1 | Page FOCUS, July 2023, Vol.

11, Part 3
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FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3

Cover Photo: Design by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas

Contents:
1. Editorial: Living in Harmony Revd Dr. Abraham Philip Page 04

2. Living in Harmony: A Biblical Perspective Mr. George Thomas Page 06

3. Living in Harmony Dr. Zac Varghese Page 08

4. Harmony Wins Prof. Kanayathu Koshy Page 10

5. A New FOCUS Section, My Writing Life Editorial Board Page 11

6. Living in Harmony: Kerala Model Prof. Philip Koshi Page 12

7. My story, Part-3 Prof. Titus Mathew Page 15

8. Theme for FOCUS October 2023 Be a Living Sacrifice Editorial Board Page 16

9. With Harmonic Melody and Radiant Color Mr. Shaun Joykutty Page 17

10. Crisis of Leadership in Caring for People Revd Dr. John T. Mathew Page 19

11. Why Do I write? Dr. Valson Thampu Page 22

12. Be Witnesses of the Risen Lord Mrs. Sherin Mary Jacob Page 24

13. Living in Harmony Mrs. Jency A. Anish Page 25

14. Living in Harmony Mrs. Sharon Mathew Page 26

15. What on Earth! Mr. David Brand Page 27

16. Living in Harmony Dr. Cherian Samuel Page 29

17. Christ Event: A Divine Call to Live in Harmony Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph Page 32

18. Book Review – Risk and Resilience in the Era of Climate… Dr. Cherian Samuel Pag3 33

19. Shalom: A Vision of Living in Harmony Revd Renny Varghese Page 34

20. From Information to Inspiration: Using Data to Leverage… Revd Prince Varughese Madathilathu Page 37

21. Living in Harmony Mrs. Pushpa Samuel Page 39

3 | Page FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3

EDITORIAL
LIVING IN HARMONY
I am indeed glad to write an editorial for the magazine for
this issue. The theme that has been chosen is “Living in
Harmony”. At this time when I am writing this, there is
widespread unrest in the State of Manipur in India where
numerous Christian institutions like churches, seminary
etc are either burnt down or destroyed on various allega-
tions. The war in Ukraine in Europe is into its second year
and no sign of an end to that war is yet envisaged. I re-
member travelling by train in Europe some decades back
crossing the Berlin Wall before its fall, which was a sym-
bol then marking the division between East and West
Germany as well as Eastern Europe and the West. Now
that even when the wall between Eastern Europe and
West has been broken, there are a number of things that
still exist which divide the people and build barriers
among them. In every nation and every society and every
organization we have some sort of new divisions coming
up. The church is divided into many factions and we
have countless number of churches as we look at them
all over the world. At the same time we have also a num-
ber of organizations that try to unite the church and peo-
ple. In India many political parties also keep on dividing.
In the State of Kerala in India, Kerala Congress which is
mainly a party with a large Christian following is a typical
example of divisions occurring very frequently, and today
we have numerous factions of the party. This party even
considers its breaking into new factions as a strength
and a sign of its growth.
When we look at creation, we find that there is inter-
dependence and mutuality among the various living and
non-living creatures and beings in creation. Humans are
to have a harmonious relationship with all other things
and beings in nature. Humans are also expected to have
just relationship among them. Hence eco-justice and so-
cial justice are inseparable. Reckless exploitation of the
natural resources causes havoc in nature. The alienation
of humans from one another is against the purpose of
creation. When God created the earth and everything in
it, it was found to be harmonious and good (Genesis 1:4,
12, 18, 21, 25, 31). Human responsibility over nature is
given in the creation story of Genesis 2:15 – to dress/till it
and care for it. In Genesis 2:18, we read God stating: It is
not good for man to be alone. Hence he created a com-
panion for him. Humans are to live in fellowship with one
another. The New Testament also deals with stewardship
of humans over nature and creation (cf. Matthew 21:33-
41). From the concept of stewardship of creation we
have to grow to the concept of fellowship (Koinonia) and
harmony with nature.
Many biblical scholars point out that we have an ideal
model of fellowship in the Bible in our understanding of
God as Trinity. God is understood as the Father, Son and
the Holy Spirit. Jurgen Moltmann suggests that the “tri-
4 | Page
une God reveals himself as love in the fellowship of the
Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.” For healing, harmonious
relationships are essential. The Greek word Perichoresis
denotes the relationship among the three Persons of the
Trinity and it also points to the unity in the Trinity. It de-
notes mutual indwelling or “interpenetration” of the three
Persons of the Trinity whereby one is invariably in the
other two as they are in the one. Each person in the Trini-
ty interpenetrates the others. Each person is the mirror of
the others. According to Augustine the Spirit is the bond
of love of the Father and the Son. According to H. E. W.
Turner, “The key to this doctrine is mysticism rather than
the logic of the divine relations. In modern Trinitarian
theology it is used both by monists (Barth) and pluralists,
for whom it is of even greater importance”.
When we examine the Rig Veda, the most ancient Indian
Scripture (Veda), the world is the body of Brahman (God).
How the human spirit is related to the human body, so is
God related to the Cosmos. If God indwells the world,
then all the beings in the world should live in harmony as
parts of the same body. In the New Testament, Paul
speaks of the Church as the body of Christ. It means that
all members of the Church are parts of the same body
and to co-ordinate according to the Mind/Spirit that in-
dwells and makes it a living being and live in harmony for
the well-being of all.
In the New Testament, in the Gospel according to John,
in chapter 17, we have Jesus’ high priestly prayer. It is a
prayer prayed by Jesus before him being crucified as per
the Johannine presentation. It is nothing, but a prayer for
harmony and unity. We have in this prayer Jesus praying
for the unity of all his believers even in the future: that
they may all be one. Unity is possible only through shar-
ing the love that Jesus has revealed on the cross. By Je-
sus being in the disciples and the Father being in Jesus,
the community of believers is entirely filled with God’s
being and kept in unity and harmony. The unity envis-
aged here is understood in different ways by different
people. T. E. Pollard argues that the unity of believers is
to be modeled on the unity of the Father and the Son
who remain as distinct persons despite retention of their
unity, whereby he argues for denominational identity. But
there are others like E. L. Wenger who argues that unity
in intercommunion of denominations should culminate in
organic unity and that Christ envisaged an organic unity.
In John 10:18 we read of Jesus referring to one flock and
one shepherd. In 11:52, we read of the bringing together
of the scattered and them being gathered into one.
Ecumenical vision is of divine action. The oneness of the
believers flows from Jesus’ giving his glory to the believ-
ers that the Father has given to Jesus (John 17: 22).
In Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, we read about the wall
of separation being destroyed. In Ephesians 2:14-16, we
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
read: “For he is our peace, who has made us both one,
and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, and by
abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and
ordinance, that he might create in himself one new man
in place of the two, so making peace, and might recon-
cile us both to God in one body through the cross,
thereby bringing the hostility to an end.” In 2 Corinthians
5:18-19, we read: All this is from God, who reconciled us
to himself through Christ and gave us the message of
reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to
himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against
them. And he has committed to us the message of rec-
onciliation. In the Johannine writings we have Jesus giv-
ing a new commandment. What is the new command-
ment that Jesus has given? We read it in John 13 and 1
John where we read: Love one another as I have loved
you. What is the sort of love that Jesus has revealed? It
is the love that has been manifested by Jesus on the
cross. Love that is self-denying, self-sacrificing and self-
emptying (cf. Philippians 2:5-11).
In the world of today, there are a number of organizations
that work for unity and harmony among peoples, church-
es and nations. United Nations Organization (UNO),
World Council of Churches (WCC), Christian Conference
of Asia (CCA), Kerala Council of Churches (KCC) and
several similar organizations all over the world in various
countries with different names and other organizations
like YMCA, YWCA and so on have the goal of harmony
and unity among the various things and beings in crea-
tion. These organizations and their subsidiaries and
wings have all through been working for a harmonious
relationship among nations, peoples, races and so on.
The WCC since its inception was focused on cordial rela-
tionship and unity as well as harmonious relationship
among churches and the whole creation. Thus living in
harmony has all through been an issue taken up seriously
by humanity though it has always been threatened by a
lot of evil forces operating in the world. Hence it has to
be discussed and made contemporaneous always as a
5 | Page
perennial theme of utmost importance. I am sure the var-
ious articles in this issue of FOCUS will throw light into
the various aspects of this theme of Living in harmony
and enlighten us. I thank the members of the board for
the opportunity extended to me to write this and also
congratulate all the contributors for their articles that
provoke us and challenge us.
Let me conclude reminding us of a familiar English poem
written by a famous American poet namely Robert Frost
entitled: Something there is that doesn’t love a Wall. In
that poem Robert Frost delineates a dilapidated wall be-
tween two agricultural fields: on the one side we have
apple trees and on the other side we have corns. Ac-
cording to the owner of one of the plots, the wall has to
be rebuilt as his philosophy teaches him that only good
fences make good neighbours. But the poet, depicted as
the owner of the plot on the other side, feels that there is
no need to rebuild the dilapidated wall as the apple trees
do not go to the other side and cause any harm for the
corns or the corns would cross over to the other side and
cause any harm to the apple trees. In the mind of the
poet, there is something that doesn’t love a wall. We
should be looking at today’s world, which is divided on
the basis of colour, race, caste, creed, religion, churches,
denominations, province/geography, language and so on
and on. In Jesus Christ we have someone who doesn’t
love a wall. He has destroyed the dividing wall between
the Jews and Gentiles, between the Law and those out-
side the Law through his death on Calvary. Let us com-
mit ourselves to his path thereby ensure that we live in
harmony with all people and the creation.
Revd Dr. Abraham Philip
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
Disclaimer: Diaspora FOCUS is a non-profit reli-
gious organization registered in Texas, United
States, originally formed in late Nineties in London
for the Diaspora Marthomites. Now it is an inde-
pendent lay-movement of the Diaspora laity of the
Syrian Christians; and as such FOCUS is not an offi-
cial publication of any denominations. It is an ecu-
menical 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 and to stand for justice, and
peace. Opinions expressed in any article or state-
ments are of the individuals and are not to be
deemed as an endorsement of the view expressed
therein by Diaspora FOCUS. Thanks.
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Living in Harmony: A Biblical Perspective
Mr. George Thomas*

Relationships with God, Self and Communities
Harmony is an essential component of life that brings
peace and joy to individuals and communities. From a
biblical perspective, living in harmony is more than just
living peacefully with others. It is about loving others, re-
specting them, and treating them with dignity, as we are
all created in the image of God.
Living in harmony also means being willing to listen to
others and to seek understanding. Proverbs 18:2 says,
“Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in
airing their own opinions.” We should not be quick to
judge or assume the worst about others, but rather seek
to understand their perspectives and experiences.
Biblical Anecdotes

The Bible teaches us that harmony starts with our rela-
tionship with God. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isai-
ah reminds us that “You will keep in perfect peace those
whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you”
(Isaiah 26:3). This means that when we trust in God and
keep our minds focused on Him, we can experience
peace and harmony in our lives.
The Bible teaches that true peace and contentment come
from aligning our thoughts, actions, and desires with
God's will. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve
what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
By seeking His will and renewing our thoughts through
His Word, we can experience inner harmony and find ful-
fillment in living according to His purpose for our lives.
Moreover, the New Testament teaches us that harmony is
not just a personal matter but a communal one as well.
The Apostle Paul writes, “If it is possible, as far as it de-
pends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans
12:18). This means that we are called to live in peace with
everyone, not just those who are like us or agree with us.
We are to extend love and grace to all, even to those who
may be difficult to love.
The Bible is filled with anecdotal stories and events that
illustrate the importance of living in harmony with God
and with one another.
The first anecdote is the story of Cain and Abel from the
book of Genesis. Cain and Abel were brothers who each
brought offerings to God. God accepted Abel's offering
but rejected Cain's offering. This caused Cain to become
jealous and angry, leading him to kill his brother. This sto-
ry highlights the dangers of envy and the importance of
accepting God's will in our lives. Living in harmony with
God means trusting His plan and accepting His decisions,
even if they do not align with our own desires.
The second anecdote is the story of the Tower of Babel,
also from the book of Genesis. The people of Babel tried
to build a tower to reach the heavens and make a name
for themselves. However, God confused their language,
causing them to scatter and disperse throughout the
earth. This story emphasizes the importance of humility
and unity. Living in harmony with one another means rec-
ognizing that we are all equal in the eyes of God and
working together for the greater good.

Jesus himself modeled a life of harmony, constantly

reaching out to those who were marginalized and exclud-
ed from society. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and
forgave the sinner. He also taught his disciples to love
their neighbors as themselves (Mark 12:31) and to do
unto others as they would have them do unto them (Luke
6:31).

Furthermore, the Bible encourages us to be humble, for-

giving, and compassionate towards one another. In Co-
lossians 3:12-14, Paul writes, “Therefore, as God's cho-
sen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and pa-
tience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if
any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as
the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on
love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

6 | Page FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3

The third anecdote is the story of Joseph from the book
of Genesis. Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous
brothers, but he remained faithful to God and eventually
rose to a position of power in Egypt. When his brothers
came to him in need, Joseph forgave them and provided
for their well-being. This story illustrates the power of for-
giveness and the importance of reconciliation. Living in
harmony with others means forgiving those who have
wronged us and seeking reconciliation whenever possi-
ble.
The fourth anecdote is the story of Jesus washing his
disciples' feet from the book of John. Jesus humbly
washed the feet of his disciples, demonstrating the im-
portance of serving others and putting their needs above
our own. Living in harmony with others means practicing
humility and serving one another in love.
The fifth anecdote is the story of the early church in
Acts 2. After Jesus' ascension, the Holy Spirit descended
upon the apostles, enabling the importance of diversity
and inclusion. Living in harmony with others means em-
bracing them to speak in tongues and proclaim the gos-
pel to people from all over the world. This event highlights
diversity and working towards unity across cultural, racial,
and social boundaries.
Contemporary Challenges
Now, what are some of the major contemporary challeng-
es that we face today in living in harmony from a Biblical
perspective?
Moral Relativism: The prevalence of moral relativism,
where people define their own truth and morality, can
lead to conflicts and a lack of shared values. The Bible
provides a moral framework based on God's command-
ments and principles for harmonious living.
Individualism: The emphasis on individual rights and au-
tonomy can sometimes lead to a disregard for community
and the well-being of others. The Bible encourages self-
lessness, love for one's neighbor, and the importance of
community.
Materialism and Greed: The pursuit of wealth and mate-
rial possessions often leads to inequality and a lack of
concern for the needs of others. The Bible teaches about
the dangers of greed and the importance of stewardship
and generosity.
Divisive Politics: Political polarization and the tendency
to demonize those with differing views can hinder efforts
to live in harmony. The Bible promotes virtues such as
humility, patience, and forgiveness, which can help bridge
divides and foster understanding.
Environmental Stewardship: The disregard for the envi-
ronment and unsustainable practices contribute to eco-
7 | Page
logical challenges. The Bible emphasizes the responsibil-
ity of humans to care for and steward God's creation.
Discrimination and Injustice: Discrimination based on
race, gender, religion, or other factors undermines the
pursuit of harmony and equality. The Bible teaches the
inherent worth and dignity of every person and calls for
justice and equality.
Technology and Social Media: While technology and
social media have their benefits, they also present chal-
lenges to interpersonal relationships, mental health, and
the spread of misinformation. The biblical perspective
encourages moderation, self-control, and the wise use of
technology.
Closing Thoughts
Living in harmony within a biblical narrative is a crucial
aspect of Christian living. The Bible provides us with nu-
merous stories and events that illustrate the importance
of living in harmony with God, self and with one another.
By following the examples of Cain and Abel, the people of
Babel, Joseph, Jesus, and the early church, we can learn
to live in harmony with one another and with God, fulfilling
His plan for our lives.
Living in harmony is a foundational principle in the Bible.
It involves loving others, respecting them, and treating
them with dignity, even when it is difficult. It requires hu-
mility, forgiveness, and compassion, and it means seek-
ing to understand others and to live in peace with them.
In conclusion, living in harmony within a biblical narrative
is not without its challenges. As we navigate the contem-
porary obstacles of moral relativism, individualism, mate-
rialism and greed, divisive politics, environmental stew-
ardship, discrimination and injustice, and the impact of
technology and social media, it becomes all the more im-
portant to lean on the teachings of the Bible. Let us, as
followers of Christ, embrace the call to live in harmony,
for it brings joy, peace, and a testimony of our faith to the
world.
*Mr. George Thomas, retired as Principal Industry Specialist of
the 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 manu-
facturing sector wherein the IFC has equity investments. He
holds a Master's Degree in Structural Engineering from the Indi-
an Institute of Technology, Mumbai. He is settled in Copenha-
gen, and is a member of the State Lutheran Church of Denmark.
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Living in Harmony
Dr. Zac Varghese
The theme ‘Living in Harmony’ reminded me of an old
gentleman, who lived in our village in Kerala over 75
years ago; he used to walk through the narrow village
paths and through the slippery wet-banks of paddy fields
muttering, “amen, amen, praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
hallelujah, hallelujah, . . . and so on repeatedly.” No one
took any notice of him, but I am sure that he was in total
harmony, content and happy with his surroundings and
the situation that he was in. I remember him fondly after
all these years.
The second context, which reminds me of harmony is
orchestral music (symphony orchestra) which has melo-
dy, rhythm, and harmony. Harmony in this context hap-
pens when individual musical sounds come together to
forms a very enjoyable composite whole. In an orchestra
when hundred or so musicians with their different in-
struments play different notes, but when their individual
efforts are heard together under the leadership of a con-
ductor, harmony is created. This harmony is created by
listening to each other, respecting each other and prac-
ticing, because “practice makes a man perfect.”
An orchestra would not be able to create harmonious
melodies if everyone played their particular musical in-
struments in their own individualistic and preferred
styles. In a symphony orchestra, different musicians are
needed to co-operate patiently with each other and fol-
low the guidance of the conductor. Humanity with its
racial, cultural, theological, political, and ideological dif-
ferences has the need to come together under a divine
conductor to create a harmonious music in their living.
We need to listen to the birds and bees, and the nature
too. I often listen to the early morning musical symphony,
morning chorus, of the song birds such as, robins,
wrens, warblers, blue tits, sparrows, black birds, and
finches during my morning meditation; they become
companions of my meditation and thanks offerings to my
creator, the heavenly Father.
The first step towards a harmonious living is to follow our
heavenly conductor, Father, and carefully take His in-
structions which are laid before us through the teaching
and the servant ministry of Jesus Christ. But many peo-
ple are banging their drums relating to their own
achievements, skills, knowledge, spirituality and religiosi-
ty. But working towards more harmonious relations can
mean anything from ceasing hostilities, and having an
increased involvement in neighbourly fellowship.
Ask any musician, they will tell you that creating good
orchestral music takes hard work and continuous prac-
tices. That is also true in our spiritual journey of travelling
with others in harmony with the loving Spirit of God. God
revealed His true nature in Jesus Christ as a God of self-
8 | Page
less love who “has brought down rulers from their
thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the
hungry with good things but has sent the rich away emp-
ty” (Lk 1: 52). The Spirit of God revealed in Jesus Christ
pulls downs walls of division which human beings put up
in the name of religion, culture, nationhood, ethnicity,
and wealth. The Spirt of God brings together people into
a universal fellowship, which is not a religious experi-
ence, as we know it today. There are three parts to a
harmonious life, which are God, self and others.
These three prescriptions for a harmonious life are high-
lighted in the two essential laws that Jesus declared:
“
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind and with all your
strength. The second is this: Love your neighbour as
yourself. There is no commandment greater than these”
(Mt 12:30-31). Most of the problems that we encounter in
this life is from having a divided self. There is an on-
going battle throughout life in resolving this. Carl Jung1
wrote: “What drives people to war with themselves is
the intuition or knowledge that they consist of two
persons in opposition to one another. The conflict
may be between the sensual and the spiritual man, or
between the ego and the shadow. It is what Faust
mean when he says: Two souls, alas, dwell in my
breast apart.”
Respecting the otherness of the ‘other,’ and discovering
the blessings of the divine Spirit within us and others is a
fundamental principle of living in harmony with others
around us. The Indian tradition of greeting another with
folded hands and saying, ‘Namaste’ is acknowledging
the presence of divinity in the ‘other.’ The ‘other person’
is a gift from God. It is the beginning of an ‘I-Thou’ rela-
tionship with the stranger. Logic indicates that the infinite
cannot be contained in the finite. Therefore, no particular
understanding or revelation can overcome the mystery of
the Divine. “God is the more,” more than we can imagine
or explore. Therefore, the diversity of divine revelations
has to be respected. Whatever way or how long we try
and debate, human mind cannot fully understand the
mystery of God. St. Paul wrote: “. . . No one knows the
thoughts of God except the Spirit of GOD . . .” (1 Cor 2:
6-16).
Jesus’ message is not that of an established religion, but
that of the values of the kingdom of God. The values of
the Kingdom of God that Jesus taught in His sermon on
the mount (Mt 5, 6 & 7) and the sermon on the plain (Lk
6:17-46) are about love, justice, compassion, freedom
and fellowship, which promote a culture for living in har-
mony with others with an ‘I-Thou’ respect and apprecia-
tion. Christian life is not about lengthy intellectual argu-
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
ments and discussions about Jesus’ teachings, but for
practising it for growing toward perfection under the
power of the Holy Spirit. Instead, we are becoming ex-
perts at self-deception, we preach that the love of God in
Jesus Christ is for the whole world, but we cater for our
self-interests, we remain silent when the life-sustaining
ecological systems and balance are threatened. We need
to learn to live in harmony with nature as well.
History will be kind to us if we dare to take a new direc-
tion in solving the problems confronting humanity by re-
spectfully listening to others and sharing the God-given
values for the joint pursuit of common goals that will
benefit the whole world. St. Paul has a prescription for
living in harmony with one another in love (Rom 12:9-21).
He says, “Do not overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good.” Sacrificial self-less love is the medium for a
harmonious life. There was a heart-rendering incidence in
Mother Teresa’s life; she once went to a bakery in Kolka-
ta and requested some bread for the children of her or-
phanage, the angry bakery-owner emptied a kettle of
boiling water on her face and asked her to go away.
Mother Teresa responded lovingly, “Thank you, you gave
me my share of what I deserve, but what about my hun-
gry children.” The shop owner was totally surprised at
this response; he knelt down and apologised; then sup-
plied bread and other items for the orphans freely
throughout his life. This is how mother Teresa overcame
‘evil with good’ and showed love in action. This is indeed
a way of living in harmony even in adverse circumstanc-
es.
Jesus desired unity for the whole world in His high priest-
ly prayer: “that all of them may be one, Father, just as
you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so
that the world may believe that you have sent me” (Jn
17:21). St. Peter advised his community: “Finally, all of
you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another,
be compassionate and humble” (1 Peter 3:8). Therefore,
living for God under His love means living in harmony
with others. Andrew Shepherd2 in his book ‘The gift of
the offers a very detailed study for the concept of hospi-
tality and ‘the gift of the other’ for living in harmony with
others in society.
It is also necessary to think of our God-directed steward-
ship of God’s whole creation, “God saw all that he had
made, and it was very good” (Gen 1:31). However, man-
kind has destroyed the goodness of God’s creation.
Mankind is facing tragedies after tragedies because of
the exploitation of the environment. It is important that
we develop in a sustainable way if we wish to live in har-
mony with nature. Unfortunately, we have been moving
in the opposite direction. No one with an open mind
could seriously deny global warming and the greenhouse
effect to the loss of species (loss of bio-diversity) and the
pollution of land, air, and sea; signs of these problems
9 | Page
are evident to anyone who looks around and think. It is
thought that before the agrarian, industrial and scientific
revolutions, our ancestors lived in harmony with nature
and they had a respect for nature, some even worshiped
nature. Charles Kingsley, an Anglican priest and novelist
of the 18th century, wrote about his nature walks in the
following way: “I was aware that I was immersed in the
infinite ocean of God.” If we are sensitive, we should be
able to hear the ‘still small voice of God’ in nature. Jesus
often prayed alone in quiet places, away from others.
In the face of massive ecological issues, we need to find
new perspectives and more radical ideas on how to live
“in harmony with nature.” A transformative change would
imply rather drastic changes to our current way of living.
Unfortunately, many Christians see little connection be-
tween the ecological problems and the mission of Christ.
Historically, much theological and spiritual emphasis
were given to fleeing the world and putting one’s sole
hope in life after death or getting a visa to go to heaven.
In Mark 16:15, Jesus tells his disciples to “Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to all creation.” God is con-
cerned with the whole inhabited earth, oikoumene. St.
Paul says that “The creation itself will be liberated from
its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious free-
dom of the children of God. We know that the whole cre-
ation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right
up to the present time” (Rom 8:21-22). St. John in revela-
tion talks about “a new heaven and a new earth . . .(Rev
21:1). Therefore, in Christ’s future Kingdom, the rest of
creation will be transformed into a new earth with heav-
enly bliss. It is important to think that Jesus wants us to
show our love and concern for ecological issues to
bring peace and harmony across the world. In this con-
text, Do we need to think of nature as our neighbour and
the second commandment of loving your neighbour as
yourself be extended to nature as well? Therefore, we
need to think of extending hospitality to nature as well for
living in harmony.
May God help the diaspora community to live in harmony
with people around them and also with nature. Jesus
offers a prescription for harmonious living: “Come to me,
all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am
gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt
11: 28-30).
References:
1. C. G. Jung, ‘Modern Man in Search of a Soul,’
Routledge, London, 1999,ISBN 0-415-20839-4,
page 273.
2. Andrew Shepherd, ‘The Gift of the Other.’ Pickwick
Publications, Eugene, Oregon, ISBN 13; 978-1-
62032-766-1, 2014, page ix-x.
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Harmony Wins
Prof. Dr. Kanayathu C. Koshy
Introduction
When we were in the USA in early 1980’s, I came across
the dictum, “E pluribus unum” – ‘Out of many, one’,
which very well jelled with the meaning of Harmony. On-
ly when one begins to live in harmony with others, the
feeling of oneness comes; not so much in looks, of
course, but in behaviour. How was Paul able to estab-
lish and maintain a large number of churches, Jerusa-
lem up to Rome, and Thomas built 7.5 (7 big and 1
small) churches in Kerala, India; surely it was with the
same grace from God; “Living in Harmony”. For han-
dling the case of migrants, and even ecumenism-
interfaith, we need a lot of Christian ‘Understanding and
Harmony’.
Familiarizing Harmony
Barack Obama highlighted during Arizona State
University’s Graduation speech (2009), the national mot-
to “E Pluribus Unum” – Out of many, one. This simply
meant that for a country like the United States, the most
desirable outcome dealing with the Native Americans,
and all the other migrant communities like White Ameri-
cans, the Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and all the others,
was to, one day, be living in perfect Harmony. This did
not mean that the different types of people who live in
the United States will all look the same but have ac-
cepted standards that society treasures; i.e. they will
have the American ethos, values and culture to display.
Those who are very careful might even find something
useful to emulate in them. They will one day be able to
speak a common language, wear a variety of dresses,
except for special occasions. However, they will all be
pledging allegiance to the same ‘stars and stripes’. At
that time, one would not be talking much about a red
America, or blue America, but only the United States of
America. (Obama, Democratic National Convention,
Boston, 2004). This is how a harmonious society will
look like. More meanings of Harmony, later…
Jesus and Harmony
In other words, “Live in harmony with one another”
means to live in such a way that you enrich and
complement each other, together you are more than any
of you would be on your own. What does the Bible say
about unity and harmony? People were originally creat-
ed to live in harmony with their Creator. God loves each
person in a special way and understands them com-
pletely. God originally intended everyone to be close to
God and to live forever with Him in the unity of the faith.
Also, in the knowledge of the Son of God, become
mature, and attaining to the whole measure of the
fullness of Christ, Ephesians 4:13. The Jewish people
sang Psalm 133 to express their joy in coming together
10 | Page
for worship at the Temple, where it proclaims oneness
in faith.
The Savior, Jesus, prayed for unity among His disciples:
“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me,
and I in thee, that they also may be one in us” (John
17:21). The gospel creates a unity of faith with our
Father, our Savior, and our fellow believers (Ephesians
4:13). God says in Romans 12 16-21: Live in harmony
with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to
associate with people of low position. Do not be
conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil (v 17). Bible
says about peace and harmony: Make every effort to
keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace
(Ephesians 4:3). Now let’s say a Baha’i prayer for har-
mony: “Thou kind Lord! Unite all. Let the religions agree
and make the nations one, so that they may see each
other as one family and the whole earth as one home.
May they all live together in perfect Harmony - O God!”
Harmonious Paul and Thomas
To the question how many churches Paul established,
some say 14 churches in his life time, others say close
to 20 with many more born out of those by his appren-
tice leaders. Whichever way, it is a very remarkable
thing. If we bother to count the churches related to Paul,
smaller and bigger churches, one can only imagine how
much it would have grown. Whatever, after Paul’s
death, his work became the DNA of a movement that
spread among many places including India through Je-
sus disciple Thomas. Church planting is indeed difficult,
particularly so in very hostile environments.
Missionary work requires leadership, charisma, ability to
work in a team, capacity to raise funds, projects skills,
talent to promote voluntarism and above all faith in the
one who said ‘I will be with you always, to the end of the
age’. It is on this basis we “teach them to obey every-
thing I have commanded you”, this is Jesus speaking as
part of the Great Commission, He gave to his disciples.
This commission is loaded with responsibilities – they
had to travel long distances, meet new and strange
people, and keep everyone in harmony by eloquently
presenting the powerful message of Christ – to people
in all walks of life. This is what happened in India at the
time of St Thomas -, the apostle who came to Muziris,
(Cranganore) Kerala, in AD 52. He built 7.5 churches (7
churches and a small church). Legend has it that he
travelled to north India, and was martyred in Mylapore,
Madras, in AD 72. It was a big awakening then, joined
by upper class Hindus, and all others. The Christians of
Malabar (Kerala) trace their ancestry back to St Thomas,
There is one group of Christians in Kerala still, called the
St Thomas Christians of Malankara, a progressive set of
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
people and an ardent member of WCC (World Council
of Churches, Geneva, 1948). The hardship that disciple
Thomas had to face can only be imagined by his follow-
ers now, as they continue their journey ahead. None-
the-less, it will equip them better to handle problems of
tomorrow, as they face them.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Jesus+on+Harmony
&oq=Jesus+on+Harmony&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30.2
5085j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8[Paul]
https://www.google.com/search?q=St+Tomas+in+Keral
a&oq=St+Tomas+in+Kerala&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i13i51
2l3j0i22i30l6.11884j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-
8[Thomas].
Harmony, Ecumenism and Interfaith
The principle of promoting ‘unity in diversity’ among the
world's Christian Churches is the essential goal of ecu-
menism. To achieve this goal, we need to show a lot of
good Christian attributes including harmony. This to-
gether with faith, sacramental life, worship and mission
that lead to harmonious living. The WCC, of which the
Mar Thoma Church is a keen member, is the broadest
and the most inclusive among the many organized ex-
pressions of the ecumenical movement. When WCC
sees new and clear opportunities for common good,
harmony building is its major concern, Mar Thoma
Christians offer their best. Some values like kindness,
compassion and charity are all common to ‘God fearing’
people, despite denominational differences’ and is in-
dispensable for both ecumenism and interfaith. This
brings Christians together with other faith groups such
as Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, to name a few, and it
sees bigger opportunities to work together to lift others
up and to live harmoniously.
The migrant situation
An area that is often forgotten is the modern day large
scale migration. It is a perennial problem around the
world. They may be boat people, those who drive, or
even walk their way to the destination, but they are bent
upon their goal. Such migrants are illegal people, and
asylum seekers. There is a quota system for each
country, stipulated by the UN, the real numbers
outweigh allocations. While each country has very strict
limitations for genuine migration, the refugee situation is
different. This is where people need to show a lot of,
love and empathy to live harmoniously.
Conclusion
We dealt with, harmony as being an essential virtue that
all must have. It is an integral part of the vision of
national leaders, and God talks about the absolute value
of Harmony in human life. In the section on Paul and
Thomas we realize that missionary work is not an easy
job, the person will have to be well versed in a variety of
human qualities, most of which are part of living in
11 | Page
Harmony with others. Ask WCC and they will tell us that
to be arrogant, or be a very quiet person will not help
the situation. But practice harmony and we’ll win.
Migrants offer the most difficult situation for there are
many different types of them e.g. political migrants,
economic migrants, normal migrants etc. And a new
form that will take over all the others put together will be
environmental migrants. It will present a very
challenging situation because there will be stringent
laws and extreme human suffering coming into play
here.
My Writing Life
‘My writing Life’ has been a new section that we
introduced to FOCUS readers in the October 2022
issue, which featured Dr. P. V. Cherian’s story
about writing and publishing books. The current
issue (July 2023) features a ‘Why do I write’ article
from Dr. Valson Thampu, who has been a prolific
writer for over thirty years. Leo Tolstoy, the world-
famous novelist and reformer (1828-1910), had an
amazing writing/literary career because he
was forced to do so by his conscience and said, "I
cannot be silent." He then asked the question,
"Why do people write?" He himself answered this
important question in the following way: " People
write in order to obtain in some case money, in
some cases fame, and in some cases both; some
say in order to teach people virtue." Virtue may be
considered as sacrificing passion for the self-giving
love of Jesus Christ and it is the reason for the
season to cultivate the values of God’s kingdom.
It may not be easy for authors to confess the rea-
sons which prompt them to write in various genre.
Poets, philosophers and politicians and profes-
sional people may have other reasons too for
spreading their ideas. We welcome our writers
and readers to join in this spiritual journey on a
regular basis. For the Editorial Board
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Living In Harmony: Kerala Model
Prof. Philip Koshi
"Always aim at complete harmony of thought, word and
deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and every-
thing will be well." - Mahatma Gandhi
Harmony is defined as a situation in which people are
peaceful and concur with each other or when things
appear to be correct or appropriate. When the United
Nations was founded after World War II, one of its pur-
poses was to achieve international co-operation for
global problems by promoting respect for human rights
without any distinction of race, gender, language, or
religion. In 1995, in honor of its 50th anniversary,
UNESCO's member states adopted a Declaration of
Principles on Tolerance because tolerance is necessary
for a society to live in peace.
Unity is a common topic in the Bible, promoting the
peacefulness of living unified in harmony. "How good
and pleasant it is when God's people live together in
unity" (Psalm 133:1). If we are to live together in harmo-
ny, we need to expand our consciousness and allow
space for all living beings. We need to understand the
life that is in all things and perceive the infinity of the
universe.
Living in harmony with others is easier said than done,
especially in a world filled with conflicts, catastrophes,
and differing opinions. The disease that is threatening to
tear apart our present age is precisely separation, dis-
memberment, open struggle between factions, which
inevitably ends in conflict between individuals.
The purpose of this article is to examine at some length
the state of harmony existing in Kerala, among the vari-
ous communities, for an unbroken period of time, the
rare exception being the Moplah Rebellion in Malabar in
1921. A hundred years on no minor or major discord or
violence on sectarian lines have been reported.
Three major reasons could be attributed for this phe-
nomenon: (1) Role of foreign missionaries; (2) Contribu-
tion of the enlightened rulers of Travancore; (3) Ancient
maritime trade relations with the Middle East and Euro-
pean countries.
Role of foreign missionaries
The arrival and involvement of Christian Missionaries in
India's social scene set in motion a chain of events that
had far-reaching consequences in India's social history.
They brought about a number of changes that had a
significant impact on the Indian social order. Christian
missionaries came to India to preach their religion but it
is clear that they went above and beyond to create a
new social order. The policy of education for all, irre-
12 | Page
spective of caste and religion, was initiated in Kerala
with the educational programs of Christian missionaries.
Christian missionary organizations like the London Mis-
sionary Society (LMS), Church Mission Society (CMS),
and Basel Evangelical Mission (BEM) inaugurated the
spread of modern education in Kerala. LMS’s area of
activity was largely in Travancore. CMS worked in
Travancore and Kochi while BEM was active in Malabar.
The introduction of LMS and CMS in Kerala was a great
landmark in the history of social renaissance of Kerala.
The appointment of Col. Macaulay as the first British
Resident in 1800 was a great impetus to missionary ac-
tivities in Kerala. The ruler, Rama Varma, praised the
efforts of the missionaries as a link to civilization, en-
lightened progress and a moral regeneration between
the East and the West. The missionaries wrote that “our
work is to promote the eternal interest of the people and
if we can procure for them some relief from their tem-
poral distress, it will be our delight to do so" (Annual
Report of LMS, 1841). Protestant Churches such as
the Church of England, Church of Scotland and the Ba-
sel Mission sent missionaries to Kerala in the 18th and
19th centuries. The missionaries established schools,
hospitals, and churches throughout Kerala, which had a
profound impact on the region's social and cultural
landscape.
As a result of the activities of the missionaries, there
was rapid spread of education among the people of
Kerala. Owing to social awareness, members of each
caste became aware of their rights in society. Social
evils such as sati, devadasi system disappeared from
Kerala. Christian missionary activity in India and Kerala
involved the establishment of high-quality schools. Ac-
companying the schools came the printing press, which
was helpful in the dissemination of literature of all kinds.
Mission hospitals were started in several districts in the
state. Modern medicine was made available to all peo-
ple. Doctors treated patients with love, concern, and
care.
Lord Macaulay secured from the Travancore govern-
ment recognition for the missionary activities of LMS.
Rani Lekshmi Bai gave five thousand rupees to the mis-
sion in 1818. A seminary was set up in Nagercoil and
churches were constructed in Trivandrum and Cochin.
The Maharaja of Travancore visited Nagercoil seminary
in 1831 and invited John Robert to set up a school in
Trivandrum. The Free School established by him later
became the University College. Incidentally, this writer
had the privilege to complete his post-graduate study at
this Temple of Learning (1978-80). This paved the way
for an intellectual renaissance as well as the formation
of discussion forums, clubs, and literary associations. A
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
lecture series was held in Trivandrum on literature, Sci-
ence, Social issues, and ethics at the behest of the mis-
sionaries between 1863 and 1867.
Education in India was a privilege of the elite upper
class. It was limited to gurukals where upper caste
young boys would go to study under the tutorship of a
guru (teacher). Common people were alien to this elite
education system. When the missionaries arrived, they
began to start schools for common people, generally in
the vernacular. Missionaries not only translated the Bi-
ble but also wrote grammar and produced dictionaries
in Malayalam and other Indian languages.
Benjamin Bailey and Henry Baker belonged to CMS,
which was active in Kottayam between 1813 and 1930.
They set up a Grammar School at Kottayam and a
school for girls at Alapuzha during this period. With the
help of the CMS Missionaries, the Syrian Christians set
up a College and a Seminary at Kottayam for training
priests. Since then, Kottayam has turned in to a literary
hub. The British Missionary, Rev. J. Dawson set up an
English School at Mattancherry in 1818 with financial
aid from the Cochin Government.
In the Malabar region, the Basel German Evangelical
Mission started Primary School in Kallayi at Kozhikode
in 1848 and an English School in Thalasserry in 1856.
Dr. Herman Gundert is well known for the compilation of
the Malayalam grammar book, Malayalabhasha
Vyakaranam. He also prepared the first Malayalam-
English dictionary (1872).
13 | Page
A Prussian Missionary, W.T. Ringle Taube, established
schools at Nagarcoil and nearby areas in the period be-
tween 1806 and 1816. Rev. Mead, belonging to LMS, is
known for his work in the field of education in Thiru-
vithamkur during the period (1817-1873). He started
vocational schools in Southern Thiruvithamkur.
Gandhiji held the view that the work of the missionaries
quickened the task of Hindu reformers to set their own
house in order. One example to this effect was when the
missionaries took up the cause of leprosy elimination.
The work they undertook set an example which was
later followed by others.
Generations of young men and women received modern
education. Many of them became imbued with ideals of
service, uprightness and rectitude because of the edu-
cational standards maintained by these missionary so-
cieties. The missionaries imbibed a unifying spirit in the
Indians who rallied to fight for the cause as a united na-
tion.
Contributions of the enlightened rulers of Travan-
core
On the 18th of April, 1991, Kerala became the first total-
ly literate state in India. However, this was not an over-
night achievement. Apart from the missionaries, much
credit goes to the rulers of Travancore who laid a very
strong foundation for imparting education to the com-
mon man. Maharani Gauri Parvathi Bayi sanctioned the
CMS to establish a college at Kottayam. She donated
21,000 panam (currency in Travancore). It was thrown
open for secular education in 1815.
In 1892, the Maharaja Sri Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma
said: "The elementary education of the masses is our
paramount duty and an essential condition of good
government . . . in most civilized countries of Europe
this principle has been carried so far as to recognize the
necessity of compulsory education . . a good elemen-
tary school in each village . . side by side we have to
popularize female education . . technical education is
also essential . . but it must be preceded by general ed-
ucation."
In 1903, the Maharaja accepted the responsibility of
imparting free education to all the children in Travan-
core. Religious and social tolerances were another of
the notable features of the rulers of Travancore. Unlike
the situation in many parts of British India, religious and
caste-based violence was very rare in Travancore. This
tolerance of different religions was equally applicable
when it came to social and ideological matters.
Most of the political ideologies and social reforms were
welcomed in Travancore. The universality of education
and temple entry permission for those considered as
'untouchables' were unique to this part of India. Alt-
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
hough the tolerant Travancore rulers were devout Hin-
dus, they donated land and devout material for the con-
struction of Christian churches and Muslim mosques.
This patronage was appreciated by the local Christians
who actively supported the rulers.
Kerala has witnessed many social movements in its
lengthy history. The Temple Entry Proclamation of Trav-
ancore on 12 November 1936 is an unforgettable page
in the history of Kerala. It was almost the death knell for
the racial prejudices that had been prevailing in Kerala
Society. The proclamation was made by the last king of
Travancore, Sri. Chitira Thirunal Rama Varma. The Tem-
ple Entry Proclamation was universally praised. Gandhi
called it 'the great wonder of modern times'. Subash
Chandra Bose and Sardar Vallabhai Patel hailed it as
the herald of a new era in India.
Ancient maritime trade relations with the Middle
East and European Countries
Long before the time of Jesus, the Jews, Arabs, and
other ancient maritime traders settled in Kerala to buy,
trade and store spices. There are several reasons why
Kerala is different. On the eastern side, the Western
Ghats have created a natural boundary, an obstruction,
to people from other parts of the country. But the rest of
the state is open to the sea. That is why people from the
outside, especially the Arabs and later the Portuguese
and other Europeans, came first to Kerala.
By the late Middle Ages, Kerala—then known as Mala-
bar—was the prime source of a lucrative trade with Eu-
rope. Venetians purchased spices in Egypt or Yemen
from Arab traders who obtained their high-value wares
from Malabar's Spice Coast. Socially, the spice trade
brought together distinct ethnic and religious groups,
including Christians and Jews, into peaceful and mutu-
ally beneficial contact. Through the spice trade, all three
minority faiths learned to live alongside the Hindu major-
ity.
In his book titled Cultural Symbiosis in Kerala (1972),
historian MGS Narayanan observed that there is a cul-
tural symbiosis in which people belonging to different
cultural and social backgrounds are co-existing in the
state. Even during the Middle Ages in Kerala, Christians,
Muslims, and Jews have engaged in the trade of oil,
tobacco and salt. Their economic products were need-
ed for other communities and hence there was a need
for mutual dependence. There was an economic inter-
dependence among the communities which cemented
communal harmony.
Due to its geographic feature of nearly 360 miles of
western coastline along the Arabian Sea, Kerala has
been visited by people from all over the world as prose-
lytizers, mystics, refugees, traders, explorers, conquer-
ors, and colonizers.
14 | Page
Conclusions
It is a matter of great concern that although Christians
have lived and worshipped in Kerala for almost two
thousand years, the last century especially has been
marked by a bitter feud in some churches. The protract-
ed inter-church strife was recently played out in the
streets of Kerala. The latest incident was in September,
2019 when clashes took place between Orthodox and
Jacobite factions in Piravom, a suburb of Kochi. A 2017
Supreme Court order had allowed the Orthodox Church
to offer prayers at a 6th century church, one of Kerala's
oldest. However, it is to be said that such incidents
have been superseded by the larger spirit of harmony
existing in the state of Kerala.
Christianity in Kerala must be understood as a unique
cultural configuration arising out of two factors. The first
is its historical dimension: it is believed to have come to
Kerala in AD 52 when St. Thomas landed on the shores
of Malabar. On another level, Christianity has existed
within the dominant regional culture of Hinduism. The
Hindu, Christian and Syrian strands have woven togeth-
er to form a rich cultural tapestry.
Kerala absorbed Christians into its social and cultural
fabric as it did with all who preceded them (such as the
Jews) and all who came afterwards (for instance, the
Muslims). The diverse and pluralistic story of Kerala can
be epitomized in the small town of Chendamangalam on
the banks of the historic Periyar River in the central Er-
nakulam District. In this town there is a Hindu Temple to
the South, a Muslim Mosque to the east, a Christian
church to the west and a Jewish synagogue to the
north. They are all within one kilometer of each other.
Such religious pluralism is prevalent in many parts of
Kerala.
Kerala's nickname is God's own Country. Its long-
standing tolerance and embracement of religiously ideo-
logical diversity has made that nickname ring true for
every religious Keralite. The harmonious interweaving of
cultures and religious traditions in Kerala should make
every Keralite proud.
Kerala is a leading spiritual home of India. Kerala's spir-
itual consciousness is beyond faith and religious dis-
tinctions. Kerala is a state where one community has
willingly given space to another. The Apostle Peter says
in I Peter 3:8 - "Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be
sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and
humble." It is indeed gratifying to note that the different
religions in Kerala have played an important role in the
cultural formation of the state. If there is one state in
India where people live in harmony, it is in Kerala.
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
My Story (Part-3)
Dr. Titus Mathews, Professor Emeritus, University of
Calgary, Canada
[Dr. Titus Mathews may be very familiar to the readers of
the FOCUS Journal. He was one of the founding editors
and only given up the responsibility after ten years being
an editor. He lived and worked in India, Africa, England,
and Canada. His contributions to the Mar Thoma Diaspo-
ra communities and the academic life in these countries
are enormous and hence it is worth publishing it for the
benefit of our readers. The following is the third part of an
autobiographical sketch written by Dr. Titus Mathew and
supplemented by his wife, Mrs. Sara Joseph. We are
hoping to publish it in several parts over the next two
years. We are very grateful for the help and support of the
family for helping us with this. The part two of the story
was published in the April issue (FOCUS April 2023, Vol.
11, Issue 2, pages 9-10) For the Editorial Board.]
Life in Uganda
It was an exciting time in Africa. The ‘winds of change’
were blowing strongly through the continent, and the
colonies were gaining independence, one by one.
Uganda was all set to get its independence within a cou-
ple of months of my arrival in Kampala in August 1962. I
was not politically active in my student days but kept
myself informed of political developments all over the
world, reading Hindu while in India and British newspa-
pers while in England. Without doubt I was an anti-
colonialist, and a supporter of the development of newly
freed colonies.
I reached Kampala after a long and arduous journey from
London through Rome. Professor David Thompson,
Head of the Department of Physics was at the airport at
Entebbe to meet me. I was too tired and sleepy to pay
full attention to the running commentary of Dr. Thomson,
or to the beautiful countryside. After lunch at the guest
house, Thomson left me there to rest, and would come to
fetch me for supper in his house. After tea, I walked
around the campus and found it very well kept with
beautiful green lawns, flower bushes, and trees. Instantly
I liked it and came to the conclusion that I would enjoy
my stay in Kampala.
Thompson’s home was on the University campus itself.
There I met other members of the Physics Department,
and they all were very friendly and welcoming. The next
day, I went to the Physics Department and administrative
offices to report my arrival and take care of formalities.
In the staff room, where tea and coffee were served in
the morning and afternoon, I could not help noticing that
I was one of the very few non-white lecturers. There
were a few Africans on the academic staff, and also a
15 | Page
person from Ceylon, Dr. S. Mahadeva who was a Reader
in Agriculture Department.
It was be a month or more before I get my own bachelor
apartment, and until then I stayed in a Tutor’s flat in one
of the halls of residence for students. I was invited to
join the High Table in the dining hall. It was there when I
began to notice how ‘English’ the whole set up of the
college was. All students and faculty were wearing their
gown for dinner. The warden said the grace, and stu-
dents ate quickly and left for the library or their rooms.
The faculty of course sat around the table on a raised
platform, were served a full five-course meal complete
with red and white wines. Delightful conversation contin-
ued over coffee. It was pure Oxbridge: but I felt distinctly
uncomfortable, for as a graduate student in London, I
was not used to such luxury! But now that I was an elite,
I was expected to conform. This once-a-week dinning
continued until I moved to my apartment. Since the first
term had already started before I joined, I did not have
any lecture classes but had to help with laboratory clas-
ses. This was a relief as my books and other personal
effects sent by ship had not arrived at the time.
Dr. Mahadeva and his wife Kanaka were very outgoing
people, and they lived outside in the University farm,
some ten miles away. They would invite me to go out to
the farm and have dinner with many of his other friends.
Also, my departmental colleagues frequently invited me
to their houses for evening meals and spared no effort to
make me feel welcome. Dr. Mahadeva informed some
people from Kerala working in Kampala about my arrival.
One of them Mr. Abraham from Kumbanadu came look-
ing for me and found me walking around the campus.
He was the chief accountant of Drapers, a famous de-
partment store in town. He took me to his house and
introduced me to his family and friends. In due course
Mr. Abraham became a good friend and mentor. He and
his family treated me as a member of his family. There
were over two dozen Malayalee families in Kampala:
teachers, doctors, office workers, and business people.
They were all very hospitable and invited me to their
homes and parties. As the first ever Malayalee to be ap-
pointed to Makerere College faculty, they were quite
proud of me and soon I was a full member of the com-
munity.
Kampala, the principal city and commercial centre of
Uganda, was built on seven hills, and valleys, like Rome.
The high point was Kololo Hill, and from it, one could see
the undulating countryside, all green and lush, and Lake
Victoria, the second largest fresh water lake in the world.
Kabaka, the traditional ruler of Buganda, the northern
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
shore part of Lake Victoria, lived on another, and Mak-
erere College was on another. At four thousand feet
above sea level, Kampala enjoyed a salubrious climate,
though it was only a few miles from the equator. Its
temperature was typically 75 degrees Fahrenheit and
varied little from season to season. Therefore, fruits and
vegetables of tropical and temperate zones were abun-
dant in all seasons, and cheap on many accounts.
I lived on the college campus, and really did not need a
car. But to visit my new friends and do shopping, a car
was useful. I did not have the money to buy one. But a
pleasant surprise came, a cheque for twenty thousand
shillings that my mother saved from her earnings as a
school teacher so that I could buy a car. It was a con-
gratulatory gift for getting the PhD degree. They were
very proud of my accomplishment and without their
enormous help, I could not have done it.
With the help of Mr. Abraham, I bought a Ford Anglia, a
popular English car at the time, which I saw and admired
at the Earl’s court motor show some years before. I
planned to go and visit my parents - but one problem: I
didn’t have a driving license. Mr. Abraham found me a
driver and I left for Ziwani, an estate near a town called
Taveta, in Kenya near the Tanganyika boarder. Although
I had to cross two border controls, the parking pass from
Makerere on the windshield was sufficient passport.
Ziwani was a huge 35,000-acre sisal estate and my fa-
ther was the chief accountant there. It originally be-
longed to Col. Grogen, a South African of British origin,
who commanded the British forces in East Africa during
the First World War. This Estate bordered the Tsavo Na-
tional Park, one of the largest national parks in Africa. To
the west of the Ziwani sisal estate, was the magnificent
Mount Kilimanjaro, which I could see from my father’s
house. After spending three weeks of enjoyable time, I
returned to Kampala after overnighting in Nairobi.
On the way from Nairobi to Kampala, one had to cross
the eastern branch of the East African Rift Valley. Driving
down the escarpment along the steep road, one can see
many lakes and small volcanic peaks all along the valley.
It was a marvelous drive, which I took more times before
I left Kampala. (To be continued . . . )
16 | Page
‘Be a Living Sacrifice’
Theme for FOCUS – October
2023 Vol. 11, Issue 4
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view
of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your
true and proper worship. Do not conform to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the re-
newing of your mind. Then you will be able to test
and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleas-
ing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2).
The concept of a living sacrifice is one that requires
prayer and study to fully understand its implications. But
if we do, we may find a new way of living our lives.
So, what exactly does the phrase ‘living sacrifice’ mean?
We need to look at sacrifice in the New Testament con-
text in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. One way to
understand sacrifice in the New Testament is as a ser-
vice or offering to God. The offering aspect is made clear
by St. Paul in Phil 4:18, where he describes a gift given
to him by the members of the Philippian community for
his ministry as “a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable
and pleasing to God.” Here, meeting the needs of Paul is
considered as “acceptable and pleasing” to the Lord.
One may ask: how do we live our life as an offering or
service to God? The Lord graciously gives us examples
of how we ought to be motivated by his Apostles. The
Apostle Paul, who wrote the command for believers to
present themselves as living sacrifices, understood that
his life did not belong to him. In his letter to the Gala-
tians, Paul says this, “I have been crucified with Christ. It
is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And
the life I now lives in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” In a spir-
itual sense, Paul’s old self and the life he lived for himself
died with Christ.
Therefore, Paul lived every day through faith and ‘in
Christ’ in the life-giving power of Jesus. The fact of
the matter is that we have been bought with an im-
measurable price through the death of Jesus on the
cross. Through his death and resurrection, we have
been raised to new life. It is only right that we
should live our lives in complete service and devo-
tion to the One who saved us. Through this lens, we
can look at how to act as living sacrifices. God has
given us a purpose-driven life. Understanding that
purpose and following the will of God as we pray,
‘Let Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,’ is
becoming a living sacrifice.
For the Editorial Board
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
With Harmonic Melody and Radiant Color
Mr. Shaun Joykutty*
The sun's rays penetrated the woods and emerged from
the other side of the trees in a haphazard pattern that
could be seen through the window. The ghostly
dust illuminated by the light destroyed any traces of the
evening before it. The joyful laughter that had been go-
ing on among the group before the light appeared over
the horizon in the morning gradually began to fade as
the morning progressed.
The orchestra of nature is layering our reality with pat-
terns, from the smallest atoms to the most distant gal-
axies. Each system and sequence of nature is extraor-
dinarily intelligent and well-organized, producing its in-
tended purpose as conceived by God. As we intertwine
and sway with this reality, we recognize that each indi-
vidual species, then group, and finally, the more exten-
sive aggregation of the group is ruled by Christ, our
Lord, who ensures that all skilled participants perform
their roles in unison or harmony.
"But why can’t we live together in harmony like nature?"
I was thinking. If we did, from a Christian perspective,
this indicates complete clarity or a significant reduction
in ambiguity regarding whose ideas or principles are the
most preeminent. If Christ and His logos are at the core
of everything, we must freely submit our wills to the
overarching structure that Christ established to bring us
together. I think it's reasonable to suppose that there
can be allowances between us and the necessary vari-
ances that come with being individuals. However, we
must adhere to that greater standard that Christ has set
for us.
Having stated that I believe we have trouble with har-
mony because we fight a losing battle against our un-
ending foes, tragedy, and malice. Why do I say this? I
think a notable quote by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn may
say it better, “Gradually it was disclosed to me that the
line separating good and evil passes not through states,
nor between classes, nor between political parties ei-
ther—but right through every human heart—and
through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it
oscillates with the years. And even within hearts over-
whelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is re-
tained. And even in the best of all hearts, there re-
mains… an un uprooted small corner of evil. "1 Wonder-
ful. “If we are so prone to good and evil, how can we
live in harmony?” I wondered next. “Can any good deed
or thought be humbly given or expressed without the
snide hindrances of animosity?” “Is it possible for us to
match our souls with the framework of our being hon-
estly?” The questions kept coming, but answers were
limited.
However, an answer addressing the conflict within our
natures emerged from the haze. According to the bibli-
17 | Page
cal account, Adam and Eve were exiled from the Gar-
den of Eden.2 The fight with mortal existence, which
would eventually become ours, began afterward. Work
is the only way to produce food and other necessities
for survival. However, the albatross of labor hung over
our necks was a hidden entrance to the future. Let me
clarify.
Eventually, we understood the need for selflessness and
the value of delaying gratification for ourselves and oth-
ers. I believe that God taught us that if we postpone
something essential for today or make a sacrifice for it,
then something even better may be obtained in the fu-
ture, not only for ourselves but also for other people.
This may be where the concept of sharing first
emerged. If you think about it, "to share" can be under-
stood as the first step in trading. As the parent of three
children, I had to explain and refresh their understand-
ing of this concept on multiple occasions. They be-
lieved "sharing" meant giving up something worthwhile
without receiving anything in return. But the contrary is
true; both parties must be willing to give up something
of value for the other person. This may also be the origin
of the concept of money and how we negotiate the fu-
ture.
If you are still with me, I'd like to share two experiences
in which I contributed or traded my time, expertise, and
energy to worthy causes. On my first occasion, I was
permitted to volunteer and participate at the DC Central
Kitchen (Kitchen) (http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/). I
found the experience to be highly beneficial. My expe-
rience has predominantly been at establishments where
food is purchased or prepared quickly before being
served to customers. Things went in a different direc-
tion at the Kitchen. At eight o'clock on a Saturday morn-
ing, we went to the Kitchen. I was already exhausted
from not having to sleep in on the weekends when the
sounds of an elderly man abruptly awakened me. He
began by delineating the steps necessary to prepare
that day's lunch. Words such as "freshly prepared,"
"production environment," and "team effort" were
drilled into my brain despite my acute sleep deprivation.
He walked, stood like Napoleon, and nodded toward
the hair nets, disposable gloves, and aprons. After en-
suring we were appropriately attired, he divided us into
groups of four and six before guiding us through a laby-
rinth of kitchen equipment: sinks, ovens, bowls, mixers,
tables, and industrial refrigerators. I was advised to take
over for the individual who appeared to be in poor
health and not to fret, as another individual would as-
sume my position if I seemed to be in the same condi-
tion. First, I was instructed to chop a significant amount
of cauliflower. I was assigned the task of slicing scal-
lions and squash next. Last but not least, I was respon-
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
sible for preparing the vegetable chili and rice for lunch. To
serve lunch on time, the complete group was moved in a
coordinated fashion to maximize efficiency. DC Central
Kitchen is making a commendable and heroic effort to the
level of consideration and courtesy extended to those in
need. Everyone willing should attempt this. Overall, I had a
wonderful experience on this journey.
I seized the opportunity to join our parish's Board of Trus-
tees in the second instance. Our family attends most Sun-
days, which contributed to my being nominated for the
role. This is a sneak glimpse for those who have not yet
received the communicated "call to action." People will
initially begin to regard you differently. They will bombard
you with inquiries or walk in the opposite direction as you
approach them. Questions and comments range from,
"Why haven't you cashed my check?" to "What's wrong
with you?" It's been two days,"; and "We cannot donate
this month; please check back in the future.” Given this,
the position itself challenges a person's balance. Our pri-
mary source of direction for this endeavor was the parish
budget. We were incapable of doing anything else. Prac-
tically every aspect of parish life had its budget category.
As part of my responsibilities, I was responsible for ensur-
ing that all of our monthly expenses were covered by in-
coming revenue while remaining within our allotted budget.
The year's finest moments were saved for the close of the
year. At the end of the year, people who had been gener-
ally pleasant and courteous transformed into enraged vil-
lagers out for vengeance. These measures ensured that
their financial contributions were recorded accurately when
they filed their taxes the following year. May the heavens
protect us if we convene a general assembly meeting to
discuss the year’s economic issues. This meeting has the
potential to be fruitful, but it also has the potential to de-
volve into a shouting match over trivial complaints. None-
theless, the year concluded with successfully purchasing a
parsonage, a surplus, and enhanced accounting proce-
dures for future trustees.
The two experiences above did not happen in a vacuum:
“Every bit of new information challenges a previous con-
ception, forcing it to dissolve into chaos before it can be
reborn as something better.”3 Each of us is here to con-
tribute to society in some way. We are a weird beacon that
must be shared with the world. The world will be darker if
we do not spread Christ’s light into it.
References
1. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago
1918–1956.
2. Genesis 3 (KJV)
3. Jordan B. Peterson, “12 Rules for Life”, (Canada:
Random House, 2018), pg. 223.
*Shaun Joykutty works as a program
expert for the US Department of Labor
in Washington DC. Shaun and family
are members of the Immanuel Mar
Thoma Church, Virginia.
18 | Page
Author’s Corner: Books by Revd Dr. Abraham Philip
[Revd Dr. Abraham Philip, MA, BD, MPhil, DTh, was ordained
as a priest in the Mar Thoma Church in 1979. He served as a
priest in the UK and various parts of India. He served as the
Director of TMAM Orientation Centre, Kottayam. He retired in
2019 as the professor of the New Testament theology at the
Mar Theological Seminary, Kottayam and continues as Profes-
sor of New Testament at FFRRC, Kottayam. He is a prolific
writer both in Malayalam and English. He has published over
20 books on Sacraments and New Testament theology. He is
one of the editors of the FOCUS. We very much hope that the
following publications would be of help for the spiritual journey
of our readers. Editorial Board]
Books Published:
1. Sishu Snapanam: Oru Samgra Padanam (Tiru-
valla: CSS, [1996, 2005, 2012] 2018).
2. Saswatha Margam (Tiruvalla: CSS, 2000).
3. Visudha Qurbana: Oru Padanam (Tiruvalla: TLC,
[2001, 2008] 2012).
4. Eternal Words: A Book of Sermons (Tiruvalla:
CSS, 2005).
5. Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (Tiruvalla: CSS,
[2012], 2015).
6. Parisudhathmavu: Our Visadha padanam (Tiruval-
la: TLC, [2010], 2016).
7. Daily Prayers for the People of God (Tiruvalla:
CSS, [2011, 2016], 2019).
8. Words of Eternal Life: A Book of Sermons (Tiru-
valla: CSS, 2013).
9. Puthiya Niyaamum: Oru Aamugha Padanam (Tir-
uvalla: TLC, [2015], 2017).
10. Enlightening Words of Truth: A Book of Sermons
(Tiruvalla: CSS, 2017).
11. The Holy Spirit in the New Testament (Tiruvalla:
CSS, 2018).
12. Yohannan Ezhuthiya Suvisesham: Charitravum
Daivasastravum (Tiruvalla: CSS, 2016).
13. History and Theology of the Gospel according to
St John (Tiruvalla: CSS, 2018)
14. An Introduction to the New Testament (Tiruvalla:
CSS, [2017], 2022)
15. Evangelion Prasamgangal Part 1 (CSS, 2019)
16. Puthiya Niyamum: Oru Hrusva Aamugha
Padanam (Tiruvalla: CSS, 2020).
17. Evangelion Prasamgangal Part 2 (CSS, 2020).
18. Biblical Hermeneutics: Methods and Perspec-
tives (Tiruvalla: CSS, [2020], 2022)
19. More Daily Prayers for the People of God (Tiru-
valla: CSS, 2021).
20. Reading the Apocalyptic: The Book of Revela-
tion: A Commentary (Delhi: Christian World Im-
prints, 2022).
21. The Life and Faith of the People of God as in the
New Testament (Delhi: Christian World Imprints,
2022).
22. Daivajanathinu Prathidina Prarthanakal (Tiruvalla:
CSS, 2023).
23. Jesus Tradition in the Johannine Writings (Delhi:
Christian World Imprints, 2023).
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Crisis of Leadership in Caring for People
Revd Dr. John T. Mathew*
The gospel of John records a parable of the Good
Shepherd; untangling a parable is easier said and done.
It is all about “us” – the faithful flock fenced in a com-
fortably secure paddock in a hostile neighbourhood with
thieves and elusive predators stalking us day, and night.
The Good Shepherd has a few hired herders on duty so
that the sheep may live in harmony.
Many disillusioned adherents are on a hair-trigger
temper with no desire to make an informed decision
or deal with rage. The singular intention here is to
focus on the goodness of Jesus; the enormity of un-
hinged herders and their damaging baggage might
eclipse it! The goodness of Jesus has been drowned by
mediocre herders! A corrupt leader or an insurmount-
able social issue may prompt people to move on. It
is impossible for a morally culpable person to salvage
the trust of the community. This parable shatters myths
and bogus assumptions of self-proclaimed herders. A
designated position or a college diploma will not gener-
ate the fire in the belly to realize the shepherd threshold.
No one can embezzle Jesus’ title as the Good Shep-
herd.
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down
His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not
a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the
wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees; he
flees because he is a hired hand and does not care
about the sheep” (John 10:1-18). Thomas Aquinas went
into detail: “Know the difference between a good and a
bad shepherd: the good shepherd cares for the welfare
of his flock, but the bad shepherd cares only for his own
welfare.”
Albeit, St. John is not the primary source, the one-off
Johannine use of exclusionary ‘I AM’ affirmations merits
consideration. An image of the Good Shepherd should
deeply concern those who feel called and are commis-
sioned as hired herders to serve people. Remember
herders are not shepherds but clearly hired coolies for
an ephemeral task. For centuries, we have been guided
by the assumption that church is singularly of the peo-
ple, by the people and for the people. However, in the
real world, church has been kept under control by hired
herders for their own purposes.
Openly this parable grants an exegetist permission to
venture into new terrain. Jesus is the only apotheosis of
the title ‘Good Shepherd.’ Why? Because he said it so
loud and clear. The self-titled “good” shepherd in the
parable is Jesus – no one else is the Good Shepherd.
We trail picky penchants to capture the meaning of life.
Some may use images, metaphors, and ancient
19 | Page
aphorisms to figure out fundamental lessons and pur-
poses of life. Jesus used parables to help his listeners
adhere to his instructions and examples of public ser-
vice of caring for the community. Some were so dis-
tracted that Jesus had to leave people including his dis-
ciples thrown off balance.
We choose our own perspectives, vantage grounds. It is
ingrained in our nature to cover up secrets, uncover
new insights and discover new meanings about life ex-
periences. A desire to discern truth is an ethical neces-
sity. We must rise above and navigate beyond what we
learned in primary and high schools when we move on
to higher exposures and experiences. It took seven Di-
vinity Schools on both sides of the Atlantic to equitably
plumb the twists and turns of one of the most miscon-
strued commandments, “Love your neighbour as your-
self” – with its sharply shrouded import for those who
are familiar with clannish nuance of this mandate. We
must strive to dig up the masked mystery!
Cultures either love or loathe sacred depictions, pena-
tes, statues, and icons. The image of the Good Shep-
herd in countryside scenes mustering sheep is a con-
ventional depiction of Jesus. This is the only parable
where Jesus owns up his title role. At Cana he did not
grandstand as an exceptional oenologist. He did not
boast as an up-and-coming chef when more than five
thousand were fed.
Jesus the Good Shepherd knows, cares for, protects
and guides his flock of sheep that listen to his voice and
follow him. This metaphor of the shepherd and sheep or
of the church highlights the sense of security and har-
mony as well as the need of belonging to the communi-
ty of faith among his disciples.
A leader must figure out the difference between leading
and managing. Unarguably in the beginning Moses was
an inventive leader who, when weighed down by too
many mundane battles, got tuckered out as a deadbeat
manager. Nearly all theologically outdated denomina-
tions get bogged down by tired old chiefs as younger
denominations are managed by bureaucrats with no
theological guidance and vision.
The story of the church began on the Day of Pentecost.
This metaphor highlights the genesis of a movement,
critical turning points of its continued presence and in-
fluence, to borrow the words of John Newton: ‘Through
many dangers, toils and snares.” At the nadir of dis-
graceful racism in the USA perpetrated by Machiavellian
leaders, Jack Holmes demanded Americans to wake up
and smell the coffee in his January 18, 2018 article titled
“The Death of Shame, or the Rise of Shamelessness?”
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Our world’s most affluent democracy began to rock un-
der an imprudent leadership. This title enraged me not
to engage in a rhetorical scuffle but to take a punt on
delving into hurtful leadership meltdown in the church.
In ministry leadership, the minister and the church
member are not adversaries but are mutually supporting
partners; not competitors but co-dependent team play-
ers working together for the same objectives. With the
tragic meltdown of leadership, church growth is de-
railed across the globe.
Many leaders, oblivious to their original goals of
public service and unable to identify with anything,
forget who they are and struggle with being normal!
A participant leader for decades, now I am promoted to
the bleachers as a participant viewer to watch the team
compete and work together in the arena. Once at a
global church event, I ventured to be current with cut-
ting edge issues in theology, ministerial practice, and
community and global affairs. Without exception clerics
from emerging nations were too fixated on touring near-
by places, shopping and piling up funds to get the next
SUVs. One of them is doing time for money laundering;
another one moved to another country to avoid indict-
ment. Law enforcement officers scramble to find (miss-
ing in action) MIA busted bishops. It is imperative that
denominations invest in investigations to bring to light
no-nonsense ins and outs of why church leaders go
nuclear.
Cardinal George Pell was a saint for some; however, at
his funeral held at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, some
people were chanting “Pell go to hell.” Early this year,
Francis the 266th Pope and the first Latin pope elected
head of the largest denomination, celebrated tenth an-
niversary of his papacy with a mass in the chapel at
Santa Marta hotel in Vatican. He, no different from any
other political or religious leader, inherited a heap of
issues including clergy sex abuse. Nearly all leaders
struggle with realistic disconnect between smug con-
tentment and reality. Francis acknowledged, ‘This was
my conversion – that is when the bomb went off when I
saw the corruption of many bishops in this’.
Conversions happen in our inward journeys. A smidgen
of xenophobic smugness with which Jesus retorted to a
high and dry Syrophoenician mother was uncaring: “I
have been sent only to the lost sheep of the people of
Israel.” The disciples tried to do away with the woman
who had known the spacious scope of Jesus ministry.
She helped Jesus expand his mission in order to expe-
rience a conversion to welcome her.
Pope Benedict removed some 800 priests. A Roman
Catholic bishop in Nova Scotia, charged with the impor-
tation of child pornography, was suspended from his
priestly functions, and laicized by the Pope in 2012. It
was a huge letdown for the church in Canada.
20 | Page
William Temple directed his missionaries to India never
to read the Magnificat in public! The richest nation on
the planet in the 1500s became one of the poorest in
the 20th century. Both Archbishop Temple who warned
his missionaries to hush up the joyfully liberating song
of Mary in India and Patriarch Kirill, using the code "Mi-
khailov" worked for Soviet intelligence service when he
represented the Moscow Patriarchate at the World
Council of Churches in Switzerland volunteered to be
secret agents of their perfidious hegemonies. The
church of Jesus, the Messiah is not an extension of an
evil empire.
First, no community of faith is spared from such menac-
ing creatures of maleficence. Therefore, no chance for
virtuous posturing. Conversely, an investigation of the
sullied leaders does not reek a carte blanche cynicism
of demonstrated leadership of dedicated women and
men. How would the alleged felons pay when the legal
bills keep racking up from the church coffer? And we
need a quick refresher: How would this practice recon-
cile with the theology of stewardship?
Everyone has bad days; incompetent church leaders
stump faithful disciples of Jesus! For sure, it is not a
manifesto to take digs at those who follow their blissful
calling. Men and women with integrity, seriousness of
purpose and maturity, held accountable 24/7 for their
conduct, need to be cognizant of the wider society that
may lampoon workplace culture. Too many herders in
all shades of theological spectrum splash into unethical
stashes.
In fact, the opposite of wholesome and imaginative
leadership is not bad leadership but amateurish direc-
tion due to corrupt leadership. We must reclaim our
trust in God and regain our confidence in our leaders
that they would not default on their calling to serve
those on the margins.
There is nothing on earth more delightful than sheep
grazing on hillside pastures. One day in the lambing
season from sunrise to sunset I was invited to monitor
the sheep farm of the Affleck father-son team on the
Waipounamu, New Zealand and their 30, 000 sheep and
counting. The most challenging task in the morning was
to track down dozens of bummer lambs left behind by
the ewes hard at taking care of five hundred lambs plus
born the night before. Would caring for two goats for
couple of years as well as spending one day with Kiwi
shepherds and their flock of over thirty thousand sheep
– make me a shepherd? Not quite; just a helping hand
for a day to get off the farm utility vehicle to open and
close the paddocks.
We keep hearing or reading lines such as ‘My God is
awesome.’ Such untheological, nervous statements beg
questions such as, ‘Was God bad to anyone at any
time?’ My God is good as if God could be/was not so
good? God is good all the time!
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Many parishes justly prefer an experienced herder ‘with
a shepherd’s heart’! Not long ago, an international
church contacted me saying that someone in the con-
gregation was so impressed by one of my articles that
the search committee urged me to apply for the position
of senior minister! They were interested in an experi-
enced, theologically fully-loaded minister with a shep-
herd’s heart, a caring, inspiring servant – a quixotic
mandate of an ecclesial chimera – ordained in a main-
line denomination who would “live, listen, love and lead
us like Jesus.” Despite my boundless alacrity, I listened
to the words of wisdom of my wife and asked them to
look for Jesus!
Turning the spotlight on God’s paternal care of suste-
nance, security, shelter and prosperity, David begins his
legendary psalm ‘The Lord is my shepherd.’ Yet, David
described God in human terms as the shepherd. The
herders need to double down on the sheep and leave
the fiscal issues to those in charge of stewardship. In
the early 1990s I was invited to preach at a New York
city parish. And the gracious hosts presented me a
cheque which I instantaneously returned with thanks! In
the hallway, overjoyed they whispered, “Gosh, it is very
first time that a guest preacher returned the cheque.”
When Merrill Lynch gladly took care of the bills, you are
never down-and-out. They appeared lost for words, I
reminded them, ‘when Jesus is my shepherd, I’ll not
want.’
In the metaphor of flock of sheep and the meltdown of
puisne herders of all liturgical colours, theological
stances and cultural hues, Jesus, the good shepherd
does not give the runaround. After all, they are herders
of the ‘great shepherd of the sheep.’ Most establish-
ments are retained by inner circles of monocrats. The
church that claims to be driven by the Holy Spirit is no
exception. Jesus cherry-picked his twelve disciples;
nonetheless he had a top brass of James, John and
Peter who witnessed Jesus’ dazzling triumphs and his
dismal trials. In order to determine the head honcho,
they absurdly fought like faithful Christians in the park-
ing lots trying to reverse the decisions prayerfully made
in the sanctuary.
None of the disciples claimed to be shepherds nor did
they dare to elevate themselves as sovereign heads of
the communities of faith they founded or inherited. Je-
sus is and was the head of the movement that he
founded. The disciples were given the authority of the
church wherever they were sent; however, Jesus is the
foundation of the Church.
Too many convoluted herders often find themselves
sandbagged by their own delusional dishonesties while
the rest are tone-deaf and out of touch with humanity.
Hired herders like David Beaton of St. Andrews, the last
Scottish Cardinal prior to European Reformation, fet-
ishized his calling to serve the sheep. The church does
21 | Page
not have to wear a negative past around its neck like an
albatross. Laws are like spider's webs to trap black flies
that let go loudest bellbirds. No matter what denomina-
tion, a reckless herder is a pain-in-the-neck born to stir
up a fading drama. Thomas Becket groveled to the
mighty and the exalted.
Does this parable goad us to confront the current crisis
of leadership? A seminal investigation on the job de-
scriptions of the good shepherd and his 21st century
hired hands may raise more questions than it answers.
Most of the religious leaders are drilled, grilled, skilled,
and dripping wet in antediluvian Skidamarink theolo-
gies. The church does not have all the answers for all
evils. Its primary purpose is to nudge its adherents on
the straight and narrow.
The church needs energetic, visionary, and discerning
younger leaders – women and men – of a new genera-
tion of theologians as the hired hands of Jesus trans-
forming the crisis of leadership. We are at the forefront
of a new generation of leaders transforming the way we
identify with – and address – the sticky situation of
leadership. Rumpus happens in all paddocks however,
“thou shalt not hijack the Good News of Jesus for prof-
it.” The issue of flouting norms of ethical behaviour
among leaders, who are more interested in horrid horse-
trading than ministering to and caring for the people,
has always been a rampant scourge. The church must
denounce such examples on a cellular level.
Certainly, the church needs more graceful sheep herd-
ers with less razzmatazz and more caring and compas-
sion. No intention here to dox church leaders as I am
one of them. Life always offers us teachable moments
on a silver platter. When we graduated from our Sunday
School theology to the brave new world of college and
seminary, expressly we opined that we moved on to the
amaranthine positions in greener pastures having fig-
ured out everything about Jesus’ parables. When the
chips are down, we must help one another to spark on
who we really are! We are the sheep of the Good Shep-
herd in the interim cared for by the hired hands.
*Revd Dr. John T. Mathew is an
ordained minister in The United
Church of Canada who served
several urban and rural congrega-
tions in the province of Ontario,
Canada, since 1974 and taught in
the Department of Religious Stud-
ies, Huntington/Laurentian Univer-
sity, Sudbury, Ontario. Revd.
Mathew was awarded Merrill Fellowship at Harvard Uni-
versity and served as Pastor-Theologian at the Princeton
Center of Theological Inquiry. He was Ecumenical Minis-
ter (2010) at St. Machar’s Cathedral, Aberdeen (Church
of Scotland) and Interim Minister at St. Andrew's Parish,
Gore, Southern Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church
of Aotearoa, New Zealand (2015-2017).
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Why Do I Write?
Dr. Valson Thampu
There are many reasons why I write. At the most basic
level, I write because I need to express myself. Wouldn’t
the spoken word do for that purpose, you could well
ask? The answer is yes and no. The spoken word would
do only up to a point, beyond which it cannot go; espe-
cially in a cultural context where superficiality reigns
supreme, as is the case with life at the present time.
This raises a curious question. Why did not the spiritual
geniuses of the world – Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ,
Prophet Mohammad, Guru Nanak and so on – write a
word. They only spoke. That was partly because they
lived in cultures largely oral in their traditions. Even more
importantly, they did not have to bother about the dura-
bility of their teachings. They knew that their words
would live forever in the soul of humanity. They were the
sort, as John Milton would have said, ‘that humanity will
not willingly let die.’ I cannot assume this as regards
what I say, for obvious reasons!
The writer in me was born via a crisis. In 1994, I suffered
paralysis of the neck and the left arm. For a couple of
months, it seemed as though I would never walk again.
Till then, I had limited myself largely, if not entirely, to
the spoken word. In that crisis phase of my life, con-
signed to my bed and facing the bleak prospect of hav-
ing to cease to be a peripatetic speaker and preacher, I
was struck by the transitory nature of all that I had
preached till then. It seemed as though I had done noth-
ing. I would leave nothing to posterity. All the talks and
sermons delivered in sundry places had evaporated.
That was hard to take.
I was aware of the dynamics of hearing. Even the best
of hearers registers only 35% of what they hear. This
35% retained in the case of ideal listeners has only a
short shelf-life. Much of it is forgotten, perhaps never to
be remembered or recalled. Speeches and sermons are
like pre-Monsoon drizzles. They happen, and are re-
membered no more. Not so in the case of the teachings
of spiritual geniuses like Jesus Christ. Words spoken
become inexhaustible well-springs. So, Jesus identified
himself as ‘the living waters.’ My spoken words were
more like vapours. What made the difference was the
quality of Jesus’s personality. Every word he spoke was
imprinted with his personality, and so became immortal.
I could harbour no such expectation. If at all I were to
attain a modicum of comparative durability, I had to re-
sort to the written word. So, curious as it might seem, I
began to write out of the acute awareness of my per-
sonal poverty and insufficiency. If I had the personality
of Jesus, I would not have had to write!
I stated at the outset that I had recourse to the disci-
pline of writing in order to express myself. Questions
arose, soon enough – what do you want to express?
22 | Page
And why? Jesus expressed himself – the word ‘express’
means pressing something out of oneself – because he
was the Word become flesh. I was more like the flesh
become sound. As a speaker I could hide this poverty
behind the smoke-screen of stylization and linguistic
sleight of hands. But, as a writer I could not. Standing
on the podium and pontificating is quite different from
existing naked in mute vulnerability on the printed page.
One had to be, in order to write. The hard and demand-
ing discipline of writing made me aware, as never be-
fore, of the poverty of skipping on the surface and the
hiddenness – in Jesus’s metaphor – of the treasures
that endure, which I needed to cultivate. I also realized
that writing was the best medium for quickening and
accessing my personal depth.
It is possible to speak without having something worth-
while to say. It is impossible to write, unless one has
something really worthwhile to give to fellow human be-
ings. And that involved much more than knowing a
great deal more.
Soon, writing became, for me, a mode also of self-
criticism. As a speaker, I had to impress my audiences.
But the great thing in being a writer was to be clear and
precise. This is challenging because one has to be pre-
cise in expressing what is deep and, at times, inchoate.
It is only when you venture far on the landscape of
thought and understanding that you realize that lan-
guage, for all its marvellous facilities and felicities, is an
imprecise instrument. The challenge before an author is
to be precise in the employment of the imprecise.
Speaking and preaching are devoid of this rigour.
I began to realize that intellectual and spiritual precision
is a by-product of wholesomeness in being for which
the Christological idiom is ‘life in all its fullness.’ One
cannot be a one-track mind and be an author; especial-
ly an author who is keen to exemplify the beauty of
depth in thought complemented with precision in ex-
pression. One has to be a crucible, as T. S. Eliot said,
into which ideas and insights from innumerable sources
are free to enter and form multifarious combinations.
This realization made me reflect on what Jesus as the
Word-become-flesh could possibly mean. The Word is
the Mind of God. It is necessarily cosmic and all-
inclusive. Man-made labels and limitations are irrele-
vant to the Word. That, surely, was the case with Jesus.
This cosmic inclusiveness was the secret of the charis-
ma of Jesus’ personality. We have substituted this with
ponderousness of chairs and accoutrements of office
with which narrow-mindedness and shallowness in per-
sonality are blend-able.
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
This meant that the struggle to become an author meant
a lot of trouble as well for me. As a speaker, I could co-
exist with chameleon-like ease with any given situation.
As an author I had to withdraw into myself for the most
part. The main reason for this needs to be stated, even
if it could sound supercilious. Most people do not real-
ize the extent of energy-leaks that social life involves.
This has two aspects. Much of our routine conversa-
tions and social intercourses are repetitive, mechanical
and superficial. It is, in the word of Jane Austen, the
English novelist, ‘pious mouthing of unctuous nothing.’
This is seriously energy-zapping. Secondly, social life
spreads one’s consciousness thin in the external world.
Beyond a point, socialization upsets the necessary bal-
ance between the inner and external dimensions of
one’s being.
A balanced human being is like the lotus. It has its
leaves and flowers on the water surface; but its roots
are in the nourishing sludge below. Loosing this rooted-
ness impoverishes and enfeebles personality. It makes a
person something like a paste-and-cardboard figure.
Perhaps, Jesus had this in mind when he denoted the
Pharisees of his days as ‘whited sepulchres.’ Clearly, it
denotes the dissonance between the inner and outer
dimensions of one’s personality. Whited sepulchres can
have nothing worthwhile to do even with the spoken
word. They sound insufferably hollow when they speak!
St Paul describes this phenomenon aptly: ‘sounding
brass and tinkling cymbals.’
The long and short of what I have tried to state above is
that cultivating and adhering to the discipline of becom-
ing and being an author took a toll on my social life. Un-
beknown to myself, I became a recluse, open to being
misunderstood as a standoffish person. This was not a
matter merely of suffering a quantitative diminution in
my social life. It was, even more, a matter of striking
others in ways disturbing to them. ‘Birds of the same
feather flocking together’ is a fairly accurate description
of the disposition of most people. My feathers began to
seem different to those of many. The awareness of even
marginal difference in personality orientation upsets
people excessively. I took a while to understand this
phenomenon in perspective. The writings of Arthur
Schopenhauer helped me in this regard.
Perhaps the foremost reason for my turning to the ha-
ven of the written word was my sensitivity. No one, ex-
cept the members of my nuclear family, knows how
acutely sensitive I am. In public I wear the well-wrought
mask of fortitude and emotional impregnability. In reali-
ty, I am more sensitive than the sensitive plant and more
fragile than the wings of a butterfly. I get hurt easily. I
brood over my lapses. God alone knows what an or-
deal of subjective suffering my life has been. Looking
back, I realize that 99% of it was unnecessary and
avoidable. I have only myself to blame for this. But my
sensitivity was real, and I had to deal with it, if I did not
want to tip over into the twilight world of the unhinged.
23 | Page
To give you an indication, I was the type that would
brood even on a poor tennis shot I played in a game of
tennis played in the afternoon, for long into the night. I
got started with chess in the early ‘70s; but gave up
playing it, because defeats had a crushing effect on me.
The extent of my hurt depended on three factors: (a) the
range of my exposure to the external world, (b) the de-
gree to which I depended on the external world, and,
even more importantly, (c) the poverty of my inner re-
sources. Trying to stabilize myself on anything external
to me seemed like struggling to stand upright on a
shakily moving conveyor belt.
My life as an author enabled me, for the most part, to
deepen my inner life and to attain a fairly adequate de-
gree of inner coherence. It mitigated the misery that de-
pendence on external factors and agents necessarily
generated. I realized that the deeper I dug into myself,
the less vulnerable I became to the twists and turns of
the external world. This too exacted a price. I became
more inward-focused and less able to respond to social
and relational demands and expectations.
I had to treat myself in regard to this existential anae-
mia! The remedy I resorted to was activism. So, I rein-
vented myself as a quasi-social, quasi-political activist.
Limitations of time disallow the detailing of particulars
here. But it turned out to be a saga in itself. But soon I
had to face the price this too demanded. Activism up-
rooted me, yet again, from the landscape of my inner
life. As William Wordsworth said, the world was too
much with me, ruining my ‘bliss of solitude.’ Through it
all I realized that the dynamic of life is similar to that of a
pendulum. We swing in sequence, and our existential
balance is comprehended within the range of life’s pen-
dular swings.
Over a period of three decades, I have written much. In
the world of letters, I was like a sprinter, who could not
afford looking back. I have produced impressive quanti-
ty. But have I produced quality? That is for others to
determine. Sadly, in this respect I feel that my commu-
nity is like the black hole. Expect no feedback! I distrib-
uted 300 copies of my memoir, On A Stormy Course,
free of cost to those I deemed to be the intelligentsia of
my community. That was the book into which I had
poured my lifeblood. There were two junior-dinner-sort-
of responses, as compared to the meaty –positive as
well as negative- feedbacks from the general public,
including several from overseas.
The familiar, stock response over the years from the few
who have read my books is that they are too dense and
demanding. They do not meet the set, stereotypical ex-
pectations. I believe this betrays a Sunday-sermon
hang-over. Our people are conditioned to hear the fa-
miliar and the repetitive. They feel unsettled when ex-
posed to anything unfamiliar. This does not exonerate
me from the culpability of not cultivating the art of pop-
lar communication. That is a gift that keeps receding
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
from me. I know the beauty of simplicity, even if I am
unable to practice it. So, then: why do I write? Well, I
write because I cannot help it. The bliss of writing is that
one is, in the experience of writing, in a state of blissful
concentration. It leads you, slowly but steadily, to the
mountain-top where the bliss and glory of transfigura-
tion becomes real. This is hugely liberating. In the im-
pregnable insularity of creativity in which one exists and
performs at the zenith of one’s creative potencies, un-
fettered by anything and undistracted by anyone, one
attains bliss. Nothing else in the world compares to this.
If I have experienced it even once, why would I not write
till the flow of blood stops in my wan and withered fin-
gers, and the brain shuts down like a burned-out mete-
or?
Be Witnesses of the Risen Lord
Mrs. Sherin Mary Jacob*
“For truly to see your face is like seeing the face of
God, now you have received me favourably” (Gen
33:10).
Living in harmony is an expression of being an every-
day living witness of the risen Lord. The Cross and
the risen saviour demonstrate the gospel of harmony
and peace between the children of God and the God,
our heavenly Father. Harmony with God is expressed
in and through the harmonious interactions with our
fellow beings and the wider family of God. Christians
are called to be agents of reconciliation as they are
considered witnesses and messengers of the resur-
rected Lord. The story of eventual reconciliation be-
tween Jacob and Esau (Genesis Chapters 25-35) is
an example of a way of living in Harmony after God’s
intervention. They had a problem from the very be-
ginning in their mother’s (Rebekah’s) womb, but by
the grace of God they reconciled and Jacob was able
to testify: “For truly to see your face is like seeing the
face of God.” This reconciliation was the beginning of
a harmonious living.
The text that I have chosen for meditation presents
the reconciliation of twin brothers, Esau and Jacob. It
is a beautiful comparison of the complete change
that takes place in us when we encounter the Risen
Lord and his Cross. Both of these men have a
change of heart which brings about the reconciliation
between them which lead to a harmonious living af-
terwards.
Jacob was reared up with ambitions to be greater
than Esau, his older twin-brother. As advised by his
mother Rebekah, Jacob tricked both Esau and his
father, Isaac, and deceivingly received the blessing of
the firstborn from his father. It is quite weird that they
24 | Page
who shared a common space in their mother’s womb
could not tolerate each other as they grew up. This
rivalry reached its peak when Esau swore that he
would kill Jacob. In an attempt to escape the wrath of
Esau, Jacob fled from his home to spend the 21
years away from his brother.
However, Jacob reminds us that we cannot run away
from our responsibilities or our problems forever but
has to reach a point of reconciliation. Wrongs against
society and against one another require forgiveness
before God and people. Jacob is told directly, "Go
back to the land of your fathers" to which Jacob nev-
er argues. During the journey back, the time of prayer
leads to a time of intense struggle in the dark hours
of night. Jacob seems to be struggling both with God
and with himself. He is struggling to submit his will to
God. And when he does that, he enjoys the blessing
of reconciliation. Jacob knew that he had done
wrong to his brother and that he had to make it right.
They had to meet and it was never a meeting in the
accusatory or revenge seeking mode. Jacob hum-
bled himself before his brother. He acknowledged
that he had done the wrong and that marks the be-
ginning of reconciliation. Romans 5:10 reads, “For if,
when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God
by the death of his Son, much more, being recon-
ciled, we shall be saved by his life.” The encounter
with the risen Lord can be the catalyst to enter into
reconciliation with our fellow beings.
Pope John Paul said, “There is no reconciliation until
you recognize the dignity of the other, until you see
their view – you have to enter into the pain of the
people. You have got to feel their need.” This is ac-
knowledging ‘the other’ as a gift from God which
helps to have at-one-ment. This is indeed the good
news, the living gospel, of becoming witnesses of the
risen Lord. Reconciliation is a path to living in harmo-
ny.
Let us pray to our Lord and our Saviour to help us to
see others through the eyes of our risen Lord to rec-
ognize the inherent , God-given, dignity of each per-
son, even those who hurt us. Let us pray to have the
courage to reach out to others to initiate reconcilia-
tion, even when it feels difficult and uncomfortable.
*Mrs. Sherin Mary Jacob is the
wife of Revd Sujith Sam Mam-
men, Vicar of the Carmel MTC,
Boston. She has a master’s de-
gree in Computer Application
(MCA). She also has teaching ex-
perience at postgraduate level.
She is actively supporting the par-
ish ministry of her husband.
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Living In Harmony: Nurturing Balance in an Intercon-
nected World
Mrs. Jency Anish*
In today's world, finding harmony in our lives has be-
come more important than ever.
As we navigate the complexities of work, relationships
and societal pressures, the pursuit of balance and har-
mony can provide us with a sense of peace, fulfillment,
and overall well-being. In this article, we will explore the
various aspects of living in harmony and discover how it
can positively impact our lives and the world around us.
1. Harmonizing with Nature
Living in harmony extends beyond human relationships.
It encompasses our relationship with nature and the
environment. Identifying and knowing our intercon-
nection with the natural world can inspire us to adopt
sustainable practices and become responsible stewards
of the Earth. By reducing our resources and support-
ing eco-friendly initiatives, we contribute to a sustaina-
ble and harmonious environment and coexistence with
nature.
2. Harmonizing the self
To maintain harmony, we should begin with understand-
ing and nurturing ourselves. It involves aligning our
thoughts, emotions and actions with our core values
and aspirations. Practicing self- care, mindfulness and
self-reflection can help us cultivate inner peace and bal-
ance. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance, setting
boundaries and prioritizing self-care, we can reduce
stress and enhance our overall well-being.
3. Cultivating relationships
Building harmonious relationships is essential for a ful-
filling life. be it our personal connections, friendships, or
professional collaborations, fostering empathy, respect
and open communications is crucial. Active listening,
25 | Page
expressing gratitude and resolving conflicts construc-
tively can nurture harmonious interactions. By embrac-
ing diversity and valuing different perspectives, we cre-
ate an inclusive environment that promotes harmony.
4. Finding Balance in the Digital Age
In the era of constant connectivity, striking a balance
between our digital and offline experiences is para-
mount. While technology has undoubtedly enhanced
our lives, it’s essential to establish healthy boundaries
and allocate time for offline activities. Engaging in hob-
bies, spending time in nature and fostering face to
face interactions help us maintain a sense of
harmony and prevent digital overwhelm.
5. Creating Harmonious Communities
Living in harmony also involves creating harmonious
communities that support collective well-being. This can
be achieved through active community engagement,
volunteering and promoting social justice. By collabo-
rating to address common challenges, fostering empa-
thy, and sup porting one another, we can build
stronger and more cohesive societies.
Conclusion
Living in Harmony is a lifelong journey that requires
conscious effort and self-reflection. By nurturing bal-
ance within ourselves, cultivating harmonious relation-
ships, respecting nature, finding digital balance, and
creating harmonious communities can foster a more
peaceful and sustainable world. Embracing the principle
of harmony empowers us to lead more fulfilling lives and
contribute positively to the interconnected tapestry of
our global community. Let us embark on this journey
together, aspiring to live in harmony and make a lasting
impact on our world.
*Mrs. Jency Anish is the wife of
Revd Anish Thomas Thomas,
who is currently serving at
Ebenezer MTC, Othera, Kerala.
She has a Master’s degree in
Commerce, Diploma in Software
Programming, Diploma in Clinical
and Pastoral counselling. She is
currently studying for MSc in
Counselling and family Therapy. She was a primary
school principal, and currently working as a school
teacher.
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Living in Harmony
Mrs. Sharon Mariam Mathew*
The word "harmony" comes from the Greek word "har-
monia." (αρμονία) which denoted a notion of musical
proportions and the blending of various sounds to pro-
duce a beautiful and harmonious sound.
If you stop to think about it, a harmony performance in a
musical always presents a bigger difficulty than a solo
performance. In the first case, the conductor must make
sure that every participant is on task—they have the ap-
propriate note, pitch, breath, etc. They must all work in
unison with one another. It takes a lot of effort to get it
perfect and make sure the sounds cascade in smoothly
and sweetly. Additionally, magic fills the space as soon
as everyone lines up.
Living in harmony is not much different. Being in tune
with one another is not something that comes easily to
humans.
Is living in harmony possible in a world as divided as
ours is today? We see brokenness all around us when
we look. parents and kids, siblings, husbands, and
wives. . . What appears to be lovely and wonderful on
the outside might only be a mask, a façade, or a lie.
Our daily lives involve viewing social media posts from
our friends, family, and influencers on platforms like In-
stagram, Facebook, Snapchat etc. and unknowingly
comparing them to our own lives. The fallen humanity is
prone to envy. And we succumb to it, joining the rat
race to show off our joy and happiness to others, fre-
quently at the expense of the same factors that contrib-
ute to peace and joy in our own homes.
The necessity of unity among believers is consistently
emphasized in the Bible, especially in the letters that
Paul wrote to the various churches. These letters make
clear that Christians are one body with Christ as its
head.
26 | Page
Paul appeals to the Corinthians in his letter to them,
saying, "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with
one another in what you say and that there be no divi-
sions among you, but that you be perfectly united in
mind and thought" (1 Corinthians 1:10).
In his letter to the Ephesians, he advised them to "be
completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with
one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2).
He exhorted the Philippians in his letter to be like-
minded, have the same love, to live in humility, and to
put others before themselves (Philippians 2:2-4).
In his letter to the Colossians, he urged them to bear
with one another and forgive each other as the Lord
forgave them (Colossians 3:13).
To the Thessalonians, he wrote, "Therefore encourage
one another and build each other up, just as in fact you
are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
And in his letter to the Romans, he instructed believers
to be subject to the governing authorities and to live in
harmony with others (Romans 13:1-7).
To add one more, in his letter to the Galatians, Paul en-
couraged believers to live by the Spirit and manifest its
fruits, which include love, joy, peace, patience, kind-
ness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-
control (Galatians 5:22-23)
These are just a handful among the numerous refer-
ences Paul makes in his epistles, of living in Christian
harmony.
Jesus exemplified servant leadership, and we are com-
manded to actively seek out chances to serve others.
Many of us remember the time of the Kerala floods in
2018. There has been a recent movie called ‘2018”,
starring Tovino Thomas featuring those times and I have
heard that it’s worth the watch. During the time of the
floods, there was one particular video that went viral, it
was that of a fisherman who was helping out with the
rescue operations. As they went around rowing boats to
pick up stranded people from the flooded-streets, at
one point when it seemed too difficult for 3 women to
climb into the boat due to the depth of the water, a 32
yr. old man named Jaisal bent over in the water and
made himself a human step, allowing women to step on
him to climb onto the boat. Now isn’t that an example of
harmonious living in today’s world?
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Many a times, we so-called Christians walk around with
the air and grace of someone who is extra privileged.
Yes, we are privileged, that we are sons and daughters
of the King. But through that sonship, we are called to
evangelize to the world around us today through our
actions, our lifestyles. Through sharing and caring and
loving and forgiving and letting go of hurts and insults.
For a long time in our community, we have had reserved
seats in the church and we feel violated if someone has
taken our spot. I remember an aunty once jokingly
comment – “have they reserved their spot in heaven
too?”
We see around us many families who have fought over
inheritance or other worldly matters and not spoken for
years. We walk into church with our heads held high,
but I implore you to think today – am I living in harmony
with my brother/sister today? If not, I remind you of
Paul’s words in Romans 12:16-17: “Live in harmony
with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to as-
sociate with people of low position. Do not be conceit-
ed. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do
what is right in the eyes of everyone.”
Of course, this is not possible of our own might. we
need the dwelling of the Holy Spirit within us, to
strengthen us to put to death our earthly selves. And this
is an ongoing struggle each morning. Dying to ourselves
each day and looking towards that cross where His
blood was shed so that man and God can dwell in har-
mony for all time.
Paul’s closing words to the Corinthians are still fitting for
the church today, 2000 years later. “Dear brothers and
sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful.
Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmo-
ny and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be
with you” (2 Corinthians 13:11).
*Mrs. Sharon Mariam
Mathew is the wife of
Revd Arun Samuel Var-
ghese. They are presently
serving at St. Stephens
Mar Thoma church, New
Jersey. She is an Ac-
counting & Finance grad-
uate from Women's
Christian College (WCC),
Chennai. Sharon is pas-
sionate about her calling
and ministry in the Lord's
vineyard and helps with
the VBS in our churches
as time permits. She was also part of the team that went
on the Navajo mission trip to Farmington, New Mexico,
and helped lead the VBS there among the Native Ameri-
can children.
27 | Page
What on Earth!
Mr. David Brand*
[The author explores the dilemma facing humanity; while
scientists explore ‘how’ the universe came into exist-
ence, spiritually oriented-people explore the reason for
their placement on the earth. Each of us needs to seek
an answer to the question, why we are here? Under-
standing and answering the question ‘why’ would help
in leading a harmonious life. Editorial Board]
This article is written to raise our awareness of the phys-
ical world in which we exist and seek a way to navigate
theology and spirituality under the love of God.
Why? Your guess is as good as mine, but what we have
to agree on is that there has to be many good reasons
to have a reasonable awareness of the physical world,
and I hope at the end of this offering I will be able to
motivate you to consider some of your own answers.
The Universe is considered by scientists to be 7 to 20
billion years old. However, thanks to advanced space
probes, space telescopes and later studies of the cos-
mic microwave background radiation we have been as-
sured that it is now 13.7 billion years +or- 20 million
years. Its size and speed of expansion is beyond our
imagination, but we know that a time will come when
the only stars mankind will be able to see are those in
our own galaxy that we call The Milky Way. Earth is
4.543 billion years old and just for the record it will be
absorbed by the sun in a mere 7.5 billion years; so, it is
nearly the way through its life. Hopefully, if we have not
destroyed ourselves by then we should have learnt how
to get off and find somewhere else to go, and that is the
point of this article.
What does the future hold for us?
For example, if we had become and remained serious
sun worshippers and I do not mean going abroad to
chase the sun on holiday. I mean similar to the early
Aztec civilisations who are reported to have made hu-
man sacrifices to their sun god, and remember only the
very best would do to appease their god and supply all
they needed to survive. Imagine how many people
would have been sacrificed to appease this god as the
sun began expanding and slowly heating up the earth to
a crisp as it expands in around a forecast of 7.5 billion
years. Considering modern history is a mere 2,022
years, a lot can happen in 7.5 billion years. Have you
considered what is expected of us in the time available
and what could have happened in the previous 4.543
billion years? For the record, the oldest artefacts found
so far are ancient stone tools dating back 3.3 million
years from an archaeological site in Kenya.
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Any keen gardener knows how quickly mother nature
takes over if you go away for a month or two; so how
long would it take to erase all evidence of our exist-
ence? should we exterminate ourselves in a worldwide
conflict and has this actually happened on many previ-
ous occasions and will it continue to happen until man-
kind gets it right?
We could eliminate all life now in a nuclear holocaust,
the question is would mother nature repair the damage
and start the life cycle all over again? Despite our ef-
forts we are led to believe no such evidence has been
found yet, that is why there is such interest in a planet
like Mars which could have supported life in the past,
but no longer does as it has lost its atmosphere; the
actual reason why is open to debate, but scientists be-
lieve they know why. Given time and improved space
technology it is theoretically possible to recreate that
atmosphere, this would make a pleasant change from
our normally destructive behaviour.
Science asks the question HOW? but far more im-
portantly religion asks the question WHY ? Finding the
answer to this would give us clues to the question how.
As our technology develops we are appreciating the
utterly gigantic space we live in, so the odds of earth
like planets existing in abundance that are similar to
ours is accepted as very likely and we can wonder if
they have a similar history to ours. I am no believer in
the big bang theory as you cannot have something from
nothing, therefore, what on earth existed to cause the
creation of this huge, challenging and mind-
blowing environment and why? However, a little
knowledge is a dangerous thing and can lead some into
doubting the existence of a God. In our present igno-
rance we just have to accept it for what it is; it is a place
in time and space that we can exist in and a challenge
to explore and expand into. We all have our own opin-
ions, from religions to science, but there has to be a
reason, something on this scale cannot be an accident!
My choice is that it is love that has created all this, to be
more precise the love of a caring God for his creation of
life and nature on a monumental scale. Why not? We do
this on a much smaller scale when we choose a partner
and have children, we can guide them but we cannot
control them as they are not robots but individual be-
ings. We ourselves, as doctors can tell you, are incredi-
28 | Page
ble, though vulnerable creations in the form of a human
body, which we are still continuing to learn more about.
The same principle applies to ourselves and the genera-
tions before us, going back to whatever the beginning
was. The correct answer to the how of that beginning is
unimportant, but whatever happened to our very exist-
ence proves there was one; in the same way a sky full of
galaxies proves that it also is a creation of God, as for
other forms of life. How it was done pales into insignifi-
cance when the question why? appears on the scene. If
love of God created us then we by definition are chil-
dren of that God and if children we are on an indefinite
learning curve of development and some will learn
quicker than others, but we can hope to eventually qual-
ify from here to a higher plane of existence. As the chil-
dren God, we have God-given responsibilities to care
for all God’s creations.
Take a good look around, we are turning this beautiful
planet into a place of chaos, danger, an environmental
failure and possible self-destructive environment. Who
is causing all of this? The answer is mankind, so what
must we do in order to prevent us from becoming an-
other lifeless planet and a failed opportunity. Welcome
to why you are here question, the solutions were given
to us 2023 years ago. We collectively have to apply
them, there are no ifs and buts if we want to hand it
over to succeeding generations. If mankind understands
and accepts it cannot rule itself, then the only option left
is prayer and a complete faith in God and his love, his
mercy and the hope for an opportunity to continue to
the next lesson even though we may have failed this
one.
Jesus taught us a prayer, which included: "Let Thy will
be done on earth as it is in heaven." Doing God's will
be the meaning of living in harmony with our neighbours
and nature too. It is not easy, but each one of has to
know why we are here. Each one of us has a 'God-given
purpose and freedom ‘in Christ.' Freedom and respon-
sibility are connected. Freedom without responsibility is
chaos, which is what we are observing in Ukraine and
other parts of the world. When we express our free-
doms, we should be mindful of freedoms of others
around us. This mindfulness of others' freedom is an
aspect of living in harmony. Therefore, living for God
under God’s self-giving love means living in harmony
with others. Truth, love, justice, and compassion are
rooted in Jesus. These are the values that we are ex-
pected to cultivate and live by. Jesus told us, “I am the
way, the truth and the life” (Jn14:6). In Christ, we have
the perfect model for living in harmony.
*Mr. David Brand is a retired electronic engi-
neer; he is an elder of the Church of Eng-
land, the heart and soul of the parish com-
munity of All Saints’ Harow Weald, London.
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Living in Harmony
Dr. Cherian Samuel
Introduction. Living in Harmony, with the Creator and
His Creation—both human and non-human—has been
an abiding and foundational principle for Humanity from
a faith perspective. This essay explores various aspects
of the Living in Harmony (LiH) principle, primarily
grounded in the Bible. The essay is divided into three
sections. The first section examines the LiH principle
from the Old Testament (OT) of the Bible; second sec-
tion from the New Testament (NT) of the Bible. The third
section concludes the essay and offers some reflec-
tions.
I God as the witness between them (Genesis 31:44-54).
Creation. The creation account provided in the first two
chapters of the OT Book of Genesis capture well the
key aspects of the LiH principle, revealing the perfection
of God’s grand design for His creation—including hu-
manity—brought forth by His word and the breath of His
mouth (Psalm 33:6). The chronological account of crea-
tion exemplifies the magnificence and majesty of the
LORD, fully consistent with the LiH values of order and
priority: (i) Day 1—Day and Night; (ii) Day 2—Heavens,
Oceans; (ii) Day 3—Land, Vegetation; (iv) Day 4—Sun,
Moon, Stars; (v) Day 5—Sea creatures, Birds; (vi) Day
6—Land animals, Humanity; and (vii) Day 7—Rest. In
particular, God created Humanity in His own image—
unlike the rest of creation—male and female, out of the
dust of the ground, into a living being with the breath of
life. God was pleased with His creation, pronouncing it
as “very good” (Genesis 1:31).
The harmony and beauty of God’s creation, the glory
and wisdom of the creator God, and the stewardship of
humanity over creation are the subject of King David’s
great meditation as well (Psalm 8:1-9). God granted
humanity “dominion” over all created things (Genesis
1:26)—a stewardship role in practice—under His dele-
gated authority, establishing the basis for the harmoni-
ous relationship between Humanity and non-human
creation. King David also recognized and honored
God’s sovereignty, the cornerstone of the LiH principle,
in many other meditations, including Psalm 139.
The Fall. However, the Fall of Humanity—recorded in
Genesis 3—fractured the harmonious relationship be-
tween God and Humanity, leading to sin and death
(Romans 6:23), separating Humanity from a Holy and
Just God (Isaiah 59:2). The Fall emanated from Adam
and Eve’s rebellion against God, their deliberate and
willful violation of God’s command not to eat the fruit
from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gene-
sis 2:16–17), following the prompting and leading of Sa-
tan, a fallen being himself, cast down from heaven to
earth following his rebellion against God (Luke 10:18),
masquerading as a serpent to Adam and Eve. However,
29 | Page
God killed an animal and made garments for Adam and
Eve to cover their nakedness and shame (Genesis 3:21)
and restored the harmony between God and Humanity,
foreshadowing the establishment of the sacrificial sys-
tem for the pardoning of humanity’s sin (Leviticus 4:35),
and culminating with redemption by the blood of the
Lamb of God (Revelation 7:14), Jesus Christ.
Galeed. The Galeed (Witness Pile) covenant between
Jacob and his father-in-law and uncle, Laban, provides
a powerful example of the LiH principle in the OT, with
When Jacob decided to leave Laban’s house in Paddan
Aram—ending their twenty-year relationship—and re-
turn to his father, Isaac, Laban was reluctant to let him
go. Therefore, while Laban was away from home for
shearing sheep, Jacob fled secretly with his family, live-
stock, and other possessions for the land of Canaan
(Genesis 31:17–20). While Laban pursued Jacob after
he returned home, God warned him in a dream to let
Jacob go peacefully (Genesis 31:24). Laban obeyed
God’s command and proposed enacting a covenant for
establishing a boundary between him and Jacob. There-
fore, Jacob set up a stone monument to memorialize
the occasion, with Laban calling the place “Jegar-
Sahadutha” (witness pile) in Aramaic, and Jacob,
“Galeed” (witness pile) in Hebrew (Genesis 31:47). La-
ban also added the Hebrew name, Mizpah, meaning
“watchtower” (Genesis 31:49).
Jonathan and David. The exceptional and inexplicable
friendship between David and Jonathan—son of King
Saul and heir apparent to the throne—is a beautiful ex-
ample of the LiH principle in the OT. Notwithstanding
King Saul’s relentless efforts to kill David, Jonathan and
David entered into a covenant to live in harmony (1
Samuel 18:1-5), wherein Jonathan was to be second in
command in David’s future reign and David was to pro-
tect Jonathan’s family (1 Samuel 20:16-17; 23:16-18).
Their friendship was anchored in the key principles of
loyalty, sacrifice, and emotional attachment, that are
essential for Living in Harmony with others. When King
Saul (1049 BC-1009 BC) told his followers to kill David,
Jonathan rebuked his father and recalled David’s faith-
fulness to him in killing Goliath (1 Samuel 19:1-3), a tes-
tament to Jonathan’s loyalty to David. Jonathan also
sacrificed his own right to be the King of Israel—
submitting to God’s will—as seen in Jonathan’s gesture
of giving his clothes and military garb to David (1 Samu-
el 18:4). The strong emotional attachment between Da-
vid and Jonathan is recorded in I Samuel 20, when Jon-
athan met with David to reveal his father’s plans to kill
David, and weeping together (1 Samuel 20: 41).
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Divided Kingdom. The important counterpoint to the
LiH principle in the OT is the case of the Divided King-
dom of Israel, i.e., the Northern and Southern King-
doms, around 931 BC, following the reign of King Solo-
mon (971 BC-931 BC), David’s son, chosen and ap-
proved by God (1 Chronicles 23:1). However, the seeds
of the Northern-Southern division had begun when Da-
vid was installed as the King of Judah, with the support
of only two tribes—Judah and Benjamin—that became
the Southern Kingdom of Judah, while King Saul ruled
as the King of Israel with the support of the remaining
ten tribes, which became the Northern Kingdom of Isra-
el. Eventually, King David (1009 BC-969 BC) united all
the twelve tribes (2 Samuel 5:1-5) after a long-drawn-
out war, and became the King of Israel after King Saul.
More fundamentally though, the lack of harmony and
the resultant disunity and conflict among the tribes of
Israel may be traced to the time of Jacob, the Patriarch
who presided over a divided house, with the sons of
Leah and Rachel contending (Genesis 37:1-11) and per-
sisted during the time of the Judges.
Bible historians note that there was constant war be-
tween the Southern and Northern Kingdoms during the
first sixty years after the division, with the Southern
Kingdom trying to establish their authority over the
Northern Kingdom. Though there was peace between
them during the next eighty years, highlighted by the
alliance between King Jehoshaphat of Judah and King
Ahab of Israel—with Jehosophat's son and successor,
King Jehoram, marrying Ahab's daughter Athaliah—the
conflict between the Kingdoms returned in the ensuing
years. Overall, all the kings of Israel practiced idolatry,
with the worst serving Baal, the supreme god of the an-
cient people of Canaan and Phoenicia. Many of the
kings of Judah served idols as well, with only a few
serving the LORD God, YHWH, faithfully.
II
The Gospel. The Gospel—the good news of the recon-
ciliation between God and Humanity through Jesus
Christ (2 Corinthians 5: 18, 19)—marks the restoration of
the LiH principle in the NT, and serves as the essential
foundation of Christianity. The Incarnation of Christ—
God in human flesh—and His atoning death on the
cross, bearing the guilt and punishment for Sin, for the
ungodly (Romans 5:6) has redeemed Humanity. Jesus
made the “once for all” sacrifice—sufficient and com-
plete forever, for all who would believe in Him—that has
ended the sacrificial system that the LORD had man-
dated for His people (Hebrews 7:27).
Sermon on the Mount. Jesus’s Sermon on the
Mount—recorded in Matthew, chapters five through
seven–provides a comprehensive account of the LiH
principles in the NT. Jesus has taught us to live in a way
that is pleasing to God and His purposes, filled with love
and grace, rooted in wisdom and discernment. The key
principles for Living in Harmony with others include: (i)
Love (Matthew 5:43-48); (ii) Giving (Matthew 6:1-4); (iv)
Prayer (Matthew 6:5-15); (v) Non-Judgement (Matthew
30 | Page
7:1-6). The Sermon on the Mount also includes the Be-
atitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) that characterize the ideal
disciple and his rewards—broadly consistent with LiH
principles as well—with a different character and calling.
Early Church. Among the best examples in the Bible on
Living in Harmony with others comes from the Book of
Acts (Acts 4:32-37), which portrays an extraordinary
moment in the life of the Early Church—the ecclesia of
Jesus—when the believers shared their resources with
one heart and mind. God’s grace worked powerfully
among them as the believers testified the resurrected
Christ with great power. Believers sold their posses-
sions and brought the proceeds to the Apostles for
meeting everyone’s needs. The possession-sharing
practice in Acts 4 was a continuation of the fellowship
of believers recorded in Acts 2, following the Pentecost
Day miracle of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that ful-
filled Jesus’ promise (Luke 24:45-49), with three thou-
sand believers communing in fellowship, breaking of
bread and prayers (Acts 2:41-42), selling possessions,
and dividing them (Acts 2:44-45).
As the Early Church grew, seven men—including Ste-
phen, martyred for his faith in Jesus—were chosen to
serve the physical needs of the people, while the Twelve
disciples ministered to their spiritual needs through
prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:1-4). As Paul
emerged as the Apostle for preaching the Gospel to the
Gentiles—directed by Jesus (Acts 9:15)—helping the
weak and poor became central to his ministry as well,
noted in his emotional farewell address to the Ephesian
elders, where he exhorted them to follow Jesus’s teach-
ing of giving as more blessed than receiving (Acts
20:35).
One Another Commands. Apostle Paul’s epistles in the
NT also emphasize the LiH principles through his One
Another Commands, which make up nearly half of the
total 60 such commands. An indicative list of com-
mands, shown below, reveals their significance for Liv-
ing in Harmony: (1) Honor one another (Romans 12:10);
(2) Love one another (Romans 13:8); (3) Accept one an-
other (Romans 15:7); (4) Serve one another (Galatians
5:13); (5) Be kind and compassionate to one another
(Ephesians 4:32); (6) Forgive each other (Ephesians
4:32); (7) Bear with each other (Colossians 3:13); (8) En-
courage each other (I Thessalonians 4:18); (9) Build
each other up (I Thessalonians 5:11). Apostle Paul
termed believers as “One body in Christ,” transcending
varieties of giftedness (Romans 12:5-8) and people
groups (Galatians 3:28), which provides another LiH ex-
ample in the NT.
A New Earth, A New Heaven. Most fittingly, the last
two chapters (21, 22) of the Book of Revelation—the
very last book of the Bible—ends with an exhaustive
and exhilarating account of the completion and fulfil-
ment of the LiH principle, with the Humanity living in full
and complete harmony with God and His creation,
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
which is also central to the broader vision of the New
Earth and New Heaven, the eternal dwelling place of
believers. The New Earth and the New Heaven are a
fulfillment of what Jesus had promised during His earth-
ly ministry, “Heaven and earth will pass away” (Mark
13:31), with the Lord seated on His throne saying, “I am
making everything new” (Revelation 21:5).

The New Earth and the New Heaven will also have the
following attributes that are hallmarks of Harmony: (i) no
more death (Revelation 21:4); (ii) no more weeping (Rev-
elation 21:4); (v) no more pain (Revelation 21:4); (vi) no
more curse (Revelation 22:3). The New Earth will be
earth as God had originally intended, i.e., Eden restored,
as well as the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2). The
glorious new city of New Jerusalem, with streets of gold
and pearly gates, will be on the New Earth, with the Tree
of Life (Revelation 22:2), representing the final state of
redeemed mankind, forever in glorious harmony and
fellowship with the LORD Almighty (Revelation 21:3).
III
Conclusions. The providential nature of God’s redemptive
plan for Humanity through the atoning death of Jesus Christ
demonstrates the fulfilment of the Living in Harmony principle,
i.e., Humanity living in Harmony with God and His creation.
The LiH principle is also central to the Gospel, the good news
of Holy God reconciling with sinful humanity through the sub-
stitutionary death of His only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ.
In addition, the Church—the ecclesia of Jesus—is the embod-
iment of the LiH principle in the world, with the defining man-
date to love others, Jesus’ primary command to His followers
(1 John 3:11). The sense of harmony that emerges from rec-
onciliation with God, ourselves, one another, and all creation is
powerful and significant.

The broad application of the LiH principle may be also seen in

the current Climate crisis and the recent COVID-19 pandemic,
both existential threats to Humanity. The pandemic experience
has shown that a united approach is essential for dealing with
the crisis and Living in Harmony. Likewise, solidarity is essen-
tial for addressing the Climate crisis, a great reminder for Hu-
manity to Live in Harmony with God’s non-human creation.
Humanity has been called to care for the neighbors of the fu-
ture and the present. For both the Climate crisis and the
COVID-19 pandemic, the logic of collective action emanates
from self-interest—derived from the urgency for self-
preservation—rather than altruism, given the counterfactual of
adverse outcomes for humanity and the resultant departure
from Living in Harmony.

References
“Be the Gospel of Christ,” FOCUS, April 2021, Vol. 9(2).
https://www.scribd.com/document/499881336/Focus-April-
2021
“Reconciliation and Unity,” FOCUS, October 2021, Vol. 9(4).
https://www.scribd.com/document/499881336/Focus-
October-2021
“Sustainability of Nature and the Mission of the Church,” FO-
CUS, January 2022, Vol. 10(1).
https://www.scribd.com/document/499881336/Focus-
January-2022
“We are all in it together,” FOCUS, October 2022, Vol. 10(4).
https://www.scribd.com/document/499881336/Focus-
October-2022

31 | Page FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3

Christ Event: A Divine Call to Live in Harmony
Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph*
The death and the resurrection of Christ speak of a new
mode of existence for all creation. The risen Lord’s
Gospel is for the whole creation. As the theme chosen
for the WCC Assembly 2022 puts it, “Christ’s love
moves the world to reconciliation and unity.” The new
humanity in Christ is not Christians’ gift only to people
of other faiths, but to all humankind and to the whole
creation.
The power of love manifested in the death and resurrec-
tion of Christ speaks of the promise of inclusion. It is
imparted to us as Pease on Earth in the person of Jesus
Christ. “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth
his peace for men on whom his favour rests” (Lk 2:14).
This is the vision of the kingdom of God in our midst.
Living in the realm of New Humanity in Christ is a call to
put off the old man and put on the new man. In the
Pauline affirmation, we find a call to transformative dis-
cipleship for all with the basic convergence of theology
and ethics. It is a divine imperative on us “not to get
conformed to the world but to get transformed by the
renewal of the mind” (Rom 12:2). St. Paul writes, “Adapt
yourselves no longer to the patterns of this present
world but let your minds be remade and your whole na-
ture thus transformed. Then you will be able to discern
the will of God and to know what is good, acceptable,
and perfect.” “God, in your grace transform the world”
is the message of the 9th Assembly of the WCC, and it
is a mission mandate for all. Turning to God is a divine
possibility inherent in all creation and it is a religious
pilgrimage to justice and truth. In the last quarter of the
20th century and of the present, there are signs of peo-
ple returning to the spirituality of religion and religious
experiences in different parts of the world. A true turning
to God would involve, as Mathai Zachariah puts it, “a
willingness to face and grasp the realities of suffering,
conflicts and seeming despair and an ability to respond
to them in faith and hope knowing that God calls for our
presence in the midst of them.” This message of the
Gospel is addressed to all creation regardless of reli-
gious or secular affiliation. The theology of the cross
and of the resurrection of Christ should help us to speak
of a paradigm shift in the mission pursuits of the
Church. The inherent necessity is to celebrate our
common humanity with sincerity and truth for Jesus
Christ is to be understood as the mediator between God
and man (1Tim 2:5).
The Inside and Outside Experience of Christ
What does it mean to live inside and outside the realm
of new humanity in Christ?
32 | Page
Critical acceptance of the immediate
In I Thess. 5.21-22 St. Paul asks us "to test everything
and to hold fast to what is good." One should not be
carried away by the philosophy of the Market Culture,
which is primarily concerned with "having" not "being".
"What you are is more important than what you have" in
God's sight. We need to hold the flag of diversity and
simplicity in life. Temptations are meant to be resisted
with firm faith as Jesus did. The Bible speaks of 7 dead-
ly sins in a classic way. They are pride (being pleased
and satisfied with oneself); anger (the feeling that makes
people to quarrel or fight); envy (feeling of resentment at
another's better fortune); impurity (state of being im-
pure); gluttony (habit of eating too much) slothfulness
(laziness) and avarice (greed for money and posses-
sions). The other deadly sins of today could be listed as
false formality, fibbing, procrastination, plagiarizing,
keeping with the Joneses, double standards, bad man-
ners, giving secretly and broadcasting publicly!
In search of noble spiritual values
The seven words of Jesus on the cross and his death
reveal the depth of God's love for redemption and rec-
onciliation. It also reminds us not to forget hospitality to
all creatures on earth as the compassion of the Lord is
inclusive (Sib. 18:13; Psalm 145:9). It is a fact that we
are carried away by half- baked truths. One may hear a
corrective voice in the words of Arundhati Roy when she
said, "There's really no such thing as the voiceless.
There are only the deliberately silenced or the preferably
unheard." The search of the Risen Lord after his disci-
ples' desertion speaks volumes to us. This is to make
the Church aware that she exists in the midst of the
world where brokenness and lack of harmony find their
expressions not only in conflicts, but also in the margin-
alization and oppression which people may endure due
to economic, racial, political, cultural, and other religious
reasons. In entering into dialogue with people on the
basis of agape (divine love) revealed on the cross, vindi-
cated by God, the Father, the ladder of the Kingdom
gets established in human hearts. This will lead us to
ask several searching questions, which may be uncom-
fortable to many. Dalai Lama is right when he said, "mu-
tual respect is the foundation of genuine harmony.” In
the New Humanity of Christ, one may notice the con-
vergence of the Hindu concept of Sarvadharma. Sama
Bhavana, India's cultural slogan - Loka Samastha Suki-
no Bhavanthu, the household concept Vasudai-
vakudumbakam, the ethical moral principle of Ahimsa
and Satyagraha and above all the Seer's vision of
Satyam, Sivam, and Sundaram.
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Moving against the currents of the times
Conformity to the signs of the times is a sign of spiritual
decay. The trial of Jesus will testify to it. Remember it is
the dead fish which moves with the flow of water. The
poverty of the rich and of the religious elites is a fact of
the post-modern society. The world has set its own
standards for living. “To eat, drink and be merry" is the
philosophy of several people. Food, music, and movie
have robbed the best of their life. The temptation of Eve
as recorded in Gen.3.6 appears to people of all nations
and races in different shapes and shades. The three
temptations of Jesus in Lk.4 and Matthew 4 are univer-
sal in their nature. The call of Christian discipleship is
decisive: "Do not try to match your life with all the fash-
ions of the world." The gospel of prosperity and the mir-
acle crusades may appeal to Christians and others in
umpteen ways. In several quarters there is a conscious
attempt to dilute the meaning of the cross in ordinary
life. There is no short cut to the Kingdom of God except
through the way of the cross. The whole humankind is
around the Manger and the Cross. The passion of Christ
carries universal truth for all humankind. God of all mer-
cy is always at the door step of very human heart. He is
knocking at the door (Rev 3:20), but there is no door
knob outside as shown in Willaim Norman Hunt’s paint-
ing at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The knob is inside
the door and the person inside needs to open the door
to have ‘in Christ’ experience for living in harmony.
Living with the renewal of mind for divine solidarity
on earth
One has to get trained in godliness (I Tim. 4:4-8). The
garb of religion has to give its way to its spirituality.
"Spirituality is the outbreak of truth" (Swami Agnivesh).
Spirituality of religion is the need of the hour in a plural
world. We need less of religiosity and more of spirituali-
ty. The trial of Jesus illustrates it. It is love that unites us
with God with our neighbors and with nature. "Love
does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking
outward in the same direction" (De Saint Exupery). The
divine plan is “to sum up all things in Christ" (Eph.1:10);
it is the ultimate goal of history. Let us not interfere with
God's plan and to boast ourselves as holier than Jesus!
Let us play our role as humble witnesses to the reality of
the Kingdom in our midst. Mission in Christ's way is not
a slogan or a project but a way of life for all. The routes
people follow may be different. But there is a point of
convergence at the cross of Christ as well as at the
Empty Tomb.
*Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph, Kottayam, is
a member of the FOCUS Editorial
Board, a former principal of the Mar
Thoma Theological Seminary,
Kottayam and former Director of the
ECC, Bangalore.
33 | Page
Book Review
“Risk and Resilience in the Era of Climate Change”
(2023), Vinod Thomas, Palgrave Macmillan.
In his new book, “Risk and Resili-
ence in the Era of Climate Change”
(2023), Professor Vinod Thomas, the
well-known Development Practi-
tioner and Climate Scholar
(www.vinod-thomas.com), makes a
compelling case for urgent global
action on the looming Climate crisis,
underscoring the fact of escalating
climate Risks and the criticality of
boosting Resilience to climate im-
pacts. The Book provides a good
balance between technical rigor and
policy recommendations, reflecting Dr. Thomas’s extensive
experience at the World Bank Group and the Asian Develop-
ment Bank in their operational work, policy discussions, re-
search, and evaluation functions.
The Book assesses climate risks and the needed resilience
within the broader context of multiple global crises—COVID-
19 pandemic, Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Weather
calamities—that have compounded economic shocks that
have resulted in food shortages, supply chain disruptions, and
overall losses in living standards globally. The Book is
thoughtfully produced, with good attention paid to individual
chapters with their own References and interesting opening
quotes, like the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf—the 2011 Nobel Peace
Prize winner—quote for the final Chapter 9 on Transformative
Change, “The size of your dreams should always exceed your
current capacity to achieve them”.
The Book is divided into two parts, consisting of nine chap-
ters. While Part I (Chapters 1-5) examines the current state of
the risk and resilience frameworks, Part II (Chapters 6-9) ap-
plies them to climate change issues. Chapter 1 provides a
helpful Opening Summary that effectively serves as an Execu-
tive Summary with findings, conclusions, and recommenda-
tions. Chapter 2 surveys socioeconomic and ecological risks,
emphasizing the anthropogenic and systematic nature of cli-
mate-related disasters. Chapter 3 outlines the approaches for
understanding and anticipating extreme risks like climate
change, emphasizing their close links to socioeconomic fac-
tors. Chapter 4 considers the nature and role of resilience in
the context of exposure, vulnerability, and intensity of hazards,
suggesting that resilience be considered as a post-crisis
means for better outcomes. Chapter 5—building on Chapter
2—shows that building resilience requires innovation and dy-
namism, more than merely strengthening the capacity to re-
cover from disasters. Chapter 6—together with Chapters 2
and 5—highlights the intractability of the climate crisis, a “su-
per wicked problem”, which has defied timely solutions thus
far, emphasizing the role of accountability and messaging.
Chapter 7 explores answers to the puzzle regarding the limited
attention given to climate change in economic analysis and
policy—usually focused on short-term economic growth—
noting that economics and science can work together to
communicate better and find solutions. Chapter 8 presents
policy challenges regarding global warming-related disasters,
(Continued on Page 36)
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Shalom: A Vision of Living in Harmony
Revd Renny Varghese*
"And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard
shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young
lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead
them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young
ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw
like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole
of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on
the adder's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my
holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea."
(Isaiah 11:6-9)
Today, we live in a world that is dominated by the spirit
of sectarianism, division, and competition. From the
local to the global level, class, color, race, caste, reli-
gion, and sectarianism are becoming more and more
frightening in a way that world history has not seen be-
fore. Even when we think that the human race is moving
forward in terms of education, science, and technology,
today’s increasing communalism, sectarianism, and
religious fundamentalism present us with the reality that
the human race is not moving forward, but backward.
Rabindranath Tagore says, "The highest education is
that which does not merely give us information but
makes our life in harmony with all existence." In such a
context of liquefaction and polarization, the study and
search for living in harmony gives new hope and vision
for this age. I appreciate the FOCUS editorial team for
choosing such a relevant and thought-provoking topic
for our July 2023 study. While we are searching for and
discussing the theme of "living in harmony", I would like
to explore the subject by choosing the biblical vision of
Shalom, which speaks about the noble vision of coex-
istence and peace. The reading and re-reading of bibli-
cal texts open up new theological language and dis-
course that embodies a new subjectivity and a prophet-
ic and critical milieu, which creates new systems of
meaning that serve to reconcile, challenge, and reframe
existing epistemological positions.
The vision of living in harmony is the need of the
hour
The vision of living in harmony and co-existence be-
tween humans, human and nature is the need of our
time. Today, we see its complexity and its effects on all
areas of the earth. Nature’s abnormal behavior is one of
the major crises we face today. To sustain our planet
and the human race from upcoming catastrophes, we
have to deliberately develop a consciousness, vision,
and lifestyle of living in harmony with creation. The di-
versity of creation is the creative work of God. Life is
given to us to affirm and value God’s creation and its
diversity. Instead of relishing diversity, and plurality, we
humans destroy them. At all levels of the biosphere,
34 | Page
polarization, fluidity, communalism, and sectarianism
are stronger than ever today. People isolate themselves
from others and fail to appreciate nature and people
who are different. Hostility and conflict emerge because
of ignorance about each other. Today, we live in a world
where antagonism destroys peace, trust, and tranquility.
It is at this juncture that the biblical concept of Shalom
and living in harmony gives a new ray of hope. With this
understanding, let us contemplate and discuss the
theme Shalom, a vision of living in harmony, to develop
a profound vision of peaceful co-existence as the need
of our time.
Etymology of the word Shalom
Shalom is a Hebrew word (Greek: eirene) that means
"peace." The verb conveys both a dynamic and static
meaning: "to be complete or whole" or "to live well".
The term Shalom is used in the everyday lives of the
people of Israel, as a greeting or farewell. The word
"shalom" appears over 200 times in the Bible, especially
in the Old Testament. When we often hear the word
"shalom," we think of peace. We must not forget that
the word "shalom" has great theological meaning, and
peace is only one small part of the meaning of the word.
The word Shalom has a universal dimension. Revd Mar-
tin Luther King Jr. has summarized it well: "Peace or
Shalom is not merely the absence of some negative
force—war, tension, confusion—but it is the presence of
some positive force—justice, goodwill, the power of the
kingdom of God." Shalom is the substance of the bibli-
cal vision that encompasses all creation as one com-
munity. A word study in the New King James Version
(NKJV) defines Shalom as "completeness, wholeness,
health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility,
prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, and the
absence of agitation or discord." Shalom means living in
harmony with God, with others, and with oneself.
Shalom: An enduring vision for living in harmony
The central vision of the Bible is the coexistence of all
creation every living being in one community with every
other, living in harmony and security towards the joy,
peace, and well-being of every other. The book of Isai-
ah, chapter 11, expresses its deeper meaning. The
messianic vision of Isaiah 11:6–9 is of a world in which
creation is reconciled and harmony appears between
humans and animals, among all kinds of natural ene-
mies. This biblical text leaps into a new vision of imagi-
nation about a transformed creation. Here, Shalom
means newfound security. The scripture portion imagi-
nes a coming Messianic time when, under the Messi-
ah’s profound governance, all relationships of hostility,
division, and threat in the animal world as well as in the
human environment, shall be overcome. Walter
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Brueggemann, an Old Testament scholar, explains in his
commentary that "there will be conciliation and peace-
ableness among these species that have been at war
with each other since the beginning of time. This lyrical
statement is one of the most remarkable assertions in
the Bible that there will be "all things new" in creation
when God fully authorizes the right human agents." In
the book of Ezekiel, chapter 34:25–29, a visionary pas-
sage says, "I will make a covenant of peace with them
and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in
the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety. I will
make them and the places surrounding my hill a bless-
ing. . . ." Scripture visualized a new vision of a world
where all human beings and the creation would develop
a vision of living in harmony with the Creator, and repre-
sent true Shalom. Through Shalom, old structures and
systems are replaced with new visions and systems.
The scripture puts forward a noble vision of living in
harmony and a universal expectation for all humanity to
live out Shalom. The universality of Shalom is what
Brueggemann describes when he says, "The central
vision of world history in the Bible is that all of creation
is one, every creature in community with every other,
living in harmony and security toward the joy and well-
being of every other creature."
Shalom: Counter-imagination towards the culture of
alienation
The growing fundamentalism, intolerance, religious
fanatism, and neo-liberal worldview of today break
down the existing polyphonic and pluralistic structures
of social coexistence. A conscious effort to create mi-
sogyny is evident everywhere today. Today, minorities
are living in fear and uncertainty. The communities that
live as a minority are facing persecution in many parts of
the world today. A good example of this is the religious
persecution unleashed against Christians in the north-
eastern state of Manipur, India. India has a rich diversity
and plurality of religions, cultures, and traditions. De-
spite these diverse compositions, India has a long histo-
ry of peaceful coexistence. But today, this long-
cherished and hallowed tradition is beginning to frag-
ment and disintegrate into pieces. Hostility has become
a key factor in achieving vested interests. This trend is
relentlessly affecting our nation-building efforts as well
as those in church and society. In this situation, the bib-
lical vision of Shalom helps us to create a new imagina-
tion and consciousness to counter the culture of aliena-
tion. Shalom is communal, holistic, and tangible. In the
vision of Shalom, there is no room for personal, or
community interest. It is an experience that is available
to everyone. Shalom is an order in which everyone and
everything is in the right relationship all the time. The
culture of individualism, communalism, and sectarian-
ism causes people to feel lonely and alienated, but the
biblical vision of Shalom helps us to create a new coun-
ter-culture against the prevailing sectarianism. It is such
a counter-imagination that our Lord Jesus Christ carried
out through his ministry and teaching. As Brueggemann
35 | Page
so aptly states, "Shalom is the end of coercion. Shalom
is the end of fragmentation. Shalom is the freedom to
rejoice. Shalom is the courage to live an integrated life
in a community of coherence. These are not simply neat
values to be added on. They are a massive protest
against the central values on which our world operates.
The world depends on coercion. The world depends on
fragmented loyalties. The world as presently ordered
depends on these very conditions against which the
gospel protects and to which it provides alternatives."
Shalom: Call for harmonious collaboration with the
creation
An old proverb says, "If you want to go fast, go alone,
but if you want to go far, go together." Today, we need
to acknowledge that our commitment to the integrity of
creation lies within the vision of collaboration among the
community of humans, which is intimately connected to
all other dimensions of creation. We are called to recog-
nize our kinship with God’s creation. As we read in
Genesis 2:15, humans are called to collaborate or par-
ticipate in the creation process as co-workers and care-
takers of creation. Christ’s vision of "love your neighbor
as yourself. There is no commandment is greater than
these." (Mark 12:31). This vision extends not only to
other human beings but also to all aspects of creation,
as all creatures are called to live in relationships that
enhance one another's lives. Collaboration, or partner-
ship, is a divine call from God and is essential to the
stability of all creation. Living in harmony is possible
only through meaningful collaboration with other crea-
tions. The biblical vision of Shalom always upholds the
vision of coexistence, collaboration, and partnership
without hierarchy among creation. We cannot imagine a
vision of living in harmony without the presence and
participation of others. Brueggemann's view is that the
intimacy, collaboration, and connectedness of all crea-
tion are found within the vision of Shalom. On this plan-
et, the human race is facing the threat of extinction be-
cause of the emergence of artificial intelligence, which is
trying to replace humans. Yuval Noah Harari, a leading
historian and scholar, states that "with the technologies,
we are now developing, within a century or two at most,
our species will disappear." All the inventions of selfish
men are the search for how I can live in this world with-
out others. This kind of attitude is against the purpose
of God’s creation. In this age of invention, where the
selfish human race is in search of how existence is pos-
sible without others, the Bible puts forward the con-
sciousness that the vision of Shalom says that the ex-
istence of creation is possible only through collabora-
tion with each other. The vision of Shalom in the Old
Testament is multifaceted. Complete well-being refers
to a physical, mental, social, spiritual, meaningful, and
right relationship with God, oneself, and other creations.
In the New Testament, Shalom is revealed in the recon-
ciliation of all things to God through the work of Christ.
"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in
him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making
peace through his blood, shed on the cross." (Colos-
sians 1:19–20) As a called-out community for the mis-
sion of God, we need to make rigorous efforts to mani-
fest the vision of Shalom in all areas of life for harmoni-
ous living.
Conclusion
Let me conclude our discussion by quoting
Brueggemann, who has described "Shalom" as, "…it
bears tremendous freight - the freight of a dream of God
that resists all our tendencies to division, hostility, fear,
drivenness, and misery. Shalom is the substance of the
biblical vision of one community embracing all crea-
tion." In this changing world, the meaningful existence
of humanity and the rest of creation is possible through
deep, harmonious living. The vision of living in harmony
is the need of our time. Today, we live in a world that is
dominated by the spirit of sectarianism, division, and
competition. From the local to the global level, class,
color, race, caste, religion, and sectarianism are becom-
ing more and more frightening in a way that world histo-
ry has not seen before. It is very important for us to
think and act as soon as possible to manifest our vision
of living in harmony. The Bible gives us a vision and
perspective to develop and shape the vision of harmo-
nious living.
References
1. James Strong, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the
Bible with Greek and Hebrew Dictionaries (Nashville: Royal
Publishers, 1979), 7965.
2. Werner Foerster, Theological Dictionary of the New Testa-
ment, Gerhard Kittel (ed.), Geoffrey W. Bromiley (trans.), Grand
Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1964), 402.
http://www.biblestudy.com/peace.htm.
3. Edward A. Powers, Signs of Shalom (Philadelphia: Joint
Educational Development United Church Press, 1973), 15.
4. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Paper Project “When Peace
Becomes Obnoxious,” Sermon delivered on 18 March 1956 at
th
Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, “The ‘New Negro’ 208 of the
South: Behind the Montgomery Story,” (June 1956), 282
(https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-
papers/documents/when-peace-becomes-obnoxious)
5. Walter Brueggemann, Peace: Living Toward a Vision (St.
Louis: Chalice Press, 2001), 13-51.
6. Beck, H. and Brown, C. 1976. Peace. The new international
dictionary of New Testament theology. C. Brown. Ed. Exeter:
(The Paternoster Press), 776-783.
*Revd Renny Varghese is an
ordained minister of Malankara
Mar Thoma Syrian Church, cur-
rently serving as the Vicar of the
Immanuel Mar Thoma Church,
Virginia, under the jurisdiction of
the Diocese of North and Amer-
ica and Europe of the Mar Tho-
ma Church.
36 | Page
Book Review (Continued from Page 33)
drawing useful lessons of experience from local, national, and
global actions for climate mitigation, adaptation, and finance.
Chapter 9 offers a sweeping vision for transformative change,
making the case for radical changes in priorities, attitudes,
and mindsets for enhancing risk and resilience frameworks for
tackling climate change, which is critical for pursuing sustain-
able development.
The Book provides three key messages: (i) Attributing extreme
weather-related damages to its root cause of carbon emis-
sions from past and present human activity is essential for
shaping public opinion and policies; (ii) Mainstream economics
has been unhelpful for shaping policies for tacking climate
change, given the lack of attention paid to the negative spillo-
ver effects of economic activity; (iii) With regard to climate
change, risk reduction should go beyond coping with expo-
sure and vulnerability, and build back better for the future.
There is also a real need for articulating the relationship be-
tween human activity and climate change for effective policy
making. The evolution of Climate risk as a high-probability,
high-impact event from a low-probability, high-impact one
should be recognized and understood as well. Like the
COVID-19 pandemic, formulating innovative approaches for
building resilience at the country and the local levels may be
challenging, given the general paucity of resources. However,
the COVID-19 pandemic, like the 2008 Global Financial Crisis,
has shown that humanity has the capacity and ability to deal
with wicked problems like Climate Change. Last, but not least,
investing funds for climate resilience should be an urgent pri-
ority, since the costs of delayed action are significant and in-
creasing. After all, the materialization of high risks can be a
good opportunity for building evidence-based resilience.
A defining feature of the Book is its reliance on the lessons of
experience from independent evaluations of development pro-
jects globally, including assessments of environmental sus-
tainability and climate impacts. The reliance on independent
evaluation results is consistent with similar efforts elsewhere
for drawing on development results from project and program
evaluations for finding answers to economic questions, differ-
ent from economic analysis based on standard databases.
The Book is also pertinent to this July 2023 FOCUS issue
theme of ‘Living In Harmony;’ specifically, the aspect of har-
mony between humanity and the environment. Like the
COVID-19 pandemic, the Climate crisis presents an existential
threat to humanity, albeit exacerbated by equity considera-
tions related to the disproportionate adverse impacts on the
poor and the vulnerable, especially those in the Least Devel-
oped Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States
(SIDS) that are least able to cope with climate shocks. For
both the Climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, the logic
of collective action offers the panacea for the wicked problem,
motivated by self-interest—derived from the urgency for self-
preservation—rather than altruism, given the counterfactual of
adverse outcomes for humanity.
The Book has received effusive praise and strong recommen-
dation from Climate scholars and Development practitioners,
including Professor Mohan Munasinghe, who shared the 2007
Nobel Prize for Peace as Vice Chair, Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC). I also recommend the Book
wholeheartedly to FOCUS readers as an essential reading on
Climate Change issues.
Dr. Cherian Samuel, For FOCUS Editorial Board
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
From Information to Inspiration:
Using Data to Leverage Mar Thoma Church's Holistic
Growth
Revd Prince Varughese Madathilathu*
['From Information to Inspiration' is an important as-
pect of the pastoral care and for helping parishioner to
live in harmony. However, it is important to decide who
is responsible for collecting the data, the nature of the
data ,and protecting the collected data. Editorial Note]
In the modern era, the term "data", useful as they are,
can sometimes carry negative implications related to
invasions of privacy and surveillance. We are concerned
how our social media applications like Facebook or In-
stagram are always "collecting our data;” or how our
electronic devices can track our every move, hear us,
and catch keywords that we use in our conversations,
to generate related ads. The concept of big data often
evokes a sense of reluctance and unease. Despite this,
data and technology are perhaps most important tools
for any organization, to improve their operations, ser-
vices and achieve their goals. In terms of churches, uti-
lizing data analytics may prove advantageous in en-
hancing the quality of church community and worship.
There are many reasons why clergy and leadership are
shy of using data for improving church life. Some of the
objections are discussed in the next section. It is im-
portant to remember that we live in a data-driven world.
Since the inception of our church, apart from member-
ship numbers, we've relied mostly on anecdotal evi-
dence and personal experiences to make major deci-
sions that impact the entire congregation. I maintain
that our church has been without critical information
that can help us understand how much our congrega-
tion has grown, what their needs are and how we can
better serve them. I believe that by collecting data re-
sponsibly and ethically, we can gain valuable insights
into the needs of their congregations. Richard Osmer
argues that practical theology should study the lived
experiences of individuals and communities. He says
the four tasks of practical theology or questions that we
must ask in relation to our communities are: “What is
going on?”, “Why is it going on?”, “What ought to be
going on?” and What should we do about it? All of this
can be possible if we embrace the responsible use of
data collection and analysis to complement our tradi-
tional approaches to ministry.
Addressing objections
Some reasons why leadership is scared of data:
"Data is manipulative": If the church uses data transpar-
ently and involves the congregation in the process, it
37 | Page
can increase trust and engagement within the communi-
ty. Data theft is real and it is essential that churches use
appropriate security measures and obtain consent from
the members before collecting any data.
"Data collection is un-organic": While it is true that data
collection can feel un-organic, we inadvertently collect
data in various ways such as through membership reg-
ister records, offertory and financial giving records,
ledger, budget statements etc. We even count the num-
ber of communicants every Sunday. All of these are da-
ta points that can be used to gain insights into the
needs of the congregation.
"Data is consumerist": To an extent, the argument
holds, but we must embrace the reality that we live in a
data-driven world, and ignoring data is no longer an op-
tion. My point is that data should be used in a conscien-
tious and moral manner, for the improvement of the
community, rather than solely as a means to boost
numbers or profits like businesses tend to do.
Community or micro-communities?
An important area data can help us is understanding our
own congregation and community. Often, we make as-
sumptions about our members and community that we
fail to realize the diversity and complexity of our parish-
ioners and their needs. Covid-19 was a time when most
of our churches were closed, and we were forced to
shift to digital platforms. While some churches and
leadership embraced this change, others struggled to
adapt. There was no shortage of prayer meetings, Bible
Study, or worship on Zoom, but how well did these ac-
tivities meet the needs of different micro-communities
within the congregation?
A significant proportion of Mar Thoma Church’s mem-
bership consists of healthcare professionals, primarily
nurses who were at the forefront during the Covid-19
outbreak. While we applauded their service and offered
them our prayers, did we do enough in terms of provid-
ing emotional support or any material assistance? Did
we assess the impact on our their families while they
had to work exhausting hours, put their lives at risk and
isolate themselves from loved ones?
Another example is that of students from India, living in
hostels faced different challenges in a foreign land.
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Many struggled with the isolation and mental health
challenges posed by virtual learning and the unavailabil-
ity of campus jobs due to the pandemic and shutdown.
How did we, as a church, respond to these unique
needs?
We frequently see the church make the mistake of pre-
supposing who their congregations are without seeking
to understand their unique circumstances or diverse
needs. This stands in the way of genuinely serving the
needs of the community; we fail to "feed the lambs" as
Christ directed us to. Only a closer analysis, aided by
data collection, can reveal what people are interested in
and need from their church and thereby improve com-
munity engagement.
How do we define church engagement?
Church engagement in the Mar Thoma Church
has generally been analyzed through two main lenses.
Average attendance and giving. Helpful as they may be,
these metrics are not always adequate or the gold
standard to measure church engagement, as they fail to
account for the community's well-being and level of in-
volvement. We have to begin to look at engagement
through a more holistic lens and consider spiritual fac-
tors such as personal and community growth with
Christ, their relationship with the church, their passion
for justice and related causes, and the levels of satisfac-
tion they experience while being a part of our communi-
ty. Many members are regular attendees and generous
givers, but did not feel spiritually connected to the
community or experience personal growth. To improve
church engagement, we must focus on understanding
and meeting the unique needs of our micro-
communities. By doing so, we can ensure that our con-
gregations are spiritually enriched and have a sense of
belonging to the community.
Not just data collection, but data intelligence
Collecting data is only the beginning of improving
church life. Raw and unanalyzed data can be a diamond
in the rough. To make the most significant impact pos-
sible, churches need to take it a step further and trans-
form that data into intelligence. Data intelligence in-
volves analyzing and interpreting data to gain insights
into patterns and trends that can lead to actionable
steps. For example, data intelligence may reveal that a
particular micro-community within the church has an
interest in Bible study groups, but the current schedule
does not work for them, leading to low attendance.
While some data could suggest that first-generation
community members are relatively satisfied, their con-
cerns could lie with the disengagement of their second-
generation children. By utilizing data intelligence,
churches can turn insights into action, tailor outreach
and communication efforts to specific communities'
38 | Page
needs and preferences, and ultimately improve the
overall church.
Growing Diaspora and Student Migrations
Another dimension that data can assist churches in im-
proving is their outreach efforts to diaspora communi-
ties, especially with the increasing number of students
seeking higher education and immigration. Many stu-
dents feel disconnected from the community when they
move away for college or work for various reasons. Stu-
dents are generally preoccupied with the new academic
demands in a different setting and may find it challeng-
ing to maintain their faith in a new environment. They
also struggle to find campus or outside jobs to make
ends meet and fulfill loan or other commitments.
Research has shown that churches can play a signifi-
cant role in providing support and a sense of belonging
to diaspora communities, especially those who may feel
isolated and overwhelmed. By analyzing their locations,
demographics, and preferences, churches can tailor
their outreach efforts to suit the unique needs of each
community. This could involve creating online or in-
person discussion groups for students to connect with
one another, offering opportunities for professional net-
working and mentorship, or aiding with job search etc.
Ultimately, data intelligence can assist and create a
welcoming and inclusive environment for migrant stu-
dent communities and help them find their place within
the larger church community.
Conclusion
In Matthew 9: 37, Jesus says, "The harvest is plentiful
but the workers are few." He travels, observes, and rec-
ognizes the need for guidance and care. He identifies a
dearth of laborers to tend and reap the harvest, empha-
sizing that there is much work to be done. The church
can leverage data to mobilize and equip leaders to ef-
fectively minister to the community, ensuring that no
one is left behind. By embracing data intelligence, the
church can make informed decisions that lead to more
effective outreach efforts and a stronger sense of com-
munity for all. Let us endeavor to emulate Jesus by em-
ploying every accessible resource and means at our
disposal to diligently serve our communities and ac-
complish our designated purpose.
*Revd Prince Varughese Mada-
thilathu is an ordained priest of
the Malankara Mar Thoma Syri-
an Church and is currently a
PhD student in Practical Theol-
ogy at the Princeton Theologi-
cal Seminary, New Jersey. He
is also serving as the
Editorial Assistant of ‘Theology
Today,’ published by Princeton Theological Seminary.
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
Living in Harmony
Mrs. Pushpa Samuel, MDiv*
During my early choir days, I remember that most girls pre-
ferred singing the soprano part so that they could sing the
melody. Altos, on the other hand, had the more challenging
task of learning the harmony. Choirs usually have more
sopranos than altos, so the harmony can be easily lost if
the altos are swayed by the majority voices. But if the har-
mony holds steady, the end result is a beautiful blend that
sounds much better than just hearing the melody alone. So
how do we apply this concept of harmony to our Christian
lives? Living in harmony does not imply that we all just get
along with each other, but that we recognize the im-
portance of each individual in this choral of life. After all, if
the harmony is unsteady or attempts to dominate the mu-
sic, discord ensues. It is easier to surround ourselves with
like-minded people, but differences in perspective can fos-
ter new ideas that were not previously considered.
I did not fully appreciate the benefits of living in America
until I moved to Qatar, which is an Islamic country that
abides by Quranic rules. As a Westerner, I believe that
people should practice their religion of choice without en-
forcing it on others, and balked at my inability to eat in
public during Ramadan or the necessity of conservative
dress codes during the intense summer heat. My initial
resistance to comply with the social norms slowly subsided
as I began having conversations and making friends with
Muslims. I ashamedly realized that I had unconsciously
stereotyped all Muslims under a single umbrella instead of
acknowledging that each person has their own unique be-
liefs and opinions about religion, politics, and how to raise
their children…not unlike Christians. No wonder we are
told to first address the plank in our own eye before fixing
the speck in someone else’s (Matthew 7:3-5).
Paul advised the church in Rome not to think too highly of
themselves (Romans 12:16), and his words still hold true
today. If we assume that everyone should follow our way of
living in this world, our perspective narrows and we miss
opportunities to strengthen our faith by observing the faith
of others. For example, many Muslims pray five times per
day, which comparatively felt overly rigid compared to the
Christian freedom of praying to God at any time. However,
as soon as I began elevating my religious practice over
others, I remembered that I rarely pray five times per day,
let alone intentionally leave work, school, or social activities
to spend time with God. Even the story of Daniel praying
three times a day (Daniel 6:10) seems like a big time com-
mitment. Christians are commanded to “pray without ceas-
ing” (I Thess 5:17), so could our prayer life improve if we
allocated fixed times throughout the day to pray?
Sometimes it is helpful to pause and consider what areas
of our life are in harmony versus discord, because the way
that we respond to daily dynamics involving family, work,
school, and church forms the foundation for our response
during unexpected situations. Major life events such as
births, weddings, relocations, illness, and death all involve
39 | Page
a range of emotions that can disrupt the status quo. Even a
global event like the COVID-19 pandemic caused signifi-
cant friction regarding differences in ideology about mask-
ing and social distancing. Although it is more convenient
and certainly less challenging to only associate with people
who concur with our values, our faith has an occasion to
stretch and grow when we are willing to patiently listen to
others who disagree with us. Through this practice, we can
learn how to find common ground and “keep the unity of
the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).
Feelings of contentment are customarily associated with
harmony, while feelings of uneasiness or irritation can be
indicative of discord. Unfortunately, there are times when
discord cannot be resolved because of circumstances out-
side our control. When I was young, my parents often re-
minded me that I cannot control someone else’s words or
actions, but can only take responsibility for my own. For
example, communication can quickly derail when one or
more parties insist on shouting, cursing, or using defama-
tory speech. We regularly witness how “a harsh word stirs
up anger” (Proverbs 15:1), so the antidote is to habitually
ensure that our conversations are “seasoned with salt”
(Colossians 4:6) to appropriately reply during difficult en-
counters. I imagine that most people prefer to live in har-
mony rather than discord, but we should be mindful that
harmony does not always happen effortlessly and can re-
quire conscious investment.
During these upcoming summer months, when the weather
gets warmer and students are relishing the break from school,
I encourage you to be mindful of living in harmony with others.
This could be by taking the risk of leaning into new relation-
ships with neighbors or coworkers who are outside your com-
fort zone, or even reviving relationships with estranged family
members. The Bible is replete with examples of how Jesus
knowingly dismantled stereotypes by speaking with a Samari-
tan woman (John 4:9), touching a leper (Matthew 8:3), and
staying with a tax collector (Luke 19:5), to name a few. Jesus
was not bound by norms that served to segregate people by
class or creed even though the society at the time considered
all of these actions taboo. If we are to “have the mind of
Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), we must break out of our self-
imposed bubbles and intentionally build bridges with others. It
will take some work to learn the harmony of co-existing with
those of a different gender, political background, or even faith,
but the investment of this slow and steady catalyst is sure to
foster a sweet-sounding community that ushers the kingdom
of God on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).
*Pushpa Samuel, MDiv is a board certi-
fied chaplain and was commissioned
as a Lay Chaplain of the Mar Thoma
Church in the North American Diocese
after completing her Master of Divinity
at Fuller Theological Seminary. Prior to
attending seminary, Pushpa worked as
a biomedical engineer in the medical
device industry. She is temporarily living in Qatar with her
husband to experience a new culture as an American expat.
FOCUS, July 2023, Vol. 11, Part 3
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