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Spirituality Binds
Jesus came into the world to save
mankind and rid them of the evil that was stalking them. It was never his
intention to proselytize or establish a religion or a cult. His teachings were simple and eloquent. Through
the Lord’s Prayer he taught people how to pray – a prayer, not a literary
masterpiece or not a rambling narration.
He fought against the injustice meted out to the indigent. He fought
against corruption in high places and especially corruption in the church. The
outcome was predictable. When their hegemony was under threat, the
inconvenienced crucified him. They thought that was the end of Jesus. However
God had other ideas.
Jesus had exhorted his followers to
propagate his vision to the entire world. Christianity as a religion came into
existence when the followers of Jesus Christ were identified as Christians. The
early Christians suffered at the hands of the Romans. Though the Roman
persecution was stringent, Jesus’ followers propagated the teachings of Jesus
branching out into the world. Christianity prospered amidst unimaginable
persecution. Today, Romans are nowhere. The Roman Empire that ruled the world
has been eclipsed. And now, Rome is the
capital of Christianity. Look how God acts.
India that is Bharat has a 5000 year
old civilization and tradition. Spirituality is at the core of the nation and spirituality
is the chord that holds the country of vast diversities together. Hindu
religion has survived here despite multiple onslaughts by invaders from all over
the world. They had enslaved the people. They had pilfered the riches of the
country, invasion after invasion. But India has survived. Hinduism has
survived. The Hindu religion is the world’s most tolerant religion. It
advocates inclusion.
Christianity arrived in India 2000
years ago. So did it in our part of the world too. If forcible conversion or proselytisation had
been the agenda Christians would have been numero uno in India. But they constitute
hardly two percent of the population. Yet Christianity has survived in India
solely due to the phenomenal tolerance of the Hindus.
Christians of our era have been handed
everything on a platter. Most of them enjoy a prosperity that is the envy of the
rest. They could say they had been immensely blessed by the Lord. But what has
it done to them? Except for the picture of Jesus Christ that invariably adorns
the walls of the Christian households, Christ has no place in the hearts of
quite a number of Christians. Jesus has become an ornament here. I had often wondered a long while back, wasn’t
it time the picture of the crucified Jesus in Christian homes had been
replaced by a Rupees One thousand bank note, that however is no longer in
existence now. Yes, money power has the
upside over faith today. If we mourn another religion reigns over vast tracts
of land parcels where Christianity had held sway, we don’t have to go far to
search for the causes. Corruption and money power that Jesus had fought against
have made their mark once again in the Christian Church. Our God does not like the
sheep straying from the chosen path. And
he punishes. How?
It was in 2011 a preacher, an
evangelist, from New Delhi had delivered messages in the convention held at
Christ Church, Trivandrum. He spoke on general terms. He was pained at the
materialistic tendencies prevailing in the Church in India that was taking
people away from God. He said, he had a feeling some persecution might be good
for the Christians in India so that they would stay closer to God. According to
him persecution brings out the best in man. I do not subscribe to his view that
is self effacing. But it is true, faith has to score over materialism
Yes, faith in God alone pulls us through
the thorny, stony track. If you think
you are somebody, God would make you understand you are nobody.
Believe. Just believe in God. And
discover where it leads you to.
Abraham
Jacob
7th
February 2024
