People outside the church doors

Recently I had the occasion to attend a Christian wedding involving a convert family, some one who had come to know the Lord from another faith. Like most people, they chose to have the celebration in a church. In a way perhaps that was unfortunate. The church was less than half full as the convert family perhaps did not have too many people who would have felt comfortable in a church setting or perhaps had not even given their consent. As for the church, it was as bland as a bald man's pate and perhaps even on a routine Sunday, the church looked more alive, there being hardly available to decorate. One of the parties in the wedding was from a Christian home but his parents lived far away and for some reason, they too could not come. A priest with a vacant look intoned the vows and another gentleman got up and gave a canned sermon. At the time of the signing of the registers, there was a scramble to see who all were there in the congregation from whom witnesses could be found. The bridesmaid, the best man and all the accessories were provided by one party to the best of their ability. At the end of the ceremony refreshments were served out of the back of an ancient van.

I was reminded of own wedding. Knowing that I had no one to handle all the elaborate paraphernalia of a “Christian wedding”, I proposed dispensing with a church wedding and having a court ceremony under the Special Marriage Act of 1956. Later we could have a pastor stand us up in the Sunday service and pray for us. The Special Marriage Act incidentally is far more progressive and gender sensitive than the archaic Christian Marriage Act under which practically all church marriages happen. Over the years , I have also seen that marriages conducted with pomp in the church can fail, as can secular marriages and again both kinds of marriages can succeed and b a blessing. God is not any more or less present in a church than in a court room.

In the case of own marriage, I lost the battle to keep life simple, inexpensive and uncluttered. But fortunately I had a huge number of friends who turned up out of the woodwork and came forward to offer every kind of and help and I will always be grateful to them for what they did and ensure that the wedding ceremony was not bereft of a soul. Since then , I have usually kept my counsel on this matter , but after attending the wedding that I did , I realized afresh as to how traumatizing and complicated it is for converts with little or no support to put on and go through the trappings of a lifeless ceremony because that is the only model on offer.

Looking at the number of ministries that exist solely to save 'lost souls' and even otherwise, I would presume that the man outside the church walls is our primary customer. And yet, like the people whom the Jews sought to convert by crossing the seas and having converted him or her made life infinitely more difficult by their petty laws, we too have not made much progress. A big chunk of our “spiritual” activities is about witnessing to others and how to go about it, but our customer service is glitzy as long as the target is a prospective customer – jazzy camps, snazzy tracts and all that but once on the inside – the customer service turns sour-- dry doctrines and preaching, pious platitudes and advice but no organized effort really to lend a helping hand, except of course the few good men ----- and women that God in His grace brings.

There are many areas in which we can move to make life easier for those to whom we witnessed and who because the Holy Spirit then worked, accepted Jesus and chose to walk with Him believing that Christian Fellowship was for real and believing that left behind their families and the shelter and fellowship they offered. We cannot make Christian life easy, because in a fallen world, there will be always pain, tears and heartache but we can make it easier certainly. The elaborate rites of passage that we have – Baptisms , weddings, funerals --- all with their jaw clenching , socially draining , expensive and cumbersome rituals – are they really necessary the way we conduct them? Can we simplify life, just a little bit for the man and woman still outside the church door, so that they feel that they can breathe and thrive in Christ without the burden of history and tradition stifling them to death?

The Church as Peacemaker

It is Christmas time, a time for which some of us wait the year round – an occasion to hum those hauntingly memorable carols, buy new clothes and presents and get ready in many other ways to rejoice in the birth of our Savior Lord Jesus, the Prince of Peace. In his first coming, he came to leave his peace with all those who acknowledged Him as their Lord and Savior through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. The seeds of a Kingdom to come were sown – A kingdom that will come to completion at His second coming.

The means that he left behind to spread His gospel on earth and to offer a sample of the kingdom to come in the end days is the church. The church on earth is an ambassador of the prince of peace in thought, word and deed and in the words of St. Francis of Assisi, we are asked individually and corporately to be channels and instruments of his peace- not just peace in our hearts and souls in the sense of having received personal salvation but also peace in our nation, society and world. The picture of the kingdom as a time when God will one day wipe away every tear from every eye and swords will be melted into ploughshares means just that – a time when weapons will be out of date in an environment of amity and harmony.

Examining the church’s past history in acting as an instrument of peace is informative because it might provide us with a road map for peace initiatives in the future. The need for the church to be involved in such initiatives is no lesser today than it was in the past. In taking part of the peace initiatives, the involvement of the church in the North East deserves some recognition and study.

The north east of India has a chequered political history. For instance, the Nags had declared their independence from British rule on the 14th of August 1947, a day before the birth of independent India. In fact in 1947, Mahatma Gandhi had told a delegation of Naga leaders, that Nagas have every right to be independent.” But after Gandhiji was assassinated, his promises die ended with him as the new Indian government decline to accept Naga hope for independence. Naga protests and resistance to the incorporation of their land into the Indian union began to steadily grow.

Then in 1955 the Indian army occupied the Naga areas and martial law was declared. Violence quickly escalated. In the 1960s and 1970s, Baptist Church leaders initiated efforts to halt the violence. Eventually the Shillong Accord was signed in 1975 as a result of these efforts, Although the peace agreement was flawed as Key Naga resistance leaders were left out of the process, the accord agreed to incorporation into the Indian union and although not every one was satisfied and happy with the happy with the arrangement and the Naga underground split after the agreement, it did bring down the level of violence and allow some manner of governance and development to occur in the state.

In many instances, the church though powerful was still a distant second in commanding loyalties compared to tribal and ethnic allegiance. Christianity after all is only 125 years old in Nagaland but tribal and linguistic identities go back centuries. It is commendable that in spite of its many limitations, the church tried to be a moderating influence in a spiral of terrorism which might have otherwise completely spun out of control.

The story has been more successful in Mizoram. In 1958, a proliferation of rats attacked the rice crop, bringing famine to the Mizo hills. That became the catalyst for an uprising against the insensitive bureaucracy in Assam. An organization, known as the Mizo Cultural Front, metamorphosed into the Mizo National Famine Front. In 1961, under the leadership of Laldenga, the Front morphed into a military outfit called the Mizo National Front (MNF). The different denominational churches in Mizoram, under the initiative of the major Churches such as the Presbyterian and the Baptist, came together by forming committees, in order to work together toward conflict resolution and peace building. Eventually, the church was actually successful in bringing Mizo National Front to the negotiating table and getting them to sign a Mizo accord which has largely lasted to this day Mizoram has now become one of the most peaceful and fast developing states in Northeast India.

Today the challenge before the church is to attempt to bring peace in settings where the threat is terrorism in its various forms and the church is not necessarily as powerful or as influential as in the examples cited above. But the church can still be a peace making voice. It can tell the world that terrorism is not spread only by the poverty of money as is often thought but that it becomes viral when there is a poverty of dignity. Humiliation is the most underestimated force in international relations and in human relations. It is when people or nations are humiliated that they really lash out and engage in extreme violence. In such settings, the church is called to bring the message of peace and the greatest peace maker of all.

Happy are the peacemakers, says Jesus. Those who know that peacemaking is hard but that the ball is always in our court and it are more important even than worship. Happy, says Jesus, are the peacemakers. Those who know that conflict is inevitable, who know we can never escape it, not that we want to create it but who are willing to take a step into it where ever necessary to bring about God’s peace. Not to run away. Not to perpetuate conflict. But to be a peacemaker.

Christians –Chasing Elitism or Excellence ?

Recently St. Stephen’s college in Delhi held a debate to argue whether the institution is a centre of excellence or a centre of elitism. The two opposing sides were represented by a faculty member, a student and distinguished alumni. After all the arguments were finished, the college debating society decided that the institution was indeed elitist, presumably on the strength of the arguments presented.

Since then I have been confused - I know that elitism and excellence are not the same but are they similar? is excellence is usually to be found in places where the elite gather and are only the elite capable of excellence and the rest of us are mediocre fluff that can stay or go away without society being unduly bothered. And then, is being elitist a proud of badge of honor. I remember the former president of the Delhi Gymkhana Club in a recent conversation with the Indian Express proudly defended his club being elitist and a watering hole for a highly selected group of people.

But for a moment, leave alone the Gymkhana Club though I suspect that women might have a bone to pick- for in its exclusive class of the elect, it excludes the married woman from applying from membership. Its web site clearly specifies that only single women and widows are eligible to apply which means that any widow choosing to apply needs to presumably keep her husband’s death certificate handy to attach with the application form.

Coming back to St. Stephen’s College and other such oasis of excellence, I think I am a stakeholder in whether this institution and others like this ought to be majoring on elitism or excellence and if excellence is only the domain of the rich and the powerful which basically constitute the elite. The reason I am a stakeholder is that colleges and institutions like these are substantially subsidized by the tax payer, a large number of whom are not going to darken the doors of any college – elite or mundane. But considering that St. Stephen’s College is a Christian institution, there is another question to ask. And that is the biblical stand on excellence and elitism. What do the scriptures have to say about excellence? The Book of Philippians Chapter 4 says this:

“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

The Bible tells us, exhorts us to pursue excellence. To be fit for the 21st Century we need to pay attention to the quality of what we do. The Church of Jesus Christ is not the place for the left-overs. It's not the place to do the minimum required or what we can get by with. It is surely not the place for mediocrity. From the ancient days of Israel comes our lesson – The Old Testament taught the people of God to bring their best. From the modern lessons of business comes the word: pay attention to quality. If we want to make disciples of Jesus and reach generations that have come to expect quality in return for their commitment of time and energy, then we need to listen

Paul calls us to focus on “any excellence” and “anything worthy of praise” (4:8). We cannot afford for the church, or theological education, or any of our lives to be an example of mediocrity masquerading as faithfulness. There is too much mediocrity, too much “playing church” and “feigning academic rigor” and “being nice” among Christians, rather than holding ourselves to standards of excellence and an ambition for the Gospel. The Gospel calls for excellence in our study, in our worship, in our service. But we are not called to “competitive excellence. But while the scriptures encourage us to always pursue the spirit of excellence; what does it have to say about promoting elitism?

In Matthew 15 , we read of a story where as soon as Jesus and his followers enter the district of Tyre and Sidon a woman immediately approaches them and cries out, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” Well, Jesus does not reply at all, and the disciples seem to sense from his silence that he is blowing her off. So, ramping up their excitement and nastiness, they call out, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” It's like the disciples are saying, “Hey, Enough enthusiasm! Can’t you tell Jesus doesn’t want to have anything to do with you and for that matter neither do we?”

The disciples are demonstrating their own sort of elitism. The 12 apostles here see themselves as the chosen few, the cream of the crop, the entitled elite, the devoted dozen, the Lord’s own Dream Team. They are without a doubt passionate about Jesus. However, apparently they don’t have much interest in sharing their teacher with those, who like this woman, they consider the unenlightened masses.

When Jesus makes the comment that his ministry is directed only to “the house of Israel,” the disciples, most likely feeling justified, must be thinking, “Exactly.” They are, after all, the insiders. They are a part of God’s chosen people—and, moreover, they’re disciples of the long anticipated Messiah, Jesus, who God has anointed to be King of the Jews. Who does this woman think she is accosting them of all people? Well, despite the fact that this woman is an outsider, she is compelled to come to Jesus and in the end she receives that which she seeks—her daughter’s healing.

Very often we christens come across like the first disciples, insiders who were certainly excited about their faith, but also cranky and basically uninterested in sharing their discoveries with the outsiders around them. It's important to be willing to bend and even break our patterns, and to learn from the culture around us and try shake of our elitism.

We can’t wish away the Doon Schools and the Scindia School and their modern day equivalents and perhaps they have the right to their place in the sun. But we are in worrying times if the Bible endorsed pursuit of excellence is perceived to be the same thing as the pursuit and preservation of an elitist class. The way I see it, excellence is inclusive – it is open to embrace any body; on the other hand, elitism is like a wall- it keeps people out of the charmed inner circle of things.

Wisdom and Age

When my seventy-seven year old mother met with an accident recently and fractured her hip, during one of her "dark nights of the soul", she expressed the view that people like her had already lived out their productive lives and had nothing more to contribute to society. She recalled that in the olden days, people would live a much shorter life span and did not usually have to contend with the specter of degenerative diseases that would render them increasingly frail and dependant on others. She also mentioned that once one got to that point, it was a frightening situation because while some people were lucky to be well taken care of, many others were treated callously as burdens to feed.

Since then I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be productive. If my mother in her late seventies worries about being productive, I need to worry too. Often as I buy and read business magazines at airports and railway stations, I note that one of the main features of today's knowledge based economy is that people who are needed are often those who are young and who bring with them the latest technologies and domain knowledge that are needed today. It is of course another matter that today's young people become tomorrow's middle aged and today's emerging platform is tomorrow's obsolesce. I noted though that in the manufacturing industry, experience was valued above youth perhaps because technology does not evolve as rapidly there as else where. The trick is in reinventing ourselves in every age, every decade, so that we remain forever productive.

But how to define productivity? Is it all about moving our hands and feet and being seen to be visibly agile and mobile? I think that is how youth defines it - speed is every thing and you ought always to be visible as doing some thing. Being productive is being active; no being productive is being pro active, being there before any one else has got there. Of course these attributes are important- doing the right thing at the right time at the right pace is the sina qua non of being strategic.

There is a trait, a quality that we use every day of our lives but it is one that is forever hiding itself in the shadows. It is called wisdom. Wisdom is never a part of the curriculum of any management school or institution but can only be learnt on the job as one goes through life in its many shades. And the longer one lives, the longer one in engaged with the world, the sharper its nuances as it is expressed out and lived out in life's diverse situations.

Some times, I feel that we haven't quite learnt to value and evaluate the weight of experience, wisdom and the value addition that it provides. And so our propensity often to sniff at the gifts they bring and the insights they offer as the obsolete thinking of outdated senile minds. Because their understanding and practice is often not expressed in the vocabulary and idiom of the here and now jargon, we often look upon their opinion and insight with a dismissive air.

In the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, old age is a blessing. To die “full of years” is the fondest wish of biblical characters. Zechariah 8:4-5 shares a vision of the new kingdom of God in which those of old age sit on the streets of the New Jerusalem. They carry canes, but the youthful children play around them. The elderly are respected members of this new society. Interestingly, in such prophetic passages the benefits of old age are never “explained;” they are “assumed.” The prophets share other such concerns for the elderly. Isaiah 46:4 reads, “To your old age I am the one who will look after you; to gray hair, I will carry you, I myself have created you and will lift you up; I myself will carry you and deliver you.

The most venerated role posited to the elderly can be found in the book of Proverbs. Old age and wisdom are synonymous. Proverbs 22:17-24:22 contains a vast collection of sayings that instruct the young to obey their elders and to always deal wisely with the elderly. Negatively the same assertion is made in Proverbs 30:17, where the young are scolded for their foolishness if they do not “heed the education of the elderly.

Similarly through out the Book of Proverbs we find that being wise is not about having knowledge per se but rather about an individual's response to that knowledge. And in his opening chapter Solomon tells us what a fitting response looks like: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline" (1:7). Wisdom is thus rooted in relationship; or, to turn a contemporary aphorism on its head, "It's not about what you know; it's about who you know." To be wise is first and foremost to surrender in awe before the God of the universe, our Creator and Redeemer. Furthermore, wisdom is personified—wisdom actually speaks—in Proverbs. Wisdom declares, "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech" (8:12, 13). Wisdom continues, "I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me" (v. 17).

Wisdom and its importance cannot be ever weighed on a scale. Its power is subtle and its influence nuanced. It cannot easily be captured on balance sheets, nor can its astuteness be easily encashed as dividends. Yet this is the one commodity that our senior citizens have in abundance and on tap and yet a resource we rarely remember to tap as we busy ourselves paying obeisance at the altar of youth. The spring fountains of youth are indeed enthralling but can they match the depth of eyes and ears that having seen off spring have witnessed, summer, autumn and now winter?