Not practical, nor pragmatic, just blind faith

I believe most of us are very practical in our thinking. Practical thinking is assessing if something that we plan to do is doable. For example, Bungee jumping. The observation that so many people have done it, and they are doing it makes me think that I can do it also. So, I do it. That is practical thinking.

However, though we often confuse practical thinking with pragmatic thinking they are different. In simpler terms the pragmatic decision also asks another question—though it is achievable, will it lead to some useful results? Bungee jumping is again the example. I can plunge into the ravine with one end a rope tied to my ankle and the other end firmly tied to a post, with all life-saving systems on stand-by. But what am I going to get out of it? In real terms, nothing useful is going to come out of it. So, though it is practical it is not pragmatic. But if I am descending to the ravine to save a person fallen into it, that Bungee jumping is not useless; the decision to do that is certainly pragmatic.
 

Ruth’s (the Biblical character) decision to follow Naomi was not pragmatic. Her sister Orpah weighed the pros and cons of following the mother-in-law to the homeland and decided that it is not pragmatic, so she returned home. However, Ruth was also equally persuaded by the mother-in-law to return; she also might have found out that it is not pragmatic to follow the frail old woman who cannot promise a better life. But she still followed her.
 

However, the rest of the story tells us that, though Ruth’s decision was not a well-considered pragmatic decision, it turned out to be the best for her and her mother-in-law. Orpah who was extremely pragmatic vanished from the story as she took the first step back home.
 

Ruth flourished, she found a husband who happened to be rich, kind, and righteous in his dealings. She became the grandmother of the great king of Israel, David, and also the ancestor of the promised Messiah. Her name is mentioned in the sacred books of two major ancient religions—Judaism and Christianity.
 

What turned Ruth’s decision a very pragmatic decision? It is the invisible mover who is behind the story of the Book of Ruth. The book got its name after the main character, Ruth. However, a closer look reveals that Ruth is not the main character, nor even Naomi. The name Ruth is mentioned 12 times in the Book excluding the pronouns referring to her. However, God is mentioned 19 times excluding pronouns! So, in the author’s mind, the crucial character is God rather than Ruth. Though he is not center stage, he moves the pieces, to bring what otherwise ended tragically to a happy ending—and they lived happily ever after.
God is the divine orchestrator, the invisible mover. He prompts Ruth to follow Naomi back to her homeland. He leads her to Boaz’s field during harvest season. He brings Boaz to the field when Ruth was there. He makes Naomi advise Ruth to go to Boaz’s threshing field to ask Boaz to marry her and protect her. The same invisible mover makes the marriage happen and a son born to the once destitute Ruth.

Though pragmatic thinking has its due place, the success of life is not all in the best pragmatic reasoning. It is God, the invisible mover behind each individual’s story decides the outcome of our life. Ruth decided to make Naomi’s God, her God. When she decided to follow the God of the Bible, God shadowed her wherever she went. 

(Photo courtesy: Arun Mathew)

Overstating miseries, overlooking divine possiblities

 

Sometimes we overstate our miseries. That is what Naomi did also.

It is true that he had become a widow, and she lost her sons as well. She is too to old get married again and have a husband or children. She had two words to describe her misery. She says to the townspeople who had come to welcome her back to Bethlehem: “I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” (Ruth 1:21).

A victim of self-pity, she calls herself empty. However, she is not empty; she had Ruth with her. In addition to her company and care Ruth later fills Naomi’s life with joy, security and happiness. Naomi failed to see that life will flourish again with that young woman who has left her kindred to follow her. In her distress she over stated her misery.

Another word that she used to describe her also shows how she overstated the pain of her life. When the women of her village called her Naomi (which in Hebrew means “sweet” or “pleasant”) she retorted that she is no more sweet but bitter (Hebrew, “mara”). She even changed her name! She is not saying that she is bitter towards anyone, but her life has no joy, it is a bundle of bitter experiences.

She thought that three tragedies has wiped out all joy from her. I can sympathize with her. One small discomfort could suck dry all our happiness. How much more three deaths in a row? She is justified in some sense. But she seems to have ignored the truth that sorrow is not there to stay forever. God being on her side, every mourning will turn into dancing. The psalmist puts it this way: “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psa 30:5, ESV).

However, we have no excuse to whine as Naomi did. Because God has assured us through his apostle that, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, ESV). When there is no one in sight, the invisible God is there. He fills our cup until it overflows, leaves none of us empty and dry.

In times of extreme suffering the promises of God strengthens the believer: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12, ESV).

To overstate our troubles, we need to close our eyes toward the God of possibilities.

(Photo courtesy: First Presbyterian Church, La Grange)

Taking decisions

 

Naomi was a passive victim of a wrong decision that heaped tragedies upon tragedies upon her family. They decided to migrate to Moab when famine struck their town, Bethlehem, which rather ironically means "house of bread." There in Moab they had food in plenty, I suppose, but she lost all the male members of the family. Her husband first, her sons next, in that order. All that was left was two young widows and she.

It was indeed a wrong decision. They should not have left the Bethlehem. The Book of Ruth tells us that all the residents of that town did not leave their homes and fields for Moab during the famine. They stayed back and fought the famine. 

However, Naomi was not probably responsible for that wrong decision. In a patriarchal society like hers, the husband and the adult male members took the decisions on behalf of the rest of the family. The women just followed since they didn't have a say in what was decided. Probably, the decision to go to Moab was her husband's decision not even of her sons' since they were probably young.

However, what is important is what Naomi did when the authority to take decisions in the family fell on her. In the absence of her husband and sons, she had to take decisions. She took the right decision: to return back to the homeland. That was the right decision in the right direction. 

It led to blessings in her life. She had security in her life as Boaz walked in as the husband and redeemer of Ruth. There was immense joy when Obed was born who later became the grandfather of David the great king of Israel. Then centuries later, the Jesus Christ the savior of the world was born in her family. 

One right decision, in the right direction is all that you have to take to walk the path of God's blessings and joy.

[Photo courtesy: Engin Akyurt]

Praying for the enemy

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt 5:43—45, ESV).

Sudeesh is honest and sincere with a good amount of curiosity. While passing by a church on Sunday morning he asked someone walking to the church what do they do in the church every Sunday. Tom, one of the church-goers whom he stopped, thought for a while and answered, “we pray for people like you.” Though it is the simplest answer that Tom come up with, it bewildered Sudeesh. "You pray for others?" Sudeesh was shocked. “We only pray for ourselves and for those whom we love and care for.” That is true. Most people limit their prayers to themselves and also for their dear ones, if they can find time for that. Jesus challenges us further demanding to love our enemies and even pray for them.

Enemies fall into two classes. One, the people whom we consider as our enemies—people whom we hate and hurt. However, a disciple of Christ is not allowed to hate or harm others. So enemy in this context are not those whom we consider as enemies. However, there is another possibility. These are people who hate and harm us. We have no control over them like the authorities who persecuted the poor, helpless Christians. They considered the Christians whom they persecuted as enemies. They could justify persecuting them once they view them as enemies because in their opinion enemies had to be done away with.

However, the value-system that Jesus taught his disciple is different. Jesus taught that our enemy is not the one we hate, but they are those who hate us. But it is our duty to love them and not hate them. In other words, though they consider us as enemies, we have to consider them as people who deserve our love.

Jesus raised the bar further. He said, it is not just loving; love is just a feeling. But love should lead us to pray for them. But Jesus didn’t clarify what should a Christian pray for their persecutors. Are we asked to pray that they should stop persecuting, or that their persecution is more bearable? 

The answer to these questions is in Jesus’ prayer on the cross. He did not pray that they will poke him with their spears a bit more gently, nor their ridicule is milder. His prayer was an intercession for forgivenes for his persecutors. He asked father God to forgive them since they don’t really understand what they are doing. He asked God to forgive their ignorance. 

Prayer for the enemy still focuses on the enemy and not on us. It is not our comfort that we seek when we pray for our enemies but theirs that God may forgive them.

Walking with God in Love and Justice

I recall the days sharing an apartment with a few other single men.  None of us knew cooking so we had a lady sending us lunch-boxes every day. We noticed that over the weeks this kind lady has customized our lunch boxes to suit each individual’s likes and dislikes—each of us had our favorites dishes more often while the dishes that we detested have disappeared from the menu.

We were amused. How did this woman know what each of us like though she hasn’t even met most of us even once? We quizzed the man who brought the lunch for us every day. He told us the secret. She would check all the lunch boxes that we returned and made a note of what remains in them. Whatever, a person did not eat she considered it as a dislike and whatever was eaten, she considered as his favorite. Thus, over the weeks she knew what each of us like and what we detested. Now you know why we adored her!

Knowing God’s will and pleasing him by doing what he likes is even more noble. That is what we are called for.

Micah, a prophet of the eighth century BC proclaimed, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8, ESV).

Prophet Micah summarizes what God likes and what God hates in Israel’s social life. He highlights three things. He expects his people to do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly.

The book of Deuteronomy, all the prophetic voices in the Old Testament and Jesus constantly reminded the people that God desires righteousness, and justice. He demands that they show mercy to each other especially those who are vulnerable in their society. Another prophet of the same period cried out! “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24, ESV).”

Probably Micah stands out in the company of the prophets by specifying that living a life that God delights is to “walk humbly with your God.”

Walking humbly means to lead a modest life. In fact, one of the meanings of the word used for ‘humble’ in Hebrew is ‘modest.’ Modest life is not to live extravagantly but one that limits to what is essential. At the same time, the expression “with God” means that God determines this life-style. The standard of our life-style is decided by our close walk with God.

A life lived in comparison with the standards of others, sometimes even leading to competition to beat each other leads not only to excesses. In a similar vein, life-style that focuses on the self to the total neglect of the needs around us leads to all that is ungodly. The immodest life-style leads to corruption, exploitation and causes pain for others. The wealthy in Israel oppressed and exploited the poor to satisfy their cravings for luxury. Prophet Amos condemns those who lived in palaces decorated with ivory, and drunk to their fill and loved rave parties.

​ “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’ (Amos 4:1, ESV)

“Cows of Bashan” is a metaphor that Amos used to describe the obese wealthy women.

Amos condemned the rich further:

“Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore, they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away” (Amos 6:4-7, ESV).

Their extravagant life-style was at the expense of the poor and needy whom them conveniently ignored. They created a society where injustice and inequality prevailed over love and mercy. However, a life pleasing God is modest, is content with what one has than grabbing what others have to live haughtily as Isaiah portrayed such lives.

“The LORD said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet, (Isaiah 3:16, ESV).”

The pride in what one wear, eat and spend is not the mark of a life pleasing God.

 

(Photo courtesy: Rudolf Kirchner)

Seeing beyond what we can see!

The people of Israel on the way to the promised land was caught literally between the Devil and the deep-sea. When they discovered that they were facing the Red Sea, they were convinced that there is no way beyond the lashing waves—the path ended in the sea. Then when they turned back, the dust being raised by the army of the Pharaoh fast approaching. They were sure that their end has come. So, they complained to Moses, “Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” (Exodus 14:12, ESV).

We know the rest of the story that they did not perish by the sword of the Pharaoh, neither did they drown in the Read Sea. They made it across, but the army that pursued them perished in the sea. But why did they whine? What frightened them?

What terrified them is certainly what they saw—the army behind, and the sea in front. However, if they were capable of perceiving realities beyond what they could see, they would have dealt with the situation more courageously.

They failed to perceive two realities. The first is that God is with them. That was the immediate reality. The army of the Pharaoh is far behind, though they are fast approaching. The God who has led them out of the land of slavery with ‘a mighty hand and an outstretched arm’ hasn’t abandoned them, he is right with them, beside them. The reality that is far off scared them because they ignore the ‘present-help’ that was nearby.

Overlooking what is close by is very much part of human nature. That is why the airhostess making safety procedures has to remind us that “the nearest exit my be just behind you.” In an emergency we may head for the exit far ahead in the front ignoring the exit which is just one row behind us. We fail to realize that God is close to us in every circumstance than our adversaries are.

They failed in another aspect also. They failed to see that there is a land beyond the formidable watery chaos staring at them. God hasn’t delivered them out of the Egypt to lead them into the sea but to take them to a land that is beyond the sea. He is leading them to a land that God promised repeatedly to their forefathers. The sea just happens to be on the way. The failure to perceive this promise beyond the immediate threat is another reason why they thought that their end has come.

We need to realize that God is with us in all circumstances. We need to assure ourselves as Elisha assured his scared servant that “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16). Realizing God’s fuller purpose for our life is the sure way of combating fear that cripples us. God’s plan for us doesn’t end with the immediate circumstances that we face at the moment. He will not bring anything to an end unless he fulfill his promises in our life and his plans are completed they way want them to be.

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The Conquering Grace

 

Grace of God is hard to define. When I was making baby steps in Christian faith, mentors told me that ‘grace is unmerited favor.’ I found that helpful. But as I continued to experience God’s grace as I grew, I found that this definition is inadequate to express all that God does in my life. Now, I have come to realize that grace of God is such a thing that eludes any definition. Grace, as I understand now is what God alone and no human can do in our lives.

It comes in various colors, shapes and sizes! John, the gospel writer seems to have understood the multifarious nature of grace that he talks about the ‘fullness of grace’ and ‘grace upon grace’ (John 1:17). Or the New Living Translation puts it: ‘From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.’ These expressions mean that grace is not just one-sided reality but a multi-faceted reality. Its fullness is beyond our comprehension just as God evades our understanding.

One of the rare but important aspect of God’s grace is its power to conquer even those who reject it. I call it the ‘conquering grace.’

The story of Apostle Paul illustrates the point. He experienced the grace of God in such a measure that towards the end of his life he would proclaim that ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am’ (1 Cor 15:10). What he is and what he has achieved is the work of God’s grace in his life.

However, the work of grace in his life marks the beginning of his service to God. That however, was the work of the conquering grace of God. He was a rebel who rejected the grace of God in his life. He was full of hatred for God’s own people. Not only that, but he persecuted them, killed them and was bent on eradicating the whole movement of the disciples of Christ. He was actually persecuting the risen Christ.

But what happened on the Damascus road was an act of the conquering grace. God captivated Saul (who later became Paul) by blinding him with a bright light and speaking to him. As Paul fell off the animal he was riding and turned blind, God conquered him by his grace. He became a disciple, filled with the Holy Spirit and became the most important apostle of all time. Thus, the grace of God conquered the vilest of offenders.

As I think of people, some in my close circles also, I hope in God’s conquering grace. They don’t heed God’s Word, they reject godly counsel, some are a law unto themselves. But I hope and pray for them that one day they will have the Damascus road experience where grace will conquer them. When grace conquered him, Paul changed his address. In most of the letters that he wrote to the churches, he described himself as ‘a slave of Jesus Christ’ because the conquering grace had enslaved him.