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FOCUS October 2020 Vol. 8 No: 4

Cover Photo by Canva: A Post – COVID -19 Landscape of Faith, Cover Design by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas

Contents
1. A Post COVID-19 Landscape of Faith: 12. Eschatological Views in Second Peter
Editorial by Dr. Zac Varghese, London, and its Relation to the Rest of the New
Page 3………………………………………. Testament, Revd Shibu Kurian,
Bangalore, Page
2. Professor George K. Zachariah’s 25……………………………………………
Navathy, (90th Birthday Tributes and
Good Wishes), Page 7…………………….. 13. Casting Burdens, Dr. Zac Varghse,
London, Page 28…………………………..
3. COVID-19: An Eco-Centric Perspective,
Revd Dr. K.V. Mathew, Kottayam, Page 8 14. Lessons I Learnt During COVID-19
Pandemic, George Thomas,Copenhagen,
4. Coping with COVID-19, Revd Dr. Page 31……………………………………...
Abraham Kuruvilla, Kottayam, Page 09
15. Member Church Reflections on COVID-
5. Spirituaalty of Virtual Chruch, Revd Dr. 19 in the UK, Page 33………………………
Ipe Joseph, Page 12………………............
16. Book Review: ‘Church and the New
6. COVID-19 Lessons, Revd Dr. M. J. Normal: Ecclesial Imaginations for a New
Joseph, Kottayam, Page 14……………… Community’, Rt. Revd Dr. Geevarghese
Mar Theodosius Suffragan Metropolitan,
7. Faith in the Times of Pandemic, By Revd Dr. Abraham Philip, Kottayam.
V. Georgekutty, Karunagappally, Page 16.. Page 35………………………………………

8. Worship is Celebration of Faith of People 17. Obituary - A Man Clad In Fire -

of God, P. T. Mathew, Dallas, Page 19…… Celebrating Swami Agnivesh, By Revd
Dr. Valson Thampu, Trivandrum, Page 36
9. When Only Two or Three Can Gather – A
Post COVID-19 Thought About Our Faith, 18. The Next Great Even in Post COVID-19,
Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas, Page 21……… Revd Dr. Martin Alphonse, Page 38

10. A Timely Response to a Crisis: CTE 19. Congratulations to Mr. John George
Presidents, England, Page 23……………. Chirapurath, Microsoft VP, Page 40……..

11. Religious Ethiests, Revd Dr. Valson 20. Obituary of Dr. Abraham C. Thomas,
Thampu, Trivandrum, Page 24…………… Tampa, Florida and Rtd. Judge O. N.
Ninan, Thiruvalla, Page 40……………….
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EDITORIAL
A Post COVID-19 Landscape of Faith:
(We are all in this together)
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants
for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1)
Mankind has been suffering from the devastating COVID-19
pandemic since January 2020, with over 25 million infected
people across the world and more than a million deaths as of
the end of August 2020. National governments across the world
used lockdown, quarantine, social distancing, hand washing,
personal protective equipment (PPE), hospitalisation, ventilators
and many other measures to save the lives of people. This virus
is still with us and the scientific prediction is that we may have
to live with it for a considerable length of time; the world is
desperately waiting for vaccines and other preventive measures
to come online.
Humanity suddenly woke up and realised that ‘we are all in this
together’; there is no safe place on the planet to hide from this
virus. It does not discriminate; it is infecting everyone in its path
and it is more devastating to older section of the population,
‘Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities (BAME)’ and
socially deprived people living in poor housing conditions and
homeless people sleeping on the streets. We may possibly
continue with blame games in one way or other. Apart from its
immediate effect on man’s respiratory system, it affects various
other organs of the body including unforeseen neurological
impairments and has psychological long-term effects; it also has
generated much socio-economic, welfare, psychological and
spiritual issues affecting the wellbeing of humanity. Therefore, it
seems to be a good time to assess the challenges and our
responses to them. Has it strengthened or weakened our faith?
How do we adjust to this novel experience? Will live streamed,
virtual, worship become a ‘new normal’ which has been one of
the legacies of the pandemic and will become a way of bringing
more people into a faith-based life in a post-pandemic
landscape, particularly those who never attended church-based
corporate worship? It is against this backdrop, we have
selected the theme: ‘A post COVID-19 landscape of faith’ for
the October issue of the FOCUS.
‘We are all in this together’ realisation is a good place to begin
sketching more fully the sort of re-conception and
reconstruction needed in our understanding of the Christian
faith and corporate worship after many months of live stream
worship, prayers and the inability in the physical participation for
the Holy Communion, intimate person to person interaction and
meaningful fellowship. What does this pandemic period
contribute for humanity’s self- understanding and spiritual
journey? We have taken for granted so many things in our
spiritual journey and have become familiar to sacraments and
faith practices without feeling its holiness or the presence of
God in our worship services. Does the present situation invite
and demand theologians and leaders of churches to undertake
a critical analysis of the traditional concepts of worship and
other practices?
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Mankind has managed to avert a nuclear war after the hostilities
of the Second World War; non-proliferation treaties,
Gorbachev’s glasnosts, international peace initiatives, the end
of the cold war and all such factors have lulled most activists
into complacency. But the 9/11 destruction of the trade centre
in New York, Al-Qaida, Iraqi war, social media-generated
upraising in Egypt, Syria, Libya and Hong Kong has again
created enormous challenges and instability. However, some of
these were based on region-specific issues, but the threat from
the COVID-19 pandemic is of a different scale and has wiped
out many human aspirations. The ability of mankind to destroy
itself was previously considered to be entirely due to man-made
weapons of mass destruction, clash of civilisations, religious
wars, the destruction of the environment and ecological
damage; it has now shifted to the destructive powers of viruses
and similar biological enemies and the threat may continue in
different shapes and intensities for years to come.
In the middle of this pandemic we have heard loudly and clearly
from Mr. George Floyd of the United States, “I cannot breathe”;
he died because the knee of a law enforcement officer blocked
his windpipe; the knee of racial hatred was on his neck
chocking and preventing him from breathing. He was locked out
of justice, compassion and love and he died with a message to
the whole world about not having the most fundamental of
freedoms, the freedom to breathe. Therefore, we need to
believe and reaffirm our faith ‘in Christ’, which should help us to
have the God-given strength and ever living hope to withstand
these threats to care for each other and re-establish the notion
that ‘we are all in this together’ to fight the pandemic, the racial
discrimination, other violations of human rights and ecological
issues for the good of everyone.
The Beveridge Report of 1942 during the Second World War
identified five important priorities known as the 'five giants’ for
post-war reconstruction of the UK. These were Want, Disease,
Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness. Tackling these social
maladies was the primary focus of the 1945 government of
Atlee’s social welfare programme in the UK and remained
important throughout the second half of the 20 century. It isth
easy to see the influence of Christian understanding in the
development of the welfare philosophy and the creation of a
welfare state in the UK. It was indeed influenced by the ethical
values of the kingdom of God, a longing for Justice, truth and a
concern for neighbours and communities. All that is good in the
western society stems from Christianity and now that influence
is slowly fading away.
We need a new world-view and a worldwide programme for the
socio-economic recovery from this pandemic. The faith
community has a major role in developing this recovery
programme. Apart from health-related issues, problems of
poverty, issues of social injustice, racial and many other forms
of dehumanisation surfaced during this pandemic, which raise
serious challenges for the Church. It is indeed a challenge for
the Christian communities to address these everyday issues. A
new sympathetic understanding under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit is urgently needed across the whole spectrum of human
experiences and problems arising from this pandemic. Only
when that comprehensive work begins we really understand
what God has in store for us to reach a ‘new normal’ in the
post-COVID-19 pandemic landscape.
What then must the Church do in order to address this new
situation to improve the human condition? Politicians often talk
about a ‘new normal’; how do we find it? One often comes
across super-minded critics demanding that the Church should
say or do something about addressing all the post-COVID-19
problems confronting the global community. These critics
always assume that responsibilities endowed on the Church
entirely depend on the ordained ministry, and that it should be
perfectly possible for a Pope, Patriarch or a Metropolitan to
make pronouncements on these varied issues on behalf of the
Church; others expect the Church to be able to solve all the
problems of society. While I would not wish to get involved in
clergy bashing, I would like to point out that the vast majority of
the members of the Church, over 99%, are laity. Therefore, it is
important for laity to move out of their indifference and inertia to
take up their responsibilities individually and collectively in
addressing problems confronting our world.
The failure of the Church to address various problems
confronting the world has been laid willy-nilly at the feet of the
leadership of the Church. The scapegoating of the leadership
has become an escapist game and virtue signalling. We often
forget that it is up to the ordinary members of the faith
community with the intimate knowledge and involvement of the
affairs of the world in their work places, homes, social living and
in politics. Instead, we continue to blame the leaders and even
say they have enslaved the laity and so forth, etc., etc.; if this is
true, then it is time for lay people of the Church to seek
liberation for the good of the whole world. We should highlight
this post-pandemic landscape as a wakeup call to work for the
values of God’s kingdom. Laity should regain their role as
members of the ‘Royal Priesthood’ because we are given the
authority through St. Peter’s epistle: "But you are a chosen
people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s special
possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called
you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1Peter 2:9). There
is no excuse whatsoever in not working together with our priests
to achieve what we pray for in the prayer that Jesus taught us:
“Thy will be done or earth as it is in heaven.” The time is now
ripe for a much-needed reformation in our churches and the
attitudes of laity towards achieving it under the grace of God.
Now is the time that they should wake up from their dormant
state.
We are grateful to Miss Sarah Ball of the ‘Churches Together in
England (CTE)’ for sharing the varied reflections on COVID-19
pandemic by the members of the CTE. Revd Dr. K. V. Mathew
has given us an eco-centric perspective on this pandemic. He
gives very thoughtful advice: “Those of us who will survive this
pandemic need to learn from the mistakes of our past and build
a new humanity in the spirit of humaneness, mutual love,
cooperation and respect for our cosmos.”
Revd Dr. Abraham Kuruvilla in his article highlights that the
appropriate Christian response is to lament, groan with creation,
and pray in the power of the Holy Spirit and to serve the poor
and to defend their interests. He says, “Grief offered is grief
transformed.” Grieving is indeed a positive response for
maintaining emotional health and wellbeing. Revd Dr. Ipe
Joseph examines the question: whether or not the virtual
Church is a viable way to gratify the need for spiritual
experiences when we are in a lockdown situation, unable to
meet as a community for worship.
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Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph highlights some of the lessons that we
should learn for this epidemic; he states: “The problems
emerging from Covid-19 are not simply an issue of Health and
Medical science. It is a very complex problem concerning the
whole humanity today in its social, cultural, economic and
spiritual dimensions.”
Mr. George Kutty, in a well-crafted article, challenges the thesis
that plague and such disasters are means by which a vengeful
God punishes people who offend Him. He also questions the
institutionalised and authoritarian nature of the Church and
worship practices and suggests the need to find new ways of
worshiping God ‘in spirit and in truth’.
Revd Dr. Valson Thampu’s article on ‘Religious Atheists’
requires our thoughtful consideration in the context of the
pandemic. Jesus warns against a religion that is merely external,
based upon rituals, traditions and regulations. Just as
ceremonial washing cannot cleanse us from sin; neither can the
observance of strict dietary and other laws prevent sin from
taking hold in our lives. The faith Jesus proclaims is more
internal, a matter of the heart, responding in faith and obedience
to his teachings. It requires us to have an intimate, indwelling,
relationship with Jesus.
We express our gratitude to Revd Shibu Kurian for his article
on ‘Eschatology’ based on a study of 2 letter of St. Peter. It is
nd
appropriate to think about Eschatology and Parousia in the
context of the current pandemic; we find that Christian life is a
tension between an ‘already but not yet’ reality of the kingdom
of God. Mr. P. T. Mathew has written on the theme that
worship is a celebration of faith to give glory to God.
Lal Varghese, Eq., writes: “The disruption caused by COVID-
19 must help the people of God, the Church, to have a real
transformation from a nominally worshipping community to that
of a missional Church expressing God’s unconditional love for
His whole creation.”
It gives the Editorial Board great pleasure to welcome Mr.
George Thomas to the family of writers of the FOCUS journal.
His article on the ‘eight lessons learned from the CORONA-19
Pandemic’ should be of great interest to all our readers. Such
an insightful article is very helpful for us to face a post- COVID-
19 pandemic landscape to formulate the policies necessary
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit for providing the help
needed in all aspects of living on this planet for giving glory to
God.
Revd Dr. Martin Alphonse gives a very balanced biblical
perspective and highlights the ongoing theological discussions
on the probable end time scenario and the second coming of
Jesus Christ in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Human beings are created in the image of God for living in
varied relationships: one with another, in family groups, other
social groups and in the fellowship with others in church
assemblies and with nature and so on. However, when Christian
teaching is concentrated exclusively on the salvation of the
individual in order to gain a passport for reaching to heaven, one
forgets one’s responsibilities to others. It can easily become an
escapist attitude of having a better life after death. The Indian
mystic, Sri Aurobindo, said, “A solitary salvation leaving the
world to its fate was felt almost distasteful.” Former bishop of
1
Durham, Tom Wright, emphasised this in many of his books that
“The whole point of Jesus’ work was to bring heaven to earth
and join them together for ever, to bring God’s future to the
present and make it stick there.” A former dean of the St. Paul
2
Cathedral, W. R. Inge, wrote: “Is not this the charge so often
brought against Christians and Christianity that their dreams of
future bliss have sucked all the life out of their earthly existence,
so that they do nothing to make this world better and promote
human progress?” He also added, “Heaven is not a faraway
place to which we hope to go; it is the presence of God in which
we ought to live.” The Lord’s Prayer is a further emphasis on
3
this understanding. St. Paul also made it clear that those in
whom the Holy Spirit comes to live are God’s temples. “Don't
you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's
Spirit dwells in your midst?”(1Cor 3:16). The people of God are,
individually and collectively, the media where heaven and earth
meet.
I am attracted to a BBC television programme, ‘The Repair
Shop’, where excellent God-given human skills are used for
satisfying the emotional needs of people who hang on to
various damaged artefacts and other items connected with their
ancestors. I see God’s presence in these heart rendering
emotional human encounters. Heaven is where God is. This
particular place in Sussex is not a mere repair shop; I see it as a
soul-repair shop. We need soul-repair shops to heal the damage
within us. We need to have a rethink about such spiritual needs
now. This epidemic has made us aware that people are
neighbours to other people the world over; the public health and
wellbeing are linked to people across the world and our eco-
system. We are bound together spiritually, politically,
economically and socially; even if we normally hide behind
national, racial and religious boundaries. It is indeed an
opportunity once again to realize that ‘tears are a universal
language, and help is a universal command.’
Lockdowns and physical distancing have highlighted the
importance for close relationships and intimacy for maintaining
our emotional health and well-being. Recent studies have
shown that depression and mental disorders have increased
during this epidemic. Social distancing – not having anyone to
share our private thoughts and emotional feelings – has been
found to be a significant contributor to depression. When
relationships get strained, the immune responses weaken and
the intensity of the disease and death arise. Therefore, intimacy
is a fundamental human need; this intimacy is an expression of
our love for others around us. For in worship as well as in daily
living, man finds God not only in the vertical relationship –
personal and private meditations – but also in the horizontal
relationships of man with his neighbours. There is no private
substitute for worshiping and glorifying God. It is a corporate
offering of us with and through Christ, which brings God’s
abundant love to be fellow-workers for God’s mission to build
His kingdom on earth.
1 Satprem, ‘Sri Aurobindo’, The Mother’s Institute of avenues to find a vaccine and other preventive measures. Yes,
research, Delhi, page: 41. God is on the frontline, suffering with humanity to bring healing
2 Tom Wright, ‘Simply Christian’, SPCK, 2006, page: 87. and hope.
3 Inge W.R., ‘Personal Religion and the Life of Devotion’
Longman and Green and Co, 1924, Page 84-85.
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It may be that in every age some critical issue becomes the
challenge that is fateful for the future of mankind; we are in such
a fix now. If there is no Christian vision and insight and if
Christians, individually and corporately, do not act vigorously
according to such God-given wisdom we will have failed. Real
healing happens when Jesus Christ meets mankind at the point
of their needs. This healing is for the whole world. If we allow it
to become the preserve of the church alone, we privatize it and
opt out of the journey we are called out to travel. Therefore, let
us continue to pray for the help of the Holy Spirit to guide us to
overcome the various problems associated with this pandemic.
Israelites were ritualistic worshippers; they abandoned the true
meaning and purpose of worship for which they were chosen
and set apart. The heavenly vision we see in the chapter 6 of
Isaiah was a call to the elected people of God to return to the
true worship. God expects us to worship Him with our hearts
and minds, ‘in spirit and in truth’ (Jn 4:24). He wants us to be
holy as He is holy and this holiness includes both our actions
and attributes. Let our live stream worship give us an
experience of the sovereign Lord and give us a true insight into
our present spiritual status. May it also help us to develop a
genuine hunger for true corporate worship ‘in spirit and truth’.
The nature and the rhythm of worship has changed over the
centuries from the early tabernacle worship in the desert to
temple, synagogues, house churches, Orthodox and Catholic
forms of worship, post-reformation patterns, charismatic forms
to the present pandemic pattern of online-digital-virtual worship.
We need to think of these worship patterns again under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The following is a typical example of a directive from a Church
of England parish for corporate worship after the removal of
some lockdown restrictions in the UK: “We plan to hold a short
said Eucharist in . . . subject to any changes in Government and
Church of England guidelines between now and then. If you
would like to attend, please send a message to . . . so that we
have an idea of numbers: 1). Only one person, or household
group, should sit in each designated place throughout the
service. Each place will be clearly marked and all other parts of
the church will be closed off. A sides-person will show you to
your seat on arrival in church. 2). Adequate supplies of hand
sanitiser and facemasks will be available. Those attending the
service must sanitise their hands on arrival and wear facemasks
all the time they are in church, unless you are exempt. 3).
Sharing of the Eucharist will be in one kind only (save for the
President) and distribution will take place at the end of the
service, with the congregation leaving immediately after
receiving the Eucharist. Entry and exit will be through the main
south door.”
Such thoughtful measures and rethinking are needed for re-
establishing corporate worship in all parishes; such measures
are our responsibility for the common good of the community.
There is no doubt that God is at work during the pandemic, we
see God’s presence in thousands and thousands of front-line
workers in hospitals, care homes, super markets, in transport
network, many neighbourhood support-services, security
services and many other agencies. It is the dedication and
determination of the human spirit, which is searching for various
An individualized-faith, which ignores the fact we are members what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love
of a close-knit community and does not express in action of mercy and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). We thank
what is needed is less than Christian. Only those who by God for these two servant disciples who worked for establishing
dedication and discipline by listening to God in silent prayer in the values of the kingdom of God. We offer our condolences to
humility can prepare themselves for the demands of the the bereaved families. May their souls rest in peace and rise in
kingdom of God and are able to work together for God’s glory.
mission for realizing ‘the here and now reality’ of God and his
presence at the point of human need. Since people everywhere are affected by the COVID-19 and
other severe illnesses and disabilities let us pray for them. Let us
This pandemic has already shaken our world in many different also remember Metropolitan Joseph Mar Thoma and
ways over the past few months. The explosion in Beirut, the Chrysostom Valiya Metropolitan in our prayers. We are very
killing of George Floyd at Minneapolis and the associated grateful to the past and the present contributors to this journal
incidences are other examples of human violence, indifference who helped us to complete eight volumes of this journal from
and corruption. But for Christians, even in times of great April 2013.
insecurity and change, our instructions are to 'maintain constant
love for one another' and 'serve one another' (1 Peter 4: 8& 10). Dr. Zac Varghese
We know that our security is founded in our Father God, For the Editorial Board
the “God who loved the world so much that He gave His one
and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but http://www.issuu.com/diasporafocus
have eternal life” (John 3:16). As we share His love with those
http://www.scribd.com/diasporafocus
around us, we are able to give them the opportunity to know
Him dearly and also as their Heavenly Father.
Web Site: www.facebook.com/groups/mtfocus
E-Mail: mtfousgroup@gmail.com
The Apostle Paul gives us a direction on how to find a ‘new
normal’ in our faith orientation in times of difficulties such as this Published by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas for and on behalf of
pandemic in chapter 13 of his first letter to the Corinthians. He Diaspora FOCUS
wrote "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a
child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I put Disclaimer: Diaspora FOCUS is a non-profit organization registered in
childish ways behind me." We are facing various challenges and United States, originally formed in late Nineties in London for the
Diaspora Marthomites. Now it is an independent lay-movement of the
the pangs of growing up. This pandemic reminds us that the
Diaspora laity of the Syrian Christians; and as such FOCUS is not an
Christian faith is not a fairy tale and it is reassuring to know that
official publication of any denominations. It is an ecumenical journal to
when things are hard it is not because Jesus doesn’t love us focus attention more sharply on issues to help churches and other faith
anymore. The good news is that generations of Christians have communities to examine their own commitment to loving their neighbors
found that when they face difficulties, Jesus is with them and and God, justice, and peace. Opinions expressed in any article or
they are never alone. It has worked for our ancestors and let us statements are of the individuals and are not to be deemed as an
hope and pray that it will work for us too. endorsement of the view expressed therein by Diaspora FOCUS.
Thanks.
May our lockdowns, physical distancing, live stream worships
and silent meditations help us to hear ‘the still small voice of
God’ to help people and communities to recover from the
damages caused by the pandemic. We must remain attentive in
order to be able to hear ‘the still small voice of God’. Boris
Pasternak wrote: “When a great moment knocks on the door of
your life, it is often no louder than the beating of your heart and
it is very easy to miss it.” May the Holy Spirit guide us to find
holiness in virtual space and help us to transform the secular
into sacred. Let us remember John Wesley’s mother’s prayer:
“Help me, Lord to remember that religion is not to be confined
to the church . . . nor exercised only in prayer and meditation,
but that everywhere I am in Thy presence.”

The members of the Editorial Board thank God for the life of
Swami Agnivesh who passed away on 11th September at Delhi.
He was a great son of India who served the nation and
particularly thousands of suffering people as described in a
most fitting tribute to him by Revd Dr. Valson Thampu. He
contributed much for the Interfaith relationship, dialogue and
wider ecumenism. He was a prime example that there is a living
presence of Christ in the lives of some Hindus.

Dr. Abraham C. Thomas and Retired Judge O. C. Ninan, whose

obituaries appear in this issue, were God-centred gentlemen
who listened to the ‘still small voice of God’ and followed the Prof. George K. Zachariah, MTC of Greater
prophecy of Micah: “He showed you, O man, what is good. And Washington (Navathy Tributes from FOCUS)
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Professor George K. Zachariah’s Navathy
(90th Birthday Tributes and Good Wishes)
Professor George K. Zachariah is a gentle giant who will
be celebrating his 90th birthday on 23rd November 2020
with his family and friends. We thank God for this humble
servant of God. We offer our felicitations, good wishes
and prayers for his forthcoming 90th birthday.
Professor George Zachariah is a well-known and
distinguished figure who has made excellent
contributions in various areas of the ministry,
administration and building ecumenical relationship of
the Mar Thoma Church with other churches. His
contributions in the academic fields of philosophy,
psychology, theology and education both in India and in
the USA are extensive and outstanding.
He hails from the Kuzhikkalakannimel family of
Karthikappally in Kerala. He was born on 23rd November
1930. After his University education from the UC College,
Alwaye, and the Madras Christian College, he started his
teaching career at the UC College. While in Kerala he
gave leadership for a host of Christian undertakings
including the Student Christian Movement, the Mar
Thoma Youth Leagues and the Mar Thoma student
conferences.
He emigrated to the United Sates in the Seventies and
lived in Greater Washington. His wife, Susan, is a
graduate in Economics from the Kerala University and
has gained postgraduate qualifications from the
University of North Carolina. They have two sons, a
daughter and ten grandchildren.
He is one of the founding members of the Mar Thoma
Church of Greater Washington in1980; prior to this he
was involved in the ecumenical Christian activities
from1973. He then moved to the formation of one of the
earliest Mar Thoma parishes in the USA, in Greater
Washington. He was also totally involved in the
development of the diaspora Mar Thoma communities in
other cities and towns of the United States.
It is to his wise counsel people turned for advice and
help in those early and difficult years. He gave leadership
for establishing the annual family conference and also
publishing the Messenger, and was one its early editors.
It is on the foundations that he helped to lay and build
that we now have a coherent and vibrant Mar Thoma
community in the USA. He contributed much for all the
areas of the lives of the Mar Thoma Christians. He also
taught for a year at the Mar Thoma Theological Seminary
at Kottayam.
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His holds a large number of graduate and postgraduate
qualifications in theology, philosophy and education from
a number of prestigious Universities in the USA including
Princeton. His CV is over 33 pages, which lists most of
his contributions and achievements over the last seventy
years. He is a prolific writer and speaker on a variety of
subjects. He published a number of books including a
unique one, ‘The Four Gospel in One’, in 2000 with a
foreword from Alexander Mar Thoma Metropolitan. There
are a number of unpublished manuscripts of books in his
library with a wealth of scholarship, which is kept under
continuous review for future publication.
The editors of the Diaspora FOCUS Journal are
particularly indebted to Professor George Zachariah
because he was involved in all the three FOCUS
Seminars at Santhigiri Ashram, Alwaye, Kerala, from
1999 to 2003. He has the following entry in his CV about
the FOCUS Movement. During the first seminar in 1999
he presented a paper and the following is his entry on
this in his CV: “‘The Mar Thoma Church in Global
Context’ was the paper I presented at the ‘For Christian
Understanding and Solidarity (FOCUS)’ Seminar at
Santhigiri Ashram, Alwaye, Kerala, India, where about
ninety church leaders from various parts of the world
outside Kerala and eight bishops of the Mar Thoma
Church met from February 9 - 13, 1999. I was authorized
to represent the seminar in presenting to the
Metropolitan the recommendations of the conference
when a sizable number of the participants met His Grace
at his residence.” This early blessed beginnings and
initiatives helped us to begin the publication of this
journal in 2013. We thank Professor George Zachariah
and all other pioneers of this Movement.
It is fitting to quote Dag Hammarskjold’s short poem,
‘God the Artist’, to describe the life of Professor George
Zachariah so far under the grace of God:
“Thou takest the pen –
and the lines dance.
Thou takest the flute –
and the notes shimmer.
Thou takest the brush –
and the colours sing.
So all things have meaning and beauty
in that space beyond time where Thou art.
How, then, can I hold back anything from Thee?”
It is his total submission, and not holding back, to the
will of God made Professor Zachariah who he is. Let us
thank God for this vibrant, peace loving and loveable
prophetic lay leader of the Mar Thoma Church and offer
our prayers to God for his health and wellbeing. May he
continue to be a blessing for others.
FOCUS Editorial Board
COVID-19: An Eco-Centric Perspective
Revd Dr. K.V. Mathew, Kottayam
In the light of recent events, the erudite and the illiterate,
the strong and the weak, the rich and the poor all stand
bewildered in the present pandemic invasion. Humankind
is currently in pursuit of a satisfying answer and an
adequate solution for the mystery that is COVID-19. I
would like to share a few of my thoughts about COVID-19
for wider consideration.
As we know by now, the coronavirus is no newcomer to
the Earth. It is just one among the billions and trillions of
our invisibly acting nano-co-workers in the cosmic field. It
is a fact that COVID-19 is a new avatar of the coronavirus
that is also responsible for other infectious diseases like
SARS and MERS. Its presence was discovered only
recently as these viruses became active from their
dormant state. COVID-19 appeared first in the city of
Wuhan in China and has mutated into several strains
since it was discovered in November 2019.
“Ex nihilo nihil fit” is a Latin adage that translates to
“nothing comes from nothing”. Theists tend to accept the
existence of a cosmic mind behind the cosmic order. If
the cosmos is “Swayambhu” – or self-manifested – it will
continue to exist no matter what. However, if it is not, this
cosmos will eventually cease to exist as well. How can we
understand COVID-19 and explain its functioning from an
eco-centric perspective? During the course of its
existence, many resources have been programmed into
the cosmos for its multifarious functions. COVID-19 could
be seen as one of the defence mechanisms that are
currently active in order to protect the cosmos. We homo
sapiens are but passengers on this colossal flying
machine. We occupy this cosmic space station, enjoying
all the comforts and luxuries it has to offer, but we have
failed in our duties towards the maintenance of this
machine. In such a critical situation, the cosmos has
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begun to malfunction, which is seen through our
destruction of nature and its resources for our own gain.
This is where the defence mechanisms of this cosmic
machine come into play, through natural disasters like
earthquakes and floods, and most recently, the COVID-19
pandemic. These mechanisms are homeostatic in nature,
bringing balance to a cosmos that has been wracked by
unnatural developments, working to eliminate the source
of the problem: human beings.
This new predicament has opened our eyes to certain
fundamental responsibilities that we have neglected while
enjoying life on earth. A series of points to consider: were
not our female partners under lockdown at home? How
much time were we able to spend with our children and
family? Have we not been separated from our neighbours
by walls? Have we not created divisions between people
in the name of caste, colour, religion and race? COVID-19
has shown us that it has no partiality. It has visited us all,
irrespective of rich or poor, white or black, young or old.
In this time of crisis, did our false religions, rituals and
superstitions show their collective strength? Did all the
wealth and power we accrued in the past save us from
death? We even learned that the deadly pandemic is not
utterly ruthless and cruel. It has only removed a small
percentage of the people it infected from the earth.
Ultimately, we can hope that this lockdown has taught us
to be content with what we have and freed us from our
greed. Those of us who will survive this pandemic need to
learn from the mistakes of our past and build a new
humanity in the spirit of humaneness, mutual love,
cooperation and respect for our cosmos.
The Theme for January 2021 FOCUS issue:
'A New Normal: Not only from
Pulpits but also from Pews and
Aisles'
Whatever happens next, we are
going to realize slowly what the
'new normal' is going to be. We did
not cope with the 'old normal' and
how are we going to tackle the 'new
normal'? Who will be setting up the
parameters for this ‘new normal’?
As there is so much mistrust and
critical commentaries on religions
and its practices, something more
appealing and contextual, the theme
for next issue is 'A New Normal:
Not only from Pulpits but also
from Pews and Aisles'. We request all of you to send your
articles to us by the last week of November 2020 to Lal
Varghese, Esq., Dallas at his e-mail attylal@aol.com.
COPING WITH COVID-19
Revd Dr. Abraham Kuruvilla, Kottayam
1 Introduction
Coping with Covid-19 is a challenge for the human race.
The pandemic has turned human life upside down. Things
we were taking for granted are no more available and are
lost. Any loss, temporary or permanent, involves grief.
Some losses due to Covid-19, such as restrictions in
social life, are temporary and will go away once the
pandemic is over. However, there are also permanent
losses such as the death of dear ones. Effective living
under the changed environment requires that we learn to
cope. Grieving the losses is an important part of coping.
We need to use all our resources, spiritual, social and
emotional, to grieve the temporary losses as well as the
permanent losses. Unfinished grief diminishes our ability
to cope and live fully. Beyond grieving, Covid-19 is also
inviting us to examine our relationship with planet earth
and the eco-system. God appointed us to be stewards of
the earth and all its inhabitants. There is need to review
our style of stewardship so that the relationship may be
more harmonious. Learning to live in peace with the eco-
system is an important part of coping with Covid-19.
2 Grieving the Losses
(a) Taking Stock of the Losses
Grieving involves taking stock of losses. The losses we
have suffered due to Covid-19 are not limited to the
health hazards associated with the virus infection. Corona
has deprived us of precious elements of our social and
emotional life. It has taken the lives of near and dear
ones. The freedom to visit relatives and friends is lost.
Families are separated and are unable to reunite. The
celebrations of life are out. Even grieving connected with
death is blocked. There are no intimate expressions of
love in social life. Corporate worship has ceased. Travel
by road, rail or air remain disrupted. We have lost many
things at the personal, social and spiritual levels, which
we were taking for, granted. Many have also lost their
means of livelihood and are facing a bleak future.
Humanity needs to take a comprehensive account of the
losses, personal, relational, social and economic. Stock
taking of losses is an essential part of grieving.
(b) Grieving the Relational Losses
The effects of Covid-19 on the health of the victims are in
most cases limited and will be overcome soon enough.
However, disrupted relationship is a more significant
category. There could be unfinished grief in the case of all
categories of loss of relationship cited above. In each
category, the unfinished grief will need to be attended to
and processed. Regardless of the category of loss, the
first challenge in grieving is to become aware of the loss
and the emotions associated with the loss. The
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community needs to permit by itself to experience this
pain. The willingness or inner permission to experience
the pain of isolation, pain of loss of job, pain of moving
out from familiar work environment or residential
environment is important in grieving. Although less
frequent, the pain of death of the loved ones is a more
important category of loss leading to intense grief.
There are some factors, which facilitate grieving and
others that block grieving, when the loss is substantial
and the grief overwhelming, people at times discount the
significance of the losses. The assumption is that when
the things lost are pushed out of the mind, the pain will
also be pushed out. We cannot simply wish them away or
push them out. The sense of false omnipotence based on
advances in science and technology operates as a block
in the present era. However advanced science and
technology become, we will never be masters over the
environment and nature will often dictate terms to
humans. To grieve, we need to accept the fact that
humans are finite, limited and not always in control of life.
The sense of omnipotence is a definite disadvantage in
genuine grieving. Our Lord Jesus Christ frankly and
genuinely acknowledged his humanity by going through
the agony of his passion with no effort to cover up his
pain and his finitude. In human response to Covid-19 we
see a lot of denial in the behaviour of individuals,
communities, and nations. The loss of freedom is real and
painful. Loss of property, loss of job and loss of lives are
realities. To come to grips with the losses, we need to
allow ourselves to experience the pain due to our losses
as normal and healthy. To grieve, we need to accept our
humanity, our finitude and our vulnerability.
Grieving is the way to experience the emotions and to
integrate the emotions and integrate the losses as part of
our life. Just as we count the blessings, the many losses
are also to be counted and the unpleasant emotions
experienced and processed adequately to become free
from them. By experiencing and expressing our emotions
we become free from them. When we deny the emotions
and suppress them, the emotions rule over us because
our energy is wasted in denying reality and blocking
emotions. Experiencing and expressing our grief is the
way to liberation from being tormented by our emotions.
It is not enough to permit awareness of the losses. The
associated emotions need to be processed. Emotions are
processed through appropriate expression. The freedom
to share our deeply hurting emotions with members of the
family, with friends and with other trustworthy persons is
an important resource in processing emotions. However,
presently we do not have the option of face to face
contacts with our relatives and friends to share emotions.
Nor do the clergy have the option of face to face listening
to the members of the parish. We have to rely on smart
phones and other social media to communicate. While
this is not the ideal or the habitual way of communication,
they are the media available and the best use of them is
to be made. Clergy also have to rely on these rather than
the traditional pastoral calls.
(c) Grieving in the Company of God
As persons sharing the Christian faith, prayer is an
important medium of communication with God. As we
read through the Psalms we notice how intimate the
Psalmists are with God. They have the freedom to share
with God their frustrations and disappointments. The
Psalmists often come out openly with their anger towards
God for not rescuing them from miseries. We frequently
notice that the Psalms, which include such, open
expression of rage towards God end with praise and
thanksgiving to God. Genuine sharing of emotions
liberates us from the power of those emotions and helps
us see things from a different perspective. Similarly we
who have gone through unpleasant experiences, ranging
from moderate to the most intense, do good to ourselves
by sharing our painful and tormenting emotions with God
in prayer. That is the royal road to grieving which liberates
us from tormenting emotions.
We grieve with God when we take the crisis experience in
full to God. It involves taking our thoughts, emotions and
behaviour associated with the loss in their raw unedited
state to God. We are sometimes tempted to make them
presentable, hiding what is glaringly open to God. We do
much better when we take our raw, unedited experiences
to God as an offering. There is healing when raw grief is
unmasked and offered before God. As we make an
offering of our pain before the throne of God, he would
wipe our tears, heal our wounds and heal our souls. Our
selfoffering needs to be comprehensive. We are entitled
to offer the pain from the losses and all associated
thoughts, emotions and behaviour. Grief offered is grief
healed and transformed to become a resource in coping.
(d) Grieving Death
The grief of those who have lost their near and dear ones
due to Covid-19 deserves special mention. When we lose
our dear ones with sufficient warnings about their
possible departure, the grief experience is moderate.
Grief is moderate because we get opportunities to care
for the departing ones during their last days or hours on
earth. Grief is also facilitated by the many who participate
in the funeral service and visit us personally. In the case
of deaths due to Covid-19, these normal processes are
blocked. From the moment our dear ones are tested
positive, they are isolated from us. We are unable to do
any service to them in their dying hours and are not even
allowed to be beside the bed when they breathe their last.
The normal funeral procedures are also blocked. These
seriously disrupt the grieving process. It is the
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responsibility of the community to facilitate grief using the
telephone and other media. There are limits to such help
and there is surely a loss here which no one can make up.
These losses will need to be shared in solitude with God
who is always accessible.
(e) Grieving the Economic Losses
Corona has also brought economic disaster to a huge
population across the globe. People have been made
jobless and homeless. The torturous homeward journey
of people pushed out on to the streets reminded us of the
traumatic experiences after the partition of British India.
It was thoughtlessness, which led the government to the
declaration of lock-down without making adequate
provisions for the poor to survive in their habitat. These
are vital losses and there are intense emotions associated
with such losses. The sense of being abandoned will
haunt the displaced population. The emotions need to be
processed in helping people cope with the pandemic.
When people suffer huge material losses, the community
often ignores the emotional impact of the loss and focus
on the material loss. Focus on the material loss is surely
vital. However, processing the emotions associated with
the material loss is equally important. The processing the
emotions associated with displacement is vital to carry on
with life. It is particularly important that the victims do not
attribute the reasons for their predicament on
inappropriate persons or objects. In the Indian culture it is
not uncommon for people to attribute bad experiences in
life to wrong stars, ill luck, as predestined or as
punishment from God. Attributing the bitter experiences
of life on to such inappropriate objects reduces the ability
of people to cope with such experiences.
While the loss of livelihood is indeed traumatic and the
importance of grieving is vital preparatory work, coping
with the crisis requires genuine support and help from the
government, faith communities, social agencies and
voluntary agencies. As a church we have a special
responsibility to be with the victims of such displacement.
They deserve to be supported emotionally, spiritually and
materially by all our resources. Our financial support and
emotional and social support are all equally important.
The plight of those who have lost their livelihood needs to
be defined as a problem of the community and not merely
a problem of the affected individuals. The Christian
community in particular has to express its solidarity with
those who have suffered vital losses. Through our social,
economic, emotional and spiritual support we enhance
their ability to grieve and to cope.
3 The Transforming Power of God
While Corona imposes serious limitations on us humans,
it has not taken away everything from us. How to make
life worth living within our limitations is amply
demonstrated by our Lord through his life on earth. God
lived on earth in human form without heavenly privileges
and within the limitations of being human. Jesus was
empowered by the Spirit of God who descended on him
at the Jordan. The same Spirit is granted to us to act with
power within the limitations imposed by Covid-19. While
these limitations operate, God has given us other
resources. While physical closeness is blocked we have
many alternate ways of making contact with those around
and make a difference to the world around.
During the grieving phase we made an offering to God: an
offering of painful thoughts, emotions and behaviour.
What is offered is transformed and healed by God. Once
we accept the losses, we are invited to make another
offering: the offering of what is left with us. We have two
good eyes to look at the world beyond the two meters
distance with the compassion of Jesus. We need to offer
our eyes to God for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Full of the Holy Spirit, we may look at those in pain with
the same compassion with which Jesus looked at and
healed people in pain. The world will then see in our eyes
the compassion of God. We have two good ears to listen
to what the world is communicating to us. Spirit filled
listening to the agonies of the world has enormous
healing power. We also are left with our voice. We may
offer our speech to God for it to be filled with the Holy
Spirit so that we may modulate our voice and speak with
the compassion of Jesus. Our brains are intact for us to
think and come up with ideas to solve problems: our own
problems and those around us. Spirit filled thinking is a
powerful resource in solving problems, big and small. We
have a lot more intangible dimensions of our personality,
which Covid has not taken away. When they are offered
to God, they are transformed by the power of the Holy
Spirit. The special charismata for any ministry come from
God. When the Holy Spirit descends on the church in the
Covid and post-Covid era, we are granted special
charismata to minister to people suffering in this new era.
In the power of the Holy Spirit what is left is enough and
more. Just as five loaves of bread and two fish were more
than enough for five thousand to fill their stomachs, the
compassionate thoughts, eyes, ears words, and deeds in
the power of the Holy Spirit are more than enough to
witness to the power of God unto salvation.
4 From Domination to Relationship
An important part of coping with Covid-19 is to ask
deeper questions about the way the Homo sapiens have
been relating to mother Earth and it’s other inhabitants.
Our life style and ways of relating are to be reviewed in
the light of the model displayed by God while he lived on
earth in human form. With advancements in science and
technology human potential to dominate the earth and
our fellow creatures became more pronounced. Science
and technology became an added tool of exploitation for
the Western countries over the Asian, African and South
American countries. Covid-19 is a powerful reminder to
the moderns that there are limits to science and
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technology. Nature is capable of retaliating when we
abuse science for domination over the earth and its
inhabitants. Covid-19 is inviting humans to repent about
the craze for domination and come back to a responsible
relationship with mother Earth and our siblings on earth
who arrived before humans came on the scene. The
craving for dominion makes human blind. Human
resources, particularly the resources of science and
technology, have been abused for exploitation all through
history. Those with superior technology have repeatedly
utilized it to exploit those lower down in technological
development. During the industrial revolution those who
had access to the tools of science and technology used it
to exploit the poor in each country. The same resources
were used to establish colonial rule across the globe and
exploit, oppress and dominate those they ruled over. The
people were treated like slaves and the resources of
these countries were plundered. Industrial revolution was
a period of rapid scientific advancement as well as
ruthless exploitation. The end of the colonial era did not
mark the end of exploitation. In the post-colonial era
globalization simply enabled the continuation of
domination, exploitation and plundering through the
multi-national corporations (MNCs). In this new era of
globalization, the rulers of the developing countries are
simply pawns in the hands of the MNCs. The rulers dance
to the tune of the MNCs, yielding to policy decisions that
facilitate continued exploitation of the people and the
resources of the developing countries by the richer
countries. The MNCs are like giant trees with their trunk in
the first world and the network of roots in the developing
countries to suck away their resources. In this era of
globalization colonialism continues under a mask. The
need of the globe is a new international economic order
which ensures greater justice to less wealthy countries
and those with lower levels of technological development.
We are invited to cope with pandemics by shifting to an
international economic order in which the richer countries
stop domination and start respectful relationships with
the rest of the world.
5 Conclusions
Significant loss, whether temporary or permanent lead to
grief. Meaningful and healthy grieving enables us to say bye
to what is lost and to reconstruct life in a new way. The
strength to grieve is to be found in the company of God.
Grief offered is grief transformed. Biding bye to what is lost
enables us to be emotionally free from the pain associated
with what is lost. With that newfound freedom we are
liberated to realistically assess what we are left with and to
deploy our resources to cope with the challenges of living.
Covid-19 has not taken away everything from us. There is
enough and more left with us to make life meaningful. Our
new way of coping also demands that we look at ourselves
from the perspective of the mandate given to us by God to
relate and nurture and not dominate and abuse. A just
international economic order and eco-friendly living helps us
cope best and is the best bet against future pandemics.
SPIRITUALITY OF VIRTUAL CHURCH
Revd Dr. Ipe Joseph*
On 16th May 2019, sixty Mar Thoma Clergy of North
American Diocese were meeting in Carmel Mar Thoma
Centre, Atlanta under the leadership of the diocesan
bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Isaac Mar Philoxenos Episcopa. This
was the first clergy meeting at this newly acquired facility
by the Diocese. The theme of the Conference was Virtual
Churches. Thirumeni had asked me to be the animator for
the main session of this conference.
Introducing the theme I narrated an experience. That was
about the funeral of our Geevarghese Mathew Achen who
received his home call while I was in US. I miserably
missed that occasion but decided to watch the webcast
live. The final service was coming to a close at
Eraviperoor and all the clergy were biding good-bye by
coming in a line and kissing his hand. While the senior
clergy were doing it I found a place for myself in the line
and kissed his hand. Obviously, I kissed the image in my
smart phone. After the narration I sought the responses
from my colleagues. My affirmation was that I got full
satisfaction of bidding farewell to my intimate brother
priest. Then we discussed as to how to use virtual
technology in our parish ministry. Several creative and
practical proposals were made. Every day, in the morning
or in the evening at stipulated time the Vicar can give a 10
minute message focusing on the Word of God and
relating to life situations. This message can be received in
a link by parishioners, may be while they are getting ready
to go to the office or driving back from work. Another idea
was to streamline all worship services so that those who
stay at home can participate in them. This will be helpful
for the sick, bedridden and the physically handicapped. In
many cities regular house visit is not possible at all
because of the different time schedules of working hours
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of members. If the parish priest can make regular video
calls from his mobile the parishioners will be kept alive in
the fellowship. It may not be a substitute for house visit; it
will be an effective alternative. One of the Achens shared
his experience as to how he conducted a youth meeting
with the help of conference audio call technique. In the
Atlanta meeting we arrived at many more creative
possibilities of virtual techniques. However, no one
thought that just after a year all our churches have to
become completely virtual due to the attack of the
Corona virus!
It will be good to examine whether or not the virtual
Church is a viable way to gratify the need for the religious
experience when we are in a situation like the present
one, unable to meet as a community. The virtual
techniques have undergone fast development in recent
years. The simplest form of virtual techniques is our
telephone call. We are tempted to think that the voice of
our friend we receive in our telephone is the original
voice, which emanates from his mouth. It is not so. The
voice is converted to electrical pulses and transmitted
through communication towers and reconverted to sound
energy in the receiver’s telephone. Then came television
and tele-evangelism along with it. Now the Internet has
come in its multiform enabling us to have videophone,
webcasting, streamlining and zooming. As we know,
many forms of social media like e-mail face book, you
tube and twitter emerged with the help of Internet. During
the lockdown period we have been participating in
worship and Holy Communion services streamlined from
Poolatheen every Sunday and from Diocesan Centres on
Fridays. Now it is time to think about the efficacy and
advantages of these virtual experiences. The virtual
Church demands much adjustments and changes in our
attitude and understanding. As we do not see the
participants physically, we need to recognize the value of
images in equal dignity with the physical form. In virtuality
we are applying our senses of sight and hearing but we
are bereft of the sense of touch. So we are required to
perceive reality without the sense of touch. Our mind has
to provide this extra hormone to our experience to make
it complete.
Our generation is addicted to watching news, movies and
serials. We have no roles to play in watching these shows
other than engaging our eyes, ears and mind into them. In
the case of virtual Church, instead of watching we fully
participate in them. There is an ocean of difference
between simply watching and fully participating. Last
three months, every Sunday worship services and Holy
Communion services were steam lined from Poolatheen
Chapel under the leadership of His Grace the
Metropolitan. We were not just watching them but we
were participating in them. It is true that on the first day
we felt uncomfortable to get started and to give
responses, to sing along with the celebrant and those
who assisted, make sign of the cross and to pass the
peace to our family members. Now we are used to it and
our religious experience became richer every day.
One major limitation of a stream lined worship service is
that those who participate virtually are unable to receive
Holy Communion. There are other limitations also like
participation in the Birthday and Wedding Anniversary
thanksgiving services as well as receiving peace. Our
Church has been always innovative in resolving
limitations. Making use of the virtual techniques itself is
one example.
Think of this option. Let us have a family altar in our
home. It needs to be only a small table or even a teapoy
in front of which we can sit for worship in chairs or mats.
Now we are used to fully participate in the virtual service
by singing along, giving prompt responses loudly, making
sign of cross sitting and standing as in our regular
service. At the time of birthday and thanksgiving service
we can kneel down in front of our family altar when the
celebrant is offering prayers for us. We can put our
offertory in a plate on our family altar. We can do in a
similar way in giving regular offertory. While passing the
peace we can do it among our family members.
Now, about receiving he Holy Communion. We can set up
small bread made in our home and a small cup of grape
juice (Wine) on our family table. At the time of epiclesis
(words of consecration) let us pay extra concentration.
The celebrant at the streamlining end may slightly modify
the epiclesis, “May the Holy Spirit sanctify this bread and
those on the family altars to be the body of Jesus Christ”
Wine also may be consecrated in the same way. Our faith
is strong enough to believe that the elements on our
family table will be consecrated as the elements on the
celebrant’s altar. Does this sound like heresy? Our
immediate reaction will be about the possibility of our
Church imitating the non-Episcopal churches that break
bread at homes. No need to be confused. Our celebrant
is still an ordained person at the streamlining end. Can
our theology accommodate the ritual of members of the
family sharing bread and wine among themselves at
home? What about the priesthood of the laity in this
context? Where will we accommodate the historical
reality of house churches of early Christians?
Out of necessity the lockdown period has rather forced
churches to use virtual techniques to keep the community
together in fellowship. Message groups, WhatsApp,
livestreaming, Facebook, e-mails, conference calls,
videoconferences and webinars have become handy for
all communities. Even after we come out of the COVID
crisis and lockdown these gifts of technology will
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continue to be our handmaids in the ministry of the
Church. Of the recently available techniques the most
useful ones will be message groups, videoconferences
and webinars. In the latter two the participants are visible
and audible to each other and so the business as well as
transactions will be easy. The greatest advantage is that
videoconference and webinars will reduce the huge
expenses of travel of bringing participants from far and
wide, accommodating them and providing hospitality.
The virtual world demands changes in our attitudes
towards the various aspects of the life of our Church. Like
good habits we have to cultivate them, internalize them
and constantly practice them. We need to accept the
authenticity of virtual experiences. This requires a revised
definition of the Church. The Church is always
understood as a community of “called out” people.
Koinonia has a visible form: a community physically
coming together, worshipping together, sharing Holy
Communion together and enjoying the fellowship. The
emergence of the World Wide Web known as the Internet,
brought about the formation of virtual communities. The
revised definition of Church will require inclusion of not
only physical communities but also virtual communities in
the definition of Koinonia.
The virtual is the extension of the real. The real will be
always the foundation of the virtual. As mentioned earlier
our task is to learn to fully participate in the virtual
experiences rather than watching them as non-participant
observers. The greatest challenge is to find ways and
means to “reform” our Church in this virtually saturated
world without losing the kernel of our faith.
*Revd Dr. Ipe Joseph is a retired priest of Mar Thoma
Church. He is now serving as the ecumenical advisor to the
Moderator of the Church of North India and the Director of
Communication of CNI Diocese of Jabalpur. He now lives in
his native village, Kuriannoor, Kerala. He is the manager of a
school at Kuriannoor, which is 100 year old, where his father
was a headmaster for 28 years. He was the General
Secretary of NCCI. He also attended 5 NCCI assemblies, 5
CCA assemblies and 4 WCC assemblies.
THE COVID-19 LESSONS
Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph, Kottayam*
One may ask: What has Covid-19 to do with theology? Is
it a guru for the world community? Yes, it speaks to us
about the Creator’s expectation of the whole humanity.
The COVID lessons are primarily concerned with the
question of human survival on the planet earth. When we
focus on problems, we will have more problems; when we
focus on possibilities we will have more opportunities.
This is what we have learnt from the World War II.
1. Lessons from the Yesteryears.
The problems emerging from Covid-19 are not simply an
issue of Health and Medical science. It is a very
complex problem concerning the whole humanity today in
its social, cultural, economic and spiritual dimensions.
One may quote 119:71 to find a moral code: “It is good
for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn your statutes”.
It is a spiritual truth that the denial of self and discarding
the wisdom of the world in times of trial has allowed God
to disturb our comfort zones. We have read in the News
Paper and other journals about the noble lessons the
Japanese people have learnt as they underwent a period
of recent Nuclear Reactor tragedy. They provide a
pattern of life style for us. Let me briefly state them: (i)
The prevalence of calmness everywhere in times of
tragedy. (ii) The dignity shown in observing the queues
for buying water and other essential groceries. (iii) The
incredible architectural skill manifested in their public
buildings. (iv) Radical concern for others shown in
buying what people needed for the immediate needs
without hording anything for the future. (v) Observance of
public Order by manifesting no honking or overtaking on
the roads. (vi) The spiritual trait of sacrifice by 50 workers
who stayed back against several odds to pump sea water
into the N-reactors. (vii) Tenderness by which restaurants
cut prices for the sake of the weak. (viii) The old and the
children knew what to do by mutual care. (ix) The media
had shown restraint in reporting the news. (x) In shops
the people have shown the spirit of order during power
failure.
My attempt is to show that the Japanese people have
greatly manifested the spirituality of religion in public life.
The Covid-19 is an occasion for us also to learn the
lessons of decency and mutual care in our cultural
contexts. Pope Francis has rightly said that the post-
corona world must be just and equitable for reasons of its
own. The word of wisdom uttered by Buddha is worth
recalling. You may lose something good; but you will be
able to find something nobler and better”. This is a
spiritual challenge across the globe. The WHO Director-
General Dr. Tedras Adhanom Ghebreyesas has also
made it clear that the pandemic has made the world
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community humble. The post-Corona world will not be
the same as before. It may take time for the global
community to overcome the present hurdles, but it has
given us the motivation to fight the virus from various
angles. He also asked the world community to remain
vigilant as the only aim of virus is to infect the people at
large!
The Novel Corona Virus has originated from Wuhan,
China in Dec.2019 and it has spread to the nook and
corner of the globe like a wild fire. In the midst of its
catastrophic outbreak, it has taught the world community
innumerable spiritual lessons for a sustainable future.
Yes, it has taught us that no matter how big and strong
we are; we will not carry ourselves to our grave. Yes, we
create beauty with our attitudes, behaviour and actions in
God’s own world.
2. ”Milk nature; but don’t slaughter it” (Prof. S.
Sivadas).
There is no serious attempt on our part to know more
about the scientific and spiritual knowledge of microbes
and viruses dwelling s in our body and the earth. It is
indeed a myth to say that the human beings will be able
to destroy completely the viruses around us. The
microbes and viruses have their vital role to play for
human survival if life is to remain creative and purposeful.
It is a naked truth that nothing may seriously happen to all
the creatures on earth, if human beings are completely
being wiped out. On the contrary, it is not the case if a
small insect like a bee does not exist. It is the end of
human life. In a world of human beings, small creatures
like ants and white ants contribute much to human
wellness. The rationale is that we should reckon the role
of microbes in the created order as integral to the survival
of human life. It is estimated that 500 core of microbes
live in our mouth. So also a great number lives in our
intestine. Many of them are our friends who sustain our
life. We need to move from an anthropocentric to a bio-
centric attitude to life for human wellbeing. We should
abstain from destroying the microbes and viruses
completely, which adds fertility to the soil. If there were
no microbes/viruses, all our dead bodies will remain in the
tombs as they are. Think for a while such a catastrophic
existence. In order to prevent the spread of Corona Virus,
we need to follow the precautionary measures such as
keeping physical distance, wearing of masks and washing
of hands with water and sanitizers. But we should not live
with such a myth that human life is possible without
microbes and virus. In our educational /theological
syllabus, we need to add lessons on microbes and
viruses for a holistic living. The ecological Commission of
the Mar Thoma Church has taken up the theme,
Panchboothas: the Symbols of life for 2019-2020. It is a
plain truth that The Elements of the Earth (Sky, Earth, Air,
Water and Fire) are the symbols of life, but they have now
become the symbols of death. The ecological sins have
contributed much to the pandemic situation of Corona
Virus today.
3. A universal divine call to reconciliation and
Unity
The theme chosen for the 11th Assembly of the WCC (to
be held in Germany in 2022)-“Christ’s love moves the
World to reconciliation and Unity” finds its relevance in
the global context of Covid crisis. There is an interfaith
prayer request for the reversal of the human situation
today. There was an inter-faith pictorial portrait of six
religious representatives of the world religions in the
Week Magazine dated July 5, 2020 under the caption
“The Lord is my shield” with the following note: “The men
of God, and women, too, are in fervent prayer for divine
intervention in a world that wishes to get rid of the mask.”
It also adds: “Let it come from the sea or the sky, or any
country on the earth. The world is hoping for a miracle.”
The care of the Covid patients regardless of caste,
religion and social status has spoken much to the need
for living in oneness. In a consumerist society, the word
“compassion” is absent”. We are taught by experience
that kindness is a word, which the blind can read and the
deaf can hear. For human existence, we need to live in
solidarity and mutual care. The word “social distance”
may carry several overtones. It has nothing to do with
untouchability we practiced in earlier times.
Physical distance may the right word “No man is an
island”. We are not like the sands on the seashore; we are
like the leaves on the branch of a tree. This is a spiritual
lesson, which will bring glory to the creator God. A life
dedicated for others is the hallmark of new humanity
revealed in Jesus Christ. We are indebted to the COVID
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FIGHTERS like the government officials, doctors, nurses,
health workers, police force, and volunteers all over the
world. What they do for others could be pigeonholed
under the term the Ministry (diakonia) of reconciliation”
In 2 Cor.5:.18 &19, St. Paul speaks of reconciliation. The
message (logos) of reconciliation is entrusted to the
Church as prophetic diakonia. One may quote
2Chronicle7: 13-14 to speak about this for leading the
world community to repentance and restoration as the
sign of God’s kingdom in our midst .We come across
such exhortations in all the religions of the world.
7. Upholding the spiritual values for a better
tomorrow.
We notice the resurrection of spiritual values in different
cultures when we pass through adverse circumstances.
In the Indian culture, truth, beauty and order (sathyam,
sivam sunderam) are the noble virtues for the joy of living.
The lockdown period all over the world has taught us
several values for an authentic existence. Our needs are
not made of greed during this period. We have learned to
live with the minimum and manifested the art of simplicity.
Several of us have said good-bye to our habits known as
‘disposable syndrome’. Wearing mask in the public has
taught us to care for other’s health. The ageold Vedic
slogan: “we are the birds of the same nest” has found
practical steps in our common pursuits. We have also
learned the importance of peace with nature. There are a
lot of pollutants in the atmosphere. The amount of Co2 in
atmosphere has come down. The sky is clear. So also
waters in the seas, the rivers and the lakes. The lockdown
period is a period of blessings for all living organisms. We
were able to reduce all kinds of pollution around us. It is
widely held that the lockdown period has turned our
homes as places of worship. The online worship services
and preaching have helped us to search for alternatives in
our religious observances. The Webinars have become
part of our interpersonal relationships and
communications. The silent periods in our homes has
also strengthened family bonds in different ways. It is
true that youths and old people had to bear with several
psychological problems. May God help them. Let me
conclude with the words of Rabindranath Tagore: “My
Lord, this is my prayer: Help me to root out all pride and
arrogance from my heart. Help me to continue the
pilgrimage of life gladly in the midst of joy and sorrow.
Give me the power from above to translate my love into
fruitful service for humanity” (”Gitangali-36-a free
rendering).
Editor’s Note: Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph was a former Principal
Mar Thoma Theological Seminary, Kottayam; he was also the
Director Ecumenical Christian Centre, Bangalore and a
member of Faith and Order Commission of the World
Council of Churches, Geneva. He is currently the Convener,
Ecological Commission of the Mar Thoma Church.
Faith in the Times of Pandemic
V. Georgekutty, Karunagappally
“I have no idea what's awaiting me, or what will happen when this all ends. For the moment I know this: there are sick
people and they need curing” (Albert Camus, ‘The Plague’).
On April 3, 2015, Bill Gates, philanthropist and co-founder
of Microsoft Corporation, gave an eight minute speech at
TED Talk in which he said, “When I was a kid, the disaster
we worried about most was a nuclear war…” We then
had big barrels down in our basement, filled with cans of
food and water. When the nuclear attack came, we were
supposed to go downstairs, hunker down, and eat out of
that barrel. But today, the real threat comes not from
missiles, but from microbes. “If anything kills over 10
million people in the next few decades, it's most likely to
be a highly infectious virus rather than a war,” he said.
While we have invested heavily in nuclear deterrents, we
have actually invested very little in a system to stop an
epidemic.
Bill Gates was talking against the backdrop of the 2014
Ebola epidemic that had killed about 10,000 people.
Ebola did not cause greater damage for more than one
reason. One of it is that Ebola virus does not spread
through the air. Another is that by the time you are
contagious, you would be too sick to move around and
spread the virus. Besides, Ebola didn't get into many
urban areas. That was just good luck. But “You can have
a virus where people feel well enough while they're
infectious that they get on a plane or they go to a
market.” It might make things a thousand times worse in
comparison. Bill Gates was truly prophetic, so were
several others.
At the same time, some of the Christian preachers, who
purportedly have a hotline to heaven and claim to be privy
to all divine plans for humankind, had told their audience
in 2019 that 2020 would be the year of unprecedented
prosperity. ‘It is going to be the year of heavenly
blessing. So, be ready to receive heavenly bounties in the
coming year. Therefore, with our whole being, body and
soul, let us shout praises to our Lord for his amazing
grace.’ The preachers raised their hands over their heads
and hollered ‘Hallelujah’; the frenzied audience smote the
air with their palms and roared, ‘Hallelujah!’, ‘Hallelujah!’ It
was a blatant lie as usual.
On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization
(WHO) was formally notified about a cluster of cases of
pneumonia in Wuhan, the sprawling capital of China’s
Hubei province. Ten days later, six people were dead, 51
were severely ill and 12 were in a critical condition in
Wuhan. Cases were also reported from Japan, South
Korea and Thailand. The cause of the Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that came to be called
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COVID‐19 was identified as a novel coronavirus (SARS‐
CoV-2). The virus had probably jumped from animals to
humans at a wet market in Wuhan. The rest is history – a
history that is being rewritten constantly.
Across the world, nations were too busy augmenting their
arsenals with weapons of mass destruction to bother
about speculation on a pathogen waiting on the wings.
So, when COVID-19 started spreading, making millions
sick and thousands dead, epidemiologists all over the
globe stood shaking in their boots with hardly a clue
about what to do to contain or combat this invisible
monster.
All assumptions on the behaviour of the virus have been
proven wrong. All forecasts about the infections peaking
and declining have turned out to be fallacious. Wonder
drugs and magic cures have all fallen by the wayside. The
world suddenly realized that all the economic, scientific
and technological advances are powerless against this
‘crowned’ virus that measure about 120 nanometre in
diameter.
As panic spread, governments imposed lockdowns.
Businesses pulled down their shutters; markets wore a
deserted look; campuses fell quiet; vehicles went off the
roads and railroads lay idle. The lockdowns had hardly
any impact on viral spread. People continued to fall sick
and die. But it ended up compounding the misery of
many. The abrupt stalling of all economic activities
impoverished populations. The poor, the aged, the sick,
the migrants and the ethnic minorities were hit the
hardest.
Terms like Mask, disinfectant, sanitizer, physical
distancing, personal hygiene, quarantine and work-from-
home suddenly acquired a prominence unknown in the
past. The world suddenly shifted into a ‘new normal’.
Social gatherings were banned; places of worship were
closed down and the aged were banished from the
outdoors. Family members got stuck it distant locations
and remained separated. Almost all activities went online
– shopping, banking, working, worshipping, medical aid
and even funerals.
The novel corona virus is an unknown player. Its
behaviour remains unpredictable. The virus is back in
New Zealand after the nation had remained free of
infections for over a hundred days and celebrated its
great ‘success’. It has also been reported that a 33-year-
old techie from Hong Kong has become the first-ever
confirmed victim of COVID-19 reinfection, some four
months after he was cured of the first infection.
Researchers from the University of Hong Kong have
reportedly discovered that the man had been infected by
two different strains of the virus. This comes after news of
finding a 10 times more infectious COVID-19 mutation in
Malaysia.
The signals suggest that this ‘new normal’ of life and
death in isolation is likely to continue. As I write this
towards the end of August 2020, all theories of antibodies
protecting people from reinfection for long look more like
fiction than fact. There is little hope of the return of our
cosy, crowded pre-COVID-19 world. None knows how
much this ‘new normal’ would undergo further changes in
the coming days. Apparently, the old world is gone for
good.
The pandemic has impacted every sphere of life and
religious faith is no exception. Christianity is rooted in the
traditions of Judaism. It apparently teaches that all
blessings come to us because of the grace of God while
all sufferings are caused by disobedience to divine laws.
As a rule, human sin offends God. Consequently, when
Israelites were victorious in their battles, they praised
Jehovah, whose mighty hands annihilated their enemies
to facilitate their win. But when they suffered devastating
defeats, people were told that their defeat was caused by
their sins against the divine. You can’t blame God for your
own failures!
The Bible teaches that “The Lord is a jealous and
avenging God” ((Nahum 1:2). And plague is a means by
which God punishes people who offend Him. Thus, the
ten plagues of Egypt were sent down from heaven in
order force a defiant Pharaoh to release the Israelites.
Even the Israelites had been victims of such plagues.
Obviously, for many Christians, the COVID-19 is a
pandemic sent down from heaven, in order to punish the
arrogant world that has sidelined God to rely more its
amazing scientific and technological advancements.
Also, like Judaism, Christianity is an apocalyptic faith. It
believes in a violent end to the existing world, preceded
by a series of natural disasters and plagues. Thus, many
Christians propose that the COVID-19 pandemic is part of
the divine operation preparing the world for the Second
Coming. So, many believers are busy combing through
the scripture to prove how it was all foretold in divine
revelations. For many Christians, COVID-19 is simply God
pouring out His wrath over a sinful world or preparing the
ground for Second Coming!
But the reality is different. Epidemics are great
equalizers. Everyone is open to infection and death. The
innocent ones die as much as the guilty. Priests and
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bishops have fallen sick; many have died. Christian
leadership might put own royal raiment and claim the
power to act on behalf of God, the king of kings. But, they
know that they are as vulnerable as the rest. No wonder,
as the virus struck, the Pope and the Patriarchs scurried
into hiding! As Steve Jobs said, “No one wants to die.
Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die
to get there”.
Epidemics have nothing to do with religion or faith.
Everyone is a potential victim. Those who escape
uninfected are not special in any way. They are better
protected or possess better immunity. There are no divine
shields against pandemics. That is why the places of
worship and other ‘holy’ spots remain deserted in the
wake of the pandemic. It is futile to blame epidemics on
fate or an angry deity. It is of no use questioning why the
gods have ignored the fervent prayers and soulful
supplications of their devotees. Investing in Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) is wiser than bribing the go-
betweens of the divine!
I am not suggesting religious faith is foolishness or
prayers are useless. These have their useful roles in
human lives. But I do not subscribe to the view that a
vengeful God sends down pandemics from heaven in
order to punish the inhabitants of the earth. I do not
believe that the God of the Gospels is a deity seething
with rage. He is a compassionate and forgiving Father
waiting anxiously for his prodigal son to come back
home. He does not send down plagues from heaven to
torment and kill people on earth. Nor does he shower
disinfectants from the skies to eradicate pathogens.
Such stories were meant for a different population in a
different age in a different context. As Professor Yuval Noah
Harari puts it, “When a thousand people believe some made-
up story for one month, that's fake news. When a billion
people believe it for a thousand years, that's a religion, and
we are admonished not to call it "fake news" in order not to
hurt the feelings of the faithful (or incur their wrath).” (21
Lessons for the 21st Century). Perhaps, the pandemic is an
opportunity for us to review those stories embellished with
marvels and miracles.
In his famous fictional work titled ‘The Plague’ (French: La
Peste), Albert Camus (1913-1960), French author and
philosopher, tries to address the roles of faith and science in
the face of an epidemic. Written in 1947, ‘The Plague’ tells
the gripping tale of a deadly epidemic sweeping the city of
Oran, Algeria. The victims of the plague are condemned to
great suffering and horrifying death. Fear, isolation and
claustrophobia follow as the afflicted are forced into
quarantine.
The author presents two characters to articulate the
viewpoints of the secular and the religious. The secular view
comes from a medical professional named Dr. Bernard
Rieux. The religious position is articulated by Father
Paneloux, a Catholic priest. The Church announces a prayer
week. Father Paneloux delivered a sermon explaining the
plague as divine action.
Father Paneloux said, "If today the plague is in your midst
that is because the hour has struck for taking thought. The
just man need have no fear, but the evildoer has good cause
to tremble. For plague is the flail of God and the world His
threshing-floor, and implacably He will thresh out His harvest
until the wheat is separated from the chaff. There will be
more chaff than wheat, few chosen of the many called. Yet
this calamity was not willed by God. Too long this world of
ours has connived at evil, too long has it counted on the
divine mercy, on God's forgiveness. . . For a long while God
gazed down on this town with eyes of compassion; but He
grew weary of waiting… And so, God's light withdrawn, we
walk in darkness, in the thick darkness of this plague."
Tarrou, another character in the novel, asks Dr. Rieux, "What
did you think of Paneloux's sermon, doctor?" Rieux
answered "I've seen too much of hospitals to relish any idea
of collective punishment. . ." Tarrou then asked, "Do you
believe in God, doctor?" The doctor said that if he believed
in an all-powerful God he would cease curing the sick and
leave that to Him. But no one in the world believed in a God
of that sort; no, not even Father Paneloux, who believed that
he believed in such a God.
I do not expect God to come down to the earth to hand out
masks, soaps and sanitizers. He does not produce or supply
ventilators, drugs and vaccines. God works through people.
It has always been so. Even the Old Testament stories say it.
For instance, Moses had to erect a bronze serpent on a pole
in order to save the lives of people bitten by fire serpents; he
had to strike the rock for water to quench the thirst of his
people. . . We may trust in God for strength to negotiate
these dreadful times. We may pray so that the medical
personnel save more lives and their own and the researchers
find a remedy for the pandemic at the earliest.
The world currently lives in a ‘new normal’. Christians, at
least most of them, have not seen the inside of a Church
anytime in the recent past. Most of us have not physically
participated in community worship service now for several
months. It has been a pretty long time since we have
partaken in the ‘Holy Communion’. We still do not have the
technology to receive Holy Communion online. Maybe, we
might soon have it delivered through courier service, with a
price tag attached to it. And most other religious activities,
involving physical participation of believers, have remained
suspended. Yet, people do not seem to be overly
concerned. Hardly anyone worries that God would be angry
for abandoning community worship. I do not know whether
anyone fears of ending up in an ever burning hell for not
partaking in the flesh and blood of the Lord.
The idea that God requires community worshipping has
been drilled into us from our childhood days. Had this been
true, God would not have allowed a situation that prevents
the faithful from coming together to worship Him. This is
where the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman become
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significant. The Samaritan woman said to Jesus, “Our
ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim
that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” And
Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will
worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
. . a time is coming and has now come when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth,
for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is
spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in
truth” (John 4: 19-24). Maybe, this pandemic is meant to
teach people how to worship God ‘in the Spirit and in truth’.
Religious faith is a personal matter. We do not need palatial
structures or any particular rites and rituals to worship God.
We do not need an institutionalized Church to live a Christian
life – to love one another. Christianity can easily survive
without the pomp of an ecclesiastical system that seeks to
rule over the believers. Worship does not need the imperial
Patriarchs or Bishops in their ceremonial regalia. Christians
are under no obligation to maintain this obnoxious system by
paying through their noses. The cunningness of early
Christian leadership created this abomination. The faithful do
not have to live under its tyranny. The clergy alone needs it.
Having been accustomed to the old order for a long time,
many might find the new normal discomforting. But, it will
pass given the time and space to cope. Look how treating
the newly infected and the quarantining of their contacts
have become an everyday task. Haven’t we become
accustomed to death, to mourn silently, to leave our dead to
strangers to dispose of as they choose? We no more bother
that there are no coffins, caskets, priests or funeral prayers
for our relatives and friends. We are not overly disturbed that
dead bodies are dumped into mass graves. We do not
complain that we cannot say adieu even to our parents,
mates and children. “An epidemic normalizes the harshest
and most inevitable truth of all: Death.”
The pandemic has changed everything, perhaps, forever. It
has also been rather subtly changing our outlook on life. We
no more feel guilty about preventing the burial of the dead
for fear of contamination of the neighbourhood. We shutter
up and barricade people in their homes so that they do not
come out and spread the virus. We can even refuse to admit
our life partners and children into our homes to safeguard
ourselves from infection. Our own personal safety has
become our foremost and rather only concern. In these
times of the ‘new normal’ the beast in deep slumber within
each of us seems to be waking up!
Editor’s Note: Mr. Georgekutty is a former Central government
officer and academician. He is a gold medallist of the Institute of
Cost Accounts of India (ICA) and its Fellow Member (FCMA). He
holds postgraduate degrees in Business Management,
Computer Application, Commerce, Journalism, English, History,
Philosophy, Politics, Public Administration, Sociology and
Gandhian Thoughts. He is passionate in studying Philosophy
and Religions. After quitting his post retirement job as director of
a business school, he has been devoting his entire time on
reading, writing and public speaking. He has also written a
number of books. He is settled in Karunagappally, Kerala.
Worship is the Celebration of Faith of the People of God
P. T. Mathew, Dallas*
Worship is central to our faith; it is giving glory to God
with the people of God. Worship is not an imitation, but a
faithful expression of our commitment to Lord’s great
commission and the celebration of faith of the people of
God (Matthew 28: 19 and 20 “Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
father and son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all things that I have commanded you, and
behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age”). Worship is an act of fellowship, giving and caring.
The word worship is derived from an Anglo Saxon word,
worth-ship- means worthiness to honor. In Greek the
word Proskuneo, means worship, prostrate, bow down. In
Hebrew Shachah, means worship, bow down, bend down
etc. There are different forms and expressions of worship
in the community.
Worship has become as an entertainment to some, rather
than repenting and rejoicing the forgiveness and mercy of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Emphasize is given on the festive
nature of the occasion rather than the celebration of
thanksgiving and meditation on its reason or
eschatological significance of the worship. In the name of
modern technology, we have adulterated the sanctity of
our worship and converted our praise and worship
celebrations into secular stage performances. The
worship focuses on the holiness and the holy presence of
the Lord. Entertainment focuses people on the
performance or on the entertainer. Scripture says
worship should be a delight, not just a duty. In the Old
Testament, the great Jewish feasts were times of
exuberant joy and heartfelt celebration. Some of them
contained an element of sorrow and repentance for sin,
but this led to the joy of knowing God’s forgiveness and
mercy.
Let us look in to the background of the following verses in
the book of Ezekiel 47: 1-11, “And the water was flowing
down from under, from the right side of the house, from
the south of the Altar” (Ezekiel 47:1b). This is the vision of
the prophet Ezekiel. He saw a river emerging from the
Temple, flowing eastward beginning to flow slowly as thin
stream and becoming a deep river. Trees will grow along
the banks and this river flows in to the Dead Sea and so
this water of the river transforms the water of the Dead
Sea for fish and other life forms. Worship shows the
celebration of the life, the abundant life, provided by the
power of the water that begins from the altar of the
temple, flows through the sanctuary – the people –
cleanse them and prepare them to cleanse the world, like
the stream cleanses the water of the Dead Sea to grow
life in it. Through the above vision Ezekiel sees the origin
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of worship, the place of worship, the form of worship and
the final result of worship.
1. Where to worship?
We can see the answer of this in the conversation
of Jesus with the Samaritan women at the well in
John 4:20-24: “Our ancestors worshiped on this
mountain, but you Jews claim that the place
where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is
coming when you will worship the Father neither
on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You
Samaritans worship what you do not know; we
worship what we do know, for salvation is from
the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now
come when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the
kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit,
and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and
in truth.” We can worship God in any place and at
any time, provided we worship Him in truth and
spirit. There is no particular place where we can
see God, but we experience the presence of God
in the place wherever we worship God in the truth
and spirit.
2. Why do we worship? To glorify God and
celebrate His Holiness.
He is our creator and we are His creations.
Celebrates God’s holiness and acknowledge the
unworthiness of man. In the book of Isaiah
chapter 6: verses 1-8 we can see the vision of
Isaiah about the worship. Isaiah was seeing the
glory of God in worship. In worship we should
glorify God and see the glory of God. We should
see the divine manifestation of the God.
3. Worship helps to have self examination, repent
on our sins and enjoy the forgiveness of sins.
Worship helps to find out the unclean nature and
the emptiness of our life. The Samaritan woman
was giving many excuses to Jesus when he
asked her for a drink. Sometimes we are also like
her, giving excuses to Jesus when he tries to
shed lights in to our inner life to show the unclean
nature of our life. The prophet Isaiah told us that
he made self-examination and found out that ‘he
was a man with unclean lips and living in the
midst of people with unclean lips.’ What is this
unclean lip? The gossiping lips, the slandering
lips and the self boasting lips. The true worship
helps us for self-examination of our life. It leads in
 to a realization of the need of cleansing. Every
Holy Communion is for the people who cleansed
their life with the fiery piece of coal from altar.
4. Worship helps to find out the real source of
our life –the Holy Spirit.
The Samaritan woman found the Messiah
through her communication with Jesus.
Worship is true communication of the
creations to the creator and recognizing Him
as the Messiah. Through worship we realize
the real source and the meaning of the life,
the eternal life. Isaiah found the worship of
heaven in his vision, the angels saying holy,
holy, holy. John the Baptist also saw the
angels and Seraphim saying holy, holy, God
almighty. Worship is the celebration of the
promise of the eternal life and prepares us for
that everlasting eternal life.
5. Worship should reveal our calling (Liturgy after
Liturgy), it is a commission given by our God.
The Samaritan woman went to the village and
witnessed the Messiah to the people. Isaiah
heard the voice to say “whom shall I send and
who shall go for me”? In worship we should
submit ourselves to hear the calling of the Lord.
After the celebration of the worship, we should
proclaim and witness the experience and the
glory of this God. It is called a liturgy after liturgy.
It is a process of our experience of God in our
worship to our daily living, in our homes, offices in
all our interactions. Worship equips us for
mission. This great commission is given by our
Lord Jesus the Christ to his disciples, Matthew
28: 18-20, “And then Jesus came to them and
said, “All authority under heaven and on earth has
been given to me. Therefore and make disciples
of all nation, and surely I am with you always, to
the very end of the age.” It is our commission
from our Lord to share this joy of forgiveness and
to celebrate with our fellow beings through our
words and deeds. Our worship ends with this
commission. Worship is the glorification of God,
the celebration of our faith, and to experience the
source of life and transmit this message of
everlasting life to others through the experience
of our life.
My experience of the corporate worship service of the
Mar Thoma Church and its liturgy has the following
elements. It is good to remember this as we are now in a
lockdown state with social distancing due to COVID-19
pandemic. Let us pray to make the virtual worship sacred
and real as God has given us the means to be in
fellowship with others through the digital means. It is
good to remember the following elements:
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1. Celebration of God’s everlasting love
2. Celebration of God’s holiness-accepting
man’s unworthiness
3. Celebration of the grace and mercy of God
4. Celebration of the Word of God
5. Celebration of the faithful promise of God
6. Celebration of the healing of God
7. Celebration of the gift and presence of the
Trinity, The Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit
8. Celebration of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ-
the redemptive act of God through His son
9. Celebration of the resurrection of Christ
10. Celebration of the kenosis of God
11. Celebration of the remission of our sin
12. Celebration of the faithfulness of God
13. Celebration of the companionship and the
presence of God
14. Celebration of the fellowship of God and His
people – Corporate worship
15. Celebration of the communion of God
through the breaking of bread and the Holy
Communion
16. Celebrate the second coming of Christ, God’s
future in the present
17. Celebrate the promise of our eternal life
18. Celebrate the Liturgy after Liturgy
Let us celebrate the God-given gift of life. Worship is for
giving glory to God in the community of the people of
God; it is for joining in the ancient praise of all His people,
in the words of Psalm 106:1, “Praise the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures
for ever.” Let us reflect on these words during the Covid-
19 pandemic, in our virtual worships and prayers,
thanking God for who He is and for His goodness in our
lives, remembering His commission that we show others
the goodness He shows to each of us. Let me conclude
this article with a prayer: O Lord our creator and the
redeemer, we thank you for the opportunity for
worshipping you and celebrating our faith in worship. O
Lord who enables us to see our unclean nature of life and
help us to cleanse it through worship. Enable us to realize
the source of life and embrace the everlasting life through
our worship and accept your calling and witness you to
the world and fulfill your purpose of our lives.
Editor’s Note: Mr. P. T. Mathew.
M.A., M.S, was a college teacher
in Kerala, from 1970-1975. He is
living in Dallas Texas since 1976.
He is retired as an Engineer from
Raytheon, USA. He is a member
of the Mar Thoma Church of
Dallas, Farmers Branch, Texas.
When Only Two or Three Can Gather – A Post COVID-19
Thought About Our Faith
Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas
The coronavirus pandemic has flipped many normal
worship and ministry paradigms into smaller groups or to
virtual spaces. Even if various countries are trying to
come out of the self imposed quarantine to prevent the
spread of Corona virus, still large gathering in the
sanctuaries remain off-limits, at least for the foreseeable
future. It seems that now the norm is ‘wherever two or
more gather, illness can spread.’ This is the time when
what Jesus promised becomes relevant: “When two or
three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matt.
18:20).
While Churches demand governments to allow its faithful
to fill it pews again, such hesitant demands need to be
reevaluated. At the initial stages, WHO said Corona virus
is not spreading through human contacts and no need to
wear any masks. Later, WHO changed its policy and now
every government is asking its people to wear masks, to
keep social distancing and to wash hands as often as
needed. Why Churches are in a hurry to fill its pews? Is it
because, people do not have the adequate facility in their
living rooms to worship the Lord? Some people may
think that we go for corporate worship to fill the offertory
plates of parishes to meet its expenses. Corporate
worship is part of being a Christian to offer our gratitude
and glorify God for his abundant blessings. Offertory plate
giving is only one way of giving, there are many other
ways to meet the missional needs of a called out
community.
In large churches, it will be impossible for the priest to be
in constant contact with all the members. It is not their
fault, but the high demand from a few section of the
worshipping community takes most of their time. Jesus
ministry is an example that we need to follow during this
pandemic. Jesus traveled with small groups from village
to village and preached and did his ministry. He did not
establish any church or build any sanctuaries, but he built
a faithful community to continue his ministry in this world.
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Our priests should adapt the same method adapted by
Jesus, gather in small groups and preach the Word of
God. The ministry and gathering should be for building
the people and not for filling its pews or collection boxes.
Now is the time to reestablish the ministry of discipleship.
The Corona virus has engulfed the world when the
technology is at its peak. The priests and others
entrusted with the charge of a parish, need to contact its
members using the technology like video calls, WhatsApp
and such other means of technology. The Church leaders
should be proactively pursuing these areas of
discipleship, through check-ins, prayer and sermon
discussion, at a time when their normal jobs and church
programs are on hold. COVID-19 has introduced and
made the words “social distancing” and “shelter in place”
part of life. ‘Social distancing’ is a wrong phrase; it is just
physical distancing, man is made for community living
and social interaction is essential for the emotional health
of a community. By the grace of God, we can maintain
these social interactions through the digital technology.
Priests and Church leaders should visit their neighbors by
conducting ‘drive-ins’ especially to pray for the sick and
elderly. This drive in visits can be extended to visit elderly
people, people celebrating birthdays, wedding
anniversaries and even graduations. Thus this kind of
‘drive-in’ and ministry from a safe distance can ease initial
interactions with others in isolation. The priest could sit in
his car and the member may stay inside or come out and
stay in front of the house thus keeping the safe distancing
and offer a prayer or a short interaction asking about the
welfare of the family.
Priests, Church leaders, faithful believers, the unchurched
and all of us need meaningful connections, reminders of
God’s promises, and a chance to breathe and laugh
during this isolation more than ever. We also must
remember the deep hope we have in Christ Jesus, which
surpasses all other considerations. The Christian faith and
God’s church has often thrived in times of crisis. They
have done so because every Christian is filled with the
Spirit of God, and God has given each of us his written
Word. God has always worked through everyday ordinary
people to do extra ordinary things. He used ordinary
fishers to fish people for His mission in this world, who
led his mission at the cost of their lives. He has turned
ordinary situations and circumstances to do extraordinary
things like healing a person to wholeness. Healing is more
than curing; Jesus healed; it is a progressive movement
from stagnation to wholeness and fulfillment of God’s
purpose in everyone’s life.
So, no need to worry whether we can worship our Lord in
a sanctuary, but we need to believe that God can do
extra ordinary things through his ordinary faithful
believers even when we are in ‘lockdown’ or keeping
‘social distancing’. Pulpit is not empty, but the pews may
be empty, but our faith is not empty and our hope is not
empty. Jesus had overcome tough situations like this and
resurrected and promised that he will come back again to
gather his faithful believers for an eternal life with him in
heaven.
We may find that only a few people can gather in person
and there may be people who might never find their way
to fill the pews and listen to the Word of God from the
pulpit. Hebrews 10: 11 say: “Day after day every priest
stands and performs his religious duties; again and again
he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away
sins.” Hebrews 10 contains an amazing promise. Verse
14 says, “For by one sacrifice he has made perfect
forever those who are being made holy.” Jesus’ work on
the cross has already saved us, completely and perfectly.
In God’s eyes, we are whole and finished. But
paradoxically, that process isn’t done yet while we’re still
on earth. We’re still being shaped into His likeness, still
“being made holy.” Until the return of Jesus, we’re still
“under construction,” people who anxiously wait the
glorious day when the work in us is truly complete.
Hence, there is no more the need for the priest to offer
sacrifices for the believers. The believers need not buy
indulgences or offer funds for the Church to meet its
corporate expenses. Of course, the faithful need to
support the mission and charity works of the Church, but
not based on the tithing principles in the Old Testament,
but based on the full submission and surrender to Lord
Jesus Christ. Faith without deeds is dead. Even Satan
believes that God exists, but our faith needs to transform
into actions by doing the mission that Jesus Christ
entrusted to us.
In the Gospels, so much of the earthly ministry of Jesus
was based on responding to the opportunities that
presented themselves to him: encountering fishermen as
he walked alongside the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 4:18-22); a
lame man dropped through the roof (Mark 2:1-12); a
despised tax collector named Zacchaeus who came to
hear him (Luke 19:1-10); an outcast Samaritan woman
(John 4). President Franklin Roosevelt – during the
inaugural address to the nation gripped with the of the
pain of great depression – said, "The only thing we have
to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified
terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat
into advance." Same way the members of the Church
need to convert the present retreat in our homes to
advance the mission and ministry of Jesus.
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We need human connection; God designed us that way!
Painful seasons of loneliness point to that need. Like the
people of the early Church, it’s important for us to engage
in the human companionship, our well-being requires it
and we should offer it to those around us who also need
it. The first Church was a growing, gracious and generous
Church. The Greek word for “fellowship” (Acts 2:42) is
‘koinōnia’ and carries the meaning of “participation,
sharing.” Believers participated in a shared identity and
spirituality—learning spiritual truths, devoting themselves
to fellowship, remembering Jesus’ death and
resurrection, depending on God, experiencing His power,
and showing extravagant acts of generosity toward the
needy (vv. 42–47).
When the Pharisees asked Jesus why his disciples broke
rabbinical tradition by not washing their hands, Jesus
very well knew that the problem isn’t keeping rules, but
making our hearts pure. He reminded them, “Isaiah was
right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor
me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me’ ” (Matt.
15: 1-2, 7–8; also Isaiah 29:13). This is our problem too,
we do not keep our hearts pure and at the same time
want to keep the rules straight. We worship the Lord with
our lips, but our hearts are far away from Him.
The believers seem to be restless and concerned about
their morality and looking forward to interact with other
believers and friends during a corporate worship service.
Those who are far from God are watching these believers
and astonishing how the believers can sustain their hope
and faith in the midst of suffering, a hope that only comes
from deep conviction and abiding with Christ. Disruption
in our worshiping routines can create an environment
where lasting transformation can take place in the lives of
faithful believers and the Church. The disruption caused
by COVID-19 must help the people of God, the Church,
to have a real transformation from a nominally
worshipping community to that of a missional Church
expressing God’s unconditional love for His whole
creation.
At a time when we are forced to keep the social
distancing to prevent the spread of Corona virus, the
faithful are looking for ways how to keep their hearts and
minds close together. This is where the promise of Jesus
is relevant, ‘when two or three gather in my name, I will
be in their midst.’ We gather together virtually from our
living rooms to pray, to worship and to witness our Lord.
The Lord who promised that He will be with us is with us
even in the midst of this pandemic.
Churches are going through unprecedented times and it
is difficult period for the people of faith. Churches around
the world have suspended regular worship services for an
indefinite period of time. For an indefinite period of time,
the Churches may witness the fewest people engaging in
corporate worship. This is uncharted waters, less
frequented roads and Samaritan wells for those in Church
leadership. In Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote,
“The physical presence of other Christians is a source of
incomparable joy and strength to the believer.”
We should understand that the Church is not a building
and Sunday is just a part of Church life. No matter the
quality of the online worship or sermon, they would trade
it for a moment worshiping together—shaking hands,
hugging, raising their voices, and receiving Communion.
“I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy,” Paul
wrote to Timothy (2 Tim. 1:4). This is the want and the
need of each faithful believer during this unprecedented
time of COVID-19. While being physically separated is a
tremendous loss, adhering to government directives and,
more crucially, serving the common good out of love for
neighbor makes this the wise and responsible choice.
The Church leaders and the faithful are grateful for Zoom
and the technology that helps us broadcast live worship,
but we must be most grateful for the reminder of the
value that God puts on physical presence. The Word took
on flesh and made his dwelling among us. Taking Shelter
in our homes is a practical reminder that it is not the job
of the Pastor to do the entire ministry, “but to prepare
God’s people for works of service, so that the body of
Christ may be built up” (Eph. 4:12). The COVID-19
brought lots of people who never prayed or worshipped
together to participate in live stream worship from their
living rooms through online technology. We have the
assurance in Jesus because he said: When two or three
gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matt. 18:20).
Let us hope and pray that the new patterns of ministry
established during this COVID-19 season will bear fruit long
after the virus is eradicated. God may be allowing the world
to be disrupted during the COVID-19 season of pandemic,
but God has His own purpose for everything happening in
this world. To quote Pastor Evan Wickham, lead pastor of
Park Hill Church in San Diego, California: “While we grieve
the loss of physical presence, we also believe God is
allowing the sap to be drawn back into the tree for a season.
This is not just a forced Sabbath. It is a mandated Lent. And
we walk boldly into the wilderness with Jesus to receive his
gift there. When we gather together again, the tree will be in
full bloom, and hope will be on full display.”
Our post COVID-19 faith is a simple trust in God. Adapt to
change! Be resilient! Be patient! These are challenging, scary
times. But we must have the conviction and hope in Christ
that the Church will survive and shine for expressing God’s
amazing love for humanity and the whole creation. The
Church is made for this. It has grown throughout history
through compassionately loving the world when it has
suffered most. We also need to accept the ‘New Normal,’
the way we are going to worship in the coming days. This
new normal is going to be our new norm, which is another
post COVID-19 effect.
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A Timely Response to a Crisis:
CTE Presidents call all churches to address racial
injustice in church life and wider society
On 28 July 2020, the presidents of Churches Together in
th
England, named below, with the support of the Fourth
Presidency Group, have issued a statement calling on churches
to travel together on the journey of racial justice, addressing
injustices both within our church life and in wider society. They
write…
We as Presidents of Churches Together in England have
responded to the killing of George Floyd in the United States,
and the widespread call for real change to combat racial
injustice in our world, above all in our own country. We have
spent time over the past few weeks listening to voices of people
from the black community, especially the younger generation.
This has been a deeply moving experience and illustrated
powerfully the many profound changes of heart and actions that
need to be made. The attitude that regards black people – and
indeed other people of ethnic minorities – as inferior is evil and
mars our common humanity. We challenge this unreservedly,
recognising the constant experiences of racism, including micro
aggression, which black people face.
We believe that churches have a significant role to play in
combating racial injustice. If we are to be effective in doing so,
we must look at ourselves. We are painfully aware of the racism
that blights the life of our churches. We are intent upon a
process of identifying racial injustice within our churches –
current and historic – repenting of it and taking action to effect
real change. This includes the potential for discriminatory
behaviour in the way that we make church appointments, which
we know can happen at the conscious or unconscious level. We
want to ensure that these processes are just and demonstrate
the so often neglected gospel truth of Colossians 3:11 “there is
no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all”. In
this verse Paul makes it clear that racial injustice and
discrimination is not only profoundly unjust and an affront to
God but also the very denial of Christ who reached out to all
human beings.
Some Member Churches of Churches Together in England have
already embarked upon this journey of tackling racial injustice.
The Church of England plans a new action group, and among
the Free Churches work by the Methodist and United Reformed
Churches, together with Baptists Together is already under way,
as is also true for the Catholic Church. The Pentecostal Forum
has long held this issue in its view, as have the Orthodox
Churches.
We call upon all churches to travel together on this journey of
racial justice so that together, as one community of churches in
England, we may reach out in love and respect to one another in
pursuit of our common witness. An area of great concern to us
as Presidents is the relationship between the black community
and the criminal justice system. We will therefore be facilitating
conversations between young black women and men and senior
members of the police service. We are also seeking to engage
both the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice in further
considering the day-to-day experience of many young black
people in England. (Contd. on Page 27)
RELIGIOUS ATHEISTS
Revd Dr. Valson Thampu, Trivandrum
Atheists are of two kinds: religious and irreligious. We may also
call them dishonest and honest atheists. Our concern, for the
time being, is with religious atheists. Those in the other category
are less of a problem because they are easily identifiable.
Religious atheists are not unlike the corona virus: hard to detect,
unless they are tested out with discernment.
Atheism is about denying God. We are, for the most part, aware
only of one mode of denying God, which is the direct method of
doing so, which is practised by honest atheists. In this mode,
one takes a public stand and asserts or tries to prove that God
does not exist. But the anxious eagerness of these exercises
has a touch of poignancy about them. I think it was Joseph
Mazzini who that those who feel the urge to deny God hide
within them either a great crime or a great sorrow. In
comparison, our religious atheists are a shallow category. They
rob God of his or her attributes.
Our religious atheists insist that God exists. But they are wholly
indifferent to his or her nature. We need to have a closer look at
what this religious atheism involves. God has two aspects: the
person and the attributes. The major attributes of God are love,
truth, justice and compassion. It is plain common sense that a
person should not be separated from his attributes. For
example, if you believe in being a sober-minded person, you
wouldn’t like it if someone were to relate to you as though you
are a drunken lout. If anyone does so, what he does is to
separate you from one of your attributes. You could, likewise,
be contemplative in your practise of religiosity. If, by virtue of
belonging to a charismatic worship group, you are required to
sing and swing in induced ecstasy, that group separates you
from an attribute of yours that you value.
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We do this to God all the time. The valid way to relate to God
requires respecting the attributes of God. In the nature of things,
the attributes of God can be respected and practised only in
relation to fellow human beings. It is like air serving as a medium
for sound. Sound will not carry in vacuum. Others serve a
function analogous to that of air in our relationship to God. So, if
we, in our dealings with our fellow human beings do not practise
the attributes of God, then we alienate God from his or her core
attributes.
In grammar it is impossible to separate the subject from its
attributes. Suppose I write, “George is….” it makes no sense. I
have to say that George is honest or dishonest, tall or short,
married or unmarried. The subject cannot stand by itself. This
applies all the more to God. But in the perverse grammar of our
religiosity, we shave off all attributes from God. God becomes
an impersonal, ethically blind phenomenon, whose only merit is
that he is partial to us. But no one can be just, if he is partial.
But our rational faculties suffer suspended the moment we enter
the hypnotic space of popular religiosity.
Jesus tells his disciples that they should pray in his name. This
is taken to be a magic formula! As though the name of Jesus
has supernatural potency, the very pronouncing of which
suspends the laws of nature and the common-sense logic of
life? Surely, that cannot be the meaning of praying in the name
of Jesus. To pray in his name is to pray fully respecting his
nature. It implies an awful discipline, which would, if taken
seriously, make praying nearly impossible! Yet, how glibly, how
loudly, how coercively we pray! Reducing ‘the name of Jesus’ to
a magical means is the height of practical, religious atheism.
The irreligious atheist leaves Jesus alone; our religious atheist
deforms him. The former is blind; the latter is cruelly callous.
Religious atheism increases with the rise of popular religiosity.
As a rule, the attributes of God do not appeal to human beings.
The reason for this need to be recognized. What appeals to a
person depends on his nature. A dishonest person will feel ill-at-
ease in the presence of a person of integrity. In the Bible,
whenever human beings become aware of the presence of God,
they feel fearful. The reason is that the Person of God is an
embodiment of attributes that far exceed the spiritual state of
the person concerned. Jesus could say, “I and my Father are
one”. Such a claim is tenable only in a state of total
identification with the attributes of God. Taking the name of
God, while rejecting the attributes of God, is the essence of
hypocrisy.
Religious atheists outnumber honest atheists a thousand to one.
Honest atheists have a chance someday of encountering God
and of turning a new leaf in their life; but in religious atheists,
atheism and hypocrisy combine to create impenetrable hard-
heartedness. You shall know a tree, Jesus said, by their fruits –
which also includes by its fruitlessness. If we choose to remain
ignorant and undiscerning; notwithstanding glaring evidence,
the fault lies not with the barren trees but with ourselves.
Eschatological Views in Second Peter and its Relation to
the Rest of the New Testament
Revd Shibu Kurian, Bangalore*
Introduction
Second Peter is an apologia of primitive Christian eschatology.
It deals with a crucial question of the meaning and significance
of the Parousia. What is the Parousia? When will it occur? What
will happen when it does? It is a question of the relationship
between the faith of the apostolic generation and every
generation that follows. Based on the eschatological
skepticism the false teachers taught, “the apostolic
proclamation of the Parousia was a myth (For we did not follow
cleverly devised myth… 1:16). The false teachers argued that
Jesus was not coming back and therefore there will be no
judgment. There existed a temptation of the believers to return
to their former way of life. Therefore, the Second Peter refutes
false teachers (2:1), their theory and praxis, and reinforces
stability and commitment among the faithful through reminder
of their divine gifts and calling. The author encourages his
community to raise to the moral heights their vocation
demands. Therefore, the purpose of Second Peter is twofold:
to expose the false teachers for what they were and to set
before the churches the conditions of survival when doctrinal
and moral perversions infiltrate their fellowships, appearing to
carry all before them. This paper is an attempt to describe the
eschatological views of second Peter and its relation to the rest
of the New Testament.
1.1. Audience of the Second Peter
Second Peter is addressed to a congregation or congregations
in the region of Asia Minor where Paul established churches (1
Peter.1: 1 “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” 2
Peter 3:1, 3:15-16). These churches were predominantly
Gentile churches. They are the people who came to faith from a
pagan rather than Jewish background. According to John H.
Elliott “Second Peter was directed to a Christian community to
which converts from paganism (2:20), assuming the mantle of
teachers (2:1) had began to challenge traditional Christian
beliefs and norms of behavior.” The Epicurean philosophy
influenced the audience of Second Peter because it was very
popular in Jewish and Greek thinking. Therefore, the author
taught the audience against this philosophy and affirms the
providence of God in judgment, both past and future (2:3b-10a;
3:5-13) and the truth of the prophecies that undergirds it.
1.2. Philosophical Influence
The philosophical world in which Second Peter addressed was
the Epicurean way of life, which sought to avoid trouble and
increase pleasure for its followers. They affirmed:
1.“There was not a creator involved in creation
2. Providence destroys free will.
3. The world came into existence by chance, so there
is no foreknowledge, as that would require a
predetermined order.
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4. Since people incur injustice by the delay of the
“gods” in coming to their recues, any “gods” that exist
must not engage in rewarding or punishing mortals.”
1.3. Eschatological Skepticism – Skepticism about the
Future
The opponents or false teachers in Second Peter raised the
question of “why does Jesus delay His return?" They argued
that Jesus was not coming back and therefore there will be no
judgment. This question influenced some of the believers of the
churches and they failed to recognize the reality of the return of
Christ. The opponents taught the Parousia and judgments are
apparently a delusion; they are free to conduct their lives
according to their own passions. Some believers denied Jesus
authority and redemption and proclaimed a message of
freedom from ethical living in favor of indulgence of the body’s
pleasure desires. It led the young believers of the churches to
go astray from their commitment to Christ and the ethical life,
to which they were called. They assumed freedom from
judgment as a release from the commandment of the Lord
(2:21; 3:2) and a license for self-indulgence (2:2; 10a, 13, 18),
pleasure (2:13) and personal gain (2: 3, 15-16). Therefore, the
question and the Epicurean worldview reflected a kind of
agnosticism that was growing in popularity in the first century.
1.4. Eschatological Teachings in 2 Peter nd
With the influence of the Epicurean philosophy, the false
teachers taught that the Parousia did not happen. They were
denying the Parousia because, according to the apostolic
proclamation, the first generations of Christians were to have
experienced the Parousia but died without its materialization.
They taught it was a myth (2:3b; 3:4 everything goes on just as
it even though the fathers have died…). They argued
“everything remained the same; nothing has changed. Christ
has not come; the Parousia has not taken place. Why then
should the church continue to hope that the Parousia, and the
judgment that attends it will occur? Were the prophecies that
foretold the Parousia and the witness of the apostolic
generation that testified to the Parousia mistaken?” The
question is not about the mechanics of Jesus’ return or its truth
but taken to another level when the delay is used as an excuse
for ungodly behavior. Some persons in church have
backslidden into the accompanying behavior of licentious and
shameful ways of pagan immorality.
In his, letter the author is refuting the eschatological skepticism.
He emphasizes the apostolic tradition, which affirms the
Parousia and its judgment. This tradition is founded on the
teaching of Peter (1:12-18), Paul (3:15b-16), the other apostles
(1:16-18; 3:1-2) and the Old Testament prophetic witness (1:20-
21; 3:2). The author emphasis the power of the gospel, which
enables believers to escape from the corruption of this life so
that they can, participates in God’s life.
1.3.1. Transfiguration and Morning Star- Power and Glory of
Jesus (Hope for the Parousia)
In the church, the false teachers argued the message of Jesus
was a myth. Therefore, the author taught the believers, Jesus is
the savior who provides everything that they need for all
aspects of their life (1: 3-11). This is not simply a provision for
spiritual life but rather a provision for every part of life. In 1: 16-
21 the author refuses two objections raised by the false
teachers.
1. The apostles employed ‘cleverly devised myths’
when they proclaimed the power and coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The prophetic word was merely a human
word rather than God’s word.
He takes transfiguration as the example of the power and glory
of Jesus. In the transfiguration Jesus kingship made evident.
The event of the transfiguration functions as a reason for
expecting the return of Jesus. Jesus glory revealed in the
transfiguration and at that moment, His identity is unveiled
before His disciples. God proclaims that Jesus is the beloved
Son and such an announcement on the mountain gives the
kingdom of God a location and a purpose that is larger than the
geographical and political focus and it is forever. The kingdom
is both about the physical provision that the king makes for his
subjects and about the full realization of a kingdom that is now
and tomorrow and forever. The author taught that a day would
come when Jesus himself will bring about the transformation of
the world, even as the rising sun transforms the present world
from darkness to light. The transfiguration and the metaphor of
the morning star remind the believers that what is seen is only a
part of the ongoing reach of the Kingdom of God. The kingdom
is forever, and it is glorious, honorable, already begun, and still
to come. He assured his community that their hope for the
Parousia grounded in a reliable apostolic witness.
1.3.2. Eschatology and Judgment
The false teachers taught the community two significant
problems:
1. They deny Jesus and his redemptive work (2:1,
…they will even deny the Master who brought
them).
2. They taught that in Christ they are free to act upon
their desires in an unrestrained fashion (2:2, Even
so, many will follow their licentious ways, and
because of these teachers the way of truth will be
maligned). They exploit the believers for their own
ends.
The author related the eschatology with judgment with the
examples of God’s past judgment against the angels who
sinned (2:4 For if God spare the angels when they sinned….),
the flood generation (2:5….when he brought a flood on a
world of the ungodly) and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
(2:6 and if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to
ashes …). Through these examples he shows the future
judgment rests on the Lord (2:9, then the Lord knows how to
rescue the godly from trial and to keep the unrighteous under
punishment until the Day of Judgment). He affirms that God
controls the end and He executes the justice and judgement
of the world. Judgment will come in God’s time, for he is the
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one who is storing up the heavens and the earth until the
coming of the Day of Judgment (3:5-8).
1.3.3. Delay of the Parousia – Lord’s patient
The false teachers challenged the validity of the Lord’s promise
that He will return (3:4 where is the promise of his coming? for
ever since the ancestors since our ancestors died, all things
continue as they were from the beginning of creation). Peter
answered through the words of 3:5-8. He argued God created
the heavens and the earth by His Word and at His command
that world can be destroyed as it was in the great flood
recorded in Gen.7. In Verse 7 he used the word fire as a means
of judgment (Deut: 29:23; Isa. 3:9, Jer. 23:14). He reminds that
the world has not always goes on as they now see it and that
this should remind them that judgment would come despite
their false message. Judgment would come on God’s time, for
He is the one who is storing up the heavens and the earth until
the coming of the Day of Judgment.
In 3:8-10, the author puts forward two arguments, both already
traditional in Jewish apocalyptic treatment of the issue of
eschatological delay.
1. God who determines the time of Parousia. He is not
limited by human life span but surveys the whole
course of human history (3:8…. the Lord one day is
like a thousand years, and the thousand years as like
one day Ps. 90:4).
2. The delay is a respite, which God has graciously
granted to his people before his intervention in
judgment. Therefore, the sinners have opportunity to
repent and encourage condemnation (Exod. 34:6; 2 nd
Peter 3: 9 …but is patient with you, not waiting any to
perish, but all to come to repentance). The delay of
the Parousia is not a sign of forgetfulness or
indifference but shows that he wishes to make it
possible for more people to be saved.
In verse 3: 10 the day of the Lord would come as
unexpectedly as a thief in the night (Matt. 24:43; Luke 11: 39;
1 Thess. 5:2). 3: 10b pointing towards the destructions of the
heavens and the fundamental elements of the earth by fire.
There are three main arguments here:
1. The form of the world will be destroyed
2. The heavenly bodies will be destroyed (Isa. 34:4;
Matt. 24:29)
3. The angelic power or hostile spiritual powers will be
destroyed (Gal.4:3; Col. 2: 8,20)
In 3:11-13, the author reminds the believers to live holy and
godly lives as they wait for God’s justice. In the Bible, God’s
judgment by fire is a recurring image. Something may survive
the fire of God’s judgment is alluded to in several places in the
Bible (Isa. 33:14-15; Zech. 13:9; Mal. 3:2; 1 Cor. 3: 13-15). It
emphasizes two main concerns:
1. To demonstrate that God’s work of judgment is
sure.
2. To call to believers to faithful living in the light of
God’s judgment.
In 3:14-17 he advised the believers to manifest patience,
remain steadfast in faith, hope, and to avoid all schisms and
 inconsistent behavior. Because of the ignorance and ‘lack of
stability of Christian faith’ some of them misinterpreted Paul’s
teaching of coming of the Lord, Judgment (1 Thess. 4:13-
5:11, 2 Thess. 1:7-10, 2:1-12) and the teaching of Christian
liberty. Therefore, the author once again remained that the
way of the false teachers is the way of the destructions rather
than path of life.
1.3.4. Hope for the Parousia- Transformation
The author emphasis the Parousia will not be the end of the
world (3:12) but the occasion of the transformation. In 3:13
(But, in accordance with the promise, we wait for new heavens
and a new earth, were righteousness is at home) the hope is
firmly grounded in the book of Isaiah (Isa. 65: 17; 66:22) and it
echoes in 2 Peter (1:1; 2:5, 21). So 2 Peter emphasize if there
nd nd
is no Parousia there is no judgment. If there is no judgment,
there is no righteousness. If there is no righteousness the
world will not be transformed. Therefore, the hope of the
Parousia is an indispensable element of Christian faith. That
hope portrayed as in terms of new heaven and new earth filled
with God’s righteousness, affirms that God will have the last
word. The central affirmation is, there will be a final
redemptive act of God that will set all things right.
1.4. Relation to the rest of the New Testament
The expectation that Christ would come ‘soon’, presumably in
the generation then living, is amply attested in all parts of the
New Testament literature. There are ‘sayings of Jesus’
preserved in the Synoptic Gospels that hold out the hope of
some kind of immediate return or reappearance of the Son of
Man to His disciples (Matt.10: 23) or an appearance of Christ in
the life time of the hearers (Mark: 9:1; 13:30). The Gospel of
Mark sets forth an imminent eschatological perspective. The
Parousia of the Son of Man is expected (8:38; 13:26) and the
Kingdom of God is to come “with power” during the first
generation of the followers of Jesus (Mark.9:1). In Matthew
shares the view of an imminent expectation (25: 31-46) and the
final judgment. In Luke the possibility of the delay of the
Parousia before the coming of the Son of Man and other end-
time events (9:27; 12:45; 17:20-21; 19:11), but his coming and
his exercising of authority in a final judgment are certain. In
John’s Gospel hope for the future is not set aside, but the
experience of future salvation (5:25, 28-29; 6:27, 39, 40b, 44,
54b, 12:48; 21:22-23) and the present experience (3:36; 5:24;
6:40a, 47, 54a, 10:28; 17:2-3) of salvation have begun to
merge.
In Pauline tradition, the Parousia was soon to happen, bring ig
with it the wind up of history (1 Thess. 4: 11,13-15). In 1 Cor.
15:51 Paul pictured those who will be ‘still alive’ when the Lord
appears from heaven, and he can write about the time of the
end being ‘near’ (1 Cor. 7:26, 29). Paul’s understanding of the
tension between what is now and what is still set in the future
at the Parousia to come (1 Cor. 11:26; 15:23, 50-52) the final
kingdom of God destined to take over from the interim ‘reign of
Christ’ (1 Cor. 15: 20-28).
Both traditions, however, are aware of the problem posed by
the Parousia and its apparent delay. The Synoptic tradition
insists that no one knows the day or hour of the Parousia, not
even the Son. Therefore, the disciples must work as industrious
servants until their Lord appears. The Pauline tradition is also
aware that no one knows the time or the season of the
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Parousia, and it deal with those who deny the resurrection of
the dead and act as if the end time has already arrived. In the
deuteron Pauline letters, although hope for the future has not
been set aside, Paul’s apocalyptic vision begins to give way to
a scenario that speaks of the believers inheritance in heaven
rather than the general resurrection of the dead.
In 2 Peter, the Parousia will be the definitive movement of
nd
God’s judgment, and it will effect a transformation of the world
as it is presently known. The description of the Parousia in
Paul, the Gospels, and 2 Peter may differ, but the central
nd
affirmation does not change. There will be a final redemptive
act of God that will set all things right.
Conclusion
In this epistle, eschatology is more closely integrated. Its
eschatology is thoroughly appropriated and digested both in
the mind of the author and in the life and thought of the
audience. With the influence of the false teachers, the
believers’ mistake to think that eschatology has nothing to do
with the present day. He reminded the community that God is
Lord of time. No human effort will enable to know when the
kingdom of God will come. The Church itself is an
eschatological phenomenon. The resurrection of Jesus Christ
and Parousia are the core of Christian faith. So the task of the
Church is to proclaim the Gospel to the world and look
towards the end.
The life of Christians is the life of hope accepting all the
implications of social relationships and the realities. We die to
be reborn to a new life. Our faith in the everlasting life is
seriously threatened by the contemporary cultural and
theological context. The consumeristic world of secularism
seems to be fixing its gaze only in the life here. The theology
of the resurrection affirms our hope, determines our Christian
identity today, and sets our lives in the light of the Kingdom of
God. Otherwise, there will not be any meaning for our struggle
and endurance. The tension between “already” and “not yet”
keeps our lives going and extends our hope beyond the
horizons of this present world. We always remember that the
activities in this world connected with the Kingdom of God.
There is no eschatology of the future without the eschatology
of the present.
References:
1. Kelly, J. N. D. A Commentary on the Epistles of Peter and of
Jude. Black New Testament Commentary. London: Adam and
Charles black, 1969.
2. Lucas, Dick and Christopher Green. The Message of Second
Peter and Jude. The Bible Speaks Today. Leicester: Inter Varsity
Press, 1995.
3. Matera, Frank J. New Testament Theology. Exploring Diversity
and Unity. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2007.
4. Reese, Ruth Anne. 2 Peter and Jude. Grand Rapids: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007.
5. Elliott, John H. “Second Epistle of Peter.” The Anchor Bible
Dictionary. Volume 5 O-Sh. Edited by David Noel Freedman.
New York: Double Day Dell Publishing Company, 1992, 282-
287.
6. Dentis, Helen. “Eschatology and Social Responsibility.” Ephrem’s
Theological Journal 12/2 (October, 2008): 151-170.
Editors Note: Revd Shibu Kurien is a D.Th Student. United
Theological College, Bangalore, India.
Casting Burdens:
(‘Chumadu Thangi–Load Bearer’ and ‘Vazhi Ambalam – Wayside Temple’)
Dr. Zac Varghese, London

“My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me”
(Psalm 55:4).
‘wayside temple’. In those days, people mostly travelled
on foot. These simple wooden structures with a thatched
roof acted as a resting place for such travellers. These
sheltered travellers from the mid-day sun or rain. It was a
humanitarian service provided by the community. Sadly,
such places of rest, scattered all over the countryside in
my childhood days, have also now disappeared. These
have been replaced by wayside inns, motorway cafes and
filling stations.

Of course, the world has progressed much since my days

On March 23, 2020, the government of the United
Kingdom declared a lockdown across the nation in order
to arrest the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. Since then,
my mind has been occupied with the thoughts of the
devastating impact of the pandemic spreading quickly
across the globe. Two days later I woke up with two
powerful images of my childhood days, on a farm, in a
village at Kerala.
One of these images was that of simple stone structures
found on the sides of narrow dirt roads on the banks
(‘Varambump’ in Malayalam) of paddy fields. This
structure consisted of two heavy stone pillars bridged by
an equally heavy stone slab placed horizontally on the top
of the pillars. The structure was called a ‘Chumadu
Thangi’ in Malayalam, meaning a load bearer or a load
supporter. In those days, people transported goods from
place to place by carrying them on their heads or on a
yoke born on their shoulders. These stone structures
were meant to help these people to take comfort breaks.
The height of the horizontal slab was such that people
could effortlessly push their load on to it to take rest and
get it back onto their heads or shoulders themselves
when they wish to resume their journey. Our forefathers
had erected these load bearing structures at strategic
locations for helping people to ease their heavy loads.
Sadly, these structures are no longer standing since they
have been fallen into disuse after newer means of
transporting good have replaced traditional modes. But
for me the strong symbolism of these structures still
remains firm after all these years.
The second image is that of what is called a ‘Vazhi
Ambalam’ in Malayalam. The term literally means
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as a village boy in Kerala. Everything is now just a ‘click’
away, thanks to innovative technologies. But all these
advances have not succeeded in easing our burdens –
physical, mental or spiritual. If anything, these have only
become more difficult. The pathways of life have become
more difficult to negotiate. So, we still need places and
people to give us succour and more people seem to be
turning to spiritual resources to find solace in these times
of tumult.
We now possess many state-of-the-art gadgets that are
supposed to make life happier and more comfortable. We
have enough weapons of mass destruction to completely
destroy the world. Many nations claim to be superpowers
and many have positioned themselves as economic
powerhouses. At last the world has woken up to the
meaninglessness of all that rhetoric about being powerful.
The world has discovered to its horror that with all its
arsenal of nuclear weapons, aircraft carriers and
supersonic fighters, it simply does not possess the power
to knock out an invisible speck of RNA known as the
COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has killed close to a million
people and seriously challenged the global economy and
the lives of billions. We still do not know what to do other
than advising people to ‘wear masks, wash hands
frequently and to maintain physical distancing’! The world
is beginning to realize that ‘human needs are beyond
human help.’
It wouldn’t be God’s will that mankind should be crushed
with excessive burdens. So, let us submit to God to free
us today from all our burdens. It is a Tower of Babel
moment to realize human limitations with absolute
humility. God is glad to carry our burdens and give us the
daily strength that we need. Jesus will remove our heavy
burdens of guilt and hopelessness and give us true rest.
In the ancient time the Psalmist said, “Cast your burden
on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never
permit the righteous to be moved” (Ps 55:22). The Israeli
prophets also assured: “Is this not this kind of fasting that
I have chosen: to lose the chains of injustice, and untie
the cords of the yoke, set oppressed free and break every
yoke?”(Isa 58:6). Finally, we have the absolute promise of
our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ: “Come to me, all you
who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle
and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For
my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt 11:28–30).
In the middle of this COVID-19 crisis, we now mostly
remain isolated in our homes of all sizes and shapes
under lockdown conditions. Our good neighbours are
offering us all sorts of help for easing our burdens and
helping us to survive. Let us thank them for their God-
inspired generosity; let us thank all the healthcare
workers, staff in super markets, other support structures
and the volunteers who are helping us to fight this
indomitable enemy in many different ways. One of the
comforting phrases in the Bible for these times is “fear
not.”
One of the most poignant types of suffering during
physical distancing is loneliness, a desperate feeling of
separation from those whom we love and care for and
those who provide meaning to our existence. Loneliness
comes in a variety of ways; some of it is deeply hurting.
All of us know in some degree what it is like to be
separated from relationships. The most painful form of
loneliness and separation that can be experienced by a
human being is that which comes with the death of a
loved one. It strikes us with the very painful emotion that
life will never be the same. Across the world, we had
thousands and thousands of such incidents during the
last few months. This number is increasing every day and
have had reached over a million deaths.
This pandemic has cast us into a situation in which it has
become nearly impossible to even have an adequate
grieving process; churches are not in a position to
provide satisfactory bereavement support or funeral
services. Instead of using excuses, we must use
WhatsApp and such digital communication channels to
reach out to such families and people to carry them
through their emotional crisis. We need to find alternative
ways of helping people in need. Such emotional support
is essential to avoid depression and other psychological
disorders. When we discover that we ourselves are
groaning in empathy with others and do not know what to
do or say to others, we would discover that God, the Holy
Spirit, is groaning with us as well. It is by this realization
that we begin to understand why Jesus wept at the tomb
of his friend, Lazarus.
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There was a time when the Church was able to serve
society as a whole in many different ways – in helping the
poor or caring for the sick and the old or providing
education for the marginalised children or finding means
for meeting other societal needs. But all such
responsibilities have now been taken over by the State or
different earmarked charities. We can be thankful for that,
but one of the sad effects of this has been that the
Church has become inward looking and concerned only
with her own members, instead of those outside.
Let us hope that the post-COVID-19 landscape will
challenge every member of the Church to find once more
their primary vocation to embody and implement God’s
love and compassion in the world. We can only fulfil that
vocation in places where we work and where we live. It is
true that in the past we converted all support structures
as convenient stores for selling merchandises of all sizes
and shapes. There is a growing awareness that we have
converted our worshipping places into ‘wayside inns’
(market places for buying a ticket to heaven or fuelling
stations of fake-spirituality). In Matthew’s gospel we read:
“The Scriptures declare, 'My house will be called a house
of prayer,' but you are making it a ‘den of robbers’” (Mt
21.13; Isa 56: 7; Jer 7:11).
Now the doors of the churches are shut and we are
pushed into virtual slots for our worship and prayer
through live stream on line digital events. Let us use this
God-given time to correct our ways and find real worship
for giving glory to God within us because we are the
temples of God (1Cor. 3:16). May the virtual space
become a sacred place for us. In the 14th century spiritual
classic, ‘The Cloud of Unknowing’ it is stated: “Nowhere
physically is everywhere spiritually.” We should
experience this mystery in our daily living. The world and
our worshipping patterns will be different after this crisis
and let us think of the models of ‘Chumadu Thangies and
Vazhi Ambalams’ for sharing and easing the burdens of
others around us.
The experience of this pandemic is a challenge for commitment
to life rather than a withdrawal from it; it is also a participation
rather than passivity; it is about establishing the Kingdom of
God on earth rather than anticipating in an after-life. It may be
an opportunity, a space and a time, for seeking a
comprehensive understanding of the meaning of life and its
God-given purpose. Let us consider ‘the gift of the other’ and
their needs. It is indeed the time for moving from the attitude of
‘being-for-itself’ to ‘being-for-others’ and ’being-with-others’. In
this process the Holy Spirit will guide us to become ‘Chumadu
Thangies’ and Vazhi Ambalams’.
Let us also take time to thank everyone that we come across in
our lives for what they mean to us and how they help us to
express our God-endowed humanity. May God continue to
bless everyone. We can be absolutely certain that “God is our
refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble. Therefore
we will not fear . . . Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46).
Pearls of Wisdom Series: No.14
A Reading from St. Augustine’s Commentary on Psalms*
“Keep me safe, LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent, who devise ways to trip my
feet. The arrogant have hidden a snare for me; they have
spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for
me along my path. I say to the LORD, “You are my God.”
Hear, LORD, my cry for mercy” (Ps 140: 4-6).
Christ’s whole body shares in his passion:
I have called to you, Lord; make haste to help me! We
are all in a position to make these words our own. Yet if I
pronounce them, they will not be uttered by myself alone,
but Christ in his totality. They are spoken in the name of
his body; for while he was on earth he prayed as one who
shared our human nature, he besought the Father in the
name of all his members, and during his prayer drops of
blood were forced from every pore of his body. That is
what Scripture tells us; Jesus prayed with such
earnestness that his sweat became like drops of blood.
This bleeding of his entire body surely signifies that the
whole Church will bleed with the suffering of martyrs.
I have called you, Lord; make haste to help me! Hear
my voice when I cry out to you. Certainly you could not
have thought that once you had said ‘I have called to you’
you would have no further need for prayer. You may have
cried out, but do not suppose that you are safe. When
your suffering is over, then your crises may cease. But if
we believe that the Church, Christ’s body, is liable to
suffering until the end of time, then must we not only say:
I have called to you: make haste to help me, but add with
the Psalmist: hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer rise up before you like incense; let the
raising of my hands be like an evening sacrifice. Every
Christian is aware that this passage is usually understood
of our Christ our head. For, as evening drew near, the
Lord yielded up his soul upon the cross with the certainty
of receiving it back again; it was not wrested from him
against his will. But we too are surely also represented
here. He had nothing to hang upon the cross except the
body that he had received from us. And it was surely not
possible for God the Father to abandon his only Son, who
shared with him one God. Nevertheless, when he nailed
our human weakness to the cross––that cross to which,
as the apostle says, our unregenerate nature has been
fastened along with him––it was with the voice of our
humanity that he exclaimed: My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?
That, then, is the evening sacrifice: the Lord’s own
passion, his cross, the offering on it of the saving victim,
of that holocaust which is acceptable to God. And by his
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rising, Christ has turned the evening sacrifice to a
morning oblation.
Similarly, the pure prayer, which ascends from a faithful
heart will be like incense rising from a hallowed altar. No
fragrance can be more pleasing to God than that of his
son’s own prayer; may the prayers of all the faithful
breathe out the same perfume.
Our unregenerate nature––it is the apostle who speaks
once more––has been fastened to the cross along with
him, in order that our sin-stained humanity may be
renewed and cleansed, and we ourselves may no longer
be salves to sin.
*This important sermon is taken from a collection edited
by Henry Ashworth O.S.B, ‘A Word in Season’, The Talbot
Press, Dublin, 1974, page 208-209. Collected by Dr. Zac
Varghese
(Contd. from Page 23)
A Timely Response to a Crisis:
CTE Presidents call all churches to address racial
injustice in church life and wider society
We encourage all churches throughout England to do all they
can to build trust and improve accountability between black
communities, the police, civic bodies and wider community
groups. In particular we call upon groupings of Church Leaders
throughout the nation to reach out to their black colleagues in
church leadership who are currently absent from their
membership, making more inclusive ecumenical leadership. Our
desire is that these groups will create spaces for those in
authority to listen, as we have, to the powerful testimony of
young black women and men as a step towards greater social
cohesion.
We see these issues as matters of gospel and faith for all who
follow Jesus Christ, the one who calls every nation and people
to the justice of the Kingdom of God.
Presidents of Churches Together in England:
Archbishop Justin Welby, The Archbishop of Canterbury
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, The Cardinal Archbishop of
Westminster
Revd Dr Hugh Osgood, The Free Churches Moderator
His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox
Archbishop of London and CTE President for the Orthodox
Churches
Pastor Agu Irukwu, head of Redeemed Christian Church of God
UK and CTE Pentecostal President
The Fourth Presidency Group comprises Lutheran, Quaker and
The Church of Scotland (English Presbytery) Member Churches.
Lessons I Learnt During COVID-19 Pandemic
George Thomas, Copenhagen*
human control. Only Jesus is our steadfast
The COVID-19 Pandemic is wreaking havoc across our companion – carrying us in his arms when we
world. It is an uncertain time. And yet for all the pain, the cannot walk alone. What a friend we have in
Bible teaches that for Christians, these trials are not
Jesus! “Now after this the Lord appointed seventy
wasted or meaningless. God is at work through it all,
teaching us things that we might not otherwise learn others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to
(Romans 8:28, Hebrews 12:5-11). every city and place where He Himself was going
to come” (Luke 10:1).

4. Our sense of security or safety is a myth. I

used to feel reasonably “safe and insulated” from
public health-related disasters or catastrophes in
a modern, advanced country like Denmark.
Similarly, I have not been overly concerned about
my financial security as a retired senior person.
Suddenly I have been watching how some of my
basic assumptions are getting overturned. Thus, I
have come to discern: “Unless the Lord builds the
house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the
Lord watches the city, the watchman stays awake
in vain” Psalm 127:1).

During this Pandemic it is easy to see bad things 5. No one is guaranteed tomorrow. I have been
happening all around us. However, with a biblical view on living my life as if I will have a longer future on this
the present circumstances it may become clearer that
earth. I think about next week, next month, and
what God could be doing during this time of taking things
away is actually giving us something wonderful and next year like they are guaranteed dates on my
eternal in return. calendar. This Pandemic has emphatically taught
me to ponder over our own mortality with better
Here are the eight things that I have been learning during clarity – especially not to say: “Today or
this time: tomorrow we will do this…” (James 4:13). It
heightens our “death-awareness”. Yes, it’s a
1. Time has one direction–forward. We cannot get
confronting thought. But if we combine this
anything back from yesterday. Appreciate today
death-awareness with the Gospel of the Risen
while we have it and what we have in it. “This is
Christ who has overcome death, we can become
the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and
more captivated by the resurrected life to come.
be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). This should teach us
“My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that
a great deal about the precious value of time.
is far better” (Philippians 1:23).
Putting off a reconciling conversation until later,
praying for some dear person, writing few words
6. Redeeming today requires an unfamiliar pace
of encouragement to a distressed or burdened
of life. I am convinced that we are just too busy.
friend, or helping a needy person today, are all
There are too many options to stay busy, and we
choices we could make right now. When that
have learned a pace of life that devalues the
golden opportunity is gone, it is gone!
things that matter most. I can hear the words of
Jesus to Martha: “You are worried and troubled
2. Jesus is our only dependable companion on
about many things” (Luke 10:41). We need to
this earthly journey. I started realizing that even
choose the things that cannot be taken from us
our nearest and dearest ones cannot be with us
and those things require a slower pace and more
3. or holding our hands in our final hours or times of
time than they generally get.
distress under certain circumstances beyond
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 7. Church gatherings are somewhat undervalued
and underappreciated. This is the first time in
most of our lives that we have not been able to
“be” with the church every week. We have failed
to recognize how important it is to be with other
believers regularly. I did not realize how much I
was gaining from being there every week until it
suddenly was missing. “Let us not giving up
meeting together, as some are in the habit of
doing, but encouraging one another--and all the
more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews
10:25).

8. Prayer is vastly undervalued and significantly

underutilized. Most of us pray every day. A quick
mealtime prayer or a few moments in the morning Thus we are interrelated, interconnected, and
or before we go to bed are pretty common interdependent. What happens in the Americas is felt
practices. But praying, and I mean really praying, in Africa, what happens in Asia is felt in Europe, and
is a rare effort. What might happen to our the like. This means that the people of this world are
families, our churches, our countries and our our brothers and sisters, and that we are all one
world if we seized this opportunity of relative family under Almighty God. What happens to some of
stillness and used it for concentrated, long us will ultimately have impact on all of us. Our world
periods of prayer? My wife and I did appreciate today desperately needs God’s intervention and an
the opportunity, among others, during the Lent integral solution that encompasses the whole
Season this year to pray for a couple of specific creation.
migrant churches in Denmark continuously for 40
days – as part of an initiative by a multicultural In closing, my hope and prayer are that during these
Christian platform. “Seek the Lord and His strange times, we learn the lessons God would teach
strength; seek His face continually” (1 Chronicles us individually and collectively as the universal
16:11). Christian church, and as nations. And though we are
locked down in our homes for a little while, take
9. Leaning into suffering versus avoiding heart—Easter is coming.
suffering at all cost. There is a key difference
between the typical secular response to suffering
and uncertainty, and the biblical response. In the Editor’s Note: Mr. George Thomas retired as Principal
modern secular worldview, suffering (especially Industry Specialist of the International Finance
life threatening suffering) is to be avoided at all Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World
costs. But in the biblical view, a Christian’s Bank Group based in
Washington DC. He has been
suffering serves a higher purpose. Yes, suffering
serving on the Boards of
is painful - the Bible doesn’t deny that. But it is a
several companies in the
key way that God achieves His purposes, namely, manufacturing sector wherein
to make us more like Christ (“Count it all joy, my the IFC has equity
brethren, when you meet various trials, for you investments. He holds a
know that the testing of your faith produces Master's Degree in Structural
steadfastness” (James 1:2-4). That goal gives Engineering from the Indian
Institute of Technology,
meaning and purpose to our suffering. And so,
Mumbai. He is settled in
Christians can lean into suffering. We don’t have Copenhagen, and is a
to fear it. We don’t have to avoid it. Instead, we member of the State Lutheran
can use it to glorify God, and serve others. Church of Denmark.

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Member Church Reflections on Covid-19 in the UK
[The following collections are reflections of the
members of various churches and its leaders who
are members of the ecumenical body, Churches of
Churches Together in England (CTE). It is collated by
Miss Sarah Ball who is a communication assistant of
the CTE. We are very grateful to CTE for allowing us
to publish this because it gives us a post-COVID
landscape of faith from a wide spectrum of Christian
communities in the UK.]
We have received a marvellous variety of reflections
to share. They range from the deeply personal
response to the pandemic of an 18-year-old, via
practical, technological and financial challenges,
through to theological perspectives on Covid-19.
Many churches are also grieving the loss of
members, and in some cases leaders, during this
unprecedented time. Thank you to everyone who
contributed.
The Church and the world
“We will emerge from this as a society in collective
trauma. A traumatised society will need a church
which has a light touch, which knows how to play,
to experiment, to laugh and to rest – a church which
can offer and exhibit the fullness of life about which
Jesus speaks.”
Anticipating the future - Revd Dr Stephen Hance,
National Lead for Evangelism and Witness for the
Church of England
“’The World is my Parish’, or so the founder of the
Methodist Church Movement John Wesley wrote in
his diary. Never before have his words held quite so
much weight. With our buildings closed, we are
learning afresh what it might mean for us as local
communities, a national organisation, and a global
church – to see the whole world as our place of
ministry.”
The World is my Parish - Rev Dr Joanne Cox-
Darling, Acting Superintendent, Wolverhampton
Methodist Circuit Brewood, Codsall and Coven
Methodist Churches
“Relationships were strengthened; stronger bonds
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were formed, and individuals were engaging in a
much more meaningful manner.”
A place where love grows - Deaconess and Trustee
in the New Testament Church of God in Willesden,
Charlotte Johnson
Growing unity
“My prayer is that this ‘new normal’ will retain the
ecumenical spirit we have re-discovered during
Pentecost 2020, so that we may live out the call of
Jesus’ message in John 17:23, ‘that they may
become completely one, so that the world may
know that you have sent me’. Rarely has the world
needed that unity more than now.”
Towards ‘a new normal’ - Rev Philip Brooks
Secretary for Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations,
United Reformed Church
“I think, now more than ever, working towards
Christian unity is vital as we have much to learn from
one another in our spirituality, mission, theology and
traditions… Faced with the stark realities of
inequality, climate breakdown, systemic racism and
an imbalance of power and privilege, together, as
one Church in Christ, we have the ability to make a
difference.”
Disruption leads to renewal: God at work - Church of
England Lay representative to the Churches
Together in England Enabling Group, Annika
Mathews
“I see the commitment of all kinds of people
including Quakers wanting to connect with one
another, listening carefully to wide range of views
and recommitting to shared work. Alongside
suffering and grief, COVID 19 has engendered
astonishing creativity and compassion.”
A man may look on glass - Head of Peace
Programmes and Faith Relations for Quakers in
Britain, Marigold Bentley.
Using technology
“Living in the midst of a global pandemic is not
comfortable but it has forced the church to occupy
some space that up to now we’ve not been fully
convinced it’s a space we should inhabit. Well,
we’re here now. Let’s get used to it. Welcome to the
new normal.”
Moving online - International Leader for Pioneer
Network Canon Billy Kennedy
“May the Archangel Gabriel, patron of
communications continue to pray for us!"
Being Church in the time of Covid-19 - Parish priest
of Saint Ambrose Barlow, Swinton and Pendlebury,
in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford,
Monsignor Paul Smith
Positive opportunities
“We are called to embrace the challenge that the
crisis has opened for us and to see in a ‘new normal’
a renewed opportunity for encounter and
engagement with God, with one another and within
ourselves.”
Coronavirus: a challenge and an opportunity? -
Parish Priest of the Most Holy & Undivided Trinity,
the Catholic Church in Grimsby, Cleethorpes &
Immingham, Fr Andrew Cole
“Being salt is not about spreading our name, but it is
about spreading the name of Jesus... If there is
anything positive to come out of this pandemic it is
that all Christ’s followers would positively touch and
impact lives.”
“Salt” - President of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church in the British Isles, Pastor Ian Sweeney
“This crisis has come at a time when we were
already considering prophetically what God is doing
in the nation at this time. This is a source of
reflection and prayer for us as we move forward.”
Ground Level Network member and CTE Trustee,
Richard Bradbury
Parish perspectives
“It was very upsetting to hear the closed doors of
the Church being hit and banged by the people, who
couldn’t understand or accept why they were left
outside … or to see certain others “attend” the
Service through the Church window.”
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“With the doors locked” (John 20, 19) - Parish Priest
of St. Panteleimon Greek Orthodox Community in
Harrow, The Very Rev Protopresbyter Fr. Anastasios
D. Salapata
“Hello, my name is Kai Daley...Covid-19 didn’t just
affect my education - that same week that my
education ended, I was scheduled to be baptised. I
was devastated, but now I have spiritually grown
closer to God...so close I guess… it’s true, the Lord
works in mysterious ways.”
Covid and me - Kai Daley from the New Life
Wesleyan Church in Handsworth, Birmingham
“The beginning of this pandemic brought a myriad of
questions. How we will still be church if we cannot
physically meet? How will congregation members be
affected by this? How will we continue to fulfil God’s
mission here?"
Church life in the Covid-19 pandemic - Pioneer
Baptist Minister for Ebbsfleet, Rev Penny Marsh
“The church universal birthed in crisis still shines in
these very times.”
The Reset - Pastor at Acts Christian Church, which
is part of the Joint Council of Churches for All
Nations (JCCAN), Lloyd-Anthony Hall
"The pandemic storm, otherwise christened as
COVID-19, has become a beacon allowed by God
[John 3: 27] to shake the whole world..."
"Weekly income has fallen by 80%..."
"...We also suffered the death of our Church Leader,
who at the time of writing was yet to be buried."
Two churches from our Pentecostal and Charismatic
Forum reflect on COVID-19
Lamentation
“The church needs to restore the practice of
Lamentations as a normal appropriate spiritual response.
. . a time of lamenting for the grief and sorrow that the
Covid-19 plague has wrought on the land and particularly
on those from the BAME community.”
A Call for the Restoration of the Praxis of Lamenting -
Chair for the Movement for Justice and Reconciliation,
Rev Alton P. Bell.
Book Review:
‘Church and the New Normal: Ecclesial Imaginations for a New Community’
By The Rt. Revd Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius Suffragan Metropolitan
CSS Publication, Tiruvalla, 2020, Pp 114. Rs. 120/-; US $10/-
ISBN-978-81-7821-858-8.
‘Church and the New Normal:
Ecclesial Imaginations for a New
Community’ is a new book authored by
The Suffragan Metropolitan, The Rt.
Rev. Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius.
This book consists of a series of talks
and articles by the new Suffragan
Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Church,
Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius. It
took its present form during the
quarantine period of 28 days during
June 2020 when the bishop came to
Kerala from Mumbai to shoulder
additional responsibilities in the Church. Actually the book is a
reflection of the immense experience of the bishop in his
ecclesial involvement in mission in the dioceses in Kerala,
Chennai, USA-UK-Europe, and Mumbai and above all with his
involvement in the work among the transgender communities.
Rev. Dr. Sunil Caleb (Principal, Bishop’s College, Kolkata) has
written an exciting foreword for the book and in it he states,
“This challengingly relevant book is an extremely timely and
exciting addition to theological and ministerial reflection on how
the Church or Ekklesia should move forward in these strange
and difficult times. It deserves to be read by not only
theologians, but by all Christians and people of faith. By its
careful scholarship and practical application, the book will
challenge Christians not to sit back and wait for the work of God
to be done by others, but rather to stand up and be counted in
the fight against the forces of the ‘Empire’ that seek to dominate
and control the world through their control of the levers of
government and the economy in order to benefit the few”.
Rev. Dr. M. C. Thomas (Mar Thoma Theological Seminary,
Kottayam) in his apt Prologue to the book says, “For the
academe and the intellectuals, the book has genuinely
challenged to voice radical questions with critical rationality and
self reflexivity on the politics and diverse shades of the ‘new
normal’ situation which has already been evidenced in our major
universities . . . though the protests have been labeled with
other names and reasons”.
The new situation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic
gave rise to the return of the emigrants to their native places,
and has brought about a new situation in many parts of the
world. The articles in the book such as ‘Locating the Other’,
‘Envisioning Hospitality’, and ‘Churching the Diaspora’ reflect
the contemporary situation in many ways. Of course, talks made
at the clergy conferences of the various dioceses by the author
such as ‘Recreation of New Life’, ‘Pastor
Journeys with Christ’, ‘Ecclesia – a Counter Culture against the
Empire’, ‘Reformation as an Invitation for Sacramental Living’
have found importance and timely relevance in this work.
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The work has its opening article on ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) and
the Digital World’, and the concluding ones are on ‘Family
Values and Transgender Awareness’. The essay on Artificial
Intelligence may be an eye-opener for many. As home is the
safest place and people are advised to stay at home, the study
on strengthening the family values carries great significance.
The article on transgender community throws light to
understanding all sections of marginalized communities. The
need for the church to stand with the marginalized rather than
with the Empire has been explicitly brought out. The essays
include two recent articles written by the author and published
in a magazine and a book respectively as well: “Coming
Humanity – Culture, Politics and Theology” in Chalanam 2020,
the annual magazine of the Mar Thoma Theological Seminary,
Kottayam; and “Perspectives on a New Normal in South Kerala”
in a book (a collection of essays) published in 2019 edited by
Prof Babu Zachariah, Retired Head of the Department of English
and a teacher of the Suffragan Metropolitan when he was a
student at his Alma Mater, Mar Thoma College, Tiruvalla.
The book challenges us to know about the pitfalls of the new
normal that the world wants us to get used to. It draws our
attention to the areas in the ecclesial ministry, which needs to
be strengthened in the new scenario. Can missional challenges
be faced in any way better in the new normal than what used to
be when things were normal? The post Covid situation and the
disruption of the “old normal” way of life are well reflected
through the various essays. Certainly the book reveals the
academic awareness and commitment to mission of the author
and the church he represents in the present scenario – the new
normal. The book enlightens us regarding the changes that
happen every day and tries to portray how the Kingdom of God
envisaged by Jesus Christ could be realized. The need for
reformation in the church and the pastoral ministry are
emphasized. A disciplined sacramental living in this world draws
special attention.
Ample attention is given to the changes needed for it in the
praxis of the ecclesia, and not merely in its liturgy or theology. In
his Acknowledgement the Suffragan Metropolitan Mar
Theodosius points out that it was the Metropolitan Dr. Joseph
Mar Thoma who suggested to him to publish a book while he
has to go through the process of quarantine for a period of
almost a month.
Openness, lucidity and straightforward utterance mark the style
of the book. There is no doubt that the book will provide food
for thought for all the readers in this new normal. Let me
conclude with my sincere appreciation to the author for this
excellent work and offer best wishes and prayer for his future
ministry in the elevated position as the Suffragan Metropolitan
of the Church.
Review By Revd Dr. Abraham Philip
Parolil, 27 B, CTC
Manganam, Kottayam 686018
OBITUARY- A MAN CLAD IN FIRE
Celebrating Swami Agnivesh
Revd Dr. Valson Thampu, Trivandrum
The last time I heard from Swami Agnivesh was a week ago.
He was in hospital, sinking. In the few moments of lucidity he
gained, he had his assistant connect him to me. “I had a
great vision early this morning,” he said in words barely
coherent. I was eager to know. I have been in continual
contact with him ever since he was admitted to ILBS
hospital in New Delhi two months ago. Deep inside of me,
the process of disconnecting with this great soul had begun
by the time he called me this time; a pattern I had
experienced with every person I loved on the eve of his or
her death. He was as eager to tell me- “I saw a hundred and
forty million people standing together, united,” he struggled
to say as his voice rose and fell in cadences of eagerness
and breathlessness. “They were saying they would not take
it anymore. They will resist.” What it was that they would
resist, he didn’t say. His voice failed him altogether. His
assistant took the phone and informed me that Swamiji
could talk no more.
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I did not feel emotionally overwhelmed that one of the
liveliest of men I have encountered in my lifetime was
sinking. Instead, I felt grateful that on the very day he was
hospitalized for a prospective liver transplant, he called me
and said, “Valsonji, can we publish a book capturing the
essence of our many discussions on the meaning of
spirituality and the futility of religion?” Before I could say
‘yes’ or ‘no’, he said emphatically, “Religion has become a
pestilence. It needs to be eradicated for the sake of
humanity.” I agreed to undertake the task to which he had
been orienting me for long. It struck me as his last wish,
though his state of health was not a cause of great concern
then. I embarked on the task right away, being keen that it
be published in his lifetime. I sent each completed chapter to
him. Swamiji read it and got back to me with his concerns
and comments. The last chapter of the book was finished a
week before Swamiji’s health took a turn decisively for the
worse. Now, in retrospect, it strikes me as particularly
significant that the last word I heard from him was ‘resist’.
And the last request he made to me was to write a book – as
his will and testament- that exhorts humanity to outgrow
subhuman religiosity. He wanted the book to be titled,
“Brethren of the Eternal Spirit, Unite!”
Once, in the course of our discussions on religion, I alluded
to the anomaly, given the radical nature of his views, of his
being a saffron-sporting swami. “I am not in saffron,” he
corrected me, “I am clad in fire. I am Agni.” I thought at once
of Prometheus, the mythological hero of proto-European
spirituality, who ‘stole’ fire from the gods and imparted it to
humankind. He inaugurated civilization, incurring
unspeakable agony. Prometheus’ rebellion was not so much
against the idea of God, as against the idea of hierarchy in
religion. Religious hierarchy of every kind thrives by
alienating people from the fire within them. As a result,
religion anchors humankind in existential darkness.
Hierarchy is the poison to spirituality; whereas it is the
backbone of religion. Prometheus’ heroic ‘theft’ addresses
this seminal anomaly. Because Prometheus stole fire from
the gods in pre-history, a Swami Agnivesh was able to wear
it about him in history. Humankind shares the same destiny.
What’s cooked varies; but fire is the same universally.
Fire explains the essence of this great man, dying all alone,
forgotten and unsung in a hospital ICU. He had been
murderously attacked a couple of years ago at Pakhur,
Jharkhand; an outrage from which he never recovered. He
was attacked, a month later, in New Delhi. The
circumstances are irrelevant from a cosmic viewpoint. What
is important is that Prometheus-like, Agnivesh too needed to
be tormented, if only to authenticate the eternal pattern.
Metaphoric vultures preyed on his liver for the rest of his life.
It failed. He was to undergo a liver transplant; but destiny
willed otherwise. His time had come.
To me, Swamiji was a child. It is an aspect of his personality
that few know. He came to his true, playful self when he was
NATURE: A MIRACLE
Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph, Kottayam
with children. The poor, for him, was children of sorts. They
were God’s children. So, spirituality made sense to him only Look at the tiny ant on your shelf,
as social spirituality: the relentless struggle for securing a It is a miracle
modicum of justice to the harijan -children of God. Yes, he It can climb any dizzy heights!
was brave, as very few were; but his bravery was the bravery
of children. He was brave, because he knew no danger; as I am indeed surprised by joy
children too don’t. This made the first multi-religious when the entomologists say:
pilgrimage in the history of India possible. When, in 1999, the “An ant can lift up to 50 times more than its weight!
Australian missionary Graham Steins and his two sons were It is indeed remarkable.”
burned alive in Manoharpur, Odisha, and his bereaved wife, I am indeed surprised
Gladys Steins, captured the conscience of India by forgiving When Solomon, praises ants:
the assassins, I suggested to Swamiji that we visit the site of
the tragedy. He turned that tiny idea into a massive event; “O you lazybones, go to an ant
and the first multi-religious pilgrimage was born. A group of Consider its ways, and be wise.
55 leaders from diverse religions visited, first, the Without having any chief or officer or ruler,
leprosarium in Balasaur and, thereafter, the church in It prepares its food in summer,
And gathers its sustenance in harvest.
Manoharpur where, in the two jeeps the missionary and his
How long will you lie there?
sons had slept, they were burned alive at night. We held a
O lazybones?
meeting in the church. Swamiji spoke. By the time he
When will you rise from your sleep?”
finished, there wasn’t an eye that was not wet with tears. He
spoke like a child; and the children in us responded in the I am indeed surprised by joy
spontaneity of our emotions. We wept together over what When the botanists say:
humanity had come to. By the time we emerged from the “The wild fig tree has roots more than 100 meters long”
church, a crowd of Santhals had gathered outside. “Our It is unbelievable!”
father is no more,” they said. They sang for us the songs that
Graham had composed in Santhali, set to music, and taught I am indeed surprised by joy
them. They sang zestfully, as if to assert their spirit over a When I am told:
tragedy that was too vast for them to understand. “Pre-historic dragon flies were as big as pigeons”
It is indeed unimaginable...”
What is it that makes a man renounce all he has, and
become one with the poor and the downtrodden? Why bear I am indeed surprised by joy
the cross of calumny, personal loss and hardships, when a When I am told:
contrary option is readily available? Swamiji had climbed the “Ants give a warning to the symptoms of diabetes!
political ladder. He was the minister of education in Haryana; It is indeed remarkable!”
but lasted only six months in that capacity. He ceased to be
I am indeed surprised by joy
a matri and became a missionary. He was instrumental in
When I am told:
releasing and rehabilitating over two hundred thousand
“A certain species of night- flies
bonded labourers. The quarries and brick kilns became his Can detect sugar content even in a large quantity of water.”
temples of worship; wiping the tears of the oppressed, his It is indeed a miracle!
pooja; and speaking truth to power, his Githa-paraayan.
Nature is the greatest miracle.
If the impact a man has on others is the yardstick of his The ant is a miracle.
greatness, I bear witness today: here was truly a great soul. I The fig tree is a miracle.
changed inside out under his influence. His greatness was mired The night fly is a miracle.
in the grime of the world with which he did battle till the end.
You don’t take on systems and men of might, and remain A bee is a miracle.
unsullied or intact. Bearing witness to the truth, history tells us, A butterfly is a miracle.
is a lonely journey that winds its stony way up the mountainside. A spider is a miracle.
What awaits at the mountaintop is martyrdom. Swami Agnivesh A planet is a miracle.
may have died in a hospital bed, but he is a martyr. And like a
martyr, he held his spirit unbroken till the last. He died with a I am indeed a miracle.
vision of people becoming one in resistance. Goethe’s last word My birth is a miracle.
was light. “A little more light!” he muttered feebly, as he My death would be a miracle too.
breathed his last. Swami Agnivesh was not a star of My life after death is a greater miracle!
enlightenment. He was agni, fire. Appropriately, his last word Each moment in my life is a miracle.
was “resist”. In that word is captured, the essence of a life lived Wonder, praise and gratitude.
in fierce and unapologetic resistance. There are times in history
when the courage to resist becomes the essence of “O Lord, how manifold is your works.
philanthropy. Swami Agnivesh was destined to live in such a In wisdom you have made them all” (Ps 104:24).
time. He lived it well.
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The Next Great Global Event in POST COVID – 19
A Biblical Perspective
Revd Dr. Martin Alphonse, Portland
Introduction:
It has been six devastating months since the whole world
got locked down by the COVID-19 pandemic. While we
thank God for the current gradual decline of its impact
that has ushered in a bit of sigh of relief, no one is exactly
sure as to when exactly will the ultimate “Post-COVID-19”
era completely free of the pandemic will begin. The world
is longing for the day to cry out in the historic words of
Dr. Martin Luther king Jr.: “Free at last! Free at last! Thank
God Almighty we are Free at last!” Experts in the field
anywhere from the World Health Organization to the local
national governments differ in their opinions and
estimates on an exact time frame of the possible demise
of the pandemic. It is contingent upon the discovery of
the magic vaccine. Some say it could happen by the end
of the year and so 2021 will be a fresh, secure, rest-
assured Post-COVID-19 New Year! Others are not so
optimistic. They say it could linger on for another year or
it may take even up to five years to vaccine every person
in the whole world! Hence, they say we must accept the
New Normal and learn to live with it! We are told that life
will never be the same again. They say we can never
return to the old normal we were so used to enjoy in every
sphere of human activity especially the social and the
religious, although the economy may somewhat bounce
back.
A Biblical - Faith Perspective
While the secular and scientific world is busy speculating
on its theories and earnestly searching for a global
medical solution, Christendom is busy raising questions
on the connection between COVID-19 and the fulfillment
of prophecies pertaining to the End Times. Could COVID-
19 be a forerunner in the fulfillment of a series of End
Time Prophecies? A lot of Christians seem to strongly
believe it is a sign. Others seem to dismiss it. Those who
are in the middle seem to be totally confused. Hence, at
this juncture it is good for us to give serious thought to
COVID-19 being a possible sign and that of the Second
Coming of Christ as the Next Great Global Event.
However, as we do so, I also would like to be cautious in
approaching this enquiry as wisely warned by C. S.
Lewis, a great global Christian thinker of the 20th century
when he said in relation to Christian belief in Demonology:
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our
race can fall about the devils. One is their disbelief in their
existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an
excessive and unhealthy interest in them” (In ‘The
Screwtape Letters’ 1942).
As such we should neither totally dismiss the possibility
of COVID-19 being a forerunner of the series of End Time
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Prophecies, nor should we be obsessed with it by paying
attention to nothing else all around us. A balanced biblical
view of the Post Pandemic era urges us to ask the
question: “What if COVID-19 is a forerunner of the series
of End Time Prophecies?” If it is, then what is the next
great global event for which we should prepare
ourselves?
End Times as the Possible Next Great Global Event
Post COVID-19
All the three Synoptic Gospels (synoptic means having a
common view or perspective) describe in detail the signs
of the End Times, namely Matthew 24:1-51, Mark 13:1-37
and Luke 21:3-36. Apostle John took a different
perspective in writing to his Greek readers. In two of the
three synoptic narratives, the Lord Jesus Christ pointed
to the outbreak of “pestilences in various places”
(Matthew 24:7 KJV; Luke 21:11 NIV) along with famines,
earthquakes etc., as a forerunner of the End Time or as
the “beginning of labor pain”. Lest anyone wonders why
Evangelist Mark did not mention it, a reasonable
explanation for it is that Mark was the first one to write
the gospel in 55 AD, followed by Luke in between 59 to
63 Ad, and Matthew in 70 AD. Hence, Matthew and Luke
were able to gather more materials on several things than
Mark. That explains why their gospels are lengthier than
Mark’s.
Pestilence is an endemic, which is a localized plague that
affects a few groups of people, communities or countries.
It is much less in its severity and damage to life in
comparison to what a huge fatality rates a pandemic
which is much greater in its magnitude and intensity
could cause humankind at a global level. Hence, the
question arises if COVID-19 is a forerunner of the series
of End Time Prophecies that the Lord spoke about? If it
is, then can we afford to ignore it?
When the Lord said, “... there shall be famines, and
pestilences, and earthquakes, in various places”, did He
mean that they shall occur simultaneously or
sequentially? We are not sure of that. However, we do
know that the fourth quarter of the 20th century and now
the 21st century has been witnessing recurring tragedies
of famines in different parts of the world especially in the
great continent of Africa and several parts of Asia, not to
mention floods and Tsunamis. There has been a constant
increase in the frequency of earthquakes in various
places, which by and large have not been noticed by a lot
of people unless they strike with a devastating intensity.
And of course, for decades in a row we have been living
in a world full of “wars and rumors of wars”.
As such, we should not take COVID-19 singularly as “the”
forerunner of the fulfillment of End Time Prophecy but
take it in combination with the other related prophecies.
Perhaps, the most prominent among them is the current
political development in Israel.
Current Political Development in the Middle East as a
Positive Sign of the End Times
The current political development in Israel in conjunction
with the End Time Prophecy is a huge subject. The scope
of this article doesn’t permit me to delve into it. Let me
point out to just one most significant development and its
relevance for our observation here. As a sure sign of the
End Time and His Second Coming, in Matthew 24:15-16
the Lord said: “So when you see standing in the holy
place ‘the abomination that causes desolation’, spoken of
through the prophet Daniel- let the reader understand -
then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains”.
The reference here ‘the abomination that causes
desolation’, is to the audacious sacrilegious action of the
Anti-Christ who according to Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and
12:11 will set up his own statue in the Temple of
Jerusalem (Holy Place), declare himself as God and order
the whole world to worship him. This prophecy by Daniel
was also emphasized by Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians
2:3-4 as a sure sign of the End Time.
The crux of the prophecy here is, first there should the
temple or the holy place for this prophecy to be fulfilled
because as foretold by the Lord in Matthew 24:2, Mark
13:2 and Luke 21:6 the Temple of Jerusalem was totally
destroyed by the Roman Army in 70 AD and was reduced
to Ground Zero. It has remained that way for 1950 years
until today. In what is being called the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem where the Temple stood magnificently 1950
years ago, there are now only two Islamic holy buildings,
namely the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of Rock.
Hence, unless the Third Temple is rebuilt on the vacant
Ground Zero first, this prophecy of Daniel, which was
strongly endorsed by the Lord and by the Apostle Paul
cannot be fulfilled. The important question is, given the
centuries of continuing enmity between the Jewish and
the Muslim communities, and especially the number of
intense fights between the Arab/Palestinian Muslims and
the Jews since the rebirth of the nation of Israel on May
14, 1948 and the escalation of fights between them
almost on a daily basis, is the building of the Third
Temple on the site even possible? The current positive
Political Developments in the Middle East seem to
suggest that it could be a fast approaching possibility.
If the Arab Muslim Nations and the Nation of Israel can
come to a peace treaty with each other, then there is a
strong possibility for the reconstruction of the Third
Temple. Two major Islamic nations immediately
surrounding Israel, namely Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in
1994 have signed a peace treaty with Israel. On August
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13, 2020 the United Arab Emirates declared its decision
to sign the Abraham Accord with Israel. Now Bahrain has
also joined the peace accord. Both these Islamic nations
are expected to sign the peace accord with Israel in the
White House on September 15, 2020. There is a political
speculation and expectation that Saudi Arabia, the most
important Arab Muslim nation is likely to sign a peace
accord with Israel soon. If Saudi Arabia does so, then it is
most likely for smaller Arab Nations in the region are likely
to follow suit. With this kind of rapid development in the
peace process, the rebuilding of the Third Temple seems
a fast approaching possibility. According to Daniel’s
prophecy, the countdown of the End Time will begin with
the construction of the Third Temple. It is just a matter of
time, but no one knows exactly when it will be.
Should we be Alarmed?
No true Christian should be terrified by the turn of these
events. On the one hand, if it will happen soon in our own
generation, can anyone stop it? So, let it be as the song
goes “que sera sera – whatever will be will be”. On the
other hand, aren’t the End Time and the Second Coming
of Christ an integral part of the Confession of Christian
Faith that we have been declaring Sunday after Sunday in
the Holy Qurbana of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church when
we affirm: “His crucifixion we commemorate, His
resurrection we celebrate, His Second Coming we await!”
Recently I had the privilege to preach in the Revival
Meetings of the St. John’s Mar Thoma Church, London,
UK. I noticed that in the Order of the Divine Service, we
repeatedly and emphatically express our earnest hope in
and our eager expectation of the Second Coming of
Christ. For example,
- KAUMA: “Blessed is He that has come and is to come
again in the name of the Lord. Hosannas in the
highest”.
- Second Sunday SEDRA: “Make us worthy to meet you
joyfully at your Second Coming”.
- Second Part of Prayer: “Make us worthy at your coming
again”.
- NICENE CREED: “He will come again with glory to
judge both the living and the dead ...
- In the congregational response in the LITANY:
“Remember us O Christ when you come”. (Four times).
It is possible that the Grand Finale of the End Times
climaxed by the Second Coming of Christ which the
founding fathers of the Church had eagerly looked
forward to in their lifetime could be actually fulfilled in our
own generation.
As such, could COVID-19 be a forerunner of the series of
End Time Prophecies? What if it is? Then, we could possibly
be living now in a time of the great hope to which we have
been called. If it is not, then let us continue to live our life of
Christian Faith in love, peace and justice, and faithfully carry
out our God given responsibilities by being true witnesses of
Christ’s redemptive love on the cross to the world until His
Second Coming whenever that might We know that one day
the Lord will come again!
Congratulations to Mr. John OBITUARY
George Chirapurath – Dr. Abraham C. Thomas, Tampa, Florida
Microsoft Vice President
Dr. Abraham C. Thomas,
It is indeed a (Babychaan), Karackattu
great pleasure Chruvazhakunnel House,
and privilege Mannamaruthy, Ranny,
for FOCUS to member of St. Mark’s Mar
congratulate Thoma Church, Tampa,
Mr. John Florida and founder of
George Karnataka Navajeevvana
Chirapurath on Samithi (KNS Mission) was
his prestigious called to eternity. Prior to
appointment as settling down for his
one of the Vice retirement life in U. S. A., he
Presidents of has donated the entire
the Microsoft property, buildings belonging to KNS Mission to Chennai
Corporation. – Bangalore Diocese of the Mar Thoma Church. He also
We also thank served as Sabha Council member of Mar Thoma Church
God for the and also received the Manava Seva award from Mar
dedication and service of his family for generations for Thoma Church for his services to the community.
God’s mission and establishing God’s kingdom values.
He was married to late Grace M. Thomas, Mannakunnil,
He hails from Kottayam, Kerala, India. He belongs to the Kottayam. He is survived by children, Abe C. Thomas and
ancient Chirapurathu family. His grandfather was late Thomas Karakad, and grandchildren Valeska Grace
Revd C. V. John of the Mar Thoma church who Thomas, Abey Emilio Thomas, Nathan Abraham Karakad,
contributed much to the life and growth of the Church in Rebecca Grace Karakad. He was 93 years old.
the 20th Century. As the Principal of the Mar Thoma
theological Seminary, he upgraded the Seminary to
Provide BD and postgraduate degrees; He contributed
Rtd. Judge O. N. Ninan, Thiruvalla
much to the theological education in India. Mr. John
Retired Judge, O. N. Ninan
George’s father, late George John (Georgie) and his
(93) of Ooraipadikal family,
mother, Grace, were loyal members of the Mar Thoma
Thiruvalla was called to
Church and builders of the Mar Thoma parishes in Kuwait
eternity. He was the son of
and Bahrain. Georgie was a Sabha Council member and
famous late Advocate O. C.
represented the Mar Thoma Church in the Eighth
Ninan, who was the legal
Assembly of the WCC in Harare in 1998. Georgie was
advisor to Mar Thoma
also a founding member of the FOCUS Movement and
Church, late Alexander Mar
gave leadership for the seminars at Santhigri from 1999 to
Thoma Metropolitan,
2003. For these and many other reasons, it is right to
Chrysostom Mar Thoma
congratulate Mr. John George for following the footsteps
Valiya Metropolitan, Most
his ancestors in having exemplary qualities, which the
Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma
business community also appreciates.
Metropolitan, who was also
Prior to this appointment, Mr. John George had a long member of the Kerala Legislative Assmelby from
distinguished career record in software companies in the Kallooppara constituency in 1955. His father also served
USA and occupied senior management positions in the as the lay trustee of Mar Thoma Church for several years.
Microsoft Corporation and other software companies. He
is settled in Seattle in Washington State. He is married Judge Ninan is survived by his wife Nalini,
with Jessica and has two children George and Sara. He Panampunnayil, Kottayam and children Suresh Ninan
believes that a person should be humble and work hard (Senior General Manger, Malayala Manorama Publication
to succeed; he has super work ethics. We wish him well Division), Justice Satish Ninan, (High Court of Kerala,
in this new assignment and may God continue to bless Ernakulam) and daughter in laws Meenu, Vadakedathu,
him and his family. Kallely, Elizabeth, Valiyaveettil, Thiruvalla. Funeral was
held at St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church (SC Church),
FOCUS EDITORIAL BOARD Thiruvalla on Sep. 24, 2020.
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