Recently, while I was ministering in the Delft Island, I met an Islander who migrated to Killinochi. He introduced himself and struck a conversation with me. During the talk, he spoke about his good-old golden days of his youth, while we ferried across.
He shared an interesting incident about a relative and his friends. He said, “my relative and his friends were planning to go a place. I was wondering, what made this boy so interested to go a island in the first place? In my 70 years of life, I have never seen such enthusiasm among islanders to visit an island. I was curious to know where, so I asked them, "Thambi, where are you going?" They replied, "Sencholai" (The place had an asylum for the victimized children of the Civil War, who had lost their parents).
I was happy and proud to know they wanted to visit orphan children. But, while returning, we crossed each other again. I eagerly asked about their experience at ‘Sencholai’ but I was upset with their replies. They said, ‘yeah today we got a good young cow, and the meat was very tasty.’ I was taken by surprise to know that these guys named it Sencholai because it was easy for them to illegally slaughter unnamed cows (Delft Islanders generally stamp their names on the cow for identification). I felt irked at the youngsters’ act of social disinterest and lack of integrity. Their interest was not towards the Orphaned Children but for the unnamed cows for slaughter.
I see that even in Jesus’ birth narrative a similar line comes through. There was a place for the cows, but not for Son of God. His impoverished parents were migrants and all they could find was a stable. The world never realized a liberator of the world could be born in a lowly manger. The Jews and Wiseman expected the redeemer to be born in a royal palace. But God chose to inaugurate reconciliation and reign from a dirty place, the manger.
In Sri Lanka, the poor never get their due respect. While the cows are deemed more important, the mothers, wives and children are on the streets, fighting for justice for their forcibly abducted men of the house. The Sri Lankan Government ignores pressing issues like the plea for wage-hike by the thousands of Tamil Tea Plantation workers but brings an immediate amendment to Animal Act, The Cattle Slaughter Ordinance w.e.f. September 29,2020. We live in a society where Cows get more attention and respect that is due to the marginalized communities. Where is justice?
Through Christmas we realize that we cannot expect Christ to be born in rich palaces but in regions like the Upcountry (hill region in Sri Lanka), in slums, roads and among the homeless. As Christians we must change our elite supremacist world view to a humble world-view, where we serve and share our lives and livelihood with the poor and the needy and stand in solidarity while they raise their voice for their rights. This Christmas let us give importance to what Christ and his teachings and do what God expects us to do: “to do justice, walk humbly with our God.”
Prayer
Loving parent God, you created us in your image, but by our evil minds we have lost your identity. We are eager to redress your image to live a peaceful and just life in this world with our fellow humans. We pray for the tea plantation workers who are living in the upcountry of Sri Lanka, and for our sisters who lost their family members in the civil war. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Author: Rev. W. Jebasingh Samuvel
About the Author: W. Jebasingh Samuvel is a passionate Christian artist, an independent film maker and an ordained minister of Jaffna Diocese, Church of South India in Sri Lanka. He migrated to Sri Lanka in 2017 and currently serves as a presbyter in CSI Church, Colombo.
No comments:
Post a Comment