Loving Rascal

Mark's Gospel presents Herod as a Messianic claimant, a figure who, like Jesus, was believed by some to be the promised Messiah. However, the actions and values of Herod stand in stark contrast to those of Jesus, the true Messianic King of Israel. This contrast, while a historical one, also resonates in contemporary times. Many authoritarian leaders of India today, in their actions, resemble King Herod more than the compassionate figures of Lord Jesus or John the Baptist. Herod's arrest of John the Baptist was driven by fear of John's charges against him. It is a clear example of his power abuse, corruption, and immorality, which John had boldly condemned (Mark 6:14-29).  Herod, despite knowing that the Jewish people would never accept his claim as their Royal Priest, managed to trick the corrupt priests and establishment. He formed alliances with the Roman government and used their power to subjugate the Jews who sought liberation from the tyrant Rome. Herod's favoriti...

Many years ago, a great Indian poet wrote, “Where the mind is without fear, and the head is held high.” He hoped for a new India free from British rule: free to think, write, speak, and practice goodness. We are in a similar fight for freedom today. Dangerous demagogues and tyrants who stifle, heckle, ridicule, harass, and detain those who question their government have enslaved the free India. There is hardly any freedom to think or talk without being questioned, ridiculed, silenced, or sidelined. This wicked regime that intends to homogenize and hegemonize the people of diverse faiths, cultures, and languages must come to an end.    When will India be free again? We hold onto the hope of a free India where anybody can practice their faith freely, where people can think freely, where people can speak any language freely, and where we can synergize and new ideas emerge. We aspire for an India where people are not stereotyped as terrorists, imperialists, or anarchists just...

Only a good shepherd cares for his sheep. The hired hand abandons the sheep when trouble comes. Some hired hands use and abuse the sheep. These thugs come to steal, kill, and destroy the sheep. But the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep. He refreshes his sheep and gives them life everlasting. Jesus said, “I know my sheep, and my sheep know me. They listen to my voice.” (John 10) I am waiting for my Good Shepherd to return and find me in him. The worldly shepherds have hurt me and left me ruined. May Lord Jesus heal me and fill me with his loving-kindness.   So, yesterday, Jesus Christ called me on the phone and said, “Your services to my church are not required. You are fired.” When I asked why, he replied, “There are more worthy citizens of my kingdom than you who deserve to be pastors, bishops, and evangelists in my community. They are proven people.” I wondered about their qualifications, and he said, “They are Tamil, Malayali, ...

This writing adds to contemporary discussions about when a fetus is considered alive. The prevailing view is that the fetus becomes alive when we can regard it as a human being with personhood. Different ideological perspectives give it a different time frame. Some propose that personhood is attained only at birth. Others think it occurs at some point after conception and before the birth. Regardless, these ideas shape the view of abortion as a moral wrong or right within their respective groups. My argument is that after the gametes fuse and form the zygote, the zygote possesses a definite identity and personhood. Therefore, all abortions are morally wrong at any stage of pregnancy except in cases where the mother’s life is in danger.   Years ago, people identified persons by their name and address. Today, we identify people using unique fingerprints or DNA sequences. But when does the DNA that officially identifies a person form? It happens at the moment wh...

The good news of Jesus is not about us going to heaven but about heaven coming to dwell with us. First, Jesus came. Then, the Spirit came. Now, Jesus will do it again. He will come and dwell with us in the New Jerusalem on Earth. We will reign with him in resurrection bodies: physical yet incorruptible. As we wait, we refresh ourselves and others with God’s word and build for his Kingdom. Let us pray incessantly, enjoy our blessings gratefully, serve others selflessly, treat others justly, forgive the inexcusable, defend the weak, heal the sick, and offer grace relentlessly.   God created humans in his image. As his excellent image-bearers, God appointed them stewards of his good creation. He gave them authority over all his creation. The first man sinned, but instead of acknowledging and taking responsibility, he accused the woman who tempted him. The woman, in turn, accused the devil who tempted and deceived her. God exiled humans from the garden, but the devil continued to ensla...

Jesus did not tell Peter to walk on a tornado to demonstrate his faith in him. He never tested any of his disciples with adversities. Instead, when their circumstances challenged their faith, Jesus helped them trust in him. For instance, when Peter had a bad day fishing, Jesus directed him to cast his net in a particular place. He did it so that Peter would understand Jesus’ Messianic identity. Peter repented of his disbelief.     Moreover, like Isaiah, who saw God’s glory, Peter understood his shortcomings before God’s Holy Son. He requested Jesus, “Lord, I am a sinful man. Please go away from me.” However, Jesus chose Peter to follow Jesus and preach God’s Kingdom. A humble fisherman, Peter left his profession and embarked on a faith journey. Just as Jesus had foretold, Peter made thousands of disciples and eventually became a fisher of men.    Yet, the Bible often contrasts Peter’s passionate enthusiasm with his fickle-mindedness, a struggle many can relate to. Fo...

I asked God: why is the world so evil? He replied: my answer to the problem of evil is Christianity. I thought God was telling me Christ’s people represent God on earth. Thus, they bring justice and love in a wicked world. But I saw Christians doing wickedness. I asked God how can they be the answer. They are doing evil. God smiled and said: Now, you have the answer. They are the root cause of all wickedness. If the people called to do good and live holy lives live wicked lives, the world ought to be wicked. Right? I understood what God meant when he said that the answer to the problem of evil is Christianity.     Whether people will consider me a Christian, I don’t know. Still, this is what I sincerely feel. God solved the problem of evil by sending his Holy Spirit to dwell within his followers –the Church. The first-century Church waited for the Lord’s return. They went the extra mile and did works of kindness to help reduce people’s suffering. They fought against injustice ...

Jesus said: if your light is darkness, how great is your darkness! (Matt 6:23) In other words, if you call darkness light, your darkness is pitch black. He said this to his disciples in the context of loving money more than God (& his needy people). Jesus contrasted money with God. He said no one can follow two masters at a time. They would despise one and please the other. People cannot love both God and money. Light is something people use to see other things. If money is their light, it means they see or value everything else from the perspective of money. Jesus told people that if they consider money as their light and guide, their darkness is great. The Pharisees and lawmakers failed to love God or his people more than money. They were greedy and arrogant. They calculated everything—including the worth of their family ties—in terms of money. How similar are the present-day American and Kerala Christian people? Daily, we hear reports of churches, families, and relationships rip...

Reward and retribution theology is the framework Job's friends use to criticize him. They didn't know of his innocence, but God did. That is why God gave Job a clean chit. However, God did not choose to answer, "Why did these adversities happen to such a man as this?" God's counter questions to Job underline human finitude and God's supremacy. Job humbled himself and repented "of" dust and ashes.  After meeting God, Job understands he doesn't need to do a roadshow of repentance in dust and ashes. Job doesn't need to repent because he did not sin against God. He only needed to understand that God was in control, though things in his life were spiraling out of his control. As he first acknowledged, Job only needed to accept God's will, "God gave, and he took it away." What an authentic statement of faith! In the statement, Job acknowledges that all that Job had was by God's grace only.  God wanted Job's friends to repent a...

The BJP solved only the problems of rich people, ignoring the farmers, poor and middle-class people. For instance, in the last year, the number of Indian billionaires increased from 169 to 200, and their combined wealth increased by 41% ($954 billion). As expected, Ambani tops the list, with Adani right behind him. Savitri Jindal is India's wealthiest woman, with $33.5 billion.  The poverty alleviation stunts of Modiji don't make sense to me. They are not reducing poverty but manipulating statistics by keeping the poverty line very low so that they can excuse themselves from giving subsidies to people experiencing poverty. The poverty line was 30₹ in 2013, and the prices of things were comparatively low. At the time, the dollar value was around 40₹. The poverty line now is 42₹, but the dollar is at 84₹.  In 2013, a person needed an income of less than one dollar to get a subsidy. Now, the person will need an income of less than half a dollar to avail of any subsidy. This is ho...