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FOCUS July 2020 Vol. 8 No: 3

Cover Photo by Canva: Prayer and the Healing Ministry, Cover Design by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas

Contents
1. Editorial by Dr. Zac Varghese, London, 8. David Brand: Is our time up? David
Page 3 Brandon, London, Page 20

2. People who prayed and Lived by Their 9. Making most of the Worst of Times,
Prayers, Dr. Zac Varghese, London, Page Saphir Athyal, Tiruvalla, Page 21
6
10. Prayer and Healing Ministry, Dr. Zac
3. The Healing Ministry of Jesus and Varghese, London, Page 24
Prayer, Revd Dr. Abraham Philip,
11. Poems - What I see, Dr. Zac
Kottayam, Page 7 Varghese, London, Page 15, Divine
Image, William Blake, Page 23, Why
4. The Power of the Mind, V. Am I in the Hospital? Revd Dr. M. J.
Georgekutty, Karunagappally, Page Joseph, Kottayam, Page 26
10
11. The Ministry of Healing and Prayer,
5. Jesus the Divine Healer - Christian Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas, Page 27
Healing Ministry, Fr. Thomas
Punnapadam, SDB, Page 13 12. What does Resurrection Mean?
Revd Dr. Valson Thampu,
6. Liturgical Space and Virtual Space, Trivandrum, Page 29
Revd Jameson, Pathanamthitta, Page
16 13. Obituaries of Dr. T. M. Thomas,
7. Prayer and Healing Ministry, Very Page 19, Ravi Zacharias, and Dr.
Revd V. T. John, Tiruvalla, Page 18 John P. Lincoln, Page 31

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EDITORIAL
Faith, Hope, Prayer and Healing
Covid-19 Pandemic has forced most of us to lockdown
situations and ‘social distancing’. This is our way of hiding
from this deadly virus in the absence other public health
infection controls and preventive scientific measures. The
editorial board of the FOCUS chose the theme of ‘Prayer
and the Healing Ministry’ for the current issue. We thank all
our contributors for their help. Prayer is a way to overcome
our fear and find the presence of God in our midst in such
dystopian times and find hope, faith and holistic healing.
In the middle of this epidemic, we have every reason to
thank God for the life and ministry of two of the outstanding
Metropolitans of the Mar Thoma Church who are guiding the
Church through their servant ministry under the grace of
God. We thank God for the 103 birthday of the Most Revd
rd
Dr. Philipose Mar Chrysostom Valiya Metropolitan. We are
also grateful to God for the 90 birthday of the Most Revd Dr.
th
Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan. Let us pray for their good
health and well-being. May they bring blessings to our
communities across the world in these troubled times. We
are also grateful to God for the opportunity of welcoming
Revd Dr. Abraham Philip and Mr. V. George Kutty to the
Editorial Board of the FOCUS. Let us hope and pray that
their contributions will be a blessing for the FOCUS
community across the world.
In such a time as that of Covid-19 Pandemic, we could say
the prayer: ‘Dear Lord, this is what we seek: that we may
dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives to
behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His
temple.’ We find an answer to this prayer in the Psalm 139:
7-12: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I
flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you
are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If
I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side
of the sea, even there your hand will guide me; your right
hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will
hide me and the light become night around me," even the
darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like
the day, for darkness is as light to you.” This awareness
that we are in the presence of the Lord is indeed the right
time to listen to God and pray for the whole world in these
dark days.
Yes, we have the assurance that God will accompany us
through the extreme depths and widths of life – whether
figuratively, we climb mountain tops and dive to the deeps,
or emotionally, whether we are to find ourselves in the
heights of joy or the depths of despair. There is nowhere that
God won't go with us to make sure that we remain guided by
Him and securely held by Him. Even when there seems to be
no hope and the light at the end of the tunnel can't be seen,
when the daily governmental statistical curves of infection
rates are not flattening as we hope for or when the ‘r’ value
is above 1 and there is an impending danger of a second
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wave of infection, this psalm reminds us that the light is still
with us 'for darkness is as light to you' and in John 8:12 we
learn: 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will
never walk in darkness, but will have the light of
life'. This hope is expressed so touchingly and beautifully in
the Malayalam song written by Revd Sajan P. Mathew, when
he was at the end of his tether with an illness few years ago.
The following is a very limited translation to give you just a
flavour of this deep meditation:
“No rain has ever gone on falling,
No wind has ever gone on blowing,
No night has ever gone on without a dawning,
No pain has ever has gone on without an ending. . . .
Mist, rain, and the midday sun are the gifts of God,
God is co-traveller on the stony, thorny path,
If I were to fall down, you carry me on your shoulders,
When sailing on a stormy sea, you are there to navigate me..
For my perfection, you are my dwelling,
No rain has ever gone on falling,
No wind has ever gone on blowing,
No night has ever gone on without a dawning. . .
No rain has ever gone on falling. . .”
The above song and Psalm 139 continue to remind us of the
intimate way that God knows each one of us and the
conditions that we are in – on a daily basis as we live out our
lives. God knows us inside out and no matter what. There
are so many wonderful Psalms for us to read and find
comfort and let us use them in these troubled times. Most of
the articles in this issue are written for giving faith, hope and
healing.
When Abraham said to Isaac “God will provide” (Gen 22:8),
he did not simply mean God knew the future, but he was
handing over the future of his son to the will of one whose
business it is to bring a difficult situation to conclusion
strictly according to his design. The tragedies which occur in
this life are innumerable, and death comes in many guises,
Covid-19 pandemic is just one of them. But we have the
confidence and the God-given faith that it will come to an
end, as such pandemics had ended in the past. However, it
is up to us to learn lessons from it and act responsibly for
the common good of God’s created world. It is a comfort to
believe that our heavenly Father has all things in his power.
There are many Psalms of comfort for us to dip into and
pray: “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and
from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his
feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his
faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not
fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor
the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague
that destroys at midday” (Ps 91: 3-6).“The LORD is with
me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on
my enemies” (Ps 118: 6-7). We also have those
quintessential words of comfort: “Even though I walk
through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are
with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Ps
23:4).
In our lockdown situations of life we have the time and the
silence of mind to seek God in prayer for his healing to work
for the whole world. Lord Jesus came down as Immanuel to
heal this fractured and wounded world. Prayer enables us to
explore the riches, which are treasured for us with our
heavenly Father. God’s unconditional love will strengthen us
in our weakness and fear. When we place our burdens
before him, we can rest in complete assurance that none of
our problems are unknown to him, we only have to submit
before him in utter penitence and humility and our God of
compassion and an abundant love will protect us from all our
worries and dangers. St. Paul wrote: “We are pressed on
every side, but not crushed, perplexed, but not in
despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down,
but not destroyed” (2 Cor 4:8, 9). Therefore, we are
advised: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on
what is unseen. For what is seen in temporary, what is
unseen is eternal” (Cor 4:18). Faith is indeed a way of
seeing God’s presence in our daily situations of life. The
unseen is no less real and relevant as we are experiencing
through virtual spaces of worship, streamed worship, and
prayer during Covid-19, but spiritual realities must be
received, and responded to by faith rather than by sight.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and
assurance about what we do not see” (Heb 11:1).
It is logical to ask, if God already knows about Covid-19 and
all our other problems and what is good for us, why we need
to plead with him in prayer. Elijah’s example in 1 King
chapter 18 is a good place to answer this question. Elijah
was sure for God’s plan for Israel and the promise of the
much needed rain, yet he prayed and sent his servant Ahab
seven times to inspect (1kgs 18:42-43). Elijah did not doubt
God’s promise, but he knew it was his responsibility to
express his pain and agony before the Lord for his people. It
is certainly in our interest and our responsibility to carry the
burden and pray to God, it is an expression of our humility
and vulnerability. In asking God in prayer, we must be
sincerely aware of the needs of ours and others around us.
The ancient Greeks believed that only a wounded physician
can heal others. Only those who are aware of their
deficiencies and have experienced the transformation in
‘Christ’s cure’ of their injuries are capable of healing others.
A curative force radiates only from wounded physicians and
care workers of that calibre. They are the people with grace-
filled hands. They alone can enable sick people to hope that
they will be healed by the grace of God. We often find it
difficult to accept the idea of bearing and sharing pain with
other people. But such an attitude helps people to accept
their sickness, because it enables them to see some kind of
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meaning in their suffering, they can still transform their
suffering into a gesture of love.
Prayer points to the human need for divine grace. Human
needs are beyond human help, but we should respond under
the grace of God. According to St. Augustine, human beings
have to pray for the gift of faith: “Have faith: but that you
may have faith, pray faithfully.” First, we receive faith from
God as a gift; next, we express our faith in daily living and
offer it back to God in gratefulness through prayer.
Prayer is not just a routine and something we do in a casual
manner or according to a strict time table. Our whole life
should be a prayer. We need to live our faith in our prayers,
Jesus says to us: “Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask
for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will
be yours” (Mk 11:24) and again “If you believe, you will
receive whatever you ask in prayer” (Mt 21:22). Therefore,
it is faith that gives answers to prayer. Hope, faith and prayer
will lead us to healing. “No pain has gone on without an
ending.”
It is with great sadness we express our deep condolences to
the bereaved family of Dr. T. M. Thomas who passed away
on 21st April, 2020 at the age of 86 of natural causes. Dr.
Thomas was a pioneer in building the Diocese of North
America and Europe of the Mar Thoma Church. He helped to
write the Sunday school curriculum and many other things
for the church. He and his wife Leelamma were founder
members of the FOCUS Movement and attended all the
three seminars from 1999. We are grateful to God for his life
and work. May his soul rest in peace and rise in God’s glory.
We also thank God for the life, ministry and witness of Ravi
Zacharias who has influenced millions of people across the
world with the Gospel message. He died of cancer on May
19, 2020, at age 74. He was an intellectual, theological
scholar and engaging communicator. On behalf of the
FOCUS readership community, we offer our heartfelt
condolences and prayers to the family and all loved ones.
May his soul rest in peace and resurrect in glory.
It is with great sadness that I received the very sad news on
15th June 2020 of the death of my very dear friend, Dr. John
P. Lincoln of Lubbock, Texas. He was a stalwart of Christian
faith and a pioneer in building Mar Thoma Parishes in various
towns and cities of the USA. It is with deep sorrow, I offer
condolences on behalf of the FOCUS community to Dr.
Annie and their sons, daughter and grandchildren. May his
soul rest in peace and resurrect in glory. I am grateful to Mr.
Lal Varghese for writing an obituary on Dr. Lincoln in this
issue.
May I request our world-wide FOCUS family to join together
in the virtual, but sacred place, in prayer by being quiet in
God's holy presence, thanking Him for the perfect peace He
brings to every part of our life as we put our trust in Him. You
might find some of the following prayer suggestions helpful
as you pray for these causes. Let's ask God to increase our
faith in Him day by day as we share our lives with Him under
the guidance of the Holy Spirit during the Covid-19 PHILIPOSE MAR CHRYSOSTOM 103RD BIRTHDAY
pandemic and intolerance of all kind.

Let us thank God for the people He's put in our lives
who bring us love, support and friendship.

Let us bring to God our FOCUS family, continuing to

give Him thanks for our communities across the world
and asking Him to keep us close and continuing to grow
in faith in Him.

Let us bring before God all those who are suffering from
illness, grief, anxiety or mental illness because of
lockdown, asking for His loving care to minister to them.

Let us continue to ask God to express His loving care

through the Holy Spirit to bring an end to the
devastating effects of this pandemic and bring success
to all those working in hospitals, care homes, to find a
vaccine and other measures.

Let us pray for racial intolerance in one form or other in

various parts of the world, asking God to minister His
healing and His peace and bring His reconciliation,
remembering all disenfranchised and deprived people
and communities across the world.

May God’s blessing be upon all of us now and for ever,

Amen!

Dr. Zac Varghese, London JOSEPH MAR THOMA 90TH BIRTHDAY

For the Editorial Board

http://www.issuu.com/diasporafocus
http://www.scribd.com/diasporafocus

Web Site: www.facebook.com/groups/mtfocus

E-Mail: mtfousgroup@gmail.com

Published by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas for

and on behalf of Diaspora FOCUS

Disclaimer: Diaspora FOCUS is a non-profit organization

registered in United States, originally formed in late
Nineties in London for the Diaspora Marthomites. Now it
is an independent lay-movement of the Diaspora laity of
the Syrian Christians; and as such FOCUS is not an
official publication of any denominations. It is an
ecumenical journal to focus attention more sharply on
issues to help churches and other faith communities to
examine their own commitment to loving their neighbors
and God, justice, and peace. Opinions expressed in any
article or statements are of the individuals and are not to
be deemed as an endorsement of the view expressed
therein by Diaspora FOCUS. Thanks.

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People who Prayed and Lived by Their Prayers
(A Collection of Quotations)*
How to pray?
“I pray each day. I talk to Jesus, live with Jesus; I
want to be like Jesus. I want to learn from Jesus.
Jesus and me are always together” (Archbishop
Desmond Tutu)
What is prayer?
“Prayer is praise, worship and thanksgiving to God.
Prayer is unending conversation with god about
everything that concerns us and ours. Sometimes
prayer is arguing with God about life’s mysteries.
Prayer is interceding on behalf of others near and
far, high and low, rich and poor, weak and strong.
Prayer is meditating on the work of god in history,
the greatness of God in nature, the goodness of
God in his providence and the promise of God in
Scripture. Prayer is being totally honest with
yourself in the presence of God. Prayer is
recovering from the brink of despair, the depth of
failure, the isolation of loneliness. Prayer is intensive
care in acute suffering and sickness. Prayer is
refining our dreams about the future in the light of
the will of God. Prayer is waiting for God when he is
long in coming. Prayer is the cry for justice when it
does not come. Prayer is walking with God all day
and every day” (Tom Houston).
An ABCD of prayer: A for adoration; C for
confession; T for thanks giving and S for
supplication (A.C.T.S.).
“What prayer is not instructing God in his duties or
ordering from him what we want. It is cooperating
with him in fulfilling his purposes to which we much
humbly submit. He reigns – we serve” (Belfry Trust
Newsletter, 1984).
“Real prayer leads to action, leads to us doing what
we can do for people. But it also saves us from
fantasies of omnipotence, imagining that we can do
for people what we manifestly can’t do, and from
the anxiety and guilt-feelings such fantasies evoke.
And praying for people also makes us sensitive to
their deepest needs which are generally not their
most obvious ones. By means of our prayer God
succours people in the very centre and core of our
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being, and that is what they need most” (Henry A.
Williams).
“The things, good Lord, which your servants pray
for, give us also grace to labour for” (Sir Thomas
More).
Living is praying
"We cannot do without prayer, as we cannot live
without breathing; praying is the breathing of the
soul, the expressing of our love for God. After such
moments of recollection with Him, moments of
communion and love, we will come away refreshed
and ready to face our daily lives with new strength
and confidence. It will also help us build a more
authentic relationship with others and with the
world" (Focolare).
“The victory of the church over the Roman Empire
was not won by seizing the levers of power; it was
won when the victims knelt down in the Colosseum
and prayed in the name of Jesus for the Emperor
who persecuted them” (Bishop Leslie Newbigin).
St. Paul Wrote: “In the same way, the Spirit helps
us in our weakness. We do not know what we
ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes
for us through wordless groans” (Rom 8:26).
“If I chose to hide you away, it is for a reason.
I have brought you to this place.
Drink in the silence. Seek solitude.
Listen to the silence.
It will teach you. It will build strength.
Let others share it with you.
It is little to be found elsewhere.
Silence will speak more to you in a day than the
world of voices can teach you in a lifetime. Find
silence. Find solitude – and having discovered her
riches, binds her to your heart” (Francis J.
Roberts).
• Collected by Dr. Zac Varghese to give
comfort and hope during the Covid-19
Pandemic.
The Healing Ministry of Jesus and Prayer
Revd Dr. Abraham Philip, Kottayam
I have been asked by Rev. Dr. M. J. Joseph (Devalokam,
Kottayam) this time to write on the above topic for the current
issue of FOCUS, which has a general theme on Healing and
Prayer. The theme was officially intimated to me by Dr. Zac
Varghese, London. The subject is very relevant and
contemporary in the present world scenario which is facing the
threat of corona virus as Covid-19 pandemic and tens of
thousands of lives are being lost all over the world. We can only
pray God that this pandemic is removed from the world and the
healing touch of our Lord God will miraculously operate in his
compassion for us finite humans and that the humanity will be
restored and saved out of this crisis. Amidst this situation, may
God enable us to know the divine will and make it ours so that
we live in conformity with God’s will and the divine name is
glorified. I place on record my sincere gratitude to Dr. Zac
Varghese and Dr. M. J. Joseph Achen for having given me this
opportunity to ponder over this issue at this crucial juncture in
human history in the year 2020.
Introduction
The topic of healing and prayer is an apt one at this time when
the world is facing the pandemic Covid-19 as a result of Corona
Virus. The Bible pictures how the Israelites faced epidemics in
the wilderness. Jewish people were better in one respect from
their contemporary people those days as they had a remarkable
sanitary code in Moses’ time (Leviticus 15). The Jews as a
nation might not have survived through the wilderness or the
many vicissitudes through which they passed, without their
sanitary code. It dealt with public hygiene, water supply, sewage
disposal, inspection and selection of food, and control of
infectious disease. The most interesting thing about it is that it
implies a knowledge, which in the circumstances of the exodus
and the wilderness wanderings they could scarcely have
discovered for themselves.
For example, the prohibition, as food, of pigs and of animals
which had died natural deaths, the burial or burning of excreta
etc., and the contagious nature of some diseases. Burning of
excreta (Exodus 29:14) was a particularly wise practice for a
wandering people, since there was no time for dung to do well
as manure. Today we have definite protocol for burying corpses
affected by Covid-19 pandemic, which reminds us of some of
the purification codes of the Hebrew Bible. The spread of
disease was effectively prevented. The origin of the word
“quarantine” is the Jewish use of the period of 40 days of
segregation from patients with certain diseases (Leviticus 12:1-
4) adopted by the Italians during the 14 century because of the
th
relative immunity of the Jews from certain plagues . In a number
i
of ways the biblical outlook on the sick and on health in general,
has a bearing on modern medical practice, and of course, made
more up-to-date.
The biblical account of healing diseases is limited by the
purpose of Scripture, which is revelation of God to humanity.
The acuteness of the disease is therefore explained (Matthew
8:6), but the cause may not be mentioned or diagnosed and
given in medical terms. Descriptions of disease are simple and
mostly confined to what could be seen (e.g. ulcer, swelling,
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hemorrhage) and/or felt by an observer (fever) or by the patient
itself (paralysis). “Plague” refers to any epidemic disease and is
not equivalent to the present day infection with Corona Virus.
Blindness from trachoma could have been very common in the
biblical times. The New Testament evangelists have written as
they knew best about diseases. They reported what they
observed and understood. Therefore their descriptions could be
treated as facts. Moreover, their standard of medicine and
public hygiene were superior to those of contemporary adjacent
cultures. Sometimes some instances of diseases in the Bible
have a spiritual explanation given (as the ultimate cause), for
example Luke 13:11-16.
The healing ministry of Jesus
What is healing? Healing points to the restoration to full health
of one who was ill in body or mind (or both). It could be recovery
resulting from medical treatment or a spontaneous recovery
from illness. It includes the improvement of a patient’s outlook
on his/her condition even if no physical amelioration is possible,
and even a correction of a patient’s misconception of the nature
of his/her illness. In psychological disorders the term is used to
denote an improved mental state. In the case of the biblical
narratives of the healing ministry of Jesus (apart from the cases
of demon possession), healing is in its primary medical sense of
the restoration to normal or full health in cases of organic
disease. Changes in spiritual outlook, an improved acceptance
of an organically incurable condition, or the natural and
spontaneous recoveries of disease are all continuously
occurring but do not partake of the miraculous in the strict
theological sense.
The healing ministry of Jesus was part and parcel of his
proclamation of the kingdom of God. It was aimed at bringing
an end to the physical sufferings. Diseases were a challenge to
human wholeness that was offered through the promise of
abundant life in Jesus Christ. It was part of the process of
liberation offered in Jesus. Jesus was empathizing with humans
through his healing ministry. He felt compassion when he saw
people suffering from illnesses.
The healing miracles of Jesus are given in the Synoptic Gospels
as groups (Luke 4:40-41) as well as individual cases. People
came to him in large numbers (Mark 4:23-24) and they were all
healed (Luke 4:40). When we examine all the four Gospels, we
find only over 20 instances of healing either in groups or as
individuals. Some were healed at a distance, some with a word
without any physical contact, some with physical contact, some
with both physical contact and “means”, that is, the use of clay
made from spittle, which was a popular remedy of the time for
blindness (Mark 8:23; John 9:6) and deafness (Mark 7:32-35).
This may have been to aid the patient’s faith or to demonstrate
that God does not exclude the use of means, or both.
Luke includes five miracles of healing not recorded in the other
Gospels. They are the raising of the son of the widow at Nain
(7:11-16), the healing of the woman bent (13:11-16), the man
with dropsy (14:1-4), the ten lepers (17:12-19), and the healing
of Malchus’ ear (22:51). Thus Jesus even restored a severed
part of the human body through the healing of Malchus’ ear. At
the same time these recorded events represent only a small
fraction of those ill in the country at that time.
The fourth evangelist never refers to healing of people in large
numbers, nor to demon possession (the word demon is
mentioned in John 10:21). In addition to the raising of Lazarus
from the dead, only three cases of healing are referred. They are
the healing of the nobleman’s son (4:46-54), the man paralyzed
for 38 years (5:1-16), and the man born blind (9:1-14). These
miracles of healing are not only mighty works, but also signs.
They demonstrate that the healing miracles of Jesus have not
only individual, local, contemporary physical significance, but a
general, eternal and spiritual meaning also. For example, in the
case of the healing of the man born blind, the point is
established that individual sickness is not necessarily attributed
to individual sin.
Jesus performed several miraculous healings. A miracle is “a
striking interposition of divine power by which the operations of
the ordinary course of nature are overruled, suspended or
modified” . The miraculous healings are instantaneous (Mark
ii
8:22-26 is a notable exception), complete and permanent and
usually without the use of means (there is the use of saliva in
Mark 7:33; 8:28; cf. Mark 5:27-29; Acts 5:15; 19:12). Divine
miracles of healing show no relapses, which typify spurious
miracles, except, of course, when dead persons were raised to
life, who sooner or later subsequently died again (Example:
Jairus’ daughter – Mark 5:21-24, 35-43; the widow of Nain’s son
– Luke 7:11-15; Lazarus – John 11:1-44 etc.).
Like other miracles in the Gospels, the healing miracles were
also dramatized signs. They were enacted parables to teach
certain things theologically. They authenticated and illustrated
the words of Jesus who performed them (Luke 5:20-24; John
7:19-22; 10:37-38). Thus what happened to the paralytic in Luke
5:18-26 was a proof and of what happened to his soul.
Therefore the purpose of Jesus’ healing was theological and not
at all medical. Many lay at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:3), but
Jesus healed only one because one was enough to teach the
spiritual truth. If Christ’s purpose and teaching had been healing
of the sick, he would have healed them all.
Jesus’ ministry of healing included the casting out of demons
from demon-possessed people. Exorcisms had a special place
in Jesus’ healing ministry. It restored the people from the
deformity that happened to their personality physically and
spiritually. The disciples were also commanded by Jesus to
“cast out” demons. The unclean spirits were associated with,
but distinct from any medical or mental disease. There is no
distinction between “man with unclean spirit” (Mark 5:2), the
demoniac (Mark 5:15-16) or the man who had been “possessed
with demons” (Mark 5:18). The same man is pictured in various
ways. Exorcisms marked the victory of Jesus over forces of evil
and brought the integrity of the humans in their physical, mental
and spiritual aspects. The power of the evil forces was thereby
defeated by Jesus. Not only did the individuals, but the
structure of the society as well could attain wholeness. Thus
exorcism marked the varied ways in which humans and their
society could be purged from evil. In India caste system is an
evil that has to be exorcised.
At the outset of Jesus’ ministry he had the temptation whether
or not to perform miracles/miraculous provisions. Then Jesus
decided not to perform them, but while he was doing his public
ministry he was very much moved with compassion by the
8 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 2 0 V o l . 8 , N o : 3
pathetic suffering of people and he performed the miracles of
healing etc. Healing miracles were also performed as a sign of
his proclamation of the kingdom of God. He was thus revealing
the love of God through healing. Now we look at prayer in
relation to the healing ministry of Jesus.
Healing and Prayer
Bible teaches us to pray and fast for healing. At the same time
Bible does not negate the use of medicine for healing. The oils
of Olive and mustard, fruits of fig trees, wine etc. were regarded
as of having medicinal value in antiquity (Luke 10:33, 34). Luke
was a medical doctor (Colossians 4:14). Jesus commanded his
disciples to heal the sick in their ministry (Luke 10:9).
Some instances regard human faith in Jesus as playing a role in
the healing process (Mark 4:40; 5:34, 36). Sometimes Jesus
accepted the faith of the sick man’s friends (Mark 2:4, 5; cf.
Matthew 17:17; Luke 17:5). Jesus demanded faith from those
who would be healed, and also inspired and helped people to
have such faith.
Various terms are used to describe healing that occurs without
the use of means and in response to faith. Because all true
healing comes from God the term “divine healing” is not helpful
to distinguish any healing. “Spiritual healing” refers more to the
restoration of health to the spirit than to body and moreover, it
may be confused with the work of spirits who in the name of the
devil can produce spurious healing. Faith healing is a helpful
term so long as the object of faith is clear (it is by no means
always by God). Matthew records instances of where healing
could not be performed because of the lack of faith of people
(Matthew 13:58) Faith is necessary as that which claims the
blessings of God. It is a restoration of a personal relationship of
grace and faith between God and human beings. Of course, it is
not the human faith that does the healing.
The purpose of prayer should be to find God’s will and make
that will our prayer . During our prayers we should be listening to
iii
God so that the divine will becomes our will. Prayer is lifting up
of our hearts and minds to God. We adore and glorify his name,
confess our sins and ask for his forgiveness, thank God for all
his mercies, intercede for others and also pray for ourselves. We
also need to dedicate ourselves for God’s will. Through prayer
we enter into communion with the living God, who is our
creator, sustainer and redeemer. When we pray, we finite
creatures of time and space, enter in touch with the Infinite.
Anytime, anywhere, range is there for us to get linked with God
and for conversing with him.
How do we relate prayer and healing? Throughout history we
have numerous instances where healings have happened
through prayer. It continues even today and it is part of human
experience. I am sure most of the readers of this article might
have had some personal experience of healing through prayer.
Certainly I had several such experiences not only in my own life,
but in the life of my own dear ones both in my family and my
wife’s. I do not want to narrate any of those concrete examples
here. Our Chrysostom Thirumeni, a Centurion who has now
completed 102 years, often say: See the extra ordinary in the
ordinary. We are living today and having good health by the
healing touch of God. We believe that it is through the grace
bestowed on us through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Does this mean that we receive blessings as we wish through
prayer? It is God alone who is omniscient. We really do not
realize what we pray. God in His mercy provides what is best for
us. Hence we have to be thankful and cheerful amidst the
vicissitudes of life. Some say that God gives three different
answers for our prayers: in some cases “Yes”, in some others
“No”, and in certain other cases “Wait”. Sometimes God delays
the answer. Prayer is not a shortcut to what we are supposed to
do. Today we are advised to stay safe and at home as far as
possible. Wash our hands frequently to keep viruses away.
Wear masks so that viruses don’t go inside us. We are also
an extensive ministry in both the Indian and the world
church…Athyal’s long-term focus has been on the need for the
church to squarely face the issues of modern culture, and the
need for various parts of the church universal to face this task
together.”
His wife Sakhi Athyal, with a PhD in Mission and Christian
Education, continues to teach. They now live in Tiruvalla, India
and have two children, daughter Vinee who is engaged in
ministry as a Counselor and son Vidush a Physician. We pray for
God’s blessings on him as he enters his 90 year. th

asked to keep social distancing. Do our part as best as we can.

God will protect us and give us health and healing. May the Holy WELCO0ME NEW MEMBERS OF FOCUS
Spirit enable us to know the divine will and make it ours through
prayer.
EDITORIAL BOARD

Reference: REV. DR. ABRAHAM PHILIP, KOTTAYAM

1
D. H. Trapnell, “Health, Disease and Healing”, New Bible Dictionary, 2nd
Ed , J. D. Douglas, et. al (eds) (Leicester: IVP, 1984), 464. Revd Dr. Abraham Philip is ordained as a priest in the Mar
1
Chamber’s Encyclopedia on Miracle.
1
Abraham Philip, Daily Prayers for the People of God, 3rd ed. (Tiruvalla: Thoma Church in 1979. He served as a priest in the UK
CSS, [2011] 2019), 7. and various parts of India.
He served as the Director of
Dr. Saphir Philip Athyal- Congratulations on TMAM Orientation Centre,
his 90th Birthday on Easter Sunday 2020 Kottayam. He retired in 2019
as the professor of the New
Dr. Saphir Philip Athyal was Testament theology at the
born on Easter in 1931. On Mar Theological Seminary
Easter 2020 he enters his 90 th
and continues as Professor
year. of New Testament at
FFRRC, Kottayam. He is a
He has had a long and prolific writer both in
distinguished career as a
Malayalam and English. He
theological educator,
administrator, and church has published over 20 books on Sacraments and New
leader. Having earned a Ph.D. Testament theology. We are very grateful to him for
(cum laude) from Princeton accepting our invitation to join the Editorial Board of the
Theological Seminary, he FOCUS. We warmly welcome him to the Family of the
served on the faculty of the FOCUS.
Union Biblical Seminary for twenty-four years of which he was
the Principal for fifteen years, the first Indian to hold this V. GEORGEKUTTY, KARUNAGAPPALLY
position. He was instrumental in bringing UBS within the
Serampore fold of mainstream theological education and he Mr. V. Georgekutty is a former Central government officer
presided over the relocation of the Seminary from Yavatmal to and academician. He is a gold medalist of the Institute of
Pune. He served as the Secretary of the Board of Theological Cost Accounts of India (ICA) and its Fellow Member
Education of the NCCI and Serampore University.
(FCMA). He holds
Apart from the various offices he held in India, he has had a postgraduate degrees in
worldwide impact as an evangelical theologian. He is the Business Management,
Founder-Chair of the Asia Theological Association. For ten years Computer Application,
he was the Vice-chair of the Lausanne Movement. He also Commerce, Journalism,
played leadership roles at the International Congress on World English, History, Philosophy,
Evangelization, Pattaya (1980) and the International Congress, Politics, Public Administration,
Lausanne II, Manila (1989). An acclaimed theological educator, Sociology and Gandhian
he served as the Adjunct Professor at Fuller Theological
Thoughts. He is passionate in
Seminary (13 years), and Azusa University. He was also a Guest
Lecturer in over fifteen universities and seminaries around the
studying Philosophy and
world. For fourteen years he was Director of Christian Religions. After quitting his
Commitments at World Vision International. A gifted speaker, he post retirement job as director of a business school, he
has written and edited several books. has been devoting his entire time on reading, writing and
public speaking. He has also written a number of books.
Twentieth-Century Dictionary of Christian Biography wrote He is settled in Karunagappally, Kerala.
about him: “An outstanding ecumenical churchman with a
passion for educating people for effective service, he has had

9 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 2 0 V o l . 8 , N o : 3

The Power of the Mind to Harm and Heal the Body
V. Georgekutty, Karunagapally, Kerala
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, and a hell of heaven” (John Milton).
During the Dark Ages, many men, who were convinced that they
have no place in a world filled with evil, retreated into the sterile
deserts or remote caves to live the life of a hermit in order to
purify their minds and purge their bodies of all carnal desires.
But these people were often hit by overpowering sexual urges
and ran howling towards the town to seek women to satisfy
their temptations. However, as they so hurry back to the sinful
world, their bodies would break out in boils and sores, their
faces would become flushed and blotted, and some yellowish
liquid would start oozing out of their boils and sours. These
instantaneous physical changes would horrify the victims. They
would suddenly be gripped by an overwhelming fear that God
was punishing them with leprosy for forsaking their spiritual
mission. In desperation, they would fall on their knees to seek
pardon from God for failing in their spiritual commitments. The
circumstances surrounding gave these afflictions the name
‘Saint’s Disease’.
The ‘Saint’s Disease’ is not another myth related to the
mysteries of the Middle Ages. People in the enlightened age too
have been victims of such maladies. For instance Nikos
Kazantzakis (1883-1957), the Greek writer famous for his
celebrated works like Zorba the Greek, and The Last Temptation
of Christ, had actually suffered from such an affliction. His
translator Kimon Friar shares the story in his introduction to the
book ‘The Saviour’s of God’ by Kazantzakis.
In May 1922, Kazantzakis was visiting Vienna. He was 39 years
old and was married to his first wife Galatea. One evening he
went to the theatre to watch a play. It so happened that a
charming woman occupied the adjacent seat. Although
extremely shy by nature, he found himself talking with the pretty
woman. Both soon found the play boring and left the theatre
together to spend rest of the evening walking the streets of
Vienna in animated conversation. Then a rather unusual thing
happened. The writer invited this woman to his room. He
admitted that he was not very clear himself about the intentions
behind the invite. The lady responded saying that she would
visit him the next evening. Kazantzakis was on cloud nine. He
went home and to bed extremely delighted about the events of
the evening.
The next morning when Kazantzakis woke up, he found his lips
and chin swollen and spotted. He first thought it was eczema.
Obviously, with that face, he could not meet the beautiful young
lady that evening. So he sent word to her that they would
postpone the meeting for the next night. By the next day, his
condition worsened. The rendezvous was put off again. His skin
problem kept spreading. Soon all his face puffed up. His eyes
looked like pin pricks in queasy blubber of flesh. His swollen
lower lip dripped with some kind of yellow fluid. On the whole,
he wore a hideous look. And the meeting could simply not
happen.
The physicians failed to find the cause of his ailment. According
Friar, Kazantzakis wrote to his wife in Athens that “if she were to
suddenly open the door of his room, she would be filled with
compassion, for she would behold him sprawled on his bed,
10 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 2 0 V o l . 8 , N o : 3
surrounded by antiseptics, his face bound with compresses
which he was forced to change very half an hour.”
Then he had an opportunity to meet Dr. Wilhelm Stekel, the
celebrated writer and professor of psychology at the University,
who convinced him that his deformation was the result of
strange psychological causes. The malady was diagnosed as
the ‘Saint’s Disease’. Kazantzakis later wrote to his wife that his
illness was the result “of a mental and spiritual disturbance
which manifests itself on the body. Something like the wounds
of St Francis.” (It is believed that St Francis of Assisi (1182-
1226), the Italian monk and the founder of the Franciscan and
Dominican Orders in the Catholic Church, had marks on his
body similar to the marks left in the body of Jesus after he was
crucified, which appeared two years prior to his death.)
In August 1922, Kazantzakis packed his bags and left for Berlin.
On 1st September, he wrote to his wife from Berlin saying, “I
was made completely well in a miraculous manner, as soon as I
left Vienna”. Two weeks later he again wrote, “Fortunately, I am
still well. I hope the Viennese psychologist was right, that this
spiritual sickness of mine passed forever as soon as I put some
distance between myself and Vienna…”
The circumstances surrounding the illness of Kazantzakis reveal
that his malady made a sudden appearance when he, a happily
married man, had set up a nocturnal rendezvous with a strange
and attractive woman, which was likely to end up in a sexual
intercourse. As a thinking man brimming with high levels of
spiritual energy, he was really in an agonizing situation. On the
one hand he was being pulled by the charm of the woman and
on the other he was tormented by the thoughts of cheating his
wife. The situation was simultaneously pleasurable and painful.
There was an internal war raging within his heart (mind or brain).
In short, the man was under tremendous mental stress.
The western system of medical treatment had been telling the
world that people fall sick because of pathogens entering the
body. So, pharmaceutical researches were focused on
discovering antidotes to kill the pathogens. Antibiotics like
Penicillin and Tetracycline were highly effective at the start
against bacterial infections. These ‘magical’ remedies had
saved millions of lives from inevitable death. In due course,
effective remedies against viruses too were discovered.
Eventually the pathogens turned resistant. Mutations brought in
newer and more lethal pathogens.
Until recently, the world believed that people who breathe clean
air, drink clean water, ensure the nutritional balance in their diet
and exercise systematically should remain healthy. But, the
reality on the ground is that people who live a highly disciplined
life fall sick while the easygoing lot often remains less
susceptible to sickness. Obviously, the researchers were
puzzled. Eventually, they shifted focus and started looking into
the part, if any, played by people’s minds in making their bodies
sick. And the so-called ‘Saint’s Disease’ is now explained as the
bodily expression of a troubled mind.
Although, modern science still does not fully understand the
working of the mind, it tells us that everything that happens in
the body is triggered by the brain. The brain processes inputs it
receives and issues signals to the body through the nervous
system for bodily actions. In some instances, people trigger the
brain to action through conscious thoughts. But in a vast
majority of bodily activities, we do not spark off actions by
means of conscious thoughts. The signals of most of the
internal bodily functions like breathing and the beating of our
hearts arise at the subconscious level of the human mind,
because of which our hearts and lungs do not stop functioning
even when we are deep asleep.
It is all in our thoughts. Every thought alters our brain structure
and the brain structure changes influence the types and
patterns of communications emanating from it. These
communications have a substantial say in the state of our body.
In other words, our thoughts have a very significant influence on
our bodies. Does it also mean that thoughts have the power to
turn healthy people sick and sick people healthy? The answer is
‘Yes’. And this is where faith and prayer come into play in the
process of healing.
In his article captioned ‘Your Mind Can Keep You Well’ U.S.
doctor John A. Schindler says, that 77% of the people
consecutively admitted into a New Orleans clinic had all been
suffering from one common disease. That disease once called
psychoneurosis is presently termed as psychosomatic illnesses,
which is defined as "a physical disease that is thought to be
caused, or made worse, by mental factors". This disease is not
produced by any bacterium or virus but by the patient’s own
mind. Dr. Schindler terms the causes as the cares, difficulties
and troubles (c.d.t.) of the circumstances of daily living. It is not
a case of the patient just thinking that he is sick. It can really
hurt. The pain could be no less severe than what a patient with
gallbladder colic would suffer. Norman Cousins says, “Studies
show that up to 90% of the patients who reach out for medical
help are suffering from self-limiting disorders well within the
range of body’s own healing powers.”
To understand how psychosomatic illnesses develop, we have
to understand the process of ‘thinking’. Thinking is not
something that is going on just within our brains. Thinking
involves the whole body. This is more so when thinking involves
emotions. The psychologist William James defines emotion as a
‘state of mind that manifests itself by a perceptible change in
the body’. For instance, anger is an emotion all of us
understand. We can simply look at a man and say whether a
person is angry. His face goes either white or crimson; his eyes
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widen, his muscles tighten up to make him tremble… We know
how people blush when they are embarrassed. Some people
faint or vomit at the sight of blood. It is a consequence
distressing thoughts processed by the brain affecting the heart
and blood vessels making the body faint or stirring the stomach
to make people throw up.
How can thoughts make people sick? Researchers in the area
suggest that there are different dimensions to it. Prominent
among these is the tightening of the muscles. If the mind of a
person is predominantly occupied by distressing thoughts,
his/her muscles tend to tighten. Depending up on the muscles
affected, the person might suffer from severe pain at the back of
the neck, difficulty to swallow, serious pains and discomforts in
various parts of the digestive system and so on. Remember how
we lose hunger when we are distressed. Many of the skin
diseases are caused by blood vessels in the skin reacting to
emotions like anxiety, worry and disgust. (Perhaps, that
explains the ‘Saint’s Disease’).
Another significant way in which emotional states influence our
bodies is through the endocrine system - the built-in immune
system of the human body. It protects us from the attack of
pathogens. Every time a threat is perceived, the immune system
goes on high alert and deploys warriors to neutralize it. There is
plethora of processes continually running in our bodies to keep
us fresh and fit. For instance, the body is incessantly renewing
itself through cell division (Mitosis) and cell death (Apoptosis).
The result is that we have a new stomach every week, a new
skin lining every month, and a new skeleton every three months.
Experts are of the view that over 90% of our body is recycled on
an annual basis. As someone had put it, human body is a
process rather than a structure; it is a verb rather than a noun; it
is more chemistry than physics. It might be said that the
endocrine system is the critical chemistry of the body that
tremendously influences its physics.
What does the endocrine system do? Assume that you are
driving in high speed on a street and another car suddenly
enters your lane from a side road. Suddenly your heart would
race and your breathing would become deeper and faster. You
might even be on the verge of fainting. The sudden fear that
struck you has produced these bodily changes. Once your brain
registers the danger, it sends a sudden impulse to the adrenal
glands (the endocrine system), which squeezes adrenalin into
the blood stream. When the adrenalin hits the heart, it would
start pounding. When it hits the blood vessels to the brain, it
narrows down making you feel dizzy. If the blood vessels on
your heart are squeezed down, it might trigger a fatal heart
attack.
If a person is constantly angry, anxious or upset, adrenalin flow
continues. As the adrenalin level in the system gets depleted,
the level of bodily immunity falls. Stress also produces
immunosuppressant like cortisol and epinephrine. When a
person remains under constant stress, he falls easily sick. If the
stress continues, healing becomes difficult irrespective of
everything that the modern medicine can offer. So, Boris
Pasternak writes in Dr. Zhivago, his renowned novel, “Your
health is bound to be affected if day after day, you say the
opposite of what you feel, if you grovel before what you dislike
and rejoice at what brings you nothing but misfortune. Our
nervous system is a fiction; it is part of our physical body, and
our soul exists in space, and is inside us, like the teeth in our
mouth. It can’t be forever violated with impunity…”
The reality that a man’s thoughts have the power to influence
the body is a rather recent discovery of science. But ancient
systems knew it for thousands of years. That is why yoga and
meditation techniques became part of India’s traditional
approach to the maintenance of health. This knowledge was at
the root of the healing ministry of Jesus. The Bible says that
Jesus often told the sick people whom he cured that their sins
were pardoned. Often the pardon happens first and then the
cure. Jesus also told people to go in peace. Jesus also sought
to know whether the people who came to him for cure truly had
faith in his power to grant healing.
People burdened with the weight of their sins, have wars raging
in their minds. No healing would last unless their hearts are
relieved of their burdens. And no healing is possible unless
people have faith in person to whom they go for healing. Thus, it
is no myth that faith carries the potential to trigger miracles; it is
modern science. Faith works wonders. And Jesus said, “...Truly
I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can
say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).
Norman Cousins records this anecdote about an African witch
doctor in his bestseller work, ‘The Anatomy of an Illness’. This
medicine man was in the company of Dr. Schweitzer, a
practitioner of modern medicine. The ‘clinic’ was just a small
patch of jungle clearing. The witch doctor would give herbs with
instructions on its use to some of the patients. To some others
he gave no herbs but only recited some incantations. To the
rest, the witch doctor quietly pointed to Dr. Schweitzer. The
doctor later explained to Cousins that those to whom herbs
were given had only functional complaints, which would be
cured by the herbs. The problem with the second category was
essentially psychological and the incantations and the ritualistic
gestures should make them believe that whatever evil was
within them was now driven out. The third category had serious
issues needing surgical or other modern procedures. He
directed them to Dr. Schweitzer. Obviously, the African witch
doctors are smarter than the professionals of the scientific age!
Norman Vincent Peal, American minister and bestselling author,
writes, “There is a growing emphasis in present-day religious
practice which is designed to help people find healing from
sickness of mind, heart, soul and body. This is a return to the
original practice of Christianity… The very word ‘pastor’ derives
from a word meaning ‘the cure of souls’… A sensible and
effective pattern for health and happiness is to utilize the skills
and methods of medical science to fullest possible extent and at
the same time supply the wisdom, the experience and the
techniques of spiritual science...”
He adds, “In all of the investigations I have made into successful
cases of healing, there seem to be certain factors present. First,
a complete willingness to surrender oneself in to the hands of
God. Second, a complete letting go of all errors such as sin in
any form and a desire to be cleansed in the soul. Third, belief
and faith in the combined therapy of medical science in harmony
with the healing power of God. Fourth, a sincere willingness to
accept God’s answer, whatever it may be and no irritation or
bitterness against His will. Fifth, a substantial, unquestioning
faith that God can heal.” The Bible says, "But when you ask, you
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must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like
a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind" (James 1:6).
James Allen, British philosophical writer known for his
inspirational books, writes, “Man is made or unmade by himself.
In the armoury of thought, he forges the weapons by which he
destroys himself. He also fashions the tools with which he builds
for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace. By
the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to
divine perfection. By the abuse and wrong application of
thought, he descends below the level of the beast. Between
these two are all the grades of character, and man is their maker
and master. Of all the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul,
none is more gladdening or fruitful of the divine promise and
confidence than this – that man is the master of thought, the
moulder of character and the maker and shaper of conditions,
environment and destiny.”
The Bible says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he"
(Proverbs 23: 7 KJV). Think happy thoughts and we would be
happy; think of affluence and we would be rich; think of health,
we would be healthy; think of love, we would find love, think of
peace, we would enjoy peace… On the other hand, think sad
thoughts, we would soon be miserable; think of poverty, we
would soon be poor; think of sickness, we would soon be sick;
think of conflicts, there would be war… So, Apostle Paul says,
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things
are honourable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things
are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of
good report; if there be any virtue, and of there be any praise,
think on these things. The things which ye both learned and
received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God
of peace shall be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9).
Let us learn to control our thoughts; let us learn to become
masters of our thoughts; let us learn to become captains of our
destiny. We can certainly do this if we so choose and enjoy the
“the last of the human freedoms” – the freedom from the
enslavement of our external circumstances. Remember that the
happiest people are not the most affluent people; the healthiest
people are not those receiving the best medical care…
“Life’s battles do not always go
To the stronger or faster man
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the one who thinks he can?”
(Attributed to Napoleon Hill)
Select References:
1. Nikos Kazantzakis, The Saviours of God: Spiritual
Exercises (Translated by Kimon Friar)
2. Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking
3. Norman Cousins, Anatomy of an Illness As Perceived
by the Patient
4. James Allen, As A Man Thinketh
5. John A, Schindler, M.D. You Mind Can Keep You Well
(Reader’s Digest)
 Joseph – Mary- Jesus (JMJ)
JESUS THE DIVINE HEALER - CHRISTIAN HEALING MINISTRY
Fr. Thomas Punnapadam, SDB
The Covid-19 pandemic overwhelming the world for the last six
months is not just an absolutely unprecedented health
emergency, but also a socio-economic crisis and a geo-political
watershed and an existential turning point for humankind. This
pandemic has turned human lives upside down in unimaginable
ways. We are half way through this calendar year and with
hardly any doubt it can be said that this year will go down in
history as the year of the Corona Virus pandemic. While it is as
yet difficult to see light at the end of this dark tunnel, every effort
is made by everyone to make this experience a part of history.
The numerous drastic measures advocated and imposed by
governments and health professionals and the consequent
restrictions imposed by national curfews, lock downs, rules
about social distancing, closure of educational institutions,
places of worship, restaurants, malls and theatres have all been
honest efforts to contain the spread of the virus. National
strategies of containment, rapid testing, mandatory quarantining
and self-isolation have all greatly helped mitigate the scale and
spread of the virus. Nonetheless, the greatly feared critical stage
of community transmission is now pervading many countries of
the southern hemisphere. The efficacy of these measures is
considerably debated and not a few have wondered if the cure
is worse than the disease especially from the economic
perspective of millions losing their jobs and even being reduced
to hunger, homelessness and untimely death.
No doubt the heroism of the medical professionals and other
essential service providers, as also the honest efforts of the civil
and political authorities to contain the calamities engendered by
the pandemic is admirable indeed. The most noteworthy of the
long-term battle against the corona plague is beyond doubt the
universal race for a cure, the discovery of a vaccine. As of mid-
May, a newspaper article averred that 70 research groups
worldwide are working on preparing a remedy; 100 vaccine
candidates are in the pipeline; 450 clinical trials are on; 8000
scientists have written research papers on Covid-19 so far and
fifty per cent of vaccine developers are in North America. (The
New Sunday Express Magazine, Bangalore edition, 17 May).
As epidemiologists enlighten us, humankind has bravely fought
and gloriously won many a battle against numerous viruses.
There are as yet innumerable viruses that are potential threats to
human life. As we know in the first two decades of the 21
century alone the world has seen four global zoonotic epidemics
SARS, Avian flu, Ebola, now Covid-19. While the search for a
vaccine is not to be denigrated, it must not be forgotten that it is
not the exclusive solution to the problem. It is universally
acknowledged that the robustness of the immune system holds
the omnipotent key to battling the virus. As the relentless hunt
for an effective vaccine progresses unabated, it is enlightening
to note that many experts are highlighting the indispensable
need to build up the immune system.
The corona pandemic is without a doubt unprecedented. The
immune system is not constituted exclusively by biological
13 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 2 0 V o l . 8 , N o : 3
factors. The psychosomatic perspective of any illness is
universally acknowledged by the world of medicine. Medical
professional readily recognise the difference between any
disease and its symptoms. Covid-19, as we all know, is highly
asymptomatic, and there seems to be growing evidence that
even asymptomatic patients can transmit the virus. Health
experts also admit that the person needs to be healed than the
disease just be cured.
Arundhati Roy the well-known author of God of Small Things
fame has inspiringly described the current pandemic as a portal.
A portal to what…is a question that arises in any one’s mind.
It is precisely in this context that the unprecedented experience
of the corona pandemic invites all religiously inclined and
spiritually motivated human beings to rediscover the immense
power and profound meaning of healing. Particularly to the
Christian community it is indeed a wake-up call to the ministry
of healing. The significance of the dimension of healing in
Christian ministry has not been consistently recognised, as it
ought to be. The dimension of preaching the Word has probably
been over-emphasised to the detriment of the ministry of
healing. In recent decades, the charismatic movement has to a
great extent revived the healing dimension of Christian ministry.
In the Bible it is clear that ultimate salvation, of which God is the
only source, includes bodily health and perfection. The Lord
assures the Israelites: I am the Lord your healer (Ex 15:26c).
Healing is a sign that Yahweh is the protector of his people (Ex
15:26; Ps 102:1). Healing is one of the astonishing works of
God. In the Old Testament healing was part of the prophetic
mission. Prophet Elijah heals Naaman. Undoubtedly, importance
is given to prayer as well as medicine. My son, when you are
sick do not be negligent, but pray to the Lord and he will heal
you. . . and give the physician his place, for the Lord created
him; let him not leave you, for there is need of him (Sir 38:9, 12).
The Messianic era in Prophet Isaiah is described as one of
bodily wholeness as well as true peace and joy: In that the day
deaf shall hear . . . the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek
shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall
exult in the Holy one of Israel (Is 29:18, 19). Then the eyes of the
blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then
shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb
st
sing for joy (Is 35:5, 6a).
The climax of God’s healing grace is the life and ministry of Our
Lord and master Jesus Christ. The most faithful summary of
the life of Jesus is that he is supreme healer of Life, indeed a
poet of God’s compassion. Jesus not only preached but
perfectly incarnated God’s compassion through his numerous
acts of healing. In fact he describes his own life-mission in
terms of healing: Go and tell John what you hear and see; the
blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and
the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the
good news preached to them (Mt 11:4,5; Lk 7:21-23).
There is almost a litany of healings in the Gospels. They brought
to him all who were sick or possessed with demons . . . he
healed many (Mk 1:23-28; 29 -34; 40-42; 2:1-12; 3:1- 12). In
contrast to the Baptist who never healed, Jesus went about all
Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Gospel
of the Kingdom and healing every disease and infirmity among
the people (Mt 4:23; also 9:35).
The Gospel of Mark particularly highlights the deeper
dimensions of the ministry of Jesus, that Jesus was not just
curing people of the bodily symptoms of their diseases, but
making them whole in body, mind heart and soul. Jesus went
throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting
out demons (Mk 1:39). St. Luke too stresses the deeper
aspects of healing when he asserts that people came to Jesus
to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who
were troubled with unclean spirits were cured . . . for power
came forth from him and healed them all (Lk 6:18,19). In the
house of Cornelius St. Peter reaffirms that Jesus went doing
good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God
was with him (Acts 10:38b).
As the authoritative historian Josephus Flavius too testifies
Jesus was a well known as healer. He was like others in using to
saliva (Mk 7:33) and yet he was different. He was no
professional physician, never asked for symptoms, and
attempted no diagnosis. He did not rely on techniques, secret
formulas and never acted out of economic interests, but on
manifesting the healing love of God. Jesus was concerned not
just with suppressing the symptoms, but of healing, as well as
making whole the social dimension and the spiritual realm of
every human life.
Christ was a man of extraordinary compassion and healed even
on the Sabbath. Jesus goes beyond the materialistic conception
of the Sabbath, breaks it and establishes the new Sabbath of
the New Covenant, which is the sign of the definitive presence
of God among his people (Mk 2: 27,28). For Jesus, miracles of
healing are an essential aspect of the integral salvation, which
he came to bring. Redemption is victory over sin, healing the
sick, casting out devils. The paralytic is first forgiven and then
delivered from paralysis (Lk 5:18-26). The sick man at the pool
of Bethsaida is exhorted to amend his life (Jn 5:14). To the man
born blind, Jesus offered both the light of the way and even the
greater light of faith (Jn 9:35-38). The psychosomatic and
spiritual dimension of ill health is clearly acknowledged by Jesus
(Mt. 9:1-8; Lk 4:18, 19; 5/17-26; Jn 5:1-8).
The healings by Jesus were not isolated acts, but integral to the
proclamation of the reign of God; they were not intended to
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prove his power or authority. Underlying ever y healing was his
compassionate love, a fruit of reign of God. Jesus never asked
anything for himself, he gave without charge and instructed his
disciples to do so (Mt 1:8). Belief in God’s compassion and a
desire to be healed were the only conditions. Jesus never took
any credit for the healings. “Your faith saved you” is one of the
most often repeated sayings of Jesus. More significantly he
often reassured those who came to him: go in peace (Lk 8:48;
7:50). This peace meant bodily health to the haemorrhagic
woman and for the repentant woman it meant forgiveness of her
sins.
Peace in the biblical understanding is not only a pact which
permits a tranquil life, or a ‘time of peace’ in opposition to a
‘time of war’, but indicates the well-being of daily existence, of
being intact; it indicates a person who lives a complete life in
harmony with nature, with oneself and with God. Hence peace
and salvation are inseparable. In his healing ministry, God’s
saving action is in motion. I saw Satan falling from heaven (Lk
10:18). Reign of God is God’s response to human suffering; evil
is overcome; the irruption of God’s mercy results in the
elimination of suffering, and acceptance of those eliminated
from society. This is far from being a fully accomplished reality.
We must go on bringing God’s mercy into the world through his
healing power.
The one and only inspiration for our ministry is our Lord and
master Jesus Christ. And in commissioning his followers to
continue his ministry, the dimension of healing was never
sidestepped. While on earth, Christ apparently communicated
the power of healing only to the disciples. He called the twelve
and gave them authority over all demons and to cure diseases
(Mt 10:1; Lk 9:1-2; Mk 6:7-13). However it is noteworthy that the
Risen Jesus gives us the assurance that all who believe will be
endowed with this power to heal: And these signs will
accompany those who believe; in my name they will cast out
demons . . . they will lay their hands on the sick and they will
recover (Mk 16:17, 18).
Being instruments of God’s divine healing grace is our universal
mission; this is particularly highlighted in the context of the
current pandemic. A profound question that confronts us is: do
we believe in this power of God to heal, of which we are all
channels in various ways? Do we pray for this heavenly grace?
The power that went out from Jesus (Lk 6:19; Acts 3:6, 16; 4:10)
needs to go out through his believers today. Like the first
miracle wrought in the early church, numerous others can follow
in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth Acts 3:6b). The Greek
word heal, also means save. As St James assures us the prayer
of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up;
and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven (James 5:15).
The Church is the sacrament of Christ’s presence and hence
continues the work of healing begun by Christ. It is one of the
charisms (I Cor 12:9, 28-30). All through her history, healing
been one of the main concerns of the Church. Both religious
orders and countless dedicated doctors and nurses are part of
the healing of the healing mission of Christ. In a sense every
Christian shares in the healing mission of Christ, because every
act of love, concern contributes to healing. Greater collaboration
is needed in the healing ministry, among medical experts,
pastoral ministers and social service providers. The sacraments
especially of Baptism, the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation are
to be revitalized as sacraments of healing.
Christianity has helped the progress of modern medicine by its What I see!
message of liberation from magic and superstition. The Dr. Zac Varghese, London
Christian community rejoices at the progress of curative and
preventive medicine but warns against the depersonalization of (The following is a meditation on a poem, ‘The Divine Image’,
medicine and offers the holistic approach. The Church feels she written by William Blake in 1857 and published in a collection of
has a special, unique role in healing ministry, which is bound up his poems under the title: ‘Songs of Innocence’)
with God’s saving action in history. Health is not a static
condition; curing is not healing; healing is finding ‘wholeness’.
All sicknesses need healing, not just cure, since it affects all
aspects of life, individual and social. Complete healing is not a
single individual’s responsibility or achievement; teams are
involved more and more in healing. From the involvement in the
process of healing both the patient and the team will emerge
more enriched and bonded.

In spite of the incredible progress of medicine and availability of

health facilities, the church has a unique contribution to make;
‘something more’ to give. A highly intriguing discovery of
modern medicine is the power of prayer in healing, though for
science and scientists, the role of prayer in healing mind and
body continues to be an evolving discipline. Research has
proved repeatedly that those who pray regularly are less likely to
fall ill and that when they do they tend to recover faster. Prayer Thanks for the eyes to see and ears to hear Thy
has healing effects also on those who are prayed for. MRI scans
words.
and other measurements of those who meditate clearly manifest
biological changes – increase in metabolism, lower heart rate, Thanks for the heart to feel and the mind to store,
blood pressure, rate of breathing, slower brain waves and At the cross, I see love flowing down like a stream,
enhanced feeling of control, peace and tranquillity. There is When I kneel at the cross I feel showers of
enough evidence in clinical psychology to suggest that any kind blessings.
of prayer which allows the mind to transfer fear and suffering
into another agency, believed to be a higher power, reduces
one’s own burden of suffering and fear. On the other hand, it is When I look at the cross, I hear thy words of love,
evident that high adrenalin levels during stress and unhappiness Thanks for the eyes to see, I see Thy love;
lower the immunity, elevate blood sugar, raise heart rate and Yes, I hear Thy forgiveness, the gift of Thy love,
blood pressure, and generally make an individual more
Yes, I hear Thy love in Thy ‘still small voice’.
susceptible to illness.

The brightest dimension of Covid-19 epidemic probably is that it
has reawakened or deepened the faith of many people around
the world. It is a divine invitation to rediscover the Christian
attitude to health and sickness, which climaxes in the ministry of
healing of Jesus. While progress in medical research is
relentless, knowledgeable professionals in the field are ever
more widely acknowledging a power beyond the human
sciences and skills that heals. This confirms the biblical
affirmation: For neither herb nor poultice cured them, but it was
thy word, O Lord, which heals all men; For thou hast power over
life and death; thou dost lead men down to the gates of Hades
and back again (Wis 16:12,13).
This is the unforgettable year of the Covid 19 pandemic.
Could it remembered as a year of grace in the same breath?
COVID 19
Christ over Viruses & Infectious Diseases
Reverse COVID 19
And you will get 91-DIVOC
Destroy Influenza Virus Outbreak Completely
By praying Psalm 91
When I stop and look at the cross, I see Thy Love.
Mercy, Love, Pity and Peace flowing like a stream;
I can’t see manipulations or power games;
I can’t see anger, hate, vengeance or malice.
Mercy has a name; Love has a name,
Pity has a name and Peace has a name,
It is the name on the cross, the living name,
It is the name above all other names, Jesus.
Dear Lord, write your name on my heart,
Let me carry it around for loving my neighbour.
Thanks for the gift of the other, my neighbour,
Help me to see Thee and Thine in the other.
Covid-19 brought me Lock-down and safe
distancing;
It brought me solitude to hear Thy ‘still small voice’;
In this silence I don’t see selfishness, pride or envy;
In this silence I see virtual becoming a sacred reality.

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Liturgical Space and Virtual Space:
Theological Observations
Revd Dr. K. Jameson, St. Thomas MTC, Keezhvaipur, Pathanamthitta.
COVID-19 intensely compels to rethink the meaning and
existence of faith, its practices, and related rituals. Irrespective
of region, religion, class, and caste the majority of human
beings are forced to find secure space in their own familial
settings. Since Christian community observes their most solemn
time – Passion Week and Easter – in this lockdown situation, as
a worshipping community how does the Church keep its tempo
of religiosity and thereby spiritualty? How could Christian
ministers keep the spiritual vitality of people? Are there any
alternative means to observe the holy week in its warmth? How
could the Church fulfill the spiritual needs of her members in this
period of uncertainty? All these questions are pertinent in this
COVID period.
‘Go online’ is a trend of the time. Worshipping through the
means of technology is an alternative to the period. It is
commendable to observe that churches are expanding their
horizon beyond geographical boundaries. Currently, Online
churches try to take care of the spiritual needs of its members
through worship services, meditations, bible studies, prayers,
and intercessions. ‘Screen culture’ and programme ‘Apps’ like
Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp have become the fashion of this
period. It is interesting to observe that many people question
the validity of such online worships and virtual liturgical
observations. People respond to it in different ways. The view of
certain people is that it is idolatry which is meaningless, others
view it as useful and hence it should be kept as mandatory. By
considering its pros and cons, how does cyber/virtual space
(worship) fulfill the spiritual hunger of the people at large? Hence
this paper enumerates the theological observations related to
the liturgical space and cyberspace.
Liturgical Space
Liturgy is not only made up of actions, words, and material
things but also they are bound to a given time and space. The
term ‘liturgical space’ expresses the place of liturgy celebrated.
This is an environment in which a Christian community meets to
pray, praise, proclaim and engage with each other and with
God. It also explains the entire physical reality of liturgy. It
includes the place, objects, persons, words (prayers, readings,
and music), actions and time of liturgy. Liturgical space is a
place where we affirm and create a community, where praise,
thanksgiving and all aspects of our life in God are touched,
blessed and brought into focus. It is also a place of
reconciliation and mission.
The Church is not just a building to gather or a meeting place of
interactions; rather it is a consecrated space for sacramental
functions, the proclamation of the Word of God and space to
experience the fellowship with God and one another. It is a
space of spiritual gathering and a place for experiencing the
sacramental nature of life. One of the primary terms used for the
Church in the liturgy is Ecclesia (in Latin), which refers to the
totality of Christian assemblies or congregations, i.e., all
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Christians everywhere. The key emphasis of the Church’s
identity is the people of God - ‘Laos’. The Church is a
community of faithful who have a clear vision. The holiness of
the church building and the holiness of the people who worship
there are not oppositional but harmoniously related and
mutually constitutive; the church building is both Domus Dei
(house of God) and Domus Ecclesia (house of the church). The
Laos is set apart for a special purpose and the assembly of the
‘set-apart people’ makes the Church. In a liturgical sense, both
are complimentary. The Church is a called-out community that
belongs to the Lord. It is a dwelling place of God and also a
community of faithful.
The church building is a symbol of God’s presence. At the same
time, each member of the Church is a temple of God. Irenaeus,
a church Father of the 4th century expounds that “the living
human is the glory of God”. Buildings are not necessary for
worship since true worship can take place where people gather.
But the visible church needs to be somewhere. A church
building is a model of a visible church. To focus on the building
as merely a place for performing the liturgy is a limited view,
which reduces it to mere functionality. The building still
continues to function as an entity in itself, for it exists and
speaks even when nothing is taking place within it. The liturgical
building is a sacred space. In the Old Testament, the temple in
the religious arena is understood as an exclusively earthly
dwelling place of the Divine. A Christian church building cannot
be conceived of in this way. The church buildings are neither
meeting places nor temples. It is a sacramental building. This
means that God is indeed intensely present in the sacramental
place of worship, but this presence is of a character that
mediates, reveals, and celebrates the holiness and action of
God in creation, history, and culture. The sacramental church
building becomes, in a sense, a lens through which is revealed
God’s omnipresence.
The holiness of the church building and the holiness of the
people who worship there are not in opposition but
harmoniously related and mutually constitutive. As mentioned
earlier, the Church is both Domus Dei and Domus Ecclesia.
From the holiness of the people derives the holiness of the
building. The church building is a sacred, consecrated place. To
enter a holy place is to be sanctified and to be affected by its
holy statutes. The holiness of the church building and the
people of God are mutually generative and interactively
constitutive. On the one hand, a church building is holy because
it participates in the objective sanctifying and redeeming action
of God at work in the sacramental liturgy. On the other hand, a
church building is holy because of the holiness of the baptized
community which inhibits it and worships within it. Liturgical
buildings operate as a model of human holiness. Yet the place
of worship itself is sanctified by the living body of Christ. The
liturgical building sanctifies the people and the people sanctify
the place of worship. People and buildings are irreducibly holy,
each according to its particular mode of participation in the
sacramental order of the Church. By themselves they are partial;
together they form the whole theological truth. In this sense,
liturgical buildings are both Domus Dei (house of God) and
Domus Ecclesia (house of the church).
Virtual Space / Cyber Space
Cyber space can be defined as a communication over computer
networks. It offers an atmosphere that provides participation to
many people with the ability to influence and strengthen each
other. Technology is a blessing which offers immense
possibilities and creates great avenues to prosper life. Finding
the goodness of technology and the responsible use of it
definitely enhance the qualities of life. At the same time, it can
subjugate like an octopus trap if we handle it irresponsibly.
Cyberculture is an expression of technological power and
creativity. God created human beings in His/her own image,
gifting them with creativity, freedom and reason. Cyber space or
technological advancement is seen as an outcome of human
creativity and intelligence. Intelligence and creativity are part of
God’s blessings and human beings have to use it in its best way
for the nurturing of the creation.
Life is all about relationship. Our connection with God, with
other creations and with the mother earth is part of our very
identity. It is clear that these connections cannot be created by
cyberspace but these can be sustained and enhanced within
the digital culture. Virtual space is a medium to connect people.
Although digital technology cannot create Christian community,
it can be an arena for Christian community. Christian community
is a community from God and in God which means God alone
can create and sustain it. As virtual community is a
technological creation, it can never create a Christian
community. To be precise God, the Holy Spirit, transcends
everything in this world. So the Holy Spirit can certainly work in
and through cyberspace to create and sustain a community in
Christ.
Community formation and community nurturing is an integral
part of the mission of the Church. From a Christian point of
view, cyber space is just a medium or a means of
communication. The Net cannot create a community; it can only
be a medium for discovering and deepening a human
community that may already exist. One of the most striking
forms of communities that people develop on the net is affinity
groupings. The virtual community of cyberspace is just a virtual
group, not a real community in time and space. This community
is within the limits of machines. It can connect people under the
settings made by digital technology, whose strength is to
transmit, store, organize information in the form of bytes. This
means that in cyberspace, people meet as constellations of
information. They do not meet as fully embodied selves in
physical contact, in specific places and specific times.
Cyberspace reduces the self to information and abstracts this
data from space and time. This does not mean that people
cannot experience any togetherness on the Net at all. People
can do a lot of sharing through the Net. But the Net can provide
the possibility of community in its best when people already
know each other on the basis of a previous face-to-face
encounter. When the people of God, who already know each
other can be greatly benefited at this time, the people who first
met on the Net may not be benefited that much.
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Cyberspace can certainly be an arena of self-giving and service,
and thus a place for sharing in and being shaped by God’s love.
It assists people to connect with each other and to share their
ideas, feelings and opinions. The significance of the ‘other’ is
realized in this space. As sacraments are means of grace, virtual
space is a means of communication. Sacramentality of the
virtual space is beyond question. We can transform virtual
space into a sacramental space when we approach it with an
attitude of openness, trust, love, mutual respect and
acceptance. Virtual space worship becomes more people’s
centred, more participatory, without gender biases and non-
hierarchical.
Technological advancement marks the present world. The world
without technology is unimaginable. Responsible way of
handling the technology is a blessing. It is appreciable to note
that the Church took advantage of the live streaming technology
and meet over YouTube, Facebook and various church
websites to celebrate the Passion Week. Unfortunately, access
to the blessings of technology is limited in the modern world.
The drawback is that majority is out of the line. The Church
should avail of the new modes of media and technology to
teach its doctrines, faith and practices more effectively. For this
purpose, the mode of communication and content of the liturgy
should be contextualized for the modern period. It is very
beneficial to use media in an effective way in the proclamation
of the Gospel and integrate the Gospel values with the culture
created by modern communications. The Church has to make
use of the positive aspects and the best possibilities of cyber
space for the faith formation and communication.
Conclusion
Community is the fruit of true communication. As an alternative
community, the mission of the Church is to communicate the
Gospel through our lives and blessings. Covid period is an
experience of the church to cope with the cyber culture. The
Liturgical space is a sacred place for encountering God in
worship. In the liturgical space, we renew the sacramental act of
Christ with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving to the Creator.
The activity of worship manifests and deepens the faith
dimension of the gathered Ecclesia. God encounters His/Her
people wherever they worship in truth and spirit. In the current
pandemic situation, as a Christian community hope and
strength can be found through cyber space. The feelings of
oneness can be affirmed and strength can be found by sharing
one’s blessings, concerns, worries and anxieties with fellow
believers. The Church is an open community which at present is
more inclusive and alive in virtual space. As a platform of
communication, the Church has to use the blessings of modern
technology to connect and nurture the community. The Church
is the dwelling place of faith that is formed by the faithful people
of God. The sign of the true Church is the way in which her
members live a transformed life by loving their neighbours and
serving God, inspired by worship and sanctified by the Spirit.
The liturgical space is a sign of God’s presence in their midst.
Virtual space is a space to affirm oneness in Christ. The Church
is in Christ and Christ is in the Church and both are united. In
the present context, virtual space has to be seen as an
extension of liturgical space. Is God in Cyber space? God is….
Prayer and Healing Ministry
Very Revd V. T. John, Tiruvalla
Prayer and Healing Ministry Prayer is the Christian’s mightiest
weapon. Satan laughs at our toiling, mocks at our wisdom, but
trembles when we pray. The secret of our failure is our failure in
secret prayer. Although we cannot all preach, give large sums of
money, go into the mission field, we can do one thing – we can
pray. This we can all do; and ought to do. There is a message
like this: “The first ever codeless phone was created by God. He
named it ‘Prayer’. It never loses its signal and you never have to
recharge it. Use it anywhere”.
The meaning of Prayer:
Prayer is talking with God. God’s storehouse is full of blessings;
only prayer can unlock that storehouse. Prayer is surrendering
the will of self to the Will of God. All the fruitfulness is the
outcome of prayer. God can do more through our prayers than
through our preaching. Prayer is measured not by duration, but
by intensity.
Components of Prayer:
As God is interested in every part of our life whether large or
small, we can talk to him about anything and everything. Often
we restrict ourselves to ‘asking prayers’ and that is a great pity.
We have to include the following components in our prayer.
1) Adoration (Glorification):
Think about God’s love shown in Jesus Christ and goodness of
the Spirit who comes to clean up our lives. 2 Corinthians 1:3,
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of mercies and the God of all consolation”. God’s name
must be glorified in and through our prayer.
2) Confession (Repentance):
Confess to God all the ways we have gone against him and hurt
him. Psalm 66:18 “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the
Lord would not have listened”. God reassures us of his
forgiveness as we confess our sins.
3) Thanksgiving (Praise):
Psalm 50:23 “Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice
honour me” Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer,
keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.”
4) Supplication (Intercession):
Pray to God for the needs of the people whatever they are.
Bible teaches us:
a. Pray for the sick James 5:16 – “Therefore confess your sins
to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be
healed.”
b. Pray for the kings and authorities
1Timothy 2:2 – “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who
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are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable
life in all godliness and dignity.”
c. Prayer for the Christian workers
Colossians 4:3 – “Pray for us as well that God will open to us a
door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ”
Ephesians 6:18 – “Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer
and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in
supplication for all the saints.”
d. Pray for those who persecute you
Matthew 5:44 – “Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you.” Healing is gift of God. Doctors often say “We
treat, God heals, you pray”. Here our responsibility is to pray for
healing.
In brief, ACTS. A – for Adoration C – for Confession T – for
Thanksgiving S – for Supplication.
Conditions of Prayer:
1) Prayer must be the prayer of faith:
James 5:15 –“The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord
will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be
forgiven.” Mark 11:22-24 - Jesus says “Have faith in God…
Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received
it, and it will be yours.” Our faith is in God, and we know that
with God all things are possible. Thank God is advance,
knowing that God answers each prayer in the perfect way.
2) Prayer must be in the spirit of forgiveness and compassion:
Mark 11:25 - “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have
anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also
forgive you your trespasses.” Bitterness and resentment are
sure prayer-blockers. Joseph became great in the sight of God
because he could forgive his brethren. Matthew 5:23-24 –
“when you are offering your gift at the altar… first be reconciled
to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.
3) Prayer must be according to His Will:
1 John 5:14 – And if we ask anything according to his will, he
hears us. We pray for God’s will to be done for the highest good
of all.
Prayer and Healing Ministry:
Ida Scudder once saw three pregnant ladies die on the same
day due to the unavailability of lady doctors. This incident hurt
her. She placed this before God in prayer with great
compassion. It was because of her compassion and faith in God
that the Vellore CMC hospital was established.
Church is the Ambulance to God: World Health Organisation
defines what health is: “Health is a state of physical, mental and
social well-being”. Healing is total well being. Church’s role is to
bring the sick to the great healer – Jesus Christ.
Church is the Community of Healing: James 5:13-18 – “Are
any among you suffering? They should pray. ... Are any among
you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have
them pray over them…Therefore confess your sins to one
another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed”.
It is very clear that the Church is entrusted to the ministry of
healing. This passage clearly says that the health is not merely
the physical health, but it includes spiritual and mental health.
As Christians, we must be a praying and healing community,
and a forgiven and forgiving community. If we do not hear the
cry of the sick and needy, if we do not bring them to the great
healer (Jesus Christ) through prayer, surely we need healing.
Conclusion:
Healing the sick was the hallmark of Jesus’s ministry. Wherever
he went, people brought the sick to him, and he healed them.
Sickness does not only affect the physical dimension. It affects
the whole person: mind, body, emotions, community and
spirituality. Jesus healed the man from paralysis (physical) and
he said to him, “your sins are forgiven” (spiritual healing).
Jesus’s entire ministry was directed towards spiritual ends. Its
primary objective was to restore human beings to proper
relationships with each other and with God. Prayer and Healing
ministry is one of the greatest tasks of the Church, which is not
so easy. The demands of Intercession are so great that
comparatively few become involved in it. One of the life’s
greatest ministries –
Editor’s Note: Very Revd V. T. John is
a senior clergy of the Mar Thoma Church.
He served as a priest in Malaysia and
many parishes in Kerala. His last
assignment, before retirement was as the
Vicar of the Sinai Mar Thoma Church in
London. He was also the first vice
president of the newly created Zone of the
Mar Thoma Church in the UK and Europe.
He also served as the Clergy Trustee of
the Mar Thoma Church. He is a highly respected, distinguished
and humble servant of God.
19 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 2 0 V o l . 8 , N o : 3
Dr. T. M. Thomas, New York
Dr. T. M. Thomas, from Thannickapurathu, Kuriyanoor,
Kerala, an earlier immigrant to North America and one of the
leading pioneers who led to the formation of parishes
especially in New York area and laid the foundation of the
Diocese of North America and Europe has been called to
eternity on April 21, 2020 at New York. His spouse
Leelamma Thomas passed away couple of years ago. Dr.
Thomas was teacher at Perumbavoor Ashram High School
along with late Dr. Zacharias Mar Theophilus Suffragan
Metropolitan. He was the convener of the Building
Committee for the purchase of Diocesan Center at Richboro,
PA in 1994. He was responsible for organizing the Sunday
school and also the National Students Conference in our
Diocese as early as 1977. He was a member of St. Thomas
Mar Thoma Church, Yonkers, New York. Dr. Thomas served
as Senate Secretary of Bridgeport University’s faculty and a
lecturer at Springfield College, Madras University, and
Ashram High School, Perrumbavoor; he was a member of
the Word Education Fellowship. He is survived by Shaji, Dani
and daughter in laws Reni and Beena. His love for the
Church, its clergy and Bishops is unparalleled. Dr. T.M.
Thomas is the author and co-author or editor of a dozen
books including: Indian Educational Reforms in Cultural
Perspectives (1970), Images of Man: A Philosophic and
Scientific Inquiry (1974), Kerala Immigrants in America: A
Sociological Study of St. Thomas Christians (1984), Mar
Thoma Sunday school Curriculum: Series of 12 Volumes for
N. America (2005), and In the Beginning: Formative Years of
Mar Thoma Parishes in North America (2008). On behalf of
the FOCUS family, we offer our condolences to the family.
May his soul rest in peace and resurrect in glory.
Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas
Is Our Time up?
David Brand, London
In Genesis we are taught that humans were created in the image
of God and had been placed in a beautiful environment called
the Garden of Eden and that they were to look after it and be
obedient to God’s wishes. Apparently they did neither; they ate
the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and were
ejected to fend for themselves, culminating in murder between
the two sons Abel and Caine.
We presently occupy this beautiful blue planet as seen from
space and are slowly covering it in concrete, steel, tarmac,
domestic rubbish and plastic. Not content with using it as a
dump, we are eliminating carbon dioxide absorbing forests and
also poisoning the atmosphere, causing an imbalance in the mix
of the natural gases by emitting unnecessary quantities of
carbon dioxide and toxic gases. Will we become more like pigs
that are quite happy to live in their own excrement? Australia is
a continent that is basically a huge desert with a relatively small
ring of habitable coastline surrounding it. We are seeing just a
taste of what can happen if the earth’s temperature is allowed to
continually rise. That Country and Western song called “The
Ring of Fire” will have a truly terrible and realistic meaning for
those Australians that are driven into the sea to escape the
flames.
Is this next generation going to see the earth deciding that it has
had enough and will now commence the necessary actions
required to get rid of the irritable fleas off its back by using its
natural resources of wind, water, fire, wasted earth and polluted
air to remove them? Will we eventually have not just one family
murder between brothers, but killing on a monumental scale for
precious limited resources in order to survive? Might it be a
man-made repeat of the Garden of Eden finale on a grand scale;
a possible massive new war in the Middle East employing
atomic weapons or mankind being removed from planet Earth
as it becomes unable to sustain human beings? Could it
possibly be that this may be a cyclic event like the seasons but
is measured in billions of years not twelve months so that no
trace remains of the chaos caused by previous occupations?
Possibly the earth overtime uses nature to recover and restore
the balance of its natural state. Anybody who has had to leave a
carefully cultivated garden for just 12 months will know exactly
what can happen in a short few months. Maybe this scenario
is repeated on the other millions of habitable planets until
intelligent life finally “GETS IT” and progresses in a manner that
is in accord with divine guidance and will.
We already have a voice crying out in the wilderness and it
belongs to a lone Swedish teenager called Greta Thunberg,
should we not hold our heads in shame that she is the only one
making a supreme effort with very little support. What are the
leaders of all the world religions doing publicly and collectively
to pressure and shame our political leaders, have they no
understanding of what is now at stake or are they no better than
their predecessors from biblical times? For example Isaiah gave
us a chilling and somber warning from those times with the
following: Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall
“
I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send
me!” He said, “Go and tell this people: . . . leave stumps when
they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the
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land” (Isa 6:8-13). Scott Morrison the Australian Prime Minister
who supports coal mining should be asked the following
question. “Why do we need to mine for coal now, after all we
have plenty of charcoal available, thanks to your ineptitude and
burnt trees in New South Wales and possibly Victoria?”
Comforting words are cheap, especially to those who have lost
everything and the repair bill will be far greater than the profit
from coal exports. Unless our world changes its ways and stops
pursuing the gods of money, power and war to the detriment of
our planet then there will be no future for mankind on any planet
in the universe.
Surely we must return to basics and divine guidance in order to
tread a straight path to maintain survival. We have to work with
nature not against it in order to survive, we have to learn how to
harness river water, tides, waves, wind, sun, hot springs, even
volcanoes and any other form of natural energy. Population
growth has to be contained within practical limits and not used
to artificially promote growth for simply business reasons. The
more mature amongst us may remember when driving at night
especially when dark how many insects impaled themselves on
your number plate and windscreen requiring constant cleaning,
you may be noticing that this has reduced quite noticeably. This
is due to 50% reduction over the last 15 years in the insect
population due to pesticides required for intensive agriculture.
That may be fine for farmers; however it also means less
bumblebees, butterflies and beetles. That means small animals
like the dormouse that rely on insects for food are now
declining, resulting in less food for birds and remember we are
also in this food chain as bees pollinate the plants we need for
food. If this trend is allowed to continue unabated mankind will
have signed its own long-term death warrant by starvation,
provided of course pollution on a world scale does not overtake
us first, please place your bets!
Governments should be made, by popular demand, to respond
to this oncoming crisis and not fudge the issues. China, Poland,
Ecuador and any other rogue states should be punished with
trade embargoes placed on goods going in or out of their
countries. We have been charged by God with being
responsible for this planet and our existence depends on it. We
have failed in the Garden of Eden, so it would be a tragic
mistake to ignore the obvious warnings that we are now
receiving and fail on a global scale in a couple of generations
from now. What more examples of nature’s warnings do we
need before there is a concerted international effort for a
dramatic change in the way we treat our planet. Never forget
there is no magical lifeboat and also nowhere to go even if we
had one, this is it, no change, more excuses and more ducking
responsibility, will mean mutual self-destruction with no
escape. It will only be a matter of time before we are subject to
some kind of disaster that, unlike fire, drought or flood will not
be limited by distance or physical boundaries to a specific
continent but to all of us no matter where we are on this planet!
We will have failed ourselves, failed the planet and what is far
worse we will have failed our creator and his plan for us in a
mere fraction of the time allocated to us as humans through
God by the billions of years of life still left in the sun. May God
help us all, as we appear incapable of helping ourselves!
MAKING THE MOST OF THE WORST OF TIMES
Dr. Saphir Athyal, Thiruvalla*
The whole world is a battleground! We are all under a siege!
With the present swift exponential increase of Covid-19
throughout all the countries, where we are headed to this time,
no one knows. Thick dark clouds covering the whole world and
every nation. Suppressed anxiety and fear on most faces.
Global lockdown and economic disaster. Doctors and medical
personnel on the frontline of this war working overtime with
alarming shortage of staff and medical equipment risking their
own lives. A vaccine and an effective medicine for this and their
use worldwide, not in view in the immediate future. Data and
statistics of people getting sick and dying showing rapidly
increasing numbers every minute.
LIVING WITH QUESTIONS UNANSWERED
This is not a time to blame God, any nation, any government, or
any scientist. We are in it all together as the human race. This
‘enemy virus’ does not know any boundaries in terms of
nations, race, gender, culture, age and social status. Our usual
concept of power, the power of wealth, military, titles and
positions, all are bowed down to the dust before this puny little
organism of coronavirus. We are forced to submit to the truth of
Ps 144:4, “Man is like a mere breath; His days are like a passing
shadow”.
Where is God when we need him the most? If he is all-powerful
how can he stand aside and do nothing? Has he abandoned the
world—his world, his people? We should not be presumptuous
to try to explain what God is doing or not doing.
Sickness, pandemics, deaths and tragedies that we experience
in this shattered world are the outcome of the misuse by
humankind of God’s precious gift of freedom of will. Yet, he
stands with us in our miseries, and he helps us to make some
good come out of it all.
CORONAVIRUS AND SIN - AN ALMOST PERFECT MATCH
There are significant contrasts, but some of the similarities are
noted below. Though tempted to elaborate on each, I will not do
so to keep this article short.
1. The covert, secretive and stealthy way of both, in
spreading from person to person.
2. The source of both is alienation of humanity from
God. His will for us is our wholeness and goodness.
3. Both attack the vital organs. The virus attacks the
lungs, and sin attacks heart, mind and the whole
person.
4. Shelter from both is in keeping a safe distance.
Social distancing. “Flee from evil” (Paul)
5. Both no respecter of any boundaries—national,
gender, age and status, thus leveling all.
6.The Virus needs a living cell to live and replicate. Sin I
s not abstract; needs a living person.
7. The sheer power of both the virus and sin on people
8. Facing the fact of the problem and its seriousness is
the first step toward a cure. In virus, transparency and
truth to people, and in sin, confession to God and to
those sinned-against is necessary.
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9. Even when conquered, both sticks around. Virus
mutates and comes back in another form. So also,
does our sinful nature unless it is overcome by the
power of the gospel of Christ.
IS THERE A BRIGHT SIDE TO THIS DARKNESS?
Some good results have come out of this crisis.
1. WHO says that air pollution kills 4.6 million people
globally each year— in China 1.3 million and in India
1.2 million. As industries, factories, and travel by air,
train and private vehicles are curtailed, if not stopped,
for a few months now, the atmosphere is significantly
cleaner. So, one may say (insensitive to the loved ones
of the many thousands who died) that Covid-19 is
saving the lives of many times more people than those
who die of it?
2. Countries with the largest economies boast of their
power with a spirit of arrogance that in wealth, military
and scientific knowledge lie their strength and
greatness. With heavy global economic disaster and
impending recession, maybe they will be more
accommodative of countries with weaker economies.
3. Nations are learning in a new way how we are all
Interdependent and interconnected, and how we need
one another. They know that they have to put aside
geopolitical squabbles if they have to work together to
develop medicines and vaccine for this, and save as
many lives as possible. So also, the need for humane
cooperation to make life on earth more livable. .
4. The spirit of godlessness, irreligion, secularism and
immorality has been on rapid increase in the world.
Deriding faith in God as unscientific and foolish is
common and in vogue. Could it be that because of this
crisis, a lot of people in times of helplessness, agony
and anxiety seek some power beyond them and turn to
God?
Also, with the closing down of places of worship, many
have come to realize that religiosity and rituals are in
themselves no substitute for true spirituality.
5. Now we get to enjoy the small and simple things in
life, so also, the ordinary things, which in busy lives we
missed. We eat simpler food, which we learn as what is
only necessary, cherish our environment, talk to
neighbors over the fence, and appreciate colors,
flowers and birds around. Now we do things such as,
remembering highlights of old days, enjoying old
photos and files, dreaming of our future and may be
making definite goals, and learning new things about
the use of internet, mobile, Zoom platform, and
online business (as the world because of Covid-19
becomes more a virtual world.)
6. There have been several other collateral gains amidst
losses. True, people go through serious adverse effects
such as, the loss of jobs and livelihood of millions;
growth in domestic violence as rise in the percentage
of distress calls indicate; many prisoners being released
by which there is an increase in thefts and crimes; and
 a surge of misinformation, fake news and pornography
through internet. And others.
Yet, there have been several notable gains. Parties for weddings
and anniversaries that normally had very large number of guests
have become much smaller and wiser. With the absence of
household helps all family members learn to do some chores at
home—our women would like this good thing to continue.
Drinking habit of many had stopped as liquor shops are
closed—for their sake and of their families, we hope many of
them will live free from drinking. People are learning to curtail
unnecessary expenses, as money is in short supply. Many
volunteers have joy and satisfaction of selflessly helping those in
dire needs, leaving us examples to follow.
Also, there have been improved hygiene with all the hand
washing, baths and better restroom etiquette; quitting the
general habits of licking finger as we turn pages of newspaper
or currency notes; preference of Namasthe greeting over
shaking hands; and significantly, much cleaner air and
atmosphere everywhere.
As a new world order is emerging post-Covid, we earnestly
hope a better world will develop from all this chaos we go
through now— in spite of the weakening globalization (except
for this global virus), rising populist nationalism and declining
democracy globally.
MANAGING THIS CRISIS FOR OUR GAIN
It is adversities that make life truly richer and not riches and
comforts. Suffering can produce good benefits. For most of us
we are living in the worst of times. We need to find the best way
to make the most of it. We should not waste this crisis.
With “stay-at-home” orders when weekdays and weekends look
alike, office and home are merged, Sundays and the other days
of the week are identical, and with no strict schedule to follow,
what do we do with all the time at hand?
Being driven in life with ‘the urgent’ we failed much too long to
understand what is truly ‘the important’. What are some of ‘the
important’ things?
1. Time to be honest before God—alone in his
presence. Our integrity—the coherence between our
real inner self and our appearance before others, our
claims and our inner fears, our masks/attires and the
real persons they cover. Let us take time to reconnect
with ourselves, each one asking, “Who am I — who is
the real me when nobody is looking except my Lord”.
2. Time to understand what is true religion. When
opportunities of corporate worship are closed, we need
to hear again, “Where two or three are gathered
together I am in their midst”. Let us make no mistake, it
is corporate worship that strengthens and sustains our
faith, that is, provided that faith is there.
Without inner religion, religion becomes “opium of
people”. Christian faith is primarily an inner reality
without which corporate worship and outward rituals
become a cop out and escapism from the challenges of
a personal bond with God through Christ—"a form of
godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim 3:5). Do we
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shelter ourselves from our spiritual vacuum by joining a
crowd of worshippers?
3. Time for our families. In our earliest years of
childhood, family was our only world. And in our last
years, our world again becomes just our own families.
Take time to cherish and nurture each one’s only real
world. If our children and grandchildren grew up never
having Sunday church worship, Sunday schools and
religious activities, what would their faith be by just
observing our lives and listening to our words? Let us
‘reconnect’ with our families, nuclear families and
families at large.
4. Time to deepen our relationship with our Lord and
strengthen our faith. This is a time we can obey his
words, "Be still and know that I am God." To deepen
our relationship with anyone, it takes time to be
together: this is very much true in our relationship with
our God. We should develop a method of systematic
study of God’s word, and not casual reading of it as our
usual practice, but carefully listening to its message
and knowing God closer. Learning the word of God is
primarily by obeying it. Also, we need to spend much
time in prayer, praying for the many critical needs
relating to this pandemic.
5. Time to reach out to others who are aching. The
comfort that we receive from “the Father of
compassion and God of all comforts” can flow through
us to those in trouble (2 Cor 1:3-4). This is a time to
serve others through phones and online, while in a
lockdown. Also, there will be opportunities to be of
some service to those who cannot move around as we
can. There are those who are not working and so
without money and means of living. Whatever way we
should be God’s instruments of help for others, let us
be available to him.
6. Time to develop courage and hope to face our
mortality. Death is an absolutely sure thing in life. The
Easter event reminds us that this inevitable enemy
should be seen as not having the last word. It appears
as a snake, but one without any venom. Christ’s death
and resurrection guarantees our resurrection to an
indescribably glorious life forever (1 Cor 15).
GOD’S POWER, PRESENCE AND PROTECTION
The context of the very familiar Psalm 91 must have been some
unusual disaster and pestilence. The metaphor used is of baby
birds finding shelter under the wings of their mother bird. God is
one who is very present with those who suffer. His protection is
promised because of his faithfulness and love. From under his
wings we get power to face tragedies. Engulfing the reality of
our suffering is the greater reality of the loving presence and
protection of God.
The very name of our Lord ‘Immanuel’ assures us that he stands
with us in our pains and gives us his peace even when we do
not understand what is happening to us and why.
The book of Job does not answer the problem of suffering, but
it tells us where to go when we suffer—and have a renewed
vision of God eclipsing our crises, and hear his voice.
Fear is only natural in circumstances of crises. But our faith in
our Lord should conquer our fear. Our faith is that the almighty The Divine Image
hands of God uphold us. “Underneath are the everlasting arms”
(Deut 33:27). The hands that created the world to start with, the
(Songs of Innocence by William Blake)
hands that did marvelous miracles, the hands that stilled the
storms in the Galilean sea, the hands that fed thousands with a
few loaves and fishes, the hands that healed the sick and raised
the dead—those hands are around us and under us.

CONCLUSION

We live a broken and messy world. But this is God’s world.

What is he up to, we should not be presumptuous to assume.
Granted that the mess is created by us, our help should come
from outside of us. Finally, are we learning that we cannot play
the part of God?

We cannot afford to have a world of power without principles,

governance without accountability, knowledge without the
wisdom to use it, science without compassion, and
relationships without self-sacrifice. When will we learn, if not in
this crisis, that life is very fragile, and that a person without God
is only an animal that lives, eats, reproduces and dies?

When this pandemic is leveling all of us globally, nationally and

locally, we need to learn, how painfully it might be, that finally
we are all mere humans, one interdependent people needing
every one, small and great, to make our life together possible.

If we do not relearn this lesson this time, we have ‘wasted’ this

crisis and have lost a big chance of becoming humans as God
intended us to be—reconnected in mutual justice and selfless
love to the Almighty and to one another regardless of
nationality, gender, religion and class. God has provided a way
for this in and through Jesus Christ, if only unconditionally we
submit to him as our Savior and owner, and receive his
embrace. Oh, our Sovereign God! Have mercy on us and help us To Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love,
to totally surrender our lives to you and to obediently respond to All pray in their distress,
your offer of “life in its fullness”. Amen! And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness.
Editor’s Note: *Dr Saphir Athyal,
(Ph.D. cum laude from Princeton)
For Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love,
was formerly the Principal of
Union Biblical Seminary, Pune; Is God our dear Father;
Director of ‘Faith & Development’ And mercy, Pity, Peace and Love,
with World Vision International; Is man, His child and care.
Vice-chairman of the Lausanne
Movement; and Founder- For Mercy has a human heart;
Chairman of Asia Theological Pity has a human face;
Association. He is a well-known And Love, the human form divine,
speaker and author/editor of And peace the human dress.
several books. Contact:
Address: 5, Athyal Place, Tiruvalla, RS - 689111, Kerala, India.
Phones: +91-469-273-5996 +91-9446286609, Then every man of every clime,
Email: saphirathyal@gmail.com That prays in distress,
Prays to human form divine;
Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.

And all must love the human form,

In heathen, Turk, or Jew,
Where Mercy, Love, and pity dwell,
There God is dwelling too.

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Prayer and the Healing Ministry
Dr. Zac Varghese, London
‘Healing’ is a word used for relief in the context of illness,
sickness, disease, depression, mental breakdown and many
other complex psychosocial issues. Healing has a much wider
perspective than cure. ‘Healing’ is a broad term; its range of
meanings include the restoration of organ specific dysfunctions
such as those arising from the kidney, liver or heart, emotional
or mental orientation, restoration of a subjective sense of well-
being in an individual, the ability to handle relationships within
family and community at large, environment, and to adjust to
the cultural, economic and political patterns of society. Health
related problems are often due to the inability to balance input
and output of the body’s requirements. For example, too much
food intake without adequate exercise causes obesity and other
physiological maladjustments within the body causing diabetes,
cardiovascular diseases and many others.
In the 19 century, Claude Bernard articulated the need to
th
maintain a stable internal environment (milieu interieur) that
would allow metabolic processes to proceed despite variations
in the external environment. This process was further explored
and popularised by Walter Canon, who coined the term
‘homeostasis’ to describe how biological variables are
maintained within a predefined limit by feedback mechanisms.
Therefore, metabolic diseases are the result of the
‘homeostatic’ imbalances such as blood sugar levels and
blood pressure. This idea can also be extended to behavioural
responses and to our relationship to the external environment.
Instability of the external environment due to environmental and
ecological factors due to pollution and greenhouse gases can
also affect our health and well-being. Overcrowding, population
expansion, economical, sociological, political and religious
factors may also contribute to mankind’s inability to deal with
hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, poverty, unemployment, sickness
and global pandemics. Therefore, causative factors contributing
to ill-health of individuals and society are multi-factorial. Covid-
19 pandemic is a wakeup call for us to prepare for the next
impending danger. Balance and stability is fundamental to our
well-being. Unequal distribution of wealth and welfare
provisions will also affect the health of a nation. When we
consider holistic healing, we need to consider all these factors.
When people feel unwell, this uneasy feeling may result from a
specific disease, bacterial or viral infection, within their body, or
from a variety of external factors in their social or physical
environment. This may cause an unquantifiable stress or some
other sense of lack of well-being.
We often think about the human body in the context of internal
and external environments. Within our internal environment we
accommodate a whole host of organisms known as the
microbiota, which populate the gastrointestinal tract and skin.
This is another biological world within our body; they include
bacteria, viruses and fungi. There are about 100 trillion foreign
organisms with in every human being, out numbering our cells
at a ratio of 10 to 1. Some of them are very beneficial organisms
supporting our health and well-being and we have a symbiotic
relationship with them. In health we establish an amnesty with
these foreign populations by checks and balances for
maintaining health. Some of our dietary habits and excessive
use of antibiotics, other drugs and environmental poisons may
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destroy this physiological symbiotic relationship, which is
another axis relevant for maintaining the well-being of mankind.
We are only just beginning to understand this microbiota within
our bodies. An understanding of holistic health would address
all the above areas. It is in this context that we should see the
mission, ministry and the life of Jesus Christ and the mission of
God that he handed over to his disciples and later to the
Church.
We see a holistic healing, physical and spiritual, in the ministry
of Jesus. This is the reason why much of the gospel narrative is
taken up with the holistic healing ministry of Jesus, which is also
part of his proclamation of the kingdom of God. Healing was an
integral part of Jesus’ ministry, (Mt 4:23; Lk 4:18-19; 9:1-6).
Today, Jesus Christ is still our healer as he meets with us in the
power of the Holy Spirit, bringing healing and wholeness to
body, mind and spirit. Christian understanding of healing is that
of the whole person. It is our God of love and compassion
meeting us at the point of our need when we are weak and
vulnerable. The physical, emotional, psychological, social and
spiritual well-being of human beings are closely
interconnected. Christ’s work of reconciliation extends
beyond the purely personal to the social order and over all
creation (Col 1:15-27). In this context we really should pay
attention to the healing of the wounded and the broken world
too. With the incarnational ministry of Jesus, God begins the
renewal of our alienated, weakened and fragmented human
condition (Rom 8:3, 4). In St. Matthew’s Gospel Jesus’
baptism expresses his solidarity with us in our weakness (Mt
3:14, 15) Jesus’ healing ministry is seen as the outworking of
the suffering servant who ‘took our infirmities and bore our
diseases (Mt 8:17).
The Gospels use the term ‘healing’ both for physical healing
and for the broader salvation that Jesus brings. A common
New Testament term for sickness is ‘weakness’ (Lk 5:15;
13.11, 12; Jn 5:5); it carries a broad association of
powerlessness and vulnerability, including human vulnerability
in the face of the dominion of sin and death (Rom 5:3-6; 8.3).
As Christians face weakness, they receive God’s grace,
expressed sometimes in an experience of healing and
sometimes through the strength that comes in the bearing of
weakness (2 Cor 12:9).
Furthermore, the New Testament also presents us with a
picture of Christians in a continuing battle with forces of evil
that are external to us but bear heavily upon our lives.
Although the principalities and powers (Eph 6:12) are not
always forces of evil, they can have an impact on the social
and political order; the evil one not only brings temptation but
takes people captive (1 Cor 10). This series of pictures, while
not absolving us from personal responsibility for our actions,
also strongly implies that without the grace of God we are at
risk of being in the grip of an array of forces beyond our
power to resist or break. But we nonetheless need
deliverance from that power, and the language of healing and
wholeness is entirely appropriate to that process.
The acts of healing in the gospels are intimately related to the
restoration of individuals to a place of worth within the social
order (cf Mk 1.44; 5:15-20; Lk 13:10-17). ‘By his wounds you
have been healed’ (1 Pet 2:24); this statement makes
powerful links between human pain and vulnerability and the
saving impact of Jesus’ own suffering. The same
interconnectedness is present where Scripture speaks of
God’s image in us to point to the way human life is marred
and threatened by the impact of evil and its restoration by the
new creation in Christ (Rom 3:23; 2 Cor 3:18; Eph 2:13-16).
Healing, reconciliation, restoration and transformation are
integral to the good news of Jesus Christ. It is a way and a
process for attaining fullness. For this reason prayer for
individuals, focused through the ‘laying-on-of-hands’ or
anointing with oil, has a proper place within the public prayer
of the Church and the sacramentality of healing. God’s
gracious activity of healing is to be seen both as part of the
proclaiming of the good news and as an outworking of the
presence of the Spirit in the life of the Church. Such public
prayer needs to be sensitive to a number of simplifications or
misunderstandings. It should not imply a simple direct link
between sickness and sin; Jesus himself warned against the
direct association of disability and sin. “Neither this man nor
his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that
the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9.3). We
should be extremely sensitive in what we say and do with
physically disabled or differently abled people with birth
defects and other related issues. This is also very important in
the current context in passing careless judgements and
comments on Covid-19 epidemic.
The receiving of forgiveness and the act of forgiving others
may open the way to healing and wholeness. Prayer for
healing and strengthening should not involve the rejection of
the God-given skills of health care professionals and the
effectiveness of drugs, which are also part of God’s
faithfulness to creation (Ps 147:3). Hospitals and therapeutic
agents are there for healing and not for making a profit. We
should learn to see hospitals as temples of God, where we
see the face of God in the interaction with others at their
lowest point of vulnerability. I have come across colleagues
who had an extraordinary spiritual genius in dealing with
patients, whose kind words, and endearing looks and soft
touches were often better than any scans and prescriptions.
There were medical giants such as Dr. K. N. Pai at Trivandrum
Medical School, Dr. B. C. Roy of West Bengal, Dr. Paul Brand
25 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 2 0 V o l . 8 , N o : 3
(Vellore), Dr. Kumbiah (Vellore), Dr. Oswald Fernando
(London), Dr. Rosemarie Baillod (London) and Professor
Adibul Hasan Rizvi (Karachi) who relied on their God-centred
dedication in treating patients. In Malayalam there is a word
for it, ‘Kai-punnyam’ meaning hands of grace.
Prayer ministry for healing needs to seriously recognise the
extent of an individual’s sickness and vulnerability that is
often seen as a consequence of injustice and social
oppression. This is evidenced in the survival statistics of
people living in socially deprived regions, war zones and
refugee populations around the world. Equally important is
that such prayers should not imply that the restoration of
physical wholeness is the only way in which Christ meets
human needs. Healing must always be seen against the
background of the continuing anguish of an alienated world
and the hidden work of the Holy Spirit bringing God’s new
order to new life. It is a way of partaking in God’s blessings
for a new way of life that will not be completed until it
includes the whole creation of God’s kingdom on the earth. It
is for this reason Jesus inaugurated the kingdom of God and
entrusted responsibility to the church to continue the ministry
of prayer and healing. Two incidents in Jesus’ ministry
highlight our responsibility for the environment: one is the
calming of the storm and the other is collecting the excess of
food in twelves baskets after the multiplication miracle.
Therefore, as Christians we should be responsible for healing
this wounded earth, not wasting precious resources, calming
and caring for Nature.
Wherever prayer is offered for those who serve others in their
healing ministry, this should be seen as prayer for the grace
and discernment of the Holy Spirit, as well as prayer for
healing. All who minister to others in need should have careful
regard for the maintenance of confidentiality, which this
privilege brings. As part of their preparation, those who
minister need to be ready to recognize where specialist skills
may be required. Christ is the healer and through his Holy Spirit
the Church offers this ministry in his name. Both clergy and lay
people who are called and trained to in this ministry should
realise that it is a servant ministry as alluded to earlier. “Are any
among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church
and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the
name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick” (Jm
5:14-15). Prayer-centred support is an important aspect of the
holistic healing process; in this ministry we are dedicating
ourselves to become agents of this healing process.
Much of the traditional ministry of healing in churches has been
liturgical and sacramental as opposed to the informal,
spontaneous and often impulsive and exuberant prayer of
Pentecostalism and Charismatic Movements. The sacramental
healing is for healing physical and spiritual maladies through
absolutions, blessing and anointing with holy oil. The prayers
used include the words: “I anoint you with oil in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ. May our heavenly Father make you whole in
body and mind, and grant you the inward anointing of his Holy
Spirit, the Spirit of strength, joy and peace.”
Other forms of healing are also practiced by certain Christian
communities across the world. Some even use terms like: faith
healing, spiritual healing and divine healing for propagating
Christian faith, evangelisations and conversion. Some use these
forms of healing practices for financial gains and exercising
power over vulnerable people. Another popular practice is to
visit holy places like Lourdes, for healing. Lourdes is where a
fourteen year old girl called Bernadette had a visitation of the WHY AM I IN THE HOSPITAL?
Virgin Mary in 1858. She experienced healing properties from
the stream of water at this place. There is certainly a spiritual
dimension to healing, which cannot be denied, but it is a
mystery and one should be careful in not exploiting it for
monetary gains. There is a validated and recorded miracle story
of one Dr. Sean George at Kalgoorlie Hospital, in Western
Australia. At the age of 39, he suffered a massive heart attack.
After repeated chest compressions and shocks from a
defibrillator, his ECG was ‘flattening’, and eventually they
stopped the treatment. At that point his wife arrived and was
advised to say her goodbyes. But she held his hand, prayed a
simple prayer, and immediately life signs returned. He
subsequently recovered fully. In recent years, many ‘near death
experiences’ have been reported from across the world. Yes,
indeed such miracles can happen beyond all available expert (A pilgrim in the hospital)
medical expectations. Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph, Kottayam
The pastoral care through clergy and medical care through
Lord,
hospitals and healthcare workers are given with a holistic view
Why should I be admitted to a hospital?
of healing human beings and accordingly they treat the ‘whole
Is it a resting place?
person’ whether their primary approach is through medical,
I don’t want to go,
psychological or spiritual means. Let us continue to thank God
I am restless at its very sight,
for his divine grace and unconditional love in healing this
I don’t like bitter pills;
fractured world through the Divinely-guided healing ministry of
I don’t like insipid food;
the church.
I don’t want to hear the cry of the dying.
I don’t want to waste my time.
Covid-19 pandemic challenges us to think deeply the needs of
I have much to do!
both the individual and the global community together. “We are
all in it together” and we need a “whatever it takes” attitude to
Beloved son,
win our warfare against this invisible enemy for the common
Be grateful, you are the blessed one to be there;
good of humanity. The Nazareth manifesto (Lk 4:16ff) that Jesus
You are one out of many, be grateful.
proclaimed is for establishing the kingdom values for the benefit
Thousand would change place with you.
of the oikoumene (the whole inhabited earth). May God bless us
It is love that brought you here, be grateful.
to be the co-workers in establishing his kingdom on this earth.
It is a place to make you humane,
It is a palace of compassion,
Let me complete this article with a poem by the 17th century
It is a place to meet Me in the suffering ones.
Church of England priest and poet, George Herbert, (1593-
Be calm and quiet,
1633); in the poem titled, ‘Discipline’, he wrote:
You need rest and a taste of tears,
How will you enjoy rest, if there is no sweat?
“Though I fail, I weep:
Though I halt in pace, Stay in the hospital for a while,
Yet I creep Then you will be soaked in compassion
To the throne of grace. Know that I am near your bed side,
Don’t be in a hurry to get out of this place.
Then let wrath remove; The hospital is your home – a home away from your home,
Love will do the deed: You built it with others’ help;
For with love You must know its present condition.
Stony hearts will bleed.
Don’t refuse to take pills;
They are packed with the wisdom of the ages.
Love is swift of foot; They are meant to heal your body.
Love’s a man of war, The food you reject is produced by hungry labourers;
And can shoot, The insipid food represents the starving millions in the streets
And can hit from far.” It challenges the rich to be more generous.
The cry of the dying is My Cry on the Cross,
i
D. H. Trapnell, “Health, Disease and Healing”, New Bible Dictionary, 2nd It will draw you near to the source of spiritual bliss.
ed , J. D. Douglas, et. al (eds) (Leicester: IVP, 1984), 464.
ii
Chamber’s Encyclopedia on Miracle. Take up your bed and walk,
iii
Abraham Philip, Daily Prayers for the People of God, 3rd ed. (Tiruvalla: Bear witness to what you have seen, heard and tasted;
CSS, [2011] 2019), 7. You are My witness in the secular world for my glory.

26 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 2 0 V o l . 8 , N o : 3


The Ministry of Healing and Praying
Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas
The root of the word healing in New Testament Greek, sozo, is
the same as that of salvation and wholeness. Spiritual healing is
God's work of offering people balance, harmony, a wholeness
of body, mind and spirit. Through such healing, God works to
bring about reconciliation between God and humanity, among
individuals and communities, within each person, and between
humanity and the rest of creation. The New Testament records
that Jesus healed the estranged and sick and sent out his
disciples on ministries of healing. James (5:14–16a) calls us also
to pray for and anoint the sick, that they may be healed.
There is no doubt that the Bible is filled with accounts of Jesus’
healing miracles. During His earthly ministry, Jesus healed many
sick persons and said many prayers for healing, miraculously
causing the sick to recover. Surrendering our life to God means
following His lead without knowing where He’s sending us. At
times of distress or pain or suffering, we don’t always have to
be in charge or in control. Instead of trying harder, we trust
more. The Bible says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call
for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14).
God promises His people relief from all troubles in this life.
Faithful people throughout the centuries witnessed dramatic
deliverance from sickness, financial woes and all manner of
troubles. It’s important that we pray for the deliverance of the
sick and recognize that there is no healing that is too hard for
the Lord, if it be His will. When we allow God to heal our broken
heart, amazing things can happen.
From the prophecies written about Jesus, and from the way He
ministered while He was on the earth, we believe that it is still
Jesus’ intention to heal the sick. He loves to do good to those
who are weak, sick, and broken (Acts 10:38). He is humble and
lowly of heart, longing to save and deliver. When sending out
the apostles to do the work of His ministry, Jesus told them to
go and heal the sick and to declare that the kingdom of God has
come near (Lk 10:9).
“God desires the healing of brokenness. The term brokenness
denotes a full range of conditions, including physical, emotional,
psychological, spiritual and social issues, which serve to create
barriers to the receipt and appropriation of divine grace. In fact,
a key dimension of the biblical term “equip” is the idea of
mending. Owing to numerous cultural factors, such as deeply
flawed approaches to family life and the devastating models of
sexuality being advanced by mass media, the presence of all
forms of brokenness are pervasive among us” (Ashbury
Theological Seminary).
Healing is the process of restoring the broken harmony which
prevents a person, on any part of his/her body, mind or spirit,
from its perfect functioning in its relevant environment: the body
in the material world; the mind in the realm of true ideas and the
spirit in its relationship with God. Healing ministry is the work of
believers, praying in a community practice of discipleship, to
recognize and receive the grace of wholeness offered through
the finished work of Jesus Christ.
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Jesus healed several sick people including demon possessed
including cases of ordinary sickness, insanity, leprosy (lunacy),
blindness, deafness and other natural defects and diseases. (cf.
Matt. 4: 23, 24; 3: 16, 18; 10:8; Mark 6: 13; Luke 4: 40; 7: 21, 22)
The Scripture says that "men ought always to pray, and not to
faint" (Luke 18:1); and if ever there is a time when they feel their
need of prayer, it is when strength fails and life itself seems
slipping from their grasp. Often those who are in health forget
the wonderful mercies continued to them day by day, year after
year, and they render no tribute of praise to God for His
benefits. But when sickness comes, God is remembered. When
human strength fails, men feel their need of divine help. And
never does our merciful God turn from the soul that in sincerity
seeks Him for help. He is our refuge in sickness as in health.
When we pray for the recovery of the sick, whatever the
outcome of the case, let us not lose our faith in God. When the
health is restored, we should not forget that the healing is
placed upon the sick one with a renewed obligation to the
creator. When the ten lepers were cleansed, only one returned
to find Jesus and give Him glory. Let none of us be like the
unthinking nine, whose hearts were untouched by the mercy of
God. There are cases where God works decidedly by His divine
power in the restoration of the health to the sick. But not all the
sick are healed. Many are laid away to sleep in Jesus. John on
the Isle of Patmos wrote: "Blessed are the dead which die in the
Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest
from their labors; and their works do follow them" (Rev 14:13).
“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he
delivered them from their distress” (Psalm 107:6). Yes, the
faithful need to cry out to the living Lord during this troubled
times to deliver the whole world from the distress caused by
COVID-19. God has scattered the faithful believers to the whole
world not for material prosperity, but for spiritual prosperity for
the whole world. When the faithful forgot this mission of Jesus
entrusted to them wherever they are planted, God sends signals
(do not misinterpret as punishment sent by God, since our God
is not the one punishing anyone) to remind his faithful believers
about the mission entrusted to them.
In 2 Chronicles 7: 13-15 it says: “When I shut up the heavens so
that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or
send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called
by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face
and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,
and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes
will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this
place.”
Yes, the man needs to turn away from their wicked ways and
bend their knees and humble himself before God and pray for
His mercy and then He will hear us from heaven and forgive our
sins and heal our land. So, let us pray to the Lord in this critical
time of the human beings, to hear us and forgive our sins and
heal our land.
This is the time our faith should overflow the four walls of our
sanctuaries out into the streets and neighborhood around us.
We need to visit the less traveled roads and need to visit the
less frequented Samaritan wells. That is what exactly Jesus
Christ did during the 3 1/2 years of His ministry in this world. He
traveled from place to place and preached the good news to
people by hearing them and teaching them to follow him. He
selected twelve ordinary people to do extra ordinary things for
him.
This is not a time to confine to home alone, but is a time to pray
for others, care for others especially the elders, who are more
vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus. All governments are taking
necessary precautions to control this virus, even though they
were slow in the beginning or did not take this issue very
seriously. This proves that science is no longer the decisive
factor for anything in this world, but it is the living Lord, who
created this world and human, who controls it and decides its
fate.
Like the Psalmist says in Psalm 139: 1-12, God Knows
Everything: The Lord has examined us very well and he knows
about us including our thoughts. He knows everything we do in
public or in secret and he knows even the words before we
speak. He is around us and His hands are on us. His knowledge
is amazing which is beyond human understanding. We cannot
run away from Him and hide anywhere either in heaven or in the
grave. Even if we are in the east or in the west, He will guide us
and His high hand will hold us. We may say, the darkness may
hide me, but the darkness is as light as the day for Him. Yes, we
need to understand this reality about the existence of God and
his control over everything in this world. So, let us bend our
knees and kneel and pray: Lord, almighty God, help us to
experience your help in a stressful time. Lord, use us to
encourage someone this week who is facing a crisis.
"There are many Christians who want to get God off the hook,"
says Erwin Lutzer, the pastor emeritus at Moody Church in
Chicago. "They say either God doesn't have the power to stop
these things, or else they say that he is somehow a meaningful
bystander." We need to understand that when disasters come,
they fall equally on Christians and non-Christians. Everyone is
affected. Natural disasters do not separate the righteous from
the wicked. This is a time for praying and healing ministry. This
is a time not to use social media for publishing self centered
photos, wishing birthdays and wedding anniversaries, but this is
a time to reflect upon the Word of God and kneel down and
pray for the whole world. God has given us everything we can
achieve, but He did not give us the authority to conquer God or
question His authority. A simple virus originated in one part of
the world, spread through all countries and infected people. The
science has failed before this virus, but remember God has
control over it, but we need to pray and ask for forgiveness of
our sins. Then only God will forgive our sins and heal our land.
As written in Isaiah 55:8-10 "His plans aren’t your plans, so are
my ways higher than your ways, and my plans than your plans."
Whenever distress overcomes us, we may find it difficult to
move forward, but remember God's plans are above our plans
and His ways are above our ways. He has his own time to act
on our prayers and for healing.
God will not punish or inflict us with any distress or temptation,
which will not overtake us except what is common to mankind.
And God is faithful; He will not let us be tempted beyond what
we can bear. But when we are tempted, He will also provide a
way out, so that we can endure it (1 Corinthians 10: 13). This is
the comfort given by God to his faithful believers. He will not
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tempt us with something, which we cannot bar. He will also
provide us way out so that we can we can endure it.
Four times in Ephesians chapter 6, Paul asks the Ephesian
believers to pray; twice asking them to pray for him so that he
may declare God’s words fearlessly. “And pray in the Spirit on
all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in
mind, be alert and always keep on praying for the entire Lord’s
people (Eph 6:18).
“Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to
the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ Going a
little further, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My
father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not
as I will, but as you will.’ Matthew 26:38–39 Jesus prayed by
himself not one time, but three times falling on His knees to the
father in heaven if possible to avoid the death on the cross.
Jesus’ final prayer on the cross was “My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me?” and then He gave up his spirit. There
are several occasions in the four gospels where Jesus prayed
by himself alone to the Father in heaven. Our prayers should not
be always for asking for favor from God, but to fulfill His will in
our lives, for which we need to submit ourselves completely to
God.
Every coin has two sides and the front is the “heads” from early
Roman times, usually depicts a country’s head of state. The
back is called “tails,” a term possibly originating from the British
ten pence depicting the raised tail of a heraldic lion. Like a coin,
Christ’s prayer in the garden of Gethsemane possesses two
sides. In the deepest hours of His life, on the night before He
died on a cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take
this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke
22:42). When Christ says, “take this cup,” that’s the raw honest
prayer. He reveals His personal desire, “This is what I want.”
Then Jesus turns the coin, praying “not my will.” That’s the side
of abandonment. Abandoning ourselves to God begins when we
simply say, “But what do you want, God?”
So, let us pray: Heavenly Father, I’m grateful for your comforting
presence. I am grateful that you are there for the whole world
and you are carrying us in this troubled times. Lord, take control
of this world and forgive our sins and please do not hold your
blessings for our sins or failure to live as faithful believers. You
promised that you will not destroy a city if there is 10 faithful
living there, Lord, find ten faithful believers in each city, town
and village and prevent it from destruction. All we ask in the
name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen
WHAT DOES RESURRECTION MEAN?
Revd Dr. Valson Thampu, Trivandrum
Tolstoy, given the stern ethical rationalist he was, had little
patience with the miraculous and the irrational. Yet he wrote
Resurrection (also known under the title The Awakening) and
considered that to be his most significant novel. Tolstoy
deems resurrection as native to the essence of life. This is
something that we need to consider, if we are to do even
marginal justice to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is
nothing about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ that does
not apply to the human condition. The Resurrection of Jesus
Christ would mean nothing, if it were not an inalienable
ingredient in the life of individuals and societies.
As a rule, the pattern of resurrection inheres in the
profoundest experiences of our species. Nehru, perhaps
unknowingly, conceived the attainment of India’s freedom as
a resurrection experience. “The soul of a nation long
suppressed,” he said, “finds utterance”. Or, a great stone
has been rolled away and the tomb of our enslaved
existence as a people. Gandhi, steeped as he was in the
letter and spirit of the Bible, would have said, ‘that stone was
rolled away by the hand of God’. Only God had the authority
to ‘break the seal of British Raj’, the counterpart of the
authority of Rome in the gospel narrative.
It is beyond doubt that, but for the radical relevance of the
pattern and promise of the Resurrection to the human
condition, we would not have a classic like Dostoevsky’s
Crime and Punishment or Victor Hugo’s Les Miserable or,
even, Dickens’ Dombey and Son. Every radical change in
human nature and predicament has the Resurrection as its
archetype. Didn’t Jonah have such an experience inside the
whale’s belly? And Moses in Midian? And Peter? How did he
rise up from the ashes of his collapse into cowardice and
stay the foremost apostle? Peter’s resurrection ‘before
death’ hinges on Jesus’ resurrection after Crucifixion. Think
of Matthew the tax collector, Zacchaeus, the chief tax
collector, the paralytic, the ‘woman taken in adultery’ who
turned a new leaf in her life as also the woman of Samaria,
the leper, the lame, the demon-possessed… Are they not, all
of them, in the ambit of resurrection? Think, then, of the
overpowering sadness in the plight of the ‘rich young man’
who sought from Jesus the way to eternal life, but, lacking
the faith to die out of his hard-set way of life, went away
‘sorrowful’.
Or, look, for a moment, to nature. That grain of wheat the
farmer is about to sow: is it not about to fall into the
mysterious soil of resurrection? The bud over there, standing
and dreaming on its stalk: is it not about to die to itself, to be
born as a flower? How can it ever blossom forth, unless it
dies as a bud? What about the mango seed lying in your
courtyard? Wouldn’t it greet you, a few weeks hence, as a
sapling? Hasn’t it, then, undergone the pattern of
resurrection?
29 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 2 0 V o l . 8 , N o : 3
Or recall the trajectory of your own life, if it is anywhere
similar to mine. How many times we fumbled, felt nearly
wrecked, but picked up the pieces and made new
beginnings? Each time we experienced God’s mercy, was it
not a resurrection experience? What about forgiveness?
Don’t we intuit resurrection each time we are genuinely
forgiven and enabled to resume a relationship, an
undertaking, anew again? What would our predicament be, if
resurrection were a mere sentimental myth?
Let us return to Dostoevsky’s Raskolnikov, the protagonist in
Crime and Punishment. He kills two women. Begins to
disintegrate under the burden of guilt. Gravitates to the brink
of insanity. He too was given a second chance. The agent of
his spiritual rebirth was not a priest or a prophet, but a
prostitute -Sonia. Significantly, the spiritual climax of his life
involves a reading together of the gospel account of Jesus
raising Lazarus to life (Jn 11). At his request, Sonia reads the
11 chapter of St. John from the very New Testament that
th
Lisavetta, one of Raskolnikov’s victims, had gifted her.
Nothing in world literature matches the poignancy of ‘the
murderer and the prostitute’, as Dostoevsky writes, ‘sitting
together in that poverty-stricken room reading the book of
life’.
Tolstoy’s Resurrection takes another trajectory. Its central
character is not a derelict university drop-out. He,
Nekhlyudov, is an aristocrat. He takes advantage of his
aunt’s servant-maid –Maslova- while visiting her. He is not
aware of having done anything out of the way or morally
catastrophic; for, after all, such flings were routine to the
perks of the aristocracy Tolstoy caricatures in the novel.
Circumstances force Maslova into prostitution. Eventually
she happens to be accused of murder. In the trial,
Nekhlyudov is one of the judges. Through this mock trial
Tolstoy exposes the callousness of the criminal justice
system, much like Victor Hugo exposing, via Les Miserable,
the inhumanity of the prison system. Maslova is condemned
and exiled to Siberia. Conscience stricken, Nekhlyudov tries
to save her, but fails. He decides to make amends.
Accompanies her to Siberia. Wants to marry her, but is
rejected by her in the end. In the womb of that trauma,
Nekhlyudov undergoes a resurrection experience. He
becomes, ‘a new creation’.
I have availed myself of the luxury of this detour to illustrate
the spiritual inadmissibility of mystifying the Resurrection of
Jesus Christ. It doesn’t help to distance this spiritual pattern
from the logic of our life. When Jesus said to Nicodemus he
needed to be ‘born again’, he was emphasizing this truth.
We cannot enter the Kingdom of God without this radical
transformation. We are guilty of diluting and cheapening this
profound truth through our obsession with ‘salvation’ and
‘conversion’. It was salvation without resurrection that we
proclaimed and proffered. As a result, we failed tragically
and embarrassingly in bearing witness to the ‘new creation’.
If anyone is in Christ Jesus, says St. Paul, he is a new
creation (2 Cor 5:17). We are in Christ. But we are still the old
creation. If anything, the old creation is getting older and
harder. But we preach salvation and stay wilfully unaware of
the contradiction. There is no salvation without resurrection.
It is because we have either lost sight of this core gospel
truth, or rejected it wilfully, that (a) our proclamation of
salvation fails to carry conviction and (b) our own radical
faith in resurrection is, truth to tell, waning and withering
away.
Resurrection needs to be understood in three stages: (a)
being born again, or undergoing a radical break with fallen
human nature, (b) growing in Spirit towards fullness of life or
perfection in the spiritual sense and (c) the crucifixion
experience, which authenticates one’s mature spiritual
identity. This crucifixion experience need not involve one’s
physical death. But it does involve a powerful experience,
which comes to every human being at some point or the
other in life, through which the transition from the old to the
new is finally sealed. (It is wrong and illogical to teach being
‘born again’ as the decisive final moment.) Without this
transition to perfection (Mt 5:48), there can be no
resurrection. We deceive ourselves, if we pretend to believe
or claim otherwise.
Consider now the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Significantly,
Jesus experiences Crucifixion as a consummation (Jn 13;
19:30). It is ridiculous to associate resurrection with a life
lived ‘eating, drinking and making merry’, as the Rich Fool
did. A person of that description will not, in the first place,
qualify for Crucifixion. He may be killed, or die a natural
death. But such a life is far from the order of Crucifixion.
What is exemplified on the Cross of Calvary is the
indescribable, undefinable worth of a life lived in harmony
with the Will of God. It is not a body, but human worth, that
is crucified on the Cross of Calvary. Else it would be
indistinguishable from the thousands of crucifixions that
preceded or followed it. What is worthless can be killed, but
not ‘crucified’ (unless it is crucifixion in the Roman or Persian
sense). Hence the paradox that Kierkegaard identifies.
Crucifixion is the killing of the un-killable: the acme of human
perfection, the zenith of human worth. It is like trying to
murder light. (The corona pandemic reminds us that the
mightiest of the world can’t kill even a fragile virus!). Night is,
if you like, the Crucifixion of light. Morning is the resurrection
of light.
One thing is clear. The seed of resurrection is not the
opening of the tomb. That seems central because the heart
of the matter is overlooked. The seed of resurrection is
Jesus, the light (Jn 9:5). If so, the conclusion is inevitable:
only children of light can believe in, or hope for, resurrection.
On the lips of the rest the words, “He is risen, risen indeed!”
sit in shallow, unmeaning custom. Of course, we can go on
‘celebrating’ Easter; but we cannot live, or bear witness to,
Resurrection. Today we are a people of Easter, but not of
Resurrection; and that is the condemnation.
So, we have our versions of resurrection. One thing is
missing from them: Crucifixion. It is natural to those who
believe that they can serve two masters that they can
improvise resurrection without crucifixion. As Reinhold
Niebuhr said about the church in America, it is a church that
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preaches a Jesus without his Cross to a people without sin
of resurrection without crucifixion. The core spiritual
challenge in these dark and difficult days is to become
authentic witnesses to the Resurrection. That process would
necessarily involve, as Tolstoy points out, a break with the
ways of the world. In this, Tolstoy was guided by the
encounter of the rich young man with Jesus. Jesus told him:
‘Go, sell all you have, give it to the poor and then come and
follow me’. In simple terms, Jesus was asking him to be born
again, which is possible only by dying to oneself. This
involves the ‘ground’ of one’s existence. To shift this ground
from Mammon to God is to come under the sacred and
imperious duty to grow, and grow to the stature of Jesus.
Merely renouncing one’s material wealth, without embracing
the creative and redemptive duty to grow in the mystery of
Spirit leads to poverty, not to resurrection. I would commend
Tolstoy’s My Confession (1882) in this connection, especially
for its emphasis on the need to seek moral perfection as
basic to spiritual growth. I offer these reflections not as one
who has measured the height and depth of the meaning and
mystery of resurrection; but as one who sees (or thinks he
does) the distant mountaintop in shimmering glimpses of
bewildering incomprehension through eyes burdened by the
opacity of spiritual cataract.
From the Orthodox Cognate Page (OCP)
News Service:
Christian Genocide in Nigeria
Lagos-Nigeria: Radical Islamists groups like Boko Haram
have been targeting Christians in large numbers. Boko
haram wants to establish an Islamic caliphate in Nigeria.
According to a report by chvnradio.com over 620
Christians in Nigeria have been killed by radicals so far
(2020), and around 12,000 have been killed over during
the last five years. Islamic militants target Christian
villages, as they find Christians as the main obstacle to
their plan. Apart from rape, torture, and killing, a large
number of Christians have been displaced and over 2000
churches and worship centers have been destroyed.
Christians account for 50 percent of the Nigerian
population.
Christians Butchered in Nigeria and Burkina
Faso
On 16/10/2019 OCP Media network reported that “Under
the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari, the President of
Nigeria, atrocities against Christians are on the rise at an
unprecedented scale. Islamic groups like Boko Haram
and Fulani herdsmen have committed heinous crimes
against Christians. The government seems less caring
about the sad plight of the Christian in the country.
Christians are slaughtered, women are raped, and taken
as sex slaves, Christian houses are destroyed and
Churches are burned down.”
Ravi Zacharias (1946-2020)
Frederick Antony Ravi Kumar Zacharias was born in
Madras, now Chennai, in 1946. Zacharias
completed his Master of Divinity at Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois. At the
invitation of Billy Graham, to the inaugural
International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists in
Amsterdam in 1983, he was on his way to becoming
one of the foremost defenders of Christianity’s
intellectual credibility. A year later, he founded Ravi
Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM),
headquartered in Atlanta, GA, with the mission of
“helping the thinker believe and the believer think.”
He preached in more than 70 countries and
authored more than 30 books in his 48-year career,
teaching Christians to engage with skeptics and
arguing that the Christian worldview has robust
answers to humanity’s existential questions. Ravi
Zacharias, who died of cancer on May 19, 2020, at
age 74, is survived by Margie, his wife of 48-years;
his three children: Sarah, the Global CEO of RZIM,
Naomi, Director of Wellspring International, and
Nathan, RZIM’s Creative Director for Media; and five
grandchildren. The official obituary of Ravi Zacharias
can be found at the below link:
https://www.rzim.org/read/rzim-updates/ravi-
zacharias-obituary
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Dr. John P. Lincoln, Lubbock
It is with deep sorrow, we write this to inform that one of
the pioneers of the Diocese of North America and Europe
of the Mar Thoma Church was called to eternal rest on
June 15, 2020. He was one of the earlier immigrants into
North America and helped the Church to establish
parishes and Zonal Assembly and finally the Diocese of
North America and Europe. He loved the Church and its
Clergy and Bishops more than anything. His commitment
and dedication to the Mar Thoma Church will be
remembered forever. Dr. Lincoln gave himself to the
church and her mission. We are proud and grateful to
God for this warrior of the Gospel. He was the Treasurer
of the Zonal Assembly and also a member of the
Committee for the formation of the Diocesan Center in
New York. He had attended almost all the Family
Conferences held by the Diocese. He was the Diocesan
Treasurer during the period 1987-1990, 1993-1996 and
2002-2005. He also served as Sabha Mandalm Member,
Sabha Council member, Episcopal Nomination Board
member of the Mar Thoma Church. He is survived by his
wife Dr. Annie Lincoln, children Anil, Sunil and Lina. It is
our faith and hope and the assurance by our Lord that we
will meet our beloved ones in heaven for an eternal life
with our Lord Jesus Christ. May the everlasting peace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, which surpasses all human
understanding comfort the bereaved family especially Dr.
Annie and children, relatives and friends at this time. May
his soul rest in peace and resurrect in glory.
Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas