Don't fear the reaper?

I read two rather tragic stories today.  A trainer at Sea World was killed by a whale, and an X-games skier was killed while skiing.  In the article I read about the skier, one person gave himself consolation by saying the skier died while doing what he loved.  I didn’t read that about the trainer, but it was clear that she was doing what she loved. She was doing what she dreamed of doing since she was 8 years old.

It got me thinking.  If you had a choice, would you want to die while doing what you love to do? 

I’m reminded of Dimebag Darrell (yes, I know what a dime bag is), the founder and guitarist of Pantera.  While playing on stage with his new band, Damage Plan, a fan who was angry at Dimebag for breaking up Pantera, went up on stage and shot Dimebag and a few others.  Dimebag was killed while on stage, doing what he loved.

But do you really think he wanted to go out like that? 

I have a hard time believing that the skier, the trainer, and Dimebag would have preferred to die the way they did.  But we’ll never know.

I remember in the movie “Matrix,” when Cypher was about to pull the plug on Switch, she said “Not like this.  Not like this,” in a sad, helpless, futile plea in those few moments she realized she was about to die.  That would be my thought if I had those moments to contemplate before my eventual death.  But is there a way I would say, “Yes, like this!  Like this!”?

I don’t think so.  Even if someone were to tell me I was going to die in my sleep and I wouldn’t feel a thing, I would be afraid to sleep.

The mode of death scares me, and that mysterious transition from life to death, I admit my anxieties in that.  I’ve had dreams when I had died.  Once I was shot.  I remember the fear that I felt knowing that I was about to die.  Though those dreams happened when I had no sense of eternal security, even now I would have that anxiety.  Not because of what happens after death, but the journey to get there.

I might also be thinking, “Wait, I haven’t finished all I had wanted to do.  Give me more time, God!”  

Death isn’t an exciting thing to contemplate on.  But I think it’s a good thing to do from time to time.  Maybe it will sensitize us to the deadly atrocities that happen around the world.  Perhaps when we read about the person murdered in the news, it won’t be “Oh, who died this time?”  But rather, understand the pain the person went through.

As I write this, I realized that perhaps my fear or anxieties of dying has softened my heart to these incidents like the trainer and the skier, to the young kid killed in the midst of street violence, to the many killed in genocide in far away nations.  Perhaps it’s a healthy fear.

Perhaps.

Revisiting the Mission Mandate: Making Better People or Making Disciples

This is an article I wrote for the Mar Thoma Theological Seminary annual magazine, chalanam.  It's a bit on the rambling side, not much cohesion, etc., but I think the point is put across.  The theme of the magazine was "Christian Witness: Revisiting the Mission Mandate of the Church." Since that magazine isn't available to the public, but only theological institutions, clergy and sponsors, I thought I'd publish my article here.  Forgive the low standards of writing.

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I once heard that Christian missions is about making better Hindus, better Muslims, and better Buddhists.  In other words, missions is about making better people with no motivation for those people to come to the saving knowledge of Christ.  While this view may not be the majority view of missionaries in India, I do believe it does exist in both missionaries and scholars who just like to talk about missions. But I simply cannot agree with this notion of mission.  I believe that if you are a Christian, believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then you should not be content with simply making better people.  If you did hold to the “better people” notion, I suggest that you are contradicting the Christian faith in which you profess.  What I would like to do here is take a look at Matthew 28:19 and 20, with emphasis on 19a, and show how this “better people” notion simply cannot be what Christian missions is about.  We need to revisit this mission mandate of the Church.


Disciples
Looking at Matthew 28:19 & 20, we see that Jesus commands that we make disciples of all nations by baptizing them and teaching them all that he had commanded.  Grammatically, this text’s main verb is the imperative “make disciples.”  The other two verbs of “baptizing” and “teaching” explain the means by which one is to make disciples.  So if to “make disciples” is the main verb, Jesus makes it quite clear that he desires all people to follow him alone.  This could very well be the end of the argument.  How could you possibly dispute that mission mandate of Christ by saying Christians are to only make better people?  However, I think more can be said to on this.

We must ask: what does it mean to be disciple? Discipleship is a prevalent theme in the Gospel of Matthew.  All throughout this Gospel, what Jesus expects from his disciples is given, and it reaches its climax in this text.  Understanding that, I would like to give a very brief summary of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus according to Matthew.

To be a disciple, one must first and foremost be called by Jesus, and they should respond by following him.  When following Jesus, they are called to suffer.  That does not mean they should go looking for ways to suffer.  Rather, they should be ready to suffer, denying themselves for the mission of Christ, even to the point of death.  In addition, they are to engage with the communities they come in contact with, preaching the Kingdom of Heaven, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, giving fellowship to the stranger, clothing the naked, visiting the prisoners.  This requires both the proclamation of the Gospel and the acting out of the Gospel.  Also, disciples are to strive to live a life of moral perfection, to be above reproach, because God our Father is perfect.  Finally, and this is most important for our discussion here, and it is the climax of this Gospel: disciples are required to make disciples of all nations.

To make a disciple is thus not to make a better person absent of any allegiance to Jesus Christ.  Rather, they are to become followers of Christ in every way: self-denial, proclaiming the Gospel, healing the sick, giving justice to those facing injustice, and striving to live a life as morally perfect as Jesus did. When one converts to Christianity, they are confessing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and becoming obedient in every way to him.  They are becoming a disciple.

Love motivation
All of what a disciple does, as mentioned above, is done because they love God with all their heart, soul and mind, and love their neighbor as themselves.  Someone can do all the things a disciple does, but if he does not love, his actions are futile.  This love motivation is the most important part of Christian missions.  Conversion is a desire. However, it is not to make Christians in number.  Rather, it is because you love them, as this is a life or death issue.   

Let us digress from Matthew for a moment and go to the Gospel of John, and look at one of the most quoted Scripture in regards to the Gospel message, John 3:16.  God gave his only begotten son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish.  The call to missions is not about bringing in as many converts as possible.  It is because out of love, you do not wish for them to perish.  Therefore, you share the Gospel of Christ to them in hopes that they come to believe and have life in Christ.

If you do not have a desire to share the Gospel to people of other faiths, then I suggest one of two things is true: 1) you do not love them enough, or 2) you do not believe that Christ is necessary for salvation (i.e. without him, you will not perish).  If it is the latter, then I humbly question the faith you say you profess – because you are rejecting what Christ said.  Or perhaps the reality of what Jesus saved you from has been forgotten or not  realized.  If the reason you do not share the Gospel is because you do not love them enough, then as a disciple, we should ask God to help us love our neighbor.  If you were about to die because of something you were doing, but you did not know you were doing this to yourself, would you not want someone to tell you?  In the same way, if we know the Gospel, and thereby having faith that Jesus has saved us from death through his own death and resurrection, would you not want to give that same hope to our neighbor?  Therefore, we should learn to love them that much to share this gospel of hope and salvation that we find in Jesus Christ.

Letting our light shine
Another thing Jesus says in Matthew is that disciples are the light of the world.  Disciples are to let their light shine such that when other people see their good deeds, they will glorify God.  This would be a result of doing what a disciple does out of love.  The love-motivated action is a proclamation of the Gospel itself. 

Our call to missions is to let our light shine in our works in this world.  Otherwise, the Church will be just another humanitarian organization that helps in the time of need; but in the end, what good does it do if no one comes to know Christ?  If we love them, if we love God, we will let our light shine by doing what a disciple should do out of love.  Our light, I believe, is most clearly shone when our deeds follow the very Gospel we believe and proclaim, and done out of love for God and neighbor.

The Christian worldview
As a disciple, we need to develop a worldview.  In today’s age, many would argue that you cannot have a universal worldview.  The worldview changes from context to context, even within the Christian faith.  I beg to differ.  There is one worldview that transcends contexts:  We are all sinners in need of a Savior, Jesus Christ.  This worldview acknowledges why we will perish: for our sin.  It also acknowledges the need for Jesus Christ.

This worldview is necessary to be a disciple who engages in Gospel proclamation and social action.  As I had noted earlier, a disciple is not just proclaiming. He is also helping those who are facing injustices.  Why?  Because of the sin of humanity, systems have been put in place that are oppressive and can marginalize.  With this Christian worldview, we acknowledge the sin that has created that system, and we help those who suffer as a result of it.  Not only that, we strive to transform these sinful systems by the Gospel.  Those that create and continue the oppressive systems, and those who suffer by them, are all equally loved.  They are all equally in need of the Gospel.  But those who suffer also need help in their suffering as well.   It is out of our love for them, both the oppressor and the sufferer are to be helped in our mission to all nations.   

This worldview must be objectively true to the disciple.  In other words, we cannot say “this is my worldview, but it is not true outside of my own domain.”  While others may not agree with the statement that we are all sinners in need of a savior, it does not change the fact that you believe this to be true universally.  For if it was not universal, we do not believe in anything.  Therefore, we must make disciples of all nations, because all people are sinners in need of Jesus as their Savior.

N.T. Wright, in his book The New Testament and the People of God, has us look back to A.D. 25.  At that time, we can see that Christianity did not even exist.  100 years later, the Roman emperor had already made policy in regards to the punishment of Christians.  Christianity was seen as distinct from Judaism. How did Christianity grow so fast despite being a religion that was persecuted (even to the death) by other communities and the Roman Empire?  Wright says it was because early Christians believed that the truth they had found was true for the whole world.  Missions sprang from the very heart of this early Christian conviction.   In other words, they had a worldview that all are sinners in need of a Savior, Jesus Christ.

Conclusion: Are we to make better people?
If we are disciples of Jesus, if we are followers of him, we must be obedient to our Lord who has authority over heaven and earth.  Jesus says we are to make disciples of all nations.  Therefore, we should proclaim Christ to all nations in hopes that they also will choose to follow Jesus.  If it was to make better Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists, then there is no need for obedience and allegiance to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, which contradicts the very nature of being a disciple.
   
That is the mission mandate: to make disciples of all nations.  It is done out of love for God and neighbor.  It is done with the worldview that all people are sinners and in need of a Savior, Jesus Christ.  It is done to transform this world as we aim to end the social injustices in it.  It is not to make better people, but to help make the lives of people better, both physically and eternally.

Let us revisit this mission mandate and ask ourselves: Do we truly believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that by believing in him, we will not perish?  Do we love God and our neighbor to the point that we will proclaim the Gospel to all nations, even if it means we will be persecuted for it?  It is out of love for God and neighbor that we are to be obedient to our Lord’s commission: make disciples of all nations.  Therefore, this is not about making better people, but having a conviction that all people are sinners in need of a savior, Jesus Christ.

Sinful thoughts on Women

Ever since I was a teenager, I had this idea that the more I sin in any given day, the worse my day would be the next day.  What would make my day worse?  My dad being mad at me for something.  Having bad luck with a homework assignment.  Studying the wrong material for an exam.  Being late for school.  Drum Corps director getting on my case about my lack of skill.  Saying stupid things without thinking that hurt a friendship, or hurt a person’s impression of me.  Basically all those things that make me really frustrated with myself.  And I felt there was a connection with my frustration and the sin of the previous day.

I also felt that there was a correlation with sin and women.  My senior year in high school, I had this huge crush on a freshman.  Probably the biggest crush I’ve ever had in my life.  But our chemistry was off and on.  When it was on, it was heaven.  When it was off, it was like ice.  I realized that when I’m sinning less, our chemistry is better.  So I tried my best to stay clear of anything and everything that will cause me to stumble.  She became the desire for me to be sinless.

Well, that failed miserably.  Nothing ever happened between us.  All that effort to be holy was for nothing.  But I didn’t learn my lesson.

In college my thought pattern never changed.  There was a very clear correlation between my sinfulness and my irritation, frustration, and “bad luck.”  While I did not have a huge crush on someone to provide a motivation to be sinless, I really did not like it when I would have this short fuse with my dad on the phone, or everything going wrong in terms of school, or just having a very down day.  I remember many days when I’d just eat and eat, not because I was hungry, but because I was depressed.  There was a correlation between that feeling and sin.  So I tried not to sin whenever I hit those peaks.

My junior year in college, my life changed.  This sin problem I had was a big problem.  It wasn’t so much because it gave me really bad days, which I felt was God’s chastisement.  But it was keeping me from fixing myself.  I knew I was going to hell for 2 years, but my sin and love for sin kept me from doing anything about it.  And you’d think hell would be enough motivation to fix yourself.  But in 1997, I realized it’s not about fixing myself and coming to Christ, but letting Christ fix me.  I gave my life to Christ.  I felt a peace that I had never felt before.  And as for my sinful tendencies…

… they continued.

Now on top of the chastisement of having a bad day, I actually feel the conviction for my sin.  I feel the guilt.  I then confess.  And if I feel like my act of confession is done insincerely, I even confess for that.  It’s like sin will just not quit.

And it continues with the ladies.  Seems like every time I’m really connecting with a lady, the connection dies when I hit a sin streak.  If it’s off and on, I’ll see a correlation with my sin.

So now while I know my sin does not please God, and that is the only reason why I should not sin, I still blame my sin for my bad days and my singleness.  Even though I’m not theologically convinced there’s a correlation, I am convinced from experience that there is one.  In fact, in writing this, I feel like it’s out of frustration of my sinfulness.  It just doesn't end.

Armageddon? Let's dance!

What would American movies be like if they adopted the obligatory song and dance that Malayalam movies and Bollywood movies have?  This was something I found myself pondering yesterday.  So I thought I would pick a movie and find moments in the movie where a song and dance could occur.  In addition, usually when there’s a dance, the scenery keeps changing.  What different settings could be used in each dance in the American movie?   The movie I chose for this test is Armageddon.

Dance 1
The first song and dance will happen after some time.  It wouldn’t fit in the initial meteor shower, obviously.  The scene on the oil rig – maybe.  But I don’t think it would be proper.  Then Harry gets called into NASA.  Still not appropriate.  But then the crew is assembled and brought to NASA.  The training begins.  During that training, a song and dance can definitely take place.

Scene:  There’s already a montage of sorts in the movie during the training session.  That will be replaced by the song and dance.
Settings: underwater simulator room, the oil rig, the hanger, and the shuttle platform.

Dance 2
This is the easiest one. 

Scene: When A.J. proposes to Grace.
Settings: The area where he proposed, some grassy field with flowers, the desert, the oil rig.

Dance 3
This one would be my favorite.

Scene: After Max died, Harry says to prepare the world for bad news.  Then as they were packing up their stuff, the other Armadillo arrives.  A.J. didn’t die as they feared, and they have a new Armadillo to keep drilling.  When A.J. comes out and Harry greets him, they start dancing.
Settings: On the meteor, while in their space suits, with the nuclear bomb.

If I had the means, I’d make those scenes just for fun.  But I don’t have the means.

Indecent proposals

In my final year at the seminary, which is next year, I will have to do a thesis.  What I do my thesis on is determined this year.  By the end of January, I have to submit two thesis proposals, and then the faculty decides which one I will do.

We were supposed to have chosen an area or two of interest since last year, read on it, and have our thesis derive out of those interests.  However, I simply cannot keep my interest on just one or two things.  Even within this semester itself, in the past month or so, I’ve had new areas of interest come up.   I need to narrow these down to two in a week or so, so I can write up the proposals, and think of titles.

• Developing a Global Context (or World View).  This is in regards to Contextual Theology.  I want to show that while all theologies emerge from a context, it does not mean that such “truths” are relative to context, but are universal.  In other words, God uses history and life settings to help us interpret the scriptures.  For example, Dalit theology is not only for Dalits, but could have truths that transcend the Dalit community into the global community.  Contextual theologies also have to be tested.  What is truth and what is subjective?  That would be a difficult task to develop such a criteria.
  
  
• Could Calvinism have emerged from India?  This would be a challenge to prove that it can.  But it is to show that context does not bias truth, only people do.  This would be difficult because I’d have to explore Hindu philosophical systems.  After a brief read on Gandhian ideas, I think it could possibly emerge from that system of thought.
  
  
• Understanding Calvinism in India and its missiological significance.  I find that Calvinism is prematurely struck down in Indian theological circles and badly misunderstood.  If Calvinism were understood with the Cross being central, and not the doctrine of predestination, I think it would be empowering to the Church and its missionary activity in this country.
  
  
• A critique of the missionary endeavors of the World Council of Churches.  When you study the history of the ecumenical movement, you see that it started with a desire to evangelize the world.  However, after the WCC was formed, this desire deteriorated.  Instead, it has been one of dialogue with other faiths with no desire of evangelism.  I would do a study on the Biblical commission to mission and evangelism, and compare it with the actions of the WCC.
  
  
• Redefining infant baptism as practiced by the Mar Thoma Church so to be understood rationally from the Scriptures.  This was a recent inspiration.  My friend’s mom got on the offensive, questioning the need for infant baptism.  Her rationalizing made no sense, and also she was in no way ready to listen to what I was saying.  However, that irritation inspired this. I felt it was necessary to develop a rational case for it.  I say “redefining” only to say that there are certain terms we do not use, such as covenant theology, in the Mar Thoma Church.  I think it is implied, but it is not explicitly there.  I may or may not go into the mode of baptism, but I don’t know yet.

That’s about it.  There were other ideas I had at the beginning of my seminary career here, but have long since scrapped.  These are the latest that have been on my mind this year.

Which two I will eventually choose, I haven’t the slightest idea.  But it is likely that the WCC one will not make the cut.  Maybe the “Contextual Calvinism” will not either.    I guess we’ll find out in a few weeks.

And the meaning of Christmas is.....

I was attending service at my mother’s home parish in Kuriannoor this past Sunday.  There was a guest preacher that day.  He was giving a Christmas message of some sort – although I couldn’t really understand it since it was all in Malayalam.

At one point in the sermon, he started getting louder and louder, as if he were building to a climax.  But before he reached that climax, the fuse for the sound system blew.  But he kept preaching, unaware that his voice wasn’t being projected to everyone in the sanctuary.  Finally the sound system was turned on again, and I heard him say in Malayalam, “now that’s the meaning of Christmas.” 

He spent all this time building up a point to explain the meaning of Christmas, but not everyone could hear it.

Pity.

There's a sermon illustration in there.

Merry Christmas.

Pillow Talk

This morning my “body pain” increased significantly in the vicinity of my neck.  I could barely move my neck without pain.  Sometimes I’d feel a shooting pain all around that area.  My discomfort during class was obvious to one professor, and he stopped his lecture to ask me if my neck was hurting.  I said yes.  He then asked me if I use a pillow.

A former roommate also told me he had concern about my pillow, and now that I’m having this severe neck pain, he made his suspicions known.

I went to the doctor with my symptoms.  He first asked me if I felt feverish.  Then he asked me how many pillows do I use.

Well, my doctor concluded that it’s due to a fever (He’s great that way.  He doesn’t have me waste money on x-rays and such.  He’s seen so much that he knows what’s up).  He gave me some meds for the fever, and I’m already feeling less pain.  I should be better by morning, although I’ll be taking the meds for a week.

More pillow talk….

When I went on my mission practical in October, my partner never used a pillow.  During my mission practical the year before, my partner at that time never used a pillow.   Many of my classmates don’t use a pillow, and almost all the above prefer sleeping on wood or a concrete floor.

Why?

This is something I just don’t understand:  Prolonged use of pillows can cause neck and back problems.   My former roommate has a severe neck problem which he attributes to pillow use (but I think it's more genetic [spinal stenosis]).  But why is it that this is such a huge problem and/or concern in Kerala and possibly India?   How is it that in America, where the mattresses are softer, and pillows are thicker, that there isn’t a big concern over this? Whereas here it is a big concern, so pillows aren’t used, and people prefer to sleep on wood.  I do know some obvious things which are not good for your back and neck.  But the concern here is just normal pillow usage.  My doctor's question wasn't if I used pillows, but how many.  I said 1 pillow, so he didn't follow that up with more related questions.  Although, I didn't tell him it's an American pillow that's about as thick as three of your standard Kerala pillows.

I’m wondering if there’s a connection between these beds and the use of a pillow, where the pillow isn’t the sole culprit.

Or could it be that it has absolutely nothing to do with pillows and beds, but someone has overreacted to a doctor telling someone he shouldn't sleep with two pillows because it's hurting his neck.  So now everyone thinks every single neck problem is due to pillow usage.

It's kind of like when someone found out tomato seeds cause kidney stones, some students stopped eating tomatos.  Yet, it would take hundreds of tomatos for that to even be an issue.   But people would rather be overly cautious I guess.  And maybe that's the same with pillows.



So when you come to India, a word of a advice: don't use a pillow, sleep on wood, and avoid tomatos.