Evil Eye

Kids nowadays grow up reading fantasies like Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. And that is the way our worldviews and thought patterns are subtly shaped. But I am sure the little older generations who grew up in the village would have grown up listening to the legendary stories of heroes and heroines like Pou, Proupuzhee, Rohne and others. And many of us take pride in the lesson derived from such folk tales… that we are the descendents of such brave heroes and even today we must maintain our honour and dignity. But there are other stories of one’s own generations and even from other villages that our parents taught us and ultimately influenced the way we live our lives.

One such story that has penetrated our cultural subconscious is the story of evil eyes. The story of ‘hraomai’, if I am allowed to use a Poula. The story is that the power of the evil eyes is passed to the children and spouse, and even to next generation and the next and the next… They can see through human heart, and with a verbal poison they can decapitate even buffaloes and the heroes of the village. They are beautiful and they are rich, so goes the story, and they are intelligent. The story would name people who had ‘victimized’ and been ‘victimized’. And the story lives on demonizing families and clans of the these people.

Stories are powerful tools in communicating and preserving truth and falsehood. No wonder each civilization has produced profound story tellers. Throughout human history we read of story tellers. Homer, Ved Vyasa, Milton, Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, Camus and scores of others. Luke whom Paul referred to as the beloved physician was a powerful story teller too. Luke weaved into his story the story of Israel and Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection and the birth of the Church. If Luke was a 21^st century story writer I am sure he would have used “…” to close his volume II, the book of Acts, because we people living in 21^st century, and all to come, are also the member of the characters yet to appear on stage. But Luke’s story is a sub-plot within the Story that God is writing.

In the story that Lukes narrates to his reader Theophilus, we read of characters like Mary and Zechariah evoking a sense of God rescuing His people from oppression and injustice, a divine promise of liberation. When Jesus came to Nazareth He declared that he was bringing liberation for the people (ch 4). Luke then picked certain teachings and actions of Jesus to communicate the theological idea that God’s kingdom is already here. And in the story that Luke narrates he used healing, feeding, reconciliation, forgiveness etc as signs of God’s kingdom come.

In his story 5:12-16, Luke tells of a man being of his leprosy. Jesus healed skin disease. In 5:17-26, Luke tells of paralytic being forgiven and healed. Jesus forgave and healed bone defect. In 8:40-56, Lukes tells of healing a bleeding woman, and a girl being raised from the dead. Jesus healed sickness related to blood, and He is, in fact, in able to reverse the human body mechanism. Every degenerated DNA comes to live as he spoke. In 10: 37-45, the tormenting evil spirit is driven out of a boy. Jesus has authority over evil spirit. The evil spirit cannot torment Jesus’ children. These events are historical events that Luke used to weave into his story to tell that God’s kingdom is come. The events that Luke used are not fantasy. Finally then , we read of Luke using another historical event to give a punchline, the death and resurrection of Jesus. Luke was here driving home the lesson that Jesus bore the sin and evil of the whole world upon himself as the climactic part of his project, and his Father vindicated him by raising him from the dead on the third day. And this is not fantasy again, but an event that happened in time and space, in history. However, on the 40^th day Jesus moved into another dimension, to use our phrase, and on the 50^th day after resurrection the Spirit came upon those who believed in Jesus as Lord and Savior. This is the birthday of the Church! God is now not far away, so to speak, just believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior and He will come and live in your heart. That’s a promise He gives to all those who believe in son his Jesus as Lord and Savior.

The story of healing that Luke tells is so different from the story that we tell to demonise and oppress the families and clans of the ‘evil eyes’. Luke tells the story of healing and reconciliation based on factual events, and we tell the story of division and hatred based upon pagan hearsay. ‘Evil eyes’ do not have victims, rather they are our victims. We are the oppressors. Through our stories we victimized, ostracized and demonize them. They cry out to God because society considers them to be unclean, and people in the society do not want to marry them. Luke would have been broken if he hears the story we tell today. Because he believed Jesus healed and still heals, mended and mend gaps, destroyed and destroy barriers.

I believe there are people whom the evil spirits use. Black magic, witchcraft, voodoo etc. are real. But even these practitioners get healed when they believed in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Because evil spirit cannot possess and use a person who has believed in Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit comes to live in the life of every believer. (Rom 8:23; Eph 1: 14; 2Co 1:22) However, the story we tell about ‘evil eyes’ is little different. Among the story teller there is confusion whether it’s because of evil spirit or because of DNA. If it’s because of evil spirit there is a possibility of people being used to harm others, but the evil spirit cannot be transferred to other people through marriage or childbearing. Transferring of evil spirit to children or spouse is utter nonsense. But if it’s because of DNA (or blood as commonly understood) there is no medical proof to support that words can kill. Medical science has mapped the DNA code of human being and there is no evidence of such kind. We are not mutants. (For those who have seen the movie series X-Men). The entire story is based on pagan myth. There is no empirical evidence to proof that it is not myth.

There are times when people have openly called names. And I wonder what psychological trauma a person would go through when victimized and abused based on unchristian and intellectually stupid story. As Christians we should not let such story shape our conduct, but teach and live to remove all barriers being erected on the basis of caste, class, clans, colour etc. There is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and is in all ( Col 3:11). As Christians we are new creation, the old is gone. (2Co 5:17) In our pagan society cases of evil spirit using people might have been there. But it just does not make sense in light of Christ giving us new life. If we have problem it only exposes our biblical illiteracy and intellectual poverty.

Many will say, “I have no problem, it’s the society”. Well, you and I make the society. If not you, who will change the society. Do not let society dictate you, look to Jesus and follow his path. We sang as kids, “though no joins me, still I will follow”. I think we need to sing all the more aloud now.

Planting a Mango Tree

Buy one kilo of Mango. Eat the flesh to make oneself healthy. Take the seeds and clean them well. Dry them. Then keep the seeds in a cup till roots begin to be formed. In the meantime you may need to change water every alternate day for some two-three weeks, which is normally the time for roots to be formed. Then plant the seeds in a park that still has space. If possible water them till their roots become strong. But let them be planted in such park where cows will not enter. Cows have eaten such young mango trees in the park before. Cows love mango leaves.

I think this is a very simple task. But if all of us do that global warming may slow down. Those who have been driving a car and polluting the air have a stronger obligation to do this. This may be as useful as putting off lights when not in use, if not more... hmmm!

Women and ministry 3

For the Christians Easter Sunday is extremely important. Christianity stands or fall with Easter Sunday. Because if Jesus is not risen from the dead, Christians may as well identify with what Paul says: eat and drink for tomorrow we die. To undermine Jesus Christ and in effect Christianity critics have tried to explain away the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

The Bible says that through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, God has begun his new creation. God is not yet done with it, but it will ultimately be complete. The Bible also says that those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and God are new creation. God’s work of new creation has begun in their life. In Colossians 3 and Galatians 2 Paul underscores that those who are in Christ are then to follow to a new set of ethical norm. The old relationship between Jews and non-Jews, rich and poor, male and female etc are re-evaluated in the light the this new world order i.e the new creation.

God in his creation made both male and female in his own image and likeness. This ‘image and likeness’ does not mean that we humans are like God’s statue; rather it means that we bear attributes that resemble God. Being image bearer of God, both male and female are given the mandate to take care of the world and live in it. Our ancestors somehow failed to honour God’s wish, and therefore the beginning of all wars, hatred, hunger etc.

It was God’s purpose that we human be made ‘healthy’ again—in term of our relationship with God, with ourselves, with nature etc. and that includes the repair of relationship between male and female. The dead and resurrection of Jesus is that through which the ‘healthy’ relationships begin once again, never ever to rupture again.

Is it not because of seeing through this lens that early Christians were open for women’s participation in the ministry? It is high time the reality of the dawn of new creation is visible in our individual life and our ministries.

Save Palestinian Christians from extinction!

It is not uncommon to find Christians being faulted for the Crusades launched between 1095-1272. Thousands of Muslims and Jews were killed during the period. The worst hit, however, were the Christian themselves. It all started when Pope Urban II urged the kings and leaders of Christian Europe in 1095 to bring back the Holy Land from the Turks. One of the most important rallying point of the Pope's call was to aid the Eastern Christian suffering under the infidels i.e the Muslims. Little did they know that they would end up destroying the Eastern Christians beyond almost possible repair.

As the Crusaders arrived at Jerusalem the Muslims who treated the Christians with suspicion put them out of the city. The Crusaders who could not differentiate between Arab Christians and Arab Muslims ended up slaughtering them. Villagers who were Christians were also killed due to mistaken identity. The Pope also ordered Constantinople, the seat of the Eastern church, to be sacked to pay Crusades debt. This move dealt a crushing blow to the Byzantibe Empire which have been resisting the Turkish sweep into Europe. In all this ultimately it is the Christians weakening the Christians thereby allowing the Muslims to take over.

Isn't there a similar feature between Christian Zionism and Crusades? Proponents of both movements have the intention to be faithful Christians. But the effect of both efforts is similar.There are thousands of Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem. And when Christian Zionists gave unconditional support to the display of Israel's military might upon Palestinians, it leads to the reduction in the number of (Palestinian ) Christians in the land where the church was born. Many Christians believe that when all Jews return to Israel, Jesus will return. Such policy of bringing Jews from elsewhere has negative effect on those Palestinians: Christians and Muslims, because this involves taking land and livelihood from one group to give to the other. Christian Zionism, I believe, is mistaken because land belongs to God, and there is no tribe or tongue that has absolute ownership over land. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, and we must share and live together. Because of faulty eschatological reading of the Bible many Christians ended up supporting Israel at the expense of the Palestinian, and that is a sad affair. Since the God of the Bible who has revealed himself in the person of Jesus Christ is a God of justice, I cannot support the elevation of Israel to such status that undermines the existence of the Palestinians. With more and more Palestinian Christians being killed with the help of Christians in the West, and more of them migrating each year Christians will very soon extinct from the land from where it all began.

NB: I find the works of Stephen Sizer ( a pastor and a supporter of UCCF) and Chaukat Moucarry ( formerly worked with IFES ) quite helpful.

If I were the CM of Delhi...

I would:
1. Catch all stray animals and deport them or keep them in shed/shelter.
2. Fine those who urinate in public.
3. Strictly enforce traffic rules.
4. Ban marriage band procession on main roads.
5. Promote bicycles on Delhi road.
6. Introduce solar energy run street lights.
7. Make the city safe for women.
8. Seal the house of those landlords who charge rent exorbitantly.
9. Plant more trees.
10. Clean Yamuna.

What else…

Women and Ministry 2

1. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews, who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles and became followers of Christ before I did. Romans 16:7.

* Junia was a female, and an outstanding apostle. Commenting on Romans 16:7 John Chrysostom (347-407) writes, “ how great the wisdom of this woman must have been that she was even deemed worthy of the title of apostle.” Earlier commentators like Origen (185-253) and Jerome (340-419) also understood Junia to be female.

2. But a woman dishonors her head if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this is the same as shaving her head. 1 Corinthians 11:5.

* The context is about head covering. Whether head covering applies today or not is the point for now. The point is that woman then prayed or prophesied. And Paul was writing that if she prays or prophesies she should cover her head. And there is no reason why “prophesying” here cannot be interpreted as “speaking forth God’s message” or “preaching”.

3. I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. Romans 16:1.

* Being a deacon was not only for men. It was a position held by woman too, and sister Phoebe being one.

To be contd.