S4 Day-31: Bethlehem: God in/with the ‘Little’ Ones

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose going forth are from of old, From everlasting.” 

Micah 6:3 

On two occasions I happen to stop by a grocery store. On one, I went in a good car while on the other on a “normal” car. I noticed that the treatment towards me was different on both the occasions. When I went there in a good car, they treated with the best of their services, not even allowing me to load my own groceries into my car by myself. However, when I was there in an “ordinary” car, I was only made to wait with no extra service. 

I was the same person, in the same shop but in different cars. The result of it being different treatments. I pondered how we human beings treat the other based on greatness of power, positions, richness… How we attribute respect even tolerance and kindness based on a person’s greatness. 

If God would have considered and preferred people/clan/place based on greatness of power and bigger in territorial size, the son of God Jesus would never have been born in a little town, Bethlehem in Judah. There were great states and kingdoms with great power at that time. But as Prophet Micah states, Bethlehem was “little among the thousands of Judah”, yet out of Bethlehem “the One to be Ruler in Israel” and the entire world came forth. 

We often classify people according to their caste, race, and gender too. We belittle them according to these classifications. These little people we also often do not hesitate to label them as “dirty” and not consider human. We deny them tolerance, respect and kindness. Bethlehem teaches us though people may seem “little”, God in them and with them, makes them the hope for people. Our salvation lessons come from the “belittled” people who are much closer to God in their experiences. 

Prayer: God in the Little Ones, help us to see you with and in those who are belittled, weakened and crushed. That we may respect and love all irrespective of caste, race or gender. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Author: Anonymous

S4 Day-30: Judea & its Dirtiness

Those who make a great show of being religiously pure often lead lives that are secretly very dirty. This was the case with first century Judea. Jesus, whose birth we commemorate during this season, berated and rebuked the religious authorities of Judea for their duplicity and hypocrisy. While preaching one thing, that of being pure and righteous before God, the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus’ day did the exact opposite time and again. Theirs was a religion that is empty and prevented others from having genuine relationship with God; hence, their condemnation by Jesus. 

Tragically, the reach and prevalence of opportunistic self-serving religious leaders is not limited to that of Jesus’ time. Quite a few modern-day religious leaders conceal their own worldly pursuits under the cloak of institutional legitimacy and credibility. Pursuing their own agenda, they tarnish the face of God and that of God’s people. They are guilty of besmirching the good name that the godly have earned through their diligent witness. 

It was not only the religious leadership that was closely identified with the dirt and grime of first century Judean politicking and self-aggrandizing. With the religious establishment being rotten to the core, it is not surprising that the socio-economical and ethno-political leadership was more or less the same. The Herodian kingdom of Judea, a client state of the Roman Republic from 37 BCE, was founded on duplicity that went by the name of statecraft. It was founded by Idumeans (of the old Edom) rather than ethnic Jews. Yet, it had the temerity to appropriate legitimacy for itself by locating itself in Jerusalem, the seat of the Davidic kingdom. Backstabbing and political intrigue seems to be the order of the day. 

Such a state of affairs existed even after the death of Herod the Great in approximately 4 BCE. Judea was divided into a Herodian Tetrarchy among his sons. But Herod Archelaus did such a bad job of managing the province that came under his rule that he was dismissed in 6 CE. The Roman emperor Augustus appointed Quirinius to exercise direct Roman rule after an appeal from Herod Archelaus’ own population, leading to the creation of the Province of Judea under direct Roman rule. 

Being placed under direct Roman rule was a slap in the face for hardcore Jewish nationalists advocating the reestablishment and perpetuation of a glorious Davidic kingdom. Various competing ethno-nationalist movements proliferated. Each advocated its own brand of ethno-racial and religious-civilizational purity and was willing to go to any length to enforce that. And what this led to was to make the climes murkier. 

Of course, some of these zealots and patriots were willing to be martyred for whatever cause they stood for. Then there were others for whom personal survival was all that ultimately mattered. They were willing to play dirty to achieve that. It is ironic that for any extra-Biblical information about Judea in biblical times, we often turn to Flavius Josephus, “the luckiest traitor ever”, in the words of the historian Mary Beard. 

Josephus is indeed one of the foremost Jewish extra-Biblical chroniclers of NT times. And he is often quoted to add veracity to Biblical stories. His two references to Jesus of Nazareth and one reference to John the Baptist still matter a lot to us when we think and speak of a historical Jesus. 

But then, who are we to question God if God desires to speak in and through such persons? The Christian tradition asserts that it was in a place of dirt and grime, a place reeking with the smell of feces and urine that the savior of the world chose to make an entry. And it was ox and ass that adored him. This Christmas let us be reminded that God has chosen to descend to our level. In the infant Jesus, God chose to shift from the divine to the human and set foot in a world that is sullied and soiled. 

Even there, instead of being born in a royal household, God has taken it a step farther. In Jesus, God has chosen to identify with the dregs of humanity. The infant Jesus was a disrespected human being that was at home among lowly farm animals, beasts of burden and modest shepherds. The adult Jesus was equally at home with all sorts of loathsome figures such as tax collectors, adulterous women, and so on. He preferred to hang out with persons that respectable society would turn up the nose at, personae non gratae because such people are ‘dirty’ and definitely not ‘worthy’. 

Prayer

O God who embraced us in our dirtiness, we pray that  you open our eyes to embrace the people who are considered dirty in the sight of the world. Grants us the courage to do what Jesus did. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Author: John Lalnuntluanga 

About the Author: John teaches in the department of History of Christianity at Gossner Theological College, Ranchi. His research interests include, among others, Human Sexuality, and Tribal Pentecostalism.

S4 Day-29: Who killed the infants? Herod or his henchmen?

Reflecting Verse:

“When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the children in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the magi.” 

Mathew 2: 16 

The killing of children followed Christ’s birth. The wailings and mourning shattered “the Silent night”. Fast rewind, Herod was furious not just because he was outwitted by the three wisemen but that he would be ousted from the throne too, the seat of power, if the prophesies were true about the birth of Messiah. So he “orders” his henchmen. He “orders to kill” the children, who among them could be the Messiah oblivious of the fact that his parents have escaped with him to Egypt. 

Often we come across horrendous news of female foeticide, and babies found in “dirty” places like the garbage bins, or piles of garbage at some isolated places or by the drainage systems. Some fortunate babies are found alive while some dead or half eaten by dogs. Some women go through abortions, involving major health risks. When such stories confront us, conclusions are made passing moral judgment. We sigh and judge the one, in most cases women, who is involved in this “dirty” act (as we, the society often perceive it) of killing the innocent infants: why does she have to bear only a girl child? why commit such a heartless act of throwing their/her own child after giving birth to the baby? Why does she have to live such a “loose” life? 

Our questions often stop there and do not investigate beyond. What must have compelled them to do the “dirty” act of killing/throwing away one’s own child? can we say they are rather “the henchmen.” There could be “Herods.” For in most cases due to economic necessity, the inability to provide for the child, or the risk factors of health, the foetus or the baby is either killed or disposed. It also cannot be overlooked that infanticide are due to patriarchy which controls woman body: when she should give birth, under which circumstances example only within marriages, and which gender she should give birth to. The risks factor and the burden involved in raising a girl child in a patriarchal society especially in India largely contribute to infanticide. 

So, then who kills the infants? The henchmen or the Herods? 

Prayer

Dear God, enable us to recognised the Herods in us and amongst us. Give us the strength to stand against Herods of our day. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen. 

Author: S. Esther Ao 

About the Author: Esther Ao is an Indigenous native from Nagaland who has done her Masters of Theology in the Old Testament Department.

S4 Day-28: Jerusalem and its Multiplicity

Jerusalem is centrally located. Geographically, it stands at the narrow corridor between the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Desert. The place of history recorded in the Old Testament is Palestine, which is the corridor between Asian and African continents that were the centers of civilizations at that time: the Babylonian civilizations in Asia and the Egyptian civilization in Africa. Events such as Exodus happened within these continents. 

This land's socio-political situation was dirty according to some scholars. They agree, if Josephus, the Jewish historian, was around he would have deemed it dirty. People came from different cultures and introduced different religions, views, languages and this was dirty for the monotheistic Jews who wanted the best of the land. 

Time was important: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent the only begotten Son, born of a woman, born under the law in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.” Gal 4:4. This verse shows that things were planned in a right way for Christ to come. God in providence, had prepared the world for the coming of Christ and Christianity. This was God’s hour for the greatest event in history- the arrival of God’s son, Jesus Christ into the world. 

God had a schedule and the world was prepared politically, culturally and religiously. While God used everyone in general, God used three nation in a very special way- the Romans politically, the Greeks culturally and the Jews religiously. The social, moral and philosophical conditions of the Romans and the Greeks also indirectly played their roles. 

The Romans had taken over the (by then) divided and declining territories that Alexander had conquered. During the first century, the whole of Mediterranean empire, North Africa, and the Middle East was controlled by the Roman empire. One person ruled the empire- the emperor who government was based in the capital of Rome. 

So, in one way we can say that God chose a dirty place for Jesus to be born. Dirty in every way possible. Even the manger where Jesus was laid was filled with dirty rags and stench coming from the dirty of the animals. Such was the plight in which the messiah of the world was born, in a dirty place yet smiling. 

Jesus began to grow within a multi-cultural society where he was exposed to a whole new world order which had now different strands of socio religious values. This played a major factor in his life as he set as the Messiah. Being a Jew, Jesus occasionally encountered with people from different faith traditions who brought a different perspective of life and humanity which was again transformative yet liberative than what Judaism believed in. 

This was a dirty world according to the self-confessed teachers of the law. The saviour of the world growing in midst of a culture which was deemed dirty, unfit and heathen by the Jews. Growing in such a society Jesus became sensitive to the real needs which was once ignored by the pharisees and the other religious clowns. 

This helped him immensely to value human life and the gospel are filled with examples where he could relate to the pain of others and even had the audacity to break through the once regressive cultural barriers in reaching out to the Samaritans Though the people in Jerusalem lived a grim life of debts and poverty, it also had a hope that this city would reach its finest grandeur in the future. The romans also made this city as one of their main point of communication, thus, boosting its significance. 

Jesus’ outlook towards everything underwent a radical change which was not Jewish but holistic in approach. He engaged in an inter faith exchange with the Samaritan woman and gave her blessing and appointing her the messenger to his good news. This was also dirty in the eyes of Jewish men and women as the society is to be protected from what is dirty. Yet the same woman who was called names and was seen as dirty by her peers now becomes the messenger of peace. 

Thus, a city which was once considered dirty and ungodly has now become a beacon of hope and sign of positivity in a bleak future. Jesus was born in a dirty environment so that we could become clean. However, 2000 years after His death, Christianity itself has become dirty and is yearning for the saviour who would remove the dirt and make it wholesome again. 

Prayer

O loving God, we seek your presence in our lives. We are dirty and we long for cleanliness. Help us remove our doubts and difficulties and lead us to reach out to those who are in the dirt and redeem them in your name. 

Author: Sovan Kumar Mallick 

About the Author: Sovan hails from Bhubaneswar, Odisha and belongs to the Union Church, an inter denomination church in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He completed his Bachelor of Theology and Master of Divinity from Lakeview Bible College and Seminary, Chennai and Master of Theology (Church History) from the COTRTS, Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. He is presently working as the Department Head for History of Christianity with Filadelfia Bible College Udaipur, Rajasthan. 

S4 Day-27: Three Wise Men: The Seekers of Truth

The Gospel of Matthew tells of the gifts that the Wise Men gave to Jesus. These three men were wise. They gave their time, talents, treasures, and testimonies. They spent their valuable time and journeyed from a far to meet Jesus. Using their talents, they followed the star that led them to reach to the dirty manger. Without any expectation, they gifted their treasures to Jesus. When they came before Jesus, they fell down and worshipped him. In doing so, they acknowledged both his leadership and his Messianic ship that represents their gift of testimonies. 

The treasures of the Wise Men brought were of significant value and prophetic importance. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh are gifts worthy of a humble king Jesus. Gold is symbolic of Christ’s deity of king, frankincense represents his purity as priest of God and myrrh is suggestive of his anointed work as a prophet and of his death. 

Gold represents the symbolic nature of God. It is the most precious metals and is extremely rare in its purest form. To reach to its purest form the metal has to burn and die in the fire. Similarly, Jesus being a humble king went through crucifixion, and death, so that, he will fulfil the task of a king. A king dies for the people to give them life. The gift of gold given by one of the wise men pointed to the begotten Son who was given by God to be king of creation. But, his reign proclaims good news to the poor, liberty to the captives, recovering sight to the blind and set liberty to those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18-19). The wise man’s gift offers Jesus the title Messiah, for he is the Saviour of the whole humanity. 

Frankincense is an aromatic, clear resin used for incense and perfumes; and was treasured for its aroma and healing properties. Even in the Temple, the priest used it during the worship. To give fragrance, it has to put in the fire and to burn completely. Jesus being a high priest, he himself offered in the fire as an incense to please God on behalf of the whole humanity and shed his blood as a sacrificial lamb to cleanse human beings from their sins. The gift of frankincense given by one of the wise men pointed to the work of Jesus as a priest, who ministered for three and a half year to the people and finally, crucified to offer himself to God as a burnt offering (Leviticus 1:1-17). 

Myrrh is a spice used for medicine, cosmetics and anointing oil. It is generally mixed into the oil that is used to anoint prophet for the divinely appointed work of revealing God and communicating God’s will and works to God’s people. Jesus also confirmed his office as a prophet both through his words and works. Though he was born in a dirty manger within a context of male infanticide, his parents brought him up to stand for truth and justice. The gift of myrrh is also used for preserving the dead body. Hence, this precious spice honoured Jesus’ death (John 19:39). 

These three Wise Men, who were the seekers of truth following the star, came to Bethlehem to pay their homage to Jesus (Number 24:17). They recognized and acknowledged the baby Jesus, as the glorified and humble king, priest and prophet, who is going to destroy all evils from this earth. Nevertheless, he had to sacrifice his life on the cross, so the whole creation is redeemed from the bondage of sin and receive salvation in faith. 

Prayer 

God of grace, we thank you for your valuable gift, your Son Jesus Christ whom you offered as a sacrificial lamb to fulfil your plan of salvation. May these three Wise men’s gifts remind us as the Church about the richness of Christ’s love, faithfulness and obedience in order to fulfil God’s will in establishing God’s reign in this earth. Amen. 

Author: Rev. Sushana Pramanik 

About the Author: Rev. Sushana hails from Sambalpur, Odisha. She belongs to Karnataka Central Diocese St. Mark’s Cathedral, Church of South India. She has completed her Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Theology from the United Theological College, Bangalore. She has completed and submitted her Doctoral Dissertation to the Senate of Serampore University and waiting to receive her Degree. She is presently working as the Translations Advisor in the Department of Translations in the Bible Society of India, Bangalore.

S4-Day 26: The Un-Messianic Settings of Jesus’ Birth

Reflecting Verses: Luke 2:1-20

 

COVID-19 has become a major tool to muzzle dissent and disrupt sites of protest. The threat of contraction makes people hesitant to organize and agitate. Despite this, India is witnessing a humungous farmer’s protest against laws which are considered oppressive for the farming community. Farm stress is no hidden truth in India. In such a situation, who could have imagined that such a protest could take place? Men, women and children sleeping on hay, inside tractors and on roadside have explicated that protests often arise from social locations that are considered to be weak and unfit. The resistive power of such locations is also evident in Jesus’ birth. 

Jesus’s birth narratives are often interpreted from the perspective of power. The role of wise men and Herod is often overstated. They represent two contraries, while the former adores, the latter hates Jesus’ birth. These are men of power and often the significance of Jesus’ birth is located in their contradicting views. Therefore, it is not surprising to see Christmas processions being led by the three wise men. ‘Neatness’ and ‘purity’ are perceived to accompany them and are usually extended to the settings of the manger. Consequently, the ‘manger’ is fast becoming a ‘crib’ today. 

A manger is a cattle’s feeding place. Such places are dirty and unhygienic. It’s the least of places to keep a new born child. However, Jesus was to be found here. Manger was significantly un-messianic. While power and privilege defined Jewish expectation of the messiah, the first announcement of Jesus’ birth came to the shepherds who were considered ceremoniously unclean (polluted) and dirty. 

During Jesus’ time, the lower sections of the society suffered extreme forms of deprivation with no hope for improvement. In such a context, Luke connects Jesus’ birth to the shepherds and questions the legitimacy of oppressive social stratification. For, shepherds to stay in the fields during nights, points out that their accesses to common commercial and residential places were restricted. Purity and pollution were major grounds for their discrimination. Shepherds were the so-called dirty people but God chose them as the first hearers of Jesus’ birth. 

Even Jesus came from a place which was considered to be unworthy. The question posed by Nathaniel, can anything good from Nazareth? (John: 1:46) is significant. Nazareth was a province of Galilee. Herod’s heavy taxation had brought about oppression of the agrarian society. In Palestine during Jesus’s time the minority rich took advantage of the peasant families. In such hopeless context, nothing good was expected of Nazareth. However, Jesus came from here. 

The manger, shepherds and the city of Nazareth represented locations that were un-messianic and unworthy of any significant outcome. However, it is in such places that God chooses to reveal and locate itself. Jesus choose to identify himself with the dirt and the messiness of life that resulted from oppression. It is from this messiness that Jesus preached God’s Kingdom. His birth settings were resistive to power and his ministry upheld and blessed the worthless and the weak. Therefore, in our acts of Justice, we are intervening of behalf of Jesus to realize God’s kingdom here on this earth. The un-messianic settings were concretely messianic. 

Prayer 

Help us Dear God to walk on the ways that your Son Jesus walked. As we prepare to celebrate you birth, inspire us through the power of your spirit so that we can stand in solidarity with those who are oppressed and weak. Amen. 

Author: Rev. Samuel Mall 

About the Author: Samuel mall hails from Punjab. He is an ordained presbyter from the diocese of Chandigarh, Church of North India. He is currently pursuing his doctoral research in the department of Christian Theology at United Theological College, Bangalore.

S4-Day 25: Baby Jesus: A Weak Child on the Street

Reflecting Verse

Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street. 

Lamentations 2:19 

“Can’t ‘stay home and stay safe’ as I don’t have home and shelters are closed. Can’t ‘access food and water’ as there is no work on the street. ‘Risk of being locked up’ for being out during a lockdown.” 

It is a cry of a child who works as a rag picker on the streets, facing violation with no one to care, as every child has to fend for themselves and cope with the problems during this pandemic. I happened to come across one a child rag picker and asked what he loves most. He pointed to the small bottle in his hand and said, “this Solution,” (a major part of his income is spent on drugs, alcohol, solvent abuse (sniffing solvents), and gambling). I asked whether he has any dreams or ambitions. He replied, “I don’t like to have dreams for the future because it cannot be fulfilled.” Then he lists out four things: selling scrap, drinking, playing and consuming 'solutions.' With little money and too much freedom, they are vulnerable and fall prey to many kinds of situations and exploiters. 

Having said that, the whole meaning of Christmas lies with a baby ‘Jesus.’ Baby Jesus, who represented the weak and oppressed sections of the society, was wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a dirty and smelly manger, pointing to extreme poverty. We cannot ignore him as being born as a baby who represents the weak and abused children even today. Luke acknowledges that this child is a Messiah (Lk 2:8-20, 48-51) and Matthew also points to the prophecy of Isaiah being fulfilled in Jesus (Matt 1:23). Whereas people were astonished to see a “Messiah” wrapped in swaddling cloth which is always suggested for weak babies as support to weak limbs. The presence of the baby Jesus in the midst of people gave the hope for salvation as narrated in Luke 2:38. Therefore, salvation to the world does not come from the powerful but from the weak. God not only shows the magnitude of love but also the value of the child on the street, who we fail to value, teach and protect. 

These children are rag pickers who are abused and exploited, forced into begging, thieving, drug peddling, pimping, and prostitution. They suffer mentally, with a great sense of guilt and remorse which commonly fall into depression, and physically from diseases like scabies, lice, chronic dysentery, lung, ear, nose and throat infections, cuts and abrasions which are caused by poverty, malnutrition and the unhygienic surroundings in which the children are forced to work and live. 

Our view of our children often reflects the view of society or a community. Do we see children as a hope for the future, the society, the church of tomorrow and a blessing given by God? Or do we view children as essentially a problem, a scourge on the streets, the cause of burgeoning population with ecological disaster? Let us celebrate this Christmas 2020 remembering these children and make it more meaningful, reminding ourselves that baby Jesus represents the weak and oppressed sections of the society on the one side and to the rich and powerful on the other, to challenge them not to exploit or take advantage of the weak. 

Prayer

I am only a spark – Make me a fire, I am only a string – Make me a lyre, I am only a drop – Make me a fountain, I am only a feather – Make me a wing, I am only a rag – Make me a King O lord. Amen. 

Author: Rev. Amos Massey 

About the Author: Rev. Amos is an ordained minister, from the Diocese of Chandigarh-Church of North India. He is currently pursuing his Doctoral research in the department of Pastoral Care and Counselling at the United Theological College, Bangalore.

S4-Day 24: Mary’s Wrapped Secrets and Untold Stories

Luke used two times the words “swaddling cloth” in chapter two...

“7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 

The secret behind the swaddling cloth is not revealed in the Bible. It is a tradition that newborn babies are wrapped in a soft white cloth. Some NT scholars say, it may be a Lenin cloth. It was used by rich and poor as well. We know that it is common in many countries that newborn babies are wrapped in an old or soft white cloth, especially in the tropical countries. Nevertheless it is not the same cloth, which used to cover dead bodies. 

I do not know, whether the swaddling cloth has something to do with the awaited messiah or the human Jesus. Perhaps, Luke tries to attract his audience by using pictorial speech to emphasize the importance of Mary and the birth of Jesus. I am not sure how long was Mary hiding this piece of cloth or how she even got it, at the first place. Did she get it from her mother or from other women? who knew the secret? Or did Joseph get it for her? So many mysteries lie behind this swaddling cloth. Why is it a symbol for the Sheperds? Why did the angels mention about this piece of cloth? 

The mystery of Mary and the mystery of the swaddling cloth are secretes secrets kept. The gospel writers (MEN) kept Mary as a mystical figure. In contrast, Mary knew everything and kept everything in her heart. She prepared herself to unwrap the secret. Even though she had to trod a tough road, she packed a swaddling cloth in her small package. 

As women, we are forced to practice our freedom in secret spaces. The patriarchal society became dictators and owners of our bodies by commanding, “you women, don’t speak in public,” “don’t do things openly,” don’t wear sexy dresses,” so on and so forth. Often women’s stories are wrapped in swaddling cloths, it is white (“pure”) and warm (comfortable). Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloth. I appreciate Mary’s courageous decision to give birth and no longer keep the secret within her self. After that she wrapped the Baby and the Baby was lying in a manger. The swaddling cloth is not “pure-white” anymore; it is dirty with her blood and tears. The secret is uncovered! She liberated herself, and she wrapped her Son, who came to liberate others. The holy dirt revealed the secret! 

Prayer 

O God the giver of life, we are thankful for your love and just-sight. Open our eyes to the subjugation around us and help us stand against any power that tries to rule over us. Liberate us from the dirty sturctures of the society and embrace us in swaddling cloth, in Jesus name we pray. Amen. 

Author: Rev. Joy Devakani Hoppe 

About the Author: Rev. Joy is an ordained minister, currently pastoring at the Nordkirche, Germany.

S4-Day 23: He married her even though…

The story of Christmas is very exciting. It is not only because Jesus was born but also because it involves people from different walks of life. The life-events of these people are both wonderful and complicated. The priest Zacharias is speech impaired as he does not believe the words of angel Gabriel and his wife Elisabeth conceives. The shepherds who were watching over their cattle were told the good news by the angles while the wise men from the east followed a star to worship the new born king. A man and a woman were betrothed to be married. Later gets to know that woman is pregnant (not with his child). This man being just, then decides to break the engagement privately and not push her into public embarrassment. The woman was Mary and the man was Joseph. 

In all sermons that I have heard of Joseph, the preacher always mentions, “Joseph married Mary even though she was pregnant.” The thought that a woman’s body, especially her womb is the property of her husband is something that is very subtly put in our minds through such statements. We know very little about Joseph. He only appears at the birth of Jesus in the gospel according to Matthew and Luke. 

Matthew tells us that he was from the genealogy of king David. He was engaged to Mary and that he was a just man. He thus, wished to put her away privately, wherein she could be with another man (Deut. 24:1). But then the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and tell him not to put her away but to marry Mary. Joseph does as the angel of the Lord asked of him. Joseph thus, stands as a man who breaks the stereotypical notions around marriage. He sets an example by being there for Mary at the time of her delivery. He takes care of Mary. 

Quite often women are pushed into cages of fear with the society treating them with patriarchal-judgmental attitudes. However, the Christmas story changes the dirty narratives around such women. Joseph in this narrative show how he too, was engulfed by the social norms that were prevalent. Yet, the message of God through Gabriel, plays a corrective measure at the situation not only doing justice for Mary, but also become the icon men ought to look up to at such instances. 

Most of our young boys are brought up with the teaching that he is “ghar ka chirag” which means “lamp of the house.” That it is the boys who will take the name of the household forward as it is them through whom the children will be born. This also creates a lot of insecurity for men who do not have children. They are made to feel less men by the society. But the story of Christmas tells us about a man who did not become less a man by marrying a woman who was already bearing a child. 

The story of Christmas tells us of a man who goes down in history as being called the father of the son, who would save his people. How many men man-up to say I stand with ‘her’? How many men can accept to be the Josephs of our time? Would you men want to learn from Joseph or wait for Gabriel to remind what you ought to do? The choice is yours! 

Prayer 

Oh God of love and justice, you created us humans in your image to remain in union with one another reflecting you triuneness, but we failed. Give us the strength to pick ourselves from the wrong-doings and lead us to set things right. We pray this prayer in the name of the baby who came to liberate and renew life, Jesus Christ our lord. Amen. 

Author: Rev. Priscilla S Rawade 

About the Author: Rev. Priscilla is an ordained minister of the Church of North India. She completed her Bachelor of Divinity from Bishop’s College, Kolkata and her Master of Theology in Biblical Studies (Old Testament) from the United Theological College, Bangalore. She is currently teaching in the department of Biblical Studies (Old Testament) in Bishop’s College, Kolkata. 

S4-Day 22: Mary the Unwed Mother

Reflecting Verses: Read Luke 1:26-38

The liturgical traditions of the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church have various feast days in honour of Mary the mother of Jesus. Popular Christian piety in the third and second centuries elaborated her story which eventually led to progression of theological study of Mary i.e. Mariology. The church elaborated her divinity as well as her virtues as a human being thus making her more acceptable and eventually venerable. 

Thoughtful theological discussions were deliberated to establish whether she should be considered mother of God or mother of Christ, and that she was taken physically and spiritually into heaven to live with her son forever. Exalting her humanity in comparison with other women, the church discussed how she conceived a child without losing her virginity due to a sexual intercourse and continued to be a virgin even after the birth of the child. Even though there may have been difference of opinion in acceptance of Mariological doctrines by different churches yet the ‘virginal conception’ is glorified and celebrated in all the traditions. 

Irrespective of the dogmatic distinction, church has by and large presented Mary as an embodied ideal human perfection of spiritual morality. However, in doing so the more human aspect of Mary, the deliverer of God’s incarnation, has been overlooked or conveniently ignored. Mary was not married when she conceived and delivered baby Jesus. 

The idea of an unwed mother being the carrier of human salvation would have perhaps been too much for the early church to even fathom let alone to proclaim. Inherent misogyny not only placed women lower to men but regarded them to be dirty and impure. So the idea of a woman having a child outside patriarchal control i.e. marriage, would have been abhorrent. Therefore, Mary the ‘woman’ had to be glorified as Mary the virtuous ‘mother’ to be acceptable and further to be venerated. Therefore, virginal conception is held to be an important aspect. 

The scripture emphasises repeatedly that Mary found favour with God (v.28 and v.30) and she is not placed in a context where it would have been more agreeable for the society to accept a child being conceived and delivered. God does not place importance to human created social and moral boundaries. In fact, God places our salvation in the context beyond human conventions of morality. On the other hand Luke, the evangelist places Mary as the first believer, a woman willing to stand against all odds to fulfil God’s will and have faith in God’s reign. 

Mary received the Holy Spirit (v.35) much before the apostles did, God chooses an unwed mother, considered illegitimate and dirty by human standards, to deliver the sinless one. God’s action in and through Mary tell us that out of God’s profound love emanates an incessant work of reconciliation and Mary’s response tells us that fulfilling God’s desire will require courage to challenge the boundaries. 

As we prepare for Christmas let us be encouraged by God’s love to carry on the ministry of reconciliation, make positive effort towards restoring to their rightful place all those women that have been hated, abused, labelled dirty and impure. As we read, enact and reflect upon the nativity let us be inspired by Mary to know and accept God’s will and have the courage to push social and moral boundaries to influence what God values. 

Prayer

God the source of love and grace give us the wisdom to understand your scripture that we may learn to value that which you hold important and the courage to proclaim it, becoming the agents of your reign on earth. Amen. 

Author: Rev. Nitin Cutting 

About the Author: Rev. Nitin is an ordained minister of the Church of North India. He earned his Bachelor of Divinity from the Bishop’s College, Kolkata. 

S4-Day 21: Innkeeper: An Agent of Transformation

Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room at the inn (Luke 2: 7). It reminds me of a quotation, “Christmas is built upon a beautiful and intentional paradox; that the birth of the homeless should be celebrated in every home.” 

A long time ago I came across a story which goes like this… 

A poor little boy was sleeping on the street on a cold winter night. It was so cold that, he walked to a policeman and asked; “sir, do you know any place where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight? It is very cold, would be nice to have a warm place to stay.” The policeman looked down at the little boy and said; “you go down the street to that big house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say; John 3:16 and they will let you in. So, he did. He walked up to the house and knocked on the door, and a lady answered. He looked up and said, “John 3:16.” The lady said come in son. She took him in and she sat him down in front of an old fireplace. The boy sat there for a while and thought, “I do not understand John 3:16, but sure it makes a cold boy warm.” After sometimes the lady asked him “Are you hungry?” he said, “yes”. The lady served him with different types of delicious food. He ate and ate until he could eat no more. Then he thought to himself, I am sure I still do not understand John 3:16, but it sure makes a hungry boy full. She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water, as he soaked, he thought, I still do not understand John 3:16, but it makes a dirty boy clean. After the bath, the lady took him to a room, tucked him into a big feather bed, and wished him good night. As he lay in darkness, he thought, Oh I still do not understand John 3:16 but it makes a tired boy rest. The next morning the lady served him as she did earlier. And then she sat down in front of him and asked, do you understand John 3:16? He replied, “no ma’am, I do not.” “The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it,” she opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about God’s love through Jesus. He sat there and thought, “though I do not understand John 3:16, it sure makes a lost boy feel safe, I think that is how I ought to make other homeless people feel.” 

Do we understand John 3:16? Our reflection on the innkeeper story invites us to explore how we offer welcome and hospitability, especially to those who have the greatest need among us; to see each other through the eyes of the one who came to offer God’s love and compassion, and to mirror the lessons of Christmas in our lives not just in this Holy season – but every day of the year. Let us be an agent of transformation today. 

Prayer 

Dear God, let our heart’s door be ever open, ready to welcome you and your people in need. Help us to be kind to our fellow travellers in life, a little more caring, compassionate and hospitable. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. 

Author: Gifta Angline Kumar 

About the Author: Gifta hails from Odisha. She belongs to the Church of North India, Sambalpur Diocese. She recently completed her residential Doctoral Research from SATHRI.

S4-Day 20: The Stable and its Political Overtones

I do not for one moment think that Jesus would have been born in a palace or any luxurious place had that been an option to consider. But I do wonder if Jesus being born in a poor and stinky stable was an act of solidarity with the poor and lowly or a political statement against the wealth and greed of the Empire. But then the two need not be independent of each other, after all every act of solidarity is a political statement. 

For many the stable reflects Jesus’ poverty. If the presence of the stable represents the absence of the most basic necessities, then the absence of a comfortable and healthy surrounding worthy of a new born baby should press us to question the conditions that gave rise to a deficit of essentials and a paucity of peace and liberty in first-century Palestine. Why were the poor poor? Why was there no safe and clean space for a new born baby? What was life like under the Roman rule? What accounted for Bethlehem’s low political influence? 

Jesus’ birth in a stable does not imply that poverty is a given or a legitimate condition that must be embraced by those already living it. Rather, being birthed in a stable is an act that tells people of today just as it did to those then that revolutions emerge from the margins: from hands and feet that toiled above and beyond requirement, from lips that spoke words none cared to count, and from bodies that knew pain and tribulation. The birth of Jesus in a stable of an impoverished city signaled the beginning of the end of the tyranny of forcibly exalted thrones. After all, it was the child of a stable that later grew up to overturn tables. 

To pluck Jesus out of the stable and wrap him up in royal and decorative robes is to abuse the meaning of the incarnation and do a disservice to the very people that Jesus was birthed amongst. Furthermore, to isolate Jesus’ birth from the death of children that followed (Matt. 2:16-17) is to ignore the encircling violence experienced and thrust upon ‘nonessential’ bodies. The stable, then, serves to remind us to remember the poor, the oppressed, the violated, the bruised and the conditions they live and survive in, even those in our own locales. Jesus’ birth in a stable is an act of political solidarity with the disenfranchised and we would be wise to pay attention to the politics of his birth. 

Prayer

God of the stable, forgive us for clothing you with riches and wealth and turning you into what you are not. Help us return to the heart of this season, remember the purpose of your birth, and care for the uncared and attend to the wounded. In your name we pray, Amen. 

Author: Arvind Theodore 

About the Author: Arvind Theodore is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary, New York. He is the author of Church and Human Sexuality and blogs at Reflections: Where the Personal is Political. 

S4-Day 19: Donkey- The Dirty Animal

There is a saying in Tamil that explains how, camphor’s aroma is never known to a ‘donkey.’ Metaphorically expounding, that camphor, which in India is used for worship in temples and as a symbol of sanctification, that such an element’s ritualistic significance could seldom, if not never be understood by an animal as dumb and dirty as a donkey (the animal usually denotes an unworthy or ungrateful individual). Ironically twenty centuries earlier in the history of time, donkeys in Jesus’ journey (before and after his birth) are dirty creatures that truly understood the camphor’s significance. 

The lowliest of animals that people could own during that period, in that region was a donkey, as it still is in most parts of the world. The dereliction that these animals were and/or are subject to is enormous, despite their usefulness. And how often are donkeys characterized in comparison with doing dirty work is astounding, for example the person smuggling narcotics is called a drug mule. The logic we wilfully ignore in this scenario is, only persons with an exceeded necessity and the absolute non-existence of other occupation that could have met their ends is, what coerces them to be involved in the illegal transportation and acquiring of harmful drugs while a handful of others reap the benefit of the mule’s dirty work; such acts occur due to an absence of opportunities but not greed. 

To this day in India, people belonging to a certain sect of the lower caste (Dhobis) are still the ones who carry out the work of washing dirty laundry as their profession, suitably so donkeys are the meek creatures that are assigned as their carrier. Our country abides by the norms of social conventions from thousands of years which dictates, that people born into certain communities should still be tethered to historic and presumptuous standards. 

However, that same history teaches us, that God intervened to break the increasing trends of divisionism that were moulded to outcast a few millions as ‘dirty’. God did not stop at choosing the ‘donkey’- a dirty animal to be the carrier of good news and hope but went on to insinuate that, this dirty creature was never intended to be dirty at the cusp of creation neither should it be now. God’s use of metaphors in life is incredible, if we read the scriptures with spiritual precepts and the occasional reading between the lines, we would not miss them. God’s spirit is kindred with the lowly in heart, further unveiling why the ‘dirty donkey’ was chosen yet again to carry Jesus on her back during his triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Mark11: 1-11). 

From paving a humble and sanctified beginning for a prince in the womb of his Mother to carrying that same prince who was exalted as the King of all kings; from ensuring that the birth of the Saviour was not widespread news, to enabling all of Jerusalem to glorify that same Redeemer as the Messiah, God chose the ‘donkey’s’ narrative to be rewritten and not misused in history. The animated movie ‘The Star’ based on the birth of Christ to have a radical narration of the donkey in Christ’s Story, is a movie to watch this Christmas season. 

God’s timely intervention in the birth and life of Christ along with the redeemer’s actions had assured to shatter stereotypical practices and behaviours across borders. As believers in Christ it is our great honour and duty to follow what Jesus taught; by becoming agents of intervention, who design measures to unhook the chain of social hierarchy and impede the cycle of insensitive labelling of living souls. 

Prayer 

God of life implore with us to be sensitive and nurturing of all living things. It is our responsibility as believers to uphold life by becoming mindful and respectful of other, guide us do so. Amen. 

Author: Ramya Angelina 

About the Author: Ramya is a theology enthusiast, an avid reader, animal lover, environmental conservative, and mystery movie buff. She calls herself an amateur writer. She began by writing reports on church related activities from the perspective of a young person and gradually took to the habit to voice unspoken truth, to bring a feminist’s perspective in spirituality. She currently works as a Lecturer of Commerce Lecturer.

S4- Day 18: The Shepherds and Their Dirty Homes

During the first year of my priesthood, I was posted in rural congregations, where I had the experience of caroling in villages. This was my first exposure to reality. I visited around 18 villages for Carols irrespective of people being members or not. It was then, that I encountered the cruel life-realities of the shepherds. 

The shepherd’s image we see of Christ in calendars, posters, biblical verses, is not the reality. The shepherds are weak, poverty-stricken and maimed. They do not even own the sheep they rear. They only tend them for their masters (landlords) and the dominant caste people. 

Their houses are the dirtiest among the dirtiest with lambs and sheep everywhere. On them, the lambs are kept inside a thatched house during the night so that the dogs or thieves do not steal them. The rains worsen the situation. There would be sheep droppings all over the dirtied house and the stench would make anyone puke. It is in these conditions the shepherds live. 

Their lives are a struggle they do not merely rear them they have names for their sheep. They call them and some even get fed from the shepherd’s plates or even jump on their lap to sleep. When the time of slaughter comes they give the sheep away with a heavy heart. They mostly do not eat its meat. It is an internal battle for every shepherd, the battle between sustenance and the sheep's innocence. They know that their lives depend on the slaughter of the sheep. Yet, the sheep's innocence, love and memories, pain them with teary eyes while giving the sheep away. 

With my limited knowledge about a shepherd’s house I visited them, only to encounter their brutal reality. At first, they asked me not to come in, due to its unclean spaces and the stench. Yet, I entered amidst that stench, I prayed and blessed them, and their sheep. While I was talking, I was thirsty. So, I asked for a glass of water. They did offer me water but requested me saying, “please do not to mind the dirty smell around, Ayyah, because this is how we live.” Wishing them with Christmas greetings their faces expressed immense joy. 

It was after this incident that I realized how joyful it would have been for the shepherds in the field that night. They would have been dirty, stinky and weary, but, vigilant safeguarding their sheep from wild animals and thieves. The beauty of the Christmas message is that, the good news brings greater joy to the least recognized, those whom we consider dirty, stinky and illiterates. It is to these dirtiest people the Birth of Emmanuel was first announced. 

Often when we eat mutton biryani on Christmas day we do not know how the meat reached our plate. To have your best and cleanest mutton, there are these dirty shepherds with pain and hardships in life. Just as the Lord says to the Pharisees in Luke 11:39, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. Why love mutton and be disgusted with the shepherd? 

May we not discriminate or look down on those who live among dirtiest neighborhoods. They are constantly struggling to live life. They strive hard live despite poverty and inequality. We must remember, even the Savior of the world was poor and was born in a dirty manger, wrapped in unclean leftover clothes. This Christmas let us not express disgust at the sight of someone poor and dirty. Remember we are the reason they struggle harder to live their life. Let us make a difference. Do what you think would make them joyful. 

Prayer 

Our God who created everyone in your own image, help us to respect and treat everyone with honor and dignity. May we not look down on people for their lives and situations. May we be like the host of angels to reach the most unreached, unrecognized, unacknowledged among us. We ask all this in the name of the shepherd who laid down his life, Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen

Author: Rev. Raj Kumar Johnwesley

About the Author: Raj Kumar JohnWesley is the son of a Sexton. He completed his BD from United Theological College, Bangalore. He is currently serving the CSI Madras Diocese as Presbyter. His interests are reading, drama and sports.

S4-Day 17: The Drummer Boy & The Best He had

Music is a gift of God. From the beginning of creation till its consummation as written in Revelation. The songs and music has accompanied the journey of all lives. Be it for the Israelites from the exodus events, with the disciples of Jesus himself, till today. Music and songs are part of the everyday life expression of Christians. What is Christmas without songs and Christmas carols? We dare not ask or even think of it. When Christ was born on the very first Christmas night, angels were singing and heavenly music filled the earth as described by the Gospel writers. It has led many creative hands, gifted voices and imaginative minds to write new songs and music every year during this season. 

The little drummer boy comes out of this passionate expression of the significance of the baby born in Bethlehem. It has become one of the most beloved Christmas Carols for around 150 years now. The story is about a poor boy that had no gift for the King Jesus and therefore played his drum as a gift. The music was told to have pleased the little baby, as he smiled and delighted. Written in the 1940’s by Katherine K. Davis, the song conveys a simple message that we often forget. It is a fable not a historical event. Yet it has warmed the hearts of millions, with its subject matter: the little boy gave the best he had; not his drum, but his precious time and his invaluable talent of playing the drums. He gave the best he had at that moment in time. He could have come back few hours later and present the little baby Jesus with something different and worthwhile. But no, he chose the best he had was to present the King with his gift of playing the drum. This may be a fable, but a reality for many of us. Acts 20:35b reminds us the significance of “God gave” Jesus Christ for us, in that Jesus demonstrated with his life as he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. The Little boy did his best with giving the best he had. 

The Pandemic has curtailed our plans; has taken many lives that we loved. It has fed us with fear, anxieties and insecurities. Yet it has brought out the positive side of humanity as well. We witnessed thousands of individuals, group of peoples, NGOs, Churches and others helping around. They did not wait till things turn better for themselves. They did not wait till they feel it was easier to help. They did not wait for the next season to start. When presented with circumstances, they gave their best. 

Despite belonging to various faiths, they selflessly demonstrated the God’s command of giving in times of need. Many demonstrated what we often remind during the season of Christmas, that is, to focus on what we can give to others rather than focusing on what we will be getting. We may have several issues that the pandemic and lockdown has created. Migrants who are in need of shelter and food, loss of jobs, overcrowding and homelessness, social discrimination, domestic violence, and many others. Matthews 25:40 teaches us that as we serve our fellow humans, we are also serving our savior Jesus Christ. 

Let our wisdoms and our words be not just fables and our voice and action not be like noises but music that lifts others around us. This Christmas season, there are plenty of things to be cheerful for and many more to overcome. But I must remind you this, do not wait when Christ is lying in our road sides, in our community and in our neighborhood. Do not hold up when they need the least of what we have. We give not just because we care. But we give because we love. We will play our drum, and as little Baby Jesus did in the song, smiling and acknowledging the little boy’s efforts, he is surely looking at us and smiling again. 

Prayer 

Dear Lord, we thank you for not withholding your mercies and grace from us and accepting us as we are. Help us to reflect your goodness and gentleness through our life. Let our actions and our voice, be the sound that lifts others from their negligence, their suffering and injustice. We pray all these in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Author: Mebanshem Lawai 

About the Author: Mebanshem hails from Meghalaya. He completed his Bachelor of Divinity from Serampore College. He has worked with Student Christian Movement of India as the regional secretary, NEI region. He is currently serving as a probationary pastor with the Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod in-charge of the local congregation at Mawryngkneng Church, Meghalaya. Music is one of his interests.

S4-Day 16: A Shit-Stained Christmas Tree: For the Healing of the Nations

Reflecting verse: 

“On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” 

-Revelation 22:2

On Christmas, during my Sunday school days, I remember vividly, we presented the popular Christmas song “O Christmas Tree” swinging tree branches in our hands. Until now we were never told what a tree had to do with Christmas. Biblically, Jesus was neither born in a forest nor under a tree or on a tree. So, why Christmas tree? Who started it? When and where did this tradition of Christmas tree begin? What is the purpose of cutting down a young, perfectly well-shaped, healthy pine/fir/spruce or any evergreen conical tree just to decorate it and throw away after/on the Twelfth Night (Epiphany)? Is it a satirical welcoming of Jesus that barely 33 years later he would be nailed on a tree (Acts 5:30)? Or is it a metaphorical celebration of decorating a cross? 

There could be a hundred questions and one may answer tracing the pre-Christian era practices and legends or justify by the usage of plastic/synthetic tree ducking the ecological concern, or that it symbolises a sign of everlasting life with God and other theological representations, or one may just say that a Christmas without a Christmas tree is incomplete. The answer lies on one’s own fantasy of interpretation. Nevertheless, considering its relevance, significance and the ecological concerns in today’s context, it is quite extraneous particularly in the milieu of the Indian society. So why Christmas Tree in our Indian context? 

Contextually, conical evergreen tree does not picture the general image of India rather it does with a Banyan or a Peepal (sacred fig) tree let alone the decorated tree. Decorated with ornaments such as twinkling-lights, stockings, wreaths, swags, tree skirts, candy cane, Santa Clause, hanging icicles, figurines, glass balls, stars do not signify ‘true’ Christmas in our Indian context neither culturally nor traditionally. Speaking of its significances, there has been no signs of any Indianness in it either in its legends or myths. Ecologically, cutting trees (considering its authenticity), the plastic/synthetic trees (usually contain a dubious chemical called polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, “which produces carcinogens during manufacturing and disposal”) and the ornamental material themselves are hazards to the nature. 

How true do we find about the birth of Jesus in Christmas tree? If Christmas tree is considered to be as an identity or a symbol of Christmas in its ‘trueness,’ there has to be an incorporation of the ambiances of the birth of Jesus which does not have any decoration but of coldness, emptiness, filth and shit. That is the identity and the symbol of the birth of the Son of God in dirty places. We have over romanticised Christmas with great pomp and show turning it into a carnival. Do you want to symbolise a ‘true’ Christmas over a tree? Then, planted shit-stained tree. That is the true Christmas tree. 

Rather than the decorated ‘Christmas tree’ without any essence of neither life-giving nor fruit-bearing tree as its identity to the of birth of Jesus. we better identify with the ‘Tree of Life’ himself who bears “twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” particularly in times of the pandemic. 

Prayer

O God you became flesh through Christ our lord, who was born in a shitty place, the stable. You taught us humility and love through radical means. Open our eyes to see your love this Christmas, so, we may share it among all creation to bring healing to the nations. Amen.

Author: Jianthaolung Gonmei

About the Author: Jianthaolung comes from a small town Tamenglong in Manipur. He completed Bachelor of Divinity at The United Theological College, Bangalore and is currently working as Executive Secretary – Youth Concerns in National Council of Churches in India, Nagpur