Loving Rascal

The Constant Refrain Vulnerable, foolish, deceived, captivated, Was I, am I, will I be As long as you linger on in my broken heart. My heart is fooled So many times, so easily, It doesn’t sense danger well. “Are you so dangerous? Your little deceptive eyes don’t threaten me at all. They are magic, magic, penetrate my soul.” How many times I counselled my silly heart: Beware of girls who have a stony heart, The heart that seldom melts when it sees The lover’s dilemma. Everytime my heart feels down, down, and down, Until I reach the lowest point of my existence— Breathless, gasping for air, as if all is lost, My stomach hurts, An emptiness that defies logic fills it fast. ------------------------------ ## The View from the Sidelines Yesterday, on my way back, I saw people happy and sad, Pains they carry, their sunken faces reveal. Some looked bright while others ignored every happening. I felt like an orphan still, alone and vulnerable, Avoided a few seats lest people misinterpret me. I ...

  It hurts when you know The people whom you trusted above all Were faking it all along. It hurts when you know What affects you means nothing to them at all. It hurts when your whole Future hangs on promises made By people who betray you. Naive and honest, you believed. Credulous, you accepted all that was said. Without calculation, your heart was sleeved, While they wove a trap of deception instead. Then, at the peak of their hidden game, The blow was struck, you were caught off guard. The dear and beloved brought the shame, And left your trusting spirit scarred. It hurts when you know The people whom you trusted above all Were faking it all along. It hurts when you know What affects you means nothing to them at all. It hurts when your whole Future hangs on promises made By people who betray you. They say God won't forsake your side, That His Spirit dwells where the faithful stand. But when the rubber hits the road to ride, And true faces show across the land, You wonder why you ...

A beautiful meditation on divine grace and human devotion. Inspired by the ultimate example of selfless love, O, What a Love! explores the profound freedom we are given to choose our path, how that grace drives us to serve others, and how it beautifully mirrors the vulnerability and total commitment of marriage. Oh, what a Love! You made yourself nothing, You made yourself freely available to me, So comfortable I could feel to decide freely To follow or deny you. What a lover you are? My Lord, my God. That even before your hands shaped the cosmic dust, You saw me in You. Even then, you coerced me not to come to you; You just came, you died, You lifted up and conquered me. Precious and honoured you called me in your sight. When I was just a jar of clay, Brittle and unshapeable, You placed in me Your power enormous— The self-giving love that keeps me wondering: How amazing is your master-plan for eternal life? The energy at work in me drives me to the poor, The weak, and the vulnerable, ...

Disclaimer: To the Secret Person close to my heart. It is a work of Fiction and magic of deep emotions. Any resemblance to living or dead –who don't think they have anything to do with this– is a mere coincidence and unintentional. Take it as a work of art and love, not meant for the faint hearted conspirators. No prejudice, no bias, only love expressed as mercy and kindness.   "My would-be to be, I wrote this poem thinking about you. It speaks a lot to how much I admire you, your passions, and how much I'd love to get to know your world even better. I wanted to share it with you straight from the heart."  Wishing to be The Wind: Someday... I wish I were the wind That blew across your face, As you held your silky, flowing hair In place with your χεῖρα. The wind that separates The chaff from the grain, The wind that soothes All your hidden pain. When God created your beautiful face, He knew before the dawn of time How it would draw my curious mind to you. I never waste...

Loyal Rascals 💫 Welcome Back to Our Space To the one who holds my heart, even from afar: (my imaginary would-be to be) Every day without you feels a little quieter, but it brings a deeper certainty of what you mean to me. Distance has a way of clearing the noise, leaving behind only the thoughts that truly matter. Whenever I close my eyes, I find myself right back at the water's edge, looking at the beautiful, honest depth of who you are. This blog has always reflected us—our moments, our laughter, and our history. Today, I am putting my heart completely on the line. I wrote this for you, for the roots that ground you, and for the love that has quietly held us together all this time. I don't want to just wonder anymore. I want to be the one you seek. My lovely rascal, this is for you...  Do you love me more than these?  Come, follow me! *Through your Eyes: The Limpid Lake and Flickering Image* Let me adore your face, Admire your eyes, Get into you Through your eyes... Let me ...

A Bad life I lived it well Two hours each I spent  for my grandma, daughter and mom, And for my friend who was all alone As I faced tragedies and humiliations  one after the other ranging from  a failed ministry, a difficult divorce,  false accusations, employment issues,  to an emotional breakdown. My life did seem as bad as it could get,  But fight I did to live it well  with love for one and all The library met my queries and  the Bible helped me make sense of it all. Two hours I spent With my grandma in my childhood, Everyday, cooking, Greetings neighbours, Treating lepers well, Playing card games, And, hearing stories, poems, legends and epics. Mahabharat was there, There was Ramayana too, But the theme that lingered Was of betrayal and love so true. Two hours I spent, Perhaps, more, Every day with my daughter, As long as she was with me. We made dosas, played touch, cricket, Hide and seek, Occasionally futball. We created bedtime stories Of ...

Welcome back, fellow rascals. Today’s piece kicks off with a tense street confrontation, dives straight into the heavy psychology of human deceit, and somehow perfectly bridges the gap between deep Christian theology (εν Χριστώ) and iconic Indian cinema. From the biochemical metaphors of cell receptors to the global spectacle of political currency, this spoken-word poem questions the masks we all wear. When the world looks at you with furious rage or an alluring, deceptive smile, who are you really? And more importantly—are they even looking at you, or just projecting their own battles? Mal pani thinks I’m a bad guy, He has no knowledge of who am I? A few months ago, some Muslim guys Thought they figured out who am I? They surrounded me, argued, closing the space, Wanting to beat me up, black and blue, in rage. I asked them what’s the matter for your rage, They said they knew who am I? I was excited, because I didn't yet know, Deep in my soul, who am I? I always thought I’m εν Χρισ...

Grief isn't clean. It’s a messy, visceral wrestling match that takes over your body and upends your spirit. It’s the agonizing space where sacred devotion meets the everyday ache of an empty stomach and a broken heart. In this piece, we dive straight into that double-minded twilight—where letting go feels like a physical wound, and waiting for healing is the ultimate act of endurance. Here is a raw dispatch from the garden gate. The Candle Light: Lording Over Nothing You were the light, I was the candle That burned bright. But you left me When I needed you The most— In that garden, The gate near the school. Now, I loathe food. It seems yucky— Even ice cream doesn't taste good. Everything's stuck. Still, I chase your image, God in Human form, Lording over nothing— Now so difficult to see. I sought everywhere, But your sweet face Was nowhere to be seen. I rested only with memories, Wrestling all night In double-mindedness. Love told me to let you go So you could come again— B...

Dear Loving Rascals, today we do a call-line recital of Manoj's one-liners like we do with David's Psalms during Sunday Worship.  Leader: Man Of Jesus' One Liners. You are my link to God. All: God linked us with him by his living Spirit; we are linked to the loyal and loving Lord. Leader: The text lies in the middle of the context. All: The text doesn't lie, but it lies in the middle. Leader: We learn the text's bare-bone message, stripping away embellishments. All: The law was a lamp that located our losses; love is the life that lifts the loss into legacy. Leader: After the lean structure is unveiled, the text leaps from its context to inform ours. All: Truth is not a logical labyrinth to get lost in, but a living light that leads us home. Leader: The linked audience gets informed of its limitations and lamentations. All: The ladder to heaven was not built by human labor, but lowered by the Lord’s own lowered life. Leader: The text links us with God's loving h...

Titled "The Poem and the Poem-Writer: When Good Meets Good, it is Good news," this lyrical piece explores the transformative power of divine love and spiritual surrender. It blends Pauline theology with intimate devotion, using vivid imagery—such as an ice cream melting in a Coke float—to describe the soul's union with its Creator. The poem ultimately portrays believers as God's living poetry, called to live out love, forgiveness, and active blessing in a broken world. The Poem: Oh, what beauty it is to be grasped by love only, When love draws near, Losing all fear, anxiety, and foresight, Trusting in the Beloved, Laying down one's being Fully into their arms, fearlessly. Action or confirmation bias doesn't exist In a world where love means humble submission To the All-loving one. Mighty he is, but gentle and tender With those who lean on him. Stress has no place, strain is replaced, Suspicion cannot reign in that interface Where devotee meets His loving deity...

Introduction This poem is a deeply evocative, multi-layered meditation that merges intensely intimate devotion with a sharp theological and socio-political analysis of first-century Judea. Structured around a raw, recurring refrain—an offering of vulnerability laid bare at "the interface of heaven and earth's delight"—the piece journeys through the Gospel of Luke to contrast two wealthy figures: the rich young ruler who faltered under the weight of his possessions, and Zaccheus, the compromised outcast who surrendered his earthly treasures for an unexpected taste of grace. Through its vivid historical lens, the narrative critiques the fractured factions of ancient Israel—the compromising Sadducees, the performance-driven Pharisees, and the radical Zealots—illustrating why a desperate tax collector would choose the Roman system over institutional religious hypocrisy. Ultimately, the poem transcends historical critique to offer a profound spiritual truth: that unconditional...

1. The Litany of the Suspended Heart (Version 1. Sophisticated with Shaper's help) Oh, how the hollow chest cave filled with air, The day I thought my Life was walking out. Was it your ghost, or did another dare To stir the butterflies of hope and doubt? The strange, sensational flutter in the dark, A patient waiting that has come to naught. How long, O Lord, before you strike the spark? How long until the perfect will is caught? How long, Lord, will you keep me in suspense? When will your perfect, hidden will arrive? Deliver me from aches so deep and dense, And let this heavy, broken heart survive. Were all your promises a passing shade? You are no liar—dare I call you true? Life of my life, when total shadows fade, Distressed and broken, I return to you. You will not leave me here alone to die, My loyal God, answer my bitter cry. The racing thoughts divide the midnight sky: One minute, victory is on the wing; The next, a cruel defeat is drifting by— A misread triumph that the sha...

The Lonely Creator: The Heartbreak of the Fashioner is a deeply personal, raw, and visceral psalm of lament born out of sudden emotional trauma and profound relational heartbreak. Written from the unique perspective of a medical practitioner and pastor-teacher, this piece serves as an honest window into the jarring reality of human grief colliding with a lifetime of structured faith.It is a meditative journey through the physical and spiritual shockwaves of betrayal—wrestling with the perceived silence of the Divine, the gut-wrenching emptiness of earthly accomplishments, and the ultimate alignment of human suffering with the lonely, unrequited love that the Creator holds for a fallen world. Even in the depths of anger and disorientation, it remains an anchor to identity εν Χριστώ (in Christ) and a testament to a faith that refuses to fake its smiles. The Lonely Creator (By Manoj) Was it a sign for life or of death? One minute smiled, the next tears filled my eyes. Deep sighs, fake smi...

The following piece is a raw, symphonic exploration of the friction between transcendent grace and human systems. Written in a dynamic, rhythmic style that blends the immediacy of modern spoken-word with deep-rooted Abrahamic and liturgical imagery, the text wrestles with the ultimate paradox: how an unconditional, disruptive love can suddenly lift an individual while the surrounding corporate and religious architectures demand a cold, transactional fitness. It is a real-time calculation (Logistomai) of risk, vulnerability, and systemic failure—ultimately pointing toward a loyalty that defies human understanding. Logistomai: The Fit Survive or the Savior Fits the Meek Why do I feel loved suddenly, Though attacked on all sides? Is it love? Or some magic I can name not? Still I strive with all my might, Though it's too low—perhaps, not fit. Mesmerized me! Was it a fairy tale, a short love story? Consequential? Productive? Or counter productive? My mind blows up... Logistomai... I cal...