Perspectives

Tears of Joy

2012-02-02T07:04:00.000-08:00

Crying is an expression of emotion that is least understood by us. We most often associate it with sorrow, but fail to see that it is also the highest expression of joy. Picture a mother who loses her only child in a large crowd and later finds him after her desperate search. The moment she finds her child, she embraces him with tears running down her eyes.

And as I sat back and pondered upon this wonderful expression that God has blessed us with, I was pushed into a deeper level of understanding. Two recent incidents show-cased the impact of this emotional expression.

In one situation, I was really pushed to my wits end with no flicker of hope. And as I pictured its impact, tears welled up and I went down on my knees to say nothing, but to just thank my Lord for the many great days He was pleased to give me.

The following morning, I received a verse from a friend of mine. This is the verse God has been speaking to me with for quite some time now. (Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future). And as I was reading the verse, tears rolled down my eyes expressing an uncontrollable satisfaction that God hasn't missed me out and is faithful to what He has promised.

In another situation, I had a sudden desire to sing worship songs in a group. Nothing that happened that whole day went according to my plan and I even forgot that I thought about something. And as the day was drawing to a close, I walked into the office cafeteria at about 7:30p and one of my good friend's at work mentioned that Don Moen is performing near our office location (at St. Theresa's Church Nungambakkam) - - Don Moen recently came down for a concert last Sunday and I missed it.

My friend and I attended the concert after work - - just when Don began to sing - - and it was a wonderful hour of praise and worship. And just in the middle of when Lenny Leblanc was singing 'Above All', I found myself overwhelmed. I thought how much God loves me that He even fulfills a desire that I myself have forgotten.

These incidents led me through the crests and troughs of emotions, both of which stretched me. But my cry had a meaning only when I cried in His presence when I worshipped My Lord. What a wonderful thing God has given man - - a spirit of worship and tears of joy.

An Ode to Rain

2011-10-25T00:54:00.000-07:00

The first one splattered and rolled down.

Followed, the next one with such precision,

That it was hard to say one from another.

Such is the beauty of the droplets of water when it rains.

And as I was watching those tiny drops descend on the glass window,

Slowly and beautifully, softly and tenderly,

They designed that glass so marvelously which

Even made Picasso and Michael Angelo cringe away in defeat.

Looking beyond the droplets, I saw the grey clouds

So dutifully refreshing the plants, shrubs and trees, and

Replenishing the land with the much needed elixir.

Such is the life sustaining order of rain.

A new day dawns, fresh and clean,

Chill and breezy, with the song of the morning birds

And the joy of the squirrels on the trees running here and there.

Even the greatest philosopher cannot fully understand the work of God

Of which rain is just a part.

Completing 27, gaining new perspective on The Gang

2011-10-03T00:33:00.000-07:00

Every year my birthday celebration seems to be getting better. Thank you all guys for making my day. And like I always say, I’m thankful to God for such great friends. Out of the entire eventful evening, I’d like to pick out one specific piece, which stands out – on what I think about each one of you. Given that all of you are such good friends to me, it was quite hard for me to describe each one of you in few words. On the whole, each one of you is unique in your own way and none can replace anyone within the group. Just like the human body, every part has its own purpose and reason to be and without one of them, the body is considered disabled.

And so, here’s a bit of brief background on why I said what I said (read again;)). Forgive me if I’ve made any error as these are only my perception of my friends from my point of view.

Trafiro – Ever youth: You are one of those who are forever young with no placeholder for the word ‘worries’.

Amit – Easygoing: You are so frank that you even scare people by your frankness by saying both my kidneys are out… jokes apart. You’re easygoing nature is unique in our pack

Gayathri – Very nice friend: You have true heart with trust at its centre.

Balaji – Big brother: You’re there at all times, to plan, organize and help out in times of need.

Yogi – Understanding: You’re one of those rare ones who listen and understand before giving any suggestion (at Tuticorin, we had a conversation on marriage remember)

Mohan – Adaptive and flexible: You are so adaptive that even amidst chaos you have talent to take a nap and then get back on track. It’s truly a gift.

Kiran – Laughing riot: You cannot be separate by laughter. Whether the joke you say is funny or not, the way you laugh makes people laugh automatically. Keep laughing

Prashanth – Empathizer: You put others ahead of yourself and make every effort to help out.

JP – Youthful and easygoing: You’re easygoing attitude makes you not have any second thought before you speak. Just go with the flow.

Rekha – Smiley: You’ve been blessed with a smile that will get you out of any situation.

Joseph – Calm and understanding: You’re smile is not only on your face, but in your heart and soul too.

Sowmya – Responsible friend: You have a fine ability to fulfill your responsibilities as Wife, Sister, Daughter and Professional. My prayer is that you prioritize that which is most important.

Karthik – Controlled: You are never out of track or mind. You are consistent and daring in that which you commit to.

AB – High presence of mind: Your wise-cracks are always timed at the right moments which amplifies the joke at all times.

Shandrina – Mrs. Trafiro: You are THE person who completes Mr. Trafiro.

Simna – Strong mind: Your tough experiences succumbed to you because of the strong person you are. Though your struggles were hard, your learning has taken you to an equilibrium point. You are a balanced person.

Sikha – A very calm friend: Your silent personality makes you a very calm person even when the world falls apart.

Rahul – Friend for life: You are a gift to this entire group. I’m sure everyone will agree to that.

Rejeesh – Thought Partner: You have a quest for knowledge that helps us collaborate and share info with each other. I hope that your quest for truth will supersede the quest for knowledge.

Aarathi – Go-getter: You will make every effort to get what you want.

Bala – Seeker: You always have a need for a trusted friend, which arises, from your single-child background. I just realized that every other person in our group has a sibling but you. This makes you unique in the group. My prayer is that you will find your soul-mate soon which will end your seeking.

Srinath – Creative: You have the ability to thrive where other find it hard to even survive. And no wonder you’re our Macho man.

Karthik (panda) – Experiential Philosopher: You’ve faced the rough patches of life with great calm and have understood the underlying philosophy of it. You are definitely my fellow philosopher at all times.

Why Go to Church?

2011-09-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

My interaction with a couple last week left me thinking on the essence and implication of going to a church. It was clear that both of them were looking at the issue from two totally different vantage points – one from a legalistic stand point and the other from a spiritual one. Though I had an opportunity to put forth my point of view with an intention to find the middle ground based on the Word, it was quite clear that one of them was not interested in anything that affected status quo.

In my experience at work, God has given me several opportunities to learn a lot of things. One of them is, to make decisions. And to make sound decisions, one has to have the right facts. And more often than not, these are not obvious and so one has to ask the right questions to get to them. So, at the most primary level, it is framing one’s questions to get the facts to make a decision. In this case, the question looked like this “Are you coming to this church or not?” This question had a strong potential to polarize the two parties as you’re either for it or against it plus one’s answer would arise from the present situation instead of the starting point.

And so, as I thought about it, I wanted to ask the right question. I framed it this way - “what is a church, what do followers of Christ do there and where do we as Christians stand in that context?” I think answering this question would help our couple (and anyone else who has a similar issue) find the truth above our opinions and belives. The very word “church” is mentioned in the Holy Bible only after Apostle Stephen was martyred. The root of the word “church” comes from Greek “ekklesia” which means a group or assembly of people meeting with a common purpose. So, what is important to note here is that it was NOT tied to a particular place, but a particular purpose.

And what do these people do when they meet is mentioned in the book of Acts and 1 Corinthians. Two verses that caught my attention were these: “They [believers in Christ Jesus] devoted themselves to Apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer… Everyday they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts – Acts 2:42&46.”

“What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church – 1 Corinthians 14:26”

These verses clearly inform us that in a church

§ One must listen and learn apostles’ teaching which is the Holy Bible (the only authority). Quite often this is wrongly interpreted as what a particular church pastor says is to be followed implicitly as that is considered as apostles’ teaching. My suggestion for this group of people is to follow the example of Bereans (Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true – Acts 17:11). The fact of the matter is your pastor did not give you salvation; it was the Lord and your faith in His Word.

§ And secondly, one must fellowship by connecting with the fellow believers and encouraging each other on can strengthen the church as in 1 Corinthians 14.26 (above).

So, by following what is written in the Word let’s make our time meaningful at the Church of God. We would do well if we worship our God in Spirit and Truth rather through rules and rituals. We’ve been made free by Christ, let’s not get enslaved by enforcing rules that don’t satisfy our Maker. My hope and prayer to the couple and many others is that they find the truth above their opinions and beliefs. I honestly feel that our beliefs and opinions don’t change the way of life in general, but only alter our approach to the changes in our society. In the end the question is not just “why go to Church?” but “Am I fulfilling my role as a follower of Christ?”

May God bless you!!

Observations, Neighbour and Interactions

2011-07-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

It was a normal weekday and I got into my car to drive down to office. And as I turned on the ignition, I saw an old lady who was selling flowers with one basket on her head and another between her hip and elbow. And she was walking effortlessly while shouting out the names of the flowers that she was selling. Her footwear was worn out as a result of her routine (selling flowers). And I could sense in a her a totally different world view as opposed to mine. What I consider a necessity may not even enter into her vocabulary.

Cut to another. It’s the usual morning hour traffic at the Gemini flyover and I happened to see a beggar - - in fact, I always see him when I take the Gemini route (GN Chetty road) to go to office. This man hops with his crutches and stops by at most of vehicles begging for money. I have never given him any money, but last week something made me observe this man. He has a very unique way of begging. I’d classify him as I-know-my-way-of-business type person. He waits for the signal to turn red and then hops on to the road from the pavement and halts at every car for 4 seconds max and his facial expression is the same at every car. He asks for money twice and if there is no response he moves on to the next car (he never crosses the 4 second mark). From what I saw, 2 out of 5 (40%) drivers gave him money. This is this guy’s routine and that is what gives him his daily food. Though I don’t encourage begging, I wanted to understand this one person and so I have decided to talk to him next time I meet him. I’ll share that experience with you all separately.

Couple weeks back, on a weekend, when I took out my dog for a walk, I happened to notice two other different people - - a vegetable seller on his tricycle and a floor mat seller on his bicycle - - at two different spots. Since then, I sporadically see these two men as they go about doing their business. They sweat it out and toil everyday and that is the source of their income. Like the old lady who sells flowers, these two men have a life of their own which most of us are oblivious to.

The above mentioned people are neither celebrities, politicians nor great personalities. These are one among the 6 billion inhabitants of this planet and they are most often classified as poor class who barely manage to make ends meet. These are some of the few whose paths happen to cross mine. As we are so closely linked with each other through virtual networks, we often fail to see reality and identify ourselves with these groups of people.

And the more I pondered over this, two things came to my mind: the words of Jesus, “you will always have the poor with you” and His question from the Good Samaritan parable “who is your neighbor?”

This had a huge impact on me and so I decided to pray and talk to any new unusual acquaintance going forward. My first meeting after making that decision was a beggar. I met this old lady near chinthamani signal and she kept going from one vehicle to another. And when she came to my car, I got onto a quick conversation with her. Her name is Lalitha and she stays on the platform nearby and as the countdown on the signal was down to 10, I gave her money and told her the gospel and offered to pray for her.

And later that day, I parked my car and went to the elevator. The elevator’s door opened and I saw a new operator. I wanted to talk to him and so asked for his name and that’s when I realized that he found it hard to speak. His tongue was stuck to his lower jaw and as a result he couldn’t speak clearly. I didn’t want to embarrass him and so I asked him to show me his id. His name is Bala. And when I reached my office floor, I got out and told him that I will pray for him and that he will be healed. I could immediately see his face brighten up.

I was glad about these two interactions and I pray for them (though not regularly). And now I know who my neighbor is: the one who is in need and whose need only God the Father could provide for (we are more like His hands).

Lately, have you noticed someone who is underprivileged who was sent on your way by God and did you have a chance to connect with them and share the goodness of God. If not, venture into a wonderful opportunity of connecting with those whose world will be totally different from yours and you will love the interactions.

- John Xavier

What's Your Purpose

2011-06-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

Of late I have developed an interest in indoor cycling and after much thought I’m now convinced that “nautilus” is far superior to “precor”, both in terms of riding experience and ergonomics. It’s good to do endurance workouts as they make your mind calm and discipline your body.

Couple of weeks back, I got on the bike for a 60 mins ride after my stretches and warm up. I had planned to build speed gradually. In the 15th minute of my ride (not too sure about the time) another person came to occupy the bike next to mine. And I could sense something prodding me to do it faster than him. And slowly I got restless and started to race involuntarily. I started peddling faster instead of my planned build up of pace. As a result, I was expending more energy than I needed to at the moment.

My fellow cyclist was just warming up and so he finished his work out in less than 10 mins.

And now, I had to do another 30+ mins. After he left I felt so stupid that I competed without a purpose or goal. In fact I forgot about my own goal while I acted impulsively.

And then it dawned on me, it’s the same thing that we do with our own lives. Often times we start out with one goal and then once we see a different trend in the society, we try to match up to it. In that process we fail to work on our own talents and in the end get exhausted.

Maybe, that guy was using the same bike as mine, but his agenda was entirely different to that of mine. I had planned for a long ride, but he, for a short spurt. I had to focus more on technique to ensure I don’t lose much energy. To him, technique is secondary as he just wanted to get warmed up before moving on to the treadmill. Same bike don’t mean same purpose.

This happens to most of us, in school, college and at work. Just because your in the same department as another colleague, it doesn’t make the two of your purposes to be the same. God has given each one of us unique gifts that needs to be used according His will. God’s call is always based on how your greatest gifts could be best utilized by the society in the most optimal way.

A student in school or college, should learn from God his/her gifts before opting for the right set of courses. An young professional, should seek God’s guidance in using his/her skills developed over the period of time, and not how s/he could do better than others in her department. A senior professional should connect the dots of important points in his/her life while making important decision and not just think of how is the market for his/her profile.

So, next time when someone occupies that bike next to mine, I’ll focus on my plan and try not to waver. And I will also ensure that I don’t treat him/her as a competition but a fellow companion who is just here to fulfill his/her own purpose.

Stay fit, think good, obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.

- John

The choices we should make - Devotion from Psalm 9

2011-06-01T00:25:00.000-07:00

Psalm 9:1-2

I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart;

I will tell of all your wonders.

I will be glad and rejoice in you;

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

We make decisions throughout our lives. Some are very important ones, while others, less significant. Here in this Psalm we see a continuous refrain of “I will” which tells me that there were choices that David decides to take no matter what. We see that David chooses to make certain decisions: Praise God with all his heart; Tell God’s wonders in his life; Be glad and rejoice in God; and sing to God’s Holy name.

Praise God with all your heart

Our days on this earth are filled with multiple priorities, worries and situations which leaves little room in our hearts to focus on God. In this psalm we read that David too had all of the above and was in danger (verse 13), yet he chose to praise God. Notice that, it is said to praise God with all of one’s heart – not partially but completely. We need to choose to praise God with all of our heart because the cares of this world would easily entangle us and we may lose our sense of the spiritual realm while we pray to the Father in heaven. And so, when you pray to God, pray with all your heart - - let nothing else fill your heart. Focus only on Him who is in Spirit.

Tell God’s wonder in your life

Never before did mankind have so many tools to share personal information - - and that too beyond borders. We share various types’ of information within seconds (via Facebook, Twitter and other emails services) with our friends and network. We live in shrinking world filled with large amount of knowledge that is shared constantly. Have you ever wondered how much we’ve used these new tools to share God’s wonders in our lives? David, in this psalm, wills to tell of all God’s wonders in his life. What a great way to express our gratitude to the King of Kings!

Be Glad and rejoice in God

Our lives are constantly filled with troubles, trials and struggles. We do not have control over the problems we face everyday, but we have the tremendous ability to perceive and act joyfully despite the situation. This is not a reaction but our general attitude and that’s the secret of being glad and rejoicing in the Lord. What we in essence proclaim is that no matter what happens to us, we know that our God is sovereign and He orchestrates every tiny move in our lives and that He works for the good of all those who love Him. The parable of the man who built his house on the rock comes to my mind here. Christ ends the parable by saying that “the flood waters came, but the house stood firm as it was built on the rock”. If our character is built on strong Christ-centered values, our attitude will be one that of joy and gladness.

Sing to God’s Holy name

Finally, singing! Singing is a wonderful experience as it unites our thoughts and makes us focus. There is so much power in music which when used to praise God’s holy name, only makes the experience complete. Quite honestly, songs in praise of the Holy God consummates the experience of Worship. We are His chosen instruments who need to sing His awesome holy name.

These verses had a wonderful impact on me and I hope it will touch anyone who reads it.

Have a wonderful day and may God’s amazing grace be with you all!

- John

Aarushi and the Unborn

2011-02-10T09:12:00.000-08:00

Watching the unfolding of events surrounding the popular Aarushi Talwar murder case, set off a series of thoughts which made me write this article.

The last update (as on Feb. 9th, 2011) on NDTV was that the late teen's parents (Dr. Rajesh Talwar and his wife, Nupur) were to be prosecuted for murder based on circumstantial evidence.

It's going to be three full years since the incident itself happened (May 16th, 2008) and the number of hours spent on reporting it could run into many days, not to mention the time spent on broadcasting and in turn viewing it. Adding to this, reams of papers were printed and published by the print media. It is good that an important case like this is being given appropriate attention so that people are informed. However, an average viewer/reader, watching/reading these events unfold would have be lost in the chain of events with little or no interest to think outside of this situation.

And so what are we really fighting for? I think it is to uncover the mystery surrounding the death of a teenager. That's right "Death"!

And as I pondered deeply on the word "Death", "Abortion" came to my mind. And so, I tried to get some information on abortion and the statistics was startling. Worldwide abortion number stands at whopping 42 million per year (2003 data). And of the 42 million per year, 62% was from Asia. And according to the Family Welfare Statistics in India 2009, brought out by the Union health ministry, India recorded 7.25 lakh MTPs in 2005, 7.21 lakh in 2006 and 6.82 lakh induced abortions in 2007

And to put it into context, 7.25 lakh Aarushis were killed in 2009, according to the above statistics, even before stepping into this earth, not to mention growing up to their teens. If only our media could also focus on the ugly reality of abortion, we could save so many unborn lives.

Human life is very precious and a wonderful gift given by God. God says to us through The Holy Bible that He knew us even before we were formed in our mother's womb and that He has called us by name. In Psalms 139:13, it is said that "for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb". Let us respect life, especially the life of an unborn child that is also created in the image of God.

As much as I'd love to see an end to Aarushi's murder case, so much more I'd like our society to appreciate life and eradicate the gruesome practice of killing fetuses. May Aarushi's soul rest in peace.

Reflections on the Yercaud Trip - Uphill Drive

2011-01-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

Uphill

Driving uphill was a poetic experience that culminated in a deeper

understanding of faith in God for me. By the time we completed the first

hairpin bend (on the way to Yercaud), it was 5pm. The wintry sun was

feeling too cold to complete the day. He was asking for the night to

blanket him from the breezy cold winds. Slowly, twilight was taking over

nature's reins only to cede its power to the misty and stary night. I think

twilight is God's gift to feast one's eyes. The lustrous, yet fading, light was

drawing down the curtains as a sign of another glorious end only for a new

beginning.

The chillness in the breeze coupled with the panaromic view of the sky - -

graciously splashed with shades of orange, red and blue - - was an

experience to behold that touches one's soul. God has done so much for

just an hour in a day - - there is no greater artist than God Himself.

Simply awesome.

Oh.. we lost count of an hour watching the gradual change from morning

to evening and then to night. And so, here we are completing the last

haipen bend when it was totally dark and misty. Our visibility at this point

was less than hundred metres. By now, the entire place was blanketed by

a thick mist and as I stood there watching, thinking and perceiving this

beauty of nature, God gave a wonderful thought.

He taught me something wonderful about "faith" and "spiritual maturity".

Spiritual maturity of a believer (Christian context) is directly linked with

his/her faith in God. Now faith is believing in the unseen and not seeing

and believing. And so, I applied my uphill experience (spiritual

experience) with these two concepts.

Its a known fact that as the altitude increases, temperature decreases and

weather conditions become unfavourable. One of the immediate

consequences of an unfavourable cold weather is mist or fog. And as a

result there is poor visibility. Though the uphill climb could mean that one is

spiritually maturing, there are times when one will encounter wintry days

covered by mist or fog which could impair our vision. And that's when

God wants us to use our Faith in Him and trust that He knows our every

next step.

This was a very valuable teaching for me, as many times I've felt that the

spiritual maturity (uphill climb) was a tough task and its hard to have faith

(see through uncertainities) during times of difficulty. But, in essence,

what God told me was to not think too much about the difficult climb but to

enjoy the scenic view (wisdom through experience) while I climb. And

secondly, when situations are hard to understand or predict (as they are

blanketed by mist), He wants us to just have faith in Him.

And while I was finishing contemplating on this... "Dai John.. call your dad's friend and get the address" shouted Balaji. Good that he interrupted me at this point of time and not before. And so, I spoke to Ajith Uncle who gave us the direction and later received us at his dormitory. Time to unwind and get ready for dinner... Whattaayy dayy so far!!!

Reflections on the Yercaud Trip - The Journey

2011-01-30T10:47:00.000-08:00

The Journey

17th Dec. 2010 was a wonderful rainy morning. Rekha and Karthik were

the first to board the cab. At Prashanth's place, Balaji, Joseph, Kiran, JP

and Simna joined them. The final halt was at my place: including myself,

Mohan, Sowmya, Bala, Rahul, Anand Balaji, Amit, Trafiro, Srinath and

Praveen boarded the cab.

We started off at around 8am and on the way halted for breakfast and

then continued our journey. The day was any nature-lover's paradise. The

entire strech was picturesque with green groves on either sides of the NH.

The groves were drenched by the rain waters - - an awe-inspiring sight. They

looked fresh and green. To make things even better, we had Rahul's

peppy numbers which were like honey to our ears.

We danced non-stop while teasing each other on the way. Our next halt

was at Ambur to buy biriyani and some spirits filled in bottles. After

around 30 kms from there, we pulled over near a grove to lunch. Anand

Balaji gave us a high headed cat walk performance and later tried to get

into the bus through the window. After that, our man was knocked out - -

all this after half a bottle of beer (moral of the story: paal kudira pasanga

ellam KF adicha good night ayiduvanga).

The next leg of the journey was quite pensive (at least for me) and so, a

little silent. Most of us were watching Vaaranam Aayiram and later

listened to songs.

After two more halts - - (1) evening tea with the an indescribable drizzle -

I enjoyed it a lot; (2) and then salem fuel station where I had alleged lost

Kiran and Joseph before getting into the cab - - we started our drive uphill.

Reflections on the Yercaud Trip - The Plan

2011-01-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

The Plan

The planning started on Nov. 14th (Mohan's Birthday) when we casually

mentioned that it would be great if we all go for an overnight trip. Back

then we decided the place to be Kancheepuram. At that point of time,

except me, no one else knew about Trafiro's wedding plans and we tried

to execute the plan before the respective families could meet and talk over

the wedding arrangements. And so, we decided on the Thanksgiving

weekend and got confirmation from as many as we could.

The numbers were almost confirmed and during the week of Nov. 22nd

'10 the plan was to drive to Hoggenekal and then to Yercaud. I had

coordinated with my dad's friend (Ajith) for the accommodation and made

reservation for eight of us. But slowly, due to unavoidable circumstances

few friends withdrew. Those who were in for the plan, on the other hand,

we still committed. That's when our Big Man (Balaji, who went for

"Learn English in 26 Days" course to UK) emailed and said that even he

wanted to join us.

After few rounds of discussion we decided to call it off and I requested

Mr.Ajith to cancel our booking. Two weeks passed by and Rahul

resuscitated the plan. But there was a catch again, we were divided on

transport - - whether to go ahed with a hired vehicle or take our own cars.

Finally we reached a consensus and it was the former. After a few back

and forth our final tally was 7teen confirmed members.

Meanwhile, we were also planning for Trafiro birthday (Dec.18th) - -

spraying beer. Our great man Rahul, as usual revealed the secret plan to

Trafiro in a open email. And so, we made some minor changes to surprise

Rahul first and then Trafiro. Luckily, he escaped that night.

New Years - A Perspective

2010-12-31T00:04:00.000-08:00

I was pondering over a few things during this feverish festive season where our lifestyles don't provide us the luxury of quality time these days.

This will be my 27th New Year since my birth and as I pause and consider all the New Years' impact in my life.... what comes to my mind is that "life doesn't change, but at every stage it is basically re-defined." This re-definition coupled with the experience we get outside is what alters our thinking patterns and in turn the way we live. Quite an interesting cycle.

As this is 27th New year, I chose to break my New Year phases into 3 parts (9 years in each phase). During the initial 9 years, my world was too small yet included all that I needed. My parents had complete control of my life and I just didn't care what would happen to me cause they were my shock absorbers. Travelling to my grand-parents' place was the greatest and longest vacation. I didn't care how fashionable my dress is as long it had pockets to carry a toy gun. These were also the days when I had lunch and dinner at home and enjoyed my evenings playing with friends round the corner.

From hindsight I can see that during turn of the next 9 years, a transformation was taking place and I was starting to give more emphasis to staying outdoors rather than inside. My world was becoming bigger. I now knew my friends' houses apart from my grand-parents'. Though I was listening to my parents, in the corner of my heart I always used to have a want for more independence and a bigger world. As the army of friends increased, so did the activities surrounding friendship. Some moments make me nostalgic while others depressing.

But again, that was the age when life was being re-defined. From a domicile child, I was moving into a rebelling teenager for whom rules were meant to be broken and Friends needed to be guarded. This was also the time when I received the universal adult franchise - - I was 18 years old. Hey, I know my life and I know where am going... don't mess with me. Its my life and I know to live it, stop teaching me and I don't need your advice... Its just carpe diem.

The refrain of life came to life once again, "Life will be re-defined". During this phase I was starting to understand the darker and painful side of life. The phase my parents were facing while I was enjoying. I was getting a newer meaning. This was also when I got closer to Jesus - - a fabulous transformation and a defining experience.

At best, I could call this stage a place where the character was formed. And here I am, completing the 3rd phase with a stronger conviction and a deeper faith in God. And I will be starting a new phase next year and I do know that the churn has already begin and I can sense it. I'm waiting for 36 when there will be much more to look forward to and next new definition of life.

-- John Xavier

On Inter-religious Marriage: A Judeo-Christian Perspective

2010-07-05T23:53:00.000-07:00

Most of us face questions on inter-religious marriages in our societies these days. The topic I’ve ventured out to deal with is quite sensitive however; I wish point our a few things for our benefit so that we may have a holistic view about a topic that plagues the Christian community.

God instituted marriage and gave it a special status both in the physical and heavenly realms. He uses marriage to show the relationship between Christ and the church. Also, marriage is the only union under which two become one in flesh (physically) and spirit (spiritually).

But in spite of knowing all this, many Christian men and women [those who know the Word of God] falter and fall prey to this unwise decision of choosing a non-Christian partner [from opposite sex]. And they generally salve their conscience by saying they will pray for their partner’s change in faith. But more often than not, they only pay a heavy price for the consequence of their unwise decision.

Though there are many reasons behind their decision, I’d like to point out only one thing – TEMPTATION. They are just being tempted by the devil to see if they’d accept a counterfeit – in the place for God’s will. And so, for those being tempted, I’d like to urge you to read the Word of God diligently which will lead you into all truth and pray for the Spirit of discernment to choose right from wrong.

Now, why is inter-religious marriage [for a Christian believer] not correct? I’d like to deal with this question as how David did in one of his Psalms, “show me the ancient way Oh Lord that I might walk on straight paths”. So, with God’s guidance let’s tread on this wonderful path to find out why.

Turning the pages of the Old Testament, I found this wonderful verse from Malachi (2:11-12). This is what God had to say through Malachi when His Sanctuary was desecrated: “Judah has broken faith. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the LORD LOVES by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the Lord cut him off from the tents of Jacob – EVEN THOUGH he brings offering to the Lord Almighty”.

That was quite direct and has a consequence attached to it isn’t it. In those two verses, God very clearly tells us what happens when we choose a non-Christian believer as our life partner. First, we desecrate his sanctuary [which HE LOVES]. And secondly, we will be cut off as consequence of our unwise decision. And, EVEN THOUGH we bring offering to the Lord Almighty, He will not accept it.

Now, if this is just something from the Old Testament, here’s what Christ had to say to His disciples when they asked Him to show them the Father. Jesus said: “I’m in the Father and Father is in me". He added that, He is in us and we’re in Him. So, in essence, we are now the sanctuary of the living God. Do you recollect what Christ tells the Samaritan woman at the well (John Ch. 4) that the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth and there is nothing to do with the place of worship as we carry the sanctuary within us.

So, if the physical sanctuary [OT] could be desecrated this way, how much worse would the spiritual sanctuary [NT] be desecrated through our unequal union in marriage with a non-Christian.

In their book “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”, Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey offer great insight into the human body. Dr. Brand says that though there is diversity in the different parts of the body, the body senses infinitesimal differences with an unfailing scent; it knows its hundred trillion cells by name. And the first heart transplant recipient died, not because his new heart failed, but because his body would not be fooled with a foreign agent.

I think that the same thing happens to us when we yoke unequally - we desecrate God’s temple and kill our inner man. And so, as Paul tells us let’s be on guard and keep ourselves sober that we can stay away from every temptation.

- JoXa

A Reply to a Friend’s Quandary and His Quest For no-God Thesis

2010-06-16T01:14:00.000-07:00

This blog is a response to a friend of mine who wishes to de-throne God. I chose to give my friend a generic name “Friend” and post the blog so that it will be helpful to all with the similar dilemma.

Friend, as much as I appreciate your candor in expressing your quandary over mind and heart, so much so I wish to put things into perspective to help you make a sound decision. On the premise that our opinion on someone doesn’t change the personality of that person, but only alters our perception of things associated to that person; I would like put forth my view.

Existential

It was Friedrich Nietzsche (in the late 18^th century) - well known atheist and author of Thus Spake Zarathustra – who first propagated the term ‘God is dead’. Nietzsche attempted to replace God with Reason as a result of Enlightenment (quite similar to your ‘moment of disillusionment’) which will result in a peaceful world as he felt God is the fundamental reason for all the problems on this earth. Jean-Paul Satre (in the early 19^th century) followed Nietzsche with his Existentialism, which merely says that there is no absolute moral truth and everything depends upon an individual’s opinion. Despite their claim for peace and harmony, their teach did much harm than good – one of their followers was Adolf Hitler. They made the world a bloody place and wreaked havoc in the lives of many as the 2 World Wars were fought during the 19^th century.

Keeping this in the background, I would like to move into our FB conversation. I understand that you were very religious and were brought up in an orthodox catholic family. Being a former Catholic myself, I can fairly understand what it means – going to a building called church every Sunday; believing that pope is the head of the church; taking part in the choir and carol singing; calling the priest, Father; confessing your sins to him and receiving a penance; reciting the holy rosary; praying to the saints and statues; and being a altar boy sometimes. In all this I never knew where God was, all I could see was myself.

To put this into perspective, Jesus did not say that the church is a building, but He did say that we are the church when we are under His authority. He says in His word (Bible) ‘call no one else Father except the one in Heaven’. He also says that each of us can forgive one another’s sins. The primary thing I wish to say is that Jesus Christ abolished the place of worship and said that ‘the true worshippers are those that seek the father in Spirit and Truth’. So, without the Holy Spirit (1) you cannot understand God and (2) you will be deceived into believing a lie. But, how does one get to know the Holy Spirit? It is only through the Word of God – the Holy Bible.

As I write this I recall a story about a billionaire’s son who goes to a new city to study and his dad gifts him an awesome limousine to commute to college. After the first day in college he emails his dad. He writes ‘Dad, this city is great and am loving it, but the only thing that is embarrassing is that even the professor comes to the college by train.’ And his dad responds stating that: ‘Son, stop embarrassing us this way, I have deposited $20m into your account, please go get a train for yourself’.

The story is quite funny but interesting when we look at our own lives in its light. Often times this is how we misunderstand what God tells us. What He wants us to do is clear in His Word but we listen to others and lead our lives in ways that are not in tune with God’s ways. And in the end we blame God for our misinterpretation.

Intellectual

Coming to the second and a very interesting point on intellect dictated no-God thesis, I wish to offer my humble point of view. Let me tell you this that as life wears on you, you’ll know that the disciplines are too intricate for one single line of reasoning to make that knock down argument and close the case. You’ll learn in philosophy that one of the flaws for a week world view is that it will use only a single line of argument. No world view can ever come together by one single line of argument: there has to be a coalescing; a coming together; a pulling together of much; and the ability to explain, that which is to the contrary. It becomes very obvious as we mature in our lives that there is no one single discipline that has that kind of prerogative to explain all of ultimate reality.

A student of mathematics might understand reality through numbers, which could be very different for a student of science or a student of commerce. But still our intellect dictates that if God is real let Him reveal Himself in one of these ways in some overwhelming fashion. To back what I’m saying let me give you an example of the first release of Encyclopedia Britannic in 1974. A statistics of its release gives the following numbers: 14 yrs for production, 200 advisors, 300 editors, 4,000 contributors, 100,000 entries, $34 million and 43 million words.

This pales by contrast in just one single strand locked into your DNA. Recent mappers of the human DNA say that there are about 2.1 billion bites of information in the human DNA. From a single fertilized ovum in that single thread, billions of cells, millions of rods and cones appear in the first 9 months. From that single strand of DNA there are about 600,000 printed pages of information, a library of over 1000 volumes. This is 50 times the size of that encyclopedia released in 1974. And mind you, this is not the end, the field is expanding exponentially.

My friend, if you’re talking about intellect, I’m afraid it is next to nothing in front of God.

And so, my humble plea is this, read the Word of God, which will lead you into all truth and a blessed life. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Catholic, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Methodist or CSI. All that matters is whether you’ve accepted the salvation of Jesus Christ as mentioned in the bible. Just be a Christian… Read the Word of God… and Do what It says for that is all is required of man.

Lost In Thought

2010-05-20T04:37:00.000-07:00

Lost in thought
Of fights fought
And places sought.
But now, senses are fraught
With thoughts
That all this was for naught.
Life ought
to be lived and its truth be taught
To all schools of thought
So that sweet memories are not lost.

- John Xavier

5 Year Affair and Still Counting

2010-05-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

Some relationships are so special that I often wonder what would I have done had I been asked to choose my friends all by myself. In my opinion, it would have been artificial and short-sighted at best. That's why I think God always makes important choices in our lives. One of those important choices God made for me is with whom He wants me to be 'FRIENDS' with.

We sometimes get stuck at the crossroads of life only to meet a group of folks who will approach the same spot from 4 different directions. Same is the case with our friendship. I stopped at a crossroad after college at HP and then made friends with some of the best folks who were generous enough to even spread my network to their buddies (THANK YOU, FOLKS!).

I think by now you know what I intend to write. I just wanted celebrate our friendship and write a brief blog on how much I enjoyed today as we remembered this day as a special one to 'Celebrate Friendship'. To sum up the day in a nutshell - it was a 10 crazy guys' journey by 2 cars and 1 bike to a beautiful bungalow just to make each one of us feel special.

My nutshell definition wouldn't do justice if I didn't mention the following:

The game of cricket we played while we teased each other unceasingly...

The rambling while at the jacuzzi.... The chat at the waterfalls... Volleyball in the swimming pool with regular disruptions by Srinath, our Macho man... and a couple of swimming laps to end the day.

The day couldn't have ended better with the strength of the evening sun fading while the memories of the day blazing bright in our hearts echoing the refraing "those were the best days of my life"... But this is summer of 2010.... For seasons may change but our hearts will forever retain the spring time.

I thank God for making the best choices in my life. I hope to continue our love affair so that we wouldn't use numbers next time but make the reunion timeless.

Kudos to all of us!!!

End Times (Matthew 24) - A Perspective

2010-03-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

Its quite interesting to see the catastrophic events happening around us which points to what Christ said about the end times. And indeed, it is true that we are in end times. I think there are 2 fundamental things we need to look at to have a holistic view on what Christ is really telling us.

(1) Actual Time of the Last Days

(2) Being Prepared

Actual Time of the Last Days

There are 2 very important things Christ points out to us to know that the end is near:

(a) The Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached to all the nations (Matt 24:14) and (b) There will be an abomination that causes desolation - (Matt 24:15). From these two verses we understand that the end is closely following these two major events - Gospel preached and Anti-Christ rules.

Being Prepared

Now how can we be prepared and stand firm to our faith. Its amazing to see that Christ first helps us in preparation and then moves to the times. Thats why he starts by giving instructions in His reply to the question. So if you carefully read verses (Matt 24:4 & 6), our Lord is saying two things: (a) do not be deceived by the spirit of anit-christ (Matt 24:4) and (b) do not be alarmed when you hear news of doom (Matt 24:6).

So, I think we as Christians ought to be prepared to face the coming days with the help of the Holy Spirit - He will lead us into all Truth (John 14:17).

Meaning of 'Times'

Another fascinating revelation that emerged as I was writing this was the very meaning of the word 'times'. Now, what do you mean by end of times? and what do you mean by the word times itself? From the scripture I understand that we are in the 'times' of grace where God is so graciously waiting for every soul to repent and come back to Him. So, once the grace is preached to all (Matt 24:14), what follows then is the abomination that causes desolation (Matt 24:15), which will begin the 'times' of the great tribulation for all the saints of God

(Matt 24:21) onwards.

So lets understand the times and be prepared to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves because we are sent as sheep among wolves (Matt 10:16).

In the Lord Jesus Christ,

John

Dreams and Visions and Understanding Our Times...

2010-01-01T23:34:00.001-08:00

In my daily devotion this morning, the Lord revealed an invaluable scripture to me which I would like to share with you so that the Truth is spread and that you would be edified. Here are the two things I would like to share with you (from the book of Daniel chapter 7):

- Dreams and visions

- Understanding the times we live in

Dreams and Visions

The truth about dreams and visions is that they are not one and the same but dreams contain visions and not vice-versa. This can be clearly seen in the book of Daniel (ch.7:1) which states that Daniel had a dream and that visions passed through his mind. So, visions passed through his mind while he dreamt.

One of the tools that God has given man to know future is DREAMS. Without dreams we will be left with the only option of seeing God face-to-face which is very hard for us because we as humans don't have the capacity to see God through our flesh. So, dreams act as a spiritual tool to help us see and know God who is in the Spirit.

Understanding the times we live in

Here, in this chapter, Daniel has a dream in which God reveals to him the future through visions. In a nutshell the passage says that Daniel was given the vision of 4 kingdoms that would arise on the earth and how, in the end, all of them would be destroyed and God's kingdom be established for ever and ever.

As I pondered on the implication of this chapter, I came to understand that we are in the living during the time of the 4th kingdom (final one). The scripture says in verse 7 that this is the only kingdom (of the four) that looks frightening and terrifying. I also understood that this kingdom does not have a single ruler but ten (horns) and that one small horn would overpower three others. And, as I thought, I felt that though there are ten rulers, the ultimate authority of this kingdom would rest with the small horn.

So what is this small supposed to mean here? And as I was battling with this question, the answer dawned on me - it was MINORITY.

If you take a look at our world today, it consists of many small groups of people (minorities) who are starting to taking centre stage. A classic example is Gay rights and its subsequent attack on religious systems. These groups which were earlier aberrations, have slowly started to gain popularity and are echoing their views more loudly than before. And this trend only seems to be increasing day-after-day. These groups will slowly start to influence future policy decisions beginning with commercial issues to ethical and moral issues for e.g., marriage, abortion and family.

There are two disturbing facts about the minorities taking centre stage. One is, it will last for time, times and a half (verse 25). And the second is that the servants of the Most High will be trampled upon.

However, the consoling part is that God will take away this beast's power and He Himself will reign and rule for ever and ever. So, I would like to exhort you to understand the times and live according to the truth.

Be Blessed in Jesus' Name

Watchdogs or Wildcats: Lost Focus!

2009-08-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

Was it in 1884 when Paul Gottlieb Nipkow invented Nipkow disc (rotating disc technology) or in 1920 when John Logie Baird patented technology for using arrays of transparent rods for transmitting images or in 1927 when Philo Fansworth invented the first televised human face that the era of television began? I'm truly not an expert in the history of television and so I wouldn't get into details of its evolution. But what I do know is that in late '60s TV sets were gaining popularity.

So what has all this to do with Watchdogs and Wildcats? Well, something integral to what I have to say.

We have moved from Pre-historic times to Industrial revolution and then to the present Information Age. During these times, we moved from Barbarianism to Tribalism and to Colonialism. And then came Communism and Democracy.

Okay, there... We're close now – democracy. We know that democracy gave us freedom from slavery and autocracy. Right? Perhaps, yes! And, along with that, democracy also gave us - a protector called WATCHDOG – media (Press). Yes, you heard it right!! Now, you may ask what the link between TV and media is. The link, dear reader, is that television has come a long way from just being one of the medium to become the media itself – the be all and end all of modern media.

So why do I call them Wildcats when they should be called Watchdogs? Because instead of giving out a shout in the darkness (like how watchdogs bark at a stranger at night) and bring to light the issues that lurks, media has creatively designed a precarious mould and has gotten itself (and the audience) locked up in the very mould it created. This mould is creatively precarious because it has taken a new form – Wildcat – that focuses on the scene (or stream/process) and not the object (or fundamental/ real issue).

How often do we see a news story, which has an end? Let’s take the example of the Ambani brothers. Most of the viewers are lost in the cloud of developments crowding the actual news. What makes me say this? The recent news item that I read about the Ambani brothers reports that the younger of the two siblings has come back from a spiritual trip and wants to patch up with his elder brother… An average viewer is already lost in the cloud. From what started with a gas deal, the development has come to spiritual trip and talks for patching up. For goodness sake, I wouldn’t want to know what is happening between two brothers.

The point I’m drawing is that an average viewer is getting lost in the deluge of information (most of which is unnecessary) and is caught up in the process (the mould media has created). Instead of giving a complete picture, media, these days looses sight of the actual problem and gets into unwanted details.

And, what’s more. Instead of providing us information on what is happening around the world, media has started to create news. They are making exclusives, sting operations etc. They have moved from news to sensational issues.

This has to stop and media needs to know what its calling is. It needs to refocus on giving news and news that is worthwhile for the common citizen as that is its raison d’ etre.

What Nipkow, Baird or Fansworth thought of when they invented their pieces of history is a separate story. Not to mention that their inventions were good tools for the modern television. We have somehow managed to loose focus. So, lets reason this out and get out of the mould we are caught in.