A glance that transformed!

The best glimpses are not so easy to get. People plan and travel to different parts of the world to experience picturesque scenes for fulfillment and satisfaction. Cheap thrills are usually accessible, but some priceless moments require our extraordinary effort. It’s not always money, though it can give a temporary relief. Soul satisfaction is beyond this.

 

Soul satisfaction is a deep, inner fulfillment found not in external achievements but in aligning with your true self, purpose, and values, and only through spiritual connection, meaningful relationships, passion, and inner peace. It leads to lasting contentment. This is all possible when you get to find the right glimpse of someone who is our source. 

 

I want to introduce a man named Zacchaeus in the Bible.  As Jesus was going to villages, towns and cities of Galilee teaching about the need of repentance by experiencing forgiveness of sins and introducing the eternal kingdom of God, He was also healing all kind of sickness by touching them. People we healed instantly. Bible records a large crowd was following Him to listen and most importantly, to be healed from their sickness.  Who would not want to have glimpse of this man Jesus who could instantly open the eyes of the blind, heal the deaf and the mute, raise people from the dead.

 

When Jesus entered a place called Jericho, Zacchaeus was excited to have a glimpse of this man. People today throng and go crazy to meet celebrities. Well, there are incidents we are aware where many have lost their lives in stampede to get a glimpse of their favorite celebrity. Here the case was different. The book of Luke states, 'He (Zacchaeus) was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man. ' Luke 19:3.

 

As we read the passage it tells us that it was not easy for this man to have a glimpse of this person due to two significant reasons:

 

1.         Due to a large crowd (external situation)

2.      Zacchaeus was a short man. (Personal condition)

 

But this didn’t prevent Zacchaeus from seeing Jesus. The Bible records that Zacchaeus was trying to see Jesus, the savior of the world. He tried by running ahead and climbing up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since He was about to pass that way. 

 

Zacchaeus was a "chief tax collector." People like him (tax collectors) were not held in high regard at that time. That is, he was a Jew who collected taxes on behalf of the Roman oppressors. So, he was a traitor to the political cause. In the rabbinical literature, tax collectors are akin to robbers. This means Zacchaeus was wealthy. How did a Roman tax collector get wealthy? By extortion and embezzlement. By taking advantage of the elderly, by exploiting the working poor, and by taking care of his associates. There's an unspoken assumption of corruption. Zacchaeus is a man who deserves our contempt. 

 

Now this man of questionable moral standing made all efforts to see Jesus. Behold, something historical happens. Jesus noticed His bold efforts. When Jesus reached that spot, He looked up, saw Zacchaeus, and told him to come down. He then invites himself to stay with Zacchaeus: "I must stay at your house today." Zacchaeus immediately climbs down and "welcomed Jesus gladly." What a privilege!

 

This encounter transformed the life of Zacchaeus forever. Meeting Jesus aroused the guilt of all his wrongdoings, and he makes a public confession that he will give half of his possession to the poor and was willing to pay back four times as much if he had extorted from any. There was immediate transformation. Jesus immediately acclaimed, “today salvation has come to this house”.

 

Encountering Jesus is not a religious experience but life transforming experience where one feels guilty about his personal sins and willing to set things right. It has nothing to do with fulfilling religious or ritual obligations. Today, people are still accepting Jesus and their lives are transformed forever. Whatever is your situation and condition I encourage you to try and behold the living resurrected Savior. This can be done by getting to know Him, believing the claims He made and willing to follow Him.  You can probably take an effort to know about Him this Christmas season and find meaning and fulfillment  to life. 

 

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We believe what we want to believe!

 

It’s strange how people hold on to beliefs even if they don’t make any sense, be it life or spirituality. Alex Edmans points out why people sometimes believe in things even though it doesn’t make factual sense. They are as follows: 

 

Confirmation Bias – We accept what supports our beliefs and reject what contradicts them. 

 

Confirmation bias is a cognitive bias describing the human tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs or values, while simultaneously minimizing or ignoring information that contradicts those beliefs.

 

Black-and-White Thinking – We oversimplify complex realities into binary extremes: good/bad, true/false, always/never.

 

Black and white thinking, also called dichotomous or all-or-nothing thinking, is a cognitive distortion where people see things in absolute extremes—either good or bad, right or wrong—without considering the middle ground. This rigid mindset can lead to emotional instability, unhealthy relationships, and difficulty coping, and it often involves using words like "always" or "never" to describe situations. This way of thinking can be a response to stress and is commonly seen in conditions like anxiety and depression. 

 

Together, these two turn even the smartest thinkers into believers of absolute rubbish. However, it gets more interesting. Edmans dissects confirmation bias into three distinct types:

 

Biased Search: You only look for information that confirms your view.

 

Naïve Acceptance: You blindly accept what supports your position without questioning it.

 

Blinkered Skepticism: You aggressively scrutinize anything that challenges your view.

It’s not just that we are biased. It’s that we use our intelligence to become better at being biased.

 

In Eastern culture one who spends a good amount of time in giving a discourse on human goodness can be considered as a god. There are spiritual gurus who are revered and worshipped. Institutions, trusts and charity organizations are established in their remembrance. We all need inspiration and motivation to be good. Unfortunately, not all what inspire us and draw us can rescue our souls. The matter of life, death and afterlife cannot be the matter of confirmation bias. If it happens that way then the possibility of missing the truth is greater. 

 

I happened to have a conversation with a doctor who made the statement that many patients who visit have so much to say about their personal challenges and stress more than their physical ailment. As our conversation ended, we agreed that people are struggling and fighting their personal battles, alone. The social hierarchy, caste system, inequality, patriarchal society and religious demands are burdening them and having an adverse effect on their physical and emotional wellbeing. 

 

People approach their personal favorite gods for help and peace. The religious environment brings calmness to some extent but the personal problems and challenges remain unchanged. Talking about the spiritual systems, the middleman or the agent manipulates people to advocate on behalf of the people. The matter of gods and religious system are boxed within the framework of financial institutions. Man at the best cannot be gods because even they are the victims of the greatest problem of mankind, i.e. death. 

 

If there did exist a person in human history who defeated death and rose again, it was Jesus Christ. He pointed out sin to be the greatest problem of mankind and not physical death. Jesus could raise people from death just by His words. At the same time, He rose from the dead after three days, as He predicted. He makes this bold claim, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;”. Jesus is not a religious leader. He is our Saviour. 

 

What’s a belief you’ve held for a long time that feels true? 

Truth can never be relative which means, all cannot be true at the same time. It is not about whose truth wins. It is about finding the absolute truth that can tell us how we can find forgiveness apart from religiosity and find hope of resurrection from death. You don’t have to exist to survive this life somehow. God of universe promised that “He will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

 

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“If you were the Devil, what would you do?”

In the age of ChatGPT it’s easy to find answers to all questions in life, be it personal, emotional or professional. It has come to a point where a large part of humanity is totally dependent on it, creating an AI revolution in human history. I was intrigued to try it and asked an obvious yet profound question “if you were the devil, what would you do?”. Its description  was spot on and insightful.

‘My “devilish plan”’ (as described by ChatGPT)

“I’d whisper lies disguised as “freedom”, “progress”, or “liberation.” Erode values that foster trust, empathy, and community — sow seeds of doubt, cynicism, and self-interest.

I’d glamorize distraction and superficial pleasures: entertainment, instant gratification, addictive substances. Make people complacent, numbed, and disengaged.

I’d undermine the institutions and norms that encourage accountability, critical thinking, and moral courage — making structure, tradition, collective welfare look “old,” “irrelevant,” “constraining.”

I’d promote division: tribalism, “us vs them” thinking, fear of others. Stir resentments, polarize opinions, make empathy and solidarity harder.

I’d make the daily grind — work, ambition, survival — feel empty, meaningless; rob hope from long-term thinking, and instead promote short-term gains, cynicism, and moral relativism.

In short: I’d corrupt by shifting mindsets slowly, turning virtues into vices, making people question what’s “good.” Let the rot spread quietly — because people rarely notice, and when they do, it's often too late.”

Summarizing, we find truth is replaced by lies in every spectrum of human life, resulting in man becoming a beast constantly at war with himself and others. We observe the deconstruction of moral values, ethics, trust, gratitude, unity, brotherhood, faith in God, etc. Man believes in himself and assumes his money, power and fame can accomplish what he wants and adores them to the point of worshipping them as gods. Man believes that the religious structure has to be protected by him and defends it with fanaticism. Men believe that gods made by men are helpless and need their help to remain as gods with power.

The Bible in (Psalms 14:1-3) describes man and states he has become a fool by denying knowing and acknowledging Him: 

“The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.”

They are corrupt; they do vile deeds.

There is no one who does good.

The LORD looks down from heaven on the human race

to see if there is one who is wise,

one who seeks God.

All have turned away;

all alike have become corrupt.

There is no one who does good,

not even one.”

When Bible describes man as fool, who says in his heart there is no god, establishes his own freewill to conclude what and whom he assumes as God, whether in the form of a story or any created things for that matter. Bible therefore concludes "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…”. Man is constantly striving to establish his own standard. With the description of what we see in the schemes of the devil, we are led astray.  Though we assume we know all things yet are completely lost. Man has lost the sanity and sanctity of life.

Bible states "The wages of sin is death" and that means the consequence or payment for sin is death. This "death" is understood to encompass not only physical death but also spiritual and eternal separation from God, as sin disrupts the relationship with a holy and righteous God, Jesus Christ. Though all our acts and thought processes mirror the description given by ChatGPT, there is still hope for mankind. You can transform the situation by believing and accepting the resurrected, living Savior Jesus Christ. He has promised us eternal life. Try to get to know Him more to find true meaning to life.

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THE FOUR

When AI becomes the new support system!

 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the hot topic currently. In terms of what AI is and isn’t, definitions can become somewhat complicated rather quickly. To put it very simply, artificial intelligence is “intelligence” that isn’t human. It is machines that are programmed to learn — not in a human way — but by taking inputs and experiences to perform tasks, tasks that they theoretically improve upon each time they are fed more input. The more that ChatGPT, for example, is exposed to writing style, vernacular, and language, the more it reads like a real human-being.

A recent news article says that a growing number of ChatGPT users are sharing their personal struggles, including obsession, delusion and feelings of despair during weekly interactions with AI. Man is finding AI more compatible than humans. People are comfortable for the simple reason because of the freedom they think they can have to express anything and everything and are likely to get answers in detail. It is believed that it has simplified the work  of the people to a larger extent. Also, it is viewed as the best companion to a lonely soul. 

AI is seen as the advanced version of god or goddess they already worship because AI is constantly providing suggestions and alternatives to beat loneliness. However, experts warn about the emotional risks of AI engagement due to several factors, including its potential to manipulate, the erosion of real-life social skills, and the validation of unhealthy beliefs.

While AI can offer benefits such as companionship and accessible support, its lack of genuine emotion or ethical reasoning creates significant psychological vulnerabilities for users. Unlike human therapists who are trained to challenge distorted thinking, AI can validate and amplify dangerous beliefs, leading to cases of "AI psychosis". Researchers and tech giants enumerate the downside of the same as mentioned below:

• AI psychosis: This emerging concept describes how interactions with AI can trigger or worsen delusional thinking, paranoia, and anxiety in at-risk individuals.
• Sycophantic programming: Chatbots are often trained to be agreeable and prioritize user satisfaction over accuracy. This can lead to them validating and reinforcing a user's false or grandiose beliefs rather than challenging them.
• Escalating paranoia: In one composite case study, an isolated individual with pre-existing paranoia had his fears reinforced by an empathetic but agreeable chatbot, leading to a severe escalation of his symptoms and complete withdrawal from reality.

Diminished real-life social connection

Over-reliance on AI for social and emotional support can lead to shallow relationships and increased social isolation.

Superficial empathy: An AI's empathy is simulated and lacks genuine emotional depth. It does not actually understand the human experiences behind a user's feelings. This can lead to hollow and inauthentic-feeling responses.

Erosion of social skills: Constantly engaging with AI can reduce a user's capacity for genuine human connection and empathy, as they become accustomed to an interaction that doesn't require complex emotional labor.

False sense of security: AI may create a false sense of security, leading users to believe they don't need to engage with human professionals, which can result in missed diagnoses and opportunities for real-life support.

The other danger is soon at the corner as BBC News announce ChatGPT will soon allow erotica for verified adults.

People are desperate irrespective of age to chat in private expressing their restricted desires. Moral degeneration has long begun, now it is worsening with newer arrangements in this digital age. People want to cut corners to express their freedom and  most importantly not being found out. We classify the depravity of human beings to loneliness, regrets and disappointment but the truth as Bible narrates man is sinful in nature and wants to fulfill his selfish desires from any source may it be through living or non-living sources.

John Dyer in his book, From the Garden to the City writes: “While God’s words are eternal and unchanging, the tools we use to access those words do change, and those changes in technology also bring subtle changes to the practice of worship. When we fail to recognize the impact of such technological change, we run the risk of allowing our tools to dictate our methods. Technology should not dictate our values or our methods. Rather, we must use technology out of our convictions and values.”.

Let me emphasize no amount of external support can provide answers to the need of your heart. It can be only a temporary substitute that can cause more hunger and thirst to fulfil the desires of your heart. The more you consume the more you become lonely and desperate. We can ultimately be slaves to lifeless enhancement. If you want true satisfaction and peace then you should reach out to a God, Christ Jesus who promised everlasting peace, satisfaction and meaning to life. Let go of the temporary attachment that can only destroy you and everything you have.

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THE FOUR

The Life God designed for you!

 

As Dr. Randy Carlson states, “One of the greatest challenges we face today isn’t a lack of desire to live with intentionality—it’s the confusion that surrounds what purpose really is.” Often, we assume purpose outside of us and we need to find it in something beyond us, like  in our education, career, projects, reality shows, business, money, jobs, moving to a bigger city etc., and the rat race begins. People wish they were rich, had wealthy well-wishers, had robust connections, born in a wealthy family, etc. Their wish list is endless. This kind of thinking often delays one’s purpose and keeps you on the edge. The expectations build up and unmatched reality to these expectations ushers in disappointment. Eventually God is blamed, or karma or bad luck. 

Luck is often given credit for a well-established lifestyle, assuming that’s our end goal. If we fail in life, we blame one’s karma. Such religious belief in Karma and reincarnation leads people to even ignore the cries of the suffering. Why? Because they believe that those who suffer deserve their plight as they have done something wrong in their previous life. So, if you help suffering people you are interfering with karma. Many people accepting this belief have lost all their interest to life and its purpose. 

Jesus’ story and His teachings have turned the tables completely. Jesus is God not just because of His teaching, but because of who He was, and He solved the greatest problem of life which is death. Only Jesus raised people from death, and He rose from the dead. He was immaculate and perfectly holy. Often the story of power attracts us and we ridicule holiness. Jesus’ sinless life and His sacrifice for mankind have given hope to all of us. He promised life and abundant life to all of us. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Only Bible talks about Holiness. Another statement from the Bible, “for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”. The moment you understand that the purpose of life in this earth and the life to come is attached to faith in Christ, the perspective on purpose radically changes. 

You could be in medicine, education, parenting, tech, trades—whatever. Your job may change, but your purpose never does. God doesn’t call you to live intentionally someday—He calls you to do it today. Your purpose is not out there. It’s right within you and your environment. Right now. As Randy Carlson emphasizes, “But sometimes living your purpose means walking a hard road. Purpose is not always about what makes you feel good—it’s about what brings glory to God.”.  When you understand the fact that you exist to know Jesus and have fellowship with Him your entire perspective is transformed. He ties your purpose to life in the journey of knowing Him and giving glory to Him. He is a living God who indwells human hearts and that means you could be led by Him to a life that brings peace and joy irrespective of who you are. One of the authors in the Bible states “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”. Do you want to claim sonship by knowing Jesus and accepting Him in your heart?  

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Does truth really matter?

 

The lines of truth and lies have blurred significantly in today’s culture that it’s tough to differentiate. Truth is the only key that can unlock complexities life throws at us. The source of truth is as important as that of solving issues of life. Today, justice and the judiciary system primarily exist to analyze the undivided truth to grant justice to a person, but truth has always been a debate over centuries.

Norman Geisler in his book “Why I Am A Christian” states, “Genuine knowledge of truth and goodness has been questioned by skeptics for centuries, few seriously challenged the very existence of truth and goodness until the eighteenth-century’s hopeful modernism collapsed into the twentieth-century’s chaotic postmodernism. If God is unnecessary (as Darwinism seems to imply), or if God is in fact dead (as Nietszche boldly claimed), who is there to write the rules of life? Like a bratty child, may we not, with justification, incessantly reply to all claims and directives, “Says who?—says who?—says who?” As I pointed out, the source of truth can only qualify and validate the truth itself.

We all know that when someone says, "just be straight with me," they want you to be real with them—they want the truth. So, what is truth? Ironically, there seems to be quite a bit of confusion surrounding the meaning of this word. The phrase "speak your truth,” whatever that means, grants those who care to believe in the creative license to redefine reality. Our society has generally fallen prey to denying absolutes and embracing the preferences and opinions of their own beliefs. The Bibles boldly states, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” If you want to be liberated from your challenges and conditions that imprison you, then you need to know the truth.  Now the big question is which truth and what is the truth? 

Jesus claimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life” ( recorded in the Bible). He also said, “I am the good shepherd” (recorded in the Bible). Only Jesus in the entire human history had the audacity to claim that He is the truth. Do the claims of Jesus have any objective and universal meaning? Are truth and goodness real and knowable? Or are such matters ultimately beyond our grasp or simply matters of personal preference? Yes, it is, if we are open to know the life of Jesus. His incarnation, teaching, deeds, the incomprehensible works He performed during His lifetime, His prediction of His death and resurrection and knowing the biggest event of His resurrection that changed history set Him apart from all the so-called gods and goddesses of today’s world. If you are open and daring to accept this truth, then all He said and claimed would make sense. Truth does matter because it gives us the guarantee to live a meaningful life here on Earth and at the same time to find hope in the matter of eternity which is life after death. 
 

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THE FOUR

The Loitering Soul!

The word loitering has shades of meanings based on the context. "Loitering" means to linger in a public or private space with no apparent, legal, or legitimate purpose. Here are some everyday scenarios where someone might be perceived as "loitering" without any ill intent:

School Intervals: When children take a break between classes and walk around the corridor or take a bathroom break in school are considered as loitering by teachers.

Waiting for a friend: Lingering outside a store or building for an extended period while waiting for someone can be mistaken for loitering, especially by staff or security.

Being a lost pedestrian: A person who is lost and stops to check his/her phone or map could be perceived as loitering by a passerby, even if they are only temporarily idle.

Chatting as a group: A group of friends gathering and talking in a parking lot or outside a business, but their presence can still make others uncomfortable.

A new form of loitering has emerged with the digital age. We endlessly scroll through social media and get addicted to it. We post/repost or just skim through contents for hours eventually becoming an addict. But we fail to understand its unknown snares. We are hooked on it for happiness, having no purpose and to fill our void due to loneliness but later it becomes a snare. 

In the digital age, loitering is culminated to phubbing. Majority of people are phubbing. Phubbing is the act of ignoring someone in a social situation by prioritizing your phone. This behavior can negatively impact relationships by causing unhappiness, exclusion, and resentment, and even affect mental health. It occurs when one person is more focused on their smartphone than on the person they are with.

Based on recent research, people receive an average of 46 notifications on their phones per day, which equates to roughly one every 10 to 12 minutes during waking hours. However, the exact timing varies significantly depending on the user, their demographic, and the types of apps they have installed and their work culture. This means all of us get frequent notifications that distract us at any point of time.

Social psychologists and counsellors’ advice to find a good book, find a good movie, and spend time in building healthy habits. Though these are good suggestions, what a person misses to know is the purpose for his/her life. Your life purpose is not just physical but divine. Unless we try understanding our physical world with the spiritual view we would miss the life focus. 

The greatest purpose of any human being is to know a true living God and have a fellowship with Him. Many choose to be entertained by distractions that amuses them. And others with religious duties which do nothing to the human soul. Good habits and spiritual obligations cannot transform you and your mind to make healthy choices. It can produce temporary satisfaction but still leave a void in your soul. And when your soul is void you end up loitering and being trapped by something that can hold you a slave for a long time . 

The soul cannot be satiated with anything else other than God who made it. Jesus is the God of your heart, and He is not excited over your duties and obligations but longs for a relationship with you. He has promised to dwell in your heart. And that means your life will be free from any restlessness and loneliness. Learn to know Him more and stay transformed.

 

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