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Advent - 2023

                                                        pc #googlephotos  In Bethlehem's Fields, where angels sing, A newborn hope, a promised King. Yet in these lands, where once He trod, Now people echo, a cry to God. No peace where Prince of Peace was born, In shadows deep a world forlorn.  The land where Jesus shed His blood, Now mourns anew, in crimson flood. A generation, Herod's hand Took lives of Children, a cruel command. Today, the bullets pierce the night, Children die, a heart-wrenching sight.  In dist of strife, we seek the light, Advent's promise, shining bright. For in this season, love's rebirth, We find our hope, we find our worth.  Let's lift our prayers for peace to reign, To end the cycle of loss and pain. In advent's grace, we'll stand as one,  for in His love, our battles won.  So, as we wait, in hope we'll pray, For brighter, kinder, gentle days. Where swords to plowshares, hearts entwine, And peace on Earth, for all we find.  (Chr
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Middle Eastern War: Theological or Political?

The brutal war unfolding in the Middle East has ignited global consciousness. The world is divided into those supporting Palestine, and Israel, or adopting a neutral stance. Various narratives emerge in the media, offering diverse interpretations, including anti-Semitism.   One striking meme circulating on social media portrays a military figure pointing a gun at a tearful five- or six-year-old girl, asking her if she is Israeli or Palestinian. Her heartbreaking and tearful response, "I am hungry," compelled me to cry out, "STOP WAR—PROTECT INNOCENTS."   Now, the crucial question surfaces: Are these narratives a lie or a call for liberation? The world may interpret and describe it as a “Just-war.” Demonstrations and solidarity marches resonate globally, with the media predominantly critical of Israel's actions, demanding “Just-Peace.” Yet, a prophetic voice seems absent from churches and ecumenical bodies and from other faith communities; expect the UN Secretary
  Passion Begins... 

Healing: A Pastoro-praxis Reading

Introduction: Pastoro-praxis approach to healing is a paradigm shift in the thought process to understand, practice and promote healing in our life (faith) journey as fellow humans. This presentation is not attempting to initiate an academic discourse on the topic healing but facilitating us to look the healing spiritually, ministerially and diaconally with practical theological lenses. This presentation is aiming to de-construct the popular views of the epistemologists, post-modernists and post-foundationalists on healing rather approaching through the socio-theological constructionalism where people and contexts are at the centre in this discourse. Four Contexts: Commonly, the academic fraternity approaches the issues to be read through four contextual views namely (i) Post-modern or Liberal View, (ii) Traditional / Cultural View, (iii) Classical / Historical View and (iv) Charismatic / Fundamentalists' View. Theology of Mission Bottom Line for Mis

Manger Politics

The Manger narration, a soft, melodious folk piece, gives an impression of an age-old historical setting in palace with king’s costumes with classical literary scenario. The genre of the manger narration was silent fusion, the rhythm was mild to put all asleep, the lyrics are to sooth the hearts to have hope for the best in their future, and that is the theology of manger. Is it a great and interesting story to the Gen Y (People born after mid 90s)? But the reality was different indeed! On the one hand, a brooding threnody of the citizens of Judea over the assassinations of their own children, and on the other, the rulers had marathon of meetings with the religious leaders and diplomats in order to subdue the unknown, newly born king for Judea. This insecure delusion of the empire has gone to the level of erasing a generation from their own land history. In this story, the mere birth of a migrant individual created a political trauma for the rulers. The land of Judea,

Change the Politics and Save the Land and Resources

                                           Bible Study on 1    Kings 10   ‘Restlessness and coming to a common place and demanding justice has become common in our society today. On the one hand, the elite and upper (middle) class Indians fear for democracy and governance, while on the other hand, poor and grass-roots communities fear for their future, life and livelihood. Different encounters such as ‘lokpal’ verses, ‘Jan-lokpal’, fundamentalist verses, secularist ideologies and grass-roots communities and the State(s) are found  common today.  These encounters have given rise to debates from different perspectives: some consider these encounters to be democratic, while some others consider them to be anti-administration and anti-state. The grass-roots expressions of ‘satyagraha’ are usually regarded as being anti-state and anti-development: the protestors are tagged as being useless, illiterate, lacking a scientific outlook of the world. The second case is mostly on the ear

Grave Calls for Radical Dialogue

                             (Ilavarasan's Grave in Natham Colony) Grave a language legend… historical symbol… memory… speech… Call… for what… For centuries, India has been known for the richness of her culture, tradition and heritage, which even the global communities have always recognized. But today, the recent incidents, particularly the Delhi rape case, the Dharmapuri and Marakkanam incidents make us to put our head down. Adding on to the shame, now, the graveyard business, created and developed by the hate campaigners, in order to bury the dead-body of the victims of hate campaigns and moral policing, appears to be gaining considerable momentum.  Paradoxically, it is the same ‘casteists and custodians of the morality’ who had victimized certain individuals and communities, who have erected those graves in the name of the victims.  While, for many among us it has become a routine experience like reading a novel or watching a movie, for man