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FOCUS January 2021 Vol. 9 (1)

Cover Photo by Canva: The New Normal not only from the Pulpit but also from Pews and Isles (We are all in
this together), Cover Design by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas

Contents
1. The New Normal:
Editorial by Dr. Zac Varghese, London, Page 3

2. The End of an Era: Reflections on the Mar Thoma Legacy on the death of Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan
Rt. Revd Dr. John Fenwick, Bishop Primus of Free of England, Page 11

3. The Eucharistic Experience in Virtual Space, Fr. Thomas Punnapadam, SDB, Page 17

4. COVID 19 Pandemic: Faith Musings:

Revd Dr. Prakash K. George, Kottayam, Page 19

5. Living Rooms Becoming Sanctuaries – The New Normal from Pulpit and Pews:
Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas, Page 21

6. The New Normal or Better than Normal:

George Thomas, Copenhagen, Page 24

7. Family: A Place of Faith Formation (Christ Centered Family):

P. T. Mathew, Dallas, Page 26

8. Church and the Sex Scandal: Responsibility of Clergy and Laity:

Prof. Plammoottil V. Cherian, Chicago, Page 27

9. Aspects of Loneliness, Dr. George Mathew, London, Page 30

10. The Dimensions of the Human Spirit:

Revd Dr. K. V. Mathew, Kottayam, Page 32

11. Soul Pepair: Dr. Zac Varghese, London, Page 33

12. Funeral Service of Most Revd Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan: Page 39
Photo Courtesy: SDImaging, Thiruvalla and Revd Roshen V. Mathews, Trinity MTC, Houston

13. Installation of Most Revd Dr. Theodosius Mar Thoma Metropolitan: Page 40
Photo Courtesy: Gloria News Media and Revd Binoy J. Thomas, Mumbai Diocese of Mar Thoma Church

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 Christianity to practicing God’s kingdom values; it is the
EDITORIAL ‘Liturgy after the Liturgy’.

In Loving memory of Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan:

‘The New Normal’
The 18th October 2020
‘The New Normal’ emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic is not was a sad day for all of
inscribed on a tablet of stone; it is the sum total of continually us: critics, admirers,
evolving ideas of many parts born out of our painful experiences loyal members of the
of this pandemic under the grace of God. Mar Thoma Church,
people of other faiths
Although we are facing the New Year under the shadow of many and wider ecumenical
problems and uncertainties arising from the COVID-19 community. The late
pandemic, we wish our contributors and readers with Metropolitan was
absolute hope and faith ‘in Christ’ a very happy and blessed admired and respected
New Year. by people inside and
outside the Mar Thoma
Our Lord and our God who sustained us all these years through church for his
our varied experiences will help us to overcome our present spirituality, compassion,
difficulties. In such times, it is comforting to read, “. . . so that in charitable work,
me you may have peace. In this world you have trouble. But amazingly outstanding
take heart, I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). administrative abilities
and the total person that
This long editorial has three important aims: firstly, to thank he was. It is with great
God for the life and the ministry of the late Most Revd Dr. sadness we said
Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan; secondly, to introduce the farewell to this good and
general theme of the current edition of the FOCUS, which is faithful servant of God.
‘The New Normal: not only from Pulpit, but also from Pews
and Isles’; thirdly, to welcome and felicitate the 22nd Mar
Thoma Metropolitan, the Most Revd Dr. Theodosius Mar Thoma Thirumeni reached out to all sections of the community, the
Metropolitan. poor, the rich, the left and right of the political spectrum and the
wider ecumenical community. As we mourn the death of this
At the very outset, I want to make it absolutely clear that the beloved servant of God, let us thank God for his 90 years with
main theme of this issue of the FOCUS is it not to join the us to share our burdens and our joy.
bandwagon to attack priests and churches. But to think
together, both clergy and laity, on how we could face the Members of Thirumeni’s illustrious family played important roles
current difficulties and realities facing the Christendom as a during the reformation of the Mar Thoma Church in 18th Century.
whole and to highlight the urgent need for clergy and laity to Abraham Malpan known as the Martin Luther of India, and the
work together to bring forth much needed adjustments and first four Metropolitans for a period of hundred and two years,
reformation on all aspect of Christian ministry and mission. from 1842 to 1944, came from our Metropolitan’s family. This is
Seven years ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Rt. Revd Dr. an amazing legacy and responsibility to bear and Metropolitan
Geevarghese Mar Theodosius prophetically highlighted the Thirumeni was very conscious of his historical ancestral linkage,
essence of the theme of the current issue of this journal in a traditions and responsibility. Thirumeni’s ordination as Revd P.
book, ‘churching the Diaspora, Discipling the Families’. T. Joseph was on 18 October 1957. When some people argue
th

Thirumeni wrote, “. . . The church, clergy and laity, are to be vehemently against the traditions of the Mar Thoma Church, let
seriously engaged in innovating effective shepherding in the us remember how Jaroslav Pelikan defined tradition: “Tradition
2

digital world, as we look at Pastors and pastoral ministry, in is the living faith of the dead and traditionalism is the dead
the context of New Generation Christians. The Good faith of the living.” It is traditionalism, which gives a bad name
shepherd Jesus Christ is still asking us to ‘feed the sheep’.” 1 to tradition. Thirumeni unashamedly valued tradition.

When we seek ‘The New normal’ for worshipping God, it is good
to listen to what Jesus said to the Samaritan Woman: “Jesus
said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you
will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in
Jerusalem. . . God is spirit, and those who worship him must
worship in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:21-24). The New Normal is a
movement from knowing about God through intellectual
pursuits to experiencing God in our personal circumstances
and life situations of others in society; it is a movement from
orthodoxy to orthopraxis; it is a movement from convenient
Let us thank God for giving Thirumeni the divine delegation to
be a messenger of the Gospels, determination and courage to
do God’s mission over the last 63 years, of which 18 years was
as a minister, 45 years as a bishop, and the last 13 years as our
beloved Metropolitan. It is an amazing coincidence and miracle
that he passed away on the same date on October 18th that he
was ordained as a priest in 1957.
He was a master craftsman, when dealing with current issues he
always found suitable biblical reference points and narratives;

1 2
Rt. Rev. Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius, ‘Churching the Jaroslav Pelikan, The Vindication of Tradition (New Haven:
Diaspora, Discipling, the families, CSS Tiruvlla, 2013, page 75. Yale University Press, 1984), page 65.
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this is indeed a very effective way of tackling issues, including
political and religious, with a modern and historical perspective.
Thirumeni’s monthly letters in the Tharaka were prime examples
of this ability; Thirumeni was always in touch with all aspect of
our life in India and elsewhere. This is why the Prime Minister of
India, Mr. Narendra Modi, paid glorious tribute to him on his 90
birthday.
Thirumeni’s ecumenical record is phenomenal; he was the
president of the Kerala Council of Churches, National Council of
Churches, CASA, and intimately involved in many other national
and international organisations including the WCC. Thirumeni
also played a very significant role for the relief of tsunami,
victims of floods in Kerala and also for the earthquake victims in
Maharashtra and other places. He has built many educational
institutions, nursing schools, caring homes for old people and
hospitals. Therefore, his ministry reached all areas of life and
also he was recently involved in transgender awareness and
rehabilitation programmes. Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph described
him as a ‘karma yogi’.
Thirumeni’s contributions to the Mar Thoma diaspora were
enormous and prophetic. Thirumeni encouraged and helped
us to bring together lay leaders, almost ninety of them, from
all parts of the world for three FOCUS seminars from 1999
to 2003 at Santhigiri Ashram, Alwaye. He and all our other
bishops stayed with the group during these five-day seminars to
workout policies for the growth of the Mar Thoma diaspora
communities. We also had the blessings from Alexander
Metropolitan Thirumeni and Chrysostom Thirumeni. This was an
unforgettable experience for those who were there. The
founding editors of this journal are indebted to Thirumeni for his
mentorship for the publication of this journal in 2013.
Future historians of the Mar Thoma Church will undoubtedly
look back on the twentieth century and the first two decades of
the 21st century as a great period in the transformation of the
Mar Thoma Church into a global Church. Irenaeus Thirumeni’s
contributions to this transformation were enormous. However, I
do not think that many members of the Mar Thoma Church in
Kerala appreciate or understand this new status endowed on
the Mar Thoma Church by God’s amazing grace and our
responsibilities emerging from it for the world mission. Bringing
people to God and bringing people to brotherhood with one
another through witnessing is our mission, the mission of God
(Missio Dei). The dispersion and scattering of the members of
the church to the various parts of the world may indeed be
providential; this may help us to answer the question, why are
we placed in different regions of the world? Thirumeni
continually asked us to remember this question and answer this
question with fidelity to the purpose with which we are called
and sent. Chrysostom Thirumeni was also concerned about this
question and he asked at the FOCUS seminar in 2001 the
question: “Will the diaspora community ever become a local
community?” This is a task now left to our younger generations
in our diaspora regions to answer.
However, how should we answer this question about our
integration with local communities and what guidance can we
give? Whoever or wherever we are, our spiritual journey can
only start at the foot of the cross and this is the mother of all our
common beginnings. Therefore, the remembrance of our
common beginnings would help us to become ‘outward signs of
an inward grace’ and this will certainly help us to transform the
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societies in which we live. This is indeed the global witnessing
potential of the Mar Thoma diaspora communities. Hopefully
this is the guidance that Thirumeni left for us and that is indeed
the legacy of Thirumeni for the Mar Thoma diaspora
communities.
th
Although we have grown individually and can be very proud of
our individual diasporic experiences and achievements, we do
not have any real collective feeling for Mar Thoma diaspora
communities in various regions of the world for authentic
witness. Arundathi Roy in ‘God of Small Things’ wrote: “Though
you couldn’t see the river from the house any more, like a
seashell always has a sea-sense, the Ayemenum house still had
a river-sense, a rushing, rolling, fish swimming sense.” In a
similar vein, Thirumeni’s sense of history and the stories that he
told us relating to reformation, migration, and settlement would
help us, our diaspora communities around the world, to
maintain that important ‘Mar Thoma- sense’ which we should
pass on to subsequent generations. This ‘Mar Thoma – sense’ is
what Thirumeni taught us relentlessly.
Thirumeni was the custodian of traditions, customs and mores,
without which he thought we would become rootless and
superfluous, he thought. Thirumeni had a sense of history and
did not forget the small and large events that shaped the
Church. He had an amazing ‘presence’, which is difficult to
describe, but we experienced it on various memorable
occasions such as Jubilee celebrations or at Maramon
Convention or in the presence of various dignitaries such as,
politicians, ecumenists, sociologist and heads of churches.
Thirumeni was the embodiment of the Mar Thoma Church; he
had an indefinable ‘Mar Thomas-sense and Presence’.
Thirumeni also had a sense of ownership of the Church, which
he zealously safeguarded. He was indeed the 21st Mar Thoma
Metropolitan in every sense of the word. He knew and felt the
struggles of the post reformation Marthomites, to preserve their
faith and the compulsion to be with the Church and also in
dignity, serenity and style. Yes, indeed, he had a God-given
‘Presence’. Let us gratefully preserve his memory and may his
memory be a blessing for the church and the wider community.
The New Normal: not only from Pulpits, but
also from Pews and Isles.
Let me turn to the second aim of the editorial. It is over nine
months since we entered into lockdown and other restrictions
across the world to isolate ourselves from getting infected with
the Coronavirus. We have embarked on a new way of life,
including our worshipping patterns. God has provided us many
technological means for establishing creative ministries across
the world for worship, pastoral care and community outreach.
We have travelled along a road, which we never travelled before
this pandemic and it is clear that the end is not in sight. We are
hopefully waiting for an effective vaccine, but in the meantime
all of us should take extraordinary care individually and
collectively to prevent further waves of outbreaks. As the
pandemic is not over we must show love and empathy to all by
doing what we can in following governmental instructions to
minimise the spread of infection; this also includes the restricted
new communal worshipping practices. It is one of the areas in
which we need to find a new normal, particularly in taking part in
the Holy Communion and the way in which holy elements,
consecrated bread and wine, are given to communicants.
Scott Peck in his book, ‘The Road Less Travelled’ says: “Once
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we truly know that life is difficult––once we truly understand and
accept it––then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is
accepted, the fact that life is difficult is no longer matters.” He
goes on to develop the idea that discipline is the basic set of
tools we require to solve life’s problems. He also identifies four
tools for developing this discipline for solving suffering and pain;
these are delaying gratification, accepting responsibility,
dedication to truth and balancing.
Delaying gratification is a process of scheduling the pain and
happiness of life in such a way as to enhance the happiness by
getting over the pain first, outliving it, and then continue to live
to make a sense of life.
Responsibility: We must also accept responsibility for a
problem before we can solve it. We cannot transfer the problem
to the shoulders of others, on to the leaders of churches or
governments and continue to blame them. By our actions or
inactions, by our indifference or inertia, we must have
contributed to some extent in creating the problem initially,
which is causing us concern and pain now. It has been said that
no problem can be solved until an individual takes the
responsibility for solving it. When a newspaper posed the
question: ‘What’s wrong with the World?’ in response, G. K.
Chesterton wrote: “Dear Sirs: I am.” Problems can only be
solved until an individual or a group assumes responsibility for
solving it. This is the essence of the theme of this issue of the
FOCUS: ‘The New Normal, Not only from Pulpit, but also from
Pews and Isles.’ There is a saying, which speaks to all of us for
every situation and crisis: “If you are not part of the solution,
then you are part of the problem.”
Dedication to Truth: The third tool of discipline for overcoming
pain and solving a problem is dedication to truth. Suddenly the
social media has changed our conception of truth. It is often
difficult to distinguish fake news from genuine truth. Now
individuals define truth in the way its fits their own thinking and
projections of their selfhood and personality. Pilate was
confused when he faced the majesty, composure and the
presence of Jesus; he asked the question: “What is truth?” (Jn
18: 38). The word ‘truth’ equates with something that is real,
honest, something that really exists. Truth is reality and this
reality is what Jesus is; in Jesus we observe the fullness of man
in absolute perfection; Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth
and the life” (Jn 14:7). Jesus also told us; “If you hold to my
teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the
truth and the truth will set you free” (Jn 8: 31-32).
Balancing is the fourth element in having a disciplined life for
solving life’s problems. We need to achieve a delicate balance
amongst conflicting needs, goals, duties, responsibilities and so
on. This balancing is a very difficult discipline to achieve; for this
we need to negotiate curves and corners of our lives, we must
continually give up parts of ourselves. This giving up is the most
painful experience according to Scott Peck. “To function
successfully in our complex world it is necessary for us to
3 4
M. Scott Peck, ‘The Road Less Travelled’, Anchor Press Ltd,
Essex, ISBN 7126 1819 8, 1978, page 15.
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possess the capacity not only to express our anger but also not
to express it. Moreover, we must possess the capacity to
express our anger in different ways. At times, for instance, it is
necessary to express it only after much deliberation and self-
evaluation.” This will be very helpful in avoiding ‘a holier than
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thou attitude’ in our approaches to others and their leadership
styles in all areas of human activities including that of the
Church.
‘A holier than thou attitude’ is an arrogant behaviour displayed
through sophisticated words and philosophical utterances when
people consider themselves more righteous or more moral and
ethical than other people based on their own intellectual
standards, judgements and achievements in life. Such people
begin to think of themselves as sitting on the mountaintop and
looking down on people who differ from them. This is a way of
sucking energy from others for survival and popularity. St. Paul
dealt with this attitude in his letter to Romans in Chapter 14. He
instructs his followers: “Therefore, let us stop passing
judgement on one another. 1nstead, make up your mind not
to put any stumbling-block or obstacles in your brother’s
way” (Rom 14:13). Humility will help us to maintain the
balancing act of developing the discipline for solving problems
of life. Let the above four elements help us to develop the New
Normal for solving the pain and suffering from loneliness and
alienations from the members of our immediate family, faith
community and wider society.
Partnership between clergy and laity:
Another area where we need to find a ‘New Normal’ is
developing a real, meaningful and workable partnership
between clergy and laity. Instead of blaming each other we
should help each other and become partners in God’s mission
in healing this fractured world. This is what is really meant by
the theme of this issue of the FOCUS.
Today churches are faced with many serious problems; this is
not in itself a new challenge. However, in previous times lay
people were really concerned about the grave issues of their
times, which threatened the survival of their churches and were
able to help to solve those problems amicably in partnership
with clergy and bishops in utter humility and prayer. Today we
M. Scott Peck, ‘The Road Less Travelled’, Anchor Press Ltd,
Essex, ISBN 7126 1819 8, 1978, page 65.
notice a real lack of concern and a growth of indifference in laity
to the ways in which churches are managed at parish level,
diocese and the central level. This indifference is the most
dangerous crisis facing all churches at present. The tragedy is
that no one is bothered about it, and it always someone else’s
fault. This lack of concern on the part of laity and a blaming
culture, by few, has spread as a cancer into all vital areas of the
life of the church, breaking discipline at every level. Some may
say this is not a correct perception because there are always
few people around who are willing to go to litigation for sorting
out church-related problems and teaching a lesson about
probity and governance. Who are being taught a lesson in these
instances? Are we inflicting a deep wound ourselves – to the
body of the Church, the body of Christ? Litigation and the social
media are not the answer to our problems; we need an old style
repentance, revival, reconciliation, regeneration and ongoing
reformation in our churches. Crisis is often a good stimulus and
opportunity for revision and correction.
This is not to blame clergy or bishops for this inertia, but I do
want to point out that it is laity who is allowing this to happen in
our churches. In spite of the fact that lay people are posted and
positioned in various organisational structures of churches,
transparency in their decision making, accountability and
governance are not apparent. Unfortunately, lay people in
positions of leadership, authority and influence think that they
are doing a great job for community, but in effect they are
destroying our heritage and our faith communities slowly and
steadily. I do not think that we have reached the line of no
return, there is still time for a correction, so please do not give
up!
I am writing this with over sixty years of a dual involvement with
the Mar Thoma Church and the Church of England, I have
always felt that our historically and proudly preserved Mar
Thoma identity is something that constantly needs to be
opened, examined, studied, challenged, enlarged, reformed and
enriched in conversations and interactions with laity and clergy
throughout the diaspora regions of our church. We should do
this in partnership with our clergy. This is exactly what we tried
to do in the FOCUS seminars to which I alluded earlier. I thank
God for this publication, as it is one of the outcomes of those
seminars.
Laity has a God-given responsibility to their churches and the
wider community, not to some interest groups. It is time to wake
up and realise that ours is not a virtual community. But our
community is real, our families are real, our children are real and
our spiritual commitments are important for our faith journey.
Take for example the involvement of the vicar of a Mar Thoma
parish in a diaspora region, he is there for just three years, the
first year is spent for knowing people, the second year is spent
on carrying out the directives from the diocese and the third
year is spent for saying goodbye to people for whom he came
to provide a pastoral ministry. I have labelled this type ministry
before as ‘Hello Goodbye Ministry’. Take the example of the
elevated position of a Diocesan bishop, he is in a Diocese for
seven years and he forgets the care and concern for the
Diocese the moment he leaves the Diocese. He becomes the
shepherd of another fold and engages himself in removing some
of the old structures and creating new ones to print his image.
Who has a vision and burden for the whole church? None of this
is the fault of the individuals concerned; they are all wonderful
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and honourable men. Somehow the system or the coat is not
tailored to fit the size, the shape and the character of the
community. The system is wrong because of the indifference
and inertia of laity because laity is not concerned in building a
joint up ‘Pastoral Care Team’ in each and every parish of the
church for providing much needed continuity. We do not have a
continuity of pastoral care. Our concerns and inputs shift with
the shifting tides, modes and movement of our clergy. Our
community is suffering because of this. No one has cared to
study this so far, but we must study this problem to find a
workable solution. This is what is intended by the theme: ‘not
only from pulpit, but also from pews and isles’. This is not to ask
laity to take the role preaching on Sunday worship services and
shift the dependence from clergy to laity; it is about working
together; we are all in this together. This is also the message of
the COVID-19.
John Stott, who was a Church of England priest, a famous
author and preacher at All Soul’s, Langham Place, London. He
was a very saintly person who brought many people to Christ
through his Christ-centred living and ministry. He was a pastor
of pastors. He once with great pain said, “Rehabilitate the
noble word ‘pastors’ who are shepherds of Christ’s sheep,
called to tender and protect them.” He as a ‘watchman’ and a
prophet, saw dangers looming; he saw priesthood moving from
‘a calling or a vocation’ to a profession. Therefore, rehabilitation
is an urgent need because of the scandals of all shapes and
size reported from all parts of the world. No one can stand
outside these allegations and pretend that it is not about their
church. We are all involved in this somehow and it is indeed our
urgent need to repent, pray, and introduce total corrective
measures––lock, stock and barrel. It is this need which
prompted the editorial board of the FOCUS to select ‘Priest and
Ministry’ as the theme for the October issue of the FOCUS in
2018 (Vol. 6 part 4)) and also in January 2020 under the theme,
‘The Christian Priesthood and Ministry in Crisis’ (Vol 8 part1).
The thought of becoming a ‘kingdom of priests and a holy
nation’ brought with it the need for separation from what they
thought was profane from holy. We see this very clearly in the
attitudes of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time. The parable of the
‘Good Samaritan’ contained explicit reference to the priest and
the Levite who in their pursuit of holiness fail to offer help to the
wounded man. Jesus’ life and priesthood challenged the
understanding of Israel as a nation with its closed boundaries of
holiness. Jesus broke those red lines of demarcation and strict
observance of holiness; Jesus moved with sinners and cripples.
For Jesus, holiness was not a matter of separation, but he
practiced inclusion and table fellowship with sinners and
outcasts. Jesus clearly indicated that it is the sick that needs a
doctor: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call
the righteous, but sinners” (Matt 9: 13). Therefore, we see a sea
change in the idea of holiness and priesthood in Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus does not live in isolation in a holy sanctuary; instead, he
becomes our ‘Immanuel’.
In the place of holiness obtained through separating oneself
from sinful people, we see in Jesus sanctification obtaining
through accepting the outsiders, and being with them in their
situations. In Jesus’ ministerial relationship with the
marginalised communities and sinners, God proclaimed Jesus
to be a high priest in the order of Melchizedek (Heb 5: 8-10). It is
in this compassionate solidarity with victims of injustice and the
marginalised one becomes a priest for God’s ministry. Bringing
people closer to God is the God-given mission of priest; it is for
removing all boundaries of exclusion between people. The
priestly kingship implied in the order of Melchizedek is a caring
kingship. In Jesus we observe a servant king, a union of
priesthood and kingship. The symbolic footwashing in St.
John’s Gospel (Chapter 13) and the new commandment of love
and Eucharist are parts of the servant ministry that an ordained
priest is expected to emulate. Priests who preside over the
Eucharist are invited by Jesus to live the life of the Eucharist of
taking God’s gifts of body and blood, giving thanks for them,
consecrating the bread and the wine and sharing them with
others. At the moment of Christ’s death on the cross the curtain
of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. It is symbolic
of the need for altar and pew to come together and pulpits
should come down to pews. Our bodies have the potentials to
become temples of God and our hearts its altars. Now in the
Church of England, the Eucharist is celebrated on an altar facing
towards the congregation and the priest sanding behind the
altar facing the congregation. These are only symbolic gestures;
it is our responsibility to make it real.
Pope Francis often speaks of a people-oriented pastoral Church
that focuses on the needs of others rather than the one that is
preoccupied with institutional issues and prestige. Therefore,
the mission of the Church is not building walls, but breaking
them down to create an inclusive community. We need pastors
for churches without walls. It is good to listen to Pope Francis:
"Do I, have at least one poor person as a friend? The poor
are the treasure of the Church. Wearing the label 'Christian'
or 'Catholic' is not enough to belong to Jesus. We need to
speak the same language as Jesus: that of love. Let us love
not with words but with deeds. Instead of feeling annoyed
when they knock on our doors, let us welcome their cry for
help as a summons to go out of ourselves, to welcome them
with God's own loving gaze. How beautiful it would be if the
poor could occupy in our hearts the place they have in the
heart of God!” One of the active images of the priest is that of
‘a man of God for others and for all seasons’. In this role, the
priest is called to lead a self-giving life after the model of Jesus
Christ, a kenotic Good Shepherd.
For St. Paul, his apostolic ministry was servanthood and not an
office of power and privilege. Paul copied his ministry in relation
to the lifestyle and patterns of Jesus. It meant that the Gospel of
God shaped Paul’s own thinking and attitude towards his
priestly ministry (Rom 1: 1). He knew that his calling as the
bringer of God’s message of love and salvation was through the
grace of God. He also knew that the message he carried in his
life is more important than he as the bearer of that message. He
became a humble, but powerful medium for the message
through the mediation of the Holy Spirit. Ordained and lay
ministers need to be transformed to become servant ministers
and become bearers of the message. It is very important not to
distort the message in anyway by the lifestyle of the messenger.
The message is more important than the medium.
If lay people are bold in claiming their ‘royal priesthood, are they
serious about their God-given responsibilities associated with
this priesthood? Do they see God as one who understands their
needs and is ready to help them? We should be able to listen to
the ‘still small voice of God’; we often drown that voice with our
discontent, rebellion and complaint. Therefore, we need to learn
to be quiet before God: “Be still and know that I am God”.
Cardinal Manning said that the problem of Judas was his over-
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familiarity with the holiness of Jesus; this can indeed be a
problem in the mere ritualization of our worship; we have
become too familiar with our worshipping ‘traditionalism’ and
often miss the presence of God in our worship. Worship has
become a performance spectacle and somehow, we fail to see
the presence of God in our worship and the face of God in our
fellow worshippers as opposed to the experience of Jacob
when he met Esau, “For to see your face is like seeing the face
of God” (Gen 33:10). We have lost this experience and may God
help us to find this vision and experience again.
Priests with prophetic vision and trust in an infinite God, worship
a God who holds the future of humanity in His hands. Prophets
seek to understand God by reading the signs of the times and
discerning the will of God. We need partnership with ordained
and lay priesthood for God’s mission for bringing God’s future
to the present. The time has come to move altar and pulpit to
pews; we must remove walls of separation and at the same time
keep the fear and the mystery associated with the sacraments.
“Sacraments are outward expressions of the inward flow of
grace.”
The Priesthood of Laity:
The royal priesthood of the laity (1Peter 1: 9) and the ordained
priesthood are interrelated; each in its own way shares the
priesthood of Christ. Therefore, we have a shared priesthood.
There is a need to sustain and nurture this mutual dependency
and respect between laity and clergy. Laity has much to
contribute since their experience within the family, professional,
secular and religious life is the very attitudes and convictions
necessary for Christian witness and mission. In many churches,
there is a degree of neglect in providing pastoral care; existing
models are not adequate and hence we need to find a ‘new
normal’. Addressing this issue, Theodosius Thirumeni wrote:
“Ecclesial imaginations must have the vulnerable as the central
focus and it should be targeted towards the defenceless and
the marginalized.” The increase in loneliness and mental illness
5
emerging from the pandemic require greater awareness,
attention and care. Therefore, we need to develop voluntary
‘Pastoral Care Teams (PCTs)’ in each and every parish to
provide a partnership in mission with clergy. Lay people need to
wake up and assume their God-given responsibility in building
our communities by caring for the spiritual needs of the present
and future generations in partnership with ordained priests. This
is so important now and after the resolution of the pandemic.
Many mainline churches including the Roman Catholics are
beginning to realise that the Church in the 21st century would be
a lay-centred Church. Therefore, a change in strategy is needed
for moving away from the assumption that faith-related matters
to be left entirely to professionals, clergy or professional
missionaries. It is time to turn away from that old view to the
realisation that in the communities that we now live, all of us are
missionaries of Christ. Priesthood of all believers is an important
concept, which gives us an authentic responsibility for
expressing God’s unconditional love in our daily living. One of
the wonderful aspects of God’s graciousness towards us is that
God raises us up to become co-workers with Him in a rescue
mission for healing this broken world. It means that a layperson
5
Geevarghese Mar Theodosius Suffragan Metropolitan, ‘Church
and the New Normal’, CSS, Tiruvalla, 2020, page 21.
is a missionary, reaching out to others and adding his or her
effort to this ongoing work of holding and healing. Part of our
Christian responsibility is to ‘bear witness’ and to ‘walk our faith’
in the world or to become the fifth gospel in the process for the
world to read. We are the real gospel that people read. There
are many different ways of doing this depending on our gifts
and temperament, the people we are with, the circumstance of
the occasion and so on.
The commonly available model of pastoral ministry for local and
immigrant churches is more concerned with caring for the
sheep that are safe inside the fold than with searching for the
lost. The end result of this is the development of ghetto parishes
for looking after the interest of the same groups. Each of the
four gospel ends with Christ’s command to spread the Good
News to the ends of the world. To enable us for this mission,
we have God’s assurance that He will be with us in the power of
His Spirit. We are what we are today in different parts of the
world because of people who have obeyed that command and
believed in that promise. St. John’s Gospel takes us deeper into
the mystery of the mission, when the risen Christ says to the
apostles: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I also
send you.” This is to assert, those who belong to Christ are
united with Him in His promise of bringing God’s peace to the
world. Therefore, mission is at the very heart of our Christian
identity. It means the sharing of the Christian faith through the
interactions of everyday life – in the family, among neighbours
and among people we work with. Laity is our greatest strength,
but many of them need to be helped to gain greater confidence
about sharing their faith and providing pastoral care. We need
confidence in sharing God’s creative vision of seeing the oak
tree in the acorn and the butterfly in the caterpillar; this is indeed
our God-given spiritual potential and it is in our spiritual DNA.
Through our utter humility, weaknesses, impediments and the
overarching God’s grace others should be able to see Christ in
us and read us as God’s letters to the world.
What does this mean during and the post-COVID-19
Pandemic landscape? The people as members of a ‘Pastoral
Care Team’ exercising that ministry have one fundamental task
which breaks down into a number of different responsibilities.
The fundamental task is that of announcing by word and action
in the middle of a community; it is about knowing what that
community is, and where it is in relation to other communities
and faith groups. Priests and laity are therefore in the business
of immersing in Christ's action of caring for the needy. In all this,
we can perhaps see why and how the Eucharist is the central
identifying act of the Church. This self-giving ‘liturgy after the
liturgy’ should become the lifestyle of priests and parishioners.
For this to happen in the ministerial life, according to
Archbishop Ramsey , the priest has to be a watchman, an
6
interpreter and a weaver. These three functions make an
ordained minister.
Hopefully, we may get a good COVID-19 vaccine in the near
future, but how do we know it is effective unless it has
undergone well-controlled clinical trials? In a similar vein, we
may have scholarly theologians interpreting the Bible using their
rhetoric skills, but have these sermons become real and relevant
in the life of people sitting in pews and standing in the Isles? In
6 10
Zac Varghese, ‘The Christian Priest Today’, ECHO, Vol 3 (2),
2016, p 22-26.
8 | P a g e F O C U S J a n u a r y 2 0 2 1 V o l . 9 , N o : 1
a book of essays on theological hermeneutics Charles M. Wood 7
quotes John Calvin and says: “In knowing God, each of us also
knows himself.” The two are inseparably linked and
interdependent. Therefore, the real knowledge of ourselves,
who we are, depends on our relationship and knowledge of
God. Kierkegaard’s statement, “God is not a name but a
concept” is of interest in this context. Theologians may be
experts in explaining concept of God exegetically and using
varied hermeneutics and other methods of biblical
interpretations, but these concepts are often linked with
complicated and incomprehensible words and phrases such as
soteriology, atonement, eschatology, parousia, ontology,
predestination, theodicy and so on and on. This oratorical
approach frightens and confuses people sitting in pews. On the
other hand, Leo Tolstoy said: “A concept of God is not God.”
8
Tolstoy continued: “A concept of God is within me that I can
either evoke or not evoke. It is not that I am seeking. I am
seeking that, without which there cannot be life.” Therefore, a
concept like ‘God is love’ and other such concepts have to be
incarnated in laity for them to have an authentic experience of
God; it is in this authentic experience that we live in Christ and
know who are and why we are here; it is in Christ we live and as
Paul said: “For 'in him we live and move and have our being”
(Acts 17: 28).
Pope Francis who understands the Church as the pilgrim
community of people of God envisions a new way of being the
Church. For him it is the Church of the people and not Church
for the people . According to Kasper, the Pope argues for a
9
“church that is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has
been out in the streets, rather than a Church remaining shut
up within its structures, while outside a starving multitude is
waiting”. It is a Church outside the conventional, conservative
10
and legalistic Church. This is indeed an aspect of the ‘New
Normal’ during and in the post-Covid-19 Landscape of faith.
When we prayerfully consider the meaning of this catchphrase
‘the New Normal’ we realise that it is about returning to a
forgotten ‘old normal’ placed before us by Isaiah: “Is not this the
kind of fasting I have chosen: to lose the chains of injustice and
untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break
every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to
provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the
naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh
and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn and
your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness[a] will
go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear
guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry
for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke
of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if
you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the
needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness.
The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a
sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be
7
Charles M. Wood, The Formation of Christian Understanding,
The Westminster Press, 1981, page 31.
8
Leo Tolstoy, ‘A Confession and Other Religious Writings’,
Penguin Books, 1987, page 65.
9
Zac Varghese,’ Expanses of Grace’, CSS, Tiruvalla, 2017,
page 110.
Kasper, Pope Francis, ‘Revolution of Tenderness and Love’,
page 42.
like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never
fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up
the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken
Walls, restorer of streets with swellings” (Isa 58: 6-12). ‘The New
Normal’ is simply what Archbishop Tutu spoke of his
experiential understanding of God: “I pray each day. I talk to
Jesus, I walk with Jesus, I want to be like Jesus, and I want to
learn from Jesus. Jesus and me are always together.”
The Most Revd Dr. Theodosius Mar Thoma Metropolitan
The final aim of this
editorial is to offer
felicitations to
Theodosius Thirumeni
and express our thanks
to God for His
abundant blessings on
the very sacred
historical event of
Theodosius Thirumeni’s
installation as the 22nd
Mar Thoma
Metropolitan of the Mar
Thoma Church on 14th
November 2020.
We thank God for
giving Thirumeni this
sacred office of the
Church to continue as a
very effective and
faithful servant of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
for God’s mission and
ministry. This is a day
of thanksgiving and
celebration for number of reasons: firstly, we thank God for
Thirumeni’s health; secondly, we are thanking God for the
blessings that we have received through Thirumeni’s episcopal
ministry for the last 31 years. Thirumeni’s actions are always
guided by his faith in a master guide, hope in a promise, utter
humility in receiving God’s gift, charity in pouring out to others
and meeting people at the point of their needs. Thirumeni’s
work with HIV/AID sufferers and finding a voice for the
transgender community amongst many others are amazing
examples of finding new areas for mission. I am sure that by the
grace of God, Thirumeni will be an agent for introducing many
new ideas into the faith community to help the community at
large.
We need a God-centred vision in defining the ‘new normal’ and
solving many problems in the post-COVID-19 landscape, which
Thirumeni expressed eloquently in his recent book: ‘The Church
and the New Normal’. Thirumeni wrote: “The Church should be
willing to give proper attention and recognition to the
priesthood of all believers and be willing to listen to the
wisdom of the Church’s chosen leaders as well as people
who are talented and experienced.”11 We thank God for
Thirumeni’s vision in bringing clergy and laity together for
11
Geevarghese Mar Theodosius Suffragan Metropolitan,
‘Church and the New Normal’, CSS, Tiruvalla, 2020, page 96.
9 | P a g e F O C U S J a n u a r y 2 0 2 1 V o l . 9 , N o : 1
solving various issues facing the church to build the mission
strategies for finding a new normal and for reformation wherever
and whenever it is needed. We published a review of this book
written by Revd Dr. Abraham Philip in the October issue of this
Journal (Vol. 8, 4, p 35).
We are very grateful to Thirumeni for his spiritual guidance,
ministry and mission. Thirumeni is well endowed with a vision,
determination, optimism and sympathetic understanding for any
mission under the grace of God. We pray to our Lord and our
God to give the 22nd Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Church, the
Most Revd Dr. Theodosius Mar Thoma Metropolitan, very good
health and abundant grace to continue God’s mission for
establishing the values of God’s kingdom on the earth. May his
ministry help us to enjoy God’s future in the present.
On behalf of the editorial board, I thank all our contributors for
their continued help over the last eight years of this publication
with their valuable articles. We are looking forward to your
continued help and prayers for this ministry. May God continue
to bless all of us.
Dr. Zac Varghese
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.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO
FOCUS WELL WISHERS AND READERS
Reflection on the 70th Birthday of Mar Philoxenos
On 5th
December
2020, the Mar
Thoma
Community
world-wide
thanked God
and celebrated
the 70th
birthday of Rt.
Revd Dr. Isaac
Mar
Philoxenos. On
behalf of the
FOCUS
fraternity, I offer
prayer and
good wishes to
Mar Philoxenos Thirumeni. May God continue to bless
Thirumeni with good health and help with his ministry
for establishing the values of God’s kingdom. I believe
Mar Philoxenos Thirumeni is continuing the
ecumenical journey of the Mar Thoma Church in the
WCC and other world-wide Christian organizations.
Philoxenos Thirumeni’s involvement with the WCC,
NCCI, NCC (USA), ECC, Serampore University etc.,
helped others to understand more about the Mar
Thoma Church and her ecumenical journey, leading
towards transformation. The establishment and the
existence of the Mar Thoma Church is the result of a
journey aimed at the transformation of her faithful
believers. The Mar Thoma Church is proud of her laity,
clergy and bishops who led the Church in their
continued faith journey, and at the same time keeping
its rich heritage, faith and practices. A twenty-seven
years journey as an Episcopa of a Church is not easy,
but Mar Philoxenos competed it successfully and
elegantly under the grace and providence of God.
Mar Philoxenos is a very loving and gentle Bishop of
the Mar Thoma Church. There is always a gentle and
quiet spirit within Philoxenos Thirumeni, which is of
great worth in God’s sight. Gentleness is one of the
fruits of the spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23, a
characteristic that always present in the ministry of
Philoxenos Thirumeni. Thirumeni always aim to pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and
gentleness in his actions and words. Philoxenos
Thirumeni was able to accomplish several beautiful
things for the Church, Navajeevan Center in Mumbai,
Dharma Jyothi Vidyapeeth in Faridabad, Retreat
Center in Munnar, the extension center for Seminary in
Karukachal, ‘Light to Life’ a project of the Diocese of
10 | P a g e F O C U S J a n u a r y 2 0 2 1 V o l . 9 , N o : 1
North America and Europe to help the poor school
children in ‘Grama Jyothi’ schools in North India and
very recently the Carmel Mar Thoma Center in Atlanta,
a headquarters for the various mission projects and
also as an education center for laity and clergy.
Philoxenos Thirumeni is very gracious in his dealings
with everyone, compassionate and never shows
displeasure to any one and abounding in love in all his
dealings. “We must remain grateful to God for giving
us various opportunities, through the ministry of
Philoxenos Thirumeni, to transcend our ethnic ‘Pampa
Valley culture’ and self-centred concerns to formulate
a global vision for our Church. Thirumeni continues to
make us realise that we have an important role to play
in sustaining faith; expressing concerns for the
marginalised, the needy, and for providing ideas that
would make man worthy of living in this ‘blue planet’
with love, concerns and responsibilities for all created-
life forms and building God’s Kingdom on this earth.
The ecumenical journey that Thirumeni has been
asking us to join in is all about developing a longing for
spirituality, relationship, truth, beauty, and justice. It is
a movement from what we are to what we ought to be.
A transformation and a new beginning ‘in Christ’, as a
new creation, is a necessary first step for this
ecumenical journey. . . May Bishop Mar Philoxenos’
servant ministry help us to move from fragmentation to
integration and to live in the ‘already, but not yet
reality’ of God’s Kingdom on earth” (Dr. Zac Varghese,
London ‘The Ecumenical Journey Towards
Transformation’ published on the 25th year of the
installation as Episcopa of Mar Philoxenos, Published
by Diocese of North America and Europe, Page 206,
2018).
When Bishops are consecrated, the faithful believers
chant three times “Axios, axios, axios” (Greek ἄξιος,
"worthy of", "deserving of", "suitable") an acclamation
adopted by the early Eastern Churches including in
the Mar Thoma Church. Philoxenos Thirumeni has
proved that he is not only worthy to be a Bishop, but
also has been a successful ecumenical leader during
his past 27 years of his ministry as a Bishop. His
humble and gentle disposition to one and all, have
won him many admirers in theological and ecumenical
fraternity. May our Lord continue to keep Philoxenos
Thirumeni under his loving care in his faith journey
especially in the wider-ecumenical world to bring
transformation of individuals and faith communities for
the glory of God.
Lal Varghese, Esq.
Dallas
 The End of an Era: Reflections on the Mar Thoma Legacy on the death
of Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan
Rt. Revd Dr. John Fenwick, Bishop Primus of Free of England*
[The following is the transcript of the talk given by Rt. Revd
Dr. John Fenwick at the Zoom meeting organized by the
Mar Thoma Apologetics at its 5th session on 9th December
2020]
Thank you for your kind invitation to share these
reflections with you.
Three preliminary comments:
• My involvement with the Syrian Christians of
Kerala has a strong personal element. My first contact was
with the Mar Thoma congregation in the UK in the 1980s.
That led to my first visit to Kerala in November 1987. Since
then, I have visited at least twelve times. I have also
enjoyed much fellowship with the UK Mar Thoma
community on many occasions. One fruit of all this was
the participation of Joseph Mar Koorilose and Cyril Mar
Basilios of Thozhiyur at my episcopal ordination in 2006. I
am Anglo-Syrian by consecration and immensely proud of
that. So, for me, as they say, it’s personal. And as a
Christian I obviously care about the health of the Christian
community in India and how faithful it is being to Our
Lord’s teachings and commands.
• It is not for me, as a foreigner, to get involved
in the interactions (often disputes) between the various
Syrian jurisdictions in India, nor in internal debates within
the Mar Thoma Church.
• I do, however, believe that an outsider and an
academic can perhaps see some things more clearly than
those who have always been embedded in a particular
context. The role of the academic is to search out and
objectively present the facts – in the hope that they will
allow accurate debate so that others will make wise
decisions. In what I am saying now I am trying to be as
objective as possible, though these are obviously my
personal reflections and opinions.
Let me start with some personal reminiscences.
When I was the guest speaker at the Mar Thoma Clergy
Conference at Charral Kunnu on that first visit in 1987, I
must have met the then Joseph Mar Irenaeus then, but
can’t recall doing so. My first substantial meeting with him
came the following year, in 1988. I was then the Assistant
Secretary for Ecumenical Affairs at Lambeth Palace. It was
the year of the Lambeth Conference and one of my duties
was to help host the ecumenical guests. The late
11 | P a g e F O C U S J a n u a r y 2 0 2 1 V o l . 9 , N o : 1
Metropolitan was among them. We had several extended
conversations and I remember drinking in all that he told
me of the Mar Thoma Church and its rich traditions.
Since then, we met many times, both in Kerala and the
UK. We were together, for example, in the madbaha at St
George’s cathedral, Thozhiyur, for the consecration of
Cyril Mar Basilios, Metropolitan of the Malabar
Independent Syrian Church, and at St George’s,
Headstone, London, for the inauguration of the Mar
Thoma parish there. I think the last time I saw him was at
Tiruvalla a couple of years ago. He was in temporary
accommodation as Poolatheen was being rebuilt. It was a
breakfast meeting and he had arranged for bacon and
eggs to be provided for his English guests. He was always
unfailingly gracious.
It is common when a public figure dies to describe their
passing as the end of an era, but I think that in the case of
the late Metropolitan it is indeed true. He was in many
respects a link with the past and we are the poorer for his
loss.
It would be natural for me to start with his family links with
the first generations of reforming Metropolitans, but I want
to say something briefly first about another aspect of
Thirumeni’s life that is relevant to the issue of Mar Thoma
legacy in a different way.
The perception of Anglicanism
Like many of his generation the Metropolitan had a great
respect and affection for the Church of England and wider
Anglican family. He had studied in the UK under such
teachers as Bishop Kenneth Cragg, and retained a respect
for a generation of Church of England leaders who were
men of scholarship and worldwide vision. If I have a gentle
criticism of Thirumeni it is that I don’t think he appreciated
how much the Church of England had changed by the end
of his life, with liberal tendencies such as the ordination of
women, tolerance of same-sex relations and a loss of
confidence in the power of the Gospel to change lives.
The Church of England today is not the Church he knew in
his youth and is very different to the Church that sent the
Mission of Help to the Syrians of Kerala in the early 19th
century. It is inconceivable that those brave CMS
missionaries – Bailey, Baker and Fenn – who came to
Kerala in 1816 to work in the Syrian College would have
approved of same sex marriage. Yet recently the Church
of England has published a report suggesting that the
Church might bless the fact that two women or two men
(even two priests) might live in a sexually active
relationship together.
That example shows the stark contrast between the
Church of England that came to help the Syrians and the
Church of England (and other parts of the Anglican
Communion) today. And I respectfully suggest that the
Mar Thoma Church needs to reflect on that. Marthomites
have, if I may say so, a sort of romantic attachment to the
Church of England. The Anglicans helped reawaken us so
we must always be grateful to the Anglicans. But what
should the Mar Thoma Church do when the Anglicans
betray the very principles that they brought to Travancore
and Cochin two hundred years ago? For centuries the
Syrian Christian community survived because it did not
follow the beliefs and practices of the majority society
around it. But now many Anglicans accept the beliefs and
norms of the majority society (especially at the moment in
the context of sexual ethics) and try and twist Christian
practice to follow it. The Anglican salt is in danger of
losing its flavour.
I have called this talk, ‘The end of an era’. One element of
the era that has been brought to an end by Thirumeni’s
death is, or ought to be, uncritical acceptance of the
Anglicans. In my opinion, the Mar Thoma Church now
needs to discover the courage to say to the Anglicans,
‘You brought blessing to us in the past, but now we say to
you in love that we believe you are wrong.
No doubt we can return to that in our discussion!
A Living Link to earlier generations
But, more importantly, in the context of the Mar Thoma
Church, Thirumeni was a link to the community’s origins.
He had known his great-uncle, Titus II Mar Thoma,
through whom he had a living continuity to the first
generations who had shaped the Reformed Syrian
community after the loss of most of the historic churches
following the court case of 1889. He grew up in the family
whose members had led the work of reform,
reconstruction and renewed witness.
12 | P a g e F O C U S J a n u a r y 2 0 2 1 V o l . 9 , N o : 1
As a result of his upbringing Thirumeni never lost a sense
of the Mar Thoma Church as an Eastern Church of Syrian
heritage. I used to meet him regularly at the four-yearly
international Syriac Conferences at the St Ephrem
Ecumenical Research Institute (SEERI) in Kottayam. He
himself used Syriac in the liturgy and carried a sense of
being the custodian of an ancient heritage. And in that he
was exactly like his kinsman Palakunnathu Abraham
Malpan.
Abraham Malpan’s name is obviously strongly associated
with the so-called Syrian Reformation. And the concept of
‘Reformation’ has become a powerful one in the Mar
Thoma mindset. But if you stand back, Abraham in fact
left unchanged more than he changed. So, I want briefly to
remind ourselves of him and what was going on in those
early decades of the 19th century.
Palakunnath Abraham was born posthumously in May
1796 at Maramon. By the time he was two and half years
old his mother had also died and he was brought up by his
father’s elder brother, Thomas Malpan, whom the British
traveller Mackworth met at Maramon in 1821 and
described as ‘a very respectable man, much in the habit,
we were told, of family prayer’. He was ordained deacon
and studied Syriac under Kora Malpan (whose nephew
Kayithayil Geevarghese Malpan, was to be one of
Abraham’s fellow leaders in the reform movement).
Abraham was ordained kasheesha by Mar Thoma VIII
when he was only 16, but does not seem to have
celebrated the Qurbana until three years later at his home
Church of Maramon. He had married a girl called
Aleyamma, with whom he had several children, two of
whom were to become bishops.
Mackworth (the British traveller) met Abraham at Maramon
on 24 February 1821 and judged him, ‘a young man of
abilities and esteemed among his countrymen. We had a
good deal of conversation with him, on trifling as well as
on religious subjects, in which he shewed natural good
sense, and some knowledge of Scripture. He says he is
very anxious to learn English, and means shortly to go to
the College for that purpose: but as his wife has been
lately confined, he is unwilling to quit her at the present
moment…. This young Malpan’s name is Abraham; and
the Missionaries have hopes that he will turn out a genuine
Christian: he certainly seems well disposed.’
Abraham must have gone to the Seminary at Kottayam
very shortly after this, for another British traveller Mill met
him there in December of the same year and described
him as ‘the chief Malpan Abraham’. He also fulfilled the
missionaries’ hopes by imbibing a more spiritually aware
understanding of his faith. He remained, however, deeply
conservative in many respects. He entertained doubts
about the validity of his ordination by Mar Thoma VIII and
was one of the priests who offered himself for re-
ordination by Mar Athanasios Abdul Messih during his
tempestuous visit to Kerala in 1825. For this act of
insubordination, he suffered a period of imprisonment. It
is a strange irony that this conservative priest, deeply
devoted to Antioch should have a legacy as a reformer in
a church that is proud of its independence.
The Syrian Reformation
As I have just said, one of the defining elements in Mar
Thoma identity is ‘the Reformation’. Let me say at once
that as a Christian I believe some reformation – renewal –
of the Syrian community in India was necessary by the
early 19th century. But for many in the Mar Thoma Church
the concept of ‘Reformation’ has become the all-
embracing one. The only important thing that happened in
the Mar Thoma Church is that it had a reformation. And to
ask serious questions about the so-called Syrian
Reformation is to risk being accused of being disloyal to
Mar Thoma identity. That was an important element in the
long-drawn-out court cases brought by K. N. Daniel
against Juhanon Mar Thoma. The Metropolitan, it was
alleged, was betraying the Reformation and taking the Mar
Thoma Church back to ‘the Jacobite faith’. And that
mindset persists at the popular level. I have often asked
about a particular small practice and had the answer from
Marthomites: We are not doing this thing. Orthodox
people, they are doing. We are not doing this thing’.
The danger is that you get into a mindset of negative self-
definition. You define yourself by not doing what the other
group does.
What was the vision of the Syrian Reformation?
As we know, Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan left few
writings. So, the answer has to be sought elsewhere. One
of these sources is the Petition to the British Resident of
1836.
Following the Mavelikara Synod in 1836, Abraham Malpan
and several other priests presented a ‘Memorial’ to the
British Resident, now Colonel Fraser. Mar Thoma writers
sometimes refer to the Memorial as ‘the Trumpet Call of
the Reformation’, and concentrate on the list of twenty-
three abuses in need of correction, as if the British
Resident were being asked to put them right himself. That
is not, actually what the Petition asks.
It recites that the ‘Metrans of the name of Mar Thoma
superintended the Syrian Churches … under the
jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Antioch’, but did not always
do so ‘agreeably to the customs of the Syrians, on
account of the relationship that sustained between them
and the Roman Catholics’. This appears to be an
acknowledgment of the Pakalomattoms’ links with the
Pazhayakuttukar and the legacy of latinised East Syrian
13 | P a g e F O C U S J a n u a r y 2 0 2 1 V o l . 9 , N o : 1
practice. The Petition then refers to Mar Thoma VIII’s
reluctance to found a Seminary, and his other
irregularities. These, it states, were investigated by Colonel
Munro, who awarded the money from the ‘bond’ (the
vatipannam) to Joseph Ramban who ‘in the meantime …
was ordained Metran by a Metran residing in the Province
of Calicut [while] Mar Thoma who had not governed the
Churches according to custom was set aside’ and a
proclamation issued in favour of ‘Joseph Metran [Mar
Dionysios II Pulikottil]’. The Petition then refers to the
reigns of Mar Philoxenos, Mar Dionysios III (Punnathra)
and Mar Dionysios IV (Cheppat). This last, it alleges, had,
on his consecration, given to Mar Philoxenos ‘a document
signed by him, which states that he would conduct himself
agreeable to the Scriptures and to the Canons and cause
others to do so, but that he had not been diligent in the
discharge of this duties’ and, after the death of
Philoxenos, had ‘manifested his real disposition’. Cheppat
Mar Dionysios IV is then accused of several
misdemeanours, including going around the Churches
acquiring money in different ways, and not keeping
harmony with the missionaries. Having recited all these
matters, the Petition then comes to its essential request:
‘Therefore, that no irregularity may take place in
future, your Petitioners most humbly solicit that your
Excellency will be pleased to set aside according to
the Canons, as Col. Munro did, the present Metran
who commits acts of disorder, put down his evil
advisers, send for Kurilos Metran residing at Tholoor
Church in the Province of Calicut, and cause him
properly to administer the affairs of the Church
according to the Scriptures and Canons, and thus
redress the grievances of your Petitioners and the
people of the Churches.’
The central request of the so-called ‘Trumpet Call of the
Reformation’ is not some great Protestant manifesto, but a
request for the removal of Cheppat Mar Dionysios and his
replacement by Mar Koorilose III of Thozhiyur. You don’t
see that stated in any of the Mar Thoma histories that I
have read.
There then follows ‘A Statement of Disorders’, listing the
matters of faith and practice that Mar Dionysios IV is
alleged to have contravened. Three matters in particular
merit comment.
1. Firstly, the points of reference in the
‘Disorders’ are the Canons and Holy Fathers, rather than a
Protestant interpretation of the Bible. The abuses include
such matters as admitting people to Communion for a fee
rather than after adequate preparation and repentance;
delaying unction until after the sick person is unconscious;
ordaining men below the canonical age; not instructing the
people in the lives of the saints on their feast days;
condoning images; using charcoal on Ash Wednesday
(presumably a continuing Roman practice); and such
matters. While the underlying motivation is clearly to
foster a greater spiritual awareness, it is not particularly a
‘Western’ agenda.
2. Secondly, loyalty to Antioch is asserted. The
Memorial thus in fact reaffirms the basic orientation of the
community recently asserted in the Mavelikara Padiyola.
Its complaint against Mar Dionysios IV is that (in addition
to inferred immorality) he is not leading the Puthenkuttukar
towards greater loyalty to West Syrian forms. The criticism
of Romo-Syrian practices in the Memorial may derive in
part from something that Abraham and others had
imbibed from the missionaries – a negative attitude
towards the Pazhayakuttukar. It is inevitable that he would
have been influenced by their anti-Roman views and
invective. It was, after all, according to the missionaries,
the Church of Rome that was suppressing the ‘pure
Gospel’ to which the Malpan seems genuinely to have
responded. This would have reinforced his already strong
loyalty towards Antioch. His submission to re-ordination
by Mar Athanasios Abdul Messih shows this, and his
admiration for the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch seems to
have continued to the end of his life.
3. Thirdly, the swing to Antioch away from the
Romanised Syrians almost certainly engendered a
commitment to West Syrian orthography and liturgy in
favour of the previously dominant East Syriac. Let me say
a little bit more about this.
The Revd W.J. Richards was for thirty-five years a CMS
missionary in Travancore and Cochin. On his return to the
UK, he published in 1908 The Indian Christians of St.
Thomas: Otherwise called the Syrian Christians of Malabar.
12
In one chapter he gives a brief account of the first
translations of the Gospels into Malayalam. He describes
how, in 1806, Claudius Buchanan had encouraged the
translation of the Gospel of St Matthew from Syriac into
Malayalam. The translation was made by a Philipos
Ramban, who, as a deacon, had copied out the Syriac text
himself in about 1770. Richards includes an illustration of
a section of that text on page 103 of his book. The script
is clearly East Syriac, not the West Syriac of Antioch. So,
only approximately fifteen years before Abraham
Palakunath joined the staff of the Syrian College (the Old
Seminary) at Kottayam, the Rambans who were
collaborating with the British missionaries were working
with manuscripts in East Syriac.
12 W. J. Richards, The Indian Christians of St. Thomas: Body and Blood of Christ … grounded and established by
Otherwise called the Syrian Christians of Malabar. A
Sketch of their History, and an Account of the Present
Condition, as well as a discussion of the Legend of St 13 J.P.M. Van der Ploeg, The Syriac Manuscripts of St
Thomas, London, Bemrose & Sons, 1908, p.103.\ Thomas Christians, Bangalore, Dharmaram Publications,
14 | P a g e F O C U S J a n u a r y 2 0 2 1 V o l . 9 , N o : 1
This agrees with what we know about the wider picture.
The Roman Catholic scholar J.P.M. Van der Ploeg wrote a
survey of Syriac MSS in Kerala and other libraries. He
concluded: The dissidents [i.e., non-Roman Syrians]
continued to use the East Syrian script for more than one
century: only after that it began to disappear, to be
completely eradicated in the beginning of the second
quarter of the nineteenth century; the manuscripts prove
this abundantly.13
‘The beginning of the second quarter of the nineteenth
century’ is approximately 1825 to 1835. Those were
precisely the years that Palakunnathu Abraham was senior
Malpan at the Syrian College in Kottayam.
Some accounts attribute the spread of West Syrian usage
in Kerala to Yoakim Mar Koorilose the Patriarchal envoy
sent to oppose Mathews Mar Athanasios. But Yoakim Mar
Koorilose did not arrive in India until 1846, by which time,
according to Van der Ploeg, the transition from East Syriac
to West Syriac had already happened.
There is in fact a surviving autograph text by Abraham –
perhaps the only one that survives. It is in the Bodleian
library in Oxford. I have handled it. It is in West Syriac.
There seems no doubt that this is what he taught at the
Seminary, thus helping to ‘embed’ the West Syrian identity
in Kerala. The cumulative evidence - his re-ordination, his
devotion to Antioch, the shift in script – all suggest that
Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan was in fact one of the
primary figures responsible for the consolidation of West
Syrian use in Kerala. In this respect, it looks very much as
though it is not just the Mar Thoma Church, which is in his
debt, but the Syrian Orthodox, Orthodox Syrian and Syro-
Malankara jurisdictions as well.
What was the Syrian Reformation?
Now I want to return to wider questions about the Syrian
Reformation.
One of the problems with Reformations is that are often
misunderstood by those who later appeal to them. Take
the English Reformation for example. You often see it said
in popular accounts and by church people that in the 16th
century the Church in England stopped being Roman
Catholic and became Protestant. But that isn’t what the
leaders of the English Reformation understood themselves
to be about.
For example, when Archbishop Thomas Cranmer of
Canterbury wrote a treatise on the Eucharist, he called it,
‘The True and Catholic Doctrine of the Sacrament of the
1983, p.30.
God’s Holy Word and approved by the Consent of the
Most Ancient Doctors of the Church’. He was defending a
doctrine, which he believed to be Catholic – true to the
Scriptures and testified to by the Church Fathers.
In 1565 the Bishop of Salisbury, John Jewel, published
and Apologia for the Church of England. This became the
official explanation – parishes were required to buy a
copy. In it the intention of the English Reformers is set
out: ‘We are come, so near as we possibly could, to the
church of the apostles and of the old catholic bishops and
fathers.14 ‘We go unto the Catholic and Apostolic Church,
because the Church from which we separate ourselves
lacks both’.15
1841 to be consecrated as Mathews Mar Athanasios. This
attachment to Antioch only begins to unravel when other
elements in Kerala poison the minds of the Patriarchs
against the Reformers. It only really becomes final when
Patriarch Peter III himself visits India and sets up a rival
hierarchy following the Mulunthuruthy Synod of 1876. A
major complicating factor, of course, is the autonomy of
the Christian community in Kerala – a question that is still
unresolved to the present day.
The limits of a Reformation

The officially stated intention of the English Reformation

was not to create a new ‘Protestant’ Church but to take
the Church back to its apostolic and patristic roots by
removing the accretions of recent centuries. In both
England and Kerala that involved independence from the
Roman Papacy.

The Syrian Reformation shared with the English

Reformation a strong anti-Roman sentiment. In the Indian
context that was strengthened by the fact that Rome
imposed exclusively European bishops at this stage – it
was not until much later in the 19th century that Malayalees
were consecrated bishops in what was to become the
Syro-Malabar Church. The non-Roman Syrians (the
Puthenkuttukar) on the other hand, had indigenous The problem with a Reformation is how far do you take it?
bishops (as well as some West Asians). A Reformation, by definition, is about changing something
– re-forming it. But how much do you change? Do you
But whereas in England independence from the Papacy
simply correct the issues that were causing the problem in
meant independence, pure and simple, in Kerala in the the first place or do you take the opportunity for a much
lifetime of Abraham Malpan independence from the more radical re-organisation? You see that in the secular
Papacy meant stronger attachment to Antioch. It is to the
world – the 1917 revolution that led to the abdication of
Patriarch in far-off Mardin that the ‘Reformers’ look for the Tsar in Russia, started off quite modest in its aim to
support. So, the young kooroyo Mathews travels there in introduce a more democratic system there, but it was
soon overtaken by the Bolshevik revolution that utterly
14
changed society and brought suffering and death to
John Jewel, Apology for the Church of England, in John millions. You see it in the English Reformation in the 16th
Ayre (ed.), The Works of John Jewel, Cambridge, Parker century. Do you simply remove the jurisdiction of the
Society, 1848., vol.3, p.100. Papacy and correct unbiblical abuses in the Church, or do
you completely destroy the old and create something new
15 Quoted in Avis, In Search of Authority, p.20. The
from first principles?
Elizabethan Act of Supremacy (1559) laid it down that
any charge of heresy must be proven by Scripture of the And that same tension was there in Kerala. By the 1890s
first four General Councils, or an one of them or any and early 1900s there were tensions among the Reformed
other General Council where such views were expressly Syrians between those who said, ‘We have reformed the
condemned by the words of Scripture abuses. Now let’s stop there’ and those who wanted to
(http://history.hanover.edu/texts/engref/er79.html ). press on with more radical change.
‘Jewel, Hooker, Calvin, Luther and indeed all the
mainstream Reformers did not see themselves as The danger with the second option, it seems to me, is that
inventing or creating a new Church. They believed they if you proceed too far you eventually stop being the thing
were reforming the old Church, and that, as a
you are claiming to be. In the case of the Mar Thoma
consequence, they stood in continuity and direct contact
Church, you stop being an ancient Eastern Church,
with the Church of the early Fathers’, (Atkinson, Hooker,
p.62).
15 | P a g e F O C U S J a n u a r y 2 0 2 1 V o l . 9 , N o : 1

renewed by the Scriptures, and become Protestants in
kappas.
That seems to me unfortunate for at least three reasons:
Other Eastern Churches need a model
While Western Churches find it all too easy to change –
look at the thousands of Protestant sects in the USA and
elsewhere – Eastern Churches find it very hard to change.
While most of them are incredibly courageous – think of all
the martyrs under communism and Islam in the last
century alone – they find it hard to adapt the faith to
modern conditions and run the risk of becoming fossilised.
The Mar Thoma Church is the only Church (as far as I
know) that can claim to be a reformed Eastern Church –
genuinely Eastern, but genuinely renewed in terms of
biblical faith and spirituality and evangelistic openness. I
think that there are lessons that, for example, the
Ethiopian Orthodox or the Armenian Orthodox, could learn
from you as they hold the balance between their cultures,
their inherited patterns, a living Gospel faith and rapidly
changing societies. But if the Mar Thoma Church
becomes too Westernised – Protestants in kappas – then
others will not want to follow your lead.
You are not of Western origin
In the perception of many people (including many
Christians) Christianity is seen as a European faith – the
white man’s religion. We are going through a period in
global history where many things are being re-appraised
including issues of ethnicity – Black Lives Matter – and
colonialism. As the negatives of slavery and colonialization
are subject to fresh scrutiny there is a danger that the
Christian faith will be seen as simply one more facet of
European control mechanisms over other ethnicities and
cultures – and be rejected as a result. In those debates it
is important that someone is pointing out that Asian
heritage Christianity is older than Western European
heritage Christianity (and, incidentally, far older than
Islam). There were organised churches in India at a time
when my ancestors were still wandering around the
forests of North Germany worshipping Woden and Thor.
That perspective will need repeating as the critical re-
appraisal of global European impact unfolds – and the Mar
Thoma Church has the credentials that allow her to say it.
Western cultural dominance will not last forever
We live in a time of western cultural dominance. The
young men in the Middle East who throw stones and burn
the American flag wear jeans, t-shirts and trainers – the
uniform of American youth. Bankers in Singapore and
Zimbabwe wear suits and ties. But the Church must take
the long view.
16 | P a g e F O C U S J a n u a r y 2 0 2 1 V o l . 9 , N o : 1
Let me quote an Indian-born poet, Rudyard Kipling. In his
poem Recessional Kipling foresaw the end of the British
Empire:
Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
There is no reason to believe that the present cultural
dominance of the West will last forever, any more than
that of Assyria, Babylon, Rome or the British Raj. The
rising nations today are Asian - China and India. We will
need more than ever Churches that live the Gospel in
Asian cultures and can speak the Gospel to those
cultures. Churches that become too Westernised are likely
to lose this ability.
It has always seemed to me, that this is the Mar Thoma
Church’s greatest potential – to witness to historic ways of
Christian discipleship and worship that do not capitulate
to current Western norms, while retaining a strong sense
of the power of the Gospel in all cultures and contexts.
So, the death of our beloved Joseph Mar Thoma, the last
Palakunnath Metropolitan, is indeed a time for reflection.
With him has died one of the last major personal links with
the people at the heart of a defining era in what is now the
Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar.
There is a difference between nostalgia and legacy.
Nostalgia is ‘a sentimental longing or wistful affection for a
period in the past’. A legacy is something that you inherit
from someone else that potentially impacts your own life.
To use a popular example: If you receive a financial legacy
from a grandparent it can make a difference to your life.
The challenge for the Mar Thoma Church is whether all
that the late Metropolitan represented becomes a matter
of fading nostalgia or a living legacy to carry into the
future.
*The Rt Revd Dr. John Fenwick is the
bishop Primus of the Free Church of
England. He is an avid scholar and an
author of more than 20 books under the
genres of History and Theology; his books
include "Anglican Ecclesiology and the
Gospel” and “The Forgotten Bishops".
Bishop Fenwick served as the Ecumenical
Secretary to two Archbishops of Canterbury. He has also served
as the Co-Secretary of the Anglican-Orthodox Ecumenical
dialogue. Bishop Fenwick is also a scholar in Syriac language and
liturgy and has done in-depth research into the history and
character of the Malankara Syrian Churches. Over the last 25
years Bishop Fenwick has been able to establish cordial
relationships with many of the Bishops, clergy, laity of all the
Syrian Churches, especially the Mar Thoma Syrian Church and
The Malabar Independent Syrian Church.
JMJ
THE EUCHARISTIC EXPERIENCE IN VIRTUAL SPACE
Fr. Thomas Punnapadam, SDB.
The Holy Eucharist is best described as the ‘font and
summit of Christian life’. It has always been so from the
birth of Christianity and will remain ever so. The COVID-
19 pandemic has turned not only the economic, political
and social world upside down but also challenged us all
to re-examine our approach to and understanding of
spirituality and religion in general and many ritual
practices in particular. The holy Eucharist is by far the
central and indispensable act of Christian faith
experience. Hence a vital question confronting Christians
individually and as a community is: How best does the
understanding of, approach to, and celebration of, this
wonderful sacrament be made ever more relevant and
efficacious in the prevailing context?
The sacrament of the holy Eucharist has three clear,
distinct but inseparable and mutually dependent
dimensions, namely the theological, ritual and the
mystical. The mystery dimension is indeed central and
both theology and rituals should serve to deepen the
mystagogical dimension. The mystery dimension is the
Passion and death and Resurrection of Christ that has
won irrevocable and eternal redemption for every human
being. This redemption is available to all who believe and
open their hearts and souls to receive it and be
transformed by it. The mystery of redemption in and
through Jesus Christ is a reality that transcends time and
space. The Holy Eucharist is the supreme channel of this
salvific grace flowing into human experience in particular
circumstances and specified times.
The clear primacy of the experiential and mystical
dimension of the Eucharist is clearly established by the
fact that the theological understandings and the ritual
celebrations of the Eucharist have undergone incredible
development and considerable changes during the last 21
centuries. During the second half of the last century and
twenty years of this century, the Eucharistic celebration
has probably seen more changes than in several
preceding centuries. The springboard of these changes
is authentic theological reflection, engendered by the
radical developments in societies as also a deepening,
respectful recognition of diversity of cultures and
languages. There is no gainsaying that the incredible
pace of the development of technology too has
diversified and enriched the manner of celebrating the
Eucharist. It is evident that today, Christians the world
over have diverse theologies of the Eucharist and
celebrate it in numerous languages, with different rituals.
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, which has
indeed turned the world upside down, is indeed a
challenge and an opportunity to revitalise our experience
of the Eucharist. The relentlessly advancing technology is
17 | P a g e F O C U S J a n u a r y 2 0 2 1 V o l . 9 , N o : 1
indeed God-sent grace to a new and deeper experience
of the Eucharist. The live streamed Eucharist had offered
us a unique opportunity to examine an inspiring
alternative to the traditional experiences of this wonderful
sacrament in our opulent churches.
Time and space need to be transcended for deep God-
experience. COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to
physically distance ourselves. Thanks to technology we
have new avenues to transcend time and space. This is
no threat to the physical and spatial dimension of the
sacraments. It is rather than opportunity to deeper God-
experience through transcending time and space which
have intrinsic limitations and constraints. One of the
enlightening cartoons which appeared on social media a
couple of months ago, showed an encounter between
God the Father and the devil. The devil boasted “I have
shut down all the churches.” God the Father calmly
retorted: “I have opened a church in every home”.
Technology is transforming every aspect of human life at
an incredible pace and will continue to do so. The
abundant possibilities offered by the numerous social
media platforms have invaded every dimension of human
life. To what extent can the sacred space of human
relationship to the divine be pervaded by technology
without sacrificing the core values and diluting essential
truths? This is the dilemma facing many honest spiritual
seekers today. Any Technology in itself is in a sense
amoral. It is the use of technology that determines its
value and appraisal. The streamlined Eucharist is by far
the most widespread use of technology in religious rituals
and worship.
At the outset one needs to become consciously aware
that the use of social media for watching news and
movies, or as a means to participate in online classes and
webinars, is totally different from attending the
streamlined celebration of the Mass. It is wonderful to
observe that this awareness is deep in some families.
These families prepare to really participate in the
streamlined Eucharist by dressing up as they would when
going to church. In addition they prepare a little altar,
complete with crucifix, candles and flowers. They join in
all the singing and respond to the prayers as they would
when they are physically present in the church. Such
active participation can indeed transform the people from
being indifferent onlookers to becoming ardent
participants. That a lack of physical proximity is no barrier
to their devotion, is clear proof of the mystical dimension
of worship. A clear example of transcending the temporal
dimension is the possibility that those who are unable to
participate live can do so at their own convenience. It has
been acknowledged by some believers that they even
replay more inspiring parts of the Mass for a deeper
experience.
The holy Eucharist is indeed the supreme moment of
community prayer and God-experience. Contemplative
prayer is not so much a method of prayer as it is the
fundamental characteristic of every method of prayer; it is
better termed soul prayer. It is not so much an activity by
performed by particular organs of one’s body and
faculties of mind but an experience one’s opens oneself
to. It is undeniable that actual experience is beyond one’s
control and is something passive. Paradoxically it is
uniquely personal and also communitarian. There is no
denying the fact that ultimately God-experience, is
ineffable. It must never be forgotten that the inevitable
conditions of time and space, language and symbols,
culture and education, nation and race are only means of
opening oneself to the indescribable experience. The ever
changing circumstances and situations of life challenge
every individual believer and community to search for
more relevant theologies of the ultimate mystery and ever
more efficacious ritual to open oneself to this mystery.
So, the constraints of COVID-19 protocol and possibilities
offered by technology are indeed golden opportunities to
rethink our theologies and rituals to deepen experiential
dimension of the Eucharist. The greatest lacuna of online
celebration is of course the inability to receive
sacramental communion. The most widely suggested
solution is the traditional practice of spiritual communion.
Some pastors and churches have been offering the
possibility of receiving sacramental communion on
special occasions or at scheduled times, independent of
the Eucharistic celebrations. While spiritual communion is
not a substitute, it can go a long way in providing spiritual
contentment to the faithful.
Some thinkers have raised a very poignant question.
Could those participating in the online celebrations from
their homes, place bread and wine in their home altars,
believe it as consecrated during the online Mass and
receive it as the body and blood of Christ in Holy
communion by themselves ? Could one accept the
theology of the online consecration of the Eucharistic
species? Is the efficacy of the Eucharistic prayer, the
Institution Narrative and of the invocation of the Holy
Spirit conditioned or limited by geographical constraints?
Would this devalue the dignity of ordained priesthood
ministry. Of course there is no denying the possibility that
this could open a door way to abuses.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been responded to as a
crisis, from the perspective of health, economy and social
relations. From a spiritual angle this crisis has been
diversely referred to as a punishment from God or as a
sign that the world is coming to an end. Probably the best
description is, that it is a wakeup call to return to the
18 | P a g e F O C U S J a n u a r y 2 0 2 1 V o l . 9 , N o : 1
kernel of human life in all its dimensions. There is no
doubt this pandemic with its tragedies and ecstasies has
brought people closer to God in many ways. It would be
one of the most desirable fruits of the pandemic if it could
lead to a deeper and more profound understanding of the
Most Holy Eucharist from its mystical and experiential
angles.
Jesus himself has warned us: The Kingdom of God is not
coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Lo,
here it is! or ‘There!’ for behold, the Kingdom of God is in
the midst of you (Lk 17/20b, 21). By fanatically insisting
on some traditional rituals and cultic forms, are we, as the
idiom goes, rearranging chairs on a sinking Titanic? It is
not a question here of superficially labelling individuals or
groups as conservatives or liberals, traditional or
progressive. It is rather sincere search for means to ever
more authentic God-experiences in a technologically
advancing world threatened by the storm of the COVID-
19 pandemic.
Transcending time-space limitations is indispensable for
God-experience. Sacraments we believe intrinsically
contain these mystical dimensions. The emphasis on the
externals should not constrain us. Both the advance of
technology and the COVID-19 pandemic is a golden
opportunity to re-examine with a pure heart how far
physical proximity of persons and things are central to the
validity of a sacrament. This is particularly applicable to
Holy Eucharist, the most frequently participated
sacrament. “Goodbyes are only for those who love only
with eyes and ears. But those who love with heart and
soul there is no separation.” The Sufi mystic Rumi spoke
these insightful words in the context of grieving the death
of people dear to us. Could they not be applicable to
Covid-19 scenario of Eucharistic participation and even
reception of holy Communion?
The conversation between the Jesus and the Samaritan
woman at the well in Samaria is indeed an ever abiding
challenge to the contemplative dimension of worship.
The woman had the heart felt problem as to where
authentic worship had to be performed, on Mount Zion as
the Jews contented or on Mount Gerizim as the
Samaritans maintained. The wisdom and relevance of the
reply of Jesus is never surpassed: Woman believe me, the
hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in
Jerusalem will you worship the Father….But the hour is
coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will
worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for such the Father
seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who
worship him must worship in spirit and truth (Jn 4/ 21, 23,
24).
May the Covid19 crisis and the streamlined worship help
believers of all denominations and religions to become
true worshippers who worship the Father in Spirit and in
truth.
COVID 19 Pandemic: Faith Musings
Revd Dr. Prakash George, Kottayam
Humankind is facing many unprecedented challenges due
to the Covid 19 pandemic. We are unaware of a similar
situation in the history of humanity that has affected the
whole world in such proportions. As days go by this
pandemic is spreading far and wide and we find it difficult
to contain. We do not yet clearly know the magnitude of
its adverse impacts on the social, political, economic,
religious and psychological lives of the people. A pain and suffering, and humanity can learn new lessons
question many are raising today is 'how are we going to
survive till this pandemic is over?' The discovery of new
vaccines may give humanity the tool to overcome this
pandemic, but when these will come to fruition and how
effective they would be are answers the whole world is
seeking.
Contemporary events and experiences raise urgent
questions for the people of faith: Why does God allow
similar tragedies to happen? Who is to be blamed for this
pandemic that threatens the whole of humanity? There
are no clear answers to these questions but it is natural to
raise these questions in the midst of such calamities. One
reason for the spread of this virus in such a magnitude is
because humankind has made this world into a small
(global) village. It has taught us that a globalized world
with its consumeristic ideology cannot survive for long.
The world needs to be more compassionate and
considerate towards ‘the other’ in order to survive.
Biblical faith helps us to affirm that God is still in control.
God is not only in the light but also in the darkness. When
we sojourn through the darkest valleys of life, God is with
us and His presence strengthens us (Ps 23:4). We cannot
easily or precisely discern God's ways in the midst of
natural disasters or pandemics. However we know that
God is not aloof, but deeply involved in situations of
disaster and suffering, whether in judgment or in divine
grief, or in working for something good that may arise out
of great tragedy. As the pandemic has become the 'new
normal', how is our vision of reality being affected? It can
either become wider and more open to new possibilities,
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or narrower and dominated by fear and bitterness. The
most chaotic periods in our lives can be the catalyst for a
new understanding of God, world and humanity. The
depth and complexity of the biblical witness of how God
works in the world, relates to humans, and interacts with
the harsh realities of suffering does not give us an easy
answer to these questions. But God is in pain when
humanity and creation goes through these experiences of
and have new understanding when they experience
disarray and chaos in life.
One major lesson the pandemic has taught is that we as
human beings are vulnerable. What are the effects of our
now constant sense of vulnerability and threat, and how
might we act more intelligently and gracefully? The
contemporary perils that threaten to kill hundreds of
millions of people have been a strong motivating force for
action. Our responses to peril invite us to make sense of
our very humanity. We are meaning-making creatures
who tell stories not only to provide order to events, but
also to help solve problems and face the fragility of our
own lives. The manner in which we as a faith community
are going to read and interpret contemporary events and
experiences is significant. The awareness of fragility and
vulnerability can also be a powerful motivation for action.
Being fragile does not necessarily imply a condition that
needs to be corrected. The Bible affirms both the
vulnerability and preciousness of human life at the same
time (Pss.8:3-4; 139). The value and worth of humans are
in relation to God whose image and likeness and breath
human beings possess. This demands more care,
support and love for those who need it the most.
During this pandemic we saw on one side,
compassionate, caring and self-sacrificing responses
while on the other side, there were responses that made
this disaster more intense through human indifference,
selfishness and violence. We have witnessed the plight
of the poor and migrant workers, and the indifferent
response of the Government and authorities. Many in the
larger community were apathetic towards their plight and
did not recognize their presence seriously. The pertinent
question we face today is how do we protect the
vulnerable – the poor, elderly, children, jobless, homeless,
migrant and sick? The faith community has a greater role
to play in addressing the issues of these people.
What we face today is not a personal problem but it has a
social dimension. Scientific and technocratic paradigms
are not enough to address these crises affecting the
whole humankind. The adverse psychological impact of
this pandemic on individuals and communities are great.
Many are experiencing enormous anxiety and fear. The
loss and uncertainties in life has caused many to end their
life. Many others are going through experiences of hurt,
alienation, suffering and death that may evoke emotions
of rage, resentment, self-pity and hopelessness. In the
Bible we can see many individuals and communities
articulating their pain, pathos and suffering through
laments. These laments are often quite personal and
intimate while some are public expressions of the
disorientations they experience in life. It expresses their
unwillingness to embrace the new chaotic situation they
are experiencing.
The present crisis seems to mirror the failures of our past
and it invites us to reimagine our future by taking bold
decisions while taking these failures into consideration.
We cannot return to the pre-pandemic status quo. These
encounters of disorientation must be a time for the
community to turn back to God and to retrospect upon
their lives. The shattering experiences of life must enable
humanity to think anew and to work for a new world order
which is in par with the vision of the kingdom of God. We
need to move from the experiences of disorientation to a
new orientation that is grounded on the faith in God; a
faith that God will transform this chaotic situation as God
did in creation and also as God has promised “Behold I
make everything new”. We need to work with God in
enabling a new order that recognizes the poor and the
vulnerable. This needs to be a new world order in which
the environment is taken seriously and one in which the
protection of nature is considered as something
fundamental to the existence of the universe. We need to
imagine how to fuse together egalitarian and
environmental projects and programs. Thus the
pandemic gives the whole humankind an opportunity to
retrospect and reform the ways in which churches,
communities, states and nations function.
Another significant lesson this pandemic has taught us is
that our health and well-being are dependent on the
other. We are interrelated and interdependent beings, and
our life and destiny are integrally related to each other. As
communities, we have been called to show solidarity with
the people who are suffering. This pandemic calls for
solidarity and sharing - a sharing of resources, knowledge
and information transcending all boarders is vital to
overcome this pandemic and other calamites that
humanity is going to face in the future. We are not only
social beings but also mutual beings. We need a well-
functioning public health care system because the
pandemic has taught us that wealth is not always health.
A strong health infrastructure is essential for the well-
being of a community. Faith communities must assist the
governments in building up a strong health infrastructure
that caters to all the people irrespective of caste, colour,
and financial status.
The pandemic has also brought to the light the need for
every person to live well and die well. Death due to the
pandemic calls us to review our attitude towards death.
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Death due to Covid 19 has also become a devastating
experience for the dear ones of the diseased. Their grief
is compounded by social isolation and their inability to
provide physical, emotional and spiritual support to the
diseased. To live and to die with dignity is to be seen as
the fundamental right of every human being. Can the faith
community be a good example to people having this kind
of experiences by recognizing and responding to their
medical, emotional and spiritual needs? How can we give
dignified burial or cremation to the diseased? The
pandemic teaches us that dignified death is as important
as a life lived well.
We are compelled by the life, death and resurrection of
our Lord and Savior Jesus to think, love and act. Wearing
masks, washing hands with soap or using sanitizers and
physical distancing are our basic responsibilities today in
preventing the spread of this virus. But Christ demands
more from us. The Bible is not that focused on individual
rights but about responsibility towards the other
especially towards the vulnerable, the poor and the least
in the community. We have been called to find new
meaning in this difficult and chaotic situation. This must
be a time to discover what really matters in life and to
give priority to them. This search for meaning must
deepen our understanding of the God, ourselves and the
world, where we live in.
Theme for April 2021, Vol. 9 (2)
Be the Gospel of Christ
When St. Paul
met the risen
Christ on the road
to Damascus he
became a
different man ‘in
Christ’; he was
transformed and
became the
Gospel of Christ.
He preached the
Gospel and
identified with the
Gospel; he said to Athenians. “For in him we live, move and
have our being” (Acts 17:28). He wrote to the Corinthians: “For
we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are
being saved and those who are perishing” (2Cor 2:15). The
Gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news to heal this fractured
world and we need to become the Gospel of Christ to overcome
the uncertainties surrounding us, particularly in the post-COVID-
19 landscape. The theme for the April issue is for seeking the
guidance and steps we need to take in becoming the Gospel of
Christ. The WCC in their exploration of the role of the laity in the
Church in 1998 stated, “We Christian people, wherever we are,
are a letter from Christ to the world.” This is the continuation of
the theme of the January issue. We invite your contributions.
Editorial Board
Living Rooms Becoming Sanctuaries – The New Normal from Pulpit and Pews
Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas

It is possible to see an extension of the COVID-19
restrictions during the Great Lent and the Passion Week
in 2021; under such circumstances we may be forced to
celebrate the Great Lent, and the Passion Week
beginning with the Palm Sunday in our living rooms,
making them virtual sanctuaries. Under such
circumstances, the virtual and the unseen may become
real in our TV screens, iPads and cell phones. We never
used to watch Holy Communion services on the screen
unless we are sick and confined to our home or a
hospital. We always prefer to participate in corporate
worship in our churches, but now the corporate worship
has become a non-corporate and a non- participatory
one.
These verses teach us that repentance of people is the
biblical response to disasters and pandemic like COVID-
19. We never see people flocking to churches to mourn
over their sins and ask God’s forgiveness for their sins
against him. We should not see a pandemic like COVID-
19 as a punishment for some sin that individuals or
nations have committed. The Bible is full of stories
relating to such plagues, disasters and it may harm us to
ignore the clear biblical implications of repeated disasters
upon people.

The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard wrote that the

church had become filled with “admirers” when what
Christ wants is “imitators.” When we enter into the Holy
Week worship services so many may be suffering and
dying in the pandemic, Jesus does not invite us to be
mere admirers of the way he carried his cross nearly two
thousand years ago. He invites us to be imitators, to carry
our own crosses and follow in his footsteps today.

The world is at a standstill because of COVID-19

pandemic. Some preach it as a punishment from God
while others preach it as a sign from God to people to
repent and turn to God. Let us set aside those arguments
in favor or against such logic for this pandemic. We know
God’s plans are above our plans and His ways are above
our ways.
We do not know where this virus has originated from,
how far it is going to spread, how long it is going to stay
and what the consequences would be for the whole
world. This is the time to imbibe the relevance of
'hosanna' more than ever. This is the time to pray to the
Lord to shield and protect the world from this pandemic.
This is the time to pray to our Lord to forgive our sins.
This is the time to seek God's mercy and grace to heal
the land.
Let us see what the Bible says about the disasters like the
pandemic caused by COVID-19. In 2 Chronicles 7:13-15
(NIV), it is written: “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."
Spiritual activities such as “humbling, praying, seeking,
and turning” should be understood as four facets or
aspects of the act (or even process) of biblical repentance
(2 Chr. 7:14). The word 'humble' means to subdue one’s
pride and submit in self-denying loyalty to God and his
will (Lev. 26:41). 'Pray' in this context is a shameless
acknowledgment of personal sin and a plea for God’s
mercy, much like that of David’s prayer of repentance (Ps.
51:1–2). 'Seek' is often used in desperate situations in
which God is the only possible hope for deliverance
(Deut. 4:29–30). 'Turn' is the Old Testament term for
repentance and signifies a complete change of direction
away from sin and toward God (Ezek.18: 30, 32).
It appears that we have become so secular that we no
longer consider God as the central point of reference on
how we should live as ‘the people of God’. We have
technology at our fingertips and we are so dependent on
technology and not on God anymore. We have largely
ignored the moral law of God as people and pretty much
set up our own morality of what we think is right and
wrong. Jesus has warned: “Whoever does not carry their
cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Every
person should count the cost.

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Like Solomon, we need to foresee the possibility of the
future by healing people and the land in which we dwell.
“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain
because your people have sinned against you, and when
they pray toward this place and confess your name and
turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, then
hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants,
your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and
send rain on the land you gave your people for an
inheritance.” (II Chronicles 6:26-27)
Ezekiel 6:11 says, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Strike your hands together and stamp your feet and cry
out ‘Alas!’ because of all the wicked and detestable
practices of the house of Israel, for they will fall by the
sword, famine and plague.” If we continue in our sexual
immorality of all sorts, our total neglect of the Sabbath
Day, our failure to love our neighbors, our failure in
sharing and caring for the less fortunate and
marginalized, and our idolatry in all its modern forms, God
may send signals to nations and people to turn to Him
and seek His mercy.
In Romans 1–3, Paul demonstrates that all human beings
are sinners. Six times in chapter 3 he emphatically uses
the phrases “no one” or “not even one” to show the total
sinfulness of all mankind. Sin rules the entire person—our
words, works, and heart condemn us. Paul concludes
that “all have sinned and fall short” of God’s standards.
Without the regenerating work of the Spirit, humans are
incapable of having a right relationship with God. We
don’t seek Him, but willfully turn against Him for we have
“no fear of God”. But God, in His grace and mercy,
makes sinners right with Him when we believe that Jesus
sacrificed His life, shedding His blood to save us from our
sins.
Because of the increase of wickedness, which leads to
sin, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who
stands firm to the end will be saved. Today, our greatest
need is repentance, not the repentance of a few
Christians within a nation but the repentance of the whole
world and the whole people. Let us continue our faith
journey as committed believers doing the mission of the
Lord entrusted to us wherever we are planted. So, let us
transform our living rooms into our sanctuaries and pray
to Lord from our living rooms to forgive our sins and heal
the land.
A pastor from the pulpit has the privilege sharing
extraordinary times in people’s lives. They are to be
present at the death and birth, at weddings and divorce,
at grief and in celebration, at addiction and recovery, and
at despair and the dawning of hope. These extraordinary
things are important, and some of the most treasured
parts of the calling from pulpit, but simply living and
growing and being with one another in community and all
the trust and beauty and witness of the sacred that
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comes from gathering (corporate worship) is truly the high
experience of faith life.
This pandemic has brought us into a state of a ‘New
Normal’, into a virtual worship and not of sharing and
hearing the Word of God from pulpits, but from our living
room to living rooms. We as Christians will live from this
time on in a limited, caged, and stunted way for the sake
of safety or fear or mandate, or any other reason, defies
the very purpose of the life that we have been given by
God.
Seeking to redefine a ‘New Normal’ in some mandated
way is a grab for power over our lives not only from the
pulpit but also from the pews. This virtual worship has
given opportunities to those from the pews also to lead,
do sermon, sing and witnessing from their living rooms.
The priests leading their worship services from their living
rooms have become a new normal for the people who
use to sit and listen to their sermons.
Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered, there am I
also.” We resist not alone in claiming the ordinary and the
extraordinary gatherings of our lives where the sacred
lives. There is no new normal there is only life, and if we
step into it both from the pulpit and from the pews at the
same time we will have life in abundance.
According to one Pastor in the U. S. A., “The church has
left the building, but we have to understand that the
church never was about the building, but it is about the
people on the pews and they are the church.” The pastor
meant the people, his congregation, very faithful believers
who are still very much with him every Sunday, even
though he preaches to empty pews.
Pastors now preach from churches’ pulpits to empty
pews while the congregations watch online from their
homes at their own comfort and time. The believers are
encouraged to keep normalcy to get out of bed and get
dressed, go through a normal routine, gather the family
together and engage in the worship and sermon each
week by singing aloud, clapping, shouting and having a
time of prayer. Instead of sitting on pews, they are sitting
on sofas comfortably in their living rooms. Most people
seem to watch and worship service online and not
actively taking part in it, which need to be changed in
order to have the new normal as a real experience.
The lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic
should not be forgotten. Indeed, those lessons should
fundamentally change how we do our church and making
us more creative. If we are assured of anything, it is that
church can and should change so that it can meet the
needs of others. After all, church was made for times like
these, fostering connection when we so desperately need
it. Yes, the new normal should be both form pews and
pulpits, but it should be to glorify the God.
Thompson Kerr, representative of Clergymen's
Committee of New York, in ‘An Open Letter to the WCC
and the NCC’ (1968) said: “The church has been
commissioned "to go out into the world" not to preach
sociology but salvation; not economics but evangelism;
not reform but redemption; not culture but conversion;
not progress but pardon; not the new social order but the
new birth; not resuscitation but resurrection; not a new
organization but a new creation; not democracy but the
gospel; not civilization but Christ. We are ambassadors
not diplomats.”
Under the new normal, every other pew is empty and
taped off – for maintaining social distancing – clergy and
church members will be glad to see each other again in
person. But the question is whether pulpits and pews will
remain the same or will move in the direction of the new
normal. We do not know how long it is going to take to
return to the old normal way. "The great menace to
Christian preaching today is the tendency to dwell only on
the things of this world. It looks as if in many places the
gospel would be pushed out of the pulpit by the so-called
application of Christianity to social problems. The true
preacher must preach not only to the times but to the
eternities. When he preaches to the eternities he is
preaching to the times." (Clarence Macartney,
"Suggestions to Students of Homiletics," The Ministry,
Washington, D.C., July, 1968)
While we are longing for things to get back to normal, we
also realize that there will be a new normal that in some
ways will be very different in a post-COVID-19 world.
Perhaps COVID-19 will be the unwanted and unpleasant
catalyst that will force churches to reshape the methods
of worship, sermon, teaching, as well as its liturgies, to
align more with what we know about the ways people like
to learn. The pandemic might have got us started in
providing our churches with more online resources,
readings, reflections, and experience-based learning
options, as well as coaching in small groups, and that in
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turn could very well mean the standard Sunday sermon
might be reshaped permanently to shorter and
meaningful ones.
As Doug Pagitt says in his book: ‘Preaching Reimagined’,
this should compel us to reconsider our ideas about
preaching. He writes, “In truth the idea that a person
needs to be specifically educated to understand the
things of God is little more than Western conceit… There
was a time when churches believed that a pastor should
be the sole speaker for God because he was among the
few who could read, as though the only important
knowledge of God is the kind that comes from reading.”
But the new normal changed this attitude of pastor being
the sole speaker and proved that it is possible from pews
also or at least that is what we are witnessing now.
Pews and aisles must also change themselves to this new
normal. May be people do not wake up Sunday morning
with the thoughts of attending in-person-services
anymore, at least until an unknown future time, caused by
this pandemic as it continues. Let us pray that both pulpit
and pews may find meaningful ways to worship God in
truth and faith. Either one cannot blame the other for this
new normal or it should be the way of every church in the
future. But one thing is sure, God who is in control of
everything, the creator and sustainer of the world remains
the same and He is in control over the world and His
creation and even over this pandemic.
In 1 Peter 1:13 we read, “Therefore, with minds that are
alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be
brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his
coming.” This is what Christian hope is all about: it
doesn’t ignore fear, anxiety, and doubt; it confronts them.
It holds steady, clinging to peace in the midst of chaos.
Through life’s many treacherous storms—be they
pandemics, political divisions, social unrest, or personal
struggle—Christian hope is buoyed by something greater
that has happened and something greater that is going to
happen again. This hope, something, which has
happened and something that is going to happen must
lead and guide the faithful believers in pews and aisles to
prepare for the new normal.
Let us continue to embrace a mindset that frames
community as both physical and virtual rather than either
or. Sundays feel weird, since normally Sundays used to
be energizing, challenging and exhausting. On Sundays
we get to do the things with which we get excited on the
pews, listen to the words from the pulpit, attend worship,
send kids to Sunday school, and connect with people we
love. Let the pulpit and pews join together to embrace the
New Normal in our life. We will overcome this pandemic
for sure, but we do not know at which time, but the Lord
has His own times and plans to help us to congregate
together and listen to the words from pulpits and for us to
fill pews again.
New Normal or Better than Normal?
George Thomas, Copenhagen
Thinking the Unthinkable:
The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed changes that
seemed unthinkable just a few months ago. In February
2020, it seemed unthinkable that the church worship
services would soon be disrupted, holy sacraments would
be administered in virtual mode, church weddings would be
celebrated with utmost austerity, burials and funerals would
be undertaken with minimum attendance. It seemed
unthinkable that the entire white-collar workforce of many
countries would be working solely from home, and the air
travel would plummet by 96%. It is, perhaps, likely to bring
more changes in the months ahead that seem unthinkable
now.
What is normal?
The term normal usually refers to something that is typical or
natural and something that most people do, and abnormal
appears to be the opposite. But with the number of people
who live on planet earth, is it even possible to say something
is normal? What may be normal in one culture or generation
may not make any sense in another.
“When will things go back to normal?” is a question we often
ask when things stop feeling normal. What is so appealing
about normal after all? What if we chose to look for a life that
is beyond that concept of normality? What if we pursued a
life that is better than normal?
As followers of Jesus, we are called to live differently. The
world tells us to follow our hearts, but we know that our
hearts can be deceitful. The world tells us to put ourselves
first, but we know that living a life where we give space and
time to others is more rewarding and kind.
Let us look at three areas – Money, Work, Relationships –
and consider how to change the way we live and leave the
status quo behind for a better than normal life.
Money:
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Material possessions can lure us in so strongly that before
we know it; we are in a toxic relationship with money and
possessions. This is “normal” living for many people. What
the Bible tells us about money is that it will not satisfy us
(Ecclesiastes 5:10), and that when wealth is gained quickly, it
will dwindle quickly (Proverbs 13:11). In Matthew 6:19-24,
Jesus teaches about money and warns us against
accumulating worldly “treasures.”
We can keep doing what the world perceives as normal or
we can make changes and live better than normal.
• Normal focuses on accumulating, while better than
normal shares with others.
• Normal allows money to lead, while better than
normal seeks to be led by God.
• Normal does not think ahead, while better than
normal lives by a plan.
• Normal is enslaved to debt, while better than
normal saves to pay in full.
• Normal thinks of today, while better than
normal invests for the future.
The money we earn should be something we use and not
something that uses or controls us. During this pandemic let
us spend some time critically examining our relationship with
money (wealth) and see what needs to be changed.
Work:
While our work is a gift from God, sometimes we can
develop an unhealthy relationship with it (just like with
money). For example, some people overwork themselves to
the point of burnout, which may lead to serious health
issues. Other times, we may struggle with underworking,
whether by choice or due to circumstances out of our
control. Working hard and resting well are both incredibly
valuable. Ultimately, we must find a better than
normal viewpoint and work ethic. The best way to do this is
to see ourselves working for God. “Whatever your task, work
heartily, as serving the Lord… (Colossians 3:23)
Let us look at the difference between what normal and better
than normal can look like in our work lives:
• Normal finds its identity in a job, while better than
normal knows who we are in Christ.
• Normal chooses workaholism, while better than
normal knows when to say “no.”
• Normal accepts exhaustion, while better than
normal values rest.
• Normal looks for ways to avoid difficult work,
while better than normal perseveres.
• Normal does the bare minimum, while better than
normal works with integrity.
No matter what our work schedules and tasks look like, let
us consider Jesus to be our employer. Yes, we should work
hard to do our jobs well and honor our earthly employers.
But placing Jesus at the forefront of our minds is even
better. Let us think through our work life, and identify in what
ways we should make changes for a better than normal work
style and ethic.
Relationships:
Relationships are a part of our lives. Some of them may be
healthy, while others may not be. At times, we may feel
closer to people that we are not related to, and feel distant
from those in our own families. Within these relationships,
we get to witness the good in the lives of people we love,
but we also have to navigate the difficult ones - like hurt,
betrayal, and frustration. The normal way many people
respond when these things happen is to withhold
forgiveness, seek revenge, and show no mercy.
We need to examine how we handle relationships at our end
too. Do we encourage people with our words, or do we tear
them down? Are we kinder to people who can do something
for us in return, or do we treat everyone with honor and
respect?
Apostle Paul gives very specific instructions in Romans 12:9-
18 about how we should operate in our relationships. He
says we are called to love each other as brothers and
sisters, honor one another beyond what we would give
ourselves, share with others who are in need, and possibly
the hardest part...not repay with evil when someone wounds
us.
When it comes to our relationships, let us look at some of
the contrasting ideas we find in what is accepted as normal
and what could be better than normal:
• Normal abandons friendships when mistakes are
made, but better than normal forgives.
• Normal allows insignificant issues to create
frustration, but better than normal is patient.
• Normal gives in to temptation, but better than
normal chooses purity.
• Normal argues when there are differences,
but better than normal builds bridges.
• Normal looks out for self, but better than
normal thinks of others.
Whether our relationships are struggling or not, we know that
normal is not always a healthy place to be, but it is more
comfortable to us than the unknown. So, let us choose to be
better than normal in how we love and live with the people
around us. Let us think through the people in our lives, how
we interact with them, and reflect what needs to change to
ensure our relationships are honoring to God.
Conclusion:
For a follower of Jesus Christ, what is pertinent is the better
than normal ways of life - as clearly indicated in the Holy
Bible. They remain same yesterday, today and tomorrow –
before COVID and after COVID. Changes in modes of
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worship, fellowship and discipleship have become inevitable
due to the pandemic. However, the resulting frustration and
confusion about the human understanding of the Church
should not alter the true meaning and mission of the Body of
Christ. Let us brand the New Normal as Better than Normal!
Mr. George Thomas retired as Principal Industry
Specialist International Finance Corporation (IFC),
the private sector arm of the World Bank Group
based in Washington DC. He has been serving on
the Boards of several companies in the
manufacturing sector wherein the IFC has equity
investments. He holds a Master's Degree in
Structural Engineering from the Indian Institute of
Technology, Mumbai. He is settled in
Copenhagen, and is a member of the State Lutheran Church of
Denmark.
The Navathy of Revd Dr. K. V. Mathew
Dr. Zac Varghese, London
Revd Dr. K. V. Mathew of the Mar
Thoma Church celebrated his 90 th
birthday on 2 November 2020
nd
with his family and friends. We
thank God for this humble servant
of God. We offer our felicitations,
good wishes and prayers for his
life and ministry.
He is a well-known and
distinguished clergy who has
made excellent contributions in
various areas of the pastoral ministry, theological education,
and church administration. He is a great thinker and contributed
much in making others to think and study deeply. His
philosophical and theological discourses are very stimulating.
He was the editor of the Sabha Tharaka and Sabha Secretary.
He also contributed to many peace initiatives across the world.
He was the secretary of the Fellowship of Reconciliation India.
He is well versed in Hebrew, Greek, Syriac, German and
English, which helped him to be a foremost Old Testament
Scholar. Achen had his theological education at Serampore,
postgraduate education in the University of Edinburgh and in
Germany in the Sixties. He was the principal of the Mar Thoma
Theological College, Kottayam and the founding principal of the
Dharma Jyoti Vidya Peeth, Faridabad. Achen is the author of
many books including the revised translation of the Bible in
Malayalam.
His wife, Mrs. Rachel Mathew is also a theologian and she was
the General Secretary of the Sevika Saghom and the
Chairperson of the Council of All India Christian Women. Geeve
Mathew and Philip Mathew are their sons.
I cannot hide the fact my family is greatly indebted to Revd Dr.
K. V. Mathew for many things, I have known Achen from my
childhood and he has been a very good friend and mentor of
mine for all these years. Achen also has helped the FOCUS
publication with many articles from its inception. We thank God
for this vibrant, peace loving and loveable prophetic priest of the
Mar Thoma Church and offer our prayers to God for his health
and wellbeing. May he continue to be a blessing for others.
Family: A Place of Faith Formation (Christ Centered Family)
P. T. Mathew, Dallas
“Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in
him there is no cause for stumbling” (1Jn 2:10).
. It is a Bible meditating family: study the word of God
A Christian home is based on God’s purposes for
every member of the household. It’s a place where the
family’s goals are founded upon His values and where the
corporate vision of the future is consistent with His plan.
Developing a family “Mission Statement” can be a
wonderful place to start crafting a genuinely Christ-
centered home. The guiding principles embodied in this
document should be flexible but consistent. From
beginning to end, they should reflect your eternal focus
and express your deep hope of seeing Jesus face to face
one day (James Dobson-focus on the family).
Here, John in his letter begins by demanding that his
people should remember their privileges. It is their
privilege that they are called the children of God. A
Christian family is a place where, parents and children
practice and grow their faith. It should be a living faith, a
loving faith, a laboring faith, a saving faith, a serving faith,
a fruit producing faith and a fruit sustaining faith. The first
and the foremost important characteristic of a Christian
family is love. Love Christ and love each other.
Love: John says that this commandment of love is true in
Jesus Christ and true in the people of God. Genuinely
love one another. Hate what is evil and cling to what is
good. Love is the only element, which helps to defeat our
enemies or defeat the dark forces from our life. Take
delight in honoring each other in a family, even in the
extended form of the family is the church and community.
Generally we can see three major divisions of families:
self-centered family-no peace, money centered family-no
relationship, and a Christ centered family-filled with love
and peace. Let me explain the qualities of a Christ
centered family.
A Christ centered Family is a loving family. Jesus
Christ said “I am the love”, and one who lives in him will
express that quality in ones life. They love one another
with genuine affection. They take delight in honoring one
another. The basic unit of the society is the family, where
the children learn how to love, how to care, how to share
and how to honor each other.
It is a sharing family. They are always willing to share
their belongings and possessions one another like the
early believers who come together and share their posse
ions.
It is a praying Family. “A family prays together stays
together” It is true. Practice the family prayer in the
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morning and in the evening or whenever they get time
together in every day.
and meditate on it to understand the will of God about
their life each day.
It is a forgiving family: Forgive each other and ask God
for forgiveness each day for their sins and receive the
strength of His spirit to overcome the temptation of the
forces of the dark. As per John love is the visual
expression of the truth. In family, we learn how to rejoice
with the rejoicing people, and weep with the weeping
people. Learn how to practice hospitality and charity.
It is a serving Family. A Christian family is a place where
we learn how to serve the Lord and His people; and a
place where we experience the Devine joy. Our
relationship with God is the real foundation of the joy in
our life. It is palace where one can form their faith and
transform their lives through the saving Grace of Jesus
Christ .A family altar can alter one’s life.
Family is a place where one can learn and make the right
choices of life. As Joshua said,” As me and my
household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24.15). Once
Joshua took the right choice the entire family accepted
and followed the choice of Joshua. A Christ centered
family can transform the whole community by the power
of the Holy Spirit.
A Christ- centered family is a place one learns the
Christian qualities and forms the faith in Jesus Christ. A
Christ centered family is like a light shines on the
mountain and helps to dispel the darkness around it and
shed the light of love.
A Christ-centered home is a place where the spiritual
disciplines are practiced. It provides an environment
where every member of the family learns how to live by
studying the Scriptures, praying, meditating on God’s
Word, and spending time alone in the presence of the
Lord. Christian home is based on God’s purposes for
every member of the household. It’s a place where the
family’s goals are founded upon Christian values and
where the corporate vision of the future is consistent
with Christ’s plan.
Prayer: O Lord our heavenly father, thank you for our loving
and caring families. O Lord, continue to help us to sustain
our families to fulfill your goal and experience your grace
and express it. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
Thought for the day: “A Christian family is a place
where each one lives for one another and everybody
live together for God
Church and the Sex Scandal: Responsibility of Clergy and Laity
Prof. Plammoottil V. Cherian, M. Div., Ph. D, Chicago
The human race is created by God in His own image that
was revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ whose
life, teachings, death, and resurrection had affirmed that
that all men, women and children share the image and
likeness of God. As image bearers of God, Christ taught
us that we are in the world but not of the world (John
17:16), which Apostle Paul clarified that we are “heavenly
earthlings,” having our citizenship is in heaven
(Philippians 3:20). God who created us values human life,
intending all women, men, and children to have worth and
dignity always, in all our relationships with God and
others. All people who are redeemed and saved by the
death of Jesus Christ are members of the body of Christ,
and we are in a covenantal relationship with Christ as his
Bride, and therefore mandated to keep our spiritual and
physical chastity without defilement, and to protect
others safe from adulteration and abuse. The scriptures
remind us that Jesus was sent into this world that we
might experience whole relationships with each other and
God, and that we may have more abundant life (John
10:10). The promise of abundant life is not necessarily in
bigger prosperity, wealth or perfect health or through
pleasure driven life, as erroneously taught by some, but to
experience fullness of life, and contentment in all
circumstances, even in adverse.
Church, Sex and Clergy
I should address this issue from a spiritual and theological
point defining who are included in the definition of
“clergy.” The term “clergy” refers to all ordained
ministers, commissioned, consecrated individuals
including lay ministers, lay youth ministers, professors,
academic and Sunday school teachers, civil servants, and
lay people of any order. This gift of ministry is what
Apostle Paul categorized when he stated, “So Christ
himself gave some to be the apostles, the prophets, the
evangelists, the pastors and teachers to build up the
body of Christ,” which is the Church universal (1
Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11). Thus most vocations
are carried out by the laity for the well-being of the
society, whereas clergy are ordained for administration
and sacramental offerings. In fact, all believers are called
to be a kingdom of priest and a holy nation in our allotted
boundaries to serve the Lord and others (Exodus 19:6).
Sexual abuse or misconduct is a sexual invasion of the
body of another by force, sexual assault, incest, indecent
exposure, rape, and aggravated indecent assault. Sexual
abuse is also a deliberate violation of emotional integrity
and a hostile and degrading act of violence against a
victim and violation of God’s commandments. Sexual
misconduct, abuse, and/or harassment is an exploitation
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of power and abuse of position that uses sexuality as an
excuse and distorts the blessedness of relationships
between couples married in a covenantal relationship
which God ordained for humanity. It is sinful behavior.
Unfortunately the Church has been caught up in sex
abuse scandal, which is a widespread crime happening
for the last quarter of a century. There have been reports
of criminal prosecution of clergy, this sinful action brought
to the national spotlight, and in several cases, the
assailants pleaded guilty. The sad thing as far as I am
concerned is, in addition to the sexual crimes committed
by priests, another crime of aggravated sins are the
actions of the higher authority of the church to keep these
crimes secret and to neglect the victim’s cry for justice.
There have been a number of cases of clergy sex abuse
worldwide. Some dioceses have wiped out their treasury
for paying compensation for victims and filed for
bankruptcy.
As we are created in the image of God, we must affirm
that our human bodies are good gifts from God, and
sexuality is an integral part of humanity. Healthy sexuality
and appropriate expressions of it are derived from the
goodness of God for mutual pleasure between a man a
woman having entered into covenantal relationship
through marriage. As children of God, we are holy in
Christ and created equal, with a mandate to protect us
and others from the vile and sinful actions of sexual
behavior. Where one is injured, physically, emotionally or
spiritually, may it be a woman, a man, a girl or a boy in
their adolescent years by sexual abuse, the assailer
violates their dignity, causes fear and anxiety, as well as
committing sins before God.
Sexual abuse by Laity
Be that as it may, while we often hear of the clergy sex
scandal, sex abuse by laity is also rampant in society. It is
easy to point finger at clergy but more abuses are
happening with laity. According to the definition of clergy
given above, lay people who enter into different vocations
are also ministers of God, according to the talents and
gifts God gave us. Our talents for any given profession—
teaching, music, law, health profession, civil and federal
jobs, and even business are the gift of God. Apostle Paul
reminds us that we have different gifts according to the
grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then
prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving,
then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to
encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then
give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to
show mercy, do it cheerfully (Romans 12:6-8). Thus,
those of us in different vocations without a clerical robe
are also ordained by God to fulfill our vocation in the
church and state.
There have been several cases of sexual abuse reported
in schools, public and private offices committed by laity.
Several women and children have complained about
abuse by public officials nominated for high offices, and
public hearing have been conducted in congressional
hearings before their appointments. At the present times,
there have been many cases of sexual abuse, perhaps
much more than the cases of clergy reported, disciplined
and people have lost their jobs due to sexual misconduct.
There is no meaning in listing or giving a statics by sexual
abuse by laity. Sexual harassment in the workplace has
been in the spotlight for a while, and these are mostly by
laity. A new survey published by Pew Research Center
sheds light on what some Americans think the main
issues surrounding sexual harassment in the workplace
are. The two major concerns Americans have about
sexual harassment in the workplace are “men getting
away with it and female accusers not being heard or
believed. One strange thing I noted in the report is
“Democrats (labeled as liberals) were overwhelmingly
concerned about these two issues, whereas Republicans
(conservatives) were not significantly concerned” (Pew
Research Center April 4, 2018). Know that most child
sexual abuse is not committed in a religious setting; it is
largely committed by a child’s family or extended families
where a child or a woman has any sort of relationship
with.
God has given us the ability to develop technology to
improve the quality of life, faster communication and ease
of access to information. However, Internet and Online
technology have become the new avenues for sexual
abuse by laity. Online sexual exploitation most
commonly includes grooming, live streaming,
coercing and blackmailing children and women for
sexual purposes. As technology advances, new forms
of this crime emerge. Never before has it been easier
for perpetrators to make contact with children and
women, share images of abuse, hide their identity and
profits – and inspire other to commit further crimes.
While clergy also use cyber sexual crimes, it is mostly
done by laity.
Church and State Must Address Sexual Immorality
Apostle Paul had addressed sexual immorality in the
church and society. Whether it is committed by clergy or
laity, there is no excuse. It was a major issue Paul had to
deal with in the Church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 6: 12-
20). There is a danger in the Christian world when people
interpret verses haphazardly, taking a portion of the verse
without the full context. For example, when addressing
the sexual immorality of the laity in the church, Paul
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began by saying, “Everything is permissible for me”—but
not everything is beneficial (1 Corinthians 6:12). Even
today some churches misquote and misapply the words,
“everything is permissible to me.” Some Christians are
excusing their sins by saying that Christ had taken away
all our sins, so that they are completely free to live as they
please; or what sins they continue commit will be
forgiven. Paul answered both these excuses of wrong
interpretation. (1) Christ has taken away our sins does not
give us freedom to go on doing what is wrong. Christ told
the adulterous woman, “Neither do I condemn you, go
and sin no more” (John 8:11). The New Testament
specifically forbids many sins that are also prohibited by
the Old Testament laws (Romans 12:9-21; 13:8-10).
Some inappropriate actions we may consider not serious
or sinful, but if they hurt others, physically, verbally and
mentally are violations and are sinful. (2) Another
wrongful Christian teaching is that soul or spirit is
important but the body is not, and many Christians are
wrongly influenced by this concept and they go on
sinning. But the truth of the matter Paul teaches is, “Don’t
you know your body is the temple of God”? Do you not
know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of
God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of
God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy,
and that is what you are “ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
As the secular culture and ungodly psychologists
teaches, sexual immorality is not a simple biological act
like eating and drinking, but is violation of one’s body,
mind and the spirit causing emotional anxiety and
distress, and most often cause permanent damage to
their personality of the abused. Therefore, Paul addressed
the issue of sexual misconduct very seriously, teaching
that “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for
the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” Paul wanted them
to take on a more eternal and heavenly mindset about sex
and human body. The Christian doctrine is to view all of
life as an opportunity to bring glory to God and that
should be our mindset as well. “So whether you eat or
drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1
Corinthians 10:31). The Scriptures speak strongly against
sexual sin. Sex is a gift given by God meant for marriage.
Sexual perversion of all kinds is soundly condemned.
Sexually assaulting a child or a woman is never justifiable;
it is always wrong. “You can be sure that no immoral,
impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of God”
(Ephesians 5:5). “Let marriage be held in honor among all,
and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge
the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Hebrews 13:4).
Those who commit sexual immorality will face God’s
righteous, everlasting judgment. In the final chapter of the
Bible, in preparation for the second coming of Christ to
receive his Bride, the Church, the warning is “Blessed are
those who wash their robes, so that they may have the
right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by
the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the
sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and
everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation
22:14-15). Sexual immorality is such a serious violation.
Healing and Hope
There is healing and hope of a bright future in Christ for
those who have been victimized by sexually. The healing
process will be different for each individual. First and
foremost, trust in the Lord and release the pain to him
who will carry our pains. The road is long, but with
consistent faith, trust, trustworthy companions,
counselors, and a caring and loving family are proper
environment for healing and gaining moral strength.
Christ came to bear our pains and burdens, as He himself
said, “The Lord has anointed me to bring the good news
to the afflicted, to bind up the broken hearted, and to
proclaim liberty to captives, promising the day of
vengeance to the assailers (Isaiah 61:102; Luke 4:18-19).
God has promised to rescue our life from oppression and
violence, and he will restore us when we cry for his help
(Psalm 72:12-14). In Jesus, we have healing, redemption
and hope; and it takes courage and commitment to call
out to God in our distress.
God may Forgive the Assailer
One who repents for sinful behavior is promised
forgiveness. However, discipline should be distinguished
from forgiveness. A clergyperson or laity guilty of sexual
misconduct needs and may receive forgiveness and be
offered avenues for redemption and change. Forgiveness,
however, does not excuse one from responsibility to the
community and accountability for the brokenness caused
by one’s behavior. David who committed adultery with
Bathsheba faced numerous consequences, though
forgiven, but later became a man after God for the rest of
his life. The church must still take steps to protect the
people of God. However, abusers are in peril of eternal
damnation. The Bible makes it clear that unrepentant
abusers who do not turn from their ways will be judged
and will not enter the Kingdom (Matthew 5:21-22;
Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 21-22). Malachi 2:13-14
and 1 Peter 3:7 indicate that abusers' prayers are blocked
and not heard. If a servant of God abuses others, he will
be punished when Jesus returns, and will be treated as
an unbeliever (Luke 12:45-46). It is so important that
domestic violence be recognized and dealt with as
serious sin.
Satan’s Strategy
God desires to work by the Holy Spirit in people’s heart to
make them a living Body to Christ. However, Satan enters
the church with numerous weapons to lure many to
commit sexual crimes. When God ordained sexual
relations in the context of marriage, God cannot condone
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something that is so destructive, particularly when we see
the obsession with pornography, child abuse and sexual
immorality that are used as the most popular form of
entertainment. Sexual immorality is the most effective
weapon Satan uses to separate believers from the body
of Christ. . Satan does not make any difference in the
distinction of clergy or laity his strategy is to weaken the
body of Christ. By being in the cadre of clergy or a
devoted believer cannot be taken for granted in the
church. We have two natures within us, the spiritual
nature and the carnal nature, both struggling to win over
us. Every believer, must guard against then enemy’s
weapon of temptation, and guard him or him by the
power of the Holy Spirit. One who commits sexual
immorality not only sins against his/her body, and must
account for the numerous sins they commit against
others. Therefore, flee from immorality.
Editor’s Note: Dr. P. V. Cherian is a retired Professor after a
long academic career of fifty years of teaching and research in
the Medical Schools of the University of Pennsylvania and the
University of Michigan, and Saginaw Valley State University. His
interest is in relating theology and science. He is one of the
pioneer members who helped in the formation of the Mar Thoma
Diocese of North America and Europe and served as its
Associate Secretary from 1984-1990. He is a member of the
Chicago Mar Thoma Church.
Pearls of Wisdom Series No.15
“We cannot have compassion on the weakness of
others Until we first recognize our own” (Treaties of
St. Bernard).*
Knowledge of the truth comprises three degrees, which I
will try to set out as briefly as possible. In the first place
we seek truth in ourselves, then we seek truth in
ourselves; then we seek it in our neighbour, and last of all
we search for truth in its own essential nature. We
discover truth in ourselves when we pass judgement on
ourselves; we find it in our neighbour when we suffer in
sympathy with him; we search out its own nature in
contemplation in purity of heart. Notice not only the
number of these degrees, but also their order. Before we
inquire into the nature of truth, truth itself must first teach
us to seek in our neighbour. Then we shall understand
why, before we find it in our neighbour, we must seek it in
ourselves. The sequence of beatitudes given in the
Sermon on the Mount places the merciful before the pure
in heart. The merciful are those who are quick to see truth
in their neighbour; they reach out to him in compassion
and identify with him in love, responding to the joys and
sorrows in the lives of others as if they were their own.
They make themselves weak with the weak, and burn
with indignation when others are led astray. They are
always ready to share the joys of those who rejoice and
the sorrows of those who mourn.
(Contd. on Page 23)
Aspects of Loneliness
Dr. George Mathew, London*
Although it is a cliché, the current pandemic has given rise to
numerous morbidities in increasing prevalence. Various
physical disorders have been identified, however little
attention is given to emotional and psychological problems.
In the media, there has been a heightened focus on anxiety
and depression, but the factors that contribute to these
conditions have not been given due importance. As there is
strong correlation between these psychological conditions
and physical disorders, it is important that professionals are
able to recognise and intervene as necessary. This is
particularly relevant in Western society where social
interaction is relatively limited compared to Eastern
societies. Whereas previously extended families and close
community interaction were the norm, we have moved into a
self-reliant position, in which dependence on others is
considered less than desirable. Nevertheless the Internet
and social media have provided outlets to overcome
isolation.
Humans are essentially social animals, and social
relationships are essential for physical and mental well-
being. In England, loneliness and isolation are widely
prevalent particularly in the elderly and bereaved. However
these conditions are creeping into the younger age group
due to the restrictions of isolation and limited social
gatherings. It is therefore vital that leaders in society, and the
church in particular, seek to identify individuals before these
conditions progress to psychological disorders.
I remember an elderly patient who was living on her own and
did not have any social visits. In the course of history taking,
she said that she goes to the hairdresser twice a week to
have her hair done. On further enquiry, she stated that this
was the only human contact she considered essential for
her. It is important to evaluate other factors in one’s life, in
determining the interplay of various layers.
Those who have been bereaved in the previous year are a
vulnerable group, particularly widowers who were shown to
have an excess of deaths in the first year, after the loss of
their spouse. Murray Parkes et al in the paper ‘Broken Heart’
studied over 4000 widowers, and found that there was an
increase of 40% above expected rates of mortality in the first
year of bereavement, due to cardiovascular causes.
Various instruments have been used to identify loneliness,
such as the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Revised) and De Jong
Gierveld Loneliness Scale. These scales are rated
subjectively and are a measure of self-perception, mainly for
identification and research purposes. They can be used in
screening populations for further interventions.
A recent study in September (Groarke) in the context of the
pandemic in UK found the overall prevalence of loneliness to
be 27%, with a range of 14% to 36% making it a significant
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public health issue. It is correlated with worse physical and
mental health. Various risk factors have been studied
including younger age group, being separated or divorced
and previous mental health disorder. A greater degree of
social support was considered to be protective.
It is possible to look at two categories of emotional and
social loneliness. The former consists of a lack of close and
confiding relationships, whereas social loneliness is
associated with feelings of rejection by society and
unhappiness.
There are several outcomes, which are manifestations of
loneliness, which we need to be aware of, as they could be
the presenting problems. Negative feelings of self and others
are common. Sufferers are less inclined to join in social
interaction and relationships. The presence of
psychosomatic disorders such as headaches, fatigue, crying
and poor sleep should alert one to other co-morbid factors.
Passive reactions may include excessive alcohol
consumption or drug misuse. If these symptoms are severe,
they can even lead to self-harming thoughts and actions.
It is not all doom and gloom, given the appropriate
personality and response. There are several religious orders
of solitude and silence. They give the individual time and
space to reflect on various matters of life and meditation.
This concept is seen as a necessary condition for achieving
greater closeness, and communication with God.
Psychotherapists have attempted to explain the concept,
and in fact have even suffered from the condition. Carl Jung,
the eminent psychoanalyst in the 1950’s and 60’s said that
loneliness is associated with a sense of loss of contact with
other people, or with personal feelings of isolation. However
he later suggested that it ‘does not come from having no
people about one, but from being unable to communicate
the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding
certain views which others find inadmissible’. He wrote a
paper “Psychotherapists or the Clergy” in which he
discusses the loss of religious faith in modern culture. He
believed that the loss of religious symbols and ‘Mother
Church’ are factors in this decline towards isolation. He
suggests a ‘search for new symbolic forms through which
the psychic condition of modern man might find adequate
expression’. Being alone and being lonely are different
concepts. One can be alone without being lonely, and one
can be lonely in a crowded room. Loneliness is therefore a
state of mind or emotion, instigated by feelings of separation
from other human beings.
According to Age UK, more than 2 million people in
England over the age of 75 live alone, and more than a
million older people say they go for over a month without
speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member. This has
considerable implications for churches, charities and
voluntary organisations to detect and help.

For some people, certain life events may mean they feel
lonely, such as:
• experiencing a bereavement
• going through a relationship break-up
• retiring and losing the social contact one had at
work
• changing jobs and feeling isolated from co-workers
• starting at university
• moving to a new area or country without family,
friends or community networks.
It should be recognised that sometimes the manifestations
could be of aggression. These are mostly passive directed to
self in the form of mood and emotional disturbance, self-
harm, etc. But occasionally aggression towards others and
objects can result. Hence it becomes important to identify
and intervene early, to prevent progression to more severe
changes.
One of the earliest studies on loneliness and aggressive
behaviour was conducted by Zilboorg in 1938, who
remarked that chronically lonely people are hostile and
aggressive. Two subsequent studies in the late 1970’s
correlated the UCLA Scale of Loneliness with the Hostility-
Guilt Inventory Scale. However a study published in 1985
failed to show evidence of overt aggression in lonely people.
The results showed that lonely males react strongly to
rejection, and tend to verbally express hostile attitudes,
especially towards women. Theoretical models have been
proposed, which suggest that social skills are acquired in
pre-school years, and these are necessary for forming and
maintaining relationships in adult life. When these skills are
lacking, withdrawal and loneliness may result, which could
further lead to rejection and negative thoughts of hostility. It
was postulated that loneliness and hostility are inter-related
and create unsatisfactory social environments due to poor
social skills, and may have the consequence of rejection and
greater aggressive tendencies.
What can our community do to address this growing
problem in this time of lockdown. The first step is to identify
those in need. Our Church whose mission is to reach out to
society, can play a big role in the alleviation of distress. Each
parish, which has a local presence, can start by seeking out
those elderly people living alone, with poor social support,
recently bereaved, and those with a history of emotional
disturbance. It may be helpful to form a group to look at
these issues, and explore ways to help.
A paper in 2016 by Church Urban Fund identifies three ways
that churches can play a part in responding to loneliness:
Clearly these interventions can only take place within the
constraints of current legislation and good practice in the
light of the pandemic.
1. Group based activities are better than one-to-one
interventions. Expression of inner feelings to others
31 | P a g e F O C U S J a n u a r y 2 0 2 1 V o l . 9 , N o : 1
in similar situations enhances confidence and self-
esteem.
2. Activity groups based on mutual interest, such as
cooking, music, Bible discussions, etc.
3. Members of groups allowed to take responsibility,
and have a purpose. Church related volunteering
had a significant beneficial effect on mood, general
health and life satisfaction.
Rooted in the Bible, Verse 10 of Isaiah 41 states: ‘Fear not,
for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will
strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my
righteous right hand’.
Philippians 4: 6-7 reinforces the power of prayer: ‘Do not be
anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.
The Bible gives an account of David’s loneliness and despair
in his heartfelt appeals for mercy to God, and for His
intervention (Psalm 25:21). His son had risen up against him,
and he was forced to flee from the city, leaving his house
and family.
For the Christian, the remedy is in the comforting fellowship
of Christ. This has been the fundamental feature of those
who suffered, went to prison and even to death, due to their
steadfast belief and faith.
The issue of loneliness and its ramifications have been
acknowledged by the Health Service in UK to be of such
importance, that a website is available to help alleviate the
suffering. These include talking about feelings, peer support,
setting achievable targets, relaxation and mindfulness.
Points to avoid are focusing on things that cannot be
changed, especially images on social media. It is not unusual
to resort to alcohol, drugs and gambling to overcome
loneliness, and these should be avoided.
The issues of loneliness are complex and need a multi-
dimensional approach. Although our Church has played its
role, it is possible to achieve greater things if we focus on
the human element, starting at grass roots level. We are
gifted with the numerous talents of the members, and can
make significant headway to address this matter.
Editor’s Note:* Dr. George
Mathew was a Consultant
Psychiatrist in the National Health
Service (UK) for over 25 years,
and retired from practice in
2015. His clinical interests include
mood disorders, epilepsy and in
learning disabilities. He was a
Fellow of The Royal College of
Psychiatrists, and held various
senior medical management
positions in hospital.
The Dimensions of the Human Spirit
Revd Dr. K. V. Mathew, Kottayam
[The following is a response from Revd Dr. K. V. Mathew
in answer to a question about body, mind, soul and
human spirit.]
Do I know myself? Yes/no/somewhat may be an honest
response. Though I have a visible body, it is not me. I
must be a body with life; not merely with breath, but I
must be conscious, with a living mind within. When
consciousness is lost, though I may breathe, virtually I
become dead. There is no further sign of a living Homo
sapien, which is the name given by scientists to the living
human. A few of my thoughts have been put into words
below to communicate a “somewhat” answer to the
question raised at the beginning. The vocabulary used
herein has been chosen from both secular and sacred
(Christian theological) sources.
Etymologically, the word ‘human’ is derived from humus,
meaning soil in Latin. ‘Sapien’ means wisdom/knowledge
(Gen. 2:7). In Sanskrit, the word for ‘human’ is manu,
meaning ‘thinking being’. These two words convey the
connection of humans to the earth, his habitat, and to his
invisible thinking faculty, the mind. The Earth, or the
ecological sphere, is physically known to us and is very
real to all living creatures. However, the mind, the abode
of thought and imagination, is invisible and intangible,
although realizable, and can be experienced by every
conscious being.
If the human body were to stop breathing, the inner
organs would cease to function, and finally, the brain as
well. Such a body is eventually returned to the earth for
decomposition. However, the body is valuable only
because it is the vehicle of the living being. Without
breath, the body cannot function. The ‘earthy’ body
becomes a living soul (neshama/nephesh) - a human
being, when they breathe air. The modern viewpoint is
that this life-giving breath is, in fact, oxygen.
Life-providing breath, animated soul, person – these are
abstract terms related to living beings, and cannot be
understood unrelated to concrete realities. Terms like
‘breath’, ‘air’, ‘wind’, ‘spirit’, have one major equivalent in
the Hebrew language – ruach. These words are primarily
used today in a sacred or religious context. We tend to
understand these concepts differently as we approach
them from different angles.
‘Spirit’ is a very significant term that gives dynamic reality,
life and energy when related to lifeless things. We have
already seen that human beings became wise, dynamic
and energetic beings that are capable of thought when
they are inspired by the Spirit. The human wisely
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understood the real source of a living universe, the source
of life with wisdom, imagination and energy, is God the
unique (holy) Spirit (John 4:24). This spirit sustains the
dynamic character of the cosmos as well.
Thus, the various nuances discussed above – the soul,
spirit, breath, et al. – can all be seen as different
conceptualisations of the same experience, mediated by
the conscious mind. The mind in the human is the
enigmatic, secret centre, which is consciously connected
with the Holy Spirit of God. In other words, human is the
extension of the divine El (power), wisdom and image of
the invisible Spirit that inspires and invigorates the cosmic
realities. God’s freedom and authority are also given to
the human (John 1:12). All of creation eagerly awaits the
manifestation of the faithful human, so that cosmic order
may be maintained according to the divine plan (Rom.
8:19).
Pearls of Wisdom (Contd. from page 20)
Men whose inner vision has thus been cleansed by the
exercise of brotherly love can delight in the contemplation of
truth itself, for it is love of truth which makes them take upon
themselves the misfortunes of others. But can people find
truth in their neighbour if they refuse to support their
brothers in this way; if one the contrary they either scoff at
their tears or disparage their joy, being insensitive to all
feelings but their own? There is a popular saying which well
suits them: “A healthy man cannot feel the pains of
sickness, nor a well-fed man the pangs of hunger”. The more
familiar a man with sickness or hunger, the greater will be his
compassion for others who are sick or hungry.
For just as pure truth can only be seen by the pure in heart,
so the sufferings of our fellow men are more fully felt by
hearts that know suffering themselves. However, we cannot
sympathize with the wretchedness of others until we first
recognize our own. Then we shall understand the feelings of
others by what we personally feel, and know how to come to
their help. Such was the example shown by our Saviour, who
desired to suffer himself in order to learn to feel compassion,
and to be afflicted in order to show mercy. Scripture says of
him that he learned the meaning of obedience through what
he suffered. In the same way he learned the meaning of
mercy; not that he whose mercy from age to age was
ignorant of mercy’s meaning until then, but what he knew of
its nature from all eternity, he learned by experience during
his days on earth.
*This is based on a reading from the treatise of St. Bernard on ‘the
Degrees of Humility and Pride’. It is taken from a collection edited by
Henry Ashworth O.S.B, ‘A Word in Season’, The Talbot Press, Dublin,
1974, page 225-226. Collected by Dr. Zac Varghese, London.
Soul Repair
Dr. Zac Varghese, London
Dag Hammarskjold, the first Secretary General of the
United Nations, wrote the poem, ‘God the Artist’, and
described God’s creative powers and our dependence
on God’s grace.
“Thou takest the pen –
and the lines dance.
Thou takest the flute –
and the notes shimmer.
Thou takest the brush –
and the colours sing.
So all things have meaning and beauty
in that space beyond time where Thou art.
How, then, can I hold back anything from Thee?”
Somehow, the idea that God is the creator, sustainer
and provider has slowly faded away from our thinking
and our being over last few decades. In its place,
mankind has found a new secular faith that human
needs can be satisfied entirely with scientific
advancement, economic management and statecraft.
Secularism is now dominating the world and religious
influence is now on the decline, particularly in the
western world. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has
demonstrated human limitations and helplessness. Our
forced retirement from the busyness during this
pandemic lockdown and physical distancing has given
us time to think of our priorities in life. It is also helping
us to realise that some human needs are beyond human
help.
The closing down of churches and not being able to
participate physically in worship services, Holy
Communion and other sacraments are troubling
Christians in many different ways. Does this physical
distancing help us to realise that we have an addictive
spirituality because we are brought to believe that God
accepts us only through traditional prescriptive ways?
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How comfortable are we when we are forced to abstain
from such corporate spiritual practices due to this
epidemic and rely on virtual worship? Do we experience
any withdrawal symptoms because of this forced
lockdown from corporate worship? Does this new
experience leave us feel depressed, anxious, lonely and
frustrated? Does this help us to take a close look at our
spiritual practices? This pandemic has damaged us in
many ways including income from a job, health,
relationships, death in our families and that of our
friends and people that we have known. We need the
repair of body, mind and soul to overcome our
difficulties. For physical and mental disorders we
approach doctors and psychotherapists, but where do
we find a repair sanctuary for damaged souls and how
could we achieve soul repair? How do we realise that
our souls are damaged?
Discouragement and disappointment in times of trouble
and tribulation is not unusual. Throughout the Bible we
see examples of godly men and women who have faced
similar situations. These examples can serve as
encouragement to us today because God who was
faithful to previous generations will be faithful to us
today. It’s helpful to begin by reading the Psalms
because King David wrote many of these during the
dark times in his life, and they can serve to encourage
us when we are depressed, tired and discouraged.
Since David had experienced the joy of a soul restored
by God and therefore, he could pen the beautiful words
of the 23rd Psalm: “He restores my soul.”
In the 23rd Psalm we come across an answer to the
question, how can I restore my soul? The answer is “He
[God] restores my soul” (Ps 23:3). To restore means to
repair, renovate, or return to a former condition. We
consider the soul as the deepest part of our being, our
spirit and innermost being.
The word soul is used over 800 times in the Bible, in
some place it is interchangeably used with the word
‘spirit’. It is generally considered as the personality,
essence, of the individual created by God, and not
destroyed by death and hence the expression: ‘may
his/her soul rest in peace and rise in glory!’ Although
this word is used regularly as a common currency in our
daily discourses and prayers, it is difficult to find a
precise definition. I thought that I could find a precise
definition in the book, ‘Modern man in search of a soul’
written by the psychoanalyst and therapist, Carl Jung,
but I could not find it there.
Early church Fathers believed in the immortality of the
soul; we see resurrection of the body as a distinctive
Christian faith. In traditional forms of prayer in the
context of terminally ill patients, funerals and memorial
services, the soul is constantly referred to in the context
of an eternal life. As a result, the soul repair and spiritual
well-being is thought of as part of the pastoral ministry.
In St. James’ letter we read: “Is any one of you sick?
He should call the elders of the church to pray over
him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick
person well; the Lord will raise him up, if he has
sinned, he will be forgiven” (Jm 5:14-15). Therefore,
these prayers are intended to prepare the person by
healing his soul for his final journey to an eternal life;
death is a gate through which the soul passes.
According to Jung both psychotherapist and clergy may
have a role in maintaining the well-being of the soul.
Spiritual practices provide effective support for
emotional well-being and healthy personality
development. He concludes: “This living spirit is
eternally renewed and pursues its goal in manifold
and inconceivable ways throughout the history of
mankind. Measured against it, the names and forms
which men have given it mean little enough; they are
only changing leaves and blossoms on the stems of
the eternal tree”16 There is a limitation in the words and
language we use for describing this eternal reality;
therefore, names do not matter, but we must take care
of the ‘stems of eternal tree.’
Since God is the one who made us, only He can restore
us because; only He knows what we truly need to
restore our souls. God has given us the answers about
restoring our souls in the Bible (2 Tim 3:16-17), and it
has the answers and wisdom to deal with everything we
will ever face. It can make us wise unto salvation (2 Tim
3:15), serve to encourage us when we are faint-hearted
(2 Cor 1:3-4), and be our guidebook to a life of peace
and satisfaction (Ps 119:97-105). While there are all
kinds of books written by men offering worldly wisdom,
only God’s Word is truly capable of restoring the soul
and offering hope in times of distress. Of course,
restoring the soul is only possible for those whose souls
have been redeemed through faith in Christ. Jesus
promised rest to all those that would come to Him (Mt
11:28-30), so it is important that we are sure of our
salvation and our relationship with God. Only those who
are truly born again in Christ and have indwelling
experience of Christ can experience the peace and joy
that God has promised in His Word.
Thankfully, God has provided for us comfort when we
face discouragement, trials and temptations. He has
provided three primary sources of encouragement and
strength.
16
Carl C. Jung, ‘Modern Man in search of a soul’, Routledge,
London, 1999, page 282.
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First, He has given us His Word, The Bible, to guide us,
encourage us and nourish us spiritually. We need to
spend time reading it, hearing it preached (Rom 10:17)
and most of all obeying it (Ps 119:2; Prv 3:1-2; Jm 1:25).
Second, God has also given us the privilege of prayer
(Mt 7:7-11; Mk 11:24-25; Jn 15:7; Heb 4:16; 1 John
5:14). We need to take our problems, our
discouragement and our tiredness to God in prayer,
knowing that He loves us and cares for us (1 Pet 5:6-7).
Third, He has given us other Christians, Koinonia
(fellowship), to encourage us and support us (Ecc 4:9-
19; Eph 4:29; Heb 3:13). It is important to be a part of a
healthy, well-balanced church for regular worship and to
have fellowship with other believers (Heb 10:23-25).
Christians who have gone through similar struggles can
be a great source of encouragement and help as we go
through dark times (2 Cor 1:3-4).
In these times of physical isolation, we should be able
to rely and use the digital facilities and social networks
to keep our fellowships and friendships growing and
strengthening. What has emerged from hundreds of
scientific studies is that loneliness can contribute to
stress response that contributes to major health
problems and death. One can be physically surrounded
by people and still feel lonely and loneliness is not the
same as being alone, one can be alone and not
experience loneliness. Loneliness can cause serious
mental anguish and pain. This could be a significant
contributor to the long-COVID-19 illness, which some
people are experiencing after their initial recovery. It is
clear that community and connectedness provide
significant physical and emotional health benefits.
‘Repair Shop’, is a BBC television programme to which I
am attracted to for many reasons and so also the old
programme ‘Waltons. The human dramas expressed in
various episodes of these shows help me to see the
presence of God in these people’s lived out real
experiences. Leo Tolstoy wrote: “A concept of God is
not God.”17 God is not a concept to prove or disprove;
God is a direct experience. It is in the love-filled
interactions with others that we see the presence of
God. Our knowledge of ourselves also depends on our
knowledge of God and our relationship with God to
have an indwelling spiritual experience.
In ‘The Repair Shop’ we are shown how a team of
extremely skilled and caring artisans rescue and
resurrect irreplaceable endearing treasures that their
owners thought were beyond rescuing. These inanimate
objects had many endearing human stories to tell. It is
these memories that the Repair Shop is rekindling and
17
Leo Tolstoy, “A Confession and Other Religious writings’,
Penguin Books, 1987, page 65.
revoking. Extremely talented craftsmen and women
carefully, sensitively, technically, artistically and
spiritually transform priceless treasures of deeply loved
history-filled family treasures and bring to life these
broken treasures and their memories for restoring
emotional health and wellbeing of people. It is difficult to
make it through an episode of The Repair Shop without
shedding tears. I thank God for his presence in the skills
and love that these people express. I often feel that
these people are healing the bodies, minds and souls of
people who bring these artefacts for repair. It also
shows the healing power of memory and how simple
artefacts, a letter or a book can become an inseparable
aid to our spiritual journey. Our body, mind and soul
have many stress points and these have come to the
forefront during this pandemic and we need well
thought out repair shops to help us through this crisis
and heal our souls.
Our conscious mind filters every thought, feeling, idea,
situation and experience. It makes distinctions,
interprets, classifies, critiques, judges, compares,
computes and then accepts or rejects input from
outside sources. It also interprets all of our life-derived
data as it is recalled from the sub-conscious. Therefore,
our Emotional investment is a storehouse of all our
feelings and sensations from the past. When it provides
accurate information, it can be our guardian and
protector. However, it can also be our greatest
hindrance to healing and positive change, if it is fed with
negative, distorted or incorrect information. Sometimes,
the conscious mind can actually deny information that is
vital to the healing process, no matter how profound or
positive the new information can be. Fortunately, the
conscious mind can accept new beliefs. Just as it has
established values based on ‘bad experiences’ or false
beliefs, by providing new and accurate information and
positive experiences, we can re-wire and create a whole
new sense of being. Negative thoughts prevent the
mind from enjoying emotional health.
Being-with-others and being-for-others are very helpful
in building our emotional health; this is as opposed to
for being-itself or for being-for-itself. Therefore, we
need to address this problem urgently. Spiritual
friendship and support groups can help us for building
up emotional health; there is an urgent need to feel
connected. This can be helpful in repairing our souls
through our connectedness with our neighbour. The
coronavirus has brought to us an unforgettable
message that ‘we are all in this together’. The Gospels
clearly tell us to consider ‘the other’, the stranger, as a
gift from God as realised by the Good Samaritan (Lk
10:25-37). We are asked to welcome strangers, to care
for the widow, the orphan and the sick, and to build
relationship with those distant and different from us.
This is a process of moving away from self-centredness
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to other-centredness to establish God’s kingdom
values. The kingdom values of longing for justice,
fellowship, truth and spirituality are the measures
required for the healing the soul. Let us pray for finding
a new normal in achieving these objectives now and in
the post-COVID landscape. This will help us to live the
life of heaven while on earth.
At the Point of Need
[The following is based on a story by Chiara Lubich,
the founder of the Focolare family. We’re all
connected like members of one body. If one member
is weaker, the other takes over. This is the simple,
but striking gospel logic that Chiara Lubich presents
to us in the following text, which is more relevant
today than ever. This should be ‘the New Normal in
the context of the ‘New Normal.’]
In a hospital ward I once saw a man with a plaster cast.
His chest and right arm were immobilized. With his left
hand he tried to do everything… as best he could. The
cast was extremely uncomfortable, but his left arm,
although it was more tired than usual by the end of the
day, grew stronger by doing twice its normal work.
We are members of one another and mutual service is
our duty. Jesus did not merely advise us to serve one
another, he commanded us to do so.
When we help someone out of charity, let us not believe
we are saints. If our neighbour is powerless, we must
help them and do so as they would help themselves if
they could. Otherwise, what kind of Christians are we?
If, in future, when our turn has come and we need our
neighbour’s charity, let us not feel humiliated.
At the last judgement we shall hear Jesus repeat the
words: ‘I was sick and you visited me … I was in
prison…, I was naked…, I was hungry…” (Mt 25:36).
Jesus likes to hide precisely in those who are suffering
and needy.
Therefore at those times too, we should be conscious of
our dignity, and with our whole heart thank the person
who is helping us. But let us reserve our deepest
gratitude for God who created the human heart to be
charitable, and for Christ who, by proclaiming with his
blood the Good News, and especially ‘his’
commandment, has spurred on countless hearts to help
one another.
Based on “I was sick”, in Meditations, by Chiara Lubich,
New City London-Dublin 2005, p. 54
Book Review: Continuing the Faith Journey, By: Lal
Varghese, Esq., Dallas
Rev. Dr. Abraham Philip Parolil, 27 B, CTC, Manganam, Kottayam- 686018
Book authored by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas and edited by Dr. Zac Varghese, London, entitled, Continuing the Faith
Journey (Diaspora FOCUS, 2020). Pp. 170, Price US $20/- ($25 including shipping charges)
It is a recent book published by Diaspora FOCUS,
which contains selected articles written over the past
quarter of a century by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas. The
writings have already appeared in some magazines,
festschrifts and certain journals. It is noted on the
second page of the book that the proceeds from the
sale of the book will be donated to the “Light to Life”
project of the Diocese of North America and Europe to
help school children studying in the Grama Jyothi
Schools run by the Mar Thoma Church in Northern
India.
In the Foreword to the book Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma
Metropolitan (Late and lamented) points out that “This
book is helpful in realizing some of the problems facing
the church and the wider society”. In his message the
Rev. Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius Suffragan
Metropolitan (the present Metropolitan) affirms, “The
church is on a faith-journey. Christ remains the Lord and
Master. Church is called out to have a pilgrimage for the
expansion of the Kingdom of God”. Bishop Dr. Euyakim
Mar Coorilos in his message writes, “His [Lal
Varghese’s] articles show deep reflection of human
nature, profound knowledge and has a thorough
scholarly approach”. Bishop Dr. Isaac Mar Philoxenos
says, “The message conveyed through this collection of
articles makes us not only to think, but also to act” and
commends that the book be able to make an earnest
desire among its readers to live by a quest for the
unknown.
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The editor Dr. Zac Varghese in his preface highlights the
significant disconnection between pulpits and pews in
our daily lives, and at the same time sees some
glimpses of hope through some amazing Christians who
preach and live out the gospel. On the back-cover page,
there are a number of appreciations of the book by the
Revds Dr. Valson Thampu, Dr. M. J. Joseph, Dr. Joseph
Daniel, Dr. Martin Alphonse; and Dr. Titus Mathews and
Dr. Zac Varghese.
Now coming to the book as such, it has a good
introduction, and then it is organized into three parts.
Part One consists of chapters 1-9 and has the sub-title:
Jesus, the Christ (The Messiah). To begin with the
author portrays the life of Jesus especially his
genealogy, life and ministry, miracles, death and
resurrection in the light of the various Gospel texts. The
radical nature of the teachings of Jesus is clearly
brought out and the essence of it is portrayed as his call
to love one’s neighbour. The present-day church
hierarchy is being criticized for being attracted only to
the wealthy members and distancing themselves from
the poor. The church-going members are mentioned as
mere pew-filling Christians on Sunday mornings and
who live in an affluent world conformed to its norms and
never bothered about the sufferings around them. Jesus
Christ is delineated as the Carpenter’s son who did
things differently. A clear distinction is drawn between
Christians who betray Jesus and who do not betray
Jesus in their everyday life-situations. It is well-stated
that our deeds should not be for self-glorification, but
for the glory of God. The portrait of the grim suffering
state of Jesus on the rugged cross is well-brought out
and rightly points out that the journey of Jesus to the
cross began at the very beginning of time when
humankind rebelled against God. The unity of the
church finds emphasis using Paul’s metaphor of the
church as body and is explained in the light of 1
Corinthians 12. Towards the end of this section the
social justice of Jesus is shown as perfect as it is the
justice of God based on the values of the Kingdom of
God. Thus, it is also advocated that the church in the
world should work together to develop a specific
“Christian culture” loving our neighbours as ourselves
and be in the world and not of the world.
Part Two has the general theme as Ministry and Mission
of the Church and it is given in chapters 10-19. These
chapters deal with very pragmatic issues such as the
role of the Diaspora church and its future taking into
special consideration the role of youth and their identity
and integration. The need to nurture the children and
the youth providing them opportunities to learn about
the faith and practices of the church as well as the rich
heritage is well-highlighted. In an alien culture
knowledge of one’s identity is as important as
integration into the society in the vicinity in order not to
become a ghetto. The need for the youth to be given
administrative responsibilities both at the parish and
diocesan levels have been brought to the limelight. It is
noted that till the first decade of this century no
authoritative study has been done to see as to how
many second or third generation Diaspora Mar Thoma
families still have their allegiance to their parent
churches/denominations or how many have become
“religious nones”. Anyhow, hybrid form of non-
denominational congregations sprout in some of the US
cities and are founded by second generation leaders of
various nations like Korea and such congregations have
attracted Kerala Syrian Christians as well. Formation
and existence of such hybrid churches may be the
cause for our youngsters to quit from the traditional
Syrian Christian parishes. This issue has to be seriously
addressed by the present leaders of the Church in the
Diocese.
The emphasis on the mission of the church and its
possibilities in a new land are well explored. It is
proposed that each Mar Thoma parish should adopt a
Neighborhood mission field and be involved in the
mission of God (Missio Dei) in the culture around it,
where they are planted. Chapter 14 of this section gives
the festschrift article written by the author in honour of
the Diocesan Bishop of the North America-Europe MTC
during 2009-2016 Bishop Dr. Geevarghese Mar
Theodosius (the present Metropolitan). In it the author
elaborately deals with the vision of Mar Theodosius for
the Diocese and profusely quotes form Theodosius
Thirumeni’s book, Churching the Diaspora: Discipling
the Families. The thrust of the article is on the nurture of
second and third generation Mar Thomites and the
ways and means to keep them in the Mar Thoma
Church fold rather than losing them from the church. It
is followed by the article “Reaching out to the other”
and gives emphasis on a missional church while
critiquing the family conferences and other gatherings of
the church in the US where we find the youngsters and
those who cannot afford the five-star gatherings
missing. The need of the hour is stated as to become an
inclusive community and be bridge-builders. The
question is raised whether we can take our faith to the
other side from our comfortable zones. The last chapter
of this section opens up new areas of mission in our
contemporary world and advocates that we ward off our
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identity, homogeneity and fundamentalism, and
embrace the “other” and love them as our neighbours.
Chapters 20-30 constitute Part Three and it articulates
the Challenges to Christian Faith in a world of pluralism,
biblical approach to homosexuality, Postmodernism and
it’s challenges to Christianity, Religion and violence,
Religionless Christianity, Priesthood as gift from God,
What lay people expect from a priest in our parishes,
Escaping Market Culture, Beyond inter-faith Dialogue
and Ecumenical Journey towards transformation. All
these constitute a wide variety of topics covering most
aspects of human life. These articles were written over a
span of two decades. Well-thought-out very many
practical suggestions are there which will certainly
improve the quality of ministry and mission of our
parishes, if carefully noted and followed. The
ecumenical arena is covered delving into dialogue in
interfaith and inter-religious relations. The closing article
is a quite recent one, which came in the festschrift
volume of the present Diocesan Bishop Dr. Isaac Mar
Philoxenos. Its theme is again a journey and is for
transformation. It is rightly said that transformation
involves the ardent pain to re-process our past
experiences and the willingness to face the unknown
challenges as a faithful community.
I do appreciate the author Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas for
his ardent urge to see the church become relevant in
today’s world especially for the younger generations in
the Diaspora situations. Human life is journey. We carry
the batten for a certain time and distance. The past
generations have played their role for the last two
millenniums in transmitting the apostolic faith. We have
to be responsible and sincere in carrying the batten to
the next generations. God will certainly lead and guide
the church and show ways of meaningful mission in the
contemporary life-situations. Once again, my best
wishes to Lal for his future endeavours and efforts. This
beautiful volume if carefully read and noted by second
and third generation Diaspora Marthomites, will certainly
become meaningful in their faith journey and enrich
them by falling in line with the rich legacy and traditions
of our ancestral faith.
Editoial Note: We appreciate Lal Varghese, Esq., one of the
editors of FOCUS online magazine for publishing the articles
written by him during a span of 25-30 years bringing out his
personal experiences as a Diaspora Marthomite especially
pointing out the issues of Diaspora Mar Thoma Church and the
solutions to be taken by the Church. We also appreciate Dr.
Zac Varghese, one of our editors for editing the articles. The
entire proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to
the ‘Light to Life’ a project of the Diocese of North America
and Europe to help the poor school children studying in the
‘Grama Jyothi’ schools in North India. We recommend our
well-wishers and readers to purchase this book and be part of
this noble cause. Copies of the book can be obtained by
contacting Lal Varghese, Esq., at his WhatsApp number
+19725561109 or at his e-mail address attylal@aol.com.
Obituary: Rev. Dr. E. C. John: An Erudite Scholar with a Pastoral Bend of Mind
Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph, Kottayam
Rev. Dr. E. C. John
(aged 94), a well-
known CSI
Presbyter – widely
known in the
academic circles of
the theological
fraternity – passed
away on Oct. 29,
2020, in Bangalore.
He was born in
Kaviyoor, Kerala.
I am reminded of
the words of Sam
Ewing who wrote:
“It is not the hours you put in your work that counts, but it is
the work you put in the hours”. It is true of E. C. John Achen
who had a high stewardship of time management throughout
his life. He was quite meticulous in his literary work and has
left a legacy of theological works in Malayalam and English.
As I unravel the scroll of remembrance, Dr. E. C. John Achen
comes to my mind as my Old Testament Professor in the
United Theological College, Bangalore while I was doing my
B.D. course there. As a very erudite scholar with great
humility, he used to come to the class with a Hebrew Bible
and other notes in his hands to teach us the basics of Hebrew
language and Old Testament. I have had several occasions to
get associated with him since 1962, first as a student in his
Hebrew class and then as a member of the editorial board of
two valuable publications in Malayalam. He was the Chief
Editor of both volumes. They are Vedapusthaka Bashyam
(1979), The Bible Vijnanakosham (2006). Achen co-authored
with his wife, Juliana, a book on the German resistance
movement. It speaks of the sequence of events during the
Second World War in Germany. His wife Juliane Hanna John
played a significant role in taking care of the health concerns
of the Students as a trained nurse at UTC. I was her helper-
student for 2 years. While Achen was the principal of UTC, I
also had occasion to know more about the administrative
setup of the college as a member of the executive committee.
As principal, E .C. John Achen had proved to be an able
administrator. Without a ray of doubt, everybody will
remember EC John Achen’s contribution to the college as the
architect of the UTC library block.
Let me now move to the brilliant academic career of Rev. E. C.
John; he studied theology at UTC, Bangalore and specialized
in the study of the Bible especially the Old Testament .For
higher studies he spent his time in Cambridge, UK and
Heidelberg, Germany. He took his Doctor of Theology degree
from Heidelberg. He joined the faculty of the United
Theological College in 1959 and continued there. He served
as its principal from 1983 -1993. Rev. Dr. Gnana Robinson
succeeded him as principal. He held the Chair of Theology
and Ecumenism at the Ruhr University, Bochum, 1993-
95.Recognizing his service to the Senate of Serampore
University and of his scholarship as Professor of OT Studies,
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the Serampore University awarded him a Doctor of Divinity
(honoris causa) in the year 2009.
Dr. E .C. John Achen started an academic fraternity in Kerala
under the name ‘The Ecumenical Christian Academy’. I
remember to have attended a few of its meetings. He used to
invite a few interested theologians including lay people for
theological reflections and paper presentations. Unfortunately,
it did not last for long as he was not able to manage it from
Bangalore. It is worth recalling that he edited a book under the
title’ The Bible, Church and the Poor. It is a collection of
papers presented in the last seminar of the Ecumenical
Academy. Achen had authored a commentary on Jeremiah
and several articles. He was quite at home in German
language. His latest book, The Sermon on the Mount (2012)
published in memory of his dear wife late Juliane is a an
example of his wide range of knowledge in Biblical Literature,
the Rabbinic sources and the contemporary Jewish customs.
He had authored and edited a few books and articles; the
book, The Servant of the Lord (1983), speaks of his depth of
OT scholarship. The article under the title “Reading the OT
from a Dalit perspective” (2007) portrays more of his concern
for the poor and down trodden than of his scholarship.
“What matters in life is not being applauded when you arrive,
but being missed when you leave”. Dr. E. C. John Achen is
also remembered for what he is. He was a compassionate
pastor with a pastoral bend of mind. He believed that “the
hands that touch are holier than the lips that speak”. He was
more concerned about the spirituality of religion rather than its
visible expressions of creed, code and cult. He believed that
one’s care for others is the measure of his or her greatness.
As a good pastor, he followed the words of St. Paul in 1
Cor.15:58: “Work for the Lord always, work without limit since
you know that in the Lord your labour cannot be lost”.
Radiating love, joy, gentleness and humility, he lived and died
leaving footprints on the sands of time. He was always proud
of his students climbing the ladder of life. Probably he
believed in the words of the Jewish Rabbi, Hillel, “My students
are my glory”. In a festschrift volume in my honour (Upon the
Wings of Wider Ecumenism-2006) published by ECC,
Bangalore, when I bid –farewell to the Centre, Dr. E. C. John
Achen wrote a brief felicitation message. Let me quote a few
lines to illustrate my great regard for him: “Dr. Joseph
maintained his friendship over the years and regularly sent me
his publications. Well remembered are his meditations and
reflections in English and Malayalam. It pleased me immensely
to see one of such collections in German. I recall with
gratitude the invitations to give special lectures at the Mar
Thoma Seminary when he was the principal and at the
Ecumenical Christian Centre…“ This is the man Dr. E. C. John
Achen.
Rev. Dr. E. C. John survived by his four children: Dr. Mary
John (Delhi), Alice (Mumbai), Balan John (Germany) and Dr.
Jacob John (Bangalore).
“Life levels all men; death reveals the eminent” (Bernard
Shaw).
PHOTOS OF FUNERAL SERVICE OF MOST REVD DR. JOSEPH MAR THOMA METROPOLITAN HELD AT THIRUVALLA

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 PHOTOS OF INSTALLATION OF MOST REVD DR. THEODOSIUS MAR THOMA METROPOLITAN AT THIRUVALLA

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