FOCUS July 2020

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FOCUS July 2020 Vol. 8 No: 3

Cover Photo by Canva: Prayer and the Healing Ministry, Cover Design by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas

Contents 1. Editorial by Dr. Zac Varghese, London, Page 3

8. David Brand: Is our time up? David Brandon, London, Page 20

2. People who prayed and Lived by Their Prayers, Dr. Zac Varghese, London, Page 6

9. Making most of the Worst of Times, Saphir Athyal, Tiruvalla, Page 21

3. The Healing Ministry of Jesus and Prayer, Revd Dr. Abraham Philip, Kottayam, Page 7 4. The Power of the Mind, V. Georgekutty, Karunagappally, Page 10 5. Jesus the Divine Healer - Christian Healing Ministry, Fr. Thomas Punnapadam, SDB, Page 13

6. Liturgical Space and Virtual Space, Revd Jameson, Pathanamthitta, Page 16 7. Prayer and Healing Ministry, Very Revd V. T. John, Tiruvalla, Page 18

10. Prayer and Healing Ministry, Dr. Zac Varghese, London, Page 24 11. Poems - What I see, Dr. Zac Varghese, London, Page 15, Divine Image, William Blake, Page 23, Why Am I in the Hospital? Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph, Kottayam, Page 26 11. The Ministry of Healing and Prayer, Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas, Page 27 12. What does Resurrection Mean?

Revd Dr. Valson Thampu, Trivandrum, Page 29 13. Obituaries of Dr. T. M. Thomas, Page 19, Ravi Zacharias, and Dr. John P. Lincoln, Page 31

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EDITORIAL Faith, Hope, Prayer and Healing Covid-19 Pandemic has forced most of us to lockdown situations and ‘social distancing’. This is our way of hiding from this deadly virus in the absence other public health infection controls and preventive scientific measures. The editorial board of the FOCUS chose the theme of ‘Prayer and the Healing Ministry’ for the current issue. We thank all our contributors for their help. Prayer is a way to overcome our fear and find the presence of God in our midst in such dystopian times and find hope, faith and holistic healing.

wave of infection, this psalm reminds us that the light is still with us 'for darkness is as light to you' and in John 8:12 we learn: 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life'. This hope is expressed so touchingly and beautifully in the Malayalam song written by Revd Sajan P. Mathew, when he was at the end of his tether with an illness few years ago.

The following is a very limited translation to give you just a flavour of this deep meditation:

In the middle of this epidemic, we have every reason to thank God for the life and ministry of two of the outstanding Metropolitans of the Mar Thoma Church who are guiding the Church through their servant ministry under the grace of God. We thank God for the 103 birthday of the Most Revd Dr. Philipose Mar Chrysostom Valiya Metropolitan. We are also grateful to God for the 90 birthday of the Most Revd Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan. Let us pray for their good health and well-being. May they bring blessings to our communities across the world in these troubled times. We are also grateful to God for the opportunity of welcoming Revd Dr. Abraham Philip and Mr. V. George Kutty to the Editorial Board of the FOCUS. Let us hope and pray that their contributions will be a blessing for the FOCUS community across the world.

“No rain has ever gone on falling, No wind has ever gone on blowing, No night has ever gone on without a dawning, No pain has ever has gone on without an ending. . . .

In such a time as that of Covid-19 Pandemic, we could say the prayer: ‘Dear Lord, this is what we seek: that we may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.’ We find an answer to this prayer in the Psalm 139: 7-12: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me; your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” This awareness that we are in the presence of the Lord is indeed the right time to listen to God and pray for the whole world in these dark days.

The above song and Psalm 139 continue to remind us of the intimate way that God knows each one of us and the conditions that we are in – on a daily basis as we live out our lives. God knows us inside out and no matter what. There are so many wonderful Psalms for us to read and find comfort and let us use them in these troubled times. Most of the articles in this issue are written for giving faith, hope and healing.

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Yes, we have the assurance that God will accompany us through the extreme depths and widths of life – whether figuratively, we climb mountain tops and dive to the deeps, or emotionally, whether we are to find ourselves in the heights of joy or the depths of despair. There is nowhere that God won't go with us to make sure that we remain guided by Him and securely held by Him. Even when there seems to be no hope and the light at the end of the tunnel can't be seen, when the daily governmental statistical curves of infection rates are not flattening as we hope for or when the ‘r’ value is above 1 and there is an impending danger of a second

Mist, rain, and the midday sun are the gifts of God, God is co-traveller on the stony, thorny path, If I were to fall down, you carry me on your shoulders, When sailing on a stormy sea, you are there to navigate me..

For my perfection, you are my dwelling, No rain has ever gone on falling, No wind has ever gone on blowing, No night has ever gone on without a dawning. . .

No rain has ever gone on falling. . .”

When Abraham said to Isaac “God will provide” (Gen 22:8), he did not simply mean God knew the future, but he was handing over the future of his son to the will of one whose business it is to bring a difficult situation to conclusion strictly according to his design. The tragedies which occur in this life are innumerable, and death comes in many guises, Covid-19 pandemic is just one of them. But we have the confidence and the God-given faith that it will come to an end, as such pandemics had ended in the past. However, it is up to us to learn lessons from it and act responsibly for the common good of God’s created world. It is a comfort to believe that our heavenly Father has all things in his power.

There are many Psalms of comfort for us to dip into and pray: “Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday” (Ps 91: 3-6).“The LORD is with

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me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies” (Ps 118: 6-7). We also have those quintessential words of comfort: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Ps 23:4).

In our lockdown situations of life we have the time and the silence of mind to seek God in prayer for his healing to work for the whole world. Lord Jesus came down as Immanuel to heal this fractured and wounded world. Prayer enables us to explore the riches, which are treasured for us with our heavenly Father. God’s unconditional love will strengthen us in our weakness and fear. When we place our burdens before him, we can rest in complete assurance that none of our problems are unknown to him, we only have to submit before him in utter penitence and humility and our God of compassion and an abundant love will protect us from all our worries and dangers. St. Paul wrote: “We are pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor 4:8, 9). Therefore, we are advised: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen in temporary, what is unseen is eternal” (Cor 4:18). Faith is indeed a way of seeing God’s presence in our daily situations of life. The unseen is no less real and relevant as we are experiencing through virtual spaces of worship, streamed worship, and prayer during Covid-19, but spiritual realities must be received, and responded to by faith rather than by sight.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Heb 11:1).

It is logical to ask, if God already knows about Covid-19 and all our other problems and what is good for us, why we need to plead with him in prayer. Elijah’s example in 1 King chapter 18 is a good place to answer this question. Elijah was sure for God’s plan for Israel and the promise of the much needed rain, yet he prayed and sent his servant Ahab seven times to inspect (1kgs 18:42-43). Elijah did not doubt God’s promise, but he knew it was his responsibility to express his pain and agony before the Lord for his people. It is certainly in our interest and our responsibility to carry the burden and pray to God, it is an expression of our humility and vulnerability. In asking God in prayer, we must be sincerely aware of the needs of ours and others around us.

The ancient Greeks believed that only a wounded physician can heal others. Only those who are aware of their deficiencies and have experienced the transformation in ‘Christ’s cure’ of their injuries are capable of healing others.

A curative force radiates only from wounded physicians and care workers of that calibre. They are the people with gracefilled hands. They alone can enable sick people to hope that they will be healed by the grace of God. We often find it difficult to accept the idea of bearing and sharing pain with other people. But such an attitude helps people to accept their sickness, because it enables them to see some kind of

meaning in their suffering, they can still transform their suffering into a gesture of love.

Prayer points to the human need for divine grace. Human needs are beyond human help, but we should respond under the grace of God. According to St. Augustine, human beings have to pray for the gift of faith: “Have faith: but that you may have faith, pray faithfully.” First, we receive faith from God as a gift; next, we express our faith in daily living and offer it back to God in gratefulness through prayer.

Prayer is not just a routine and something we do in a casual manner or according to a strict time table. Our whole life should be a prayer. We need to live our faith in our prayers, Jesus says to us: “Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mk 11:24) and again “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask in prayer” (Mt 21:22). Therefore, it is faith that gives answers to prayer. Hope, faith and prayer will lead us to healing. “No pain has gone on without an ending.”

It is with great sadness we express our deep condolences to the bereaved family of Dr. T. M. Thomas who passed away on 21st April, 2020 at the age of 86 of natural causes. Dr. Thomas was a pioneer in building the Diocese of North America and Europe of the Mar Thoma Church. He helped to write the Sunday school curriculum and many other things for the church. He and his wife Leelamma were founder members of the FOCUS Movement and attended all the three seminars from 1999. We are grateful to God for his life and work. May his soul rest in peace and rise in God’s glory.

We also thank God for the life, ministry and witness of Ravi Zacharias who has influenced millions of people across the world with the Gospel message. He died of cancer on May 19, 2020, at age 74. He was an intellectual, theological scholar and engaging communicator. On behalf of the FOCUS readership community, we offer our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the family and all loved ones.

May his soul rest in peace and resurrect in glory.

It is with great sadness that I received the very sad news on 15th June 2020 of the death of my very dear friend, Dr. John P. Lincoln of Lubbock, Texas. He was a stalwart of Christian faith and a pioneer in building Mar Thoma Parishes in various towns and cities of the USA. It is with deep sorrow, I offer condolences on behalf of the FOCUS community to Dr. Annie and their sons, daughter and grandchildren. May his soul rest in peace and resurrect in glory. I am grateful to Mr. Lal Varghese for writing an obituary on Dr. Lincoln in this issue.

May I request our world-wide FOCUS family to join together in the virtual, but sacred place, in prayer by being quiet in God's holy presence, thanking Him for the perfect peace He brings to every part of our life as we put our trust in Him. You might find some of the following prayer suggestions helpful as you pray for these causes. Let's ask God to increase our faith in Him day by day as we share our lives with Him under

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the guidance of the Holy Spirit during the Covid-19 pandemic and intolerance of all kind.

PHILIPOSE MAR CHRYSOSTOM 103RD BIRTHDAY

Let us thank God for the people He's put in our lives who bring us love, support and friendship.

Let us bring to God our FOCUS family, continuing to give Him thanks for our communities across the world and asking Him to keep us close and continuing to grow in faith in Him. Let us bring before God all those who are suffering from illness, grief, anxiety or mental illness because of lockdown, asking for His loving care to minister to them.

Let us continue to ask God to express His loving care through the Holy Spirit to bring an end to the devastating effects of this pandemic and bring success to all those working in hospitals, care homes, to find a vaccine and other measures.

Let us pray for racial intolerance in one form or other in various parts of the world, asking God to minister His healing and His peace and bring His reconciliation, remembering all disenfranchised and deprived people and communities across the world.

May God’s blessing be upon all of us now and for ever, Amen!

Dr. Zac Varghese, London For the Editorial Board

JOSEPH MAR THOMA 90TH BIRTHDAY

http://www.issuu.com/diasporafocus http://www.scribd.com/diasporafocus Web Site: www.facebook.com/groups/mtfocus E-Mail: mtfousgroup@gmail.com Published by Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas for and on behalf of Diaspora FOCUS Disclaimer: Diaspora FOCUS is a non-profit organization registered in United States, originally formed in late Nineties in London for the Diaspora Marthomites. Now it is an independent lay-movement of the Diaspora laity of the Syrian Christians; and as such FOCUS is not an official publication of any denominations. It is an ecumenical journal to focus attention more sharply on issues to help churches and other faith communities to examine their own commitment to loving their neighbors and God, justice, and peace. Opinions expressed in any article or statements are of the individuals and are not to be deemed as an endorsement of the view expressed therein by Diaspora FOCUS. Thanks.

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People who Prayed and Lived by Their Prayers (A Collection of Quotations)* How to pray?

“I pray each day. I talk to Jesus, live with Jesus; I want to be like Jesus. I want to learn from Jesus.

Jesus and me are always together” (Archbishop Desmond Tutu) What is prayer?

“Prayer is praise, worship and thanksgiving to God. Prayer is unending conversation with god about everything that concerns us and ours. Sometimes prayer is arguing with God about life’s mysteries.

Prayer is interceding on behalf of others near and far, high and low, rich and poor, weak and strong.

Prayer is meditating on the work of god in history, the greatness of God in nature, the goodness of God in his providence and the promise of God in Scripture. Prayer is being totally honest with yourself in the presence of God. Prayer is recovering from the brink of despair, the depth of failure, the isolation of loneliness. Prayer is intensive care in acute suffering and sickness. Prayer is refining our dreams about the future in the light of the will of God. Prayer is waiting for God when he is long in coming. Prayer is the cry for justice when it does not come. Prayer is walking with God all day and every day” (Tom Houston).

An ABCD of prayer: A for adoration; C for confession; T for thanks giving and S for supplication (A.C.T.S.).

“What prayer is not instructing God in his duties or ordering from him what we want. It is cooperating with him in fulfilling his purposes to which we much humbly submit. He reigns – we serve” (Belfry Trust Newsletter, 1984).

“Real prayer leads to action, leads to us doing what we can do for people. But it also saves us from fantasies of omnipotence, imagining that we can do for people what we manifestly can’t do, and from the anxiety and guilt-feelings such fantasies evoke.

And praying for people also makes us sensitive to their deepest needs which are generally not their most obvious ones. By means of our prayer God succours people in the very centre and core of our

being, and that is what they need most” (Henry A. Williams).

“The things, good Lord, which your servants pray for, give us also grace to labour for” (Sir Thomas More).

Living is praying "We cannot do without prayer, as we cannot live without breathing; praying is the breathing of the soul, the expressing of our love for God. After such moments of recollection with Him, moments of communion and love, we will come away refreshed and ready to face our daily lives with new strength and confidence. It will also help us build a more authentic relationship with others and with the world" (Focolare).

“The victory of the church over the Roman Empire was not won by seizing the levers of power; it was won when the victims knelt down in the Colosseum and prayed in the name of Jesus for the Emperor who persecuted them” (Bishop Leslie Newbigin).

St. Paul Wrote: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Rom 8:26).

“If I chose to hide you away, it is for a reason.

I have brought you to this place.

Drink in the silence. Seek solitude.

Listen to the silence.

It will teach you. It will build strength.

Let others share it with you.

It is little to be found elsewhere.

Silence will speak more to you in a day than the world of voices can teach you in a lifetime. Find silence. Find solitude – and having discovered her riches, binds her to your heart” (Francis J. Roberts).

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Collected by Dr. Zac Varghese to give comfort and hope during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

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The Healing Ministry of Jesus and Prayer Revd Dr. Abraham Philip, Kottayam I have been asked by Rev. Dr. M. J. Joseph (Devalokam, Kottayam) this time to write on the above topic for the current issue of FOCUS, which has a general theme on Healing and Prayer. The theme was officially intimated to me by Dr. Zac Varghese, London. The subject is very relevant and contemporary in the present world scenario which is facing the threat of corona virus as Covid-19 pandemic and tens of thousands of lives are being lost all over the world. We can only pray God that this pandemic is removed from the world and the healing touch of our Lord God will miraculously operate in his compassion for us finite humans and that the humanity will be restored and saved out of this crisis. Amidst this situation, may God enable us to know the divine will and make it ours so that we live in conformity with God’s will and the divine name is glorified. I place on record my sincere gratitude to Dr. Zac Varghese and Dr. M. J. Joseph Achen for having given me this opportunity to ponder over this issue at this crucial juncture in human history in the year 2020.

Introduction The topic of healing and prayer is an apt one at this time when the world is facing the pandemic Covid-19 as a result of Corona Virus. The Bible pictures how the Israelites faced epidemics in the wilderness. Jewish people were better in one respect from their contemporary people those days as they had a remarkable sanitary code in Moses’ time (Leviticus 15). The Jews as a nation might not have survived through the wilderness or the many vicissitudes through which they passed, without their sanitary code. It dealt with public hygiene, water supply, sewage disposal, inspection and selection of food, and control of infectious disease. The most interesting thing about it is that it implies a knowledge, which in the circumstances of the exodus and the wilderness wanderings they could scarcely have discovered for themselves.

For example, the prohibition, as food, of pigs and of animals which had died natural deaths, the burial or burning of excreta etc., and the contagious nature of some diseases. Burning of excreta (Exodus 29:14) was a particularly wise practice for a wandering people, since there was no time for dung to do well as manure. Today we have definite protocol for burying corpses affected by Covid-19 pandemic, which reminds us of some of the purification codes of the Hebrew Bible. The spread of disease was effectively prevented. The origin of the word “quarantine” is the Jewish use of the period of 40 days of segregation from patients with certain diseases (Leviticus 12:14) adopted by the Italians during the 14 century because of the relative immunity of the Jews from certain plagues . In a number of ways the biblical outlook on the sick and on health in general, has a bearing on modern medical practice, and of course, made more up-to-date. th

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The biblical account of healing diseases is limited by the purpose of Scripture, which is revelation of God to humanity.

The acuteness of the disease is therefore explained (Matthew 8:6), but the cause may not be mentioned or diagnosed and given in medical terms. Descriptions of disease are simple and mostly confined to what could be seen (e.g. ulcer, swelling,

hemorrhage) and/or felt by an observer (fever) or by the patient itself (paralysis). “Plague” refers to any epidemic disease and is not equivalent to the present day infection with Corona Virus.

Blindness from trachoma could have been very common in the biblical times. The New Testament evangelists have written as they knew best about diseases. They reported what they observed and understood. Therefore their descriptions could be treated as facts. Moreover, their standard of medicine and public hygiene were superior to those of contemporary adjacent cultures. Sometimes some instances of diseases in the Bible have a spiritual explanation given (as the ultimate cause), for example Luke 13:11-16.

The healing ministry of Jesus What is healing? Healing points to the restoration to full health of one who was ill in body or mind (or both). It could be recovery resulting from medical treatment or a spontaneous recovery from illness. It includes the improvement of a patient’s outlook on his/her condition even if no physical amelioration is possible, and even a correction of a patient’s misconception of the nature of his/her illness. In psychological disorders the term is used to denote an improved mental state. In the case of the biblical narratives of the healing ministry of Jesus (apart from the cases of demon possession), healing is in its primary medical sense of the restoration to normal or full health in cases of organic disease. Changes in spiritual outlook, an improved acceptance of an organically incurable condition, or the natural and spontaneous recoveries of disease are all continuously occurring but do not partake of the miraculous in the strict theological sense.

The healing ministry of Jesus was part and parcel of his proclamation of the kingdom of God. It was aimed at bringing an end to the physical sufferings. Diseases were a challenge to human wholeness that was offered through the promise of abundant life in Jesus Christ. It was part of the process of liberation offered in Jesus. Jesus was empathizing with humans through his healing ministry. He felt compassion when he saw people suffering from illnesses.

The healing miracles of Jesus are given in the Synoptic Gospels as groups (Luke 4:40-41) as well as individual cases. People came to him in large numbers (Mark 4:23-24) and they were all healed (Luke 4:40). When we examine all the four Gospels, we find only over 20 instances of healing either in groups or as individuals. Some were healed at a distance, some with a word without any physical contact, some with physical contact, some with both physical contact and “means”, that is, the use of clay made from spittle, which was a popular remedy of the time for blindness (Mark 8:23; John 9:6) and deafness (Mark 7:32-35).

This may have been to aid the patient’s faith or to demonstrate that God does not exclude the use of means, or both.

Luke includes five miracles of healing not recorded in the other Gospels. They are the raising of the son of the widow at Nain (7:11-16), the healing of the woman bent (13:11-16), the man with dropsy (14:1-4), the ten lepers (17:12-19), and the healing of Malchus’ ear (22:51). Thus Jesus even restored a severed part of the human body through the healing of Malchus’ ear. At

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the same time these recorded events represent only a small fraction of those ill in the country at that time.

The fourth evangelist never refers to healing of people in large numbers, nor to demon possession (the word demon is mentioned in John 10:21). In addition to the raising of Lazarus from the dead, only three cases of healing are referred. They are the healing of the nobleman’s son (4:46-54), the man paralyzed for 38 years (5:1-16), and the man born blind (9:1-14). These miracles of healing are not only mighty works, but also signs.

They demonstrate that the healing miracles of Jesus have not only individual, local, contemporary physical significance, but a general, eternal and spiritual meaning also. For example, in the case of the healing of the man born blind, the point is established that individual sickness is not necessarily attributed to individual sin.

Jesus performed several miraculous healings. A miracle is “a striking interposition of divine power by which the operations of the ordinary course of nature are overruled, suspended or modified” . The miraculous healings are instantaneous (Mark 8:22-26 is a notable exception), complete and permanent and usually without the use of means (there is the use of saliva in Mark 7:33; 8:28; cf. Mark 5:27-29; Acts 5:15; 19:12). Divine miracles of healing show no relapses, which typify spurious miracles, except, of course, when dead persons were raised to life, who sooner or later subsequently died again (Example: Jairus’ daughter – Mark 5:21-24, 35-43; the widow of Nain’s son – Luke 7:11-15; Lazarus – John 11:1-44 etc.). ii

Like other miracles in the Gospels, the healing miracles were also dramatized signs. They were enacted parables to teach certain things theologically. They authenticated and illustrated the words of Jesus who performed them (Luke 5:20-24; John 7:19-22; 10:37-38). Thus what happened to the paralytic in Luke 5:18-26 was a proof and of what happened to his soul.

Therefore the purpose of Jesus’ healing was theological and not at all medical. Many lay at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:3), but Jesus healed only one because one was enough to teach the spiritual truth. If Christ’s purpose and teaching had been healing of the sick, he would have healed them all.

Jesus’ ministry of healing included the casting out of demons from demon-possessed people. Exorcisms had a special place in Jesus’ healing ministry. It restored the people from the deformity that happened to their personality physically and spiritually. The disciples were also commanded by Jesus to “cast out” demons. The unclean spirits were associated with, but distinct from any medical or mental disease. There is no distinction between “man with unclean spirit” (Mark 5:2), the demoniac (Mark 5:15-16) or the man who had been “possessed with demons” (Mark 5:18). The same man is pictured in various ways. Exorcisms marked the victory of Jesus over forces of evil and brought the integrity of the humans in their physical, mental and spiritual aspects. The power of the evil forces was thereby defeated by Jesus. Not only did the individuals, but the structure of the society as well could attain wholeness. Thus exorcism marked the varied ways in which humans and their society could be purged from evil. In India caste system is an evil that has to be exorcised.

At the outset of Jesus’ ministry he had the temptation whether or not to perform miracles/miraculous provisions. Then Jesus decided not to perform them, but while he was doing his public ministry he was very much moved with compassion by the

pathetic suffering of people and he performed the miracles of healing etc. Healing miracles were also performed as a sign of his proclamation of the kingdom of God. He was thus revealing the love of God through healing. Now we look at prayer in relation to the healing ministry of Jesus.

Healing and Prayer Bible teaches us to pray and fast for healing. At the same time Bible does not negate the use of medicine for healing. The oils of Olive and mustard, fruits of fig trees, wine etc. were regarded as of having medicinal value in antiquity (Luke 10:33, 34). Luke was a medical doctor (Colossians 4:14). Jesus commanded his disciples to heal the sick in their ministry (Luke 10:9).

Some instances regard human faith in Jesus as playing a role in the healing process (Mark 4:40; 5:34, 36). Sometimes Jesus accepted the faith of the sick man’s friends (Mark 2:4, 5; cf.

Matthew 17:17; Luke 17:5). Jesus demanded faith from those who would be healed, and also inspired and helped people to have such faith.

Various terms are used to describe healing that occurs without the use of means and in response to faith. Because all true healing comes from God the term “divine healing” is not helpful to distinguish any healing. “Spiritual healing” refers more to the restoration of health to the spirit than to body and moreover, it may be confused with the work of spirits who in the name of the devil can produce spurious healing. Faith healing is a helpful term so long as the object of faith is clear (it is by no means always by God). Matthew records instances of where healing could not be performed because of the lack of faith of people (Matthew 13:58) Faith is necessary as that which claims the blessings of God. It is a restoration of a personal relationship of grace and faith between God and human beings. Of course, it is not the human faith that does the healing.

The purpose of prayer should be to find God’s will and make that will our prayer . During our prayers we should be listening to God so that the divine will becomes our will. Prayer is lifting up of our hearts and minds to God. We adore and glorify his name, confess our sins and ask for his forgiveness, thank God for all his mercies, intercede for others and also pray for ourselves. We also need to dedicate ourselves for God’s will. Through prayer we enter into communion with the living God, who is our creator, sustainer and redeemer. When we pray, we finite creatures of time and space, enter in touch with the Infinite.

Anytime, anywhere, range is there for us to get linked with God and for conversing with him. iii

How do we relate prayer and healing? Throughout history we have numerous instances where healings have happened through prayer. It continues even today and it is part of human experience. I am sure most of the readers of this article might have had some personal experience of healing through prayer.

Certainly I had several such experiences not only in my own life, but in the life of my own dear ones both in my family and my wife’s. I do not want to narrate any of those concrete examples here. Our Chrysostom Thirumeni, a Centurion who has now completed 102 years, often say: See the extra ordinary in the ordinary. We are living today and having good health by the healing touch of God. We believe that it is through the grace bestowed on us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Does this mean that we receive blessings as we wish through prayer? It is God alone who is omniscient. We really do not realize what we pray. God in His mercy provides what is best for us. Hence we have to be thankful and cheerful amidst the vicissitudes of life. Some say that God gives three different answers for our prayers: in some cases “Yes”, in some others “No”, and in certain other cases “Wait”. Sometimes God delays the answer. Prayer is not a shortcut to what we are supposed to do. Today we are advised to stay safe and at home as far as possible. Wash our hands frequently to keep viruses away.

Wear masks so that viruses don’t go inside us. We are also asked to keep social distancing. Do our part as best as we can.

God will protect us and give us health and healing. May the Holy Spirit enable us to know the divine will and make it ours through prayer.

an extensive ministry in both the Indian and the world church…Athyal’s long-term focus has been on the need for the church to squarely face the issues of modern culture, and the need for various parts of the church universal to face this task together.”

Reference:

REV. DR. ABRAHAM PHILIP, KOTTAYAM

1

D. H. Trapnell, “Health, Disease and Healing”, New Bible Dictionary, 2nd Ed , J. D. Douglas, et. al (eds) (Leicester: IVP, 1984), 464.

1 Chamber’s Encyclopedia on Miracle.

1 Abraham Philip, Daily Prayers for the People of God, 3rd ed. (Tiruvalla: CSS, [2011] 2019), 7.

Dr. Saphir Philip Athyal- Congratulations on his 90th Birthday on Easter Sunday 2020 Dr. Saphir Philip Athyal was born on Easter in 1931. On Easter 2020 he enters his 90 year.

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He has had a long and distinguished career as a theological educator, administrator, and church leader. Having earned a Ph.D. (cum laude) from Princeton Theological Seminary, he served on the faculty of the Union Biblical Seminary for twenty-four years of which he was the Principal for fifteen years, the first Indian to hold this position. He was instrumental in bringing UBS within the Serampore fold of mainstream theological education and he presided over the relocation of the Seminary from Yavatmal to Pune. He served as the Secretary of the Board of Theological Education of the NCCI and Serampore University.

Apart from the various offices he held in India, he has had a worldwide impact as an evangelical theologian. He is the Founder-Chair of the Asia Theological Association. For ten years he was the Vice-chair of the Lausanne Movement. He also played leadership roles at the International Congress on World Evangelization, Pattaya (1980) and the International Congress, Lausanne II, Manila (1989). An acclaimed theological educator, he served as the Adjunct Professor at Fuller Theological Seminary (13 years), and Azusa University. He was also a Guest Lecturer in over fifteen universities and seminaries around the world. For fourteen years he was Director of Christian Commitments at World Vision International. A gifted speaker, he has written and edited several books.

Twentieth-Century Dictionary of Christian Biography wrote about him: “An outstanding ecumenical churchman with a passion for educating people for effective service, he has had

His wife Sakhi Athyal, with a PhD in Mission and Christian Education, continues to teach. They now live in Tiruvalla, India and have two children, daughter Vinee who is engaged in ministry as a Counselor and son Vidush a Physician. We pray for God’s blessings on him as he enters his 90 year. th

WELCO0ME NEW MEMBERS OF FOCUS EDITORIAL BOARD

Revd Dr. Abraham Philip is ordained as a priest in the Mar Thoma Church in 1979. He served as a priest in the UK and various parts of India.

He served as the Director of TMAM Orientation Centre, Kottayam. He retired in 2019 as the professor of the New Testament theology at the Mar Theological Seminary and continues as Professor of New Testament at FFRRC, Kottayam. He is a prolific writer both in Malayalam and English. He has published over 20 books on Sacraments and New Testament theology. We are very grateful to him for accepting our invitation to join the Editorial Board of the FOCUS. We warmly welcome him to the Family of the FOCUS. V. GEORGEKUTTY, KARUNAGAPPALLY Mr. V. Georgekutty is a former Central government officer and academician. He is a gold medalist of the Institute of Cost Accounts of India (ICA) and its Fellow Member (FCMA).

He holds postgraduate degrees in Business Management, Computer Application, Commerce, Journalism, English, History, Philosophy, Politics, Public Administration, Sociology and Gandhian Thoughts. He is passionate in studying Philosophy and Religions. After quitting his post retirement job as director of a business school, he has been devoting his entire time on reading, writing and public speaking. He has also written a number of books.

He is settled in Karunagappally, Kerala.

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The Power of the Mind to Harm and Heal the Body V. Georgekutty, Karunagapally, Kerala “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, and a hell of heaven” (John Milton).

During the Dark Ages, many men, who were convinced that they have no place in a world filled with evil, retreated into the sterile deserts or remote caves to live the life of a hermit in order to purify their minds and purge their bodies of all carnal desires.

But these people were often hit by overpowering sexual urges and ran howling towards the town to seek women to satisfy their temptations. However, as they so hurry back to the sinful world, their bodies would break out in boils and sores, their faces would become flushed and blotted, and some yellowish liquid would start oozing out of their boils and sours. These instantaneous physical changes would horrify the victims. They would suddenly be gripped by an overwhelming fear that God was punishing them with leprosy for forsaking their spiritual mission. In desperation, they would fall on their knees to seek pardon from God for failing in their spiritual commitments. The circumstances surrounding gave these afflictions the name ‘Saint’s Disease’.

surrounded by antiseptics, his face bound with compresses which he was forced to change very half an hour.”

The ‘Saint’s Disease’ is not another myth related to the mysteries of the Middle Ages. People in the enlightened age too have been victims of such maladies. For instance Nikos Kazantzakis (1883-1957), the Greek writer famous for his celebrated works like Zorba the Greek, and The Last Temptation of Christ, had actually suffered from such an affliction. His translator Kimon Friar shares the story in his introduction to the book ‘The Saviour’s of God’ by Kazantzakis.

Then he had an opportunity to meet Dr. Wilhelm Stekel, the celebrated writer and professor of psychology at the University, who convinced him that his deformation was the result of strange psychological causes. The malady was diagnosed as the ‘Saint’s Disease’. Kazantzakis later wrote to his wife that his illness was the result “of a mental and spiritual disturbance which manifests itself on the body. Something like the wounds of St Francis.” (It is believed that St Francis of Assisi (11821226), the Italian monk and the founder of the Franciscan and Dominican Orders in the Catholic Church, had marks on his body similar to the marks left in the body of Jesus after he was crucified, which appeared two years prior to his death.)

In May 1922, Kazantzakis was visiting Vienna. He was 39 years old and was married to his first wife Galatea. One evening he went to the theatre to watch a play. It so happened that a charming woman occupied the adjacent seat. Although extremely shy by nature, he found himself talking with the pretty woman. Both soon found the play boring and left the theatre together to spend rest of the evening walking the streets of Vienna in animated conversation. Then a rather unusual thing happened. The writer invited this woman to his room. He admitted that he was not very clear himself about the intentions behind the invite. The lady responded saying that she would visit him the next evening. Kazantzakis was on cloud nine. He went home and to bed extremely delighted about the events of the evening.

The next morning when Kazantzakis woke up, he found his lips and chin swollen and spotted. He first thought it was eczema.

Obviously, with that face, he could not meet the beautiful young lady that evening. So he sent word to her that they would postpone the meeting for the next night. By the next day, his condition worsened. The rendezvous was put off again. His skin problem kept spreading. Soon all his face puffed up. His eyes looked like pin pricks in queasy blubber of flesh. His swollen lower lip dripped with some kind of yellow fluid. On the whole, he wore a hideous look. And the meeting could simply not happen.

The physicians failed to find the cause of his ailment. According Friar, Kazantzakis wrote to his wife in Athens that “if she were to suddenly open the door of his room, she would be filled with compassion, for she would behold him sprawled on his bed,

In August 1922, Kazantzakis packed his bags and left for Berlin.

On 1st September, he wrote to his wife from Berlin saying, “I was made completely well in a miraculous manner, as soon as I left Vienna”. Two weeks later he again wrote, “Fortunately, I am still well. I hope the Viennese psychologist was right, that this spiritual sickness of mine passed forever as soon as I put some distance between myself and Vienna…”

The circumstances surrounding the illness of Kazantzakis reveal that his malady made a sudden appearance when he, a happily married man, had set up a nocturnal rendezvous with a strange and attractive woman, which was likely to end up in a sexual intercourse. As a thinking man brimming with high levels of spiritual energy, he was really in an agonizing situation. On the one hand he was being pulled by the charm of the woman and on the other he was tormented by the thoughts of cheating his wife. The situation was simultaneously pleasurable and painful.

There was an internal war raging within his heart (mind or brain).

In short, the man was under tremendous mental stress.

The western system of medical treatment had been telling the world that people fall sick because of pathogens entering the body. So, pharmaceutical researches were focused on discovering antidotes to kill the pathogens. Antibiotics like Penicillin and Tetracycline were highly effective at the start against bacterial infections. These ‘magical’ remedies had saved millions of lives from inevitable death. In due course,

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effective remedies against viruses too were discovered.

Eventually the pathogens turned resistant. Mutations brought in newer and more lethal pathogens.

Until recently, the world believed that people who breathe clean air, drink clean water, ensure the nutritional balance in their diet and exercise systematically should remain healthy. But, the reality on the ground is that people who live a highly disciplined life fall sick while the easygoing lot often remains less susceptible to sickness. Obviously, the researchers were puzzled. Eventually, they shifted focus and started looking into the part, if any, played by people’s minds in making their bodies sick. And the so-called ‘Saint’s Disease’ is now explained as the bodily expression of a troubled mind.

Although, modern science still does not fully understand the working of the mind, it tells us that everything that happens in the body is triggered by the brain. The brain processes inputs it receives and issues signals to the body through the nervous system for bodily actions. In some instances, people trigger the brain to action through conscious thoughts. But in a vast majority of bodily activities, we do not spark off actions by means of conscious thoughts. The signals of most of the internal bodily functions like breathing and the beating of our hearts arise at the subconscious level of the human mind, because of which our hearts and lungs do not stop functioning even when we are deep asleep.

It is all in our thoughts. Every thought alters our brain structure and the brain structure changes influence the types and patterns of communications emanating from it. These communications have a substantial say in the state of our body.

In other words, our thoughts have a very significant influence on our bodies. Does it also mean that thoughts have the power to turn healthy people sick and sick people healthy? The answer is ‘Yes’. And this is where faith and prayer come into play in the process of healing.

In his article captioned ‘Your Mind Can Keep You Well’ U.S. doctor John A. Schindler says, that 77% of the people consecutively admitted into a New Orleans clinic had all been suffering from one common disease. That disease once called psychoneurosis is presently termed as psychosomatic illnesses, which is defined as "a physical disease that is thought to be caused, or made worse, by mental factors". This disease is not produced by any bacterium or virus but by the patient’s own mind. Dr. Schindler terms the causes as the cares, difficulties and troubles (c.d.t.) of the circumstances of daily living. It is not a case of the patient just thinking that he is sick. It can really hurt. The pain could be no less severe than what a patient with gallbladder colic would suffer. Norman Cousins says, “Studies show that up to 90% of the patients who reach out for medical help are suffering from self-limiting disorders well within the range of body’s own healing powers.”

To understand how psychosomatic illnesses develop, we have to understand the process of ‘thinking’. Thinking is not something that is going on just within our brains. Thinking involves the whole body. This is more so when thinking involves emotions. The psychologist William James defines emotion as a ‘state of mind that manifests itself by a perceptible change in the body’. For instance, anger is an emotion all of us understand. We can simply look at a man and say whether a person is angry. His face goes either white or crimson; his eyes

widen, his muscles tighten up to make him tremble… We know how people blush when they are embarrassed. Some people faint or vomit at the sight of blood. It is a consequence distressing thoughts processed by the brain affecting the heart and blood vessels making the body faint or stirring the stomach to make people throw up.

How can thoughts make people sick? Researchers in the area suggest that there are different dimensions to it. Prominent among these is the tightening of the muscles. If the mind of a person is predominantly occupied by distressing thoughts, his/her muscles tend to tighten. Depending up on the muscles affected, the person might suffer from severe pain at the back of the neck, difficulty to swallow, serious pains and discomforts in various parts of the digestive system and so on. Remember how we lose hunger when we are distressed. Many of the skin diseases are caused by blood vessels in the skin reacting to emotions like anxiety, worry and disgust.

(Perhaps, that explains the ‘Saint’s Disease’).

Another significant way in which emotional states influence our bodies is through the endocrine system - the built-in immune system of the human body. It protects us from the attack of pathogens. Every time a threat is perceived, the immune system goes on high alert and deploys warriors to neutralize it. There is plethora of processes continually running in our bodies to keep us fresh and fit. For instance, the body is incessantly renewing itself through cell division (Mitosis) and cell death (Apoptosis).

The result is that we have a new stomach every week, a new skin lining every month, and a new skeleton every three months.

Experts are of the view that over 90% of our body is recycled on an annual basis. As someone had put it, human body is a process rather than a structure; it is a verb rather than a noun; it is more chemistry than physics. It might be said that the endocrine system is the critical chemistry of the body that tremendously influences its physics.

What does the endocrine system do? Assume that you are driving in high speed on a street and another car suddenly enters your lane from a side road. Suddenly your heart would race and your breathing would become deeper and faster. You might even be on the verge of fainting. The sudden fear that struck you has produced these bodily changes. Once your brain registers the danger, it sends a sudden impulse to the adrenal glands (the endocrine system), which squeezes adrenalin into the blood stream. When the adrenalin hits the heart, it would start pounding. When it hits the blood vessels to the brain, it narrows down making you feel dizzy. If the blood vessels on your heart are squeezed down, it might trigger a fatal heart attack.

If a person is constantly angry, anxious or upset, adrenalin flow continues. As the adrenalin level in the system gets depleted, the level of bodily immunity falls. Stress also produces immunosuppressant like cortisol and epinephrine. When a person remains under constant stress, he falls easily sick. If the stress continues, healing becomes difficult irrespective of everything that the modern medicine can offer. So, Boris Pasternak writes in Dr. Zhivago, his renowned novel, “Your health is bound to be affected if day after day, you say the opposite of what you feel, if you grovel before what you dislike and rejoice at what brings you nothing but misfortune. Our nervous system is a fiction; it is part of our physical body, and

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our soul exists in space, and is inside us, like the teeth in our mouth. It can’t be forever violated with impunity…”

must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind" (James 1:6).

The reality that a man’s thoughts have the power to influence the body is a rather recent discovery of science. But ancient systems knew it for thousands of years. That is why yoga and meditation techniques became part of India’s traditional approach to the maintenance of health. This knowledge was at the root of the healing ministry of Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus often told the sick people whom he cured that their sins were pardoned. Often the pardon happens first and then the cure. Jesus also told people to go in peace. Jesus also sought to know whether the people who came to him for cure truly had faith in his power to grant healing.

James Allen, British philosophical writer known for his inspirational books, writes, “Man is made or unmade by himself.

In the armoury of thought, he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace. By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to divine perfection. By the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descends below the level of the beast. Between these two are all the grades of character, and man is their maker and master. Of all the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul, none is more gladdening or fruitful of the divine promise and confidence than this – that man is the master of thought, the moulder of character and the maker and shaper of conditions, environment and destiny.”

People burdened with the weight of their sins, have wars raging in their minds. No healing would last unless their hearts are relieved of their burdens. And no healing is possible unless people have faith in person to whom they go for healing. Thus, it is no myth that faith carries the potential to trigger miracles; it is modern science. Faith works wonders. And Jesus said, “...Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.

Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).

Norman Cousins records this anecdote about an African witch doctor in his bestseller work, ‘The Anatomy of an Illness’. This medicine man was in the company of Dr. Schweitzer, a practitioner of modern medicine. The ‘clinic’ was just a small patch of jungle clearing. The witch doctor would give herbs with instructions on its use to some of the patients. To some others he gave no herbs but only recited some incantations. To the rest, the witch doctor quietly pointed to Dr. Schweitzer. The doctor later explained to Cousins that those to whom herbs were given had only functional complaints, which would be cured by the herbs. The problem with the second category was essentially psychological and the incantations and the ritualistic gestures should make them believe that whatever evil was within them was now driven out. The third category had serious issues needing surgical or other modern procedures. He directed them to Dr. Schweitzer. Obviously, the African witch doctors are smarter than the professionals of the scientific age!

Norman Vincent Peal, American minister and bestselling author, writes, “There is a growing emphasis in present-day religious practice which is designed to help people find healing from sickness of mind, heart, soul and body. This is a return to the original practice of Christianity… The very word ‘pastor’ derives from a word meaning ‘the cure of souls’… A sensible and effective pattern for health and happiness is to utilize the skills and methods of medical science to fullest possible extent and at the same time supply the wisdom, the experience and the techniques of spiritual science...”

He adds, “In all of the investigations I have made into successful cases of healing, there seem to be certain factors present. First, a complete willingness to surrender oneself in to the hands of God. Second, a complete letting go of all errors such as sin in any form and a desire to be cleansed in the soul. Third, belief and faith in the combined therapy of medical science in harmony with the healing power of God. Fourth, a sincere willingness to accept God’s answer, whatever it may be and no irritation or bitterness against His will. Fifth, a substantial, unquestioning faith that God can heal.” The Bible says, "But when you ask, you

The Bible says, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23: 7 KJV). Think happy thoughts and we would be happy; think of affluence and we would be rich; think of health, we would be healthy; think of love, we would find love, think of peace, we would enjoy peace… On the other hand, think sad thoughts, we would soon be miserable; think of poverty, we would soon be poor; think of sickness, we would soon be sick; think of conflicts, there would be war… So, Apostle Paul says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honourable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and of there be any praise, think on these things. The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9).

Let us learn to control our thoughts; let us learn to become masters of our thoughts; let us learn to become captains of our destiny. We can certainly do this if we so choose and enjoy the “the last of the human freedoms” – the freedom from the enslavement of our external circumstances. Remember that the happiest people are not the most affluent people; the healthiest people are not those receiving the best medical care…

“Life’s battles do not always go To the stronger or faster man But sooner or later the man who wins Is the one who thinks he can?”

(Attributed to Napoleon Hill) Select References: 1. Nikos Kazantzakis, The Saviours of God: Spiritual Exercises (Translated by Kimon Friar) 2. Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking 3. Norman Cousins, Anatomy of an Illness As Perceived by the Patient 4. James Allen, As A Man Thinketh 5. John A, Schindler, M.D. You Mind Can Keep You Well (Reader’s Digest)

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Joseph – Mary- Jesus (JMJ)

JESUS THE DIVINE HEALER - CHRISTIAN HEALING MINISTRY Fr. Thomas Punnapadam, SDB The Covid-19 pandemic overwhelming the world for the last six months is not just an absolutely unprecedented health emergency, but also a socio-economic crisis and a geo-political watershed and an existential turning point for humankind. This pandemic has turned human lives upside down in unimaginable ways. We are half way through this calendar year and with hardly any doubt it can be said that this year will go down in history as the year of the Corona Virus pandemic. While it is as yet difficult to see light at the end of this dark tunnel, every effort is made by everyone to make this experience a part of history.

The numerous drastic measures advocated and imposed by governments and health professionals and the consequent restrictions imposed by national curfews, lock downs, rules about social distancing, closure of educational institutions, places of worship, restaurants, malls and theatres have all been honest efforts to contain the spread of the virus. National strategies of containment, rapid testing, mandatory quarantining and self-isolation have all greatly helped mitigate the scale and spread of the virus. Nonetheless, the greatly feared critical stage of community transmission is now pervading many countries of the southern hemisphere. The efficacy of these measures is considerably debated and not a few have wondered if the cure is worse than the disease especially from the economic perspective of millions losing their jobs and even being reduced to hunger, homelessness and untimely death.

No doubt the heroism of the medical professionals and other essential service providers, as also the honest efforts of the civil and political authorities to contain the calamities engendered by the pandemic is admirable indeed. The most noteworthy of the long-term battle against the corona plague is beyond doubt the universal race for a cure, the discovery of a vaccine. As of midMay, a newspaper article averred that 70 research groups worldwide are working on preparing a remedy; 100 vaccine candidates are in the pipeline; 450 clinical trials are on; 8000 scientists have written research papers on Covid-19 so far and fifty per cent of vaccine developers are in North America. (The New Sunday Express Magazine, Bangalore edition, 17 May).

As epidemiologists enlighten us, humankind has bravely fought and gloriously won many a battle against numerous viruses.

There are as yet innumerable viruses that are potential threats to human life. As we know in the first two decades of the 21 century alone the world has seen four global zoonotic epidemics SARS, Avian flu, Ebola, now Covid-19. While the search for a vaccine is not to be denigrated, it must not be forgotten that it is not the exclusive solution to the problem. It is universally acknowledged that the robustness of the immune system holds the omnipotent key to battling the virus. As the relentless hunt for an effective vaccine progresses unabated, it is enlightening to note that many experts are highlighting the indispensable need to build up the immune system. st

The corona pandemic is without a doubt unprecedented. The immune system is not constituted exclusively by biological

factors. The psychosomatic perspective of any illness is universally acknowledged by the world of medicine. Medical professional readily recognise the difference between any disease and its symptoms. Covid-19, as we all know, is highly asymptomatic, and there seems to be growing evidence that even asymptomatic patients can transmit the virus. Health experts also admit that the person needs to be healed than the disease just be cured.

Arundhati Roy the well-known author of God of Small Things fame has inspiringly described the current pandemic as a portal.

A portal to what…is a question that arises in any one’s mind.

It is precisely in this context that the unprecedented experience of the corona pandemic invites all religiously inclined and spiritually motivated human beings to rediscover the immense power and profound meaning of healing. Particularly to the Christian community it is indeed a wake-up call to the ministry of healing. The significance of the dimension of healing in Christian ministry has not been consistently recognised, as it ought to be. The dimension of preaching the Word has probably been over-emphasised to the detriment of the ministry of healing. In recent decades, the charismatic movement has to a great extent revived the healing dimension of Christian ministry.

In the Bible it is clear that ultimate salvation, of which God is the only source, includes bodily health and perfection. The Lord assures the Israelites: I am the Lord your healer (Ex 15:26c).

Healing is a sign that Yahweh is the protector of his people (Ex 15:26; Ps 102:1). Healing is one of the astonishing works of God. In the Old Testament healing was part of the prophetic mission. Prophet Elijah heals Naaman. Undoubtedly, importance is given to prayer as well as medicine. My son, when you are sick do not be negligent, but pray to the Lord and he will heal you. . . and give the physician his place, for the Lord created him; let him not leave you, for there is need of him (Sir 38:9, 12).

The Messianic era in Prophet Isaiah is described as one of bodily wholeness as well as true peace and joy: In that the day deaf shall hear . . . the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall exult in the Holy one of Israel (Is 29:18, 19). Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy (Is 35:5, 6a).

The climax of God’s healing grace is the life and ministry of Our Lord and master Jesus Christ. The most faithful summary of the life of Jesus is that he is supreme healer of Life, indeed a poet of God’s compassion. Jesus not only preached but perfectly incarnated God’s compassion through his numerous acts of healing. In fact he describes his own life-mission in terms of healing: Go and tell John what you hear and see; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them (Mt 11:4,5; Lk 7:21-23).

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There is almost a litany of healings in the Gospels. They brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons . . . he healed many (Mk 1:23-28; 29 -34; 40-42; 2:1-12; 3:1- 12). In contrast to the Baptist who never healed, Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and healing every disease and infirmity among the people (Mt 4:23; also 9:35).

The Gospel of Mark particularly highlights the deeper dimensions of the ministry of Jesus, that Jesus was not just curing people of the bodily symptoms of their diseases, but making them whole in body, mind heart and soul. Jesus went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons (Mk 1:39). St. Luke too stresses the deeper aspects of healing when he asserts that people came to Jesus to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured . . . for power came forth from him and healed them all (Lk 6:18,19). In the house of Cornelius St. Peter reaffirms that Jesus went doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him (Acts 10:38b).

As the authoritative historian Josephus Flavius too testifies Jesus was a well known as healer. He was like others in using to saliva (Mk 7:33) and yet he was different.

He was no professional physician, never asked for symptoms, and attempted no diagnosis. He did not rely on techniques, secret formulas and never acted out of economic interests, but on manifesting the healing love of God. Jesus was concerned not just with suppressing the symptoms, but of healing, as well as making whole the social dimension and the spiritual realm of every human life.

Christ was a man of extraordinary compassion and healed even on the Sabbath. Jesus goes beyond the materialistic conception of the Sabbath, breaks it and establishes the new Sabbath of the New Covenant, which is the sign of the definitive presence of God among his people (Mk 2: 27,28). For Jesus, miracles of healing are an essential aspect of the integral salvation, which he came to bring. Redemption is victory over sin, healing the sick, casting out devils. The paralytic is first forgiven and then delivered from paralysis (Lk 5:18-26). The sick man at the pool of Bethsaida is exhorted to amend his life (Jn 5:14). To the man born blind, Jesus offered both the light of the way and even the greater light of faith (Jn 9:35-38). The psychosomatic and spiritual dimension of ill health is clearly acknowledged by Jesus (Mt. 9:1-8; Lk 4:18, 19; 5/17-26; Jn 5:1-8).

The healings by Jesus were not isolated acts, but integral to the proclamation of the reign of God; they were not intended to

prove his power or authority. Underlying ever y healing was his compassionate love, a fruit of reign of God. Jesus never asked anything for himself, he gave without charge and instructed his disciples to do so (Mt 1:8). Belief in God’s compassion and a desire to be healed were the only conditions. Jesus never took any credit for the healings. “Your faith saved you” is one of the most often repeated sayings of Jesus. More significantly he often reassured those who came to him: go in peace (Lk 8:48; 7:50). This peace meant bodily health to the haemorrhagic woman and for the repentant woman it meant forgiveness of her sins.

Peace in the biblical understanding is not only a pact which permits a tranquil life, or a ‘time of peace’ in opposition to a ‘time of war’, but indicates the well-being of daily existence, of being intact; it indicates a person who lives a complete life in harmony with nature, with oneself and with God. Hence peace and salvation are inseparable. In his healing ministry, God’s saving action is in motion. I saw Satan falling from heaven (Lk 10:18). Reign of God is God’s response to human suffering; evil is overcome; the irruption of God’s mercy results in the elimination of suffering, and acceptance of those eliminated from society. This is far from being a fully accomplished reality.

We must go on bringing God’s mercy into the world through his healing power.

The one and only inspiration for our ministry is our Lord and master Jesus Christ. And in commissioning his followers to continue his ministry, the dimension of healing was never sidestepped. While on earth, Christ apparently communicated the power of healing only to the disciples. He called the twelve and gave them authority over all demons and to cure diseases (Mt 10:1; Lk 9:1-2; Mk 6:7-13). However it is noteworthy that the Risen Jesus gives us the assurance that all who believe will be endowed with this power to heal: And these signs will accompany those who believe; in my name they will cast out demons . . . they will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover (Mk 16:17, 18).

Being instruments of God’s divine healing grace is our universal mission; this is particularly highlighted in the context of the current pandemic. A profound question that confronts us is: do we believe in this power of God to heal, of which we are all channels in various ways? Do we pray for this heavenly grace?

The power that went out from Jesus (Lk 6:19; Acts 3:6, 16; 4:10) needs to go out through his believers today. Like the first miracle wrought in the early church, numerous others can follow in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth Acts 3:6b). The Greek word heal, also means save. As St James assures us the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven (James 5:15).

The Church is the sacrament of Christ’s presence and hence continues the work of healing begun by Christ. It is one of the charisms (I Cor 12:9, 28-30). All through her history, healing been one of the main concerns of the Church. Both religious orders and countless dedicated doctors and nurses are part of the healing of the healing mission of Christ. In a sense every Christian shares in the healing mission of Christ, because every act of love, concern contributes to healing. Greater collaboration is needed in the healing ministry, among medical experts, pastoral ministers and social service providers. The sacraments especially of Baptism, the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation are to be revitalized as sacraments of healing.

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Christianity has helped the progress of modern medicine by its message of liberation from magic and superstition. The Christian community rejoices at the progress of curative and preventive medicine but warns against the depersonalization of medicine and offers the holistic approach. The Church feels she has a special, unique role in healing ministry, which is bound up with God’s saving action in history. Health is not a static condition; curing is not healing; healing is finding ‘wholeness’.

All sicknesses need healing, not just cure, since it affects all aspects of life, individual and social. Complete healing is not a single individual’s responsibility or achievement; teams are involved more and more in healing. From the involvement in the process of healing both the patient and the team will emerge more enriched and bonded.

In spite of the incredible progress of medicine and availability of health facilities, the church has a unique contribution to make; ‘something more’ to give. A highly intriguing discovery of modern medicine is the power of prayer in healing, though for science and scientists, the role of prayer in healing mind and body continues to be an evolving discipline. Research has proved repeatedly that those who pray regularly are less likely to fall ill and that when they do they tend to recover faster. Prayer has healing effects also on those who are prayed for. MRI scans and other measurements of those who meditate clearly manifest biological changes – increase in metabolism, lower heart rate, blood pressure, rate of breathing, slower brain waves and enhanced feeling of control, peace and tranquillity. There is enough evidence in clinical psychology to suggest that any kind of prayer which allows the mind to transfer fear and suffering into another agency, believed to be a higher power, reduces one’s own burden of suffering and fear. On the other hand, it is evident that high adrenalin levels during stress and unhappiness lower the immunity, elevate blood sugar, raise heart rate and blood pressure, and generally make an individual more susceptible to illness.

The brightest dimension of Covid-19 epidemic probably is that it has reawakened or deepened the faith of many people around the world. It is a divine invitation to rediscover the Christian attitude to health and sickness, which climaxes in the ministry of healing of Jesus. While progress in medical research is relentless, knowledgeable professionals in the field are ever more widely acknowledging a power beyond the human sciences and skills that heals. This confirms the biblical affirmation: For neither herb nor poultice cured them, but it was thy word, O Lord, which heals all men; For thou hast power over life and death; thou dost lead men down to the gates of Hades and back again (Wis 16:12,13).

This is the unforgettable year of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Could it remembered as a year of grace in the same breath?

COVID 19 Christ over Viruses & Infectious Diseases Reverse COVID 19 And you will get 91-DIVOC Destroy Influenza Virus Outbreak Completely

What I see!

Dr. Zac Varghese, London (The following is a meditation on a poem, ‘The Divine Image’, written by William Blake in 1857 and published in a collection of his poems under the title: ‘Songs of Innocence’)

Thanks for the eyes to see and ears to hear Thy words.

Thanks for the heart to feel and the mind to store, At the cross, I see love flowing down like a stream, When I kneel at the cross I feel showers of blessings.

When I look at the cross, I hear thy words of love, Thanks for the eyes to see, I see Thy love; Yes, I hear Thy forgiveness, the gift of Thy love, Yes, I hear Thy love in Thy ‘still small voice’.

When I stop and look at the cross, I see Thy Love.

Mercy, Love, Pity and Peace flowing like a stream; I can’t see manipulations or power games; I can’t see anger, hate, vengeance or malice.

Mercy has a name; Love has a name, Pity has a name and Peace has a name, It is the name on the cross, the living name, It is the name above all other names, Jesus.

Dear Lord, write your name on my heart, Let me carry it around for loving my neighbour.

Thanks for the gift of the other, my neighbour, Help me to see Thee and Thine in the other.

Covid-19 brought me Lock-down and safe distancing; It brought me solitude to hear Thy ‘still small voice’; In this silence I don’t see selfishness, pride or envy; In this silence I see virtual becoming a sacred reality.

By praying Psalm 91 15 | P a g e F O C U S J u l y 2 0 2 0 V o l . 8 , N o : 3

Liturgical Space and Virtual Space: Theological Observations Revd Dr. K. Jameson, St. Thomas MTC, Keezhvaipur, Pathanamthitta.

COVID-19 intensely compels to rethink the meaning and existence of faith, its practices, and related rituals. Irrespective of region, religion, class, and caste the majority of human beings are forced to find secure space in their own familial settings. Since Christian community observes their most solemn time – Passion Week and Easter – in this lockdown situation, as a worshipping community how does the Church keep its tempo of religiosity and thereby spiritualty? How could Christian ministers keep the spiritual vitality of people? Are there any alternative means to observe the holy week in its warmth? How could the Church fulfill the spiritual needs of her members in this period of uncertainty? All these questions are pertinent in this COVID period.

‘Go online’ is a trend of the time. Worshipping through the means of technology is an alternative to the period. It is commendable to observe that churches are expanding their horizon beyond geographical boundaries. Currently, Online churches try to take care of the spiritual needs of its members through worship services, meditations, bible studies, prayers, and intercessions. ‘Screen culture’ and programme ‘Apps’ like Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp have become the fashion of this period. It is interesting to observe that many people question the validity of such online worships and virtual liturgical observations. People respond to it in different ways. The view of certain people is that it is idolatry which is meaningless, others view it as useful and hence it should be kept as mandatory. By considering its pros and cons, how does cyber/virtual space (worship) fulfill the spiritual hunger of the people at large? Hence this paper enumerates the theological observations related to the liturgical space and cyberspace.

Liturgical Space Liturgy is not only made up of actions, words, and material things but also they are bound to a given time and space. The term ‘liturgical space’ expresses the place of liturgy celebrated.

This is an environment in which a Christian community meets to pray, praise, proclaim and engage with each other and with God. It also explains the entire physical reality of liturgy. It includes the place, objects, persons, words (prayers, readings, and music), actions and time of liturgy. Liturgical space is a place where we affirm and create a community, where praise, thanksgiving and all aspects of our life in God are touched, blessed and brought into focus. It is also a place of reconciliation and mission.

The Church is not just a building to gather or a meeting place of interactions; rather it is a consecrated space for sacramental functions, the proclamation of the Word of God and space to experience the fellowship with God and one another. It is a space of spiritual gathering and a place for experiencing the sacramental nature of life. One of the primary terms used for the Church in the liturgy is Ecclesia (in Latin), which refers to the totality of Christian assemblies or congregations, i.e., all

Christians everywhere. The key emphasis of the Church’s identity is the people of God - ‘Laos’. The Church is a community of faithful who have a clear vision. The holiness of the church building and the holiness of the people who worship there are not oppositional but harmoniously related and mutually constitutive; the church building is both Domus Dei (house of God) and Domus Ecclesia (house of the church). The Laos is set apart for a special purpose and the assembly of the ‘set-apart people’ makes the Church. In a liturgical sense, both are complimentary. The Church is a called-out community that belongs to the Lord. It is a dwelling place of God and also a community of faithful.

The church building is a symbol of God’s presence. At the same time, each member of the Church is a temple of God. Irenaeus, a church Father of the 4th century expounds that “the living human is the glory of God”. Buildings are not necessary for worship since true worship can take place where people gather.

But the visible church needs to be somewhere. A church building is a model of a visible church. To focus on the building as merely a place for performing the liturgy is a limited view, which reduces it to mere functionality. The building still continues to function as an entity in itself, for it exists and speaks even when nothing is taking place within it. The liturgical building is a sacred space. In the Old Testament, the temple in the religious arena is understood as an exclusively earthly dwelling place of the Divine. A Christian church building cannot be conceived of in this way. The church buildings are neither meeting places nor temples. It is a sacramental building. This means that God is indeed intensely present in the sacramental place of worship, but this presence is of a character that mediates, reveals, and celebrates the holiness and action of God in creation, history, and culture. The sacramental church building becomes, in a sense, a lens through which is revealed God’s omnipresence.

The holiness of the church building and the holiness of the people who worship there are not in opposition but harmoniously related and mutually constitutive. As mentioned earlier, the Church is both Domus Dei and Domus Ecclesia.

From the holiness of the people derives the holiness of the building. The church building is a sacred, consecrated place. To enter a holy place is to be sanctified and to be affected by its holy statutes. The holiness of the church building and the people of God are mutually generative and interactively constitutive. On the one hand, a church building is holy because it participates in the objective sanctifying and redeeming action of God at work in the sacramental liturgy. On the other hand, a church building is holy because of the holiness of the baptized community which inhibits it and worships within it. Liturgical buildings operate as a model of human holiness. Yet the place of worship itself is sanctified by the living body of Christ. The liturgical building sanctifies the people and the people sanctify the place of worship. People and buildings are irreducibly holy, each according to its particular mode of participation in the sacramental order of the Church. By themselves they are partial; together they form the whole theological truth. In this sense,

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liturgical buildings are both Domus Dei (house of God) and Domus Ecclesia (house of the church).

Virtual Space / Cyber Space Cyber space can be defined as a communication over computer networks. It offers an atmosphere that provides participation to many people with the ability to influence and strengthen each other. Technology is a blessing which offers immense possibilities and creates great avenues to prosper life. Finding the goodness of technology and the responsible use of it definitely enhance the qualities of life. At the same time, it can subjugate like an octopus trap if we handle it irresponsibly.

Cyberculture is an expression of technological power and creativity. God created human beings in His/her own image, gifting them with creativity, freedom and reason. Cyber space or technological advancement is seen as an outcome of human creativity and intelligence. Intelligence and creativity are part of God’s blessings and human beings have to use it in its best way for the nurturing of the creation.

Life is all about relationship. Our connection with God, with other creations and with the mother earth is part of our very identity. It is clear that these connections cannot be created by cyberspace but these can be sustained and enhanced within the digital culture. Virtual space is a medium to connect people.

Although digital technology cannot create Christian community, it can be an arena for Christian community. Christian community is a community from God and in God which means God alone can create and sustain it. As virtual community is a technological creation, it can never create a Christian community. To be precise God, the Holy Spirit, transcends everything in this world. So the Holy Spirit can certainly work in and through cyberspace to create and sustain a community in Christ.

Community formation and community nurturing is an integral part of the mission of the Church. From a Christian point of view, cyber space is just a medium or a means of communication. The Net cannot create a community; it can only be a medium for discovering and deepening a human community that may already exist. One of the most striking forms of communities that people develop on the net is affinity groupings. The virtual community of cyberspace is just a virtual group, not a real community in time and space. This community is within the limits of machines. It can connect people under the settings made by digital technology, whose strength is to transmit, store, organize information in the form of bytes. This means that in cyberspace, people meet as constellations of information. They do not meet as fully embodied selves in physical contact, in specific places and specific times.

Cyberspace reduces the self to information and abstracts this data from space and time. This does not mean that people cannot experience any togetherness on the Net at all. People can do a lot of sharing through the Net. But the Net can provide the possibility of community in its best when people already know each other on the basis of a previous face-to-face encounter. When the people of God, who already know each other can be greatly benefited at this time, the people who first met on the Net may not be benefited that much.

Cyberspace can certainly be an arena of self-giving and service, and thus a place for sharing in and being shaped by God’s love.

It assists people to connect with each other and to share their ideas, feelings and opinions. The significance of the ‘other’ is realized in this space. As sacraments are means of grace, virtual space is a means of communication. Sacramentality of the virtual space is beyond question. We can transform virtual space into a sacramental space when we approach it with an attitude of openness, trust, love, mutual respect and acceptance. Virtual space worship becomes more people’s centred, more participatory, without gender biases and nonhierarchical.

Technological advancement marks the present world. The world without technology is unimaginable. Responsible way of handling the technology is a blessing. It is appreciable to note that the Church took advantage of the live streaming technology and meet over YouTube, Facebook and various church websites to celebrate the Passion Week. Unfortunately, access to the blessings of technology is limited in the modern world.

The drawback is that majority is out of the line. The Church should avail of the new modes of media and technology to teach its doctrines, faith and practices more effectively. For this purpose, the mode of communication and content of the liturgy should be contextualized for the modern period. It is very beneficial to use media in an effective way in the proclamation of the Gospel and integrate the Gospel values with the culture created by modern communications. The Church has to make use of the positive aspects and the best possibilities of cyber space for the faith formation and communication.

Conclusion Community is the fruit of true communication. As an alternative community, the mission of the Church is to communicate the Gospel through our lives and blessings. Covid period is an experience of the church to cope with the cyber culture. The Liturgical space is a sacred place for encountering God in worship. In the liturgical space, we renew the sacramental act of Christ with a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving to the Creator.

The activity of worship manifests and deepens the faith dimension of the gathered Ecclesia. God encounters His/Her people wherever they worship in truth and spirit. In the current pandemic situation, as a Christian community hope and strength can be found through cyber space. The feelings of oneness can be affirmed and strength can be found by sharing one’s blessings, concerns, worries and anxieties with fellow believers. The Church is an open community which at present is more inclusive and alive in virtual space. As a platform of communication, the Church has to use the blessings of modern technology to connect and nurture the community. The Church is the dwelling place of faith that is formed by the faithful people of God. The sign of the true Church is the way in which her members live a transformed life by loving their neighbours and serving God, inspired by worship and sanctified by the Spirit.

The liturgical space is a sign of God’s presence in their midst.

Virtual space is a space to affirm oneness in Christ. The Church is in Christ and Christ is in the Church and both are united. In the present context, virtual space has to be seen as an extension of liturgical space. Is God in Cyber space? God is….

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Prayer and Healing Ministry Very Revd V. T. John, Tiruvalla Prayer and Healing Ministry Prayer is the Christian’s mightiest weapon. Satan laughs at our toiling, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray. The secret of our failure is our failure in secret prayer. Although we cannot all preach, give large sums of money, go into the mission field, we can do one thing – we can pray. This we can all do; and ought to do. There is a message like this: “The first ever codeless phone was created by God. He named it ‘Prayer’. It never loses its signal and you never have to recharge it. Use it anywhere”.

The meaning of Prayer: Prayer is talking with God. God’s storehouse is full of blessings; only prayer can unlock that storehouse. Prayer is surrendering the will of self to the Will of God. All the fruitfulness is the outcome of prayer. God can do more through our prayers than through our preaching. Prayer is measured not by duration, but by intensity.

Components of Prayer: As God is interested in every part of our life whether large or small, we can talk to him about anything and everything. Often we restrict ourselves to ‘asking prayers’ and that is a great pity.

We have to include the following components in our prayer.

1) Adoration (Glorification): Think about God’s love shown in Jesus Christ and goodness of the Spirit who comes to clean up our lives. 2 Corinthians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation”. God’s name must be glorified in and through our prayer.

2) Confession (Repentance): Confess to God all the ways we have gone against him and hurt him. Psalm 66:18 “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened”. God reassures us of his forgiveness as we confess our sins.

3) Thanksgiving (Praise): Psalm 50:23 “Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honour me” Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.”

4) Supplication (Intercession): Pray to God for the needs of the people whatever they are.

Bible teaches us: a. Pray for the sick James 5:16 – “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.” b. Pray for the kings and authorities 1Timothy 2:2 – “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who

are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.” c. Prayer for the Christian workers Colossians 4:3 – “Pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ” Ephesians 6:18 – “Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.” d. Pray for those who persecute you Matthew 5:44 – “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Healing is gift of God. Doctors often say “We treat, God heals, you pray”. Here our responsibility is to pray for healing.

In brief, ACTS. A – for Adoration C – for Confession T – for Thanksgiving S – for Supplication.

Conditions of Prayer: 1) Prayer must be the prayer of faith: James 5:15 –“The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.” Mark 11:22-24 - Jesus says “Have faith in God… Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Our faith is in God, and we know that with God all things are possible. Thank God is advance, knowing that God answers each prayer in the perfect way.

2) Prayer must be in the spirit of forgiveness and compassion: Mark 11:25 - “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” Bitterness and resentment are sure prayer-blockers. Joseph became great in the sight of God because he could forgive his brethren. Matthew 5:23-24 – “when you are offering your gift at the altar… first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.

3) Prayer must be according to His Will: 1 John 5:14 – And if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. We pray for God’s will to be done for the highest good of all.

Prayer and Healing Ministry: Ida Scudder once saw three pregnant ladies die on the same day due to the unavailability of lady doctors. This incident hurt her. She placed this before God in prayer with great compassion. It was because of her compassion and faith in God that the Vellore CMC hospital was established.

Church is the Ambulance to God: World Health Organisation defines what health is: “Health is a state of physical, mental and

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social well-being”. Healing is total well being. Church’s role is to bring the sick to the great healer – Jesus Christ.

Dr. T. M. Thomas, New York

Church is the Community of Healing: James 5:13-18 – “Are any among you suffering? They should pray. ... Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them…Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed”.

It is very clear that the Church is entrusted to the ministry of healing. This passage clearly says that the health is not merely the physical health, but it includes spiritual and mental health.

As Christians, we must be a praying and healing community, and a forgiven and forgiving community. If we do not hear the cry of the sick and needy, if we do not bring them to the great healer (Jesus Christ) through prayer, surely we need healing.

Conclusion: Healing the sick was the hallmark of Jesus’s ministry. Wherever he went, people brought the sick to him, and he healed them.

Sickness does not only affect the physical dimension. It affects the whole person: mind, body, emotions, community and spirituality. Jesus healed the man from paralysis (physical) and he said to him, “your sins are forgiven” (spiritual healing).

Jesus’s entire ministry was directed towards spiritual ends. Its primary objective was to restore human beings to proper relationships with each other and with God. Prayer and Healing ministry is one of the greatest tasks of the Church, which is not so easy. The demands of Intercession are so great that comparatively few become involved in it. One of the life’s greatest ministries – Editor’s Note: Very Revd V. T. John is a senior clergy of the Mar Thoma Church.

He served as a priest in Malaysia and many parishes in Kerala.

His last assignment, before retirement was as the Vicar of the Sinai Mar Thoma Church in London. He was also the first vice president of the newly created Zone of the Mar Thoma Church in the UK and Europe.

He also served as the Clergy Trustee of the Mar Thoma Church. He is a highly respected, distinguished and humble servant of God.

Dr. T. M. Thomas, from Thannickapurathu, Kuriyanoor, Kerala, an earlier immigrant to North America and one of the leading pioneers who led to the formation of parishes especially in New York area and laid the foundation of the Diocese of North America and Europe has been called to eternity on April 21, 2020 at New York. His spouse Leelamma Thomas passed away couple of years ago. Dr. Thomas was teacher at Perumbavoor Ashram High School along with late Dr. Zacharias Mar Theophilus Suffragan Metropolitan. He was the convener of the Building Committee for the purchase of Diocesan Center at Richboro, PA in 1994. He was responsible for organizing the Sunday school and also the National Students Conference in our Diocese as early as 1977. He was a member of St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church, Yonkers, New York. Dr. Thomas served as Senate Secretary of Bridgeport University’s faculty and a lecturer at Springfield College, Madras University, and Ashram High School, Perrumbavoor; he was a member of the Word Education Fellowship. He is survived by Shaji, Dani and daughter in laws Reni and Beena. His love for the Church, its clergy and Bishops is unparalleled. Dr. T.M. Thomas is the author and co-author or editor of a dozen books including: Indian Educational Reforms in Cultural Perspectives (1970), Images of Man: A Philosophic and Scientific Inquiry (1974), Kerala Immigrants in America: A Sociological Study of St. Thomas Christians (1984), Mar Thoma Sunday school Curriculum: Series of 12 Volumes for N. America (2005), and In the Beginning: Formative Years of Mar Thoma Parishes in North America (2008). On behalf of the FOCUS family, we offer our condolences to the family.

May his soul rest in peace and resurrect in glory.

Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas

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Is Our Time up?

David Brand, London In Genesis we are taught that humans were created in the image of God and had been placed in a beautiful environment called the Garden of Eden and that they were to look after it and be obedient to God’s wishes. Apparently they did neither; they ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and were ejected to fend for themselves, culminating in murder between the two sons Abel and Caine.

We presently occupy this beautiful blue planet as seen from space and are slowly covering it in concrete, steel, tarmac, domestic rubbish and plastic. Not content with using it as a dump, we are eliminating carbon dioxide absorbing forests and also poisoning the atmosphere, causing an imbalance in the mix of the natural gases by emitting unnecessary quantities of carbon dioxide and toxic gases. Will we become more like pigs that are quite happy to live in their own excrement? Australia is a continent that is basically a huge desert with a relatively small ring of habitable coastline surrounding it. We are seeing just a taste of what can happen if the earth’s temperature is allowed to continually rise. That Country and Western song called “The Ring of Fire” will have a truly terrible and realistic meaning for those Australians that are driven into the sea to escape the flames.

Is this next generation going to see the earth deciding that it has had enough and will now commence the necessary actions required to get rid of the irritable fleas off its back by using its natural resources of wind, water, fire, wasted earth and polluted air to remove them? Will we eventually have not just one family murder between brothers, but killing on a monumental scale for precious limited resources in order to survive? Might it be a man-made repeat of the Garden of Eden finale on a grand scale; a possible massive new war in the Middle East employing atomic weapons or mankind being removed from planet Earth as it becomes unable to sustain human beings? Could it possibly be that this may be a cyclic event like the seasons but is measured in billions of years not twelve months so that no trace remains of the chaos caused by previous occupations?

Possibly the earth overtime uses nature to recover and restore the balance of its natural state. Anybody who has had to leave a carefully cultivated garden for just 12 months will know exactly what can happen in a short few months. Maybe this scenario is repeated on the other millions of habitable planets until intelligent life finally “GETS IT” and progresses in a manner that is in accord with divine guidance and will.

We already have a voice crying out in the wilderness and it belongs to a lone Swedish teenager called Greta Thunberg, should we not hold our heads in shame that she is the only one making a supreme effort with very little support. What are the leaders of all the world religions doing publicly and collectively to pressure and shame our political leaders, have they no understanding of what is now at stake or are they no better than their predecessors from biblical times? For example Isaiah gave us a chilling and somber warning from those times with the following: Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” He said, “Go and tell this people: . . . leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be the stump in the “

land” (Isa 6:8-13). Scott Morrison the Australian Prime Minister who supports coal mining should be asked the following question. “Why do we need to mine for coal now, after all we have plenty of charcoal available, thanks to your ineptitude and burnt trees in New South Wales and possibly Victoria?”

Comforting words are cheap, especially to those who have lost everything and the repair bill will be far greater than the profit from coal exports. Unless our world changes its ways and stops pursuing the gods of money, power and war to the detriment of our planet then there will be no future for mankind on any planet in the universe.

Surely we must return to basics and divine guidance in order to tread a straight path to maintain survival. We have to work with nature not against it in order to survive, we have to learn how to harness river water, tides, waves, wind, sun, hot springs, even volcanoes and any other form of natural energy. Population growth has to be contained within practical limits and not used to artificially promote growth for simply business reasons. The more mature amongst us may remember when driving at night especially when dark how many insects impaled themselves on your number plate and windscreen requiring constant cleaning, you may be noticing that this has reduced quite noticeably. This is due to 50% reduction over the last 15 years in the insect population due to pesticides required for intensive agriculture.

That may be fine for farmers; however it also means less bumblebees, butterflies and beetles. That means small animals like the dormouse that rely on insects for food are now declining, resulting in less food for birds and remember we are also in this food chain as bees pollinate the plants we need for food. If this trend is allowed to continue unabated mankind will have signed its own long-term death warrant by starvation, provided of course pollution on a world scale does not overtake us first, please place your bets!

Governments should be made, by popular demand, to respond to this oncoming crisis and not fudge the issues. China, Poland, Ecuador and any other rogue states should be punished with trade embargoes placed on goods going in or out of their countries. We have been charged by God with being responsible for this planet and our existence depends on it. We have failed in the Garden of Eden, so it would be a tragic mistake to ignore the obvious warnings that we are now receiving and fail on a global scale in a couple of generations from now. What more examples of nature’s warnings do we need before there is a concerted international effort for a dramatic change in the way we treat our planet. Never forget there is no magical lifeboat and also nowhere to go even if we had one, this is it, no change, more excuses and more ducking responsibility, will mean mutual self-destruction with no escape. It will only be a matter of time before we are subject to some kind of disaster that, unlike fire, drought or flood will not be limited by distance or physical boundaries to a specific continent but to all of us no matter where we are on this planet!

We will have failed ourselves, failed the planet and what is far worse we will have failed our creator and his plan for us in a mere fraction of the time allocated to us as humans through God by the billions of years of life still left in the sun. May God help us all, as we appear incapable of helping ourselves!

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MAKING THE MOST OF THE WORST OF TIMES Dr. Saphir Athyal, Thiruvalla* The whole world is a battleground! We are all under a siege!

With the present swift exponential increase of Covid-19 throughout all the countries, where we are headed to this time, no one knows. Thick dark clouds covering the whole world and every nation. Suppressed anxiety and fear on most faces.

Global lockdown and economic disaster. Doctors and medical personnel on the frontline of this war working overtime with alarming shortage of staff and medical equipment risking their own lives. A vaccine and an effective medicine for this and their use worldwide, not in view in the immediate future. Data and statistics of people getting sick and dying showing rapidly increasing numbers every minute.

LIVING WITH QUESTIONS UNANSWERED This is not a time to blame God, any nation, any government, or any scientist. We are in it all together as the human race. This ‘enemy virus’ does not know any boundaries in terms of nations, race, gender, culture, age and social status. Our usual concept of power, the power of wealth, military, titles and positions, all are bowed down to the dust before this puny little organism of coronavirus. We are forced to submit to the truth of Ps 144:4, “Man is like a mere breath; His days are like a passing shadow”.

Where is God when we need him the most? If he is all-powerful how can he stand aside and do nothing? Has he abandoned the world—his world, his people? We should not be presumptuous to try to explain what God is doing or not doing.

Sickness, pandemics, deaths and tragedies that we experience in this shattered world are the outcome of the misuse by humankind of God’s precious gift of freedom of will. Yet, he stands with us in our miseries, and he helps us to make some good come out of it all.

CORONAVIRUS AND SIN - AN ALMOST PERFECT MATCH There are significant contrasts, but some of the similarities are noted below. Though tempted to elaborate on each, I will not do so to keep this article short.

1. The covert, secretive and stealthy way of both, in spreading from person to person.

2. The source of both is alienation of humanity from God. His will for us is our wholeness and goodness.

3. Both attack the vital organs. The virus attacks the lungs, and sin attacks heart, mind and the whole person.

4. Shelter from both is in keeping a safe distance.

Social distancing. “Flee from evil” (Paul) 5. Both no respecter of any boundaries—national, gender, age and status, thus leveling all.

6.The Virus needs a living cell to live and replicate. Sin I s not abstract; needs a living person.

7. The sheer power of both the virus and sin on people 8. Facing the fact of the problem and its seriousness is the first step toward a cure. In virus, transparency and truth to people, and in sin, confession to God and to those sinned-against is necessary.

9. Even when conquered, both sticks around. Virus mutates and comes back in another form. So also, does our sinful nature unless it is overcome by the power of the gospel of Christ.

IS THERE A BRIGHT SIDE TO THIS DARKNESS? Some good results have come out of this crisis.

1. WHO says that air pollution kills 4.6 million people globally each year— in China 1.3 million and in India 1.2 million. As industries, factories, and travel by air, train and private vehicles are curtailed, if not stopped, for a few months now, the atmosphere is significantly cleaner. So, one may say (insensitive to the loved ones of the many thousands who died) that Covid-19 is saving the lives of many times more people than those who die of it?

2. Countries with the largest economies boast of their power with a spirit of arrogance that in wealth, military and scientific knowledge lie their strength and greatness. With heavy global economic disaster and impending recession, maybe they will be more accommodative of countries with weaker economies.

3. Nations are learning in a new way how we are all Interdependent and interconnected, and how we need one another. They know that they have to put aside geopolitical squabbles if they have to work together to develop medicines and vaccine for this, and save as many lives as possible. So also, the need for humane cooperation to make life on earth more livable. .

4. The spirit of godlessness, irreligion, secularism and immorality has been on rapid increase in the world.

Deriding faith in God as unscientific and foolish is common and in vogue. Could it be that because of this crisis, a lot of people in times of helplessness, agony and anxiety seek some power beyond them and turn to God? Also, with the closing down of places of worship, many have come to realize that religiosity and rituals are in themselves no substitute for true spirituality.

5. Now we get to enjoy the small and simple things in life, so also, the ordinary things, which in busy lives we missed. We eat simpler food, which we learn as what is only necessary, cherish our environment, talk to neighbors over the fence, and appreciate colors, flowers and birds around. Now we do things such as, remembering highlights of old days, enjoying old photos and files, dreaming of our future and may be making definite goals, and learning new things about the use of internet, mobile, Zoom platform, and online business (as the world because of Covid-19 becomes more a virtual world.)

6. There have been several other collateral gains amidst losses. True, people go through serious adverse effects such as, the loss of jobs and livelihood of millions; growth in domestic violence as rise in the percentage of distress calls indicate; many prisoners being released by which there is an increase in thefts and crimes; and

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a surge of misinformation, fake news and pornography through internet. And others.

Yet, there have been several notable gains. Parties for weddings and anniversaries that normally had very large number of guests have become much smaller and wiser. With the absence of household helps all family members learn to do some chores at home—our women would like this good thing to continue.

Drinking habit of many had stopped as liquor shops are closed—for their sake and of their families, we hope many of them will live free from drinking. People are learning to curtail unnecessary expenses, as money is in short supply. Many volunteers have joy and satisfaction of selflessly helping those in dire needs, leaving us examples to follow.

Also, there have been improved hygiene with all the hand washing, baths and better restroom etiquette; quitting the general habits of licking finger as we turn pages of newspaper or currency notes; preference of Namasthe greeting over shaking hands; and significantly, much cleaner air and atmosphere everywhere.

As a new world order is emerging post-Covid, we earnestly hope a better world will develop from all this chaos we go through now— in spite of the weakening globalization (except for this global virus), rising populist nationalism and declining democracy globally.

MANAGING THIS CRISIS FOR OUR GAIN It is adversities that make life truly richer and not riches and comforts. Suffering can produce good benefits. For most of us we are living in the worst of times. We need to find the best way to make the most of it. We should not waste this crisis.

With “stay-at-home” orders when weekdays and weekends look alike, office and home are merged, Sundays and the other days of the week are identical, and with no strict schedule to follow, what do we do with all the time at hand?

Being driven in life with ‘the urgent’ we failed much too long to understand what is truly ‘the important’. What are some of ‘the important’ things?

1. Time to be honest before God—alone in his presence. Our integrity—the coherence between our real inner self and our appearance before others, our claims and our inner fears, our masks/attires and the real persons they cover. Let us take time to reconnect with ourselves, each one asking, “Who am I — who is the real me when nobody is looking except my Lord”.

2. Time to understand what is true religion. When opportunities of corporate worship are closed, we need to hear again, “Where two or three are gathered together I am in their midst”. Let us make no mistake, it is corporate worship that strengthens and sustains our faith, that is, provided that faith is there.

Without inner religion, religion becomes “opium of people”. Christian faith is primarily an inner reality without which corporate worship and outward rituals become a cop out and escapism from the challenges of a personal bond with God through Christ—"a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim 3:5). Do we

shelter ourselves from our spiritual vacuum by joining a crowd of worshippers?

3. Time for our families. In our earliest years of childhood, family was our only world. And in our last years, our world again becomes just our own families.

Take time to cherish and nurture each one’s only real world. If our children and grandchildren grew up never having Sunday church worship, Sunday schools and religious activities, what would their faith be by just observing our lives and listening to our words? Let us ‘reconnect’ with our families, nuclear families and families at large.

4. Time to deepen our relationship with our Lord and strengthen our faith. This is a time we can obey his words, "Be still and know that I am God." To deepen our relationship with anyone, it takes time to be together: this is very much true in our relationship with our God. We should develop a method of systematic study of God’s word, and not casual reading of it as our usual practice, but carefully listening to its message and knowing God closer. Learning the word of God is primarily by obeying it. Also, we need to spend much time in prayer, praying for the many critical needs relating to this pandemic.

5. Time to reach out to others who are aching. The comfort that we receive from “the Father of compassion and God of all comforts” can flow through us to those in trouble (2 Cor 1:3-4). This is a time to serve others through phones and online, while in a lockdown. Also, there will be opportunities to be of some service to those who cannot move around as we can. There are those who are not working and so without money and means of living. Whatever way we should be God’s instruments of help for others, let us be available to him.

6. Time to develop courage and hope to face our mortality. Death is an absolutely sure thing in life. The Easter event reminds us that this inevitable enemy should be seen as not having the last word. It appears as a snake, but one without any venom. Christ’s death and resurrection guarantees our resurrection to an indescribably glorious life forever (1 Cor 15).

GOD’S POWER, PRESENCE AND PROTECTION The context of the very familiar Psalm 91 must have been some unusual disaster and pestilence. The metaphor used is of baby birds finding shelter under the wings of their mother bird. God is one who is very present with those who suffer. His protection is promised because of his faithfulness and love. From under his wings we get power to face tragedies. Engulfing the reality of our suffering is the greater reality of the loving presence and protection of God. The very name of our Lord ‘Immanuel’ assures us that he stands with us in our pains and gives us his peace even when we do not understand what is happening to us and why.

The book of Job does not answer the problem of suffering, but it tells us where to go when we suffer—and have a renewed vision of God eclipsing our crises, and hear his voice.

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Fear is only natural in circumstances of crises. But our faith in our Lord should conquer our fear. Our faith is that the almighty hands of God uphold us. “Underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut 33:27). The hands that created the world to start with, the hands that did marvelous miracles, the hands that stilled the storms in the Galilean sea, the hands that fed thousands with a few loaves and fishes, the hands that healed the sick and raised the dead—those hands are around us and under us.

The Divine Image (Songs

of Innocence by William Blake)

CONCLUSION We live a broken and messy world. But this is God’s world.

What is he up to, we should not be presumptuous to assume.

Granted that the mess is created by us, our help should come from outside of us. Finally, are we learning that we cannot play the part of God? We cannot afford to have a world of power without principles, governance without accountability, knowledge without the wisdom to use it, science without compassion, and relationships without self-sacrifice. When will we learn, if not in this crisis, that life is very fragile, and that a person without God is only an animal that lives, eats, reproduces and dies?

When this pandemic is leveling all of us globally, nationally and locally, we need to learn, how painfully it might be, that finally we are all mere humans, one interdependent people needing every one, small and great, to make our life together possible.

If we do not relearn this lesson this time, we have ‘wasted’ this crisis and have lost a big chance of becoming humans as God intended us to be—reconnected in mutual justice and selfless love to the Almighty and to one another regardless of nationality, gender, religion and class. God has provided a way for this in and through Jesus Christ, if only unconditionally we submit to him as our Savior and owner, and receive his embrace. Oh, our Sovereign God! Have mercy on us and help us to totally surrender our lives to you and to obediently respond to your offer of “life in its fullness”. Amen!

Editor’s Note: *Dr Saphir Athyal, (Ph.D. cum laude from Princeton) was formerly the Principal of Union Biblical Seminary, Pune; Director of ‘Faith & Development’ with World Vision International; Vice-chairman of the Lausanne Movement; and FounderChairman of Asia Theological Association. He is a well-known speaker and author/editor of several books. Contact: Address: 5, Athyal Place, Tiruvalla, RS - 689111, Kerala, India.

Phones: +91-469-273-5996 +91-9446286609, Email: saphirathyal@gmail.com

To Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love, All pray in their distress, And to these virtues of delight Return their thankfulness.

For Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love, Is God our dear Father; And mercy, Pity, Peace and Love, Is man, His child and care.

For Mercy has a human heart; Pity has a human face; And Love, the human form divine, And peace the human dress.

Then every man of every clime, That prays in distress, Prays to human form divine; Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.

And all must love the human form, In heathen, Turk, or Jew, Where Mercy, Love, and pity dwell, There God is dwelling too.

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Prayer and the Healing Ministry Dr. Zac Varghese, London ‘Healing’ is a word used for relief in the context of illness, sickness, disease, depression, mental breakdown and many other complex psychosocial issues. Healing has a much wider perspective than cure. ‘Healing’ is a broad term; its range of meanings include the restoration of organ specific dysfunctions such as those arising from the kidney, liver or heart, emotional or mental orientation, restoration of a subjective sense of wellbeing in an individual, the ability to handle relationships within family and community at large, environment, and to adjust to the cultural, economic and political patterns of society. Health related problems are often due to the inability to balance input and output of the body’s requirements. For example, too much food intake without adequate exercise causes obesity and other physiological maladjustments within the body causing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and many others.

In the 19 century, Claude Bernard articulated the need to maintain a stable internal environment (milieu interieur) that would allow metabolic processes to proceed despite variations in the external environment. This process was further explored and popularised by Walter Canon, who coined the term ‘homeostasis’ to describe how biological variables are maintained within a predefined limit by feedback mechanisms.

Therefore, metabolic diseases are the result of the ‘homeostatic’ imbalances such as blood sugar levels and blood pressure. This idea can also be extended to behavioural responses and to our relationship to the external environment.

Instability of the external environment due to environmental and ecological factors due to pollution and greenhouse gases can also affect our health and well-being. Overcrowding, population expansion, economical, sociological, political and religious factors may also contribute to mankind’s inability to deal with hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, poverty, unemployment, sickness and global pandemics. Therefore, causative factors contributing to ill-health of individuals and society are multi-factorial. Covid19 pandemic is a wakeup call for us to prepare for the next impending danger. Balance and stability is fundamental to our well-being. Unequal distribution of wealth and welfare provisions will also affect the health of a nation. When we consider holistic healing, we need to consider all these factors.

When people feel unwell, this uneasy feeling may result from a specific disease, bacterial or viral infection, within their body, or from a variety of external factors in their social or physical environment. This may cause an unquantifiable stress or some other sense of lack of well-being.

destroy this physiological symbiotic relationship, which is another axis relevant for maintaining the well-being of mankind.

We are only just beginning to understand this microbiota within our bodies. An understanding of holistic health would address all the above areas. It is in this context that we should see the mission, ministry and the life of Jesus Christ and the mission of God that he handed over to his disciples and later to the Church.

th

We often think about the human body in the context of internal and external environments. Within our internal environment we accommodate a whole host of organisms known as the microbiota, which populate the gastrointestinal tract and skin.

This is another biological world within our body; they include bacteria, viruses and fungi. There are about 100 trillion foreign organisms with in every human being, out numbering our cells at a ratio of 10 to 1. Some of them are very beneficial organisms supporting our health and well-being and we have a symbiotic relationship with them. In health we establish an amnesty with these foreign populations by checks and balances for maintaining health. Some of our dietary habits and excessive use of antibiotics, other drugs and environmental poisons may

We see a holistic healing, physical and spiritual, in the ministry of Jesus. This is the reason why much of the gospel narrative is taken up with the holistic healing ministry of Jesus, which is also part of his proclamation of the kingdom of God. Healing was an integral part of Jesus’ ministry, (Mt 4:23; Lk 4:18-19; 9:1-6).

Today, Jesus Christ is still our healer as he meets with us in the power of the Holy Spirit, bringing healing and wholeness to body, mind and spirit. Christian understanding of healing is that of the whole person. It is our God of love and compassion meeting us at the point of our need when we are weak and vulnerable. The physical, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual well-being of human beings are closely interconnected. Christ’s work of reconciliation extends beyond the purely personal to the social order and over all creation (Col 1:15-27). In this context we really should pay attention to the healing of the wounded and the broken world too. With the incarnational ministry of Jesus, God begins the renewal of our alienated, weakened and fragmented human condition (Rom 8:3, 4). In St. Matthew’s Gospel Jesus’ baptism expresses his solidarity with us in our weakness (Mt 3:14, 15) Jesus’ healing ministry is seen as the outworking of the suffering servant who ‘took our infirmities and bore our diseases (Mt 8:17).

The Gospels use the term ‘healing’ both for physical healing and for the broader salvation that Jesus brings. A common New Testament term for sickness is ‘weakness’ (Lk 5:15; 13.11, 12; Jn 5:5); it carries a broad association of powerlessness and vulnerability, including human vulnerability in the face of the dominion of sin and death (Rom 5:3-6; 8.3).

As Christians face weakness, they receive God’s grace, expressed sometimes in an experience of healing and

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sometimes through the strength that comes in the bearing of weakness (2 Cor 12:9).

Furthermore, the New Testament also presents us with a picture of Christians in a continuing battle with forces of evil that are external to us but bear heavily upon our lives.

Although the principalities and powers (Eph 6:12) are not always forces of evil, they can have an impact on the social and political order; the evil one not only brings temptation but takes people captive (1 Cor 10). This series of pictures, while not absolving us from personal responsibility for our actions, also strongly implies that without the grace of God we are at risk of being in the grip of an array of forces beyond our power to resist or break. But we nonetheless need deliverance from that power, and the language of healing and wholeness is entirely appropriate to that process.

The acts of healing in the gospels are intimately related to the restoration of individuals to a place of worth within the social order (cf Mk 1.44; 5:15-20; Lk 13:10-17). ‘By his wounds you have been healed’ (1 Pet 2:24); this statement makes powerful links between human pain and vulnerability and the saving impact of Jesus’ own suffering. The same interconnectedness is present where Scripture speaks of God’s image in us to point to the way human life is marred and threatened by the impact of evil and its restoration by the new creation in Christ (Rom 3:23; 2 Cor 3:18; Eph 2:13-16).

Healing, reconciliation, restoration and transformation are integral to the good news of Jesus Christ. It is a way and a process for attaining fullness. For this reason prayer for individuals, focused through the ‘laying-on-of-hands’ or anointing with oil, has a proper place within the public prayer of the Church and the sacramentality of healing. God’s gracious activity of healing is to be seen both as part of the proclaiming of the good news and as an outworking of the presence of the Spirit in the life of the Church. Such public prayer needs to be sensitive to a number of simplifications or misunderstandings. It should not imply a simple direct link between sickness and sin; Jesus himself warned against the direct association of disability and sin. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9.3). We should be extremely sensitive in what we say and do with physically disabled or differently abled people with birth defects and other related issues. This is also very important in the current context in passing careless judgements and comments on Covid-19 epidemic.

The receiving of forgiveness and the act of forgiving others may open the way to healing and wholeness. Prayer for healing and strengthening should not involve the rejection of the God-given skills of health care professionals and the effectiveness of drugs, which are also part of God’s faithfulness to creation (Ps 147:3). Hospitals and therapeutic agents are there for healing and not for making a profit. We should learn to see hospitals as temples of God, where we see the face of God in the interaction with others at their lowest point of vulnerability. I have come across colleagues who had an extraordinary spiritual genius in dealing with patients, whose kind words, and endearing looks and soft touches were often better than any scans and prescriptions.

There were medical giants such as Dr. K. N. Pai at Trivandrum Medical School, Dr. B. C. Roy of West Bengal, Dr. Paul Brand

(Vellore), Dr. Kumbiah (Vellore), Dr. Oswald Fernando (London), Dr. Rosemarie Baillod (London) and Professor Adibul Hasan Rizvi (Karachi) who relied on their God-centred dedication in treating patients. In Malayalam there is a word for it, ‘Kai-punnyam’ meaning hands of grace.

Prayer ministry for healing needs to seriously recognise the extent of an individual’s sickness and vulnerability that is often seen as a consequence of injustice and social oppression. This is evidenced in the survival statistics of people living in socially deprived regions, war zones and refugee populations around the world. Equally important is that such prayers should not imply that the restoration of physical wholeness is the only way in which Christ meets human needs. Healing must always be seen against the background of the continuing anguish of an alienated world and the hidden work of the Holy Spirit bringing God’s new order to new life. It is a way of partaking in God’s blessings for a new way of life that will not be completed until it includes the whole creation of God’s kingdom on the earth. It is for this reason Jesus inaugurated the kingdom of God and entrusted responsibility to the church to continue the ministry of prayer and healing. Two incidents in Jesus’ ministry highlight our responsibility for the environment: one is the calming of the storm and the other is collecting the excess of food in twelves baskets after the multiplication miracle.

Therefore, as Christians we should be responsible for healing this wounded earth, not wasting precious resources, calming and caring for Nature.

Wherever prayer is offered for those who serve others in their healing ministry, this should be seen as prayer for the grace and discernment of the Holy Spirit, as well as prayer for healing. All who minister to others in need should have careful regard for the maintenance of confidentiality, which this privilege brings. As part of their preparation, those who minister need to be ready to recognize where specialist skills may be required. Christ is the healer and through his Holy Spirit the Church offers this ministry in his name. Both clergy and lay people who are called and trained to in this ministry should realise that it is a servant ministry as alluded to earlier. “Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick” (Jm 5:14-15). Prayer-centred support is an important aspect of the holistic healing process; in this ministry we are dedicating ourselves to become agents of this healing process.

Much of the traditional ministry of healing in churches has been liturgical and sacramental as opposed to the informal, spontaneous and often impulsive and exuberant prayer of Pentecostalism and Charismatic Movements. The sacramental healing is for healing physical and spiritual maladies through absolutions, blessing and anointing with holy oil. The prayers used include the words: “I anoint you with oil in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. May our heavenly Father make you whole in body and mind, and grant you the inward anointing of his Holy Spirit, the Spirit of strength, joy and peace.”

Other forms of healing are also practiced by certain Christian communities across the world. Some even use terms like: faith healing, spiritual healing and divine healing for propagating Christian faith, evangelisations and conversion. Some use these forms of healing practices for financial gains and exercising

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power over vulnerable people. Another popular practice is to visit holy places like Lourdes, for healing. Lourdes is where a fourteen year old girl called Bernadette had a visitation of the Virgin Mary in 1858. She experienced healing properties from the stream of water at this place. There is certainly a spiritual dimension to healing, which cannot be denied, but it is a mystery and one should be careful in not exploiting it for monetary gains. There is a validated and recorded miracle story of one Dr. Sean George at Kalgoorlie Hospital, in Western Australia. At the age of 39, he suffered a massive heart attack.

After repeated chest compressions and shocks from a defibrillator, his ECG was ‘flattening’, and eventually they stopped the treatment. At that point his wife arrived and was advised to say her goodbyes. But she held his hand, prayed a simple prayer, and immediately life signs returned. He subsequently recovered fully. In recent years, many ‘near death experiences’ have been reported from across the world. Yes, indeed such miracles can happen beyond all available expert medical expectations.

The pastoral care through clergy and medical care through hospitals and healthcare workers are given with a holistic view of healing human beings and accordingly they treat the ‘whole person’ whether their primary approach is through medical, psychological or spiritual means. Let us continue to thank God for his divine grace and unconditional love in healing this fractured world through the Divinely-guided healing ministry of the church.

Covid-19 pandemic challenges us to think deeply the needs of both the individual and the global community together. “We are all in it together” and we need a “whatever it takes” attitude to win our warfare against this invisible enemy for the common good of humanity. The Nazareth manifesto (Lk 4:16ff) that Jesus proclaimed is for establishing the kingdom values for the benefit of the oikoumene (the whole inhabited earth). May God bless us to be the co-workers in establishing his kingdom on this earth.

Let me complete this article with a poem by the 17th century Church of England priest and poet, George Herbert, (15931633); in the poem titled, ‘Discipline’, he wrote:

“Though I fail, I weep: Though I halt in pace, Yet I creep To the throne of grace.

Then let wrath remove; Love will do the deed: For with love Stony hearts will bleed.

Love is swift of foot; Love’s a man of war, And can shoot, And can hit from far.” i

D. H. Trapnell, “Health, Disease and Healing”, New Bible Dictionary, 2nd ed , J. D. Douglas, et. al (eds) (Leicester: IVP, 1984), 464. ii Chamber’s Encyclopedia on Miracle. iii Abraham Philip, Daily Prayers for the People of God, 3rd ed. (Tiruvalla: CSS, [2011] 2019), 7.

WHY AM I IN THE HOSPITAL?

(A pilgrim in the hospital) Revd Dr. M. J. Joseph, Kottayam Lord, Why should I be admitted to a hospital?

Is it a resting place?

I don’t want to go, I am restless at its very sight, I don’t like bitter pills; I don’t like insipid food; I don’t want to hear the cry of the dying.

I don’t want to waste my time.

I have much to do!

Beloved son, Be grateful, you are the blessed one to be there; You are one out of many, be grateful.

Thousand would change place with you.

It is love that brought you here, be grateful.

It is a place to make you humane, It is a palace of compassion, It is a place to meet Me in the suffering ones.

Be calm and quiet, You need rest and a taste of tears, How will you enjoy rest, if there is no sweat?

Stay in the hospital for a while, Then you will be soaked in compassion Know that I am near your bed side, Don’t be in a hurry to get out of this place.

The hospital is your home – a home away from your home, You built it with others’ help; You must know its present condition.

Don’t refuse to take pills; They are packed with the wisdom of the ages.

They are meant to heal your body.

The food you reject is produced by hungry labourers; The insipid food represents the starving millions in the streets It challenges the rich to be more generous.

The cry of the dying is My Cry on the Cross, It will draw you near to the source of spiritual bliss.

Take up your bed and walk, Bear witness to what you have seen, heard and tasted; You are My witness in the secular world for my glory.

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The Ministry of Healing and Praying Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas The root of the word healing in New Testament Greek, sozo, is the same as that of salvation and wholeness. Spiritual healing is God's work of offering people balance, harmony, a wholeness of body, mind and spirit. Through such healing, God works to bring about reconciliation between God and humanity, among individuals and communities, within each person, and between humanity and the rest of creation. The New Testament records that Jesus healed the estranged and sick and sent out his disciples on ministries of healing. James (5:14–16a) calls us also to pray for and anoint the sick, that they may be healed.

There is no doubt that the Bible is filled with accounts of Jesus’ healing miracles. During His earthly ministry, Jesus healed many sick persons and said many prayers for healing, miraculously causing the sick to recover. Surrendering our life to God means following His lead without knowing where He’s sending us. At times of distress or pain or suffering, we don’t always have to be in charge or in control. Instead of trying harder, we trust more. The Bible says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14).

God promises His people relief from all troubles in this life.

Faithful people throughout the centuries witnessed dramatic deliverance from sickness, financial woes and all manner of troubles. It’s important that we pray for the deliverance of the sick and recognize that there is no healing that is too hard for the Lord, if it be His will. When we allow God to heal our broken heart, amazing things can happen.

From the prophecies written about Jesus, and from the way He ministered while He was on the earth, we believe that it is still Jesus’ intention to heal the sick. He loves to do good to those who are weak, sick, and broken (Acts 10:38). He is humble and lowly of heart, longing to save and deliver. When sending out the apostles to do the work of His ministry, Jesus told them to go and heal the sick and to declare that the kingdom of God has come near (Lk 10:9).

“God desires the healing of brokenness. The term brokenness denotes a full range of conditions, including physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual and social issues, which serve to create barriers to the receipt and appropriation of divine grace. In fact, a key dimension of the biblical term “equip” is the idea of mending. Owing to numerous cultural factors, such as deeply flawed approaches to family life and the devastating models of sexuality being advanced by mass media, the presence of all forms of brokenness are pervasive among us” (Ashbury Theological Seminary).

Healing is the process of restoring the broken harmony which prevents a person, on any part of his/her body, mind or spirit, from its perfect functioning in its relevant environment: the body in the material world; the mind in the realm of true ideas and the spirit in its relationship with God. Healing ministry is the work of believers, praying in a community practice of discipleship, to recognize and receive the grace of wholeness offered through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus healed several sick people including demon possessed including cases of ordinary sickness, insanity, leprosy (lunacy), blindness, deafness and other natural defects and diseases. (cf.

Matt. 4: 23, 24; 3: 16, 18; 10:8; Mark 6: 13; Luke 4: 40; 7: 21, 22) The Scripture says that "men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1); and if ever there is a time when they feel their need of prayer, it is when strength fails and life itself seems slipping from their grasp. Often those who are in health forget the wonderful mercies continued to them day by day, year after year, and they render no tribute of praise to God for His benefits. But when sickness comes, God is remembered. When human strength fails, men feel their need of divine help. And never does our merciful God turn from the soul that in sincerity seeks Him for help. He is our refuge in sickness as in health.

When we pray for the recovery of the sick, whatever the outcome of the case, let us not lose our faith in God. When the health is restored, we should not forget that the healing is placed upon the sick one with a renewed obligation to the creator. When the ten lepers were cleansed, only one returned to find Jesus and give Him glory. Let none of us be like the unthinking nine, whose hearts were untouched by the mercy of God. There are cases where God works decidedly by His divine power in the restoration of the health to the sick. But not all the sick are healed. Many are laid away to sleep in Jesus. John on the Isle of Patmos wrote: "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them" (Rev 14:13).

“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress” (Psalm 107:6). Yes, the faithful need to cry out to the living Lord during this troubled times to deliver the whole world from the distress caused by COVID-19. God has scattered the faithful believers to the whole world not for material prosperity, but for spiritual prosperity for the whole world. When the faithful forgot this mission of Jesus entrusted to them wherever they are planted, God sends signals (do not misinterpret as punishment sent by God, since our God is not the one punishing anyone) to remind his faithful believers about the mission entrusted to them.

In 2 Chronicles 7: 13-15 it says: “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.”

Yes, the man needs to turn away from their wicked ways and bend their knees and humble himself before God and pray for His mercy and then He will hear us from heaven and forgive our sins and heal our land. So, let us pray to the Lord in this critical time of the human beings, to hear us and forgive our sins and heal our land.

This is the time our faith should overflow the four walls of our sanctuaries out into the streets and neighborhood around us.

We need to visit the less traveled roads and need to visit the less frequented Samaritan wells. That is what exactly Jesus Christ did during the 3 1/2 years of His ministry in this world. He

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traveled from place to place and preached the good news to people by hearing them and teaching them to follow him. He selected twelve ordinary people to do extra ordinary things for him.

This is not a time to confine to home alone, but is a time to pray for others, care for others especially the elders, who are more vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus. All governments are taking necessary precautions to control this virus, even though they were slow in the beginning or did not take this issue very seriously. This proves that science is no longer the decisive factor for anything in this world, but it is the living Lord, who created this world and human, who controls it and decides its fate.

Like the Psalmist says in Psalm 139: 1-12, God Knows Everything: The Lord has examined us very well and he knows about us including our thoughts. He knows everything we do in public or in secret and he knows even the words before we speak. He is around us and His hands are on us. His knowledge is amazing which is beyond human understanding. We cannot run away from Him and hide anywhere either in heaven or in the grave. Even if we are in the east or in the west, He will guide us and His high hand will hold us. We may say, the darkness may hide me, but the darkness is as light as the day for Him. Yes, we need to understand this reality about the existence of God and his control over everything in this world. So, let us bend our knees and kneel and pray: Lord, almighty God, help us to experience your help in a stressful time. Lord, use us to encourage someone this week who is facing a crisis.

"There are many Christians who want to get God off the hook," says Erwin Lutzer, the pastor emeritus at Moody Church in Chicago. "They say either God doesn't have the power to stop these things, or else they say that he is somehow a meaningful bystander." We need to understand that when disasters come, they fall equally on Christians and non-Christians. Everyone is affected. Natural disasters do not separate the righteous from the wicked. This is a time for praying and healing ministry. This is a time not to use social media for publishing self centered photos, wishing birthdays and wedding anniversaries, but this is a time to reflect upon the Word of God and kneel down and pray for the whole world. God has given us everything we can achieve, but He did not give us the authority to conquer God or question His authority. A simple virus originated in one part of the world, spread through all countries and infected people. The science has failed before this virus, but remember God has control over it, but we need to pray and ask for forgiveness of our sins. Then only God will forgive our sins and heal our land.

As written in Isaiah 55:8-10 "His plans aren’t your plans, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my plans than your plans."

Whenever distress overcomes us, we may find it difficult to move forward, but remember God's plans are above our plans and His ways are above our ways. He has his own time to act on our prayers and for healing.

God will not punish or inflict us with any distress or temptation, which will not overtake us except what is common to mankind.

And God is faithful; He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. But when we are tempted, He will also provide a way out, so that we can endure it (1 Corinthians 10: 13). This is the comfort given by God to his faithful believers. He will not

tempt us with something, which we cannot bar. He will also provide us way out so that we can we can endure it.

Four times in Ephesians chapter 6, Paul asks the Ephesian believers to pray; twice asking them to pray for him so that he may declare God’s words fearlessly. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for the entire Lord’s people (Eph 6:18).

“Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ Going a little further, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’ Matthew 26:38–39 Jesus prayed by himself not one time, but three times falling on His knees to the father in heaven if possible to avoid the death on the cross.

Jesus’ final prayer on the cross was “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and then He gave up his spirit. There are several occasions in the four gospels where Jesus prayed by himself alone to the Father in heaven. Our prayers should not be always for asking for favor from God, but to fulfill His will in our lives, for which we need to submit ourselves completely to God. Every coin has two sides and the front is the “heads” from early Roman times, usually depicts a country’s head of state. The back is called “tails,” a term possibly originating from the British ten pence depicting the raised tail of a heraldic lion. Like a coin, Christ’s prayer in the garden of Gethsemane possesses two sides. In the deepest hours of His life, on the night before He died on a cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). When Christ says, “take this cup,” that’s the raw honest prayer. He reveals His personal desire, “This is what I want.”

Then Jesus turns the coin, praying “not my will.” That’s the side of abandonment. Abandoning ourselves to God begins when we simply say, “But what do you want, God?” So, let us pray: Heavenly Father, I’m grateful for your comforting presence. I am grateful that you are there for the whole world and you are carrying us in this troubled times. Lord, take control of this world and forgive our sins and please do not hold your blessings for our sins or failure to live as faithful believers. You promised that you will not destroy a city if there is 10 faithful living there, Lord, find ten faithful believers in each city, town and village and prevent it from destruction. All we ask in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

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WHAT DOES RESURRECTION MEAN? Revd Dr. Valson Thampu, Trivandrum Tolstoy, given the stern ethical rationalist he was, had little patience with the miraculous and the irrational. Yet he wrote Resurrection (also known under the title The Awakening) and considered that to be his most significant novel. Tolstoy deems resurrection as native to the essence of life. This is something that we need to consider, if we are to do even marginal justice to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is nothing about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ that does not apply to the human condition. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ would mean nothing, if it were not an inalienable ingredient in the life of individuals and societies.

As a rule, the pattern of resurrection inheres in the profoundest experiences of our species. Nehru, perhaps unknowingly, conceived the attainment of India’s freedom as a resurrection experience. “The soul of a nation long suppressed,” he said, “finds utterance”. Or, a great stone has been rolled away and the tomb of our enslaved existence as a people. Gandhi, steeped as he was in the letter and spirit of the Bible, would have said, ‘that stone was rolled away by the hand of God’. Only God had the authority to ‘break the seal of British Raj’, the counterpart of the authority of Rome in the gospel narrative.

It is beyond doubt that, but for the radical relevance of the pattern and promise of the Resurrection to the human condition, we would not have a classic like Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment or Victor Hugo’s Les Miserable or, even, Dickens’ Dombey and Son. Every radical change in human nature and predicament has the Resurrection as its archetype. Didn’t Jonah have such an experience inside the whale’s belly? And Moses in Midian? And Peter? How did he rise up from the ashes of his collapse into cowardice and stay the foremost apostle? Peter’s resurrection ‘before death’ hinges on Jesus’ resurrection after Crucifixion. Think of Matthew the tax collector, Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, the paralytic, the ‘woman taken in adultery’ who turned a new leaf in her life as also the woman of Samaria, the leper, the lame, the demon-possessed… Are they not, all of them, in the ambit of resurrection? Think, then, of the overpowering sadness in the plight of the ‘rich young man’ who sought from Jesus the way to eternal life, but, lacking the faith to die out of his hard-set way of life, went away ‘sorrowful’.

Or, look, for a moment, to nature. That grain of wheat the farmer is about to sow: is it not about to fall into the mysterious soil of resurrection? The bud over there, standing and dreaming on its stalk: is it not about to die to itself, to be born as a flower? How can it ever blossom forth, unless it dies as a bud? What about the mango seed lying in your courtyard? Wouldn’t it greet you, a few weeks hence, as a sapling? Hasn’t it, then, undergone the pattern of resurrection?

Or recall the trajectory of your own life, if it is anywhere similar to mine. How many times we fumbled, felt nearly wrecked, but picked up the pieces and made new beginnings? Each time we experienced God’s mercy, was it not a resurrection experience? What about forgiveness?

Don’t we intuit resurrection each time we are genuinely forgiven and enabled to resume a relationship, an undertaking, anew again? What would our predicament be, if resurrection were a mere sentimental myth?

Let us return to Dostoevsky’s Raskolnikov, the protagonist in Crime and Punishment. He kills two women. Begins to disintegrate under the burden of guilt. Gravitates to the brink of insanity. He too was given a second chance. The agent of his spiritual rebirth was not a priest or a prophet, but a prostitute -Sonia. Significantly, the spiritual climax of his life involves a reading together of the gospel account of Jesus raising Lazarus to life (Jn 11). At his request, Sonia reads the 11 chapter of St. John from the very New Testament that Lisavetta, one of Raskolnikov’s victims, had gifted her.

Nothing in world literature matches the poignancy of ‘the murderer and the prostitute’, as Dostoevsky writes, ‘sitting together in that poverty-stricken room reading the book of life’. th

Tolstoy’s Resurrection takes another trajectory. Its central character is not a derelict university drop-out. He, Nekhlyudov, is an aristocrat. He takes advantage of his aunt’s servant-maid –Maslova- while visiting her. He is not aware of having done anything out of the way or morally catastrophic; for, after all, such flings were routine to the perks of the aristocracy Tolstoy caricatures in the novel.

Circumstances force Maslova into prostitution. Eventually she happens to be accused of murder. In the trial, Nekhlyudov is one of the judges. Through this mock trial Tolstoy exposes the callousness of the criminal justice system, much like Victor Hugo exposing, via Les Miserable, the inhumanity of the prison system. Maslova is condemned and exiled to Siberia. Conscience stricken, Nekhlyudov tries to save her, but fails. He decides to make amends.

Accompanies her to Siberia. Wants to marry her, but is rejected by her in the end. In the womb of that trauma, Nekhlyudov undergoes a resurrection experience. He becomes, ‘a new creation’.

I have availed myself of the luxury of this detour to illustrate the spiritual inadmissibility of mystifying the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t help to distance this spiritual pattern from the logic of our life. When Jesus said to Nicodemus he needed to be ‘born again’, he was emphasizing this truth.

We cannot enter the Kingdom of God without this radical transformation. We are guilty of diluting and cheapening this profound truth through our obsession with ‘salvation’ and ‘conversion’. It was salvation without resurrection that we proclaimed and proffered. As a result, we failed tragically and embarrassingly in bearing witness to the ‘new creation’.

If anyone is in Christ Jesus, says St. Paul, he is a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). We are in Christ. But we are still the old creation. If anything, the old creation is getting older and harder. But we preach salvation and stay wilfully unaware of

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the contradiction. There is no salvation without resurrection.

It is because we have either lost sight of this core gospel truth, or rejected it wilfully, that (a) our proclamation of salvation fails to carry conviction and (b) our own radical faith in resurrection is, truth to tell, waning and withering away.

Resurrection needs to be understood in three stages: (a) being born again, or undergoing a radical break with fallen human nature, (b) growing in Spirit towards fullness of life or perfection in the spiritual sense and (c) the crucifixion experience, which authenticates one’s mature spiritual identity. This crucifixion experience need not involve one’s physical death. But it does involve a powerful experience, which comes to every human being at some point or the other in life, through which the transition from the old to the new is finally sealed. (It is wrong and illogical to teach being ‘born again’ as the decisive final moment.) Without this transition to perfection (Mt 5:48), there can be no resurrection. We deceive ourselves, if we pretend to believe or claim otherwise.

Consider now the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Significantly, Jesus experiences Crucifixion as a consummation (Jn 13; 19:30). It is ridiculous to associate resurrection with a life lived ‘eating, drinking and making merry’, as the Rich Fool did. A person of that description will not, in the first place, qualify for Crucifixion. He may be killed, or die a natural death. But such a life is far from the order of Crucifixion.

What is exemplified on the Cross of Calvary is the indescribable, undefinable worth of a life lived in harmony with the Will of God. It is not a body, but human worth, that is crucified on the Cross of Calvary. Else it would be indistinguishable from the thousands of crucifixions that preceded or followed it. What is worthless can be killed, but not ‘crucified’ (unless it is crucifixion in the Roman or Persian sense). Hence the paradox that Kierkegaard identifies.

Crucifixion is the killing of the un-killable: the acme of human perfection, the zenith of human worth. It is like trying to murder light. (The corona pandemic reminds us that the mightiest of the world can’t kill even a fragile virus!). Night is, if you like, the Crucifixion of light. Morning is the resurrection of light.

One thing is clear. The seed of resurrection is not the opening of the tomb. That seems central because the heart of the matter is overlooked. The seed of resurrection is Jesus, the light (Jn 9:5). If so, the conclusion is inevitable: only children of light can believe in, or hope for, resurrection.

On the lips of the rest the words, “He is risen, risen indeed!” sit in shallow, unmeaning custom. Of course, we can go on ‘celebrating’ Easter; but we cannot live, or bear witness to, Resurrection. Today we are a people of Easter, but not of Resurrection; and that is the condemnation.

So, we have our versions of resurrection. One thing is missing from them: Crucifixion. It is natural to those who believe that they can serve two masters that they can improvise resurrection without crucifixion. As Reinhold Niebuhr said about the church in America, it is a church that

preaches a Jesus without his Cross to a people without sin of resurrection without crucifixion. The core spiritual challenge in these dark and difficult days is to become authentic witnesses to the Resurrection. That process would necessarily involve, as Tolstoy points out, a break with the ways of the world. In this, Tolstoy was guided by the encounter of the rich young man with Jesus. Jesus told him: ‘Go, sell all you have, give it to the poor and then come and follow me’. In simple terms, Jesus was asking him to be born again, which is possible only by dying to oneself. This involves the ‘ground’ of one’s existence. To shift this ground from Mammon to God is to come under the sacred and imperious duty to grow, and grow to the stature of Jesus.

Merely renouncing one’s material wealth, without embracing the creative and redemptive duty to grow in the mystery of Spirit leads to poverty, not to resurrection. I would commend Tolstoy’s My Confession (1882) in this connection, especially for its emphasis on the need to seek moral perfection as basic to spiritual growth. I offer these reflections not as one who has measured the height and depth of the meaning and mystery of resurrection; but as one who sees (or thinks he does) the distant mountaintop in shimmering glimpses of bewildering incomprehension through eyes burdened by the opacity of spiritual cataract.

From the Orthodox Cognate Page (OCP) News Service: Christian Genocide in Nigeria Lagos-Nigeria: Radical Islamists groups like Boko Haram have been targeting Christians in large numbers. Boko haram wants to establish an Islamic caliphate in Nigeria.

According to a report by chvnradio.com over 620 Christians in Nigeria have been killed by radicals so far (2020), and around 12,000 have been killed over during the last five years. Islamic militants target Christian villages, as they find Christians as the main obstacle to their plan. Apart from rape, torture, and killing, a large number of Christians have been displaced and over 2000 churches and worship centers have been destroyed.

Christians account for 50 percent of the Nigerian population.

Christians Butchered in Nigeria and Burkina Faso On 16/10/2019 OCP Media network reported that “Under the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari, the President of Nigeria, atrocities against Christians are on the rise at an unprecedented scale. Islamic groups like Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen have committed heinous crimes against Christians. The government seems less caring about the sad plight of the Christian in the country.

Christians are slaughtered, women are raped, and taken as sex slaves, Christian houses are destroyed and Churches are burned down.”

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Ravi Zacharias (1946-2020)

Dr. John P. Lincoln, Lubbock

Frederick Antony Ravi Kumar Zacharias was born in Madras, now Chennai, in 1946. Zacharias completed his Master of Divinity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois. At the invitation of Billy Graham, to the inaugural International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists in Amsterdam in 1983, he was on his way to becoming one of the foremost defenders of Christianity’s intellectual credibility. A year later, he founded Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), headquartered in Atlanta, GA, with the mission of “helping the thinker believe and the believer think.”

He preached in more than 70 countries and authored more than 30 books in his 48-year career, teaching Christians to engage with skeptics and arguing that the Christian worldview has robust answers to humanity’s existential questions. Ravi Zacharias, who died of cancer on May 19, 2020, at age 74, is survived by Margie, his wife of 48-years; his three children: Sarah, the Global CEO of RZIM, Naomi, Director of Wellspring International, and Nathan, RZIM’s Creative Director for Media; and five grandchildren. The official obituary of Ravi Zacharias can be found at the below link:

It is with deep sorrow, we write this to inform that one of the pioneers of the Diocese of North America and Europe of the Mar Thoma Church was called to eternal rest on June 15, 2020. He was one of the earlier immigrants into North America and helped the Church to establish parishes and Zonal Assembly and finally the Diocese of North America and Europe. He loved the Church and its Clergy and Bishops more than anything. His commitment and dedication to the Mar Thoma Church will be remembered forever. Dr. Lincoln gave himself to the church and her mission. We are proud and grateful to God for this warrior of the Gospel. He was the Treasurer of the Zonal Assembly and also a member of the Committee for the formation of the Diocesan Center in New York. He had attended almost all the Family Conferences held by the Diocese. He was the Diocesan Treasurer during the period 1987-1990, 1993-1996 and 2002-2005. He also served as Sabha Mandalm Member, Sabha Council member, Episcopal Nomination Board member of the Mar Thoma Church. He is survived by his wife Dr. Annie Lincoln, children Anil, Sunil and Lina. It is our faith and hope and the assurance by our Lord that we will meet our beloved ones in heaven for an eternal life with our Lord Jesus Christ. May the everlasting peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, which surpasses all human understanding comfort the bereaved family especially Dr. Annie and children, relatives and friends at this time. May his soul rest in peace and resurrect in glory.

https://www.rzim.org/read/rzim-updates/ravizacharias-obituary

Lal Varghese, Esq., Dallas

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