Fragile life!

Today I was going through obituary column in the newspaper. I felt sad as I went through the faces in it. I was thinking how many dreams would have come to an end when they closed their eyes forever. Life- it is not predictable! Sometimes it is the over-confidence that we have about the coming days that we plan out things in our life. Many a times we fail to think that there is a conclusion to the life that we are living! Death is a reality, we can’t evade it. One day we have to surrender to its power. There is no place in the universe were we can rush off to escape from it. One day we just have to make our exit. Death is something that we don’t like to hear about- either for ourselves or about others! It pains us when we see our loved ones entering the eternal silence. The person who laughed with you, cried with you shared his or her secret with you yesterday, lies here in front of you- without emotions and without that twinkle in his or her eyes.

Some days reading newspaper  is not a happy routine. The sadness that overcomes me the most is the death of young people in accident. It is disheartening to see the young lives perishing for pleasure. Sometimes they might not be the ones to cause it. Yet, the many lives that cease instantaneously are a matter of concern. One thought that comes into my mind is “do we not value our life? Or for that matter anybody’s?” Do we not understand the fact there is no coming back once we step to the other side? The place where I live there is a big road with soft curves. And I see many youngsters speeding on their bike in breathtaking speeds. Ignoring the fact that all it requires is that small stone or a nail for you slip or get the tire punctured and give up life. Why do we want risk our lives for such pleasure?

Life is so fragile that we can’t guarantee for how long a person might live or you may live. I remember this verse from the Bible that says “Remember your Creator when you have time...” (Eccle 12:1) I would like to underline the word “Time” because that is something that we loosely value. Today when I look back I can see how fast I have left my school, college and have a family of my own. Time- it just slips away. It is like the water that you have in your hand if you try to grasp it firmly it will spill between the fingers and nothing will remain. This means that we have to be careful with the time that we have here, we do not have forever to experiment. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Make the best use of time.

 In this stipulated time what can we do?

There is time in everyone’s life where we feel that we can achieve whatever we want! I remember the time when I was child I thought of doing great many things. But soon I found that it won’t happen unless i make it happen. What is that one thing that you want to do in your life? Do it? Do something that will leave a legacy behind you, your family and generations would be proud of you. Nobody wants their ancestor to be corrupt, irresponsible, drunkard or a murderer. Make yourself remembered for good!

Escaping death, only one way!

You might feel that I’m contradicting myself here. I had written there is no escape from the death now how can I write there is one? I can assure you there is one if you continue reading. Life when we look at it we find that there is an origin for it.  It simply can’t come out of nothing! If there is origin then there is a creator. Go to an art gallery, you would find many paintings there. Do you think the picture or the painting just existed with the gallery? If I say something like that you would call me crazy or out-of-my-mind! Yes! We have a creator; the way that you and I are made proves the case for it. You and I are sophisticated beings, we think, we create and we value. The same sophistication asks to value each other. How do I escape death? In the bible, Lord Jesus says like this “…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10.10) The reason why Jesus came was to give us life in abundance which means that we don’t have to fear death any more. We can live a life that is free from all kinds of fear, fear of death or future. Our future is secure in the hands of Jesus.

You might be a person at the verge of suicide. You might be thinking there is no escape from the plights of life. You are wrong my friend there is an escape! If you seek to hold onto the life that God is giving you, you are going to escape. You will escape death and you can walk in freedom. Ask Lord Jesus to take lordship over your life and you will never be the same.

The lost art of tolerance

For the past few days I have been scurrying through websites and newspaper.  Some are junk, some of it had taken my attention and made me read or listen. This is where I believe in evolution, I have seen the evolution of human mind becoming narrow from broad. Here, in this era of postmodernism and celebration of individualism, something called tolerance is being murdered by the liberalists and conservatives alike. Liberalist says he can’t be hurt because he is an individual and his feeling is fleeting! He is angst when someone is hurt yet he justifies himself of the illegitimate pleasures that he enjoys inside the four walls of his mind and eyes. The conservative cries out saying the liberalist is foul in his thought and he needs to be taken off from this world. In midst of this chaos tolerance is bruised and battered from all sides, having no say or whatsoever.

I cherish the time that I had as a child in this world, Waned off from the complexities of life, having petty dreams of a new toy or to ride the bicycle that my friend had bought. As we would have experienced in that part of our life called – childhood! It gave us innocent memories that still linger in our mind. I remember the one of the fight that I had with one of my friend. It was about a mango that had fallen off from tree, he said it was his because he took it first; I retaliated saying I was the one who saw it in the first place so I’m the legitimate owner!  Later on, we relished it with salt and chili powder from our home. We had fights and it was not about the ideology! It was just about some mango or candy that we soon forgot when we were drenched in mud after a play of cricket, football or any game. I believe as a child our tolerance were high, that is why we could be seen fighting for some time and in the next moment we would be having mango with salt and chili. As we grow up the childishness or rather I would call it innocence fades away as the bones grow. I haven’t found any reason behind it, it just happens! On a second thought can it be the conditioning of our mind by external forces of other minds? Or is it like what evolution says “we evolve to better beings”? Though I haven’t seen us becoming better! I have been quite intrigued by this fact of losing our innocence with time.

In the bible there is one interesting quote made by Jesus Christ, he says "…Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”. (Mathew 18:3) What fascinated me was command that He gave “…unless you change and become like little children...” Change and become- I believe this could be one of the greatest commands that anyone can give, it talks about the restoration of innocence, to be like a child. And if you carefully study it is a pro-active step that Jesus asks us to do which is to change and become. So if we need to change from something that means that there is a pre-existing condition of it not being there!  As an adult I have been in situations where it was really hard for me forgive and forget certain people and situation in my life. The teaching of Jesus, to change and become emphasize that I can’t linger in a state of bitterness for a long time. Imagine if we could apply this principle of Jesus in our daily lives, how much more beautiful this world would have been. If we could tolerate each other and not fight for what we hold it to be true, there would have been plenty of peace and lot less blood-shed.

I find what this world needs now, is message that teaches us to be tolerant to each other, if we are going to be otherwise, we will reach a time where human existence would be hard. We would deplete our energies fighting for our ideologies! Jesus said it is a choice or decision that we take to be tolerant, to accept others as they are, to put others in higher position than us. At the same time I believe that we need to have strong moral grounds from which we can derive our decisions. I can’t be a liberalist who believes that feeling is the pertinent thing in this world! If it is then we will have to rule for every murderer and anti-social saying that they are right to have followed their feelings. Can I be an intolerant conservative? The answer is no! I can be a child-like human being who is quick to forgive and walk hand in hand with others. Come let us go back, revisit our childhood, and let us take a few lesson from there to be tolerant. To love more and hate less! God bless us all and help us do it!

Christians and Conversions

“You guys are into proselytizing! Why can’t you stop converting people where ever you go! There is only one God and no matter which path you take, you will reach him.” These are some statements as a Christian and Christians around the world would hear at least once in his or her life time. Christians are chided for saying “There is no other way to God and eternity other than through Jesus Christ” It is also seen as lack of tolerance towards other religions and faith. But my question is have you ever asked any Christian “Why are you doing what you are doing?” Most probably the answer would be “No!”  “Why is it so?” What’s stopping you from asking them? Is it your preconception about Christians that we don’t have any other job other than sharing the faith that we firmly believe in?

Imagine if Christianity was an enterprising religion; this world would have been converted by now! We have had the so-called-Christian nation ruling most of the earth. Even now, the majority of the world follows the Christian faith! If power were to be yielded for the expansion, conversion would have been as easy as walking into a park. So what made Christians not do it? It is simple because we want the conversion of heart not that of religion! Christ didn’t come to establish a religion “Christianity” he came to reconcile man to God, to establish the broken relationship between man and God. As Christians this is what we are trying to do, we want you to restore your relationship with God. And not feel mighty proud of ourselves that “man I have got one more into the bunch!” oh no! We don’t feel great when the religion “Christianity” grows but we do when a soul is rescued from the pits of darkness, from the clutches of sin and evil. Our greatest concern is to see you in the eternity that Christ has promised!

Money to convert people!

“Can’t you guys stop giving money to people to convert people?” Please let me know someone who is doing that I myself am in need of money! Do you know that there are preachers, missionaries and lay people in Christian faith who find it hard to fill their stomach at least one time a day! Think about this if we were so super rich we could have bought the entire nations! Why should we struggle so much? Why should we get beaten up by the radicals? Why should we give up our lives for the gospel when there is an easy way out? People think about it! We Christians, financially, are someone like you! We work hard to earn money! We are also scrupulous in spending the money! And we are not using it to buy everyone that we find to become Christians!

Why we are doing what we are doing?

Do you really want to know why we are doing what we are doing? It because of the love of Christ compels us! Read the following from the Bible 2 Corinth 5:14-20.  ¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.¹⁶ Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. This is the reason why we are doing what we are doing! We do it not for financial gain, nor do we do it for adding numbers. We do it because Christ came into this world to die: for you and me! And through Him there is hope for you, salvation for your soul. All you have to do is to pray to “Jesus, I want you my savior from the sins I have committed and I accept you as my Lord over my life. You will be born again and you will enjoy the company of God.

Many believe that once you accept Christ your life would be a bed of roses, no! I don’t believe in it. Christ says “in this world you will have trouble, be of good cheer because I (Christ) has overcome this world.” (John 16:33) As Christians we are waiting expectantly for the eternal Kingdom of Christ. Christ is waiting for you, so that you can be hier in the Kingdom of God.  This world with all the land, pleasure and riches is nothing compared to the coming world of God. We want you to join with us, will you?