"Lenten Lantern": 2nd Lenten Meditation in UTC on 10th March, 2015: 'EMIT FAITH, LIMIT CARBON'

Introduction: Welcome to the Lenten Lantern Session 2: Last week we have dealt with the theme “Lent to Love”. Today’s theme is “Emit Faith, Limit Carbon.” Since lent is associated with abstinence, self denial, we often ask: “What should I give up for lent? Chicken or Chocolate? I have asked a couple of my friends as to why they were fasting? The answer was the same: “to reduce my weight.” The focus is on self not on the Saviour’s Sacrifice. So for this week, I would like to change the question: “What should I take up this lent?” For some the answer might be the same, but for me, changing the question has shifted my perspective, as to how I observe lent. In this sermon, I would like to appeal to all of us to take up “Carbon fast” this week, so I shall be focusing my reflection on how to ‘emit faith, limit carbon.’

What is carbon fast for lent? Carbon fast is a challenge we need to take up to reduce the use of carbon based fuels, which contribute for climate change. Materials such as oil, gas and coal are considered to be fossil fuels, which are non-renewable. They not only pollute the air but also release/emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is called greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Most often when we talk about ‘climate change’, ‘global warming’, ‘carbon footprints’, we hardly do anything. But just by doing some simple things, we would be able to discover a renewed relationship with God, human beings and with the whole of Creation.

Light in the darkness of lent

Soon after my BD, I was posted in a village called Dudgaon, wherein there is no power supply for at least 8 hours during the day, throughout the year. In this particular village they had a very peculiar practice, which is called ‘Oru Chikati’ meaning ‘Village in darkness’. Every month, one night the village authorities used to observe ‘Oru Chikati’ wherein the whole village would be in darkness; I don’t know the reasons for this observance but certainly there is something we can learn from this practice.

There is a need to hear the voices of the indigenous people, dalits, tribals, adivasi and through them hear the voice of mother earth and all of God’s creation in our theology in order to go forward in a more Earth-centered way. Due to globalization and technological advancement, there has been an increasing alienation of human culture from the rest of Creation. We are becoming unmindful of the people living in darkness. But it is in darkness that we meet Jesus on the cross of Calvary. The last three hours of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, there was a preternatural darkness as documented by the Gospel writers Matthew, Mark and Luke and also confirmed by extra-biblical historians: Thallus, Phelgon, and Africanus. In the midst of such deep darkness, there was Jesus, the light of the world, suffering in solidarity with the marginalized and groaning creation. As we journey through this year’s lent, we need to realize that Jesus meets us in darkness and makes it possible to recognize him in each other and across space and time. In a season of the year, when the darkness of night falls early, often that recognition is a reminder that Jesus, the light of the world, illumines us in darkness. The hymn writer George Bernard in the hymn “On a Hill far away” puts it beautifully: “for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above, to bear it to dark Calvary.” We need to live in darkness if we want to live in solidarity with the people on the margins, the poor and the groaning creation.

On a lighter note, there is a romantic side to this slogan. (Sorry to talk about romance during lent). In fact, just like this ‘candle light service’, you can have ‘candle light dinner’ with your spouse/friend during this week/lent. You will not only save energy but also live more smartly. Practically, we need to switch off the lights when not required. The more we reduce our energy consumption, the more we can save and live more smartly.

Love your world for it is good.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu says, “Love the world just as much as God does...” As Christians the important aspect of our practical life is to love God and love our neighbours. Sallie Mc Fague, in her book “Super Natural Christians” states that we need to extend this love to the natural world. Because this idea of loving nature goes beyond stewardship of the natural world as a resource; we value something because of its usefulness but we need to value the earth not because of its usefulness but value as something that, in and of itself, is good. We need to echo the words of our Creator, “it is good”, not because of its usefulness but because ‘it is good.’ “God so loved the world” not because we are useful or significant. God loved us just as we are and gave Her only Son to die for us and for all the world. Let us therefore, love our world, the cosmos not because it is useful or resourceful but because it is good. During lent Jesus challenges us to love unconditionally and inspires us, as people of faith, to create a society where all can enjoy earth’s resources and also care for all creation.

Ignite your Creed, limit Carbon footprints

What does it mean to ignite our creed? “Creed’ from Latin ‘credo’ “I believe’, is a statement of beliefs which every Christian ought to be able to accept and be bound by, says Alister Mc Grath. Does our belief system accept earth spirituality as an important aspect of our creed? There is ecological bankruptcy in our spirituality. During this lent we need to enter into a spiritual discipline of fasting from carbon. We are invited to make ecological audit of our lives and see whether we are able to emit our faith and limit carbon footprints.

We need to begin to conserve fossil fuels by changing our lifestyle creed. For example, we can reduce our petrol consumption, avoid using plastic covers, because plastic does not break down easily and its use is also harmful because when it gets in contact with heat it produces chemicals which cause 52 types of cancer. All these are overtly spiritual in the more usual sense that people understand the word: meditation, prayer, self-reflection. The intention is to practically do certain simple things that make a difference in this world; and also empower to challenge ourselves to do more.

Most of the time, we are unmindful of what we are doing and the impact it has on the environment. Lent is the perfect time to think and take up a new practice and develop it into a new habit, which would benefit the earth. Therefore, this week let us take up Carbon fast as a spiritual discipline as it gives us the opportunity to live in closer harmony with God and with all of God’s creation. Jesus challenges us to live in the darkness of lent, to live in solidarity with the poor and groaning creation; love the earth for it is good; and ignite our creed and limit carbon footprints

Moses S. Bollam
MTh I

Be a Non-Conformist in the Process of Peace Building in Church and Society (John 14:27-31)

Seven years ago, while I was working in a village, I used to go for a walk every morning and evening beside the agricultural fields; it was the season for sugarcane crop. One fine morning, I saw that sugarcane was ready for harvest and everyone’s face was filled with happiness; that same day evening I noticed a huge fire in the sugarcane field. When I went near to that place, I saw the entire field was scorched and became black. I was so sad and annoyed about the fire in the field, but later I came to know that it was the usual process after harvesting sugarcane. Five days later, when I was walking beside that field, I saw one green sprout, a sapling, coming out from the scorched field. This gave me a sense of joy and happiness. I realized that the sprout symbolizes the hope which appears amidst pain, agony and gloomy situations.

For the last two months, we have been witnessing and hearing about many issues such as wars at Gaza, Iraq, Syria, communal violence and sexual violence in the state and the nation. We could notice how innocent people became the victims of war, violence and abuse. At the same time, the perpetrators are justified by some ideologies. Wars are justified in the name of national security, which is also based upon the ideology of survival of life, not fullness of life for all. Similarly, the global market regime has penetrated every corner of the world causing injustice, impoverishment of people and destruction of life on earth. These realities disturb the peace of the common people. Because of such situations the innocent victims lose their hope; everything seems dark and gloomy for them.

In such a time as this, how do we respond to these catastrophes as Christian ministers? We tend to limit our response to just prayers. We are reluctant to confront these issues in reality and act to bring hope and peace in the lives of the innocent victims. The question here is, why as Christians, should we confront these issues? The answer can be found in the Bible, our Holy Scripture. All through the Bible, the promise of hope and peace is reflected in various forms and is expected to be carried forward to the people, especially to those who lost their hope in life.

The read pericope, John 14:27-31, is considered as one of the units of the final discourse of Jesus (Jn.14-16). Jesus explains about his relationship with God and his disciples in V.28, gives the caution of the ruler of this world in V.30, and tells about the disciples’ future which will help them to stand firm in their call and commitment. Here, Jesus not only talks about the strife and adversity, but also speaks, with confidence and knowledge, about the events of the future. Jesus promises to his disciples, the gift of peace, that he experienced in his life which was filled with rejection, humiliation and opposition. The gift of peace is also extended to us through the reconciliation act, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ and thus drawing us near to God who is our peace (Jud.6:24). As Christians we are experiencing the reconciling act of God through Christ which gives peace and hope in our life. We are called and ought to be committed to build hope in the lives of innocent victims who are longing for peace in their struggles. We have the responsibility to share the blessings that we received from God.

In the following two points I wish to appropriate this to our contemporary situation:

Gift of Peace: A call for Building Peace in the World

The concept of peace is complex and difficult to define; scholars opine “when we search for peace we may not find it but only get a sense of peace”. So, building peace in the world is not a result oriented one, which will stop at a time of achieving it, but it is a continuous process; it needs lot of courage and strength. In Jn. 14:27, Jesus’ leaving peace and giving his peace to the disciples has a significant meaning in the process of building peace in this world. The next sentence is the climax of these two promises; that the peace which he offers is not like the peace this world offers. The worldly understanding of peace can be the absence of war or hostilities, but the peace which Jesus speaks about has nothing to do with such, but he promises his ever abiding presence with them even in the midst of their troubled heart and points them toward the life that they will lead after his hour. Jesus’ understanding of peace is based on the Hebrew word ‘shalom’ which means wholeness, completeness, health, security, sense of wellbeing, even blessing in the best sense which we see in the climax of the Aaronic Benediction in Num. 6:26. Shalom also includes everything given by God in all areas of life. The gift of peace also rests at the center of Israel’s eschatological hope which is mentioned in the prophetic books (Isa.9:6-7; 52:7; 57:19; Eze.37:26) and is now available in Jesus.

In the New Testament, the word εἰρήνη connotes wholeness and the sense of well-being, the source and giver of which is YHWH alone. But the basic meaning slightly differs from ‘Shalom’ especially through restoring relationships between God and humans and among humans, individually and corporately. The stressing of John’s Gospel on Christ’s gift of peace to his disciples and Christ’s missionary discourse, makes the point that his commissioned followers have to pass this gift of peace to others.

In this process one might have to face many difficulties, because of the prevalence of oppressive regimes that possess power and authority, both in church and in society which use varied strategies to silence the peacemakers by the acts of annihilation and some subtle methods. Being ministers in church and society, we are prone to this, sometimes we are expected or required to keep silent while the unjust acts shatter the peace of the marginalized and the innocent victims. In the words of the Brazilian Archbishop Dom Helder Camera – “when I feed the hungry,   they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a Communist.”

Bishop Duleep De Chickera, former Bishop of the Diocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka, says that historically oppressive regimes give birth to peacemakers who are faithful to their task. Jesus is the ideal example for this statement; Jesus, the messiah, was the hope, who was expected as a prince of peace in the time of exilic and post exilic period, when the oppressive regimes ruled over Israel and Judah as mentioned in the prophetic books. He lived in the time of Roman imperialism which also was an oppressive regime. Jesus came as a messiah, bringing peace to the humanity, especially to the oppressed, the suffering and the marginalized. He stood against the oppressive regime which exploited the poor and the needy.

We are also living in a different kind of imperialism and oppressive regime, called globalization, which pushes more people to the margins. There are innocent victims of war and disaster, hunger and poverty, political oppression and injustice, social violence and suppression, cultural desertification, communal riots in the name of religion and caste and the abuse of women and children. The charity the church does among the suffering and the innocent victims may not be enough. This situation challenges us to become peacemakers, to stand against the unjust dominant structures of the society and to bring about lasting peace. With the promise of Christ, we must find ways to achieve true peace, over against the global hegemonic military order and other sorts of violence in the society. When we start to work for building peace in the society, it automatically brings hope to the world. This is our divine responsibility which requires self-denial, towards servant leadership, in order to bring peace, justice and hope to the society.

Global Stewardship: A Counter Task to the Oppressive Regime

In Jn.14:31d, Jesus says to the disciples “Rise, let us be on our way.” This phrase is one of the most controversial among the fourth gospel scholarship because of the continuation of farewell discourse that continues till 17^th chapter. Scholars opine that 14:31 was the original conclusion to the discourse and chapters 15-17 are later additions. Hoskyns and Dodd also see in the words a pause in the discourse rather than a change of scene. But the author of John’s Gospel has his own standards and he arranges his work to produce effects in his own way.

However, departing is a marking stage in the teaching; Jesus invites his disciples to arise and act along with Him. Jesus is the ideal model for global stewardship and he was faithful in his calling, so he fulfills the task which is given by God. He traversed the structural boundaries whenever it was required and did not limit himself. And we are also expected to get ourselves out of our comfort zones and move to the places where people need voices for their basic rights in this world, as Jesus did in his days of ministry.

The prevailing oppressive system is the root cause for all the injustice and unjust wars in this world. The counter task to the oppressive regime is global stewardship. The community of dignity and justice requires a voluntary abandonment of power and privilege, towards servant leadership from within the people. Self-denial is one of the basic qualifications for serving the humanity, especially in peace making. One not only has to deny him/herself, but he/she has to bear the cross.

In the process of peace building, Jesus is our role model; he never was convinced of or confirmed himself with the unjust social and religious structures of his time. As Disciples of Christ we have to stand as non-conformists who, at any cost, do not compromise ourselves in the process of peace building. In John 20:19-23, we see the risen Jesus appearing to the disciples who were afraid of the consequences of being the disciples of Jesus. So they tried to find peace and protection within a locked room. But Jesus tells them "Peace be with you." Then he says to them, "As the father has sent me, even so I send you." That means peace is not something that we experience within a locked room, keeping away from the violent world; rather peace is that which happens in our journey into the violent world, risking our life.

If we confirm ourselves within our rigid boundaries we cannot reach the margins where the peace of God is very much needed. The assurance of peace given by Jesus is not meant for enjoying the peace within ourselves or within our community. It should be carried beyond our own comfort zones. In the present scenario of the world, once again we are reminded to move out of our comfort zones, to the places where people need our voices, the good news of new hope and peace. When we work towards building peace in chaotic situations and in the lives of the victims, and witness their wellbeing, we can also realize and experience the gift of peace in our life, which was assured by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen us and give us courage to be non- conformists in the process of peace building, to sprout up peace in the scorched gloomy lives of innocent victims.

C. P. Caroline

BD IV

 

Peter: a paradigm for public witness

Good morning friends. It is really a joy to share the word of God with you this morning. The text, which was read is a familiar text for all of us. After the ascension of Jesus Christ, the disciples did a lot of miracles in the name of Christ. Some of them are mentioned in the book of Acts. Luke carefully records this healing miracle performed by Peter in Acts chapter 3. To me, this text is a perfect paradigm for public witness in response to the needs of the people. This passage challenges us as pastors and theologians as to how we have to be aware of the present contextual problems of society and actively participate to resolve those problems. For this morning meditation, I would like to highlight three points from this text.

An Empathetic Look

To begin with, what we observe from Verse 4 is an empathetic look. Verse 4 says “Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, Look at us.” This crippled beggar was sitting at the beautiful gate of the temple and asked for alms to everyone entering the temple. Many of them would have passed through that way, but were deaf to the cry of this poor man. But, here are 2 disciples who took time to stand and look intently at this man and listen to his cry. They could have easily passed by the beggar, as they were busy with the affairs of the temple. They could have very much easily preferred not to be disturbed by a beggar but to be involved with their daily routine of the temple. But these disciples allowed them to be disturbed by the beggar delaying their schedule.

What about us as pastors and theologians? Are we comfortable in our undisturbed daily schedule of study, church and worship? Or, are we ready to welcome the poor, oppressed and marginalized who block our way and disturb us with their laments and cries? Why do we have to look and listen to them? Because, it is the very nature of our God, who has called us for ministry. If we look at Exodus 3:7 “then the Lord said, I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their task masters”. Again, Psalmist beautifully says in Pslam: 34 “This poor soul cried, and was heard, and was saved from every trouble”. Further, Jesus answered the cry of blind Bartimaeus who was sitting by the road side shouting, ‘Jesus son of David’ have mercy on me. Jesus listened to that cry in spite of the huge crowd. When we continue the ministry of Jesus, it is our responsibility to look and listen empathetically to the cries of people.

An Optimistic Thought

Secondly, we observe in verse 6 is an optimistic thought. Verse 6 says, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk”. What I mean by optimistic thought here is a positive attitude. A positive attitude to help others. Instead of worrying about what we do not have, we have to think what we have to help others. When we look at the incident of Jesus feeding 5000 people ,disciples were worried about what they do not have. But we see a boy who gave what he had in the form of 5 barley loaves and 2 fish which became instrumental in feeding the 5000.

We have a choice regarding our attitude. We decide our attitude. We cannot change our past, we cannot change the way people react to us. We cannot change anyone’s perspective about us but we can change our perspective if we change our attitude. But many times we try to change others and we try to correct the circumstances.The God whom we are serving expects us to have a positive attitude. Whenever God chose people for ministry, they were of pessimistic thinking, focusing only on their own weaknesses. But God expected from them a positive attitude or an optimistic thought. After the death of the Moses, God encouraged Joshua to be positive, to be filled with courage and strength and get ready for the challenges that would come his way as he leads God's people into the promise land. God admonishes Joshua at least four times to be strong and courageous. As pastors and theologians we need an optimistic attitude to help people in their challenges of life.

A Compassionate Act

Thirdly, the important quality which we observe from verse 7 is a compassionate act. Verse 7 says, “And he took him by the right hand and raised him up and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.” In this world, there are many, who are good in listening to the cries of people and they can even find resources to address the problem but everything is in vain if we fail to put it into action. All our theologies, sermons and ministry would be useless, if we fail to act with compassion. There are thousands in this world, who have lost hope and are crippled. They just need some encouraging word or our right hand to move forward in their life. Are we ready for a compassionate action in this needy world? 

Let me conclude with the challenging life of Father Damien who worked among the lepers. Fr. Damien was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium. After 16 years, after caring for the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of those in the leper colony, he eventually contracted leprosy and died. When we analyze his life he possessed the three important qualities which we meditated upon today. For such a time as this, we need an empathetic look, an optimistic thought and a compassionate action for Christian public witness. When Peter exercised these three qualities, people who witnessed were filled with wonder and amazement. 

May the God, who has called us for witness open our eyes and ears to see and hear the cry of the people, give us the positive attitude to help others and grant us the strength to get into compassionate action. Amen.

Jebin T., BD II