My Lord, My God, the words of Apostle Thomas, often become topic of sermon to emphasis personal relationship with Christ. But my question is, Could someone can call ‘MY’ Lord when he does not qualify himself to say the 1st word ‘OUR’ Father in the prayer which Jesus himself taught his disciples.
This thought of our father came to me, by some incidents I encountered in recent past. Sometimes back when I was on vacation to my native place, I happened to participate in a prayer meeting in which a lady was heard praying to frustrate the prayers of another prayer cell! This lady and her husband were doing wonderful job of saving souls, many Hindus in neighborhood are being saved in Jesus by their selfless work, much beyond what a local church could do. But she was thinking that the other prayer group was praying and working against them. I felt very strange at this prayer and immediately the thought came to me was the prayer Jesus taught his disciples which start with the word ‘OUR’.
After the meeting I asked how could we even think that they will pray against us when both, they and we, are praying to same God and we say OUR father and is it not silly and a sin to even think of such opposite prayers. Ever since this thought came to me, this word ‘Our’ has been an effective medicine, a strong force compelling me to reconcile with others when I developed conflicts with them and in erasing the feeling of hatred in heart.
This thought of our father came to me, by some incidents I encountered in recent past. Sometimes back when I was on vacation to my native place, I happened to participate in a prayer meeting in which a lady was heard praying to frustrate the prayers of another prayer cell! This lady and her husband were doing wonderful job of saving souls, many Hindus in neighborhood are being saved in Jesus by their selfless work, much beyond what a local church could do. But she was thinking that the other prayer group was praying and working against them. I felt very strange at this prayer and immediately the thought came to me was the prayer Jesus taught his disciples which start with the word ‘OUR’.
After the meeting I asked how could we even think that they will pray against us when both, they and we, are praying to same God and we say OUR father and is it not silly and a sin to even think of such opposite prayers. Ever since this thought came to me, this word ‘Our’ has been an effective medicine, a strong force compelling me to reconcile with others when I developed conflicts with them and in erasing the feeling of hatred in heart.
A Sunday school teacher in America chastened a kid in her class ( apparently all white kids) for putting a coin in mouth and said ‘’that is filthy’’ and the reason , ‘’may be a black man might have held that’’ and after this dehumanizing remark she followed , “ all right children, let’s sing “ Jesus loves the little children, ALL CHILDREN of the world ! ”
One Sabha snehi in an internet site representing Mmarthomite group was seen calling other group members who spoke against abolition of Kuwait marthoma church as ‘’ schedules casts!’’ In the same site, the same sabha lovers (as they claim) were found celebrating for many days the death and accident of another marthomite, reason the person named in accident had posted some comments against church leadership! Another staunch supporter of church leadership was seen expressing his wish to wash his feet in the blood of other marthomites who held a divergent view on some contentious church issue! Some of them advised Kuwait marthomites to go and commit suicide! Reason: they invited an Evangelical Church Bishop to speak on the occasion of Home Land Fellowship of Kuwait marthomites held in Kerala. Some of these cases may be phoo-phooed as utterances of some ignorant people or inadvertent slip of tongue but how do we justify the acts and well thought out plans and policies of the church leadership indulging in persecution of fellow Christians and members of the same church just because they disagreed to some illegitimate and unholy decisions of the leadership, as we see in below cases.
Methrapolitha cancelling permission to hold the Home Land Fellowship at SCS Compound(which was built with support of Kuwait marthomites also) . Also vetoing all achens and Bishop of church who had agreed to attend the meeting . Reason: Kuwait marthomites will also attend the meeting!
Marthoma Methrapolitha, Dioecism Bishop, Mar Paoulos and 2 achens of the 2 newly created nano churches in Kuwait and handful of the their supporters in Kuwait have made it their mission and motto to prevent any achen or evangelists from attending or preaching the word of god in the worship service of Kuwait marthoma Parishers, using all the weapons in their armory including, persuasion, misrepresentation of facts, coercion and threats. Is this their mission or is this is what is learnt in theology? A very senior Achen of another church who is currently an important functionary of an international christian organization, having witnessed this dirty game of the marthoma achens in Kuwait, lamented and asked ‘’ with what heart these achens serve holy communion to their folk ?”
How do we explain the existence of Dalith Church (s) in Marthoma Sahaba ?
If I remember correctly, our current Methrapolitha was holding a crucial position in Ecumenical Movement at International level. What is the meaning of ecumenism and preaching to the outside world when there is full of hatred, animosity, chaos and disarray within the family of the church? It is no wonder ecumenism is only in paper and limited to some superficial rituals.
If the rich and poor, bishops, achens and laity, Dalids(outcasts), Syrians and Romans , marthomites or Pentecostals or other endless segments that we create here, have only one heaven, one savior, all celebrate the same bread and blood, have same holy spirit , then such exclusions are subversive and contradicting to the gospel. This realization and comprehending the true meaning of ‘OUR’ father can bring about a sea change in our relationships and attitudes so that all faithful could stand together to pray OUR father in heaven. The word ‘MY’ spoken by Apostle can’t get predominance and primacy over the word ‘OUR’ taught by Lord Jesus Christ. No one is entitled to say ‘MY Lord’ if he refuses to accept the teaching of the Lord who taught that all his followers are brothers and sisters and have only ONE Father. Lord can’t belong to those who refuse his golden rule of love (Ref. Mathew chap23:8to12) Malachi chap2:10 which says ’’ Don’t you know that we all have one God as our Father? Didn’t the One God creates each of us?’’ To those who reject this truth of togetherness, saying of ‘My Lord’ and repeating every day in church and home ‘OUR father in heaven… ‘’ will be a vain exercise of tongue.
Sajan