Are you free yet?

 

We are all recipients of pain and suffering in this world. We usually conclude that it has been caused by someone other than us. Somewhere we fail to realize that we all influence the good and bad happening around us. We assume we are roaming free but we are actually bound in shackles.

I want to quote John Lennox, a Northern Irish Mathematician of science. He is Emeritus professor of Mathematics at the university of Oxford and an Emeritus Fellow in Mathematics and philosophy of science at Green Templeton College. In his book “Where is God in Coronavirus?” He reveals the sources of pain and suffering this way:

‘Pain and suffering come from two distinct sources. Firstly, there is suffering as a result of natural disasters and diseases, for which humans are not (directly) responsible: earthquakes, tsunamis, cancers, and the Coronavirus. This leads to the problem of pain, or, as it is often called, the problem of natural evil. This terminology is somewhat unfortunate, since the word “evil” has moral connotations and neither earthquakes nor viruses are moral agents. Second there is suffering for which men and women are directly responsible: acts of hate, terror, violence, abuse and murder. That leads to the problem of moral evil.’.

The law of the land and constitution deal with defaulters who intentionally break the law and indulge in crimes. Their evil surpasses limits and as a result are hunted down by law, but what about the many who do not appear on radar of the law, secretly involving in things, which are deemed as vices? Many breaking the moral law fail to notice that the evil they indulged and associated with has accumulated and outgrown the virtues,  forcing them to live in bondage all their lives. Consequently, all are experiencing the effects of it.

Stephen Covey in his book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” points the inside-out approach which says, "Private victories, precede public victories, that making and keeping promises to ourselves precedes making and keeping promises to others.". Many are observing this day as "Freedom Sunday" and praying a small prayer for people who are in some form of bondage.

The root of evil is inherent in all human beings. Some willfully embrace evil for selfish ends, while some are taken unawares. The Bible talks about the problem of sin and addiction to such vices. It says, “For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate… So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me.”. Bible never endorses mass salvation and purification. It is an individual commitment asking God for help to transform oneself and family and live as a dignified human being who pleases God. You can make a commitment today!

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Freedom from the bondage!

 

Millions are trapped under some form of slavery in our country and worldwide. The global slavery index points out that 40.3 million are victims of modern-day slavery. Modern Day Slavery is human trafficking of families (men, women & children) into forced labor, sex and other forms of oppression. 

Human trafficking and bonded labor are serious issues our entire nation is fighting to eradicate. This cruel form of evil has trapped even the innocent children who are clueless of being used as a commodity. It is unfortunate that with the demand being high, the supply makes it very costly because of the risks involved in the crime. This in turn makes it a lucrative business for the tycoons involved. They merchandise people entice many to participate and associate with such evil for the money. In many countries such horrendous crimes are known as organized crime.

News of such heinous crimes have become a common feature that we have become numb, helpless and apathetic. Martin Luther King Jr puts it beautifully, “We all have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.”. Our silence is sin. Bible talks about it so strongly. ‘Rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling toward slaughter. If you say, “But we didn’t know about this,” won’t he who weighs hearts consider it? Won’t he who protects your life know? Won’t he who repay a person according to his work?’

It is important we join hands to pray for the lives of the vulnerable who are trapped and hopeless. Also pray that the government will take effective steps and eradicate this cruel form of evil from our society and our country. 20^th September, 2020 (Sunday) is observed as "Freedom Sunday" in Churches and institutions to educate people and children about it and at the same time pray for deliverance of such people.

Let me again quote Martin Luther king Jr who says, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”. Evil is contagious and it affects all. God of the Bible is the God of justice and demands our unity to eradicate any form of evil that affects human race. The Bible says, “The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor, the wicked does not understand such concern.”. Would you like to say a small prayer for this injustice and submit yourself as an agent of transformation? For further reading on this issue, refer to my previous blogs given below:

How safe are your loved ones-1

How safe are your loved ones-2

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Quest for happiness!

 

Who is willing to believe today, that happiness is the matter of one’s heart? We live in a materialistic world where happiness is tied to commodities and is priced very high. Many think happiness is the absence of unhappiness, which is not, nor is it exactly the opposite of unhappiness. It’s neither jubilation nor ecstatic joy because those are not enduring emotions. They come and go. You receive a gift and you’re thrilled; you’re elated. Few months later, chances are you’ve forgotten the moment entirely.

A quantum mechanical principle, the Pauli Exclusion Principle, states that ‘no two particles can occupy the same space at the same time. Let’s apply the principle to our lives. The book in your hand and your coffee cup, for instance, can’t occupy the same space. Your hat and your shoe can’t occupy the same space. The space will hold one thing or the other, but not both. You can place your hat on top of your shoe and the cup on top of the book, but neither one can occupy the exact same area of space at the same time. Occupying space is what separates matter from light. Matter takes up a volume of space, and no other matter particle can occupy it.’.

Does it tell us something? “The peace in you can’t occupy the same space as the anxiety in you. Happiness can’t share the same space with sadness and fear.  Love can’t share the same space with bitterness. In order for love to operate fully within you, bitterness must step aside. In order for faith to manifest itself fully in you, doubt must fall away. Anxiety must move over for peace to reign in you. In the same way, if you hang on to negative emotions, they will muscle out the good ones” Marie Chapian

We assume the future will be better than the present, things will always be happier tomorrow. It is good to have positive thinking and hope positively, but does positive thinking alone guarantees life?  We cling to hopes that fail us most of the time. We are also taught that health, autonomy, social involvement, fulfilling work, and the quality of our environment are the real sources of happiness. But are they? Unless we hold on to the source of happiness, we are bound to be disappointed quite often. The source of happiness is God himself not using God to find something else beside God. The Bible says, “Happy are the people whose God is the LORD.”. When we find God, we find life and happiness. You will most importantly be blessed with peace which is a rare commodity in today’s world. Jesus says, “..no one will take your joy from you.”. would you like to commit your life and find God who is the source of all happiness?  

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A doubled edged image!

 

I am fascinated by the writings of this man called Solzhenitsyn. Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn (11 December 1918 – 3 August 2008) was a Russian novelist, philosopher, historian, short story writer and political prisoner. Solzhenitsyn was an outspoken critic of the Soviet Union and Communism. He helped to raise global awareness of the Soviet Gulag forced-labor camp system. He quite often wrote about the human debaucheries and the evil that dehumanized the society and the country.

Solzhenitsyn cites, “In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface. We are implanting it, and it will rise up a thousand-fold in the future.”. Usually we are interested to stand with ones with whom we have a close affinity and, in some sense, which are based on the factors that aligns with our own ideology. If you carefully notice even our standing with political parties or leaders (religious or political) in many cases are biased probably because we share same religion, race and ethnicity. Let us not forget that evil always tries to portray a "noble" cause to destroy human race and throw people into confusion.

Evil and inhumanity has its own dirty color that skillfully blends using good as its face value and divides people at its depth. Today, all you see around is the gross evil in all its form is degrading the individuals and society. But do you notice, where the source is from? It’s the human heart. Bible states that clearly, “The heart is more deceitful than anything else and incurable -who can understand it?” How often we are interested to check the state of our heart? The change of behavior and restraining evil begins with individuals who look for a source who is from outside and bigger than his imagination, God.

Solzhenitsyn again remarks, “It is impossible to expel evil from the world in its entirety, but it is possible to constrict it within each other.”. Every human heart is a place of abode for God. A God who is holy and has an ability to transform you and me into a person who can display a true human nature. What else can be the biggest message than the message of love? Unfortunately, cowards use undue power to limit the powerless and vulnerable for their selfish ends. Jesus chose to die on the cross for the salvation of entire human race. The picture of Love is immensely displayed. If we ask for help, the same God is willing to transform our heart. Every action has its impact. Solzhenitsyn states, “Thus it is that no cruelty whatsoever passes by without impact. Thus, it is that we always pay dearly for chasing after what is cheap.”.

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Exploring tomorrow's skill to stay safe!

 

Today's age has got this skewed assumption that they are lagging, outdated and lost. People are therefore in constant rush to be updated ensuring their safety and security in life. Since we are in the information age, gaining knowledge, constant effort to find meaning and achieving satisfaction index has become the primary goal of every person.

If you conclude this is life, then it's meaningless indeed. Concept of God can become baseless too. The Bible says, human beings are so uniquely created and made different than all the created things. Do you realise we are unlike animals who just survive to kill, eat and act based on their instincts? Sadly, this is how we as humans have also ended up operating, where selfishness, greed and deception are ruling human hearts in all quarters.

The constant rise and fall of economy, job loss, sickness or some unexpected crisis that saps all our savings have become common challenges. It was there all the time. However, you have survived and made it till now. You need to acknowledge it's not because of your own talents and capacity to make money that is sustaining you. World bank says, 60 million people are at risk of extreme poverty by coronavirus. Many never once thought they would lose their job nor expected their businesses to crumble. They have faced tremendous loss. Some have even faced fatal end despite of their richness. But on the other hand, we still see the poor surviving irrespective of their deplorable state of life.

You need to realise that human brokenness is due to moral failure and sins drag us into the dumps. Don't worry! By restoring your relationship with the Savior God, our life is restored irrespective of all losses and failures. Though your life on earth is limited, it's not meaningless because God is meaningful.  He has already made everything in favorable to all of us provided we develop a relationship with the creator. Jesus says in Bible, "I have come that you may have life and life in abundance". Your survival isn't guaranteed because you are smart, but for the simple reason that you are His creation. Therefore, you are already blessed with God's Providence and supervision in your life.

With each passing day skill and knowledge acquired is becoming irrelevant and needs to be updated constantly. But still we never learn a good lesson to find what is more important than the tangibles. You need to connect with God the creator, not the god you invented. I guarantee you, you will never be disappointed. 

You may find the link in Twitter to know more about God's plan in your life.

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True Freedom!

 

India was privileged to celebrate its 74th Independence Day on 15th August, 2020. It is always a joyous moment for citizens of a country to commemorate the freedom of their nation. Every country has a designated day to celebrate its country's independence. The citizens owe their gratitude to many, especially the freedom fighters who contributed to the freedom of the country. There are so many stories around independence, stories of people's sacrifices for their independence, which are indeed emotional.

No doubt our country is enjoying the freedom to live in our own terms and also ensuring to keep our nation from any infiltration's. But have you noticed that the tyranny now is not just from the outside, but also from the inside? We are forced to fight against so many odds in our country. There are people who spread the air of hatred in the name of religion, caste, creed, gender discrimination and status. So many Dalits are fighting for their survival because they are manipulated by the higher caste people. It is a sad but hard truth. We are the recipients of the evil of caste system which resulted from religion? Who would free our nation from such hate?

There is another area of hatred spilled in our country in the name of religion. Just to give you a little fact on the hate crime against religion, do you know hate crimes against Christians in India have risen by an alarming 40.87%? In spite of the nation-wide lock down the report records 293 cases of hate crimes against Christians including 5 rapes and 6 murders. A number of Churches have been burned down and many are languishing in jail without even a FIR.

Well, I am not intending to overwhelm you by all these facts, but this is the truth. I had an opportunity to work in tribal belts in different parts of country, worked amongst commercial sexual workers, but I tell you we have so much to fight against the discrimination, which is also used by some politicians to divide innocent citizens. Time to bring harmony and restore the love of brotherhood. Do you think it is possible?

The whole Bible is a story of love. Jesus demonstrated His love and emphasized to love one another irrespective of who they were in His time. Jesus reached out to the most unclean person, the leper, the outcast and downtrodden people. He left a legacy for us to follow His footsteps. True freedom is to be able to love irrespective of who the person is and reach out to them in need. Jesus kept emphasizing to love one another as we love ourselves. You can make a commitment to follow the God of love and contribute love and harmony in this country.

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Who Am I?

I know, I have flicked the title of Jackie Chan's 1998 movie, but it best describes today gender orientation battle. On June 16, 2020, The US Supreme Court ruled protecting LGBT rights in the work place. This gives the LGBT to fight for recognition with their employers. But the employers have a greater headache - deciding which bathroom to allot for them - male or female. Employers my sympathies.

What on earth is transpiring in our minds when we have confusion whether we are male or female. The Bible says, "But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female." Now we all can agree regardless of religion this is the simple truth. Even the animal world has accepted this whole heartedly and obeys its creator by following this pattern. It's because our Heavenly Creator has given us the right of choice, we human beings have complicated ourselves in the name of relative moral reasoning and pleasure. We have come to a point where some of us are raising our children to be gender neutral.

I wonder what we achieve by changing our gender that which we can't achieve by being the gender we were born. Helen DeGeneres, the talk show host is gay who is so generous to her guests in her show, but off late news reports claimed that she is mean to all her staff. Now if changing your gender can make you a better person, I am all for it but unfortunately it doesn't change you as a person. 

People have started pushing their children to decide on their own, in some cases force to decide to become the opposite gender. Dear friends, we are in danger of incurring the wrath of of our Heavenly Creator, ".... the Lord , your Redeemer who formed you from the womb,....". Instead let us acknowledge to God as it says in the Bible "Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.".

God was so careful and intense in forming us in our mother's womb and intended to create us male and female with a purpose. What makes us decide we know better than Him? Let us recognise it is our rebellion in its ugliest form. It's not about being homophobic. We can't live a lie. If we can't fulfill our purpose as the gender we are born, we can be doubly sure we won't be able to by changing our identity either. If you are a parent, I plead that you pray over your children that your generation will grow learning the truth and glorify the Heavenly Maker through the legacy you leave by fulfilling His purpose, being the gender they are called to be.

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