Merchant of Venice Story-Synopsis

Merchant of Venice Story - Synopsis


Antonio, a Venetian merchant, complains of melancholy; his friend Bassanio asks for a loan of 3,000 ducats to travel to Belmont to court the beautiful heiress, Portia. Antonio agrees, but says that he must borrow the money from one of the city's moneylenders because all of his ships are at sea.

Antonio and Bassanio approach Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, to ask for a loan. Shylock hates Antonio and tricks him into promising to forfeit a pound of flesh if he cannot pay in time. Shylock's daughter Jessica elopes with the Christian gentleman Lorenzo. Bassanio, accompanied by friend Gratiano, departs for Belmont.

Meanwhile Portia is also melancholy because, according to the terms of her father's will, she must marry whichever man chooses the 'casket' (box), out of a choice of gold, silver or lead, which contains her portrait. If a suitor chooses incorrectly, he is condemned to remain unmarried forever.

The Prince of Morocco comes to Belmont and chooses the wrong casket; meanwhile, in Venice, rumors swirl that Antonio's ships have been lost at sea. The Prince of Arragon also chooses the wrong casket, and then Bassanio arrives at Portia's house. He and Portia fall in love, and he makes the correct choice (the lead casket), but their happiness (and that of Gratiano, who will marry Portia's lady-in-waiting, Nerissa) is interrupted by news that Antonio has lost all his money and failed to pay the debt. Shylock is demanding his pound of flesh.

In Venice, Antonio is taunted by Shylock, who refuses to listen to reason. When Bassanio returns to Venice, Portia disguises herself as a man and secretly follows him. The Duke of Venice presides over the trial. When Shylock refuses to accept Bassanio's offer to repay the loan, the Duke announces that he has called on a legal expert to settle the matter. A letter arrives from the expert, saying that he has sent one of his brightest pupils to pass judgement - the pupil is Portia who arrives dressed as a young male lawyer. She reads the contract and declares that Shylock is entitled to the flesh. The moneylender praises her but Portia then adds that the contract says nothing about shedding blood, so Shylock must cut the flesh without making Antonio bleed or else be arrested for taking a Christian's blood.

Shylock angrily retreats and says that he will take Bassanio's money, but Portia denies him this recourse, declaring that he has conspired against a Venetian citizen's life and thus his own life is forfeit. However, the court shows mercy - Shylock may keep half his wealth, but must convert to Christianity.

Not knowing that 'he' is his wife, Bassanio is induced to give the 'young lawyer' a ring that Portia had given him. Gratiano gives Nerissa (as Portia's 'clerk') a ring that she had given him, and the two women return to Belmont. When the men get back, they are accused of having given the rings to other women. Eventually however, Portia reveals the deception, news arrives that some of Antonio's ships have been recovered, and the company celebrates happily


This story explains the cruelty of the profit driven system which always looks for the flesh of the poor, this is the story of the 'modern development'. Even though story ends in positive note, the poor masses of today are helpless to come out of the crutches of the flesh eaters of today. Do we have the courage to engage ourselves to fight against these systems.

Greetings.

Thanks to Director, Principal and Faculty and my student friends….

Ecumenical Dimensions of Gurukul....

26th January 1950 is one of the most important days in Indian history as it was on this day the constitution of India came into force and India became a truly sovereign state. In this day India became a totally republican unit. The country finally realized the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and the numerous freedom fighters who, fought for and sacrificed their lives for the Independence of their country. Although India obtained its independence on August 15, 1947, the Constitution of India came into effect only on January 26, 1950. We should remember the role of Ambedkar, the great architect of our constitution and the champion of the subaltern, which affirm the democratic, secular, social and republic nature of our contribution.

Acts of Apostles 16:11-40 talks about Paul’s a new journey towards Philippi, a colony of Rome. An imperialistic and colonized power relationship was existed in the Philippi. Paul’s journey towards that city is an entry to decolonize the colonized religion and politics. It was a journey of decolonization through confronting the colonized powers. Two things have to be taken care of with this passage. One, there was no synagogue and worship and, two, the spirituality was intertwined with the market.

1. Girl symbolizes the spirituality of the colonized world. A spirituality of profit, which was going on in the market with the permission of the colonial powers. A kind of market driven spirituality was existed and it never challenged the existing structures which nurtures the market driven spirituality. If we read the previous verses we could see another spirituality which was a riverside fellowship and an entirely different spirituality. But she was liberated from the spirituality of the colonized world through the intervention of Paul and Silas.

2. A market controlled Law and Judiciary of Philippi. Paul and Silas were dragged towards the market and the market becomes a court for liberating the girl from the colonized spirituality. A market driven or profit driven judiciary system was there and this judiciary system which act as a weapon in the hands of the dominant and colonized sectors of the society. It becomes the mouthpiece of the colonizers and not speaking against the powerful systems of the society and religious and political laws which dominates and discriminates others in different ways. This law will be active when their profit or economic gain will be in danger and at the same time it may indifferent or passive when justice is denied or life is in danger. Laws of our country should enhance the life of the people in the nation and should reflect the discriminations in the name sexuality, religion, wealth, and many other things. Delhi high court verdict on article 377 and the Right to Information are some of the laws that protect the rights of the people. But at the same time

3. Politics of the beneficiaries of the colonized world. We read, “But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized…..”. They were accused as prisoners on the basis of different charges which are very sensitive and easy to trap and it helped to target them according to their personal agenda. Their liberative engagement disturbed the religion, law and politics of the colonial rulers. Politics of the beneficiaries of the colonized world will always in such way that their interests are safeguarded. One thing we should see is that the custodians or the interpreters of the law misguided the judiciary and law of that time by accusing strong constitutional allegations against Paul and Philip. When Adivasis of Muthangah, in Kerala fought for their right to live and Police attacked them with guns and other weapons and some of them were resisted with bows arrows and later government declared them in the terrorist list and gunned down many.

4. A decolonizing theological engagement by Paul and Silas. Their journey towards Philippi was a theological engagement and which definitely had a political dimension. Mission in a colonized world or in other words decolonizing the spirituality, religion and politics of that time. A mission towards where everything including religion was colonized and imperialistic and everything valued on the basis of the marketability.

This was the Republic Day Sermon(26-1-2010) preached at Gurukul Chapel as the Student General Secretary

Republic Day Worship

Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute
Republic day worship
26-1-2010
Prelude: Instrumental
(This is the 61st year of India being declared a republic. For the people of India this means a togetherness which is safeguarded by the constitution. Over the years the majority of the people of India have not received the protection that has been envisaged by our constitution. This republic day, let us as a people come together for those who have been neglected, oppressed, discriminated and silenced. Let us be proud of what good we have accomplished but be reminded of what needs to be done).

Call to worshipWe have come from many places, we have gone through numerous experiences, we have suffered and we have been overjoyed. We claim one history and even though we speak different languages we have a unique commonness. Whatever colour, whichever language, we share a common call. Our call to freedom of the oppressed and the poor. May this republic day be one of remembering the ordinary people of this land who stood steadfast amidst the bloodshed and the violence. Let us commit ourselves to the betterment of our country, it’s citizens and our neighbours. Amen.

Opening prayer
Creator God, help us to understand the diversity of our country and the way in which we have to live together in a country which is diverse and yet unified. Jesus Christ, inspire us to sacrifice for our country and it’s ordinary people, just as you have sacrificed yourself for us. Holy Spirit, guide us to shun violence and hatred and embrace justice and peace. Amen.

Bhajan (Kannada)
Jai Jagadisa namo Jaya
Taraka deva namo
Pujita vandita Isha
Aikyatha shakti namo
a) Jai Jagadisha namo
Sharanam(3) anantam
Shri pita deva namo (jaya)
Aganita gunadhama jai
Shri paramesha namo
Jai Jagadisha namo

b) Sharanam(3) anantam
Shri suta deva namo(jaya)
Karunasagara yesu
Taraka shakti namo
Jai Jagadisha namo

c)Sharanam (3) anantam
Pavana atma namo (jaya)
Paripujita varadata
Parishuddhatma namo
Jai Jagadisha namo

d) Sharanam(3) Saccidanandam
Vishwa vidhata namo(Jaya)
Paripalaka paramesha
Pita, suta, atma namo
Jai Jagadisha namo
Meaning: Praise and worship to you, O Lord of the universe. You are worthy of worship and reverence. Hail, the great uniting power. Homage of surrender to you, O everlasting God the parent? Ground of abundant virtues, Praise to you O heavenly Lord

Thanksgiving Prayer
Loving God, in times of conflicting views, you have guided us to pick what is right and act accordingly. Whenever tempers have flared you have cooled us down with self understanding and mutual respect. The times we were struck by natural and human made calamities, you have given us the strength to stand fearless amidst the ruins. Lord God, our words of gratitude will never measure up to what you have done for us. We hope that the sincerity of our hearts will suffice for the moment. Amen.

ConfessionL: We stand exposed by the deeds we have committed to further our own interests. In the process we have ploughed over the dreams of the people of this land, who don’t have the resources to fight back.
C: Have mercy on us O Lord

L: By choosing not to fight for those who have been abused and neglected, we have done the same to them as well. Every passive disinterest we have shown is in essence an active betrayal of the poor and the oppressed.
C: Have mercy on us O Lord

L: Our pride in the nation has not translated into a pride for doing what needs to be done. We have sought to capture and snatch what we need through violence and tried to justify all of this by misusing the element of pride.
C: Have mercy on us O Lord

L: Help us God to have the courage to be exposed and to accept what we have done and not done. Let us not remain enthralled and fixated on wrong claims of our republic. Let us rather be humble and forthright of what we are.
C: Have mercy on us O Lord

AbsolutionContrary to our actions, God is slow to anger and pleased to forgive and offers chances to mend our ways. Let us hold on to these continuous acts of mercy from our Lord and try to stand firm in our commitment to change and act well. May God forgive our sins and offer all of us a chance to make a difference. Amen.

Bible reading: Acts: 16:19-34.

Reflection Rev.Sajeev Thomas (Student General Secretary)

Affirmation of faith ( Standing)
We believe in our Mother God who has given us the country and the land that we live in. The struggles of many have resulted in the luxuries that we enjoy now. Many have been jailed and tortured for our independence. God stands still in God’s unflinching commitment to freedom.

We believe in Jesus Christ, the liberator, who has given us the inspiration to fight all injustices that exist in our country. His sacrifice on the cross was for one and all and it calls us to do the same for our nation, for the world and it’s inhabitants. Jesus’ fight against injustice led him to the cross just like we are called to be crucified for the freedom and good of all.

We believe in the Holy Spirit who renews us and reminds us of our commitment towards the poor and the excluded. No group may, due to it’s colour, religion, sex or caste be deprived of opportunities in this country. Any sinister move against such groups should be fought with the confidence of the backing of the Holy Spirit in our fight against unjust forces.

We believe in the church which is a place for all to assemble for peace and love. All are welcome here and no one can be excluded from the presence of God. The church stands for providing God’s presence and peace to anyone who seeks it.

We believe in the good of our country and the potential it has to be a place for diversity to co-exist in all it’s magnificence. India has been a battle ground of violence but it has also instilled the sense of peace and non-violence, caring for mother nature and living in peaceful co-existence. Amen.

Congregational Hymn (Standing)
I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin,
My hand will save.

I, who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear My light to them?
Who shall I send? Chorus

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go, Lord. If You lead me.
I will hold, Your people in my heart.

I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne My people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them,
They run away.

I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak My word to them,
Whom shall I send? Chorus

I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame,
I will set a feast for them,
My hand will save.

Finest bread I will provide,
Till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give My life to them.
Whom shall I send? Chorus

IntercessionL: God our protector, we pray for our country which is celebrating the completion of sixty years as a republic. But in our celebration we do not forget those who have not benefited from the creation of this republic and it’s constitution. Even though the constitution of India was made to be inclusive, many people have been excluded because of the unjust power structures in our country. We pray for all such communities and individuals who continue to suffer from the non-implementation of laws in our country.
C: Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

L: God our companion, we pray for peace in our country which is experiencing communal violence, caste fights, gender inequality, terrorism, freedom struggles, state related disagreements and quarrels with our neighbours. Peace for one is violence for the other. Help us to initiate peace which is inclusive, equitable and sustainable.
C: Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

L: God our peace maker, we pray for our neighbouring countries. They are struggling due to poverty, terrorism, and calamities. As we celebrate, let us not forget that we live in an environment of commonness and that mutual respect and genuine concern will show the real growth of our republic. Help us to diffuse volatile situations rather than introducing tensions.
C: Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

L: God our comforter, we pray for the people of Haiti who have been crushed in body and spirit by the killer earthquake. Help us to stop questioning ‘why’ and see ‘what’ we can do to help now. Facilitate us as a people to feel the intensity of what has taken place and to help in the rescue and rebuilding of that great nation.
C: Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

L: God our teacher, we pray for the Gurukul community. Guide us to understand the differences of our diverse backgrounds. Make us understand the common things that we share. Help us to be a thinking, reflecting and acting community. May we contribute in a meaningful way to our country and its people.
C: Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord’s prayer in Hindi (Standing)
Hei hamare baap tujo asmanme hei
Tera naam paakma na jai
Teri badshat aaye

Jeyse teri marjee asmanme puri hoti
Yesechi teri marjee jagat me puri hojai

Rojki roti hamare aaj hamko dede
Jeevan ki roti tuhe tuhee hamara bal hai

Jeis tara ham aapne apradeyonko maph karte
Oos tarahe hamare aapaarando ko maph karde
Hame tu pariksha me nadal
Parantu burai se bache
Rajya prakaran aur mahima
Yuganug teri ho amen

Benediction (Altogether)
Light will sweep over darkness, happiness will engage fear, stability will replace insecurity, honesty will stall mistrust and justice will prevail in due time. Go in peace. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

Prepared by: Rev.Fr.Jerry Kurian (DTh Candidate)

Reflections In a Lake

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."

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Subaltern, Deconstricting Christ and Re-imagined Sacramental Church

Reflection on John 13:1-17

Who makes news? Answers will be different like, high profile politicians, sports persons, celebrities, Rich, “successful persons”, World leaders and so on. Usually women, black, dalit and people from subaltern sections very rarely make news in the media. Mainstream media always looks the marketability of the persons so that they could sell them to make profit. Who wants the stories of a subaltern community and their life situations? Here comes the relevance of the Gospels. Gospels contains stories of insignificant people and thereby it is an alternate media which read the community living from the subaltern perspective. John’s gospel chapter 13: 1-17 contains a story which doesn’t have news value or marketability at that time where dominant and powerful have seen historical realities from the point of view of the elite and powerful. Gospel writers, the real journalists or researchers, who had a “third eye” question the dominant power structures through their bold writings.

John gives more importance to the washing of the feet than the Last Supper. I wonder why washing of the feet not included in the sacraments of the church. The passage begins with Jesus washing disciple’s feet. Shortly after they celebrated Passover, Jesus abruptly rose from dinner and began washing his disciples' feet. Foot washing is a lesson Jesus uses to convey the importance of the cross. This text carries a deeper meaning in the Christological and theological understanding of God-self.
Let me share three insights from my reading of this text.

Firstly, A Subaltern Christ in a Colonial Premise.

Jesus’ enacted parable occurred in a socio-religious and political premise where dominant power symbols were ruling over the subaltern communities like gentiles, women and outcasts. Foot-washing was not primarily a ceremonial custom. It was practically important because people walked in sandals through dusty, muddy and manure-filled streets. Your feet got dirty and stinky. Not surprisingly, washing someone else's feet was regarded as one of the most demeaning tasks anyone could perform. Like a scavenger, shudra, slave, Jesus washes the feet of the disciples. While doing this he finds his self in the subaltern life situations and he identifies with them. When colonial rulers and their agents taught us to call them “Lord”, Jesus implicitly asks us to call him servant of the servants. The term “Lord” lost its original meaning by using it by the colonial rulers or the perpetrators of the violence and hegemony under the umbrella of mission. Ironically our God is a Subaltern God, one who does the duties of the slaves, low caste sections like dalits. In that sense the identity of Christ definitely will challenges the colonial perceptions like seeing our brothers and sisters and the rest of the creation as “other”. Obviously colonial premise formulate theologies and theories which support the perpetrators of violence and they ask us to serve them. But Christ, servant of servants is ready to wash our feet. What a contradiction!

Secondly , A Deconstructing Christ in the Constructed Role Settings.

In Jewish society, foot washing was considered too menial a job for a Jewish slave, and was a task reserved for gentile slaves, wives and children. It was reserved for household slaves. The foot washing event is given in detail. These details are intended to draw the reader’s attention to the absurdity of the event. Here Jesus deconstructs his role as master or teacher to a slave. Every human construct contains the dominant values of that time and most probably it will be hierarchical, patriarchal, and oppressive because these constructions are made by the powerful people. Sometimes these constructs carry a kind of pseudo - order in the society like caste system. Sometimes people may ask, in caste system everybody have particular job assigned to do and let them do that particular job, why we have to disturb the order by questioning the caste system. Likewise we have gender roles. Men have special roles and women have particular roles to play. But the issue is the power relations and the issue of justice and freedom. We have the notion that dalits, blacks, poor are supposed to do the menial duties of this society- these human constructions denies dignity, freedom, justice, equality in their relationship. Jesus took off his robe, and tied a towel around himself- A symbol of deconstructing himself. He rises from the dinner table during mealtime (John 13:2b states that it was "during supper") and girds himself with a towel in a manner similar to the way in which a servant would gird his loins prior to engaging in a menial task We pastors used to wear girdle to remember this act but today it became a symbol of power and - The verb used to describe Jesus’ removal of clothes in v.4 is the same verb used by Jesus to describe laying down his life. The fourth evangelist’s verb choice signals the connection between the foot washing and Jesus’ struggle against the satanic forces.

Thirdly, A Re-Imagined Sacramental Church.

The washing of the feet was an expression of welcome and service, and it was practiced with people recognized as having some kind of superiority, social or otherwise. Jesus’ action led towards a discourse through this prophetic action, he asked his disciples to re-imagine the community living with Christ. Unless and until you deconstruct yourself you cannot be the part of the Kingdom of God. Christ challenges his disciples to become an alternate community in the midst of powerful royal consciousness. Bonhoeffer said, “The church is church only when it exists for others”. Church has to take off its robe of power and numbness towards royal consciousness. Jesus Christ inverts the terms, and his love brings him to serve even the most humble. “So, if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you”.The cross is the ultimate critique of the royal consciousness and clears the way for a newly imagined community.
Here church is placed below and the people are placed in higher position. But what happened today? We became rulers and the common people became Lazarus who was in front of the rich man’s house.

Theology is not only to be thought; it is to be lived. We are here to deconstruct the theologies which support the unjust, sinful, colonial power structures. We are supposed to do that because our God has shown this model through the washing of the feet of the disciples. Today, we are living in a neo-colonial premise where a minority dominates, exploits others in different ways. Christ asks us to challenge these human constructs since it destroys the image of God. Late Juhanon Marthoma metropolitan wrote in 1952, “The church takes pride in its traditions, its increasing numbers, its prospering institutions. It tends to forget its Lord and master, and its own early struggles”. We need people towards this tribe, people of vision, commitment and boldness. Yes-we need to re-imagine our church as sacramental because our God asks to be like that.

Let us pray......

We thank you, merciful God,
for the beauty of the earth and the sea,
for mountains, plains and rivers,
for the singing of the birds and the grace of flowers.
We thank you for all good gifts,
and pray that they may be preserved for those who come after us.
Let our thankfulness for your rich creation grow, joyfully.
Let us taste the meal you have prepared in the world to come.
We pray that we all may inherit the treasures of the holy,
and that we may live in your heavenly city,
in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and governs with you in the oneness of the Holy Spirit,
for ever one God, in a world without end.
Amen

Climate Change - A Justice Issue

Climate change will not only increase global poverty and human insecurities, but also enhance regional disparity as well intra and intergenerational inequity if urgent actions are not taken now by the global communities. The following stories give important glimpse about - how climate change will increase inequity and poverty.

Story 1: The Traveling Mother

A woman in El-Salvador in Latin America was traveling to join her husband who had been posted on an international NGO job in Dakar, Senegal in Africa. She was in her advanced stage of pregnancy. A few hours into the flight, the plane faces turbulence and had to land in an airport in Florida, USA. Because of the turbulence and nervousness she gave birth to a premature baby in the USl. This baby could have been born a few hours earlier in El-Salvador or the next day in Dakar, Senegal. This is purely a chance of circumstances. We can model the future consumption history of this child depending on where she was born. The fact that the child was born in the US she would consume ten times more petroleum, would travel many times more by cars and airlines, would consume meat many times more and also use and waste water by a huge margin. In the process of evolution in the mother’s womb, each child, irrespective of place of origin, has similar nutritional allocation. But it is the society where she is born that very often decides the consumption patterns. In the final analysis it is the consumption pattern and utilization of resources that created the GHGs resulting in Climate Change.

Story 2: The Migrating People

On 21 February, 2007 Henry Chu, Staff Writer of the Los Angeles Times reports “Climate Change laps at Bangladesh’s shores rising oceans are already a reality there, and thousands of people could be displaced. Global warming has a taste in this village. It is the taste of salt. Only a few years ago, water from the local pond was fresh and sweet on Samit Biswas’s tongue...for one meter sea level rise, there will be 35 million people displaced by middle to end of 21st century. One Mr. Borhan, the leader of a small coastal community in Bangladesh said that “Anybody in my island hardly uses any petrol, gas or coal. We never get on a car or plane. Why should I or my children drown because somebody else wants to have a good life? Where is the justice in this?”

The enormous, forceful and devastating cyclone Sidr that hit the coast of Bangladesh in November 2007, had not only killed over 10,000 people but also devastated the lives and livelihoods of over 30 million people. The next devastating cyclone Nargis generated in the Bay of Bengal had spared Bangladesh but had severely hit Myanmar coast on 4 May 2008 killing more than one hundred thousands of people and injured millions. Most recently, cyclone Aila hit the coasts of Bangladesh and India on 25 April 2009 killing over 300 people. Many people of coastal districts were made homeless for weeks and were suffering from serious food and water insecurity. Thousands of them would be thrown into poverty. The poor in the developing countries are the worst affected by those climate extremes, they are in the forefront of climatic disasters and have least capacity to cope with the risks.

Poverty situation may further deteriorate in Asia and Africa due to climate change impacts. The number of poor has increased in Bangladesh sharply in the last 2-3 years from 38% to 48% due to climatic disasters as well as economic and social crisis. Currently, over 860 million people are suffering from severe food insecurity and chronic malnourishment in the world. About 95% of them are in developing countries. Inequitable access to food is the major factor behind this, but global warming and climatic events are also contributing to food insecurity.


Key challenges and urgent actions

Climate change is a result of unequal development and consumption and it is enhancing inequity across the world. The impacts are also unequally distributed, where poor in developing countries are becoming the worst victims. Mitigating climate change, eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable and equitable economic growth as well as political stability all demand the same solutions. We must reduce GHG emission urgently and immediately to save the planet and human civilization. The key challenges for all of us are:

to stop climate change through urgent mitigation measures now and create effective framework for post 2012 commitment with greater participation of both developed and developing countries to halt dangerous climate change;

to explore how to live in a warmer climate which is now unavoidable; and
to promote low carbon sustainable economic development and modify the life style of the rich who do the most harm through luxuries and over consumption.

A deeper cut of carbon emission is urgently needed. The vulnerable communities also require resources, institutional capacity and appropriate technologies for advancing adaptation to climate change. Fighting climate change and poverty requires multiple, but combined and accelerated efforts by the governments, business and private sector, development agencies, relevant actors and vulnerable communities. A fairer and more equitable world will be a more secured world too.

All efforts of climate change must take the dimension of equity, fairness and justice into consideration in decision making. Though there are discussions in equity and fairness in Mitigation, i.e. GHG emission, there is hardly any discussion yet in equity and justice in adaptation. The future discourse must take this adaptation into consideration. Any adaptation related funds should be considered as a compensation rather that an endowment. Similarly, a displaced population should have the right to choose where they want to find their new homes as a matter of right and not a favor by the GHG emitters who has caused the problem in the first place.


This is an article by Dr. Atiq Rahman, Executive Director of BCAS, Dhaka and the Winner of the UN Environmental Award- the Champion of the Earth 2008

Story of Zacchaeus - A differant Reading.

Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay four times the amount. (Luke 19:8)

Luke tells the story of Jesus coming to Jericho. A large crowd has turned out to catch a glimpse of him. Among them is Zacchaeus. He tries to push through the crowd to get a better look but is unable to move to the front row. So he has to run ahead and climb a sycamore tree in order to get a good view of the wandering rabbi who is talked about so much. The fact that the crowd turns its back to Zacchaeus is revealing. He is the chief tax collector and the text underscores that he is a rich man. Hence, he is an important figure in Jericho.

Today, such a man would claim a front seat – and would probably get it – for, regardless of how it was acquired, wealth is accepted and demands privilege. We see in the text that in Jericho the ordinary people do not accept wealth as such. They see that Zacchaeus accumulated his wealth by collaborating with the enemy, the Roman Empire. He bought the privilege to collect taxes and his success depended on how ruthless he was in collecting them from his fellow human beings.

He is rich but he is an outcast. The people of Jericho say: ‘He may be rich. He is cheating us. He is exploiting his power. But one thing is true. We may be poor but we are Abraham’s children. He is rich but he is lost.’ When Jesus comes, he reveals the truth. The truth about human contempt and envy, about human hopes and hidden despair. This is just one of the many stories in the Bible which describe Jesus’ encounters with the rich. It resonates with the lives of people all over the world and their experiences of poverty and wealth.

Jesus opts for the lost one. He invites himself to the house of Zacchaeus. ‘I must stay at your house today.’Why this urgency? There were many others in Jericho who would have wanted Jesus to come to their house.The others around him find it very disturbing that he should prefer the hospitality of a well-known sinner! Does he not understand the kind of person Zacchaeus is?

This is a very peculiar ‘preferential option’, not for the rich and the affluent. It is his preferential option for the one who is lost, regardless of his or her earthly possessions. It is unmerited grace that comes to the house of Zacchaeus. This grace does not worry about the potential of being misunderstood and reviled. Genuine grace has its own results.

That Jesus should go to Zacchaeus is a remarkable turn – indeed a scandalous ‘diversion’ for the self respecting citizens of Jericho. But the story does not end there. His friendship for Zacchaeus provokes another drastic turn: a conversion that is good news indeed!

Zacchaeus announces that he will give half of his goods to the poor. He adds: ‘and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.’ This sounds spectacular and completely unrealistic to us, that a man would deprive himself of all his belongings! Now, it must be understood that according to the laws of those times, a fourfold restoration was required. The explanation is that the interest that was demanded by tax collectors and money lenders was often so excessive that it amounted to as much as 100 per cent, or more. This may sound exorbitant to us since we – many of us living in richer nations – already complain about much lower rates in our own countries.

However, if you look at the inflation of debts imposed on so many countries in the so-called Third World, the practice of the Roman tax collectors does not look extraordinary at all. One could easily give examples of debts that have risen so steeply because of inflated compound interest. A fourfold forgiveness of the original debt would not appear to be exaggerated at all.

Again, the goal is to restore the full business capacities of the defrauded parties, not to give them alms. Justice is something radically different from charity. Does the story of Zacchaeus, then, have a lesson for contemporary policies regarding debt relief ? The really new thing that Zacchaeus announces is his decision to give half of his goods to the poor. This was not in the laws or practices of his time and it is not in the laws of today. We can see this as a practical example of the basic law of the Torah: love your neighbour as yourself. So you share with that neighbour half of what you have.

The story of Zacchaeus is remarkable because it talks about reparations-reparations as a consequence of God’s grace, of sincere repentance and a complete change of heart. Hence, this is a story of costly grace.


As Jesus hears about the plans of his host, Zacchaeus, he says: ‘Salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.’ After the announcement of the reparations scheme, here Jesus talks about salvation which encompasses the whole life, a wholehearted change of attitude and a new practice. ‘You have done the right thing’, Jesus says to Zacchaeus. ‘You are also a son of Abraham. Of course you are! You are part of the covenant. Who would dare deny you that?’ So this story has a happy ending.

But some questions remain: what will the people of Jericho say to this? Will they be glad to receive Zacchaeus back into their community? Will they be ready to receive his money and to change their attitudes? Or will they prefer to stay poor and hold on to their contempt? For receiving such a generous gift, without the feeling of being humiliated even further, is also an act of grace.

‘Salvation has come to this house’, says Jesus. Has salvation also come to Jericho? The story does not tell us anything about it. It is the open end of the gospel. It is where we come in. What is the role will we play? That of Zacchaeus? Or are we Jericho?

This story took from the article "Poverty,Wealth and Ecology, Impact of Economic Globalisation"- WCC Resources.

A Divided World

There is strong empirical evidence for the view that economic liberalization policies – widely touted as the pathway to prosperity and convergence – have caused the gap between rich and poor in global and national terms to further widen in recent years. The 2005 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report states:

At the start of the twenty-first century we live in a divided world. The size of the divide poses a fundamental challenge to the global human community … The world’s richest 500 individuals have a combined income greater than that of the poorest 416 million. Beyond these extremes, the 2.5 billion people living on less than $2 a day – 40 per cent of the world’s population – account for only 5 per cent of the world’s income … uman development gaps within countries are as stark as the gaps between countries … There will be an additional 380 million people living on less than one dollar a day by 2015.

Indeed, a critical concern is that wealth appears to be flowing from the poor to the rich within and between countries – a trend that is hugely unjust. The 2004 UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNDP) Annual Report describes the yearly net transfer of US$200 billion from poor to rich countries in the form of capital flight, debt and interest payments and profit repatriation of multinational corporations.

How we can talk about peace and justice without economic justice?

Polyphonic Community.

Two days back I met one of my friends and had a casual talk regarding their family and all. Meanwhile we also discussed about the house and its renovation. My friend said, “one of the problems of today’s buildings are no privacy at all, anybody can enter anywhere at any time. If we open the front door the visitor may reach till kitchen without any hindrance”. Today when we plan to construct a building, our discussion starts with the privacy. Each person demands “separate” rooms and other facilities. There is a shift in the idea of privacy. Earlier there was a freedom or space to interfere each other in their personal or public matters. But now the things changed. Nobody has the right to interfere in the matters of other persons even in the case of children.

Boundary Wall is a symbol of our tendency to avoid others from our ‘personal’ matters. When I was a small boy the concept of boundary wall was not an essential thing, but today it is an essential thing. Neighbors usually have conversation from house to house. Some times friends or relatives had the freedom to enter in to the house without any kinds of formalities. They come and talk and share our food and even had the freedom to interfere in our family matters. Even neighbors, relatives, family friends had the space to get involved in our family matters with good intention and respect.

Can you give me some sugar please? Our Ammachi’s sister has come Sometimes guests will come without prior notice or phone call (once phone was a luxury item) and they will stay one or more days with us. It will be a testing time for those who are in the kitchen. Because, at that time we never used to store provisions or food items like we do today. May be coffee powder, tea powder or sugar will not be there. Then children will be sent to neighbor houses to borrow the things we need. It was a common practice and we never felt bad to do that. They also come to our home when they need some other things. Some times I felt that in the village we had a mutual understanding in owning and using many things like furniture, weapons, plates etc.

“Children go and collect the benches and chairs from our neighbors”. In those days marriage receptions were held in our home and the neighbors take initiative to make all necessary arrangements. We children were enthusiastic in collecting chairs, benches, tables from the neighborhood. We children get involved in cleaning the furniture and plantain leaf and in many other things and it was a celebration. Privacy was a not an issue that time. Villagers used to share everything including their pains, agonies, joy, achievement etc (No matter our neighbors believe in Islam, Hinduism, Christian) I really experienced the polyphonic community living in my village. Everybody knows each other by name and they had the freedom to correct, encourage and intervene each other.

But where do we stand now?

Do we like a community oriented life which is interconnected and inter-dependent?

We became more individualistic where there is no space for the members of the community, isn’t it?

Do we like a homogenous community or a polyphonic community?

Polyphonic existence will help us to imagine God, Creation and our fellow beings differently.

A man laughed at the unjust, established order of things – John Abraham.

John Abraham ( August 11, 1937 - 31 May 1987 ), was a Ma layali Indian filmmaker , screenwriter , a nomadic, a man who tried to democratise the film and a person who questioned all hypocrite and wicked attitudes of the society. Abraham graduated out of the film institute with gold medals in screenwriting and film direction.

He was more famous for his style of living and way of thinking than for his films. He attained a mythical status, living a nomadic kind of life. He rebelled all the established ways of life as well as art. John was a compulsive traveler, without any belongings, mostly without even another pair of clothing. John can be anywhere-in conscious or unconscious state; drunk or sober; in groups or alone.

The media called him Otttayan. He was also an alcoholic, and died after falling from the rooftop in Kozhikode on May 31, 1987. Adoor Gopalakrishnan said, “If anyone asks for the most important aspect of John's cinema, I would have to mention at the outset, their engrossing black humor”.

A man who touched many lives, an icon, a maverick filmmaker, a rebel, an enigma, an extraordinarily free soul … these epithets sound clichéd when one describes filmmaker John Abraham. ‘Ningalude Viswasthan, John,’ a video essay by C. Sarat Chandran brings us closer to the person who lived life on the edge, through reminiscences of those who were close to him.

The John Abraham folklore, or mystique if you like, is to be understood in terms of not just the films he made, but the mythical life he led that mocked decisively at norms and notions of accepted social behaviour. While trying to question the tyranny of the market, he moved with common people who consisted in a large measure of poor, illiterate villagers.

It was under the leadership of Abraham that Odessa Collective came into existence in 1984 with a street drama in Fort Kochi named Nayakali. Odessa was an attempt by a group of movie enthusiasts to change the history of film production and distribution by making it a collaborative effort with the public and thus act as an empowering and liberating medium. Their first film, Amma Ariyan, was produced with contributions from the general public. Odessa also collected funds for the film by screening Charlie Chaplin's The Kid. Amma Ariyan was screened on a non-commercial basis throughout the state.

Abraham's first attempt in direction came in 1967 named Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile. It was the Tamil film Agraharathil Kazhuthai (1977) that elevated Abraham to fame. John Abraham is recognised as a genius in Malayalam cinema. He made his mark with the Tamil film Agraharathil Kazhuthai, but is possibly remembered most for his efforts in starting a people's cinema movement called Odessa

Considered an avant-garde film director and writer, he completed only four films, namely Vidyarthikale Ithile Ithile (1972), Agraharathil Kazhuthai (1977, Tamil), Cheriachante Krurakrithyangal (1979, Malayalam) and Amma Ariyan (1986, Malayalam), all four written and directed by him.

He has left behind a number of complete and incomplete scripts. A collection of his stories had been published under the title Nerchakkozhi. Another collection of his stories has been published posthumously under the title John Abrahaminte Kathakal by Pakshikkottam Books, Thiruvananthapuram, in 1993.

Although he was influenced by ideology, but he denied bond with it when came to films, at least beyond a point. His most significant contribution was that he sowed the seeds of ‘people’s film’ and displayed the ‘audacity’ to take on the establishment and challenging distribution network. It is sad that the movement did not grow beyond Odessa, get the nourishment it deserved and muster the strength it ought to have.

Poet Balachandran Chullikad spoke for all of us when he summed it up thus, “I too shared the ideas John had nurtured, but lacked his courage and his tenacity.” We all stuck to the beaten track, didn’t we?

Like the John the Baptist after whom he was named who gave his head to a tyrannical king and a dancing girl but not his faith. He challenged the powers of the market with the power of the poor people. That was the faith and praxis of John.

I have many differences of opinions with him but still I respect him in many ways as a man who moved with common people with different perception and imagination.

Work in the Field

A young man crossed the desert and finally came to the monastery of Scete. There, he asked to hear one of the abbot’s lectures - and was granted permission.

That afternoon, the abbot’s discourse was about the importance of work in the field.

After the lecture, the young man said to one of the monks:

"That was amazing. I thought I would hear a fine sermon about virtues and sins, and the abbot spoke only of tomatoes, irrigation and so forth. Where I come from, all believe that God is merciful: all one must do is pray."

The monk smiled and replied:

"Here we believe that God has already done His part; now it is up to us to continue the process."


Story by Paulo Coelho

A World in a Village

This statistic, which buzzes around the Internet, has be published in numerous places across the world:

If it were possible to reduce the population of the entire world to 100 inhabitants, maintaining the proportions of people which currently exist in the world, it would be made up as follows:

57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 Americans (North, Central and South)
8 Africans
52 would be women
48 men
70 non-white
30 white
89 would be heterosexual
11 homosexual
6 people would possess 59% of the world’s wealth
80 would dwell in inhabitable housing
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would have a computer
1 (yes, just one) would have a university degree

And consider this: if you are more healthy than sick, you are luckier than a million people who will not see next week. If you never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of prison, the agony of torture, the pain of hunger, you are luckier than 500 million of the world’s inhabitants.

If you have food in the fridge, clothes in your closet, a roof over your head, a place to sleep, then consider yourself richer than 75% of the world’s inhabitants.

If you have money in the bank, a wallet or some loose change lying around somewhere, consider yourself among those with the best quality of life in the world.



This was found in Paulo Coelho's Blog