4th Sunday of the Year! Authority emanates from Integrity!!

 

Authority comes from Integrity  

Practice what you preach!  or,  Preach what you practice!!

Gandhi had to wait two weeks to advice a child not to consume too much of sweets.  The mother of the child wondered and asked Gandhi, "why did you take two weeks to say this simple thing to my child?"  "I myself was eating a lot of sweets these days.  I had to forgo it for these couple of weeks to tell the child the same!" Gandhi replied!

The worst enemy to your preaching is your "Self"!  It murmurs when you are inconsistent!  You can put up a valiant face but the self opposes!  That is a good stage to rectify and become consistent with yourself!  Soon you will reach a stage where you don't hear any more the self!  It becomes numb!  That is a dangerous stage!

You can amass wealth, kill people, misappropriate, exploit, get drunk and do many inhuman activities, yet feel no prick of it and stand on a podium to preach the world, peace and joy! People yell from pulpits and podiums not out of a conviction but out of fear!  People who exhibit authority with violence and oppression often are cowards inside!

People were amazed at Jesus, "He is preaching with authority!"

People had listened to the teachers of the law several times!  But probably they did not reach their hearts!  But here is a different experience!

A lot of people know the inconsistency in preachers!  Even if you cleverly hide it, your eyes will reveal the inconsistency!  When you manage even the eyes, yourself disturbs you!  When you manage the Self, it is no more! You have killed it!

On the other hand, people with integrity don't fear threats and they don't mince words!  They may not be vociferous but will be strong and stable in articulation!   You cannot buy them!  You cannot bend them with force and temptation!

It is not perfection in a person I am talking about!  Don't mistaken it!  Rather, It is integrity!  They will stand by truth even if it humiliates them; not falsehood even if it bring glory!

These are people who will say sorry for their mistakes, will say, "I do not know", will be humble enough to accept their limitations!

Jesus' authority and boldness come from his integrity! Certainly not from a feeling of perfection or a feeling that He is the son of God!

Fear splits you; between what you are and what you want to be or, don't want to be!

Fear not! Just be yourself!  Your life and action are the best preaching materials!

3rd Sunday of the year 24 Jan 2021 Have We Betrayed Him again?

 

Have we betrayed Him again?

One of the big problems or challenges for those who serve the public is, nepotism! an undue attachment to their kith and kin!   They lose their initial enthusiasm of serving the society to get entangled in a very small circle.

Most of the politicians in India amass and misappropriate wealth for their families which are "several"  for some!

When they get de-focused from social service, it gradually becomes social exploitation!  They begin to manipulate and exploit the very weak they came to serve!

Jesus had left his home, for a mission!  The call for mission was so strong in him that there was no returning to or getting de-focused!  There would have been many temptations, fear, depression due to non responsiveness of the people, feeling of frustration, a thought of uselessness of the mission;  to leave the mission.  Probably he was a tough character with a determination.  He withstood them till the end!

He, inviting certain people to get associated with his mission certainly is an indication that he wanted to take forward the mission!  Consolidation and continuation of the mission must have been his worry and haunting his mind!

For this, his choice of persons is interesting!  His wisdom in it is remarkable!  He was looking for characters that could sustain the mission!  It is not their profession that attracted Jesus as many suggest; but I think it is their character that triggered Jesus to invite such individuals.  Not all fishermen have the same character.  Not all tax collectors had the same calibre!  So, it was not their profession that gave an impetus to the call but a type of character in that particular individual which probably attracted Jesus.

Education, Family status, Caste background, IQ excellence, Psychological stability are the ones people in any organization including religious vocation look for!  But, highly educated members use their synergy to make stupid decisions!  Intellectual communities spend their time on useless discussions! 

Tax collection was a profession  people hated!  Fishermen were on the brim of the social structure!  Yet Jesus had choices from them!    All through the gospel writings we read his close disciples bickering, short tempered, quarrelling for positions and what not?  Therefore these human inadequacies in the opinion of Jesus are not a huge hindrance to the mission.  They can be handled!  There was one failure in that of Judas Iscariot.  He is associated with his private plans, cunningness, money and finally betrayal.

The lesson therefore is, there would be disintegration; of an individual character or an association or a religion, or a community or even a family if "Judases" have infiltrated.

Let us remind ourselves, that Judas also was a disciple, chosen by Jesus!  Therefore, under the garb of discipleship, you can do hell a lot of things!  Organize your caste, have huge bank savings scratched from the common fund, treat the poor shabbily, unjust associations with the wealthy and powerful, work overtime to climb the ladder of authority and what not?

Christianity is still a big failure in many ways; is just because of this pseudo discipleship!  It has huge infrastructures, massive organizational skills and capacity, millions of membership yet, the world thirsts for peace,  the world cries for food, the world languishes under poverty, thousands die out of hunger, millions are erased on war front!

Very often the church stood as a silent spectator in front of huge inhumanity, thus supporting the same!  Sometimes even explicitly supporting it!

The disciples left their profession, possessions and family to serve the mission of Christ!  Through which he created a dependency on the people!  When you depend on others for food and survival, you will necessarily serve them!

By the way, Judas also had a vision and mission!  Like, Hitler had his own!  Therefore, a fine articulation of or a crystal clear vision, mission and goals may achieve organizational success but may not reach even a single human heart!

Have we betrayed Jesus again?

Gate-less Heaven! 2nd Sunday Jan 17 2021

 

Gateless Heaven! 

"When" can I come to your place?  You may be very busy with so many things!

Can "I" come to your place? If I am a peasant, a poor, a dalit, an orphan; you may not like me to enter your home!

"Where" can I meet you? You may live in a restrictive area where most human beings are forbidden to enter!  Or due to your status, you may not like me to enter your conclave! 

Some years back, three men belonging to a Dalit community were very badly treated in Thinniyam near Lalkudi, Trichy.   Because they had beaten the village drum, they were made to eat human excrete and were beaten with a red hot iron by the so called "higher caste" lumpens!  A bold village youth took the risk of brining the news out!  Under the leadership of Mr. Rathinam a senior advocate we took the matter to the street and to the court.  But the three men's life was in danger and we had to evict them from their village vicinity in order to protect them.

Around this time, I was beginning to live in a village far from our formal religious institutions and communities.  I immediately took them to my place.  Lucky I was not staying in a religious house which would have made it very difficult to accommodate those victims.  To pass permissions and rigidities, it would have been near impossibility!

Poor men entering a police station or simple people entering a "high class" hospitals or entering government offices for certificates or licences you will be humbled and made poor!

Many "houses" are not homes!  You need appointments, pass through restrictions, Audience may not be granted! 

But, normally in villages, people are very simple, they immediately invite you to their homes!  Their homes are simple in structure but plain and welcoming!  Their hearts are also simple and plain!  They have nothing much to defend, hide or feel afraid of!  Whereas people who possess more become protective.  They cannot be easily approached.  Attachment to possession in due time become identification with the same!  Then, when possession is hurt, you are hurt!  When your ideology is attached your Self gets offended.

Your inner fear increases your inner complications!  Your inner complications increases your inner defense, Your inner defense increases your seclusion and alienation!

You trust a few and mistrust many!  Some of their places look so very neat and tidy but highly resembles me of an asylum!  Their laughter, their celebration, their meditation and prayer are all time tabled!  They need bells to wake up and eat their food!

On the contrary, you see Jesus inviting a couple of persons immediately to his residence, probably a temporary one, may be of one his friends'. may be a little tent!!

A spiritual person necessarily need to be a transparent person!  He has less to hide and defend!  He is open therefore, faith filled!  If you are defenseless, you are ever open to persons, ideas, theories, inventions and truth which is dynamic.

If you hesitate too much to welcome people into your place, may be you live in a ghetto not at home!

By the way, Heaven has no doors and door bells!! Any Tom, Dick and Harry may just walk in!  If you think that it may be too disturbing then better to go to hell! 

Jesus in the Queue! 10 Jan 2021 Baptism of Jesus

 

Jesus in the Queue!

A priest friend of mine told me once, "when I reach Chennai airport, our friends (influential with the government) take me through a separate lane avoiding the "messy" immigration Queue"

"I am important", "I cannot waste time", "I am better than others", "I need some special attention"! The ego gets a pat on the back and the self (falsely) feels nice and elevated!

I remember a scene from that beautiful film on Bishop Oscar Romero!  The daughter of the ruler would approach the bishop for baptism to her child.  Bishop would say very casually and plainly, to come for the next Sunday mass for the same!  She would turn her head away in disgust and say, "Would you like my child to be baptized along with a bunch of Niggers?"

Standing in a queue means, I stand along with others!  I can see others!  I can touch others!  I can converse with others!  I can understand others! I feel a sense of equality!

Going by flights you see people as dots and later, not even that!  You drive a car, you see people and trees and buildings run against you!  You don't really recognize much what goes behind! In motor cycle you begin to wish a few people and by a cycle a few more and when you walk, you talk with many people who walk along with you and say hello and other inquires when you meet people.  You develop relationship and friendship.  Please don't get struck with this example of flight and walk!  It is to indicate, the type of elevation one tries to enjoy!

Too much of consciousness about your status; alienates, separates and sets you aloof!

In India very often we see politicians, officers, ministers and all type of leaders including religious leaders like to enjoy an elevation which is really an alienation!  Alienation however cosy it is, is boring!  Unnatural!  Unhealthy!  It is only when there is a touch and friction, you begin to see life and its beauty, pain and joy, defeat and success, suffering and jubilation!  Life, all in its fullness!

I see, positions as functional and not as statuses in gradation to be grabbed and cling on to!

When I get struck to elevation; I become sick in my dealings with the other human being in two ways; One is, whenever I meet people I don't see them as human beings rather value them with their position, dress, language, colour and the weight of their purse!  If their look is bit shabby, I detest, I disrespect, I disregard, I bypass and I don't care!  And if their position seem to me as bit higher, I feel embarrassed, put on an artificial smile and laughter, try to establish contact, try to get his or her favour, money, recommendation and what not!

People stick stickers on their vehicles, Lawyer, Judge, Police, Army, Bishop, Chairman, Mayor, Minister and what not!  Just to say, "give way!  don't block! I am important!"  They try to get Ambulance like attention! "True in a way"!!

Jesus goes into river Jordon following a queue!  All types of people are there!  The queue represented many in the society!  Tax collectors, Soldiers, Poojaries, sinners etc.  The one who is giving baptism is much "junior" to Jesus! But Jesus goes down before him in that sluggish and muddy river!

What a contrast he sets before us!  While the world is craving and thirsting for power and position and here is Jesus standing in a queue!

But the real recognition comes from top, the top most!  Very often the top most is the deep most!  "Here is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased".

If you look for mundane recognition and create artificial aura around your neck it is not going to give you the real fulfilment in life!

Know the difference between You and your shirt!  You and your mask! You and your uniform!  May be even YOU and your skin!

A long time minister was fed up with administration and wanted to make a spiritual journey to the mountains.  The king reluctantly permitted him to go.  After several months he returned to the city but found a little hut in the outskirts of the city and was leading simple life meditating and helping people, spiritually.  The king heard of it and one fine morning reached the hut.  He found his former minister sitting in meditation.  The king tried to persuade him to return to the palace.  "My dear man, what have you gained?  You went for a long journey and now have returned and lead a very poor life."  The spiritual man replied, "Oh dear king, when I was in the palace, you were sitting and I used to stand before you.  Now, I sit and you stand before me."  That is the difference.