.
Justice, Power and Life.
V.4 allows even more specificity. Justice and righteousness involve the very concrete matter of how power is distributed in the human community, and thus the matter of who has access to life. In Biblical terms, only persons whose lives are threatened need to be rescued or delivered. For instance, the Psalmists often plead in life-threatening situations for God to rescue them from the wicked. The verb “deliver” is used to describe what God did to save the Israelites “from the hand of the Egyptians” (Ex.18: 9-10). The word “hand” describes “grasp”, or more to the point, “power”.
The Gods should have delivered the weak and needy from the power of the wicked (v.4), but it was precisely the wicked to whom the Gods have been partial (v.2). For the God of Israel, things are right in the human community when power is distributed in a way that all persons, especially the powerless, have access to the resources that enable them to live.
Right to live and the justice issues are intertwined and one cannot separate justice from life. One who travels with God should seek justice so that God given life may be nurtured.
Thought of the Day- Denial of Justice is denial of life because God is a God of Justice
Prayer- God of Justice, be with us in the struggles to establish Justice to all. God of deliverance, challenge us to engage ourselves in the struggles of the weak and powerless so that everybody may live according to your will.
"Climate Change" Prayer
Prayer for Our Climate
Prayer. O Parent God, protect the earth and all its abundant life. Help us to conserve nature and serve all creation; Transform our greed to consume into a thirst to share; Wash us clean of carelessness and cruelty. Bless all our efforts to protect our environment.
All . May the seasonal rains continue to nourish the lands. May the glaciers continue to adorn the mountains, rivers flow unhindered, pouring with life, and people live in harmony with Mother Earth. O Lord, protect the earth and all its abundant life.
Prayer . God, save our shores from the weapons of death, our lands from the things that deny our young ones love and freedom. Let the seas of the Pacific Ocean carry messages of peace and goodwill. Turn away from our midst any unkind and brutal practices. Let each child swim and breathe the fresh air that is filled by the Holy Spirit.
All . O Lord Jesus, bless all who are makers of that inner peace that breaks down the barriers of hatred, and unite us with the open arms of your cross, that all the peoples of the world may live happily together.
Prayer. God, We listen to the cry of the poor, who continue to suffer because of injustice. We listen to the cry of the Earth, which longs for liberation.
All. Help our people to continue to affirm that an alternative way is possible and deepen our spirituality and commitment for life.
Final Blessing (Altogether)
Go and choose bread and wine every day.
Go and choose it to renew the world.
Go and choose it to live justly on our planet.
Go and choose it because Jesus is found within it…..Amen.
Prayer. O Parent God, protect the earth and all its abundant life. Help us to conserve nature and serve all creation; Transform our greed to consume into a thirst to share; Wash us clean of carelessness and cruelty. Bless all our efforts to protect our environment.
All . May the seasonal rains continue to nourish the lands. May the glaciers continue to adorn the mountains, rivers flow unhindered, pouring with life, and people live in harmony with Mother Earth. O Lord, protect the earth and all its abundant life.
Prayer . God, save our shores from the weapons of death, our lands from the things that deny our young ones love and freedom. Let the seas of the Pacific Ocean carry messages of peace and goodwill. Turn away from our midst any unkind and brutal practices. Let each child swim and breathe the fresh air that is filled by the Holy Spirit.
All . O Lord Jesus, bless all who are makers of that inner peace that breaks down the barriers of hatred, and unite us with the open arms of your cross, that all the peoples of the world may live happily together.
Prayer. God, We listen to the cry of the poor, who continue to suffer because of injustice. We listen to the cry of the Earth, which longs for liberation.
All. Help our people to continue to affirm that an alternative way is possible and deepen our spirituality and commitment for life.
Final Blessing (Altogether)
Go and choose bread and wine every day.
Go and choose it to renew the world.
Go and choose it to live justly on our planet.
Go and choose it because Jesus is found within it…..Amen.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Genesis 4: 1- 10 Denying Right to live to “Worthless’
Genesis 4: 1- 10 Denying Right to live to “Worthless’
“And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him” (V.8b)
This story portrays the breakdown of communication and it also explores the reasons too. The issue ‘otherness’ is prominent here as Cain looks his brother as ‘other’. Cain is in dialogue with God on two occasions, but both times there is not an equal dialogue. Both times God forces Cain to speak. In this text looking is the supreme form of expression for a good relationship. Cain doesn’t look directly at his brother Abel, but lies in ambush for him like a wild animal prowling for prey. God’s speaking in 4:6,7 lays bare Cain’s anger and bad intention. God urges to do well, to lift up his head and to look at his brother, and God warns Cain .In God’s speaking to Cain ,’your brother occurs 3 times. Where as Cain only speaks once of ‘my’ brother, and it is in negative sense. In his words and actions Cain never behaves like a brother. God urges Cain to accept Abel as his brother and to behave as a brother. Abel, as his name indicates functions as the ‘worthless’ one .He is also continuously referred to as ‘brother’, and never as a person in his own right, with a value of his own.
As we have seen, Cain’s posture o (not) speaking and (not) looking plays an essential role throughout the story. His ‘empty’ speaking to his brother in4:8a, which represents the non-existing or empty relationship with his brother. Cain both directly and indirectly, treats Abel as completely worthless. The causes underlying the murder and the consequences that follow it are more central to this story than the murder itself. Broken relationship caused the destruction of the communication and where starts the actual annihilation of the brother.
Rejection of Brotherhood
Cain is described as negating his brother: he rejects his brotherhood with Abel through his looks, his words, and his final deed, the murder of Abel. Envy can be the one reason for the rejection of the brotherhood. Cain is envious not because Abel is more successful, but because God looks at a blunderer like Abel while ignoring Cain. A participatory community living is essential for a meaningful communication.
Justice Issue.
While God encounters Cain, he retorts, without any qualm of conscience, that he does not know where his brother is and that he has no responsibility for his brother(Am I brother’s keeper?).God constantly asks the question, Where is your brother? The unity of the entire human race and the mutual responsibility of the individuals with one another are grounded on God’s will. The society is grounded on the fact that humans are keepers of one another. Any action against this relationship is injustice. The injustice done by the humans against humanity is violence against God, against the structure of the universe, and even against oneself.
Domination.
According to the Old Testament view, blood and life belong to God alone; wherever a person commits a murder he/she attacks God’s very own right of possession. Domination means negating the mutual love and responsibility. God confronts Cain with God’s relationship to his brother.
God’s search for weak In this story Abel is not in the limelight. Abel means vapor. His name strongly suggests that in the eyes of other people he does not amount to much. Cain does not look directly at his brother Abel but lies in ambush for him like a wild animal prowling for prey. God reproaches Cain for not looking at his weaker brother. God does give attention to this so-called worthless one. God’s inclusive nature strengthens the communication process. This story shows that God holds out a plea for brotherhood between human beings in spite of their differences.
Prayer- God of Communication, helps us to see life’s interconnectedness and dignity of God given life in our relationship.
Thought for the day- Give respect to life and don’t look anybody as ‘other’ but see as brother or sister.
“And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him” (V.8b)
This story portrays the breakdown of communication and it also explores the reasons too. The issue ‘otherness’ is prominent here as Cain looks his brother as ‘other’. Cain is in dialogue with God on two occasions, but both times there is not an equal dialogue. Both times God forces Cain to speak. In this text looking is the supreme form of expression for a good relationship. Cain doesn’t look directly at his brother Abel, but lies in ambush for him like a wild animal prowling for prey. God’s speaking in 4:6,7 lays bare Cain’s anger and bad intention. God urges to do well, to lift up his head and to look at his brother, and God warns Cain .In God’s speaking to Cain ,’your brother occurs 3 times. Where as Cain only speaks once of ‘my’ brother, and it is in negative sense. In his words and actions Cain never behaves like a brother. God urges Cain to accept Abel as his brother and to behave as a brother. Abel, as his name indicates functions as the ‘worthless’ one .He is also continuously referred to as ‘brother’, and never as a person in his own right, with a value of his own.
As we have seen, Cain’s posture o (not) speaking and (not) looking plays an essential role throughout the story. His ‘empty’ speaking to his brother in4:8a, which represents the non-existing or empty relationship with his brother. Cain both directly and indirectly, treats Abel as completely worthless. The causes underlying the murder and the consequences that follow it are more central to this story than the murder itself. Broken relationship caused the destruction of the communication and where starts the actual annihilation of the brother.
Rejection of Brotherhood
Cain is described as negating his brother: he rejects his brotherhood with Abel through his looks, his words, and his final deed, the murder of Abel. Envy can be the one reason for the rejection of the brotherhood. Cain is envious not because Abel is more successful, but because God looks at a blunderer like Abel while ignoring Cain. A participatory community living is essential for a meaningful communication.
Justice Issue.
While God encounters Cain, he retorts, without any qualm of conscience, that he does not know where his brother is and that he has no responsibility for his brother(Am I brother’s keeper?).God constantly asks the question, Where is your brother? The unity of the entire human race and the mutual responsibility of the individuals with one another are grounded on God’s will. The society is grounded on the fact that humans are keepers of one another. Any action against this relationship is injustice. The injustice done by the humans against humanity is violence against God, against the structure of the universe, and even against oneself.
Domination.
According to the Old Testament view, blood and life belong to God alone; wherever a person commits a murder he/she attacks God’s very own right of possession. Domination means negating the mutual love and responsibility. God confronts Cain with God’s relationship to his brother.
God’s search for weak In this story Abel is not in the limelight. Abel means vapor. His name strongly suggests that in the eyes of other people he does not amount to much. Cain does not look directly at his brother Abel but lies in ambush for him like a wild animal prowling for prey. God reproaches Cain for not looking at his weaker brother. God does give attention to this so-called worthless one. God’s inclusive nature strengthens the communication process. This story shows that God holds out a plea for brotherhood between human beings in spite of their differences.
Prayer- God of Communication, helps us to see life’s interconnectedness and dignity of God given life in our relationship.
Thought for the day- Give respect to life and don’t look anybody as ‘other’ but see as brother or sister.
Kings 21:1-3 Land Invasion is Denial of Life
1 Kings 21:1-3 Land Invasion is Denial of Life
Ahab said to Naboth , “Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house..”(V.2)
Along with Isaiah 5:8 and Micah 2;2, this story is a reminder that offenses against the heritage of the defenseless are offenses against God. Ahab’s offer seems fair enough. He gives Naboth a choice of a better vineyard or a fair market price for the property. Ahab wants to acquire the property in order to plant a vegetable garden because it is adjacent to his seasonal residence. He already has a palace in Samaria and one in Jezreel, but now he covets additional property.
The proposed conversion of the vineyard into a vegetable garden, is ominous. It signals that there may be more at stake than a private real estate transaction. Indeed, this story is especially poignant when one recalls that the promised land is regarded as an inheritance given by the Lord (Ex. 15:17,32:13,Lev. 25.2)
Powerful denies the right to live of the weak.
It is not merely for sentimental reasons that Naboth wants to hold on to his inheritance; it is a religious obligation for him to do so, and it would literally be profanation for him simply to trade it away- Lev.25:23. It is his right to hold his inheritance since his identity, faith and spirituality are related with his inherited land. To alienate and dispossess the land is unimaginable to Naboth. No one in Ancient Israel owned the land; land belonged to Yahweh who gave it to Israel as a gift. Land was for those in the past, the present as well as for those in the future. Land in this understanding belonged to forefathers, to those in the present as well as to the coming generations. Many scholars argue that in many texts in the Old Testament this land is called the inheritance of the fathers. It was that property that was handed down from generation to generation as symbolized by the family tomb. According to this tradition land which was given by Yahweh was inalienable. It could not be sold or given up. Land could only be held in the form of patrimony which could not pass out of the family. It was protected by legislation and theologically justified as well as sanctioned. Therefore the dispossession of one’s family land was considered as a terrible calamity. The dispossession created dislocations and disturbances in all the sectors of Ancient Israel life.
The Land Invasions and the Land Grabbing.
The powerful could do whatever they deemed necessary with the poor and the weak. In such a situation some were reduced to poverty, dependence and others to death. The concept and tradition of the God who owns the land and gives is clouded. The concept of the absolute power of the King was taking shape in Israel. Jezebel, Ahab’s wife enquires of him whether he was not King over Israel, suggesting that he had absolute power and nothing could be withheld from him whatsoever. The Naboth narrative demonstrates a paradigm shift and departure by the ruling class from the traditional social structure to the state of affairs that gave the State advantages over the peasants. The argument that Naboth could not succumb to Ahab’s demand of his family land communicates to the reader a fundamental conflict which was raging between the State and the peasantry for a long time. This suggests that Naboth was a representative of those whose land was grabbed or confiscated by the state. The protest by Elijah could be understood as a demonstration that the state of affairs had reached unacceptable proportions
The land as the basis of human livelihood cannot be separated from issues of the socio-economic, power, justice and empowerment; issues of abuse of power, injustice, disempowerment and alienation as well as dispossession. The land issue trajectory is very much enshrined and entangled within these issues. They are inseparable, intermingled, and interwoven together, so that it makes it difficult to study each one of them independent of the other. Land struggles of Adivasis, land displacement due to mega ‘developmental’ projects, war refugees etc has to be discussed as a theological issue because land belongs to God and nobody could invade or grab the land of the powerless and weak.
Prayer-God of earth, we remember the displaced, refuges, landless millions. Give the vision of Elijah so that we may resist these kinds of sinful powers. Amen.
Thought for the day- Accumulation, grabbing and invasion are against the God’s ownership of land and resources.
Ahab said to Naboth , “Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house..”(V.2)
Along with Isaiah 5:8 and Micah 2;2, this story is a reminder that offenses against the heritage of the defenseless are offenses against God. Ahab’s offer seems fair enough. He gives Naboth a choice of a better vineyard or a fair market price for the property. Ahab wants to acquire the property in order to plant a vegetable garden because it is adjacent to his seasonal residence. He already has a palace in Samaria and one in Jezreel, but now he covets additional property.
The proposed conversion of the vineyard into a vegetable garden, is ominous. It signals that there may be more at stake than a private real estate transaction. Indeed, this story is especially poignant when one recalls that the promised land is regarded as an inheritance given by the Lord (Ex. 15:17,32:13,Lev. 25.2)
Powerful denies the right to live of the weak.
It is not merely for sentimental reasons that Naboth wants to hold on to his inheritance; it is a religious obligation for him to do so, and it would literally be profanation for him simply to trade it away- Lev.25:23. It is his right to hold his inheritance since his identity, faith and spirituality are related with his inherited land. To alienate and dispossess the land is unimaginable to Naboth. No one in Ancient Israel owned the land; land belonged to Yahweh who gave it to Israel as a gift. Land was for those in the past, the present as well as for those in the future. Land in this understanding belonged to forefathers, to those in the present as well as to the coming generations. Many scholars argue that in many texts in the Old Testament this land is called the inheritance of the fathers. It was that property that was handed down from generation to generation as symbolized by the family tomb. According to this tradition land which was given by Yahweh was inalienable. It could not be sold or given up. Land could only be held in the form of patrimony which could not pass out of the family. It was protected by legislation and theologically justified as well as sanctioned. Therefore the dispossession of one’s family land was considered as a terrible calamity. The dispossession created dislocations and disturbances in all the sectors of Ancient Israel life.
The Land Invasions and the Land Grabbing.
The powerful could do whatever they deemed necessary with the poor and the weak. In such a situation some were reduced to poverty, dependence and others to death. The concept and tradition of the God who owns the land and gives is clouded. The concept of the absolute power of the King was taking shape in Israel. Jezebel, Ahab’s wife enquires of him whether he was not King over Israel, suggesting that he had absolute power and nothing could be withheld from him whatsoever. The Naboth narrative demonstrates a paradigm shift and departure by the ruling class from the traditional social structure to the state of affairs that gave the State advantages over the peasants. The argument that Naboth could not succumb to Ahab’s demand of his family land communicates to the reader a fundamental conflict which was raging between the State and the peasantry for a long time. This suggests that Naboth was a representative of those whose land was grabbed or confiscated by the state. The protest by Elijah could be understood as a demonstration that the state of affairs had reached unacceptable proportions
The land as the basis of human livelihood cannot be separated from issues of the socio-economic, power, justice and empowerment; issues of abuse of power, injustice, disempowerment and alienation as well as dispossession. The land issue trajectory is very much enshrined and entangled within these issues. They are inseparable, intermingled, and interwoven together, so that it makes it difficult to study each one of them independent of the other. Land struggles of Adivasis, land displacement due to mega ‘developmental’ projects, war refugees etc has to be discussed as a theological issue because land belongs to God and nobody could invade or grab the land of the powerless and weak.
Prayer-God of earth, we remember the displaced, refuges, landless millions. Give the vision of Elijah so that we may resist these kinds of sinful powers. Amen.
Thought for the day- Accumulation, grabbing and invasion are against the God’s ownership of land and resources.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Exodus. 1: 15-21 – Resisting Genocide
Exodus. 1: 15-21 – Resisting Genocide
“But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live” (V. 17)
Exodus 1:8-14 talks about the new dynasty or first act to control the Hebrews. Exodus1:15-22 discusses the Pharaoh's genocide or second act to control the Hebrews. This text describes King of Egypt (Pharaoh)’s policy of genocide against the slave population. This paragraph thus escalates the harshness of policies, commensurate with an escalation of anxiety. The Pharaoh failed to stop the multiplication by his hard service and cruelty and so devised the next plan of action (vv.15-22) in which the midwives were instructed to kill all male Hebrew children.
State Sponsored Genocide.
In this narrative unit, the King speaks three times. The first time, he issues a command t the two midwives who assist in birthing among slaves(v.16). His command is that all boy babies should be eliminated. It is of peculiar importance that in this entire unit, “the Israelites” are not at all mentioned. Now it is all “Hebrews” This term, with its cognates known all over the ancient Near East, refers to any group of marginal people who have no social standing, own no land, and who endlessly disrupt ordered society. They are “low-class folks” who are feared, excluded, and despised. It is the common assumption of scholars that the biblical “Hebrews” are a part of this lower social class of hapiru who are known in non-biblical texts. The King’s second speech is again addressed to the midwives (v.18). The instruction of v.16 has been ignored. Now the King, accustomed to obedience, conducts an investigation in to this defiance of imperial command. Finally, he speaks a third time and issues a massive and programmatic command (v.22).
Subaltern (midwives) Resistence.
The midwives, instructed in v.16 to kill, are said to disobey the king (v.17). The reason gives for such disobedience is that they “feared God” more than they feared the new King, and for that reason they refused to participate in the state authorised killing. The exchange between the king and the midwives is ominous, touching the bottom of social reality. The midwives (whose names we know, Shiphrah and Puah) and the king (who is given no name) voice life and death respectively. Their encounter is a revisit of the drama of chaos versus order. Ironically, the champion of imperial order is, in fact, the agent of chaos, for he will terrorize the very possibility of life. Midwives counter genocide ; in so doing, they bear witness to the mothering power of God, whose will for life overrides the killing, and whose power for life is undeterred by the death dispensed by the powerful.
Prayer- God of midwives, help us to resist the genocides in different forms in around our society. Help us to fear God than powerful emperors. Amen
Thought for the day- How do we read this text in the context of violence in Sri Lanka, Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq and many other countries including India.
“But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live” (V. 17)
Exodus 1:8-14 talks about the new dynasty or first act to control the Hebrews. Exodus1:15-22 discusses the Pharaoh's genocide or second act to control the Hebrews. This text describes King of Egypt (Pharaoh)’s policy of genocide against the slave population. This paragraph thus escalates the harshness of policies, commensurate with an escalation of anxiety. The Pharaoh failed to stop the multiplication by his hard service and cruelty and so devised the next plan of action (vv.15-22) in which the midwives were instructed to kill all male Hebrew children.
State Sponsored Genocide.
In this narrative unit, the King speaks three times. The first time, he issues a command t the two midwives who assist in birthing among slaves(v.16). His command is that all boy babies should be eliminated. It is of peculiar importance that in this entire unit, “the Israelites” are not at all mentioned. Now it is all “Hebrews” This term, with its cognates known all over the ancient Near East, refers to any group of marginal people who have no social standing, own no land, and who endlessly disrupt ordered society. They are “low-class folks” who are feared, excluded, and despised. It is the common assumption of scholars that the biblical “Hebrews” are a part of this lower social class of hapiru who are known in non-biblical texts. The King’s second speech is again addressed to the midwives (v.18). The instruction of v.16 has been ignored. Now the King, accustomed to obedience, conducts an investigation in to this defiance of imperial command. Finally, he speaks a third time and issues a massive and programmatic command (v.22).
Subaltern (midwives) Resistence.
The midwives, instructed in v.16 to kill, are said to disobey the king (v.17). The reason gives for such disobedience is that they “feared God” more than they feared the new King, and for that reason they refused to participate in the state authorised killing. The exchange between the king and the midwives is ominous, touching the bottom of social reality. The midwives (whose names we know, Shiphrah and Puah) and the king (who is given no name) voice life and death respectively. Their encounter is a revisit of the drama of chaos versus order. Ironically, the champion of imperial order is, in fact, the agent of chaos, for he will terrorize the very possibility of life. Midwives counter genocide ; in so doing, they bear witness to the mothering power of God, whose will for life overrides the killing, and whose power for life is undeterred by the death dispensed by the powerful.
Prayer- God of midwives, help us to resist the genocides in different forms in around our society. Help us to fear God than powerful emperors. Amen
Thought for the day- How do we read this text in the context of violence in Sri Lanka, Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq and many other countries including India.
Luke.13:10-17 - Life Affirming God
Luke.13:10-17 - Life Affirming God
When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment” (V.12)
For the last time in the Gospel, Jesus enters a synagogue and restores a woman’s life and challenges the life negating structures. The woman’s condition is attributed to “a spirit of weakness”. For 18 years she had been bent over, unable to stand up straight. The term translated “weakness can simply mean illness”. Several features of the story suggest that the woman’s condition may be seen as indicative of her diminished status as a woman
Breaking the stereotyped religiosity The description of the woman as daughter of Abraham is unusual. It is placed first in the Greek sentence (v. 16), a position of emphasis. This description will be matched in 19:9 by Jesus' insistence that Zacchaeus is "a son of Abraham," a point that Jesus makes against the crowd, which rejects Zacchaeus as a "sinner." Similarly, it is probable that Jesus insists the woman is a daughter of Abraham because she has been robbed of her rights as a member of the covenant people, since she is identified as the bearer of an unclean spirit. Her physical position -- bent over -- can be taken as symbolic of her social position, just as Zacchaeus's short statute can represent his vulnerability before the crowd. Jesus goes beyond the stereotyped spirituality and its attributes.
Restoring life and dignity of the bent over Woman. Jesus releases the woman from her ailment by a pronouncement and the laying as of hands. The physical act again suggests a further significance. The laying as of hands was normally accompanied by prayer and served as an act of blessing. Jesus laid hands as the sick, but the laying on of hands was also used as a conferral of blessing. In the end, Jesus confers as the woman a status of dignity; She is a “daughter of Abraham” Jesus is the process of releasing the captive, freeing the oppressed, and raising up children to Abraham. As in the other scenes in Luke in which Jesus responds to the needs of a woman, this scene points to a new status for women in the Kingdom of God.
This is in fact paradigmatic of Jesus’ mediation of the Kingdom to the women who are demeaned, denied their proper status, and oppressed by religious and social restrictions. Because of her physical condition, the woman carried shame, but by the end of the story she has been released from her shame and Jesus’ opponents have been shamed. The leader of the synagogue wants to make the issue Jesus’ violation of the Sabbath, but Jesus returns the focus to the needs and dignity of the woman. Leader construes his role as maintaining proper observance of the Sabbath rather than celebrating the release of the woman from her “weakness”. The story of the stooped women is, in fact, the story of many women today.
Prayer – God of marginalized, helps us to see the unseen, hear the unheard cries, and stretch out our hand when all goes away. Amen
Thought for the Day- Restoring the stooped down womanhood is one of the challenges of today.
When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment” (V.12)
For the last time in the Gospel, Jesus enters a synagogue and restores a woman’s life and challenges the life negating structures. The woman’s condition is attributed to “a spirit of weakness”. For 18 years she had been bent over, unable to stand up straight. The term translated “weakness can simply mean illness”. Several features of the story suggest that the woman’s condition may be seen as indicative of her diminished status as a woman
Breaking the stereotyped religiosity The description of the woman as daughter of Abraham is unusual. It is placed first in the Greek sentence (v. 16), a position of emphasis. This description will be matched in 19:9 by Jesus' insistence that Zacchaeus is "a son of Abraham," a point that Jesus makes against the crowd, which rejects Zacchaeus as a "sinner." Similarly, it is probable that Jesus insists the woman is a daughter of Abraham because she has been robbed of her rights as a member of the covenant people, since she is identified as the bearer of an unclean spirit. Her physical position -- bent over -- can be taken as symbolic of her social position, just as Zacchaeus's short statute can represent his vulnerability before the crowd. Jesus goes beyond the stereotyped spirituality and its attributes.
Restoring life and dignity of the bent over Woman. Jesus releases the woman from her ailment by a pronouncement and the laying as of hands. The physical act again suggests a further significance. The laying as of hands was normally accompanied by prayer and served as an act of blessing. Jesus laid hands as the sick, but the laying on of hands was also used as a conferral of blessing. In the end, Jesus confers as the woman a status of dignity; She is a “daughter of Abraham” Jesus is the process of releasing the captive, freeing the oppressed, and raising up children to Abraham. As in the other scenes in Luke in which Jesus responds to the needs of a woman, this scene points to a new status for women in the Kingdom of God.
This is in fact paradigmatic of Jesus’ mediation of the Kingdom to the women who are demeaned, denied their proper status, and oppressed by religious and social restrictions. Because of her physical condition, the woman carried shame, but by the end of the story she has been released from her shame and Jesus’ opponents have been shamed. The leader of the synagogue wants to make the issue Jesus’ violation of the Sabbath, but Jesus returns the focus to the needs and dignity of the woman. Leader construes his role as maintaining proper observance of the Sabbath rather than celebrating the release of the woman from her “weakness”. The story of the stooped women is, in fact, the story of many women today.
Prayer – God of marginalized, helps us to see the unseen, hear the unheard cries, and stretch out our hand when all goes away. Amen
Thought for the Day- Restoring the stooped down womanhood is one of the challenges of today.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
St. Luke. 1:26-38. “Annunciation to Virgin Mary: Taking Risk for the Kingdom of God”.
St. Luke. 1:26-38.
Today we pondering upon the theme, “Annunciation to Virgin Mary: Taking Risk for the Kingdom of God”.
Let me read verse from the Gospel Portion today Luke. Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”.
Let us pray, God of true wisdom, as we engage ourselves with your words be with us and envision us with new imagination and commitment. Amen.
The study of the gospel according to St. Luke is a richly rewarding experience. As theologian from the margins he tells the story of the insignificant people such as women, children, lepers, outcasts and gentiles. As a sociologist he deals the issues of the lower strata and describes how they will be in the kingdom of God. He is best story teller and a genuine communicator because he tells the redemptive history of God by narrating many figures of Jesus’ time. He presents Jesus in a wider canvas of God’s historical interventions. Luke is a good story teller and has the penetrating insight of a prophet. As a result, the Gospel is engaging and offers a perspective on the redemptive events of Jesus’ ministry. Luke’s distinctive attention to God’s work among ordinary people continues to be evident. The infancy narrative features the role of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary rather than Joseph is the principal character in Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus. The angel Gabriel appeared first to Zechariah, an old priest going about his duties in the Temple, and then to a young girl not yet married. God chose the lowly rather than the high and mighty to fulfill the plan of redemption. Instead of sending Gabriel to a queen or princess, God sent the angel to a young girl betrothed to a carpenter. They lived in an insignificant town in an unimportant province of the Roman Empire.
This Sunday is dominated by the presence of Mary, who places herself before God in her conditions as a lowly one, someone who believes God because God is the only God. Let me explore three insights from the above read text.
God’s Redemption through Powerless. Redemption starts from Nazareth not from Jerusalem. Nazareth was a little village, despised among the Jews. Story of God’s mighty works does not involve Emperors like Herod but a devout old couple and a woman form the low status. The world’s standard leads us to attribute power and worth to the royal functionary, who was but a puppet of Rome. God chose instead the poor and humble as the venue for the great work of redemption. History would remember the dominant figures as Powerful. But the old, the poor, the humble, and the insignificant are not to be overlooked; they are God’s chosen people, redemption history starts from there. Midwives described in Exodus Shipra and Pua are the best examples of this kind of God’s engagement. Redemption means decolonizing the colonized world. Sinful powers or colonizers will be in search of power and glory and they look things from an elite and rich perspective. They could not experience the pains, struggles, and tears of the majority. The images they have, the imagination they have are the emperors. The images, imaginations and visions of God are subaltern, grass rooted and ordinary. V.28 says, O favored one, it means you are the recipient of a gift or a privileged one. The angel explains this with the additional phrase; the Lord is with you. God’s redemption history by putting down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree; God has filled the hungry with good things, and rich God has sent empty away (1:52). God do these things by using the powerless, meek, weak and lowly. Where do we stand? Are we the mini conquerors, invaders, or the agents of powerful neo-colonization or we are with the people who are eagerly waiting for justice, peace, and redemption. Then we could experience God’s annunciation like Mary experienced.
A Paradigm of God’s Discourse with Humanity. The discourse between Mary and Gabriel is the paradigm of the God’s liberative discourse. In this discourse God trusts Mary and, in turn, she places her trust in God, who converts her in to a person of faith. There is no reason for fear; surrender is the response to the call. See the content of the discourse, it is nothing but redemption of the creation (V.32-ff). The Lord looks upon Mary asking her faith and this faith inaugurates the discourse. This discourse led towards the salvation of all. This discourse reveals that God would enter human life with all its depravity, violence, and corruption. Therefore, the discourse ultimately is an announcement of hope for whole creation. Discourses are meaningful only when we see the others as equal instead of seeing them inferior. Genuine discourses carry the message of liberation and it enhances life. The real discourse creates a public sphere, it criticizes the royal consciousness, it energizes people to go beyond the numbness of the world, and it is redemptive. True discourse creates community and it empower the powerless. Discourse with God energized Mary to go beyond the numbness of the world (means silent spectator in the midst of false spirituality and powers of death). Do we ever experience this kind of discourse? What is the nature of our discourse with God and others? Is it criticize the royal consciousness or sinful consciousness? Is it redemptive?
An Empowered woman and a true disciple. Mary’s trust and humility do not prevent her from initiating a discourse with God’s messenger. She does not simply listen and accept the announcement. The power of the spirit prompts her active participation. It is the collaboration of someone who knows she is in God’s hands. Mary said, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”. This 12 or 13 year old girl from a backwater village in a small part of the Roman empire quite simply says ‘yes' to God and risks all the consequences. Mary’s yes to motherhood communicates the Messiah to us. Thus, Mary has her place in the history of salvation. Mary’s motherhood is more than a personal gift; it is a gift to humankind in Mary. Some commentaries suggest that Luke is showing Mary as the first Christian disciple in this story. Obedience is more than just doing what we are told, it is the recognition that we are not our own, we are not totally autonomous individuals and that ultimately we are God's. Mary’s true commitment inaugurated the new era of salvation. Mary’s commitment starts from here and it continued till the death of her son on the cross. What we learn from her commitment? Mary’s commitment does not contain any economic motive but it is a political act since it challenges the powerful. It is not with any hidden agendas but it is transparent in nature and it is for others. One of the philosophical questions, which have occupied thinkers for centuries, is that human authenticity. What is authentically human? Human living is different from any other in that it is essentially other-directed. And the intentional absence of the other is hell. In contrast, the highest form of self-transcendence is the self-surrender to another in love, which is the abiding imperative of what is to be human. Thus transcending oneself, one becomes oneself. Mary surrendered herself to God and she finds herself and the premise and nature of her engagement with God. We are called to live for others and we are asked to share our gifts for the redemption of the whole creation. Mary’s motherhood is more than a personal gift; it is a gift to humankind in Mary.
God chose Mary, as a channel of redemption, even though she is powerless. God’s redemption never starts from the royal consciousness but from pure in hearts. God’s discourse is redemptive, it criticizes the royal consciousness and it enhances life. True discipleship means taking risks for God and it is always other directed not intentional absence from others.
May the God of Mary help us to be the agents of God’s intervention in the midst of hopelessness and chaos.
Today we pondering upon the theme, “Annunciation to Virgin Mary: Taking Risk for the Kingdom of God”.
Let me read verse from the Gospel Portion today Luke. Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”.
Let us pray, God of true wisdom, as we engage ourselves with your words be with us and envision us with new imagination and commitment. Amen.
The study of the gospel according to St. Luke is a richly rewarding experience. As theologian from the margins he tells the story of the insignificant people such as women, children, lepers, outcasts and gentiles. As a sociologist he deals the issues of the lower strata and describes how they will be in the kingdom of God. He is best story teller and a genuine communicator because he tells the redemptive history of God by narrating many figures of Jesus’ time. He presents Jesus in a wider canvas of God’s historical interventions. Luke is a good story teller and has the penetrating insight of a prophet. As a result, the Gospel is engaging and offers a perspective on the redemptive events of Jesus’ ministry. Luke’s distinctive attention to God’s work among ordinary people continues to be evident. The infancy narrative features the role of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary rather than Joseph is the principal character in Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus. The angel Gabriel appeared first to Zechariah, an old priest going about his duties in the Temple, and then to a young girl not yet married. God chose the lowly rather than the high and mighty to fulfill the plan of redemption. Instead of sending Gabriel to a queen or princess, God sent the angel to a young girl betrothed to a carpenter. They lived in an insignificant town in an unimportant province of the Roman Empire.
This Sunday is dominated by the presence of Mary, who places herself before God in her conditions as a lowly one, someone who believes God because God is the only God. Let me explore three insights from the above read text.
God’s Redemption through Powerless. Redemption starts from Nazareth not from Jerusalem. Nazareth was a little village, despised among the Jews. Story of God’s mighty works does not involve Emperors like Herod but a devout old couple and a woman form the low status. The world’s standard leads us to attribute power and worth to the royal functionary, who was but a puppet of Rome. God chose instead the poor and humble as the venue for the great work of redemption. History would remember the dominant figures as Powerful. But the old, the poor, the humble, and the insignificant are not to be overlooked; they are God’s chosen people, redemption history starts from there. Midwives described in Exodus Shipra and Pua are the best examples of this kind of God’s engagement. Redemption means decolonizing the colonized world. Sinful powers or colonizers will be in search of power and glory and they look things from an elite and rich perspective. They could not experience the pains, struggles, and tears of the majority. The images they have, the imagination they have are the emperors. The images, imaginations and visions of God are subaltern, grass rooted and ordinary. V.28 says, O favored one, it means you are the recipient of a gift or a privileged one. The angel explains this with the additional phrase; the Lord is with you. God’s redemption history by putting down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree; God has filled the hungry with good things, and rich God has sent empty away (1:52). God do these things by using the powerless, meek, weak and lowly. Where do we stand? Are we the mini conquerors, invaders, or the agents of powerful neo-colonization or we are with the people who are eagerly waiting for justice, peace, and redemption. Then we could experience God’s annunciation like Mary experienced.
A Paradigm of God’s Discourse with Humanity. The discourse between Mary and Gabriel is the paradigm of the God’s liberative discourse. In this discourse God trusts Mary and, in turn, she places her trust in God, who converts her in to a person of faith. There is no reason for fear; surrender is the response to the call. See the content of the discourse, it is nothing but redemption of the creation (V.32-ff). The Lord looks upon Mary asking her faith and this faith inaugurates the discourse. This discourse led towards the salvation of all. This discourse reveals that God would enter human life with all its depravity, violence, and corruption. Therefore, the discourse ultimately is an announcement of hope for whole creation. Discourses are meaningful only when we see the others as equal instead of seeing them inferior. Genuine discourses carry the message of liberation and it enhances life. The real discourse creates a public sphere, it criticizes the royal consciousness, it energizes people to go beyond the numbness of the world, and it is redemptive. True discourse creates community and it empower the powerless. Discourse with God energized Mary to go beyond the numbness of the world (means silent spectator in the midst of false spirituality and powers of death). Do we ever experience this kind of discourse? What is the nature of our discourse with God and others? Is it criticize the royal consciousness or sinful consciousness? Is it redemptive?
An Empowered woman and a true disciple. Mary’s trust and humility do not prevent her from initiating a discourse with God’s messenger. She does not simply listen and accept the announcement. The power of the spirit prompts her active participation. It is the collaboration of someone who knows she is in God’s hands. Mary said, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”. This 12 or 13 year old girl from a backwater village in a small part of the Roman empire quite simply says ‘yes' to God and risks all the consequences. Mary’s yes to motherhood communicates the Messiah to us. Thus, Mary has her place in the history of salvation. Mary’s motherhood is more than a personal gift; it is a gift to humankind in Mary. Some commentaries suggest that Luke is showing Mary as the first Christian disciple in this story. Obedience is more than just doing what we are told, it is the recognition that we are not our own, we are not totally autonomous individuals and that ultimately we are God's. Mary’s true commitment inaugurated the new era of salvation. Mary’s commitment starts from here and it continued till the death of her son on the cross. What we learn from her commitment? Mary’s commitment does not contain any economic motive but it is a political act since it challenges the powerful. It is not with any hidden agendas but it is transparent in nature and it is for others. One of the philosophical questions, which have occupied thinkers for centuries, is that human authenticity. What is authentically human? Human living is different from any other in that it is essentially other-directed. And the intentional absence of the other is hell. In contrast, the highest form of self-transcendence is the self-surrender to another in love, which is the abiding imperative of what is to be human. Thus transcending oneself, one becomes oneself. Mary surrendered herself to God and she finds herself and the premise and nature of her engagement with God. We are called to live for others and we are asked to share our gifts for the redemption of the whole creation. Mary’s motherhood is more than a personal gift; it is a gift to humankind in Mary.
God chose Mary, as a channel of redemption, even though she is powerless. God’s redemption never starts from the royal consciousness but from pure in hearts. God’s discourse is redemptive, it criticizes the royal consciousness and it enhances life. True discipleship means taking risks for God and it is always other directed not intentional absence from others.
May the God of Mary help us to be the agents of God’s intervention in the midst of hopelessness and chaos.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
