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Editorial
ALL ABOUT FAITH(FULLNESS)
Campus Link is growing, big in size and wide in circulation. It is all because of you dear readers & writers! A noteworthy aspect is an overwhelming response in article submissions, especially from Students.. Your positive responses keep us move forward to serve you better. May I urge you to travel with us, continuously. Excellence becomes aspiration of all, in various spheres of life - for God’s people inevitably so. We all have multiple roles at home, work place/ campus, and in ministry. Our longing is to excel in every effort and endeavour. While juggling umpteen responsibilities we manage some of them well and not all of them. Biblically, excellence is closely connected with faith and faithfulness. Both, faith and faithfulness, are derived from the same root in Greek, pistis. To the faithful people of God, excellence is not an option but a worthy obligation for all effective pursuits in all aspects of life. Jesus Christ, our Master having set a model before us, will reward us based on the faithfulness displayed in our lives, relationships, and missions. Hence, we can never aim for less than giving our best. Excellence is a visible version of our faithfulness - an outward expression of our faith in the Lord and faithfulness to what He has entrusted us with in the campus, family, ministry, and work. The dragon we need to defeat is the tendency of compartmentalization. We may concentrate one and ignore other aspects. While one becomes excited about ministry responsibilities he can never afford to be uninterested with the mundane official responsibilities, or vice versa and perform poorly. The power of resurrection is in abundant supply to us to explore ourselves . All that we are and all that we do are the ways of acknowledging the Lordship of Jesus Christ in our lives. Giving our best is a mark of discipleship. Aiming excellence is not to show who we are but, to magnify who our God is. Let’s give our best for the sake of our faith, letting it speak! C L John Jebaraj James (john.jebaraj@uesi.in)
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Campus Link
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Published by Dr A. Samuel Richard on behalf of UESI Publication Trust 19/10 Millers Road Chennai - 600 010.
Excelling as a Student
Vol. 15 No. 2
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Dr Joseph John
The Hunt for Excellence
Dr Shantanu Dutta
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Be a Daniel
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Excellence in Marriage
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Kenneth Mirajkar Norbert
Is There an Elephant in the Room? Dr Beulah Wood
Looking at Men, This Time Dr Jamila Koshy
Citius, Altius, Fortius
Clement Barnabas
Excellence: A Christian Mandate George Thomas
EU Friends,You can do it! Vijay Andrews
The Only Man Manjula Lazarus
The Advocate for Women
Betsy Rachel
Trail of Obedience to God Dr Prince Joseph
Book Review
Joy Esther Jebaraj
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lead
Dr Joseph John
EXCELLING AS A STUDENT
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xams are round the corner (some may be already in it). Many say that student life is the best time in one’s life – a life with hardly any responsibility, with lots of leisure time, time to learn skills and opportunities to choose a vocation. However, most students face constant struggle in their studies. Some consider studies as an unspiritual activity with no relevance for future and develop a wrong notion that spiritual life is all that matters. Some others worry about their studies to such an extent that they spend all their time in studies even to the extent of ruining their health. It is very important to have the right attitude towards studies. Why should We Excel in Our Studies? Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” 1 Cor 10:31. For a Christian whatever he undertakes is for the glory of God. His goal in life is to please God through all that he does. Excelling
in studies is one of the ways of glorifying God. King Solomon’s wise advice to all of us is “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..” Eccl 9:10a. Our God is a God of excellence and immense wisdom. Look at His creation – the solar system, animal kingdom, plants, etc. We are marveled at our Creator’s infinite wisdom and thought in all the details. So when I study my subject – be it arts, science, commerce, engineering or medicine, I am learning and discovering more of the deep truths about His creation. Psalmist exclaimed “The heavens declaresthe glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands” Ps.19:1. So next time you are tempted to take your studies lightly, remind yourself of the joy and the thrill of discovering deep truths of knowledge – be it scientific, social, or economic. What a privilege it is to be a student! The other day I met a Christian Professor, an expert on Nanotechnology. When I was admiring the yellow Chrysanthemum flowers in his flower plot, he told me that the 4
nano structure of a flower like Chrysanthemum is so detailed and fantastic. One is marveled at the immense thought that has gone into its creation. So when I study Botany I can appreciate better the wonders of plant life and the immense wisdom of God in all these. Today material scientists are interested in analyzing the structures found in many plants and flowers to fabricate materials with useful properties.
special function to honour him. He became a model for many from his village. What a witness to God’s faithfulness! Let us examine a few principles of excellence which are relevant to any field of study.
How to Excel? A Few Practical Tips
Disciplined life: Without discipline no one can progress in life. As a disciple of Christ we need to discipline ourselves. Pro. 5:12,13 talk about the dangers of hating discipline and spurning correction. If you discipline your life as a student, you will soon see improvement in your learning and other skills, which in turn would boost your self-esteem and motivate you to excel more. Let us see a few specific areas as a student.
A student of mine at IIT Kanpur, who is a Christian and from a very humble background, was not so great compared to his friends. But he trusted God for his success, and at the same time was hardworking, diligent and disciplined. He took his studies very seriously. Initially he was not performing well, but in a few semesters his performance improved steadily to such an extent that he was a source of inspiration to many of his friends who were better than him in terms of their mental abilities. Last year when this boy finally graduated with flying colours, the District Collector of his home district in Andhra Pradesh arranged a
Disciplined life: Prioritizing is all about assigning due importance to all your activities. Remember that you do not have the luxury of time. So make it a point not to waste time. Some activities such as gossips, unwanted smses, internet etc, may be popular among friends, but you need to decide on their importance and priority. As Indians we are notorious for too much talking (and less doing). Next time remember to restrain your talk. Plan your day and allot time for all the important activities that takes more than 15 minutes. It would be good to evaluate later in the day how well you were able to keep your plan – which will help
Bible narrates many real life stories of people such as Joseph, David, Solomon, Nehemiah, Daniel, Apostle Paul, Luke, and many others who excelled. Their lives brought glory to God and attracted many from other faiths to God.
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Bible narrates many real life stories of people who excelled. Their lives brought glory to God and attracted many from other faiths to God. A Few Practical Tips to Excel r Disciplined life r Disciplined life
Regular Devotional Life r
Regularity in studies r
Importance of taking one’s own notes in lectures r
you to be more realistic in your planning. This is a discipline which will be very handy throughout your life. I carry a small pocket diary (costing Rs 5/-) to write my plans and other important activities. It has more than 80 pages and hence takes care of my planning needs for almost two months. Many mobile phones have facility for keying-in notes. Use it if you must, but I would strongly recommend good old paper notes/diary for planning. Regular Devotional Life: Have a regular Quiet Time and prayer for at least 20 to 30 minutes every day. A disciple’s life is built on his/her relationship with the Lord. As you spend time every day in reading and meditating on God’s word, you could seek God’s help and wisdom in your difficult areas. With God’s help you would grow in your precious faith and also excel in your studies. Remember the example of Daniel who was extremely busy in the King’s business but still had time to pray 3 times a day (Read Daniel 6:3-5, 10). Regularity in studies: Regularity is a very important discipline without which a student cannot progress much. Remember the story of the ‘Hare and the Tortoise’. It is very common among students to postpone studies and assignments till the last minute. Instead, if they spend time regularly on these, many subjects will not be so burdensome. Often students complain about uninteresting and unimportant subjects they are forced to study. My advice to them would be to give equal attention to these subjects as given to the so called ‘interesting’ subjects. It might appear later that these were also important after all. Another common complaint for not studying is that a subject though interesting is taught in a very boring way. You may have to take some extra effort in such subjects. Whatever be the circumstances we are expected as God’s 6
children to be faithful in all that is entrusted to us. Later in life too as part of our work we may have to perform duties which may not be pleasant - also may have to work under people who are rude and non-cooperative. For a Christian nothing comes by chance or accident. We are always assured of God’s sovereignty in all our situations. Without His knowledge and permission even one of the hairs of our head will not fall to the ground (Read Matthew 10:29-31). Importance of taking one’s own notes in lectures: This is a dying habit among students. If you are taking notes try to improve/supplement it using text/reference books and make again your own notes. If you do this regularly it would make a dramatic improvement in your understanding of the subjects. Again this is a skill often required throughout your life. Perseverance, Diligence, Patience: These are three words which are very important for a student. Our Christian life is compared to a long-distance race which needs perseverance, diligence and patience (Heb 12:1-3). Take a dictionary and understand the meaning of these words. Also try to look for verses in the Bible which list these words and apply them to your life. It is my prayer that the thoughts shared in this article will motive you to excel and do your very best 7
in your studies. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize” 1 Cor 9:24. C L Dr Joseph John is currently working as a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Bombay. He has been a teaching faculty for nearly 20 years. He is an active member of the Bombay EGF and at present serving as the President of UESI.
DECLARATION
FORM IV (See Rule 8)
Place of Publication: Chennai Periodicity: Bi-monthly Editor: Mr P. John Jebaraj James Address: UESI Office 19/10 Millers Rd Chennai 600 010 Publisher: Dr A. Samuel Richard Address: UESI Office 19/10 Millers Road Chennai 600 010 Printer:
Mr. D.Devavaram Meipporul Achakam 278 K. H.Road Chennai 600 023
Owner: UESI Publication Trust 19/10 Millers Road Chennai 600 010 I, Dr A. Samuel Richard, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and my belief. -sd-
Dr A. Samuel Richard
Dr Shantanu Dutta
THE HUNT
FOR EXCELLENCE
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s people, we wish for excellence in all aspects of our lives and among those with whom we do business with. We wish to be treated by the best doctors when we are sick. We desire to learn from the best teachers. We hope for the opportunity to hear the best musicians or watch the best sportsmen. So also we wish for what Paul calls “a still more excellent way” in our Christian life and witness. For the Apostle Paul, this way of excellence is a way of love patterned in Christ. It is a call to a voyage, a way of life with God and others moulded by a love that “is patient, kind, not envious or arrogant, does not insist on its own way,” and one that “never ends.” This kind of life is very different from the world’s way, in which excellence is assessed by rivalry and success. Excellence for Paul however does not emphasize on what “I” can do over against others, thereby producing “winners” and “losers.” Rather, Paul calls us - to a way of shining by exemplifying God’s love visible in Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, we often miss our way by uncritically accepting
worldly perceptions. Excellence has become the focal point of our culture. It is the goal of the athlete, the target of business and industry, the crux of personal coaching. This culturally perceived excellence promotes individual strength and puts a premium on outstanding proficiency and ability. In today’s competitive world of make-or-break rankings, mission statements, and business plans, “excellence” is too often understood as the ability to forge ahead, to demonstrate strength in place of weakness - indeed, to leave any evidence of weakness behind. Such thinking has crept into the Church without any filtering through Christian and biblical lenses. If excellence from a Christian perspective is only or even largely about our hopes and our triumphs, there is something dangerous about praising excellence. But we are 8
also not called to lower the bar in order to fight society’s criteria of excellence. The substitute to a blanket adoption of cultural standards of excellence is not to reject excellence altogether, nor is to settle for “mediocrity masquerading as faithfulness” (J. Swimmer). Rather, it is a suitably Christian understanding of excellence. Excellence for a Christian is visible and real. Yet it requires a faculty for gauging life by the intricacy of discernment and grace as well as the more typical measures that everyone else uses to measure success. The sum of people reached in evangelistic work and regular turnout in church services are surely significant measures of life, but so also is the community’s precious life in Christ. First-rate ministry may be shown in the number of mission expeditions and outreach ventures and funds used in ministry projects, but it is also shown by the dominance and presence of God demonstrated in symbols of forgiveness and acts of reconciliation. How do we estimate the effect of reconciling forgiveness, the value of deepened prayer life, the impact of passing on faith to a child, the quiet presence of sitting with a dying parishioner or hammering nails to help provide housing for a homeless family? Such activities are crucial to the way of 9
discipleship, yet they often seem less significant when measured against the ways of the world. To be sure, the criteria by which we ought to measure Christian life will be qualitative as well as quantitative, and thus, difficult to summarize. By not just looking at numerical growth, new programs and outreach, new and renovated buildings etc. but also the hard and difficult work of reconciliation among groups in a community, to a congregation’s willingness to care enduringly for those who are dying, to a community’s persistence in resisting injustice and fostering practices of justice and mercy ? Certainly, even with such a focus there will unavoidably be deliberations and disagreements about the best descriptions of excellence, the apt criteria for excellence, and whether particular people merit identification as excellent. Yet while these are to be expected, a focus on resurrecting excellence will enable both the understanding and the practice of Christian life to grow in grace and purpose and in beauty in relation to God. C L Shantanu Dutta is the Director of National Advocacy at the International Justice Mission and based in New Delhi.
Students’
Corner Corner
Kenneth Mirajkar
Be a Daniel
- Excellence in the 21st Century-
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xcellence, what a charming word! Be a student, a manager, a CEO, an entrepreneur or even a person of reputation, we all need to excel in the best that we have within us. What does the world look for? Physicality: Strong; healthy; good looking young men/women Knowledge Base: Well learned; knowledge & sound judgment; trained in language and skills. These were some of the qualities that the King Nebuchadnezzar looked for in the captives to serve him (Dan. 1:4-5). God has given us an epitome of excellence in the life of Daniel who excelled in all ventures and was fruitful all through his life. The growth principle in Daniel’s life which elevated him speak volumes about his flawless service. Began as just a captive in a foreign land. - Trained for 3 years to be of servitude to the King - Promoted as a consultant to the King and administrative matters - A high position in the Cabinet - Ruler over the province of Babylon - Chief of all wise men - Supervisor/Auditor - Manager of the King’s affairs/
Protector - Third highest ruler in the greatest kingdom that ever ruled on earth. We too begin our lives, careers or even our journey towards excellence in the same way. We do receive training and expertise before we’re deployed in our streams. As we progress, we’re given greater responsibilities and opportunities. Through thorough efforts, we’re later given the authority to handle people. But to have such a strong resume as Daniel’s all he had to do was know and stick on to his roots. He rightly identified himself and hated to defile himself by this world. It seems so queer, but excellence isn’t just limited to one’s study or research. It is a lifelong improving process which enables us to give our best in all that we choose to do. Through Daniel’s life, excellence brims out in a quadruple fashion: Excellence in thoughts As we clearly see in Daniel 1:8, Daniel was asked to conform to the ‘worldly customs and traditions’ as ordered by the King. But he decided in his mind firmly that he wouldn’t 10
defile himself just because he chose God over the world. As soon as he did have control over his mind, God changed the circumstances around him in his favour. He also blessed Daniel with special abilities and an unusual aptitude towards learning. Yes, excellence comes from God to those are ready to serve the Living God.
Excellence in Service
Excellence in decision making
In all of these, Daniel exhibited excellence because his trust and dependence was in the Lord. Though Kings changed (Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius and Cyrus), Kingdoms changed (Babylonians, Medes, Persians), Daniel was never uprooted from his position but was given the greatest honor in the entire kingdom.
The King had ordered for the execution of every wise man in his kingdom for not interpreting his dream (Daniel 2:14) but Daniel dealt the situation with wisdom and discretion. We are sometimes so opaque that we forget to utilize what God has given us to deal with life’s circumstances. If you’re facing a difficulty today in making strong decisions, your prayer should be to increase wisdom and discretion. The faithful Lord, who held Daniel even till the jaws of death, will deliver you for the glory of His name. Excellence in dependence on the Lord • Daniel asked of his prayer partners to intercede for him. (Daniel 2:18) • On revealing the dream, he gives total credit to God and humbles himself. (2:30) • His prayer life was just too strong to be shaken. (6:10) In all his works, he acknowledged God first and asked of His guidance in all matters. • He also fasted and prayed for his people. (9:3) 11
As he depended more on the Lord, his wisdom never ceased, but it ever increased. It was highly evident in his work. Some of his attributes as in Dan. 6:3 were: A highly influential position; more capable than all the other rulers; faultless; faithful; responsible; trustworthy.
Dearest loved ones, no matter where we are right now, we need to completely understand that all things are possible for God and He is willing to use us as Daniels in our colleges and workplaces. He wants us to excel. He needs people who distinguish themselves from the rest for His service. All we need to do is ask wisdom and discretion in the name of Jesus Christ. The world will change, patterns of it will vary, anomalies of all kinds will rise up, but through the power of excellence in Christ Jesus, we can surely make a difference. C L Kenneth Mirajkar Hubli ICEU, Karnataka.
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Norbert
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EXCELLENCE IN MAR R IAGE
riting on excellence is never easy and writing on excellence in marriage can’t get any harder. Let me confess; this article is not a result of an excellent marriage but certainly it is our (my wife and mine) deepest desire and goal and we hope this becomes your goal, too, if not already. Most people in life including Christians consciously or subconsciously are in the pursuit of excellence in several other areas of life – career, ministry, children’s education, wealth accumulation, etc., – because of the immediate gratification, tangible benefits, glory, and pride it brings to self. However, very few understand that excellence in marriage brings glory to God, fulfils God’s purposes for us, provides immense satisfaction and has the potential to produce blessed generations. 12
What could possibly constitute an excellent marriage? Well, what we have seen in marriages that has made us imitate, we think are excellent and this is what we would like to share and hopefully make all of it ours, someday. Level 3 Communication: Marriage is a relationship far above all other earthly relationships and therefore calls for the best in communication. Bruce and Carol Britten in their book, Answers to Marriage, mention 3 levels of communication in marriage. First level is where you talk with your spouse about what is happening in your life. Second level is where you talk about things that affect your life – your children, your money, your relatives that at times may lead to decision making. Finally, the third level is where you share your deep feelings, opening the 12
door of your hearts, allowing your partner to see you and know you as you really are. From my experience in marriage and knowing several families, I think women are gifted in reaching this level of communication and men need to take this up as an endeavor until they have learnt this art. Unless you both reach this level of communication in marriage, excellence in marriage is a distant reality. Cultivating good habits: Cultivating good habits that impact our marriages is desirable. Setting aside regular times for prayer and intercession, going for regular walks where you do walking and talking, reading together Couples Devotionals (some that we recommend - Moments together for Couples by Dennis and Barbara Rainey or Night light for Couples by James and Shirley Dobson, available on crosswalk.com), are some that we have copied from others and have cultivated in our marriage which we believe have had enriching effects on our marriage and we cherish them. These habits compel couples to spend quality time with each other and become close friends and over time it becomes a way of life which you will find hard to break. Forgiveness as way of life: Getting hurt in relationship is common and couples who want to get closer will be hurt but those who learn to 13
keep short accounts and forgive their spouse at the earliest are those who progress and blossom. Unforgiveness breeds bitterness and bitterness in marriage is like dirt and impurities that get into a smooth working engine, reducing the optimum potential of the engine and eventually stopping from functioning. Unforgiveness brings up old hurts whenever new conflicts come up. Have you forgiven your spouse from ‘your heart’ of all the hurts he or she has caused you in your married life? Be honest, only then you can live marriage to the fullest. Mutual Admiration Company: Do you praise your spouse more than you criticize or is it the other way? A critical spirit is easy to develop because it comes naturally for many and especially in marriage where there is more liberty to do so. Praise and appreciation for one’s spouse can end very soon in marriage unless one consciously and actively practices it. When did you last appreciate your spouse? Send a text (sms) message with an encouraging note, surprise him or her with a letter or e-mail full of sincere and honest appreciation for all he or she has done and do this as often as you can and your marriage will strengthen deep inside. When the going gets tough: If you follow cricket you would have come across statements like “I
would rate this as my best knock” by some of the cricket greats like Sachin Tendulkar or of late Virat Kohli. More often than not these best knocks are never when their teams have had everything going on well and smooth or when they have created world records but when they had to score runs when all hope seems to have lost and they had to rise to the occasion and score big and win the match for their country. In marriages like any other thing in life, its not smooth sailing all the time. There are many challenges that come our way - Conflicts, trials, sickness, financial crisis, weaknesses in spouse, past emotional baggages and many others things that threaten us and at times all hope seems to have lost. It is times like these our trust in God and value that God places in our marriages should help us get up and rise to the occasion and give our best knock. Excellent marriages are not made on smooth sand but hard and sharp rocks and that’s the reason they are not moved with the strong winds and harsh tides of life. Your needs interest me: Marriages have potential to fulfill needs of both spouses. In fact God created woman for man to be a suitable complementary soulmate so that they would fulfil each other’s needs. Many marry with this intention, too. However, many marriages can end with only one
side’s needs being met or neither sides needs met. As Christians our aim and goal should be the third option where both husband and wife meet each others need. As a matter of fact there are some needs only a spouse can legitimately meet and any other person trying to meet can destroy the marriage. How blessed and excellent is the marriage where both spouses needs are met to the maximum extent possible? How glorious is the marriage where meeting each others needs is not a burden but a pleasure? While only God can fulfil some of our deepest need, the spouse is the second best person nominated by God to do that and so we should strive hard. Leveraging each other’s spirituality: Leveraging is a word used mostly in Finance and it means “The ability to influence a system, or an environment, in a way that multiplies the outcome of one’s efforts without a corresponding increase in the consumption of resources. God’s eternal Word is the source of all truth and blessing, even in marriage. Those who neglect this aspect of their Christian life are bound to fail in God’s kingdom in every area including marriage. And there is no greater blessing in marriage than learning from each other on what God is speaking from his word to each of us. Share your learning with your spouse on a 14
regular basis and it is like a “buy one get one free” offer where you are leveraging on each other’s spirituality. How often do you share each other’s quiet time notes? Power of a praying spouse: It is impossible to grow in maturity and fulfillment in marriage without prayer because our marriages are on a constant attack from our enemy who hates God’s plan of marriage. If we do not pray we are keeping our doors and windows wide open for the devil to infiltrate. Spending time in prayer for your spouse is one of the best things you can do to your spouse selflessly but in the process it benefits you yourself and the marriage. Stormie Omartian brings out this aspect of marriage very clearly in her books, Power of a Praying Wife and Power of a Praying Husband. Think long term not short term: There are only some things in life that have long term and eternal impact and one of them is marriage. Ironically, those that do not have long term impact are the ones we spend most of our time and energy in planning and execution. For e.g. buying a property or making investments, which are temporary. When we think of our marriage and all that concerns marriage, we should always realize it is going to be long term and so we need to spend much time in planning and carefully executing our plans 15
regarding marriage and parenting. If anything goes right or wrong it is going to impact our future generation and eternity. The best example I always like referring is the life of Lot whom the Bible mentions as righteous, who spent most of his time on temporal things and so might have neglected his marriage and parenting and the negative long term impacts were far too many. He left behind an ungodly legacy. Leaving a godly legacy is a byproduct of an excellent marriage. These are just few thoughts from us but there are several more which you yourself may want to add. If you were to draw principles from these thoughts you would observe that excellence is all about giving God highest priority, spouse priority over self and going beyond the normal and so requires lots of effort and hard work from both but the results will bring loads of peace, joy and satisfaction. Let me end this with something that I just read and very applicable for our marriages “Sea is common for all… Some take pearls, Some take fishes, Some come out with just wet legs! World is common to all; what we get, is what we try for! C L Norbert has been associated with UESI for the last 21 years and is part of Hyderabad EGF, living with his wife and 2 daughters. He works for a US based Mutual Fund in Hyderabad.
Women’s Day Spl
Dr Beulah Wood
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IS THERE AN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM ?
ndian culture can be proud of the strength of its families. Brothers care for sisters. Divorce is not a ready option. One can mention regard for parents – very high regard, desire for children – deep desire, high value for marriage – very high value. These are good, or should be. They are not so high in some other cultures. However, one may also wonder and worry. Is it possible to be too strong on some aspects of family and culture? Can an over-rated strength become a weakness or even an injustice? Let case stories explain the need for this question.
(Obviously these do not represent all families, but perhaps many readers will agree there is a problem. Any likeness to actual families is coincidental and illustrates the frequency of the problem.) High Regard for Parents When Anil married Ashwini he maintained an extremely strong sense of duty to his parents. He assumed without discussion with Ashwini that they would live in his parents’ home, expecting her to take on the tasks of household and cooking. Ashwini felt like a servant to her 16
mother-in-law. She would have preferred to go out to work but her mother-in-law said, No, so Anil did not listen to Ashwini’s wishes. Ashwini wanted them to have their own apartment, but Anil would not save towards that or even discuss it. While Ashwini grew increasingly unhappy and could not get on with Anil’s mother, he ignored her distress and believed his mother when she said Ashwini was failing to adjust. It did not occur to him that the adjustment to make a good marriage must be mutual. Although Ashwini tried, hard, she was miserable because Anil rarely talked with her nor did he do things with her. His parents seemed more important to him than his wife. Is this a strong family? Yes, strong in respect for his parents. It is extremely weak in the relationships of husband / wife and mother-in-law / daughter-inlaw. What does the Bible say? We know it well. “A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh” (Gen.2:24). Anil has overrated the “good” of obeying his parents. There is an “elephant” in this family –a man has retained his bond with parents and formed no strong bond with his wife. God 17
wants strong bonds for marriages. High Desire for Children Samuel and Rohini are delighted to find Rohini is pregnant again after the birth of small daughter Shalini. They consider children important and fully expect a son this time. Just to make sure, they take the advice of a friend on how to gain access to a “helpful” ultrasound technician. “Those are such pretty pink flowers in the vase!” exclaims the sonographer while gazing across the room, and Rohini knows she must hear the word “pink” to mean female foetus. “What! Not a son!” exclaims Samuel. “We cannot afford another daughter. She will cost so much in dowry. You will have to go for an abortion.” His mother gives Rohini the same instruction. Again there is an elephant in the room, an elephant of hatred for girls, not even letting them live. In some families, convinced desire for sons over-rides the love for children. High Value for Marriage When Malini married Shaju, she dreamed she would be loved and cared for by her handsome prince charming. She had no idea he had a relationship with a girl who
worked in the same IT company who, because she was from a different community, would never be accepted by his parents. Malini believed marriage is forever. Indeed, Shaju wanted the marriage too, so she would bear him a son to inherit family property, but he did not give her his heart or companionship. During four years, the hollow marriage spiralled downhill with no happiness for husband or wife, even though Malini gave birth to a son. Shaju shouted and threatened. Malini cowered and tried to please. Shaju despised her, gave Malini no money, forced her to stay indoors, criticised and kicked her. Malini would not leave. She knew the family and society would blame her if the marriage fell apart, and anyway, she thought she had to accept whatever treatment came to her and never, never leave, even if life in the marriage was like hell on earth. Shaju was exploiting her high regard for marriage, using and abusing her. For her safety and for justice, Malini needed something other than this ill-treatment but Shaju took advantage of her. There is an elephant in this room too. The way society blames women, and Malini’s fear of social stigma, enabled Shaju to abuse her
basic rights to work, leisure and happiness, the right to have her voice heard in family discussions, her freedom of movement and then her right to freedom from physical assault. Good and Extreme Good cultural views can be full of virtue but when taken to an extreme they may be highly damaging, yet stand there unrecognised. Strengths can become weaknesses and worse, serious and destructive social and family predicaments. A common theme in each case story is that the harmful extreme is detrimental to a female. That is why we mark March 8 every year as International Women’s Day in India – to remind us that lakhs of females receive disrespect and hurt when the family system becomes unbalanced and extreme. Several people Jesus encountered had to learn the truth that strength can become failure. Think of Martha urgently making an elaborate meal for Jesus. The fine ambition went wrong when she criticised Mary for not helping in the project she had set herself. Recall the story of Peter who out of loyalty to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane attacked a soldier and cut off his ear. He took loyalty 18
to an extreme. Jesus did not want that and healed the soldier. Think how Pilate wanted to keep the peace with the Jews. He tried excessively hard and so allowed the execution of an innocent man, Jesus, the Messiah. Remember that Thomas wanted scientific proof that Jesus was alive but he took it so far, he was not prepared to believe his own eyes. He wanted to put his fingers in the nail prints of Jesus. How do humans spoil good values? They turn justice into injustice when they fixate on what suits themselves and not on what is right and just for others. The apostle Peter wrote, “Show proper respect for everyone; love the brothers and sisters” (1 Pet. 2:17). Respect includes these meanings “Pay heed to… regard with esteem… avoid degrading, insulting, interrupting or injuring… treat with consideration” (Oxford dictionary). Jesus said, “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matt. 22:39 etc). This includes those closest neighbours, the women and girls of one’s own household. If people would respect women and girls in the same way they respect men and boys, we would no longer see such wrong in so many families. 19
The elephant in the room in many homes is gender discrimination that harms and fails to respond to the genuine needs and requests of women and girls. Can the people of UESI mount a campaign and training courses for justice in homes? C L Dr Beulah Wood is a friend of UESI, serves as the Resource Person for Creative Bible Teaching Workshops at Highfield and is a regular faculty teacher of Theology of Family at SAIACS, Bangalore. She has lived in India for many years since 1968.
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Women’s Day Spl
Dr Jamila Koshy
I
LOOKING AT MEN, THIS TIME
t is customary around the International Women’s Day (8th March) to have articles on women and their concerns. This year the horrific rape in Delhi has added a strong impetus; everyone is discussing women’s issues. While this is good, there is one danger : women’s issues get isolated, as if women exist in a vacuum away from men. In fact, the very word women’s issues makes some men feel the issue is irrelevant to them; therefore we get the ironical situation where men, who rape, and are directly responsible for it, are allowed to think and say that it is a women’s issue, and nothing to do with them!! In this article, therefore, we will be looking at the same issues – inequality, sexual crimes, rapebut directing our attention at men.
every twentieth minute it is a rape. These are only the reported crimes. In the US, less than half the rapes are reported – in India, reporting is much lower. A 2007 government study showed 53% of Indian children have been sexually abused, the bulk (94%) by men known to them. 50% report the abuser was in a relationship of trust – family member, or care-giver. Therefore, these high statistics do not reflect in our rape figures, if they did , the rape numbers would be off the charts, perhaps a man committing a rape every few seconds. Men, it appears, then, are carrying out forced sexual intercourse, on women and children, in huge numbers, but why? What is the
Rape and sexual crimes are frighteningly prevalent. India has 2,28,000 sexual crimes against women per year of which 25,000 were reported rapes. Every two minutes a man commits some form of sexual harassment, 20
reason? What pleasure does forced physical contact give them? What drives a man to rape a child as young as a year or two? What is motivating this? What made men who are brothers and sons to other women turn into brutal fiends, torturers and finally murderers of the girl on the bus? Numerous studies have been done on rape and the psychology of the men committing rape. Rape happens most in societies where violence and fear are learned social skills among men; societies which are highly patriarchal (where men rule, and women obey) and hierarchical. In South Africa, for instance, one study showed that one in four men has raped, and many have coercive sexual fantasies (fantasies of rape). In our own country, the malesuperiority theme came out clearly in Delhi, where the gang-rapists first comment was to taunt and question the girl for being out with a boy at 9.30, quite forgetting that they, too were out at the very same time! They were also drinking, robbing and raping, even killing – but they implied that was ok, her watching a movie was not! Rape becomes 21
the expression of this inner violence, patriarchy and hierarchy - an attempt to prove dominance, using force. The men who rape are often young men, men with low self-esteem, perhaps frustrated with their lot, eaten up inside with jealousy, anger and entitlement; frequently angry, belittling, or bullying in their relationships with others, including women. They are hurting inside and lash out at available targets, often women, who are not keeping to the “rules” these men set for them in their minds. They tend to have some form of substance abuse, the commonest being alcohol. They have friends and associates who also display antisocial traits, and when together, gang rapes can be brutal beyond imagination. Men raping within the family tend to be better educated and integrated. They may violate their victim - boy or girl - for years, enforcing silence with threats, and pretence to have a special relationship with the victim - “our secret”. Playing on the child’s natural obedience to the adult family member, these rapist abusers cause severe trauma to the psyche of the child; years
Socially, rape and sexual harassment is often seen as a women’s issue, and the spotlight is turned off the men responsible. From the scriptural viewpoint, rape is displeasing to God. Casual sex between strangers and rape of a strange woman are both ruled out as travesties of God’s intention.
later the child may be depressed, vulnerable, unable to trust other men; may blame and hate themselves, may never be able to develop a healthy, loving relationship with another person. Many of these men get away scot-free, as the child is often unable to tell anyone till years have passed, and when other family members finally are told, are often forced to “let it go” since the rapist may be married and a father, and raking up old disturbing issues is seen as inadvisable. Socially, rape and sexual harassment is often seen as a women’s issue, and by focusing on women’s clothes and behaviour, the spotlight is turned off the men responsible. Society in fact, blatantly supports the rapist men – from policemen who do not want to register FIRs, or handle the issue insensitively, doctors who are not respectful during the medical exam, to judges who let the rapists off with a light sentence, or other members of society who imply the man was “provoked” by the woman’s dress or behaviour. Another social point of relevance is that men as a group are not modelled or taught the right attitude to sex. Sex is something either to boast about, or indulge in for one’s own pleasure, or to show dominance, to teach a woman a lesson, or as a fleeting act of desire, nameless, emotionless. All these factors make it easy for some men to internally justify rape as a legitimate form of expression of masculinity. Somewhere inside his head, this social sanction translates into “It’s Okay.” The idea of sex being closely allied to, in fact being a sublime expression of love and tenderness is often currently downplayed by men, and seen only in romantic movies targeted at women – and in the Bible! (Read the song of songs). From the scriptural viewpoint, rape is 22
displeasing to God it violates several commands of God.
because primary
First, in Genesis 2: 24, God indicates the correct place for sex – as the special bond between two people of opposite gender who are committed to each other in a relationship of permanence, openness, deep trust and mutual help. Casual sex between strangers and rape of a strange woman are both ruled out as travesties of God’s intention. Second, (Gen 1:28-30) God intended the relationship between man and woman to be that of equality, harmony and togetherness, each bearing the dignity and value of being made in God’s image, but coming together for mutual help and service and family. Rape as an act of force and dominance, violates the individuality and choice of the woman. The man who rapes is violating the image of God in the woman. Third, God hates violence and domination and lording it over others. He expects people to love each other, respect each other, wash each others’ feet, bear each others’ burdens, and make peace between people. Rape as an act of violence from a man to a woman or child makes a mockery of these ideals. Specific laws in the Old Testament also show God’s aversion to rape. 23
Let us pray that we will show the light to our people in this area. Questions for Christian men: 1. As Christians, can we explain why God made two genders and how they should relate to each other? What mistakes have we made in this area? Think specifically of how patriarchy and sexism occurs in India. Discuss with some friends in college after thinking it through yourself. 2. Analyse the main reasons men marry in India. Compare with the creation idea in Genesis 1 and 2. 3. How should we look at sex? Is it merely a physical desire, a hormone-mediated arousal, a way of expressing love, a great physical pleasure, a tender, emotional union, an expression of divinity, an act of fun and frolic, a practical tool meant to create children, a basically secret and somewhat shameful need which we have to stifle? Any others? Where does rape fit in? 4. Violence is very much a part of the fallen male condition. Think of various ways men are violent, and how you can combat this in your life. C L Dr Jamila Koshy is a graduate living in Delhi with her husband and two daughters. She works in a hospital in Delhi.
Citius, ofG oourd Altius, o u r Fortius
I
n London Olympics 2012, Usain Bolt stormed the world through his lightning speed in 100m race, setting a new world record. Today individuals yearn for excellence in every field. Motto of Olympics, ‘Faster, Higher and Stronger’ has influenced every walk of life. To excel is to do better than one has ever done before. Excellent handiwork of God is depicted in the Scriptures and hence He is our model, mentor, and motivator for excellence. God desires excellence from His children to impact the Church, society, and nations. Let us see a few guidelines from God’s Word and principles from a few success stories. GUIDELINES FROM GOD’S WORD Searching the Scriptures, we find three important reasons to excel in all the spectrums of our lives. Gift to God Paul wrote to Colossians, “. . . whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord . . . for you serve the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:23). When we plan and initiate something, let us be aware that God Himself is the
Clement Barnabas
ultimate recipient works. If we are centric in our approach, then motives refine; our workmanship quality improves; o u r efforts become sincere. God rejected Cain’s offerings but accepted Abel and his offerings. It is because Abel brought the firstlings and the best portion to God. The Lord is going to reward each one of us according to our works in His Second Coming (Matt. 16:27). Our gift (work) to the Lord – will it be worthy enough to be kept in God’s show case? Glory to God Jesus Christ said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Next reason to strive hard for excellence is that when people of the world see our works, they see God and His image. One of the shining examples is Dr Ida Scudder’s Christian Medical College & Hospital at Vellore, TN. Thousands throng its sprawling campus seeking healing & health. In the process they encounter God. Every evangelical is a missionary in this world; every college/ organisation is a mission field. God has called us to be missionaries in the market place. So, let our attitudes, actions, and reactions, facilitate people in the dark to see the Light. 24
Growth in God’s Kingdom Paul wrote to the church in Corinth that “we do all things, beloved, for your edification” (II Cor. 12:9). Edification to people in the church and society is yet another reason for excellence. Our works should enlighten darkened minds; edify weary souls; extend a helping hand to the Church and enlarge the boundaries of the kingdom of God. Mr Augustine Jebakumar (GEMS), found child labourers in stone quarries in the Dehri district. Realizing their skills, he started GEMS ITI and helped them to study. They became toppers in Technical Education, Bihar and got placements in PSUs. The mission met their spiritual, physical, and social needs. Do our efforts encourage the sheep outside the flock to come into God’s fold and equip people? PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESSFUL PRACTICES Scanning through the lives of many good models in the last three decades, a few principles emerge for achieving excellence, which are worth mentioning: Purpose Excellence is impossible without a vision to achieve this. Vision provides the needed strength, energy, and direction. People who excel are visionaries. They perceive things: Imagination and innovation are their keys. The 25
likes of Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs’ (Apple), Pitrodas (STD), John Samuel (Speed Post) are classic examples. I too was meandering in the early stage of my profession. But the sessions on Excellence in Profession by L.T. Jeyachandran during National Graduates Training Conference in Kotagiri (1993) changed my life. It influenced me to excel in my profession, involve with purpose in the last 2 decades and make a difference. God has planted us in our college/organization with a purpose. Let us fulfil it with great pleasure. Passion The world has been made better only by people who have the passion to achieve something extra-ordinary. Passion to excel gives the impetus needed to persist and persevere. Passion gives patience amidst failures and disappointments. William Carey’s passion made him to master the languages; toil for the upliftment of the down-trodden; pioneered the cause of mission. In 1996, when our team was vested with the responsibility of obtaining ISO 9001 certification in our unit at Trichy, it was unheard in the Railways. However within six months we became the first workshop in the history of Indian Railways to achieve this rare feat in July 1996. Further, God gave me an opportunity to lead our
team in accomplishing ISO 9001 certification for Diesel Loco Shed, Trichy – first in India among diesel sheds in June 1998, and for Wagon Depot, Jolarpet – first in India among C&W Depots in October 2001. Nothing is impossible when we trust God and pursue with prayers and passion. Perseverance Par excellence is the result of perspiration. Unless one burns the midnight oil, achievements are unthinkable. Amidst all restrictions, people who are singleminded in their approach double their efforts and reap bounty of blessings. Zieganbalg’s persistence, the first New Testament (Tamil) in India. During 2005-07, our team was to install pollution control projects and obtain Environmental Management System certification for our workshop. Many thought it was a mission impossible. But our team took a giant leap and accomplished the certification against all odds in May 2007. Seeing our extra-ordinary efforts, the then GM/S.Rly instituted a Green Shield for assessing workshops’ performance in the environment front. This shield was bagged three consecutive years by us in Southern Railway, which is a record. The victory is the Lord’s. Sure, but our duty is to make the horses ready, isn’t it? (Prov. 21:31). Partnership Somebody quoted TEAM means
Together Everyone Achieves More. I strongly believe excellence is a result of a great team work. There are exceptional cases of individuals’ brilliance and performance. However, vast majority achieve excellence in any field as a result of team work. Even the great missile man of India Dr Kalam admitted that first he was part of a team, and then he led teams. Let us remember, God is in team, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. C L Clement Barnabas is an active member of UESI working with Indian Railways as Asst Divisional Mechanical Engineer based in Trichy, TN.
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George Thomas
I
EXCELLENCE: A CHRISTIAN MANDATE
saw an advertisement of a hotel “excellence is our minimum standard.” That hotel would be giving excellent service. Many times we undervalue the meaning of excellence. Our God is a God of Excellence. His excellence is seen in every minute make up of fauna that ranges from an amoeba in water to man on earth as crown of all creation. The flora consists of its colours, varieties, adaptability, growth, blossoming, etc. reveal the excellence of our God’s handiworks. The solar system, galaxy and the universe manifest His craftsmanship (Ps. 24:1). Excellence in creation also manifests the perfection in make ups. Otherwise we may say excellence is hardly seen imperfect things. Excellence and perfection are the two characteristics of His creation. Therefore, as we claim to be children of the Excellent God, does He not expect the same excellence from His children? A disciplined father always expects his children also should have certain level of discipline. But when he doesn’t see this quality in his children’s lives father would be pained in his heart. So how am I involved in the mission of 27
our God, whether it is study or career, mission or profession? Are we taking the pain to complete the task excellently for the Lord? Why are we not able to do things excellently? There are many reasons. The prime reason is lack of passion. If we have real passion to do something we will put our mind, soul, and physique on it. The total involvement of all the faculties of life may be called, passion. This is seen in the preaching, teaching, and healing ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. Even the little matters Lord involved, be it healing Peter’s mother-in-law, raising Lazarus from death, He did everything with a passion and the output was excellent. He finished earthly public ministry in three and half years and never missed any opportunity or wasted any time. We read that Jesus got up early in the morning, spent time with the Father and was able to complete every task entrusted on
Him even on the cross. We have a passionate God. So this passion should necessarily be exhibited in studies as well as in profession. If we don’t have the enthusiasm to study the subject well we may not excel in our examinations. If we lack enthusiasm to involve in any profession or mission then we can’t expect outstanding result. Therefore, how much we involve physically, mentally, spiritually and with a passion at any given task given by our teachers, employers, and superiors matters. Let’s remember that lethargy is a big threat to excellence. Paul urges Timothy, . . . to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you. . .(2 Tim. 2:6) Again he exhorts him to be like a Soldier, Athlete and Farmer; he expects Timothy to have such a wholehearted involvement in the ministry. (2 Tim. 2:4-7). Secondly, we lack excellence due to less preparation and practice. This is true for all the three professions mentioned above. A soldier is thoroughly trained and prepared to undertake any uneventful task at any situation. Whether it is war or disaster or riots he is trained to take up any responsibility at his commander’s order. Similarly an athlete practises daily and disciplines his body and mind to achieve the crown (excellence). Farmer also prepares and tends his field daily or frequently and expects his first fruits. Advance preparation and regular practices are inevitable for excellent output.
Some students don’t prepare thoroughly for the exams but they may be familiar with the passage, portion and locations of their subjects but not thoroughly imbibed the content of the subject. During the exam they may write half the answers. Overconfidence can also inhibit proper preparation. Intense practice and thorough preparations produce excellent output. I still remember a member of Parliament from Kerala who was elected first time to the Loksabha had a tough time initially in communicating in Hindi and English. But before each session of the Parliament he prepared thoroughly with the help of his colleagues in JNU, New Delhi and deliberated excellently in each session of Parliament. I know a few Christian leaders who prepare thoroughly and well in advance for their sessions for any conference or Seminars. During this preparation period they normally don’t take up any other assignments. I have found all their sessions well laid down and thought provoking. As Christians how much we prepare and practice for our assignments? Our preparation and practice are directly proportional to the output. Moreover as Christians we have an upper edge on excellence as we can sandwich preparation and practice with strength of prayer. Pursuit is absolutely necessary for sustaining excellence for it doesn’t come spontaneously. Why 28
don’t we bother about excellence? Perhaps hardly we tasted the joy of being excellent and how it brings glory to the name of the Lord. Once we bring excellent result we tend to do more because that gives us motivation to pursue. When we are satisfied with bear minimum result, we also lack consistency in achieving excellence. Consistency in excellence is achieved through pursuit and hard work. Pursuit without boredom is difficult. Occasionally we may face defeat but it should push us forward to excel in our work next time. We should be patient enough to see the best outcome of performance. Hard work is also equally important to achieve excellence. In a instant world, people prefer immediate results. But every natural phenomenon takes its own time whether it is gestation period of animals or human beings, blossoming of flowers or fruits, seasons or climatic changes (unwanted climate changes takes place due to exploitive human interventions) can’t be substituted with instants or shortcuts. Shortcuts may not give desirable results always. Now a days people say ‘not the hard work but the smart work matters.’ But this has been misunderstood as ‘hard work can be replaced by smart work.’ That is not true as hard work has got significant place in achieving excellence. No toppers, achieved excellence except through hard work. Again all the three analogies 29
defined by St Paul has got element of pursuit and hard work though it is only tagged with farmer. Moreover Paul also reminds the churches about the need of working hard for the cause of the Gospel as he too set an example for the same. I often wonder how the Lord pursued the disciples to carry on the mission He finished on the cross. Even after repeated instructions, interpretations of parables, times and events Apostle Peter and others went back to their old profession of fishing. But the Master persuaded him and challenged him to set the priority right and brought him back on the right mission even when very few days were left for His ascension. That persuasion reinforced Peter to preach the gospel in an excellent way in later years. If youngsters want to perform in studies or in ministry or in profession some persuasion is necessary from the senior’s side. Yielding to correction, patient listening, consistent pursuit are not options for excellence but are mandatory. C L George Thomas, is the Director Operations ESAF, also serves as a member in Governing Board of Christian Auxiliary for Rural Development (CARD), the Secretary, National EGF. His wife Sheena works as Civil Engineer with Kerala PWD. He is part of Thrissur EGF.
coffee
with
Vijay Andrews
EU Friends, You can Do It!
C
L: Dear Vijay, can you briefly tell about you and your association with UESI ministry? I’m Vijay Andrews studying Chartered Accountant-Inter and practising articleship in Chennai. Fellow member of UESI and a product of MICEU Anna Nagar (formerly West Central). Currently serving as the Prayer & Communication Secretary- MEGF Anna Nagar. I came to know about UESI when I was studying B Com CS 2nd year (2010) and I’m still continuing in the ministry I love and I serve. CL: What are the inspirations you drew as a student from UESI? VA: I’m inspired by the simple lifestyle and Bible centered fellowship in UESI. An uncle impressed me a lot through his simple lifestyle and accountability to God. And I’m happy to say that he is my mentor and I’m trying to follow his model. CL: We are proud to see an EU student bagging many awards and gold
medal as a topper in the university. Do tell us the secret of excelling in your studies? The reason behind my achievements is none other than Jesus Christ who is always my first preference. All I want to express is: if we stand firm for God; if we work properly for Christ; if we emulate the characters of the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit ultimately we will do differently and be different from others and it will impact our life that includes academics also. CL: How do you feel now with your achievements? What are your present goals? I bagged 10 trophies and 5 certifications from my Institution and was conferred ‘the best student of the batch 2009-12’ from my department and University 30
topper. It all happened when I started giving my best preference to God in everything. I’m feeling happy in the Lord for giving me the ability to excel in academics. You know what? I was an average student when I did my schooling. But when I began my relationship with the Lord I was honoured for my hard work. I want to live for Christ more than all this. CL: You started & led a prayer cell in your campus which is hostile to the Gospel; you were also in the ICEU committee. How were you able to balance your roles as a student? VA: As I studied the Word of God properly, I was able to balance my academics and ministry. I gave equal preferences to the both - ministry and studies as both are equally important. I laways remember that God would help (Having the hope because I’m following Christ). When I was a student I faced many problems because of my faith in Christ but our God is with us in all our trials and temptations. Best ministry a EU member can do is during the student days. Grab it as God given responsibility to share the Good News of Christ. CL: As a budding Christian professional what do you like to contribute to the society? (We are sure your present involvement with the students will help them grow 31
spiritually and shine academically; We will be glad to know about this) I’m sure that unless or otherwise I do my part (i.e. fulfilling Godgiven responsibility in the ministry) for Christ that ministry or the Church will not grow. Hence I make myself available for all the opportunity to serve Jesus Christ. Godwilling I will pursue IRS (Indian Revenue Service) and impact the monetary policy of the Union of India. CL: What are you tips for our EU students, who aspire to excel in their studies? Students who find it difficult to study can pray fervently to God in this regard. I will also share my 5 concepts of studying that I’m prasticing: Setting objective: An objective is something that you hope to achieve in the future. Bear in mind that your objective should be realistic. Unrealistic goals can never be achieved and can only upset you. Pray before setting your goal. Working towards the objective: The objective cannot be achieved unless you put some effort to realize them. Setting a timetable is also one way of working towards your goal. Plan everything before you act on it. (Luke 14: 28 & 29). Monitor your performance: With Contd on p. 32
Women’s Day Spl
Manjula Lazarus
THE ONLY MAN
I
t is Midsummer Day noon time. I peep in to outside. No trace of human being on the road. There is no drop of water in the home. This is the right time I thought in myself. I take my pot and hurriedly stepped out. I started walking speedily. Though I have covered my face still I feel that my inner being is exposed. Looking here and there I am wondering and trembling in my heart whether anyone would notice me. Though I am trying to walk fast my steps are tumbling. For a second I feel the grip of emptiness, loneliness and a cloud of insecure feeling cover my mind. A deep sigh comes out of my heart which expresses my guilt. By the time I come in to my senses I have realised that I reached Jacob’s well. There is someone sitting at the well. Just looks like a Jew. Yes ! No doubt He is a true Jew! I
don’t remember that I have seen Him ever in this village. He looks so tired but I can sense a graceful countenance in Him. Ignoring Him I started drawing water. “Woman! Can you give me some water” suddenly I hear a gentle voice from the same man. “How come a Jew asking a Samaritan lady for drinking water?” The words come out of my mouth unexpectedly. I see a magnetic smile on him. Another interruption!” If you really know the gift of God has for you and who I am, you will ask me and I will give the water which quenches your real thirst.” “What a wonderful news,” I thought. But a small doubt sir! You don’t have a bucket. And too the well is too deep. How can 32
you bring this living water? I don’t think that you are a great man like our ancestor Jacob” I mutter. Again I see a beaming smile! “See if you drink this water you need to draw water every day. The water I give keeps your thirst away.it is ever flowing never ending flow’’. Aha! The pains I took all these years for water has been evaporated I felt. So excitededly ”sir, sir please give me that magical water. I don’t need to come every day for the water” started pleading. “Bring your husband.” A bomb exploded within me. What I have heard? What is the bond he mentions I never continued in before? Why so commanding? What shall I do? How can I escape? Thoughts running in my mind.” I don’t have a husband” a feeble voice comes from the deep in the
valley. Is it me? What have I said? “Yes, you are right. You were having five husbands. The present one is not your husband with whom you are living” What? what a portrait of my life he is sketching? What is happening to me? I listen to my heart beat. Feeling so light as if moving in the air. There are smile on my lips and freedom in my heart . ”Forget about pot and water” I tell myself. Started running to my village, ignoring the enquiring eyes of disciples. Who is this man? Is He not Messiah who exposed the real picture of my life? Suddenly I stopped.” He is the only man talked to you like this” my heart whispered. C L Manjula and her husband John Lazarus are UESI staff based at Vijayawada.
Contd from p. 30 your objective and schedule, you should be working well towards achieving the desired results. However, it is essential that you also monitor your performance every now and then. This will ensure that you are on the right track. This can be done only with the help of God who pours out wisdom to His children.
you find that your performance is not measuring up to your goals, then you may have to adjust your goals with the help of God.
Adjust your objectives: As times goes by, certain things will change. Nothing in this world is permanent than our God’s Word. If this change happens to you and
If your results match your goals, Congrats! If not, ask yourself why? Pray fervently and reset your goals.
33
Compare your results against your objectives: No matter what results you get, always compare them against your goals only. Never compare your results with classmates because you are different from others.
CL
Students’
Corner
T
S. Betsy Rachel
THE ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN
he delay in meting out justice to the Delhi gang rape incident female victim and comments made by politicians and swamis bring us to the issue of gender inequality. From ancient times, our country has seen practices which have little regard for women- immolation of women on the pyres of their husbands which nullify women's individuality, identity and right to life sans husband. Widows and girls are seen as financial burden and hence female infanticide. Astronomical dowry rates lead to suicide or murder of brides. Honour killings where the honour lies mostly in the woman's hands. Sex selection, nutritional prejudice,
wage disparities, forced nude marches, under-representation in parliamentary positions, you name it. But what does the Bible actually say about gender equality? Let’s take the example of Jesus and see what he thought. John 8:1-11: Jesus was uber modern for his time and a perfect Gentleman and advocate for women! When the woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus by the teachers of Law, and was demanded that she be stoned to death as per the Law of Moses, Jesus only said "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Jesus knew that it takes 34
two to tango and thus recognized that letting the male partner go scot-free while the woman alone is punished would be a grave injustice. Today we see plenty of cases where when a couple is caught in live-in relationships, it is the woman who is forced to face the wrath and consequences. And then there are other cases where even when it is not the woman's fault, it is still she who is forced to carry the blame. John 4:4-26: Even today, there are Dalit women who on a large scale face severe suppression miserably as they bear the brunt of being a woman and a Dalit, under a system of oppression where classism, casteism and sexism are inextricably linked together. To the Samaritan woman by the well despite her status being almost like that of a Dalit woman. Jesus taught, forgave her and offered her a new life of hope. Mark 5: 25-34: Certain religions prohibit woman entering places of worship during their menstrual cycle. Some even today customarily seclude girls and women who are menstruating. Let’s call it a temporary untouchability. The woman in Mark 5 suffered from chronic bleeding. Her temporary untouchability lasted for 12 long years! The Jews in those days too 35
believed in the ‘unclean’ status of a women during her cycle and thus prohibited all physical contact. People wouldn’t have touched the bleeding woman, and probably she suffered from not just physical weakness and financial distress, but loneliness, frustration and embarrassment. Her desperation and faith in Jesus made her risk being caught for breaking the laws. But her social barrier didn’t hinder Jesus whose love for her made Him heal her. With affection He called her, ‘daughter,’ restoring her to her community and to a new life. Luke 7:36-50: When Jesus showed a gender-blind love to the prostitute who inarguably turned over a new leaf by showing great humility and faith, it raised many brows. The Pharisee and probably many others shunned the woman and treated her with disdain because of her trade. Being a woman, and a prostitute too, it was a feat to meet Jesus, a man. She showed great courage and faith knowing full well that she will be received with contempt and rejection by the guests at the table, who probably threw dirty looks at her all along, while she used a glorious part of her body to wipe Jesus’ dusty feet. It would have been terribly frightening to face a judging lot who clearly condemned her, but
she evidently saw meeting Jesus as a more pressing task than being put off by people's hostility. And Jesus saw no difference between her or the Pharisee who had invited him and instead points out the irony that the woman had outdone the Pharisee through her act of love. The New Testament is peppered with instances where Jesus is associated with women. Mary Magdalene, Martha, Joanna, and Susanna accompanied Jesus during His ministry trips and also helped serve Him (Luke 8:1-3). Women haven’t been denied spiritual gifts either as is seen in Joel 2:28-29 nor discriminated when it came to doing ministry either- Phoebe was a minister, Priscilla, a co-worker in Christ, Lunia an apostle, Euodia and Syntyche were evangelists, Deborah a prophetess (from the OT) and Dorcas, a disciple. The status of women during the time of Jesus was decidedly inferior to that of men. For example, women could be easily divorced without any legal rights which would have created such insecurity in them! According to a tradition, Jewish rabbis begin synagogue meetings with the words “Blessed art Thou, O Lord, for thou has not made me a woman." Being an androcentric society, power, prestige, and privileges were (and still are)
doled out to men and people were expected to conform to such societal norms. But Jesus chose to treat women as individuals deserving respect, rights, and love. Jesus came down to seek the lost and to associate with all kinds of people irrespective of differences. Jesus clearly desires to save, accept, forgive and love both men and women equally, for God is beyond gender. Unlike so many other religions where spiritual privileges, prayer and worship are reserved largely for men only, in Christ, there is such an exhilarating freedom and comforting hope for a fresh start which is freely given to both men and women as is clearly seen in Galatians 5:13 and Galatians 3:28. God loves women and Jesus who bridged the gap of inequality between men and women, demonstrated the love. And we who have received the infinite and indiscriminatory love are expected to share it with our fellow beings as freely as it was given to us. S. Betsy Rachel is doing her MA English in EFLU, Secunderabad, AP.
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Life
ablaze
Dr Prince Joseph
TRAIL OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD
A
my Wilson Carmichael was born (16.12.1867) in Millisle, Northern Ireland. She was the eldest of 7 children of David and Catherine Carmichael. David was a wealthy mill owner who raised his children in Christian faith. She accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour when she was in Wesleyan Methodist School at the age of 13. Amy took responsibility of her family at the age of 18, when her father died. Then the family moved to Belfast where she identified the need of the poor women who worked in the textile mills and started ministering to them. Robert Wilson was one of the leaders of Keswick movement which supported many missionaries around the globe. He adopted Amy as his daughter who also worked as his secretary. This helped her to get connected to many missionaries like Hudson Taylor, F.B. Meyer and Theodore Monod. She once heard Hudson Taylor share the need in China for missionaries. He said, ‘Four thousand souls a day are dying without Christ’. This created a desire in Amy to share the Gospel in a foreign land. She wrote to her mother, “. . . Everything, everything seemed to be saying ‘Go’, through all sounds the 37
cry seemed to rise, ’Come over and help us.’ Every bit of pleasure of work which has come to me, has had underlying it the thought of those people who have never, never heard of Jesus; before my eyes clearer than any lovely view has been the constant picture of those millions who have no chance, and never had one, of hearing of the love which makes our lives so bright. . .” Amy applied to China Inland Mission. They rejected her because of her ill health. She suffered from neuralogia, a disease which stimulates the nerves to feel pain which caused her to spend weeks in bed. As a Keswick missionary with Church Missionary Society, Amy went to Japan. Through her ministry a few accepted the Lord. As she had difficulty in learning the Japanese language and because of her ill health she couldn’t continue in Japan. God had a different plan for her. For a short time she was in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Then she went to England since Robert Wilson
had a paralytic attack. After Robert Wilson recovered, in 1895 Amy was sent to Bangalore, India because of the good climatic condition which would suit her health. She felt very lonely in the company of many missionaries in Bangalore. She wrote about the missionary community there in the following lines… ‘Onward Christian soldiers, Sitting on the mats; Nice and warm and cozy Like little pussycats. Onward Christian soldiers, Oh, how brave are we, Don’t we do our fighting Very comfortably? Due to her ill health, some missionaries predicted that she would not stay in India for more than six months. Amy stayed in India till her death for 55 years. She never went back to England. Amy spoke the Tamil Language and wore saree to identify and relate with people to share the love of Jesus. Amy needed help to learn Tamil language. She requested Walker a missionary of CMS in Dohnavur, Tinnevelly District (Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu) to help her. Walker asked her to come to Tinnevelly. In 1901, Amy met a 5 year old girl, Preena (Pearl eyes) who escaped from a temple, whose mother left her to the god and goddess. The girls who were given to the temples were used by the priests
in ritualized temple prostitution. Amy took care of Preena. Later she understood about Temple prostitution. She wanted to rescue such girls. Amy took this daring task as her mission and rescued many girls and even few boys. Amy said, “One can give without loving but one cannot love without giving.” She established a home for these precious children in Dohnavur, TN. She also started a school and a hospital. She was often taken to court by the Hindu priests with charges of kidnapping. George Muller’s life was a helpful guide to Amy. She trusted in God for all her financial needs without asking anyone. In 1931, Amy had a fall that left her bedridden for 20 years. During this period, she wrote many valuable books (Candles in the dark, Edges of His ways, Gold Cord, Rose from Brier, Mountain Breezes, If,) and poems. At the age of 83, on 18 Jan. 1951, Amy died in India. Amy’s life was a trail of obedience to God which inspired many others to be a missionary including Jim and Elizabeth Elliot. Will you too walk this trail of obedience? There are still many millions who have not had the opportunity even once to hear or know the love of Jesus. C L Dr Prince Joseph with his wife Jennitha are serving as Bible translators in Gujarat.
38
Book
Review
Joy Esther Jebaraj
ADD TO YOUR FAITH. . . EXCELLENCE Published by: Haggai Institute India No of pages: 169 Price: Rs 200 Author: PKD Lee
I
n his book, P.K.D. Lee defines the leader as one who creates change, obviously for good of the led. By sitting through few of his sessions, I can see him as a real leader and also understood how effectively he did the job of delegating. P.K.D. Lee sets the stage by setting a challenge to leadership and explains the characterists of successful leaders in 7 chapters. While the world looks at a handful as leaders and others as not so, the statements of P.K.D. Lee, “All can be leaders and the decision is upto us”, “All are called to be leaders and the decision is upto us”, made me stop by and read on. Paul says the church is like a body, 39
PKD Lee is a Engineer who served in Indian Railways for 18 years in various senior management roles. He went on to become GM of the Govt mint in Kolkata. He then worked with Haggai Institute in developing Christian leaders around the world, teaching Christian Leadership principles and organising the alumni network. Now lives in Hyderabad.
each organ has leadership role to play. Eye is a leader while seeing, Feet is a leader while running/ walking. All are leaders in our area of expertise and responsibility. Chapter 1 deals with Leaders’ Attitude – leaders attitude to Gain in which the genuine leaders are those who love wisdom and not gain or honour. They are motivated by the knowledge of God’s will. The inner-directed man, God oriented man looks at what God is doing and identifies himself with that. In this way the leader is willing to bring about change & innovation in meeting the needs around. The true leaders are the creative minority who use the power for improving the society, whereas the dominant people are concerned about retaining power.
Chapter 2, “A Leader’s Faith and Call” – talks on how a leader is motivated by faith. Builds Faith and exercises faith. Also builds the vision and integrates his life to his vision. While dealing with leader’s call, the author explains as how a leader hears God’s call and avoids hindrances to hearing God’s call. Only with a real, clear call & vision from God, anyone can be a blessing to the people. Chapter 3, “A leader and his abilities” – presents the picture of the leader, who is well-informed, develops his skills, acquires wisdom and strives for excellence. The growing in relationship with God provides wisdom and a model PKD Lee suggests is: Prayer – Bible study – Fellowship – Witnessing – Worship; Breathing – Eating – Exercise – Work – Rest Chapter 4, “A Leader is A Steward”, emphasizes on a leader setting the personal relationship right with God, maintaining it, giving to God freely, creates time for God (by setting priorities, studying the use of time, and delegating effectively), reliability & accountability in stewardship. Chapter 5, “A Leader Motivates People,” talks about a leader motivating with a vision, communicating & making people accept his vision and giving direction with his vision. Chapter 6, “A
Leader
Builds
Relationships”, emphasizes on a leader building trust, gets people involved, understands & listens to people, shows trust by delegating, has concern for people and always looks for win/win while the value system of the world around us is win/lose. “Leaders trust in people and generate trust from people”. I like PKD Lee’s definition of love as “Empowering people to become what God wants them to be”. When I read this book in one of our UESI leader’s home recently, I couldn’t leave it until I completed reading it. But had I read it in the early stage of my life, it would have made a big difference in my life. Hence I recommend this book to each and every one of you, who are EU/EGF cell leaders, EU/EGF committee members and for all aspiring leaders. When you read this and apply them in your life, you, a leader with great potentials can lead many towards the transformation. Copies available at IVP India, 19 Millers Road, Chennai - 600010. Ph 044-26433754 E-mail: books@uesi.in Joy Esther Jebaraj is a software professional and her husband is a staff with UESI. They live in Chennai. . 40
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