Handling Abusive Surprise

All these years my work always involved dealing with youth who have left their old ways and made a commitment to follow Christ. Just as old habits die hard, so also the old friends. They have to keep the old companies for various reasons. They live in the same neighbourhood, they are the same college and there could be various ways they share their spaces. There are times of conflict as their conversion brings in new moral demands different from that of their friends. For example, a new believer in Christ who was a chain smoker finds it difficult to keep the friendship of his fellow smokers. Peter wrote to first generation Christians who were in a similar situation: "They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you" (1 Peter 4:4).

Unable to enjoy the company of the new believer, the friends begin to abuse that person. Many of us who had to part with sinful ways of life when we embraced the new life in Christ may still remember some hurting abusive words that we had to endure. However, the encouraging thing is that this abuse is the result of their surprise. Friends who shared their sinful ways with us are surprised that one of them could break away with those ways and start a new life! If our lives have caused that surprise then the abuse can be ignored.

However, this surprise and the abuse may not last long too. Moreover, it may have positive results as this story about a young soldier that I read long time ago illustrates. A young man who lived a very bad life joined the army and there he accepted Jesus as his personal saviour through the army chaplain. A few months later he had to go home and he was afraid that his old friends waiting for his return might drag him back to his life before Christ. His Chaplain had a very good advise for him. He told him not to keep his conversion a secret and let his friends know about it.

As he landed in the railway station he met one of his friends who offered him a cigar as he always used to do. This young man not only politely refused it but also told him that he is a new creation. The friend laughed at him and hurled insults at him as he walked away. Then he meets another friend who invites him to have a drink in order to celebrate his return. He not only refused it but also told him why as a follower of Christ he should not do that. The news spread in his small town that he is different. The prostitute whom he used to visit spotted him in the market and hurled insults at him. As he walked past the pub people came out and made painful comments about him. But nobody dared to force him to get back to the old ways. They had given up on him; that was a new freedom! However, it had a cost: abusive surprise.

If we can give our sinful companions a surprise, then the abuses are worth it. What is important is to shock (or embarrass) them with the radical change in our lives.

Divine Light and Human Flares

Isaiah 50:10-11 gives two options for those want guidance. One is to
depend on the leading of the Lord even though it is darkness around.
The other is to light up one's own flares and find the way through.
"Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant?

Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of
the LORD and rely on his God.
But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming
torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you
have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will
lie down in torment."

Flares don't last long and they light up only the surroundings. Since
it lights up the darkness for a while and then dies out, those who
venture into darkness with them may find themselves deep in darkness
when the fuel of the flare is gone. Such people may end up groping in
darkness.

The other option for those who are in darkness is to trust in the
Lord. Trying to walk in our own light is another word for self-
reliance, which rejects the role of God in our life. This invites
trouble. However, venturing into the darkness knowing God is out there
is faith which honours God.

Nothing illustrates this aspect better than a poem by Minnie Louise
Harkins (1875-1957), which my friend sent to me recently.
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,

'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.
'And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the
hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!'
So I went forth and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And he led me towards the hills
and the breaking of day in the lone East.

Grace that overrides genes

To a large extent our behaviour is genetically conditioned. People who
belong to certain ethnic groups have common physical and even
emotional characteristics because of the genes that control biological
and emotional aspects of their life. Certain groups of people are
prone to certain diseases while other groups totally immune to these
because of their particular genetic structure. This also means that
human behaviour is predictable and to a large extent unchangeable
unless there is genetic modification.

Paul talks about another factor that overrides genetic conditioning
that decides human behaviour. That is grace. Paul was intolerant,
violent and possibly a psychopath too. He could not tolerate a group
of Jews who considered themselves as followers of Jesus of Nazareth.
He considered this new faith called Christianity something that should
be destroyed. He resorted to violent means of arresting them and
killing them. To achieve this aim of annihilating the all the
Christians he went on a tour to the neighbouring lands too.

However, we find an entirely different Paul after his dramatic
transforming experience of risen Jesus on the Damascus road. It was
natural that his stand toward Christians was softened because he
became one of them. However, this man has become someone who willingly
suffered and even rejoiced in suffering (Romans 5:3). His attitude
towards his opponents was very accommodative (Philippians 1:15-18).

Paul attributes his transformation to "grace". He said, "But by the
grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:10). It was grace that
transformed him, or says that overrode the genetic conditioning of
him. The genes may control our physical look, biological factors and
our behaviour but grace that is available to us overrides "genes".
Grace is that divine element in our life, which is solely available
with God and is given to us as he wills.

So many people with inherited diseases were healed by the miraculous
intervention of God without any genetic modification. The Gospel of
grace has transformed people with criminal inclinations and who have
served prison terms to people who serve humanity sacrificially. Here
also grace has overtaken genes. The greatest of these is that change
in character that grace can bring about. Jesus Christ has ushered in
this new possibility that makes new persons out of the old; that is
called of the grace of Jesus Christ.

True Spirituality and the Vision of Peace

Terrorists who have some religious associations give religions a bad name. Recent events like the attack on Mumbai (26/11) make us think if religions promote violence only. However, the picture is far from truth.

There are narratives of conflicts, violence and bloody battle accounts in the Bible. This makes some think that Bible promotes violence. However, they miss out the many visions of peace that the bible have. One such vision is found in the prophecy of Isaiah in the second chapter. Part of this vision is inscribed on the walls of the UN building in New York: "They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore" (Isaiah 2:4).

This probably was a very popular vision about the future in those days since another prophet by the name Micah also has this in his book (Micah 4:3). Thus it should rather be called a shared vision of the prophets of the Bible in the eighth century BC.

This is a vision of peace but not just a vision of peace. Here is a vision of people of every nation dropping their weapons and bringing to an end war between them. This is not just temporary cease-fire but a permanent cessation of hostilities, as they will not be training their future generations for war. We would expect them to pile up all their weapons and set fire. The uniqueness of this vision is that it takes us beyond cessation of violence to peace and prosperity. The weapons of war will be transformed into tools of production as swords are beaten into plowshares and spears into hooks to prune fig and olive trees.

It was in a very difficult time in world history this vision of peace and development was given. It was eight century BC when the Assyrian empire was ravaging the world conquering nations after nations through bloody battles and displacing people. To add to the misery of the common man, smaller nations were instigated by superpowers like ancient Egypt and Assyria to fight among them. Violence had reduced the population in many of these countries considerably. The audacity of the vision is that it could see peace in the context of conflict and violence giving way to prosperity.

We live in a violent world, a world of uncertainties and a world of hatred that breed irrational violence. Recent experiences in India and the world over have made us to associate violence with religion. The reason for this association is that perpetrators of violence take on themselves label of some religion. The opening lines of this vision speaks about people from all over the world seeking after God and their spiritual search leads them to a longing for peace. True religion is thus a stimulus for peace and prosperity and not the other way round.

It is possible to imagine a world without violence. It is still possible to long for a world where violence will end and peace and prosperity will enter. However, this new world is not a world without God or spirituality but one of true spirituality. Perpetrators of violence have given religion a bad name, but true religion that promotes peace and prosperity is still the hope of our world.

Singing under the Wings

As a little boy I have seen mother hens protecting their little chicks. The chicks are small balls of flesh and feather that so tender that looks like fur on them. They will be around the mother exploring their world and gobbling worms mother has found for them and chirping happily. It is a noisy scene. As soon as the mother hen detects the presence of a predator bird it makes a particular sound. It is a warning and the little chicks run to find shelter under the wings of their mother. The mother sits firmly on the ground protecting her little chicks who has sought shelter inside her wings. There is absolute silence; not a single chick dares to make a sound. Singing under the wings is dangerous! Moreover, it takes a lot of courage to do that when the predator bird is still hovering over.

One of the powerful imageries of the Bible is that of God as the mother hen who protects his children under his wings in times of trouble. Boaz uses this imagery when he talks about Ruth joining the people of Israel. He said, "Yahweh recompense your work, and a full reward be given you of Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you are come to take refuge" (Ruth 2:12). Psalmists used this imagery when they prayed to God for protection: "Keep me as the apple of your eye; Hide me under the shadow of your wings..." (Psalms 17:8; See also Psalm 36:7; Psalm 57:1; Psalm 61:4).

However, the Psalmist in 63:7 is different. He says, "Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings" (Psalms 63:7). (Some translations may have "rejoice" but the word here means "singing for joy".) He is rather a very bold chick. He sings while hiding himself under the wings of God, his mother and protector. Any chick should know that singing while under the wings is dangerous. Silence is number one safety rule.

The psalmist stretches the imagery a little beyond the real situation to make a statement of faith. The chicks find shelter under the wings of the mother out of fear. They remain under the wings of the mother out of fear. However, they are safe, there is nothing to fear. They are silent out of fear though no predator can snatch them out of the security of the mother's wings. Then why not sing? It requires some trust in their mother's power to protect them. That is what exactly the psalmist feels knowing God as his "helper".

A joyful Christian life proceeds from a trust in God's power to protect us. Disciples of Christ can be joyful at all times, even at the most dangerous moments of life if they know under whose wings they have found shelter.

Perching on Scarecrows

Faith loves to perch on scarecrows. Scarecrows are placed in farms to scare the birds away. Birds avoid the farms where they find a scarecrow, even though the scarecrows only have a very remote resemblance to human beings and are unable to do any harm. The wise birds are wise enough to know that they are just hay for the body, a broken pot for the head and stay where the farmer placed them. They also know that wherever there is a scarecrow there is something to be eaten; nobody places a scarecrow where nothing is grown. Instead of being scared away they love to land on the scarecrows and enjoy the feast. That's the difference between faith and fear.

The psalmist declares that when she is afraid she will trust in God (Psalm 56:3-4). "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust." However, this faith makes her to challenge the frightening situations, "What can mortals do to me?" (Psalm 56:11 and also Psalm 56:4). Faith in God and fear of human beings are mutually exclusive. Faith does not run away, but would stay and challenge the situation.

Nehemiah had to face difficult situations that his adversaries created to stop the work he was doing. Nothing would deter him from his work. In Nehemiah 6:9-14 we read of an attempt to frighten Nehemiah the man of faith. However, Nehemiah discerned that these are only scarecrows! It was an attempt to humiliate the man of God. He was advised to flee for his life and find shelter in the temple. He refused to act according to their advice. He said, "Should such a man as I flee? and who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in" (Nehemiah 6:11). Nehemiah landed on the scarecrow instead of flying away at the sight of it.

Landing on scarecrows is not that easy. First of all one has to be able to tell a scarecrow from a real human, armed watchman! Otherwise landing could be fatal. It requires discernment that comes from faith in God. Nehemiah's courage did not come from his guts but from his faith in God. "I discerned, and, behold, God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him" (Nehemiah 6:11). This is true in the case of the Psalmist also who said, " When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust" (Psalm 56:3-4).

Frightening situations in various forms prop up in every day life. It could range from discouraging words and intimidation to serious threats. However, no threat can last longer than the one who threatens. Faith looks at them as coming from "mere mortals" and trusts in God who is "immortal". Courage to face frightening situations comes from faith in God whom we should take more seriously than those who create trouble for us. They are only scarecrows; land on them, there must be something around them that you may enjoy.

Making the Right Choice

Jesus' question in Mark 10:51 "What do you want me to do for you?" is baffling. Jesus knows everything, moreover the man who is crying to him is obviously blind and needs healing. Why then this question; Jesus cannot be that dumb!

The blind beggar in Jericho (Mark 10:46-52) was engaged in something demeaning. His name is mentioned in the Bible as Bartimaeus, which means son of honor. Though "a son of honor" he was doing the most dishonorable profession of begging in the city of Jericho. When Jesus met him he was begging. His style of begging (like all beggars do) is to catch people's attention by crying loud "have mercy on me" so that they can throw a coin in to his bowl.

He did the same thing when Jesus passed by in the company of a large crowd. This time he did not just cry "have mercy on me" but was more specific because his plea was aimed at Jesus and not the crowd. He cries, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

However, it is the plea of a beggar. That is how the crowd who rebuked him to keep quiet took it. He should not nag Jesus for a coin! No beggar should bother Jesus, he has greater things to attend to! However, Jesus stopped, knowing that in that plea there is something more than a beggar's longing for a coin.

The crowd (who earlier tried to stop him) now encouraged him to walk towards Jesus saying "cheer up! On your feet! He is calling you." Probably, they might have thought that Jesus is going to give him a considerable amount.

The possibilities were limited: a donation to a beggar and nothing more. That's all that we can think at the moment. Even Bartimaeus cry was ambiguous. That's what makes Jesus ask him specifically: "what do you want me to do for you?" That is to ask, "Do you want a coin, another donation?" or something else. The beggar's answer was specific: "Rabbi, I want to see". Jesus can do both, he can toss a coin into the beggar's bowl. Any one who has coin to give away can do that. However, Jesus can also do something else; that is to deal with his problem at its root.

Jesus demands us always to make that choice. Do we want Jesus to deal with our immediate, felt needs alone, or work at the root of our problems. A coin or two that Jesus could toss in to his bowl may make him happy for a day. However, dealing with his blindness, the reason for being a beggar will change his stigma of a beggar and bring the honor back to him. Bartimaues made the wise choice and challenges us to make a wise choice in our lives too. Jesus poses the question to us because we are the ones who should make that choice.