FOCUS October 2014 Vol.

2 No: 4
Cover Photo The Legacy of St.
Peter in Rome, By Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas.
A Publication of Diaspora FOCUS
Contents
Editorial, Legacy - Page 3




Synopsis of Metropolitan!s Pastoral
Letters, Sabha Tharaka July, August,
Sep. 2014 Page 5
Are You Born Again? Justice K. T.
Thomas, Kottayam Page 7
Roots of Reformation, Dr. Zac
Varghese, London Page 9
Norman Borlaug - The Man Who Fed a
Billion, Prof. Dr. Jacob George, Kottayam - Page 11
Pearls of Wisdom, Dr. Zac Varghese,
London Page 12
Future of Diaspora Mar Thoma Church,
Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas - Page 14
Abrahamic Legacy, Rev. Dr. M. J. Joseph,
Kottayam - Page 17
Legacy of Rev. M. A. Thomas, Dr. Zac
Varghese, London Page 19
Transcending God - Images, Fr. Thomas
Punnapadam, SDB - Page 22
Editorial

Legacy

Legacy is an inheritance, heritage or endowment,
something handed down from one generation to the
next. A legacy is also a permanent, un-correctable,
record of our life in this world. Everyone leaves a
legacy of some sortthe question is what it will be.
Caine, Abraham, Moses, prophets of the Old
Testament, Buddha, Jesus, apostles, early Church
Fathers, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhiji, political
thinkers, philosophers, scientists, Hitler, Edi Amin,
Mother Teresa, our parents and grandparents left
us a legacy. A legacy is much broader than
inheritance of wealth and other material things from
our parents; our genetic makeup itself is a legacy. It
also refers to the effect a person had on others
while he or she was alive. The true legacy of each
human being has an effect on generations to come,
and it continues to expand and has unimaginable
consequences. Our personal lives may influence
others, and as Christians we should understand
this.



Our legacy is in Christ, "For we are God!s
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in advance for us to
do. (Ephesians 2:10). More importantly, it is with
these God-centered good works that we lead a
"purpose driven life! to leave a legacy. The
Scripture speaks about doing altruistic things as an
integral part of our salvation. Do we really think that
we can live and ignore such a command, and
simply slip into a self-centered life with a "me-first!
attitude? Often we are looking out only for
ourselves and what is always best for us. In fact, we
are commanded to consider others: "Do nothing out
of selfish ambition or vein conceit, but in humility
consider others better than yourselves. Each of you
should look not only to your own interests, but also
to the interests of others"(Philippians 2:3-4).

It is true that we are saved by grace, but our
continuing journey in the faith depends on not only
on just what Christ does, but also what we do under
His grace. As Bonhoeffer reminds us it is a costly
grace. In a way, God does everything for those who
love Him. However, we make decisions every
moment as to whether or not we will serve Him and
follow His will. And if we are serving Him, He makes
it very clear that good works will be part of our lives.
In fact, if we fail to do good deeds, we are sinning
for we also read in James 4:17: "Anyone, then, who
knows the good he ought to do and doesn!t do it,
sins." If we take this to heart, and believe that we
are not only commanded to do good works, but also
we should desire to do them, our legacy depends
on it. We will certainly make mistakes along the
way, and mess things up regardless of our
intentions. But if we desire to fulfil His commands,
the ultimate result will be a commendable legacy.
The parable of two sons (Matt 21: 28-32) is quite
relevant; a veneer of goodness can conceal a
basically disobedient heart. We can think we are
righteous because we have verbally agreed and
have the right membership card of a church, but our
commitment and compliance are poor.

It is a fact that we reap what we sow; when we look
out for others, God looks out for us. When we forget
about ourselves, He remembers us and takes care
of us. But when we strive to save our own lives, to
make everything smooth for ourselves as we
disregard others, we lose His blessing. The world
may say it respects those who are ambitious and do
well for themselves, but in the kingdom of God it is
not appreciated. The legacy that Christ left is a
sacrificial legacy. Some children are unhappy
because their parents would not make the quality
time at home with them to play, eat and talk; these
children have nothing expect Internet and social
media to interact. The legacy that they are trying to
build, in the final analysis, comes to nothing.

Legacy building is a lifelong exercise under the
grace of God. God commanded a young Jeremiah
to take leadership regardless of his age: "Ah,
sovereign Lord, I said, I do not know how to
speak; I am only a child. But the Lord said to me,
Do not say, "I am only a child.! You must go to
everyone I send you to and say whatever I
command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am
with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord
(Jeremiah 1:6-8). It is time for the young people in
our Diaspora communities to think about their role
in legacy building the right way. This is not easy; it
may cost them some friends, and popularity. If you
are taking a stand for Christ by saying you will not
participate in certain activities, then you are making
a difference for the good. When you go out of your
way to help others, you are creating a legacy for the
kingdom and kingdom values.

In this issue of the journal we have an article about
the Noble laureate, Norman Borlaug, the man who
fed billions through his lifelong dedication to
research for improving wheat production in Mexico
and India through genetic engineering and bringing
forth green revolution. The lay-centered progress
of the Church over the last few centuries are due to
the sacrifices of people who left legacies through
reformation movements of the churches and the
translation of the Bible and liturgies into native
languages as indicated in the article on "Roots of
reformation.! The review of the life of our patriarch
Abraham and the appreciation of the life of Revd.
M. A. Thomas are further models of legacy.

We can make a choice to live our lives as if they
count, as if other people matter and their problems
are ours too. The inheritance that God wants us to
leave for the next generation is making them
understand the importance of walking with Christ.
The ultimate legacy is the knowledge that "it is one
God in whom we live and move and have our
being.! Every act we do for others leaves a profound
message about the kingdom of God and its
everlasting significance. Ruskin said, To yield
reverence to another, to hold ourselves and our
lives at his disposal, is the noblest state in which a
man or woman can live in this world. It is time to
review our life so for, and think about the legacy
that we want to leave.

The season of advent and Christmas will be with us
soon for remembering the birth of Jesus who came
to us as a child threatened by violence, as a
refugee whose family fled due to the selfish
interests of a powerful ruler. It is a time for offering
our thanks and praise for the gift of God's love
revealed in human vulnerability. Jesus Christ has
given us the great commandment to love one
another and calls us to pray for our enemies. Jesus
has instructed us to live for others, not to be angry
and uncomfortable when the poor are seeking
justice, not to obstruct justice when those who have
been protected under various masks are exposed.
He has called us to seek for solidarity with the
neglected and abandoned. Let us celebrate the
hope of peace despite continuing violence and
international terrorism, despite fear and suspicion,
hatred and greed, nationalism and globalization.
We end this editorial with a prayer: May all who
come behind us find us faithful. May the fire of our
devotion light their way. May the footprints that we
leave lead them to believe, and the lives we live
inspire them to obey.1

1. John Mohr, "Find us faithful!1988 Birdwing
Music/Jonathan Mark Music.

The Editorial Board

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Synopsis of Metropolitan!s Pastoral Letters in the "Sabha
Tharaka! July, August & September 2014
July 2014:
July, with its own
particular
weather patterns
of the onset of
southwest
monsoon season,
is with us. We are
yet to see cooler
weather, and still
are suffering from
the severe hot
weather of the
summer season.
Let us pray that
we may receive
abundant
showers so that it
may fill our
reservoirs so that
we may have
enough electricity to light our homes. We have also seen
unprecedented severe tornados both in central Travancore
and south Kerala. Hope that the strong central government
which came to power after so many years may be able to
establish strong relationships in the international sphere as
well as a peaceful environment in India. Recently, we are
experiencing lot of atrocities against women and children,
which shows the degeneration of our rich heritage and
cultural norms established over many centuries. Hope and
pray that both the central and State governments may be
able to take steps to stop these atrocities against women
and children. We are created in the image of God so that
we may have strong relationships with our brothers and
sisters. It is very sad that those who should be role models
have disappointed us in recent times.
We are thinking of the ministry of St. Thomas this month,
who believed in the resurrected Jesus only after having a
direct experience. Thus he became the apostle of
resurrected Jesus and came to Kerala to spread the
gospel; we are keeping the vision and mission of St.
Thomas by following his teachings. When God entrusts us
with talents, we need to remember that we are not the
owners, but only the stewards. The talents need to be
shared with others and it was our practice in the past of
sharing and caring for less fortunate people. The
relationship we had with the agricultural labors and farmers
in the past is an example of this sharing and caring nature
of ours. We use to provide the necessities for them in the
past, but we lost that intimate relationship at present. It is to
be remembered that a relationship is created and
maintained only when we share the talents entrusted to us
by God.
We need committed and dedicated persons to undergo
theological studies. It is good to note that so many persons
are coming forward with a calling for the ministry of the
church. They are sent to different places, into the midst of
God!s people, so that they can be the ambassadors of God.
The thoughts for this month end with the thoughts of
Apostle James. The book of James contains the practical
ways of leading a worthy life to people around the world.
The book of James also reminds us that our faith needs to
be revealed through our deeds. "As the body without the
spirit is dead, so faith without deed is dead! (Jam. 2:26). it
gives us a picture that both faith and deed should move
together and they should not depart each other. The church
never teaches that if you do good deeds you can enter into
eternity. Apostle Paul teaches that we are justified through
our deeds. "Therefore, since we have been justified through
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into
this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the
hope of the glory of God.! (Romans 5:1-2). The faith in
Christ should transform us into new human beings. The
transformed human will always do good deeds to glorify
God. Thus both Apostle James and Apostle Paul are
talking about the same thing and not contrary to each other.
In the past, influenced by the principles of reformation in
the church, some church fathers even demanded to
remove the book of James from the Bible. If that had
happened, we should have lost the strongest principle of
justice. Let us praise God for including the book of James
in the Bible. Let us immerse in the faith with deeds to
strengthen ourselves and also to begin new mission
projects.
August 2014
The recent world football cup has prompted all the eyes to
turn to Brazil and when it ended with the message that the
entire world population is united together. Such a world cup
has given some extreme joy and to some deep sorrow and
I appreciate the German team who won the world cup. The
failure of the host team has wounded several hearts. The
hopeful Argentina team also failed to come to the rescue of
that continent. Even in Kerala, people were watching the
games day and night, which reminded that the world is
united. It is unfortunate that even though the issues in Syria
and Iraq have been sidelined during this period, but the
issues between Palestine and Israel is painful to see. A
large number of people are forced to leave their homes and
village to refugee camps. It is a trend at present to occupy
other countries and conquer them. This trend is seen all
over the world not just in one country or countries. The
world is afraid about how to make an end to these types of
occupations and conquering. If we walk through the ways
God has shown us, I am sure that we will be able to find
solutions to all these problems.
We are celebrating Mission Sunday on August 3rd and the
main theme is "gospel is for all!. During the initial stages of
missionary institutions, the object is to travel from the west
to the east. But later, it has changed and gospel needs to
be spread from everywhere to every other part of the world.
What is gospel? According St. Paul, "I am not ashamed of
the gospel.! After resurrection, Jesus told the disciples to be
his witnesses to the end of the earth. In the modern world,
this is very important. St. Mark, began his gospel by saying,
Jesus is the beginning of the gospel. We are called to be
witnesses of the Jesus Christ who is the gospel. We as a
church begin August with this thought in mind. The
disciples who considered Jesus as equal to
commandments and prophetic thoughts found comfort in
Him, but they became joyful when they experienced the
uniqueness of Jesus above commandments and prophetic
thoughts. Our Lord does not want to stay with His disciples
on the mount in a tent, but they found Jesus comforting a
father and a son after the mount of transfiguration
experience.
This is a mission given by Jesus to us to be involved in the
pain and sufferings of others and to comfort them. We
continue to think about the sacrament of wedding and
family is a mission entrusted by God to each one of us.
Each family should reside with Christ like the branch of vine
resides in the plant and being fruitful. Children are the gift
given by God, and parents have given the great
responsibility of nurturing them in the fear of God and in the
Christian values. Such nurtured children when they grow up
will be an asset to the family, church and community. I pray
that all families will be able to receive the grace of all
sacraments associated with family life. Let us involve in the
thoughts of the love of the Lord so that we can build up our
relationship with each other.
We continue to think about the heritage of our church
based on the reformation. The responsibility of the church
is to govern its people through democratic principles, which
is the mark of a reformed church. The Holy Communion is
to remind us of that responsibility. What is the experience
of Holy Communion? It is the experience of being
submitted to God, held in the hands of the Lord, blessed
and broken by him. Not only that, that it is the experience of
which being broken is converted in to a more stronger one.
Mother Teresa said, it is through the Holy Communion that
we are getting the strength to enter with peace into the
pains and sufferings of others. On August 31st we are
thinking about the subject, Witnessing Christ in the midst of
other faiths. Being the salt and light of the earth, we can be
the witnesses of Christ among others. Church has begun
schools in the earlier period with this thought of becoming
the salt and light of the earth. We are witnesses of Christ,
and let the Lord strengthen us to walk with Christ as His
witnesses so that we can be a blessing to others.
Sep. 2014
The month of August was filled with tensions and pains. So
many people returned from foreign countries without even
receiving the salary. So many people were forced to leave
their countries and seek refuge in neighboring countries.
The incidents that took place in Iraq, Syria and Libya were
enough to shake our feelings. The activities of the religious
fundamentalists including killing innocent people under the
name of religion have not only tarnished their own religions
but also the questioning the existence of other religions
also. The incident of firing missile at a plane and the killing
of the innocent people also shook the feelings of human
race as a whole. Both the United Nations and other
countries are still not able to find any solutions to these
tensions and war including internal fight between different
groups based on religious beliefs.
We have 35 students who completed theological studies
being ordained and entered in to the ministry of the church
this year. At the same 15 priests retired from the active
service of the church. I pray that the service of the newly
ordained priests and also the witnessing of the retired
priests may be able to provide for the justice to all. When
God created man and women and gave them Garden of
Eden, He has given importance to the relationship between
the two. The relationship between God and man is that he
has given life to man, but the relationship between the man
and woman is based on the fact that woman is created
from the bone and flesh of man. When they disobeyed
God, they have received the punishment not inflicted by
God, but the punishment they have inherited by not
obeying God!s command. We need to recognize that it was
through the grace of God that He sent his only son to this
world to redeem us from our sins. "For you know the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich, yet for
your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty
might become rich! (2 Cor. 8:9). The richness of God was
given to man, which is revealed by the fullness of the
human nature given.
We can see many women in the Bible who have paved for
transformation, some in to good things and some in to bad
things. Eve and Isabel are examples of women who led the
wrong way while Naomi, Ruth, Mary, mother of Jesus, and
Eunice, mother of Timothy, led themselves in to good
things. When we celebrate the Sevika Sanghom Day this
year, I urge the women to think in which path they are
leading themselves and their families. We are also
celebrating Senior Citizens Day in September and the
church is giving more importance to Ten Commandments
at present. In order to live long we have to respect and
honor our parents. We are also celebrating the ecumenism
in the month of September and it appears that the
Communion of Churches in India (CCI) created in the past
among Mar Thoma Church, C. S. I., and C. N. I., has not
gained popularity yet. The concluding thought of this month
is the sacrament of baptism. The children who are the gift
of God and through the sacrament of baptism; both the
parents and grandparents have been given the
responsibility to nurture them under the grace of God. We
need to give importance to pray with our children and also
nurture them in relationship to the church and Christ. The
mother of St. Augustine prayed for him, which resulted him
being transformed as St. Augustine. When the number of
parents who pray for their children with tears is decreased,
the children will be led to all wrongs. Bible records about
Samuel who was brought in relationship with Eli and God
as "And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in
favor with the Lord and with people! (1 Samuel 2:26). Let us
pray that our children also grow like Samuel and Jesus with
the grace of God and people around them, and let us
nurture them also in that direction.
Compiled & Translated by Lal Varghese, Esq.,
Dallas (An abridged version of Pastoral Letters
appeared in Malayalam from Sahba Tharaka, the
official publication of the Mar Thoma Church)
Are You Born Again?

Justice K. T. Thomas, Kottayam

This query was darted at me by a young smart girl a few
years ago. It happened during an interaction session in a
meeting held at St. Mark!s Cathedral, Bangalore. I was
specially invited by the organizers to address the meeting
on the subject Religious Conversions its Constitutional
angles When I ended my speech I presumed that it
would have been well received by the elite audience. But
my reasoning against religious conversion through any
kind of inducement was not welcomed by some of the
spirited Christian listeners who attended the meeting.
The few questions raised by them were expressive of
their dissent to my view on conversion, as they might
have been acrimonious evangelists who believed that
human salvation is possible only through baptism and
penance.

The title of this article came from the audience as the last
question. As I did not know what is meant by born
again, I adopted the stratagem of subterfuge by putting
the same question back to the questioner. I asked the girl
Are you born again? Without any hesitation she
answered in the affirmative. So I asked her how, to which
she promptly replied by water and spirit I then persisted
with my further questions. She explained that she
underwent baptism by immersing herself in water and
also by invoking the Holy Spirit. According to her, those
are the means to be born again by water and spirit.

I felt her explanation was unimpressive, if not, puerile.
With a flash in my mind which provided me a new thought
to understand what Lord Jesus would have meant by the
expression born again I used the opportunity to put
across what I felt about the doctrine born again I said
the following as answer to her query. Born again was
spelled out by Jesus when a young man approached him
for help in his quest to attain eternal life or to reach
Kingdom of God. Jesus told him unless you are born
again you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God The
young man would have felt what any other inquisitive
person also would have felt. So he told Jesus, it is
difficult to get into the womb of his mother to be born
again. It was in that context Jesus made out his great
philosophy unless you are born again by water and spirit
you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.

The gospel writer did not record any further elucidation
that Jesus probably would have narrated to drive the
point home. In no other passage of the New Testament
this seemingly incomprehensible idea has been further
elaborated. I think it is left to the reader to understand
how one could be born again?

In the discourse Jesus mentioned five subjects (i) eternal
life (ii) Kingdom of God (iii) born again (iv) water, and (v)
spirit. As the crux is born again, we may look at the
other four. Here one must understand without difficulty
that eternal life is the cognate for Kingdom of God. .
Eternal Life is definitely different from everlasting life, as
some people would mistake it. World renowned biblical
scholars have explained eternal life as life with God or
life divine. So here the enquiry is how one would attain
life with God. The other words water and spirit are
used metaphorically as the usual style adopted by Jesus
on different occasions. Here water is meant as the
cleansing process in life. Cleansing what? Definitely it is
cleansing the evil part in a man!s life. The word spirit
represents energy or power to take this determination
forward in to the future. Cleansing includes shedding out,
or doing some penance or doing something, which would
cause apparent loss, which could be material or even
physical. I do not think that Jesus would have meant
when he said about born again by water and spirit that if
one would dip himself in water in a river or tank and
hysterically proclaim holy spirit, he would born again to
attain eternal life. I cannot regard Lord Jesus to have
deployed such cheap or small measures in order to attain
eternal life.

The most fantastic exposition on this thesis can be
discerned from the episode in which Jesus was closeted
with the Customs Collector (Zacchaeus). Presumably the
Collector was a corrupt officer who would have acquired
disproportionate assets through foul methods. Jesus had
a very purposeful dialogue with him after which the
transformation in him was miraculous. At the end of the
conversation the Collector made the path breaking
announcement Lord I have decided to give back all
my ill-gotten wealth, not merely on a par, but with
compound interest, i.e.; four fold Here is the best
example of how one could cleanse the past. Again the
same officer told Jesus that I have also decided to utilize
my well gotten wealth for social justice purposes This
again is the best example of what change the spirit can
bring about in a person. At the said announcement made
by the tax collector, Jesus acknowledged him as being
born again. Salvation has come to him and his family.

In the best of my thinking the above was what Jesus said
and meant when he told that only through water and spirit
you can be born again in order to attain eternal life. When
I completed the above explanation at St. Mark!s
Cathedral there was loud applause from the listeners. I
presumed that it would have satisfied the smart
questioner. The Presbyter Vicar of St. Mark!s Cathedral
who also listened my words told me at the end of the
meeting thus: I have been doing ministry for 26 years but
never have I heard such an impressive explanation
regarding born again. I told him that even I did not
earlier discover this; I now believe that this was inspired
by the Holy Spirit in me. Later I conveyed the above
elucidation to four persons, two of them are former
Principals of the Theological Seminary, and the other two
were laymen biblical scholars. All of them told me that
the explanation is not only impressive but could have
been Holy Spirit inspired. I now leave it to the readers of
the column to contemplate on this explanation of the
seemingly incomprehensible theory of born again.

A Meditation Based on Psalm 139

P. John Samuel, Kerala

[The following meditation on Psalm 139 is adopted by Mr.
John P. Samuel from a book, "WHERE CAN I GO FROM
YOUR SPIRIT by O.S. Hawkins.!] Where can I go from
your Spirit (Ps 139:7)

There is the Wonder of the Lord's Omniscience

This big word simply means that god knows everything.
Five times in this psalm, David stated that God knew him.
He began by saying, O Lord, You have searched me and
known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up...
[You] are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a
word on my tongue, but... You know it altogether. - Psalm
139:1-4

So what does God know? He knows what you do. He
knows what you think. He knows where you go. He
knows what you say. He knows what you need. When
David tried to grasp the extent of this knowledge, he
became overwhelmed. Paul responded in a similar way:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments
and His ways past finding out! For of Him and through
Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. -
Romans 11:333. What a wonder! God knows you... your
e-mail address... your phone number... your worries...
your hurts... your fears... your dreams. And He loves you.

There is the Wonder of the Lord's Omnipresence

This big word means God is everywhere. Wondering at
this truth, David asked, where can I go from Your Spirit? -
Psalm 139:7, first he tried the heights and depths, but he
discovered God was there: If I ascend into heaven, you
are there; if I make my bed in hell [sheol, the realm of the
dead], behold, you are there. - Psalm 139:8. From
daylight to dark, from East to West, David could go
nowhere that God was not present. No matter where we
are, God is there.

Jonah attempted to flee from God!s presence. But to no
avail. Adam and Eve tried to hide from God in the cool of
the garden. But, again, to no avail. Isaiah!s prophecy that
the coming Messiah would be called Immanuel,
meaning God with us, underscores this wonder-full truth
that He is always with us (Isaiah 7:14). Where can we go
from God!s presence? There is not a corner of this big
world where He is not present. Because God is always
present, we are never alone. And this assurance of His
presence brought comfort and hope to the apostle Paul in
some of his darkest hours. On more than one occasion
Paul described how the Lord stood by him or with him
(Acts 23:11; 2 Timothy 4:1618). God!s constant
presence with us is indeed a wonder. He knows you, and
He is always near.

There is the Wonder of the Lord's Omnipotence

This third big word simply means our God is all powerful.
Although David could have described the awesomeness
of God!s power in a variety of ways, he chose to focus on
the miracle of conception and birth. Talk about a wonder!

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my
mother!s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and
wonderfully made... My frame was not hidden from You,
when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the
lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance,
being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were
written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there
were none of them. - Psalm 139:1316

Think for a moment about this wonder of wonders. David
described two microscopic pieces of protoplasm that
come together and form a live human being with all the
intricacies of a nervous system, a respiratory system, a
circulatory system, a digestive system, a mind, a heart, a
soul. What a testimony to the omnipotence of our loving
God who Himself formed us in our mother!s womb! As I
wonder at this miracle of birth, I can!t keep silent about
the harsh reality that our once-Christian nation has
legalized the murder of millions of innocent babies. After
describing this wondrous aspect of god!s omnipotence -
the conception of a child - David praised his Creator: "I
will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made"
(Psalm 139:14).

God knows us. He is with us. He is all powerful. Having
basked in the wonder of God, David ended this psalm on
a note of vulnerability that is commendable and worth
emulating: Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try
me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any
wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. -
Psalm 139:2324.

Once we have caught the wonder of our omniscient,
omnipresent, and omnipotent God, we will likely be
moved to join David in saying, Search me... Try me...
Know me... Lead me. We could be in no better hands.

Editor!s Note: Mr. P. John
Samuel was the Director of
Dept. of Mining and Geology of
Kerala and retired in 2002. Now
he is a freelance mining
Geologist, but he says, "I get
more joy in exploring the word of
God.! josam@asianetindia.com;
jobabsam@gmail.com, Tel: 011-
91 471 2352395 (Land), 011-91
9846235239 (Cell)
Roots of Reformation
Dr. Zac Varghese, London, UK

1n 2011, we celebrated the 175th anniversary of the
reformation of the Mar Thoma church. At the heart of
reformation was the principle that "the church should
have the authority for its fundamental doctrines in the
clear teaching of the Bible which consist of its present
66 books.!1 Secondly, Abraham Malpan2 from the
beginning committed to making worship
comprehensible by translating the Syriac liturgy into
Malayalam and conducting services using this liturgy.
This is reminiscent of what Thomas Cranmer, did for
the Church of England by producing the first English
prayer book in 1549; "The Common Prayer Book! of
1662 is a modified version. There was a second wave
of reformation in the 19th century through the Oxford
movement. The reformation of the Mar Thoma Church
was influenced by the CMS missionaries; the wind of
reformation was blowing everywhere at this time.



It was in 1829 that Benjamin Bailey translated the four
gospels into Malayalam, which was followed by the
whole Bible in 1841. Metropolitan Chrysostom3
emphasized that the translation of Bible played a
crucial role in our reformation. He said, It cannot
therefore be said that we maintained a Christian
identity- may be a Christian culture. The reason for this
was that our forefathers did not have any deep
understanding of Christ. How is a deep understanding
of Christ is possible without the study of the Bible?
Therefore, translating the Bible into native languages
has greatly helped the missionary movements
throughout the world. The encouragement for the
translation of the Bible came from some unexpected
sources. The Bible became available in English after
the work of William Tyndale in 1526. He was burned at
the stake in 1536 for translating the Bible. There were
other obstacles to translation as I have discovered
while reading "Boswell!s work on the life of Johnson.!
In 1766, William Drummond, a bookseller in Edinburgh,
wrote to Dr. Johnson of his dismay at the attitudes of
some members of the "Society of the Propagation of
Christian Knowledge! in Scotland against translating
the Bible into Gaelic language. It is just an interesting
coincidence of History that this William Drummond
might have been a relative of the East India Company
surgeon, Robert Drummond, who in 1749 made an
effort in codifying Malayalam grammar. In Response to
William!s letter, Dr. Johnson wrote the following
memorable letter supporting such translations. Dr.
Johnson had enormous admirers in the literary and
royal circles and hence his letter had a significant
Impact.

A Letter dated 13th August 1766 from Johnson!s Court
at Fleet Street in London: 4.

Sir, I did not expect to hear that it could be, in an
assembly convened for the propagation of Christian
Knowledge, a question whether any nation
uninstructed in religion should receive instruction; or
whether that instruction should be imparted to them by
a translation of the holy book in their own language. If
obedience to will of God be necessary to happiness,
and the knowledge of his will be necessary to
obedience, I know not how he that withholds this
knowledge, or delays it, can be said to love his
neighbor as himself. He that voluntarily continues
ignorance, is guilty of all the crimes which ignorance
produces; as to him that should extinguish the tapers
of a lighthouse, might justly be imputed the calamities
of ship wrecks. Christianity is the highest perfection of
humanity; and as no man is good but as he wishes the
good of others, no man can be good in the highest
degree, who wishes not to others the largest measures
of greatest good. To omit for a year, or for a day, the
most efficacious method of advancing Christianity, in
compliance with any purposes that terminate on this
side of the grave, is a crime of which I know not that
the world has yet had an example, except in the
practice of planters of America, a race of mortals
whom, I suppose no other man wishes to resemble.
The Papists have, indeed, denied to the laity the use of
the Bible; but this prohibition, in few places now very
rigorously enforced, is defended by arguments which
have their foundation the care of souls. To obscure,
upon motives merely political, the light of revelation, is
a practice reserved for the reformed; and, surely, the
blackest midnight of Popery is meridian sunshine to
such a reformation. I am not very willing that any
language should be totally extinguished. The similitude
and derivations of languages afford the most
indubitable proof of tradition of nations, and the
genealogy of mankind. They add often physical
certainty to historical evidence; and often supply the
only evidence of ancient migration, and of the
evolutions of ages, which left no written monument
behind them. Every man!s opinions, at least his
desires, are a little bit influenced by his favorite studies.
My seal for language may seem, perhaps, rather
overheated, even to those by whom I desire to be well
esteemed. To those who have nothing in their thoughts
but trade or policy, present power, or present money, I
should not think it necessary to defend my opinions;
but with men of letters I would not unwillingly
compound, by wishing the continuance of every
language, however narrow in its extent, or however
incommodious for common purposes, till it is reposted
in some version of a known book, that it may be always
here after examined and compared with other
languages, and then permitting its disuse. For this
purpose the translation of the Bible is most to be
desired. It is not certain that the same method will not
preserve the Highland language, for the purpose of
learning, and abolish from daily use. When the
Highlanders read the Bible, they will naturally wish to
have its obscurities cleared, and to know the history,
collateral or appendant. Knowledge always desires
increase; it is like fire, which must be kindled by some
external agent, but it will afterwards propagate itself.
When they once desire to learn, they will naturally have
recourse to the nearest language by which that desire
can be gratified; and one will tell another that if he
would attain knowledge, he must learn English.

This speculation may, perhaps, be though more subtle
than the grossness of real life will easily admit. Let it,
however, be remembered, that the efficacy of
ignorance has long been tried, and has not produced
the consequences expected. Let knowledge, therefore,
take its turn; let the patrons of privation stand awhile
aside, and admit the operations of positive principles.

You will be pleased, Sir, to assure the worthy man who
is employed in the new translation, that he has my
wishes for success; and if here or at Oxford I can be of
any use, I shall think it more than honor to promote his
understanding.

I am sorry that I delayed so long to write. I am, Sir, your
most humble servant. Sam. Johnson.

This amazing letter has literary merits, and is written in
a style we do not see these days. These exchanges in
the 17th and 18th century are relevant to us today to
understand the debate that is going on about the
translation of our liturgy into languages, styles and
idioms for making Sunday worship comprehensible to
of our younger generations living in various regions of
the world.
References:
1. Juhanon Mar Thoma Metropolitan. Christianity in India and
a brief history of the Mar Thoma Church; 1952.
2. Zac Varghese and Mathew A. Kallumpram. Glimpses of
Mar Thoma Church History; 2003.
3. Metropolitan Chrysostom. Mission in the Market Place;
2002.
4. James Boswell. The Life of Johnson; 1897.on: Oxford
University Press, 1959.

Dr. Zac Varghese, London,
U.K., was the director of Renal
and Transplantation
Immunology Research of
Royal Free Hospital and
Medical School in London. He
has co-authored Medical
textbooks and published
extensively on Transplantation,
Nephrology, Inflammation, and
lipid-mediated vascular injury.
He is an Emeritus Professor
and continues to be a supervisor for doctoral studies even
after his retirement. He is also a prolific writer on religious
and ecumenical issues; he continues to work relentlessly for
the !common good" of the worldwide Mar Thoma Diaspora
communities.

A RELIGIOUS WORSHIP
OR WORSHIP IN SPIRIT
AND TRUTH
Rev. Dr. K. V. Mathew, Kottayam

As and when the human realizes the relational reality
of God/the covenant God, worshipful moments begin.
They are really moments of acknowledging/realizing
divine presence of a God-with-us experience with the
human a kind of imminence of the Transcendent with
us. It can be a single, personal awareness of an
intense experience of the presence of the Eternal in the
ephemeral human context.

The ideal worship is in communion with God and the
community/others. It may be with spontaneous rituals
i.e. bodily postures, archana or silent meditation on the
awesome wonder the inexplicable presence of the
ultimate reality, the ground of all existence.

Constructing permanent structures to make the deity
indwell with us is a foolish act a futile ritual to express
formal religiosity. Such religious centers may be used
for meditation and worship in a cacophonic world. Such
worship need not and cannot be in spirit and in truth.

The God of our worship is always in motion a
migrating God with the migrating people in a moving
universe. It is up to us - God!s children and servants
to realize the divine presence and move forward in life.

Norman Borlaug- The Man Who Fed a Billion

Prof. Dr. Jacob George, Kottayam

This year is being celebrated
as the birth centenary of
Norman Borlaug. The
question may naturally arise;
Who is Norman Borlaug?
As Nobel peace laureate,
father of green revolution,
agricultures greatest
spokesperson, winner of US
Presidential Medal of
Freedom and the Padma
Vibhhooshan of India, and as
one who almost single
handedly fed a billion, he should have been a household
name. Unfortunately, we the thankless have forgotten
him. And he never went after name or fame. His sole
concern was to bring world peace through food security.

Dr. Borlaug was born in the US in 1914 to parents who
migrated from Norway. From the age of nine to
seventeen he was deeply involved in fishing, hunting,
raising pigs, corn and chicken in the 103 acres farm in
Iowa. There he attended the one-teacher one-room
school through eighth standard. Thereafter he decided
to pursue his higher education when his grandfather told
him, you are wiser to fill your head now if you want to fill
your belly later. To finance his studies, he had to put his
education to hold often. At that time to earn enough
money, he even worked for the US forest stations, which
are the most isolated wilderness of the country. After
having degree in biology he secured his Ph. D in
pathology and genetics in 1942 from the University of
Minnesota. Then he worked for Dupond from 1942-44.
At the invitation of Mexican government he left to work
there with funding from Rockefeller Foundation, leaving
behind his pregnant wife and 14 months daughter. This
was in 1944. There he concentrated in soil development,
maize and wheat production and plant pathology. The
goal was to boost wheat production in Mexico, which
was at that time importing large portion of its wheat.
During the sixteen years of project in Mexico, he could
successfully breed high-yield, semi-dwarf disease-
resistant wheat variety. This period he sometimes refers
to as quiet revolution

During mid- sixties, the Indian subcontinent immediately
after India- China war was experiencing widespread
famine and starvation. As a schoolboy of that era, I still
remember the intensity of the famine and also
remember with gratitude the valiant efforts made by our
mothers to feed four or five children of theirs. The
prayers of those mothers must have reached heaven
and the Lord sent Norman Borlaug to India at the
invitation of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. After intensive
testing Borlaugs team began their efforts by importing
about 4500 tons of dwarf varieties of wheat seeds. Initial
harvest was a huge success. In 1966 India imported
18000 tons of wheat developed by Borlaug from
Mexico, the largest world import of any seed at that
time. The yield produced enough seeds to cover the
entire nation in the following year. The outcome was
overwhelming.

Observing the great imbalance between population
growth and food supply in the mid-sixties, the noted
biologist Paul R. Enrich in his best- seller The population
bomb predicted that in 1970 s and 1980 s hundreds of
millions of people in the Indian subcontinent will die of
starvation. By the time his book was released in 1968,
Borlaug and his team had already done the miracle.
India and Pakistan became self-sufficient in wheat. From
a mere 12.3 million tons of wheat in 1965, India
harvested 76.4 million tons in 2000. A similar increase
occurred in rice production also due to the efforts of
Borlaug and his team. Since 1970s food production has
increased faster than population growth thanks to the
vision and hard work of Norman Borlaug. This has
helped India to preserve much of its forests. The famous
Norman Borlaug hypothesis says that increasing the
products of agriculture in the best farmland can help
control deforestation by reducing the need for new
farmlands.

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Editors Note: Prof. Dr. Jacob George
is former head of Chemistry
Department, CMS College, Kottayam,
Kerala and former convener for
Ecological Commission, Kottayam -
Kochi Diocese of the Mar Thoma Syrian
Church. He can be reached at his e-
mail: jgozhathil@gmail.com
Pearls of Wisdom from Down the Ages - 6
A reading from St. Augustine!s commentary on the
Psalms of ascent to the Temple (Psalm 130: 1-3). *

[St. Augustine (354 430 CE) was a very influential
theologian; he is considered as one of the most
important Church Fathers. His most important works
are "City of God! and "Confessions.! Believing that the
grace of Christ was indispensable to human freedom,
he helped to formulate the doctrine of original sin, and
made seminal contributions.]



My brothers, I have often warned you in my sermons
on the Psalms not to listen to the Psalmist!s voice as
though he were an individual singer, but to take it as
the voice of all who belong to the body of Christ. Since
all are members of his body, he speaks as a single
person. He himself is one and manifold, for his
members are many among themselves but one in him
who is unique. This is mystery of God!s temple; the
apostle says of it that "the temple of God is holy and
the temple you are!all of you, that is, who believe in
Christ and whose faith expresses itself in love. For
believing in Christ means, loving him. The demons
believed without loving and so, in spite of their belief,
they demanded: What have you to do with us, Son of
God? But ours must be a faith that leads to love. Not
for us the cry: "What have to do with us?! Rather let us
say: We belong to you and you redeemed us. All who
have this kind of faith are like the living stones that are
built into the temple of God, or like the incorruptible
wood used to construct the ark no flood could
submerge.

Men themselves are the temples where God!s gifts are
asked for and received. The gift of eternal life is only
granted to those who pray in the temple of God; but the
man who prays there is the man who prays within the
peace of the Church, in the unity of the body of Christ,
which consists of the multitude of believers throughout
the whole world. Such a man gains a hearing, for he
prays in spirit and truth. To pray in the temple of
Jerusalem gave no such assurance, for that temple
was the scene of a symbolic action in which the Lord
drove out men because they were bent on their own
end, frequenting the place for the purpose of buying
and selling. However, if that temple was a figure of the
true one, which is the body of Christ, it is apparent that
even here men can be found who have only their
interests at heart, and not that of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the lord made a scourge of cords with which
no drive such traders out of the temple.

The voice of the psalmist, then, belongs to the temple,
which is the body of Christ, and it is here, not in that
temple built by hands, that God!s gift are sought and
received in spirit and truth. The old temple was only
the place of foreshadowing; it has now been
demolished. Does this mean that our house of prayer
has been destroyed? Certainly not! How could that the
fallen temple be the one that was called "a house of
prayer for all nations?! For you know that our Lord
Jesus Christ said: "It is written, my house shall be
called a house of prayer for all peoples, and you have
turned it into a robbers! den!. Now the men who wanted
to make the house of God a den of robbers surely did
not intend to destroy the temple. Those who live evil
lives within the Catholic Church are like them; they do
their best to make the house of God into a robbers!
den, but they not on that account destroy it. The time
will come when they will be driven out with the scourge
of their own sins.

But as far the temple of God, which is the body of
Christ and the assembly of the faithful, it chants this
psalm of ascent with the voice of a single man. We
have already heard him in psalm after psalm; let us
listen to him again now. If we wish, his voice is ours;
we can listen to his music and sing it in our hearts. But
if we refuse, we shall be like the traders in the temple
of old, pursuing our own selfish interests. We may
indeed enter the church, but it will not be in order to
seek what is pleasing to God.

* A Word in Season edited by H. Ashworth, 1974; The
Talbot Press, Dublin, page 229-230

Editor"s Note: Dr. Zac Varghese, London, U.K., was the
director of Renal and Transplantation Immunology
Research of Royal Free Hospital and Medical School in
London. He is an Emeritus Professor and continues to be
a supervisor for doctoral studies even after his retirement.
He is also a prolific writer on religious and ecumenical
issues for the good of Mar Thoma Diaspora.

Future of the Diaspora Mar Thoma Church
Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas

I ntroducti on:

Mar Thoma Church has members at present all over the world
including parishes and even dioceses outside India. This was
not the case 50 years ago, it was mostly a church for
members living in Kerala or at the most living in major cities in
India like Bombay, New Delhi, Madras, Bangalore and
Calcutta. We had small Mar Thoma communities in Malaysia
and Ceylon for nearly 100 years. What will be future of the Mar
Thoma Church after next 50 years especially those parishes
and dioceses situated outside India? Mar Thoma Church will
be there for sure both in India and outside, but will there be an
increase in membership or in the number parishes outside
India? I do not want to speculate on this matter, but would like
to point out how we can keep our membership and keep our
parishes at least in the same numbers as we have now, after
next 50 years.

The United States is one of the leading countries where
majority of the Marthomites are being settled during the past
50 years. More and more people are migrating to United
States every year to different cities, where they associate with
the parishes already established. In some cities they form new
parishes. For example, in Dallas since 1976, there was only
one parish until 1989. By 1996, there were three parishes and
in 2004 a fourth one was formed. The number of Mar Thoma
families in Dallas increased from about 60 families to 600
families during the past 30 plus years. Will this trend is going to
continue here or elsewhere in this Diocese, by more and more
people immigrating here and later establishing more and more
parishes in this city or elsewhere in this Diocese? The majority
of the people immigrating to United States are either as
married children of U. S citizens or brother and sisters of U. S
citizens. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (CIR),
which is pending before the American Congress has provisions
to eliminate these two main family categories. If the law is
passed by Congress and becomes law, the flow of the people
may stop in about 10 years. The church is mainly depending
upon the people immigrating here from Middle East and India.
If that flow is to be stopped after about 10 years or so, what
will be end result?

Another negative factor, which is going to impact the
membership in the parishes, will be the re-settlement of the
early immigrants back in India, who came and established
parishes here. Most of them are retired and few of them have
already returned to India for leading retired life over there with
the income they are receiving by way of social security and the
pension fund for those who worked and contributed to the
same. A few are living here only for half of the time in a year
and they live half of the time in India, especially during the
winter period. Those who live here are no longer interested in
the affairs of the parish or the church as a whole as they used
to be. They feel at times that they are being sand-witched
between the church and the subsequent generations. As
Salman Rushdie rightly said: Sometimes we feel we straddle
two cultures; at other times, that we fall between two
stools. They are worried about their generations not attending
our parishes or actively taking part in the affairs of the parishes.

The majority of the second and third generations (children and
grandchildren of the first immigrants) have already left the
church. They are either not attending any church at all or
attending main denominational churches or nondenominational
churches. According to study conducted only about 25% of
the first and second generation is attending our parishes on a
regular basis. The 75% are considered as Religious Nones of
the Mar Thoma Church. There are no studies conducted also
about the number and reasons for those who do not attend
our parishes. If the flow of Marthomites immigrating from
outside especially from Middle East and India is stopped, and
the earlier immigrants ceased to exist either by death, re-
settlement, the church will end up with the 25% those who are
born and brought up in this country after about 10 years or so.
Is the church ready to cater to the needs of the subsequent
generations? It seems that this question has not bothered the
church much at all until this time.

I feel that the church should address the issues discussed
below in order to effectively stop the exodus of the future
generations and keep them in the faith journey of the church.

Adequate provi si ons shoul d be made f or l earni ng the
f ai th and practi ces of the church:

The Mar Thoma church claims that it was founded by St.
Thomas, apostle of Jesus Christ in A. D. 52 in Kerala. It keeps
its own faith, practices and traditions handed from generation
to generation for the past 2000 years. Are we able to pass on
them to our generations living outside India effectively
especially in this Diocese? It appears that the church has failed
in this effort to meaningfully teach the future generations about
its rich heritage, faith and practices and instill in them a sense
of belonging to the church. It is the duty of the church and the
older generation to teach the same to the subsequent
generations.

I nsti l l a desi re i n the generati ons to l earn about the
ri ch heri tage, f ai th and practi ces of the church:

Simply forcing the generations to learn the rich heritage, faith
and practices of the church may not work. At least that is what
we are experiencing for the past 40 years in this part of the
world. In order to instill a desire among the generations
towards the church, its older generation, clergy and other
leaders should maintain a high quality spiritual life and minister
to the second generation. At present, it seems that church
attendance is just considered as an occasion to meet with
others especially relatives once a week. Some consider
attendance in church is mainly to participate in the Holy
Communion. If we fail to live a life worthy to our Lord by
engaging in meaningful mission and ministry of the church, we
may not be ale to instill a strong desire among the generations
about the church. If we fail to instill such strong desire, they are
less inclined to study its rich heritage, faith and practices.
Li turgy shoul d be i n a l anguage that can be
understood by them:

The second, third and even in some places fourth generations
only speak the English language, which is not often understood
fully by the older generation and clergy. In the course of time
language develops more and more colloquial terms and new
words and slangs, which are not often understood by most of
the older folks and clergy. The liturgy we are using no doubt is
rich in meaning and symbolism, but most of our generations
fail to understand the rich meaning and the symbols used in
our liturgy. Our liturgy is very lengthy and most of the priests try
to repeat everything in the liturgy. It was fine about 50 years
ago, when people were doing agricultural jobs in fields and
found time to spend in the church on Sundays. But this is not
the case now, where people even work during weekends to
meet economical needs, they do not feel comfortable to spend
about 3-4 hours in the church during the Sunday morning. The
liturgy should be modified in the language of the future
generations and it should be shortened so that the service can
be finished within a short time. Anyone attending our Holy
Communion service without understanding the full meaning of
the liturgy may feel it boring.



Symbol s used i n the Hol y Communi on shoul d be
made understandabl e to the f uture generati ons:

Eastern churches including Mar Thom Church use lot of
symbols during the Holy Communion Service. But the church
often fails to teach the future generations about the importance
and meaning of the symbols. For example, they ask why girls
are not allowed to assist in the alter like the boys. Whey the
priest is washing his hands after the confession prayer? Why
the priest gives kiss of peace to the other clergy first and then
only later to the lay leaders? Why the lay leaders stand on the
south side of the Madbaha? What are the meanings of the
symbols used in our Holy Communion? For example, most of
the older generation knows why the curtain in the Madbaha is
opened from south to north. But the new generations do not
know it is opened from south to north because, when the
curtain is opened, the Thronos, where the presence of
resurrected Jesus should be seen first by the women. It is
because it is the women who saw and met the resurrected
Jesus first. It should be remembered that our churches built in
such a way that the Madbaha faces towards the east in most
our churches especially in Kerala, women are seated
separately on the south side, while the men are seated on the
north side of the church. Hence, when the curtain of the
Madbaha is opened from south to north, automatically the
Thronos will be visible to women first. Another example is that
why the color of the curtain should be red and it should not be
hung from the roof to the floor? Why there should be space
above the curtain and the roof? What is the meaning of
Thuyaba service? What is being done behind the curtain? In
most of the parishes people greet and meet each other and
talk about important events or matters happened in the past
week or going to happen in the future. They do not pay any
attention to what is going on behind the curtain during the
Thuyaba service. Anyone who attends our Holy Communion
service without understanding the meaning of the symbols
used will definitely feel bored during the whole time.

Sermons del i vered f rom the pul pi t shoul d be rel ati ng
to the l i f e events of the younger generati on:

Unfortunately, the sermons delivered from our pulpits in our
parishes are not related to the life events or situations being
faced by our generations. Most of the Achens use the same
sermons with stories they used in the parishes in India. It is just
like using the same Slayippu to climb both the Coconut tree
and Adackya tree in Kerala. Our priests should be trained to
deliver meaningful sermons in the shortest time possible. Some
deliver the sermons for 30-45 minutes, and most of the second
and third generations are spending their time on the Internet
through their cell phones. At least some of the priests are just
printing out sermons available on the internet and just read it
while on the pulpit. Such reading of the sermons will not serve
the purpose and it should flow from their hearts through crisp
and clear language, which can be understood by the
generations.

Need f or assi mi l ati on and i ntegrati on of cul tural
competence and cul tural heri tage:

According to a study conducted by Catholic Church in U S A
titled Ministry in Multicultural and National / Ethnic Parishes
cultural competence and cultural heritage is defined as follows:
Cultural competence refers to the ability to interact
comfortably and confidently with others in a particular cultural
frame work by appropriately utilizing or referencing the
assumptions, customs, values, and symbols of the culture.
Cultural heritage on the other hand refers to the language and
culture of a persons ancestors, whether or not the person is
able to communicate comfortably and confidently with people
of that culture in the present. In order to avoid the conflict
between the culture and cultural heritage of two different
generations (the older generation and the young generation) we
need to operate from an ecclesiology of one parish, one
community. According to this theological vision parish unity is
best exposed when all parishioners participate harmoniously in
the life of the parish. We do not have this one parish, one
community theological vision in our parishes. There is always a
conflict going on between the older generation and younger
generation and neither wants to open it up or discuss the
issues in open forum and to sort out the amicable ways to
move forward. The leadership of the church also keeps a
closed eye towards these serious cultural issues.

Eccl esi ol ogy of the pari sh must be a communi ty of
communi ti es :

An alternative theological/pastoral vision for ministry in a
multicultural (generational) parish is to consider the parish as
community of communities, rather than as a single community.
In our parishes it seems that the Achens are transferred from
India for catering to the needs of the older generation to a
certain extent, but they fail to understand the needs and issues
of the second and third generation. Thus they are unable to
consider the parish as a community of communities, but only
as a parish predominantly of Malayalam speaking people.
Whenever there is a failure to recognize and address the needs
of one group, the ministry fails in itself, which results in exodus
of that group from our parishes. Actually, on diocesan level, we
do not have any research or studies conducted to address
these issues. There is need to have serious studies conducted
in this area immediately in order to find out the ways, how to
integrate the multicultural groups within our parishes.
Appointing youth chaplains to address the needs of the
second and third generation is a positive one, but we need to
look in to that ministry in order to see how effective it is. If it is
not able to address the issues of the second and third
generations, we need to find out the ways how we can
transform the youth chaplaincy ministry in to a meaningful one.
Some youth chaplains have a wrong notion that if they have a
social media account, they have a wrong notion that an
effective communication is established with youths. It appears
that the ministry of Youth Chaplaincy is going to end in our
Diocese within couple of years by parishes requesting for
Assistant Vicar to cater the needs of youths.

Admi ni strati on at the pari sh and di ocesan l evel must
be transf erred to younger generati on:

This is an area where we still lagging behind because the older
generation still think they only can manage the administration
of the parishes and diocese. Recently, I have come across an
incident in which an older generation first immigrant explaining
how to do the accounting works of the parish to a second-
generation youth who is elected to the position of the
accountant of a big parish in our diocese. This second
generation youth is holding a high level managerial position in
the accounts department of a large multi million company. This
is our view about the whole parish and diocese and we need to
change that attitude. Our youths are highly qualified and
talented and they know how to run multi million dollar
companies with hundreds of employees, still we think that they
are incapable of running a parish with about 100 or 200
families. Our younger generation is not often given the
opportunity to hold the positions in the parishes and diocesan
levels. In the recent assembly elections in several parishes our
young people have to contest the elections to be elected to the
position of assembly members from the parishes. Our
Diocesan bishop Mar Theodosius has taken a keen interest in
this area and a number of young people and women have
been elected to the Diocesan Council and other committees.

Conclusion:
Dr. Prema Kurien of Syracuse University, NY rightly said in her
article titled The Impact of International Migration on Home
Churches: The Mar Thoma Syrian Christian Church in India
published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion,
Probably the biggest challenge that the Achens who had been
brought up in Kerala faced was relating to children and youth
who had grown up in a very different cultural and religious
context. Unlike Kerala, and even the Middle East and Malaysia,
where the Mar Thoma church existed in a non-Christian
environment where it was relatively insulated, the U.S. church
had to confront the issue of how to retain the allegiance of the
second and later generations in the face of intense competition
from local American churches. Mar Thoma American youth
were attracted to large nondenominational evangelical
churches, and many left the Mar Thoma church for such
churches. Even those who stayed imbibed many evangelical
ideas: for example, they were against the long liturgical
services of the Mar Thoma church and preferred non-liturgical
praise and worship. While the church tradition is that the
intergenerational Mar Thoma community worships together,
the second generation was asking for separate youth services.
They also tended to be quite critical about how India-focused
the church was and the fact that Mar Thoma Achens from
India did not have strong English-language skills and the
knowledge of the American context to understand their lives
(Kurien 2012). Some of the Achens who were serving or had
served in North American parishes confessed to me that their
training to cater to sacramental questions had not equipped
them to deal with the many challenges they faced during their
foreign posting. Hope and pray that the church or the diocese
may consider her article seriously and conduct detailed studies
how to keep the younger generation in the faith and practices
of the Mar Thoma Church.

In an attempt to maintain a meaningful existence of the church
outside India especially in United States, where the second,
third generation and in some places even fourth generation are
living, the church and its leaders must take appropriate
remedial measures to keep the existing members in its fold
especially the future generations. The church should be able to
address the issues both cultural and social of the future
generation and adapt itself to meet their needs. The church
cannot be static in its faith journey; it should be a movement,
and not an organization, but a living organism. If the church
fails to keep its members both old and young in its fold, then
the existence of the church in this part of the world will be in
question within next 25-50 years. This does not mean that the
church will itself disintegrate itself in the next 25 years or 50
years, but it will not have the growth, which it had for the past
25 years. The church should exist for the people and not the
people should exist for the church. Clergy appointed in the
parishes in this Diocese should be able to meet the growing
needs of the future generations effectively. The future of the
Mar Thoma Church in this Diocese should be determined
under the grace of God by the future generations living in this
part of the world. We should seriously consider what legacy
that we are going to leave for the future generations in this
context.
Editor"s Note: Lal Varghese, Esq., is a
lawyer by profession and is mainly
practicing in U. S Immigration law for more
than 20 years in Dallas. He is the legal
counsel and member of the Legal Affairs
Committee of the Diocese of North
America & Europe of the Mar Thoma
Church. He can be reached at E-Mail:
attylal@aol.com, Tel: (972) 788-0777.
Abrahamic Legacy (Value - Based Family Traditions)
Rev. Dr. M. J. Joseph, Kottayam
What are we looking for in the Abrahamic traditions?

Church, being the people of God, serving the peoples of God,
will have to strive for God abiding values for social
transformation. Abrahamic legacy gives us the basic norms
for action.
1. Faith tradition rooted in the obedience and response of
individuals
2. Authentic relationship based on love, sacrifice, care and
forgiveness
3. Living by a sense of justice in relationship
4. Upholding norms for social amity
Abram(ham)- Role model for societal transformation
God's promise to Abraham in Gen.12.2-3 finds its fulfilment in
Gal.3. 15-18 (cf. Rom.4.3). Christ, being the seed of
Abraham, fulfils God's promise to humanity. The Plan of
Salvation- extension of God's blessings in Christ to all
humanity- finds itself in the formation of new humanity in
Christ, which is God's gift to the world. "Peace on Earth" is
the mission mandate given to the Church.

In Abraham, "the ancestor of a multitude of nations",
(Gen.17.5) the three major religious traditions converge.
Abraham being the patriarch of "manavakudumbam! (human
family) carries a family heritage for the whole human race.
Who was he? Abraham- Father of :I) Jewish faith- as the
father of Isaac (Gen.21.1-3) ii) Islam- as the father of Ishmael
(Gen.21.18) iii) Christian faith- as the father of the faithful
(Rom.4.3). Abram(ham): Leader of the nations of the world-
as prophet- as friend of God and as mediator- as one who
creates social harmony - Sarai(h) his wife shares the faith of
her husband. The challenge before the future generation is to
imitate their faith and to initiate what is best in their outlook.
The call is to internalizing the rich heritage of faith for God's
glory.
Faith journey - celebration of faith and relationship
Abram(ham) took his wife and his brother's son, Lot - and all
the possessions - and moved to his destination, land of
Canaan, and the most adventurous trip in life. In the life of
Abram(ham), there is a divinely inspired movement anchored
in faith from the known to the unknown. His faith in God and
a sense of stewardship and commitment to maintain family
ties are lessons for us to uphold family values. Awareness of
the presence of the Lord helped him to resolve his problems
in a respectable manner. (13.4) The dispute between
Abram(ham) and Lot and their herders was resolved through
a gesture of good-will shown by Abram(ham), In 13.9: "If you
take the left hand, then I will go the right; or if you take the
right hand, then I will go to the left". The amazing sense of
self-emptying enjoyed by Abram(ham) to part with the earthly
possessions is a lesson for generations to come. The
decision of Lot ultimately ruined him. The question that is
posed before is this: What is it that makes life great? Are
these wealth and possessions? In the parable of the Rich
Farmer, (LK.12:13ff) Jesus said: "becoming rich toward God"
is the goal of discipleship. The so-called "prosperity
theology" gives us an eclipse of the gospel of the cross!
(Cf.Matt.6.33; Phil.4.19; Heb.13.5).
Abram!s(ham) courage to say" no" to worldly goods
For Abraham, life is measured not by quantity but by quality.
"Adding life to years, not years to life" ought to be our goal.
He had the inner strength to say "no" to the King of Sodom
when he asked him to share the booty with him. In v.23, we
have a glimpse of his vision of the Ultimate. "... that I would
not take a thread or a sandal-thong or anything that is yours,
so that you might not say, "I have made Abram rich" For
Abram(ham) contentment is not the statement of account but
the state of heart". There is great gain in godliness combined
with contentment. (1 Tim 6:6) For Abraham one's life does
not consist in the abundance of possessions"(Lk.12.15)
Intercession for the inhabitants of Sodom
In 18.16-33.Abraham intercedes for Lot and the city of
Sodom. The large heartedness of Lot is indeed amazing.
God deals with the situation in accordance with divine justice.
See also Abraham's prayer for Abimelech, King of Gerar
(Gen.20.17).
Abraham's ecumenical hospitality
In chapter 18: 1-14: Abraham and his wife had manifested
their concern for the three strangers. At the oak field of
Mamre where Abraham pitched his tent, the spirit of
hospitality is seen at its best-an example of a caring culture.
Hospitality of this kind is an integral part of the Kingdom
culture: the culture of caring. It is strikingly free from the profit
motive. Abraham and Sarah carry an abiding lesson for the
Christian Church as their act of generosity speaks of the
priority of human needs. (see.Rom.12.13; I Pet.4.9). They
were rewarded in accordance with the divine justice as
recorded in Heb.4.10: "For God is not unjust; he will not
overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake
in serving the saints, as you still do" See Heb.13.2: "Do not
neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that
some have entertained angels without knowing it".(Heb. 13:2)
In an age of massive displacement of human beings,
Abrahamic legacy speaks volumes to the Christian
community. The yardstick of the final judgment as recorded in
St. Matthew 25 35, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me"
adds luster to the Abrahamic legacy. To see and to respond
to human needs, it is essential that we imbibe the "giving
orientation." "It implies a harmony between giving and
receiving" (Valson Thampu).We live in a world of
consumer culture where "the wolf, rather than the lamb is
the emblem of the world (Matt.10.16), If hospitality of
covetousness should give way to the culture of selfless
caring. One may recall the story of the King begging
from door to door in the village path as found in the
Githanjali of Tagore, Tagore wrote, I (The beggar) bitterly
wept and wished that I had the heart to give thee my all"!
Abraham's "courage to be"- the mark of spirituality

Spirituality in religious outlook manifests itself in giving the
best to the cause of God. (See Heb.11.4-Abel's gift of
offering) In Gen.22 we have a religious metaphor of God's
dealing with men and women of faith. The inquisitive
question of Isaac in Gen. 22.2 provides clue to a
dialogical relationship between the father and the son;
"The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for
a burnt offering?" The father replied, "God himself will
provide the lamb for a burnt offering". The question asked
by the little boy was answered with the conviction of his
father. Abraham's response to the divine voice speaks of
the divine intervention in the mundane things of one's
household. Abraham's "courage to be! has become the
source for the blessings of human race: "and by your
offering shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for
themselves, because you have obeyed my voice"
(Gen.22:18).
Abraham's precepts for social harmony
"What you are is more important than what you have".
Abraham's request for a piece of land from the Hittites for
the burial his wife was answered with a gesture of
cordiality and affection. Gen.23.6 is worth recalling: "Hear
us, you are a mighty prince among us....None of us will
withhold from you any burial ground for burying your
dead". Religion of reciprocity is the hallmark of social
harmony. Inter-religious relationships are meant to free
people from confessional solidarities so as to create
opportunities to serve one another as agents of
reconciliation. "The essence of religion, as Guru Nanak
said, is "service, humility and sympathy.!
Conclusion
The calling of God's family on earth is well stated in 1
Jn.3.1 "See what love the Father has given us, that we
should be called children of God". God's eternal purpose
is to adopt us into his own family through Jesus Christ,
according to the good pleasure of his will". (1.5a). Jesus
Christ, being the seed of Abraham (cf.Matt.1.1), fulfils
God's promise to humankind through Abraham. God's
calling of Abraham as the originator of the three
monotheistic faith provides us with certain values for the
solidarity of human family on earth. Those values are still
relevant for us in the multicultural society. Abrahamic
treasures are for the solidarity of human race. Church,
being the household of God, will have to treasure these
values for others. In 1 Peter 2.9 the divine purpose in the
calling of the church is well stated as, "you are a chosen
race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people
in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who
called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.". In
treasuring the heritage of the Abrahamic values, the
Church being the body of Christ, will have to treasure
higher spiritual values of ecumenical hospitality, spirit of
forgiveness and reconciliation and above all living by
grace not by law. (cf. the allegory of Hagar and Sarah in
Gal. 4.22-31). The saga of Abraham being the patriarch of
the "Manavakudumbam! helps us to deal with God's family
on earth in justice, peace and harmony.
Editor!s Note: Rev. Dr. M.J. Joseph, M.Th., D. Th, is the
former Director of the
Ecumenical Christian
Centre, Bangalore. He
has also served as
Professor and Principal,
Mar Thoma Theological
Seminary, Kottayam,
India. As a former
member, Faith and Order
Commission of the World
Council of Churches, he is
widely known for his
ecumenical and ecological
contributions. He has
served as Secretary
Board of Theological
Education, Senate of
Serampore College (University). He currently serves as
Convener, Ecological Commission, of the Mar Thoma
Church. Dr. Joseph has also authored several articles,
poems and books available both in English and Malayalam
languages. E-Mail: drmjjoseph_65@yahoo.co.in
Legacy of Rev. M. A. Thomas: A Visionary
Dr. Zac Varghese, London
It is almost
twenty
years since
this
amazing
and faithful
servant of
God died,
but his
memory is
fresh and
alive
because of
the two
institutions
that he
founded:
Ecumenical
Christian
Centre at Bangalore and Vigil India Movement. He is a
role model for all of us and hence it is important to
remember, record, and thank God for his mission and
ministry on and after the centenary of his birth.
Since the reformation of the Mar Thoma Church in
1836, this church has been blessed abundantly with a
number of outstanding ordained and lay leaders, they
are not just men and women who found life easy and
comfortable, but they have been blessed children of
God who have profoundly changed our attitudes
towards wider ecumenism, human rights and social
justice. These people walked out of their comfort zones
to fight for the causes they believed in. Reverend M A
Thomas, otherwise Known as "MA! or "Achen Thomas!
was one such God!s gift to humanity. My Knowledge of
Achen is mainly through two sources: late Right
Reverend Thomas Mar Athanasius, Suffragan
Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Church, and Reverend
Dr. M. J. Joseph who succeeded Achen Thomas as
the director of ECC. However, it was in 1982 I fully
realized how this extraordinary priest of the Mar Thoma
Church had influenced other leading churchmen and
women in the world stage. I had to approach late
Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, for the Silver
Jubilee celebrations of the Mar the Mar Thoma
community in the United Kingdom. The archbishop
gladly accepted my invitation by saying that he
remembers Mar Thoma Church through his intimate
friendship with "MA.! Then he told me that Achen
stayed in a room, for few months, next to the
archbishop!s at Oxford when the archbishop was a
fellow of one the Oxford colleges and Achen had the
habit of walking up and down in his room in the night
repeating Greek words and phrases, which he was
trying to master, but this kept the "helpless! archbishop
awake. This anecdote indicated the high regard and
affection the archbishop had for Revered M A Thomas.
I am sure others may have such interesting stories
about this legendary visionary of the twentieth century.
Achen had a longing for justice and relationships and
this was expressed and painted on the wider screen
through his activities through ECC and the inauguration
of the Vigil India Movement during the "Emergency
Rule.! In the midst of the growth religious
fundamentalism, intolerance and corruption in the
society, Achen created avenues for listening across
religious barriers and adopted measures for respecting
the rights of individuals for economic, religious and
other freedoms. His God-given instincts kept him
active throughout his life and he fought for "Kingdom
Values!. He lived and loved in creating an "I-Thou!
relationship in every interaction. He was a great
visionary who lived his faith to the uttermost, and bear
witness to the grace and goodness of God, which he
found and experienced in the life and ministry of Jesus
Christ. May Achen!s memory live forever and may it
guide us to seek noble dreams and visions for our
communities and county.
Editor!s Note: A LEAP INTO THE UNKNOWN -
Autobiographical Anecdotes of Rev. Dr. M.A. Thomas
contains his legacy and reminiscences. From the many
incidents narrated by him, the reader gets a vivid picture
of his own transformation through his deep involvement in
socio-political-cultural and religious movements since his
high school days. His stories remind us that the
boundaries of the vision of unity are not limited by the
narrow walls of churches but extend to the far edges of
the entire creation. His obedience to truth, his restless
quest for justice and peace and communal harmony, his
concern for the marginalized and his insights on social
questions, are all reflected in his book.
As part of his birth centenary, the above book is published
in multiple e-Book formats by the Ecumenical Christian
Centre in Bangalore. Amazon Kindle e-Book version can
be downloaded by clicking the link and can be transferred
and read in Amazon Kindle. Generic e-Book version can
be also be downloaded by clicking the link below and can
be read on popular eBook readers like Apple iPad/iPhone
and Android tablets and smart phones.
http://www.eccbangalore.org/2013/08/a-leap-
into-unknown.html
A Book Review by Celia Blackden*

No Peace Without Prayer: Encouraging Muslims and
Christians to Pray Together a Benedictine approach by
Timothy Wright OSB
Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 2013, 338pp
$29.95; ISBN 978-0-8146-3822-4,
ISBN 978-0-8146-3847-7 (eBook)

Depth and
thoroughness are
words that spring to
mind on reading
Abbot Timothy
Wright!s book. It is
almost a
compendium of
spirituality,
refreshingly drawing
on the deep wells of
God!s love for
humankind and the
believer!s incessant
seeking for God. It
offers a model of
spiritual encounter
based on prayer and
the scriptures which
he asserts can
contribute
significantly to peace.

My first impact with the book was a twinge of concern at the
sub-title, "encouraging Muslims and Christians to pray
together!. I know how strongly some Christians feel about not
praying with other believers and the uniqueness of Christian
prayer, through Christ to the Father in the power of the Holy
Spirit. Many feel our differences are better contained and
respected by being together to pray on the Assisi model
championed by Pope John Paul II in 1986, rather than
praying together. So I was curious to understand the
Abbot!s thinking, which I found to be respectful of the above
distinction but which also looks at prayer in a much broader
realm.

In fact there is some fuzziness in the definitions. Prayer itself
means different things to different people. Given that the
author is a monk it is evident that the word "prayer! contains
within it silence, faith, rules of life, study, scripture,
contemplation, action, love, as well as mental and vocal
prayers, whether spontaneous or formal. Spirituality is
defined as the content and style of prayer practiced and
lived by believers, Christian or Muslim, but that would not
satisfy all readers. The book!s purpose is to observe Islamic-
Christian dialogue through the lens of prayer and identify of a
dialogue of spirituality leading to shared memory as a
foundation for peace. It is a very high ideal that might be
considered distant when we hear so much tragic news
arising out of religious fanaticism. But in ways perhaps not
fully known to us, it is being practiced already in different
parts of the world.

In Part I, The Path to Dialogue, the chapter A Brief Outline of
Muslim and Benedictine Spiritualities contains features,
which recur later. Abbot Timothy writes Enveloping the
Benedictine is the silence of recollection, whose "ultimate aim
is interior silence, when we find a deep center within
ourselves which is always open to God!. And An essential
feature of Benedictine life is daily lectio divina, "When we
work with God!s word so that it may work inside us,
transforming our behavior, our ideas, our life!. These
concepts resonate with the central Muslim obligation !to
remember God!, openly every day It is not without
significance that one commentator has called Islam a
monastic spirituality lived in the ordinary community of daily
life. And As one Muslim writer has put it "to remember God
is to have God in one!s heart in such a way that one never
forgets Him!. The Abbot asserts that this deep awareness of
God, the importance of scripture, and also of hospitality
expressed in both Muslim and Benedictine (Christian)
spirituality, together lay the foundation for the dialogue of
spirituality. The intention is that people recognize that God
is truly "alive! in the hearts and minds of the participants.

The Healing of Negative Memories fully acknowledges
suffering and enmity, together with healing processes,
including professional help and perhaps gradually,
forgiveness. An apt quote is Miroslav Volf!s three steps
toward redeeming memories of wrongs suffered
"remember truth fully!!, "remember therapeutically!! and "learn
from the past!!

The three chapters in Part 2 Finding a Way through Disputed
Issues are disparate but informative. Christians and Muslims
in a Dialogue of Spirituality recognize that there are different
responses to hearing the Word of the other. It helpfully
identifies some responses as echoes, the affirmative
recognition of something shared, and others as counter-
echoes, differences which mark clearly defined boundaries
in belief but which can also be sources of enrichment. Issues
of Yesterday and Today, start from an 8th century discussion
about the prophet Muhammad through to the influence of
John Paul II and Benedict XVI. It also includes a question
posed by Mustansir Mir on whether dialogue with the self-
assuredness of the Qur!an is in fact possible.

Part Three Defining the Dialogue of Spirituality announces
the purpose of a dialogue of spirituality as the formation of a
new shared memory, a tapestry of spiritual insights. This is
to be done through personal and later agreed written records
of oral communication in small groups. It is a "memory!
designed to overcome negative "memory! or misinformation
about Islam, (although the same could be said of perceptions
of Christianity and the "West! among Muslims). Although
agreeing texts might be perceived as a challenge, the
concept of an evolving shared memory and tapestry of
spiritual insights (however expressed) is attractive and a
valid pathway to shared life and peace.

Abbot Timothy is aware that some cultures may not be
sympathetic to such a process, but knows communities that
are ready and willing. He is not offering a blueprint but a
framework to encourage those interested to move forward.
The short appendages to the sections asking "why should
they?! and "can they?! and "will they do it? and so on,
highlight the fact that there have been no pilot groups testing
the process, but also point to the real possibility such
dialogue happening.

These chapters are well complemented in Part Four The
Higher Forms of Spiritual Experience. These are very deep,
showing how Islam and Christianity have produced women
and men especially gifted with mystical experience of God.
The dialogue of spirituality allows each to benefit the other.
The comparison of the two mystics Rabi!a al-"Adawiya Al-
Qaysiyya and Paul Giustiniani OSB shows that Their
writings reveal parallel pathways to Union with God. The
section on Thomas Merton and Sufism explains how Merton
urged novices to appreciate the important insights from the
Muslim contemplative tradition. He believed that formation in
Sufism would help novices mature in monastic life.

Across 12 chapters Part Five considers God!s Revelation
and the Human Response: Examples from Inspired
Scriptures. God is understood as Creator, God in whom we
trust, merciful. These are illustrated through the stories of
Adam, Noah, Joseph, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, who
feature in both the Qur!an and in the Bible. Concerning Adam
Abbot Timothy writes: The respective descriptions of the
original paradise, their rules of the garden, the first sin, and
subsequent expulsion, form a strong echo. On the other hand
the different interpretations of the first sin provide a strong
counter-echo. Taken together this is a firm base for
dialogue. 18 pages are dedicated to Abraham: An Example
of One Obedient to the Guidance of God, Even When It Does
Not Seem to Make Sense. The Abbot quotes Sayyed Nasr
on Jesus: Every practicing Muslim could not but agree
that his or her highest wish is none other than the prayer
uttered by Christ, thy Will be done on earth as it is in
Heaven. Here the author!s conviction regarding the
formation of a shared memory resonates with Christians who
daily seek to know and do God!s will and who see that their
Muslim friends and neighbors are doing the same. This
method is intended for people living and working alongside
each other, but for whom God, and God!s love for humanity,
is the motive for engagement within and beyond their
communities.

Themes relevant to those engaged in dialogue, including
Scriptural Reasoning, the convergence of Muslim and
Benedictine understandings of prayer during the day, and
commentary by Rowan Williams on the Rule of St Benedict,
form Part 6. The book ends with remarkable extracts from the
writings of Christian de Cherg, Abbot of the Trappist
Community at Tibhirine, Algeria, who along with six of his
confreres was kidnapped by Muslim rebels in March 1996
and then killed. Their story is brilliantly told in the film Of
Gods and Men.

It is impossible to excavate fully here the richness of this
book!s content, and its potential for deeper dialogue and
peace. For some Christians it will be very new and perhaps a
challenge; for others it will lead them through already open
doors. It can thus also contribute to ecumenical sharing and
understanding across Christian traditions as we seek
together to contribute effectively to peace.

Editor!s Note: *Celia Blackden is an Inter Faith Officer for
Churches Together in England, and she provides the
following note on the author:

Abbot Timothy is known to me as one of three cousins, all
brothers and Benedictine monks,
possessing deep spirituality and
multiple talents. His meeting with
Mohammed Ali Shomali, through
Focolare and a fellow monk, led
him into dialogue with Islam at
personal, theological and monastic
levels. He was then commissioned
by the Benedictines to examine the
relationship between the followers of the Rule of Benedict
and Islam, wherever they live in close proximity. This book,
based on his doctoral thesis, is the outcome of much
journeying, both physical and spiritual. It offers a model of
spiritual encounter based on prayer and the scriptures, which
he asserts can contribute significantly to peace.



Transcending God Images
Fr. Thomas Punnapadam, SDB

Mahatma Gandhi (honored by Indians as the Father of
the nation) affirmed decades ago that most wars in
human history have been waged in the name of religion.
Current history confirms this beyond all doubt. Both
long-standing conflicts like the one between Israel and
Palestine and the more recent emergence of and
oppression by Islamic State forces are all unjustifiable
acts of inhuman violence perpetrated by presumably
religious convictions. It would not be an exaggeration to
aver that most of the conflicts plaguing humankind today
are sought to be justified in God!s name. The height of
paradox is that these conflicts are often within the same
religion as for instance between Roman Catholics and
Protestants, or peace loving Muslims and jihadists. This
awakens us to the fact that not infrequently, religion is
misused as a means to popularity and privilege, or as a
vehicle to amass wealth or assume power. Hence a
deep sincerity of purpose in religion needs to be under
constant scrutiny.



A deeper reflection on this tragic situation enlightens us
that the problem springs not from religion itself, but from
diverse understandings of and approach to religion.
Beyond dogmas, rituals and practices of piety, religion is
the personal and communitarian relationship with God.
God as the ultimate mystery is indispensable to human
life. This supreme reality is one. However finite, fallible,
fragile and rational, human beings can relate to the
ultimate mystery only through images. In the vital human
divine-relationship, images of God are indispensable.
Hence religion ultimately is conditioned by human
images of God. Anthropomorphism cannot be wished
away. Any religion is primarily influenced by its images
of God and all religious attitudes and practices flow from
them. It would not be over simplistic to aver that the
anodyne for the current malaise is the honest, repeated,
reexamination of the images of God that every religion
cherishes and prides itself in.

Every religion and all religious persons cherish their own
images of God. All our images of God do no more than
impose human categories on the unknown and
unknowable reality of the Supreme Being. Religious
language is always not only analogical, but also
metaphorical, even mythological. No image of God is
synonymous with the reality. This is the eternal truth
irrefutably inculcated by the ancient story of the six blind
men of Bharath who went to see the elephant. As the
story goes, the one who touched the tail of the elephant
described it as a rope, the one who felt the massive
body of the elephant described it as a wall, the one who
touched the legs spoke of it as a pillar and so on. As
mystics conclude, the moral of the story is that every
image of God is partially in the right and fully in the
wrong. St. Augustine affirms that all our images of God
take us farther away from God than bring us closer to
him. Meister Eckhart has said that whatever can be
affirmed about God can also be denied. An ancient
Hindu prayer acknowledges O God thou art formless;
the only form is our knowledge of you.

Every religion is specific in the images it presents.
However the most fundamental truth never to be
forgotten is that while everyone has the right to one!s
own image of God, another!s image of God must be
respected. This is the core of religious freedom, an
acknowledged basic and universal human right. It is in
absolutizing particular images that conflicts arise. An
image is just that - an image. Another!s image of God
should be recognized and accepted as no less sacred
than one!s own image of God. For this one needs to be
deeply conscious that all images are limited. No image
is perfect. To deify any image of God is the greatest sin
- idol worship. Religious freedom, the universally
acknowledged human right, in practice implies that
every person!s right to live by one!s own religious
convictions, worship one!s own image of God, is
inviolable. At the same time, like all the other rights, the
exercise of this right is inseparable from the duty to
allow others to follow their own religious beliefs and
worship the divine as they choose to. In other words
fanaticism, which seems to be perverting religious
people today, is the stark contradiction of the genuine
religious belief.

Traditionally a distinction is made between religion and
spirituality. A simple of definition of spirituality is that it
is primarily a religious attitude beyond immutable rituals
and absolutized images. Authentic spirituality
transcends images always, and everywhere;
recognizing their limitations leads people to the mystical
dimension of all religions. Every religion is enriched by
its mystical strand, which focuses on the absolutely
mysterious reality of the divine transcending all images
and reiterates the total ineffability of divine experience.
True religions necessarily culminate in the mystical
experience. Genuine mysticism unites all human beings.

The Buddha taught that all acts of religion are "upayas!,
skillful means to lead us to God experience. He
compared all rituals and dogmas to a raft, one
dispenses with after crossing the river. An ancient
prayer attributed to the Indian mystic Sankaracharya
acknowledges the three basic sins of humankind: O
God forgives us our three great sins; Thou art without
name and we call thee by innumerable names; Thou art
without form, and we have worshipped images of thee;
Thou art everywhere, and we have confined you to
temples. The history of Christianity bears witness to a
rich, largely hidden mystical tradition. The mystic, St.
Augustine, acknowledges the universal spiritual truth:
Late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient and so
new; late have I loved you! ...You were within me
and I outside; you were with me and I was not with you.



There is no doubt at all that Jesus too invites all his
followers to worship a God beyond all limited forms and
man-made images. He too lived in a society divided by
diverse religious forms of worship, particularly among
the Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles. When asked by the
Samaritan woman whether God should be worshipped
on Mt Zion (Jerusalem) as the Jews did or on Mt.
Gerizim (Samaria) as the Samaritans did, the answer of
Jesus is very poignant and challenging: Woman,
believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this
mountain nor in Jerusalem will your worship the Father.
... But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true
worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for
such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and
those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth
(John 4: 21-24).

Christians individually and collectively have their own
favorite images of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. However
Christian maturation in faith and growing into deep
spirituality implies that we transcend our narrow, limited,
selfish images of Jesus too. Jesus died and rose again
and is no more constrained by bodily form. Therefore,
as St. Paul reminds us very clearly Even though we
once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we
regard him thus no longer (II Cor 5: 16b). We believe
that the spirit of the risen Jesus permeates, nourishes
and enlightens each one of us as also the whole
universe.

If only all religions were able to rediscover the mystical
dimensions of their religions, they would be far greater
unity and harmony among human beings. All wars
waged in the name of religion would cease, every one
acknowledging that we are all members of the human
family, children of the one God and brothers and sisters
to one another. The ultimate basis of all religions is the
intrinsic inter-dependence of human kind in a radically
relational universe. We are interconnected and
becoming more conscious of it day by day. Nothing
exists in isolation; the circles of influence are ineffable.
Belief that does harm to others is not truly religious and
therefore unacceptable. Our images of God dictate our
decisions and actions. Consciously or unconsciously,
the ultimate norm of all morality is doubtlessly the
golden rule, taught by all the major religions of the
world. True religious sense awakens us to the
transforming awareness of inter-connectedness as a
result of ego-transcendence. There can be no religious
conflict strictly so-called. They are ego conflicts
springing from God-images created by selfish interests
and narrow perceptions.

May everyone be graced to transcend their own divisive
images of God and put a definitive end to all arid
fundamentalisms. May all religions strive to fulfill the
divine project of creating the universal family of
humankind, children of one God, brothers and sisters to
one another. May we live in the awareness that each
and every one of us can contribute to love and peace in
the world in invisible but nonetheless efficacious ways.

Editor!s Note: "Fr. Thomas Punnapadam, SDB has
written on various biblical themes. He is the professor
of moral theology at Kristu Jyoti College in
Bangalore. He is deeply involved in the pastoral care
as a priest in a parish of the Catholic Church. He
guides spiritual retreats and conducts seminars on
prayer methods as also on spirituality in general."
Chhattisgarh Mission of the Mar Thoma Church

"Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of
these who are members of my family, you did it to me.!
Matt 25:40

The Village Structure
Chhattisgarh Mission of the Mar Thoma Church is in the
newly formed State of Chhattisgarh in the central part of
India. People are living in very poor conditions especially
children without any facilities for education and food. The
activities of the Chhattisgarh Mission are concentrated in
four centers- Ameri, Borsi, Pamgarh (Kuttrabod) and
Akaltara. Ameri is a slum area where the wage earning
labor class people live. The village people are rickshaw
pullers, masons, house servants and so on. They depend
mostly on the nearby city- Bilaspur for their livelihood. We
have two "Balwadis! (Primary education classes for the
small children of the poor villagers) here. Borsi, Pamgarh
and Akaltara are all remote villages. People of these
villages live in a very pathetic condition. They don!t have
proper hygienic facilities (No toilets, no proper clothing, no
facilities for proper treatment of diseases). Many of the
daily wage earning laborers is alcohol addicts and they
give very less to their family!s support. Children are
deprived of proper nutrition and they are seldom sent to
school. Women work hard to overcome the situation and
most of the time they flutter their wings in vain. As it is
everywhere, the women and the children are the most
affected in such a situation.

Our effort is to introduce Christ and the unfathomable
love and care He has shown to His people, provide
affordable and quality education to the children and better
living standards to these less privileged people. We can
win these people and their next generation for our Lord if
we live and work among them with the love of the Lord
that redeemed us and with your support.

Mission Works
Of the nine Balwadies, we were compelled to close five as
we do not have proper funding. We have four
Balwadies(Nursery schools), a child development center
(catering the spiritual, cognitive, socio emotional and
physical needs of 300 poor village children) an English
Medium school- Kuttrabod, Pamgarh- run under the
jurisdiction of the Delhi Diocese (up to class IV 420
village students) and evangelistic works among the faith
communities in Borsi, Pamgarh, Kuttrabod, Akalthara and
Ameri. Our Evangelists (5 evangelists with family) do a
wonderful job for the glory of the Lord by their regular
house visits in the villages and by conducting prayer
meetings in the houses of the believers and seekers.
Though we have been working here for long time we do
not have proper worshipping centers except in Borsi. We
are in need of at least three chapels, (Kutrabod
(Pamgharh), Ameri and in Akaltara. All these mission
works are done among the poor village people.

School at Pamgarh
The school in Pamgarh is in its developing stage. We are
running our school in two small buildings. The condition of
the present buildings are so pathetic that it do not have
the least minimum requirements of an ideal school and
more over we cannot accommodate more children for the
next academic session. We were in a dilemma, whether
we can go on with the vision of rendering quality
education to the less privileged children of a remote
village like this. Now, we are happy to say that, by the
grace of God and by the support of well-wishers we could
start the construction of a new school building. The
construction work is in progress. The main problem we
are facing now is the shortage of adequate fund to finish
the construction. We remember with gratitude and thank
God for all those who have supported us through their
valuable time and money so far. We need to make our
own infrastructure facilities for the smooth running of the
school at the earliest. Moreover, we have a good access
to the houses of the children and hence we can approach
their parents and dear ones with the gospel of our Lord.

Dear all, when we and our children experience the love of
our God and all the blessings from above, is it not
unchristian to keep abstain from looking around and
heeding to the cries of our brothers and sisters? Hence,
we earnestly request you to keep this mission work and
its needs in your prayers. Also help us with your valuable
financial support and also by participating in the
propagation of the gospel in the remote villages of India.
Let us strive tirelessly together for the making of His
Kingdom in this world among us in these villages.

Needs of Mission
Completion of the school building;
Chapel buildings in Akaltara and Kutrabod
(Pamgarh);
Buildings for Balwadies;
Toilet and bathrooms for people living in slums.
How you can help us?
by your regular prayers;
by your visit and staying with us;
by your valuable donations;
by sponsoring villages and Balwadies.

With You in His Ministry

Rev. Sunil B. Zachariah,
Missionary, Chhattisgarh Mission

Contact Information:

Tel: 011-91- 7752270845 (H)
011-91-9424133845, 011-91-8602531358 (C)
E-Mail: revsunzac@yahoo.com