Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Does God Answer Our Prayers?
We are His 'mtracle workers'among men
To overcome the numerous problems and challenges in life, all of us resort to prayer. Very often despite our earnest prayers our problems only seem to get worse by the day with no hopes for solution. Often we ponder whether God really answers our prayers. The following is a simple parable that is derived from the Jewish Mishmash which may help to answer this question that bothers all of us at one time or another.
A small village in Rural Russia was beset by drought one year and all the crops failed. The village rabbi prayed to the heavens, "Why don't you do something about this dreadful drought?" But the heavens remained silent. So the rabbi organized a charity food drive with the neighboring villages to feed his people.
When the rains came, they came in heavy and the local river flooded, killing all the livestock. The rabbi again prayed, "Heavenly Father, my people are suffering so much, save us from this flood!" But, again, no help from God seemed forthcoming. So the rabbi lobbied the government authorities to provide financial assistance to replenish the herds lost in the deluge.
Finally, in the wake of the flood, infection and disease ran through the inhabitants of the village. The rabbi prayed once more, "Now surely God you will help us!" But the diseases ran their course. So the rabbi marshaled and organized the able bodied in the village to care for the sick.
Months later reflecting on the tragedies of the past year, the rabbi turned to God and accused Him, "Why did you not answer the prayers of my poor villagers? Why did you not send help to them when we were beset by drought, floods and pestilence?"
After many hours of anguished entreaty, a quiet voice answered the rabbi in the depths of his heart, "Of course I sent help; I sent you!"
Yes, God definitely answers our prayers and sends help with or without our knowledge. We need not even ask him to grant what we want. He knows what is best for us under the circumstances we are in. Being Christians and believers in God we must have fundamental faith in Him.
Very often God does not give us what we ask for and this may even lead us to despair and even loss of faith. But be assured many years later we will realize what he did was indeed right and for our good.This is a lesson I learnt through my experiences over 50 years of my life.
God does not perform miracles and magic to solve our problems. If we are waiting for such acts, we will be sadly mistaken and disappointed. Like the rabbi in the above story, we are his “miracle workers” among men. He has given us our intelligence, talents and skills to perform his “miracles” to help others. The pertinent question here is whether we are prepared and willing to be His “miracle workers” and catalysts to disseminate his love among our fellow men. As followers of Christ we have no option but to say ‘YES’.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Lent, the beginning of a new commitment to love and forgiveness
A time to forgive our enemies
Many of us remember Lent as a time for fasting, abstinence, way of the cross, almsgiving and penance. Many too consider the Lenten campaign as a means of raising funds for the poor. We become very generous during this season and donate graciously towards this and other such funds in aid of the poor. These may nevertheless be some of the ways of observing Lent but there is much more to Lent than just donating generously for the poor and denying ourselves of some pleasures in life.
Goodness, sacrifice and charity should not be just confined to Lent but rather Lent should be the beginning of a new commitment on our part to share what we have with fellow men. It need not be money or wealth but our time, energy, talents, skills and above all our love with those we come into contact daily especially the poor.
The season of Lent starts with Ash Wednesday when we impose ashes on our foreheads to remind us of our mortal nature. Then we go through the passion of Jesus during holy Week recalling His sufferings being unjustly condemned to death on the crucifix. Very often we go through these historical events without pausing to think what it means to us today in this world dominated by greed, selfishness, hate and violence.
To us Malaysians this Lent is of special significance as it marks the first anniversary of the political tsunami that swept across our nation on March 8 last year. The unprecedented win for the opposition represented a victory of the rakyat over arrogance, power abuse, corruption and racism.
Since then there has been political turmoil because the ruling Umno-BN refuses to comply with the verdict of the people for greater democratic change. Of late it has become too aggressive in efforts to undermine the rights of fellow citizens who do not see eye to eye with them. In this political game, gaining power is all that matters whereas ethics and the rule of law become irrelevant. Their ‘ends-justifying-the-means’ style of governance is beginning to cause a lot of anxiety among all sections of the people.
The police, anti-corruption agency, judiciary and all other institutions, which are supposed to be apolitical, are being blatantly used to advance the course of the ruling party. We are denied our freedom of expression and rights for peaceful assembly. We are unfairly detained under the ISA, medical treatment denied and some are even tortured to death with little remorse from the police and top leaders. We are threatened by mob rule into submitting to unjustly implemented laws. We are even denied our right to address God in the name we want.
Christ in his time went through such injustices that were meted out on him for speaking the truth, which hurt many in positions of power and comfort. Despite all the pain and agony inflicted on him unjustly, Jesus accepted all of them willingly without anger or hate. Instead he demonstrated his extreme and unselfish love to those who hurt him by forgiving them. His civility may be seen as weakness and defeat but it was this love that allowed truth to finally prevail.
In this time of Lent when we are subjected to so much injustice, let us recall the Passion of Christ and like Jesus accept these challenges willingly without anger and hatred for those who inflict the pain and suffering on us. Let us show love and forgiveness to those who hurt us because it is this love for our enemies that will help the truth to finally prevail. It is this love for our adversaries that will bring us the ‘resurrection’ when the good finally triumphs over evil.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Many of us remember Lent as a time for fasting, abstinence, way of the cross, almsgiving and penance. Many too consider the Lenten campaign as a means of raising funds for the poor. We become very generous during this season and donate graciously towards this and other such funds in aid of the poor. These may nevertheless be some of the ways of observing Lent but there is much more to Lent than just donating generously for the poor and denying ourselves of some pleasures in life.
Goodness, sacrifice and charity should not be just confined to Lent but rather Lent should be the beginning of a new commitment on our part to share what we have with fellow men. It need not be money or wealth but our time, energy, talents, skills and above all our love with those we come into contact daily especially the poor.
The season of Lent starts with Ash Wednesday when we impose ashes on our foreheads to remind us of our mortal nature. Then we go through the passion of Jesus during holy Week recalling His sufferings being unjustly condemned to death on the crucifix. Very often we go through these historical events without pausing to think what it means to us today in this world dominated by greed, selfishness, hate and violence.
To us Malaysians this Lent is of special significance as it marks the first anniversary of the political tsunami that swept across our nation on March 8 last year. The unprecedented win for the opposition represented a victory of the rakyat over arrogance, power abuse, corruption and racism.
Since then there has been political turmoil because the ruling Umno-BN refuses to comply with the verdict of the people for greater democratic change. Of late it has become too aggressive in efforts to undermine the rights of fellow citizens who do not see eye to eye with them. In this political game, gaining power is all that matters whereas ethics and the rule of law become irrelevant. Their ‘ends-justifying-the-means’ style of governance is beginning to cause a lot of anxiety among all sections of the people.
The police, anti-corruption agency, judiciary and all other institutions, which are supposed to be apolitical, are being blatantly used to advance the course of the ruling party. We are denied our freedom of expression and rights for peaceful assembly. We are unfairly detained under the ISA, medical treatment denied and some are even tortured to death with little remorse from the police and top leaders. We are threatened by mob rule into submitting to unjustly implemented laws. We are even denied our right to address God in the name we want.
Christ in his time went through such injustices that were meted out on him for speaking the truth, which hurt many in positions of power and comfort. Despite all the pain and agony inflicted on him unjustly, Jesus accepted all of them willingly without anger or hate. Instead he demonstrated his extreme and unselfish love to those who hurt him by forgiving them. His civility may be seen as weakness and defeat but it was this love that allowed truth to finally prevail.
In this time of Lent when we are subjected to so much injustice, let us recall the Passion of Christ and like Jesus accept these challenges willingly without anger and hatred for those who inflict the pain and suffering on us. Let us show love and forgiveness to those who hurt us because it is this love for our enemies that will help the truth to finally prevail. It is this love for our adversaries that will bring us the ‘resurrection’ when the good finally triumphs over evil.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Monday, February 16, 2009
Relections for Lent 2009
Lent, the beginning of a new commitment to serve our neighbor
Once again we are in the season of Lent. Many of us remember Lent as a time for fasting, abstinence, way of the cross, almsgiving and penance. Many too consider the Lenten campaign as a means of raising funds for the poor. We become very generous during this season and donate graciously towards this fund. These may nevertheless be some of the ways of observing Lent but there is much more to Lent than just donating generously for the poor and denying ourselves of some pleasures in life.
Goodness, sacrifice and charity should not be just confined to Lent but rather Lent should be the beginning of a new commitment on our part to share what we have with fellow men. It need not be money or wealth but our time, energy, talents, skills and above all our love with those we come into contact daily especially the poor.
Who are the poor? Traditionally the poor refers to those financially deprived without food, clothing and shelter but in our country although there are still such hard core poor in our midst who need such aid but more often we encounter other forms of “poverty” particularly in urban areas.
To certain extent everyone around us is “poor” in some way or other as the majority are silently suffering from some form of ailment either physical,social or mental; serious illness,loneliness,loss of loved ones, financial problems, failures in career, failures in love,persecution,denial of basic rights and freedom, and the list is in fact endless.
All it takes for us is to open our eyes and ears to realize that almost all around us are “poor” in some way.They all need our hands of friendship that could help to alleviate their suffering to some extent. We may not be in a position to totally eradicate their “poverty”, only God can do that, but I am sure we can do the little within our means to reduce their pain and agony.
This Lent let us recall the words of Jesus “I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mathew 25:40). It should be a reminder to us that Jesus dwells in those around us, especially the needy, downtrodden and the despised. We will only be cheating ourselves if we say we love Jesus while refusing to lend a hand to those around us.
We can sacrifice some precious possessions of ours - our time, energy and wealth for the betterment of fellow mankind. At the same we can give up something which we all possess in abundance - pride, selfishness, ego, anger and greed which impede our endeavors to serve others.
As we set foot into this season of Lent let us reflect on our own lives as Christians. Do we see Jesus in the people whom we meet daily – our spouse, our children, our parents, our boss and fellow colleagues in the office, the migrant workers,the poor and hungry, the sick and the dying, the handicapped, the sinner, the orphans, our priests and clergy and even our enemies?
Are we willing to forgive and offer our hand of friendship to our enemies and those who sin against us? Are we sensitive to the needs of others around us, or do we close our eyes and ears to their cries of plea? Are we willing to go down to the level of the poor and downtrodden to empathize with their misfortunes? Do we have the patience to listen to those in distress? Are we willing and brave enough to speak out against injustice wherever it occurs?
The real meaning of Lent is sacrifice, not for our well-being but that of others. Fasting, abstinence and prayer are just a means to achieve that goal not the goals themselves. We are asked to become holy but our holiness in God, like Mother Teresa, must benefit others more than ourselves.
Let make this season of Lent the beginning of being more aware of the needs of those around us, especially those who are suffering in loneliness. Let’s lend a hand to someone who is lonely and at the brink of death. Let’s start with those lonely in our own families especially our elderly parents. Let’s be generous and gracious not just with our money but also with our precious time that money cannot buy.
We may be having a tough time ourselves coping with all the stresses in life to make ends meet. We may have terrible problems of our own to handle, with our spouse, our children, our work, our financial difficulties, and our illness and so on, but amidst all these we must find some time for those who are gripped with the fear of loneliness, those in the twilight of their lives.
We can be assured that if we can do that to one of these least brothers of His, we will be doing it to Him.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Once again we are in the season of Lent. Many of us remember Lent as a time for fasting, abstinence, way of the cross, almsgiving and penance. Many too consider the Lenten campaign as a means of raising funds for the poor. We become very generous during this season and donate graciously towards this fund. These may nevertheless be some of the ways of observing Lent but there is much more to Lent than just donating generously for the poor and denying ourselves of some pleasures in life.
Goodness, sacrifice and charity should not be just confined to Lent but rather Lent should be the beginning of a new commitment on our part to share what we have with fellow men. It need not be money or wealth but our time, energy, talents, skills and above all our love with those we come into contact daily especially the poor.
Who are the poor? Traditionally the poor refers to those financially deprived without food, clothing and shelter but in our country although there are still such hard core poor in our midst who need such aid but more often we encounter other forms of “poverty” particularly in urban areas.
To certain extent everyone around us is “poor” in some way or other as the majority are silently suffering from some form of ailment either physical,social or mental; serious illness,loneliness,loss of loved ones, financial problems, failures in career, failures in love,persecution,denial of basic rights and freedom, and the list is in fact endless.
All it takes for us is to open our eyes and ears to realize that almost all around us are “poor” in some way.They all need our hands of friendship that could help to alleviate their suffering to some extent. We may not be in a position to totally eradicate their “poverty”, only God can do that, but I am sure we can do the little within our means to reduce their pain and agony.
This Lent let us recall the words of Jesus “I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mathew 25:40). It should be a reminder to us that Jesus dwells in those around us, especially the needy, downtrodden and the despised. We will only be cheating ourselves if we say we love Jesus while refusing to lend a hand to those around us.
We can sacrifice some precious possessions of ours - our time, energy and wealth for the betterment of fellow mankind. At the same we can give up something which we all possess in abundance - pride, selfishness, ego, anger and greed which impede our endeavors to serve others.
As we set foot into this season of Lent let us reflect on our own lives as Christians. Do we see Jesus in the people whom we meet daily – our spouse, our children, our parents, our boss and fellow colleagues in the office, the migrant workers,the poor and hungry, the sick and the dying, the handicapped, the sinner, the orphans, our priests and clergy and even our enemies?
Are we willing to forgive and offer our hand of friendship to our enemies and those who sin against us? Are we sensitive to the needs of others around us, or do we close our eyes and ears to their cries of plea? Are we willing to go down to the level of the poor and downtrodden to empathize with their misfortunes? Do we have the patience to listen to those in distress? Are we willing and brave enough to speak out against injustice wherever it occurs?
The real meaning of Lent is sacrifice, not for our well-being but that of others. Fasting, abstinence and prayer are just a means to achieve that goal not the goals themselves. We are asked to become holy but our holiness in God, like Mother Teresa, must benefit others more than ourselves.
Let make this season of Lent the beginning of being more aware of the needs of those around us, especially those who are suffering in loneliness. Let’s lend a hand to someone who is lonely and at the brink of death. Let’s start with those lonely in our own families especially our elderly parents. Let’s be generous and gracious not just with our money but also with our precious time that money cannot buy.
We may be having a tough time ourselves coping with all the stresses in life to make ends meet. We may have terrible problems of our own to handle, with our spouse, our children, our work, our financial difficulties, and our illness and so on, but amidst all these we must find some time for those who are gripped with the fear of loneliness, those in the twilight of their lives.
We can be assured that if we can do that to one of these least brothers of His, we will be doing it to Him.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Defying "Allah" ban regretable
Herald must rethink its decision
It is regrettable and deeply disappointing to realize that the Catholic weekly “Herald” has decided to defy the government order to refrain from using the word “Allah” in its publication while awaiting the court’s decision on the matter. Although we may not agree with the ban but it is only right that we continue to approach the issue with much civility and tolerance and with great regard for the general peace and stability in the country with a multiracial and multi-religious population.
It is one of the rare occasions we agree with Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar that this issue must be sorted out in an environment which is not confrontational but in an environment of goodwill and understanding. We tend to agree with him that if any one religion decides to show its strength it can be dangerous and can lead to chaos. All religions should be treated as equal as they all teach good values to its followers and should be respected by followers of other faiths.
Disputes between different faiths are inevitable but it is paramount that these should be settled in a peaceful manner with love, tolerance and moderation as the guiding principles not egocentrism and confrontation.
The attitude of the Herald reflects the thinking of the Catholic Church in Malaysia. Does the Church want its congregation to adopt a confrontational attitude in solving its misunderstandings with their non-Christian brethren? Isn’t subjecting oneself to authority a sign of humility, and putting the wishes of others above our own preference a sign of love? Aren’t these the great virtues that were demonstrated by Jesus himself?
So much emphasis is made on owning and reading the Bible but not on practicing what it teaches.We must recall that Jesus himself submitted freely to authority, even to the authority that he very well knew would unjustly sentence him to death. What was the message Jesus was trying to convey to us by such an extreme act of humility?
We are entering into the season of such a great virtue of humility - Lent. We are not unjustly asked to give up our lives like Jesus but just to comply with an order to refrain from using the word “Allah” to address God, which we perceive, is unjust. If we cannot emulate Jesus to be humble in very small ways, how can we be worthy to call ourselves his followers?
The Catholic Church has been given a good opportunity to show all Malaysians the true values of Christianity. The Church and the Herald in particular must abandon its decision to go ahead with defying the ban on the use of “Allah” in its publication as a gesture of goodwill and for the overall peace in the country.
This particularly comes at a time when there are positive political developments towards greater racial and religious tolerance and a multiracial approach in governance. These changes may be slow but with God’s grace, have definitely begun. The Church which claims to promote inter-racial goodwill should not stubbornly stand in the way of what the people of all races want or she would have to take the blame for the perpetration of racism and religious fanaticism that has plagued Malaysians for over 50 years.
Dr.Chris Anthony
It is regrettable and deeply disappointing to realize that the Catholic weekly “Herald” has decided to defy the government order to refrain from using the word “Allah” in its publication while awaiting the court’s decision on the matter. Although we may not agree with the ban but it is only right that we continue to approach the issue with much civility and tolerance and with great regard for the general peace and stability in the country with a multiracial and multi-religious population.
It is one of the rare occasions we agree with Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar that this issue must be sorted out in an environment which is not confrontational but in an environment of goodwill and understanding. We tend to agree with him that if any one religion decides to show its strength it can be dangerous and can lead to chaos. All religions should be treated as equal as they all teach good values to its followers and should be respected by followers of other faiths.
Disputes between different faiths are inevitable but it is paramount that these should be settled in a peaceful manner with love, tolerance and moderation as the guiding principles not egocentrism and confrontation.
The attitude of the Herald reflects the thinking of the Catholic Church in Malaysia. Does the Church want its congregation to adopt a confrontational attitude in solving its misunderstandings with their non-Christian brethren? Isn’t subjecting oneself to authority a sign of humility, and putting the wishes of others above our own preference a sign of love? Aren’t these the great virtues that were demonstrated by Jesus himself?
So much emphasis is made on owning and reading the Bible but not on practicing what it teaches.We must recall that Jesus himself submitted freely to authority, even to the authority that he very well knew would unjustly sentence him to death. What was the message Jesus was trying to convey to us by such an extreme act of humility?
We are entering into the season of such a great virtue of humility - Lent. We are not unjustly asked to give up our lives like Jesus but just to comply with an order to refrain from using the word “Allah” to address God, which we perceive, is unjust. If we cannot emulate Jesus to be humble in very small ways, how can we be worthy to call ourselves his followers?
The Catholic Church has been given a good opportunity to show all Malaysians the true values of Christianity. The Church and the Herald in particular must abandon its decision to go ahead with defying the ban on the use of “Allah” in its publication as a gesture of goodwill and for the overall peace in the country.
This particularly comes at a time when there are positive political developments towards greater racial and religious tolerance and a multiracial approach in governance. These changes may be slow but with God’s grace, have definitely begun. The Church which claims to promote inter-racial goodwill should not stubbornly stand in the way of what the people of all races want or she would have to take the blame for the perpetration of racism and religious fanaticism that has plagued Malaysians for over 50 years.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas reflections 2008
Jesus is born but have we found Him yet?
Three important encounters during this Christmas made be reflect on the the significance of the birth of of Christ to me and us Christians.There were two neglected elderly parents,two couples at the verge of divorce and a close relative who left the faith due to marriage.Then there were 2 case of serious illness in the family.What were the significance of all these at time of celebrations and joy?
Christmas is a commemoration of God’s coming into the world as a man to live among men just like every one of us. He came for all of us – believers and non-believers,good and the bad alike.
His birth should bring us hope and triumph which will dispel the sadness from our lives. But after years of celebrating Christmas after Christmas many of us are yet to see that triumph in our lives and our hopes may be giving way to despair. Has the Messiah really come? If He has where is He? Why doesn't He bring the triumph to dispel the sadness of man?
The real problem today is that we are waiting for God to literally come to us. We celebrate His birth just like that of any one of us – offering prayers, eating, drinking and making merry. We celebrate his coming into the world but we do not welcome Him into our hearts and lives.
Yes, He has come into the world and is very much in our midst but unfortunately we refuse to recognize Him therefore fail to welcome Him into our lives. The way he chose to be born into the world has great significance for us as a great lesson in the wonderful virtue of humility.
By being born to poor parents, in an environment of extreme poverty, Jesus is telling us where He dwells - not in places of majesty and glamour but among the poor and the down-trodden, the sick and dying, the hungry, the oppressed and in those we love and even in those we hate. In short He is in every one we encounter in our daily lives, our spouse, children parents, friends and more importantly our enemies, those who hurt us.
Amidst all our celebrations, did we pause a while to look around us to recognize that Jesus who is among us, in every person and in every trial and tribulation we encounter in our lives? As step into the New Year, let us make a resolution to look around to recognize Jesus in those who do not have joy and peace in their lives.
Let us resolve to do the little within our means to alleviate the pain and misery in their lives. Let us do whatever we can to give them the hope that triumph will one day wipe out the sadness in the hearts.
We too, like Jesus, must have the humility to come down from our positions of comfort and power to meet Him in the people around us. If we isolate ourselves from the masses by building a fortress around us with all our wealth and power together with greed, selfishness and pride, then we can keep waiting for Jesus all our lives but it will only be in vain.
Jesus is born into the world but have we found him yet? Has he been born into our lives yet? If we haven’t then his birth, that is Christmas, will be just another day to celebrate, eat, drink and make merry. It will never become the day when we bring hope of triumph that dispels the sadness in our lives and in those around us.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Three important encounters during this Christmas made be reflect on the the significance of the birth of of Christ to me and us Christians.There were two neglected elderly parents,two couples at the verge of divorce and a close relative who left the faith due to marriage.Then there were 2 case of serious illness in the family.What were the significance of all these at time of celebrations and joy?
Christmas is a commemoration of God’s coming into the world as a man to live among men just like every one of us. He came for all of us – believers and non-believers,good and the bad alike.
His birth should bring us hope and triumph which will dispel the sadness from our lives. But after years of celebrating Christmas after Christmas many of us are yet to see that triumph in our lives and our hopes may be giving way to despair. Has the Messiah really come? If He has where is He? Why doesn't He bring the triumph to dispel the sadness of man?
The real problem today is that we are waiting for God to literally come to us. We celebrate His birth just like that of any one of us – offering prayers, eating, drinking and making merry. We celebrate his coming into the world but we do not welcome Him into our hearts and lives.
Yes, He has come into the world and is very much in our midst but unfortunately we refuse to recognize Him therefore fail to welcome Him into our lives. The way he chose to be born into the world has great significance for us as a great lesson in the wonderful virtue of humility.
By being born to poor parents, in an environment of extreme poverty, Jesus is telling us where He dwells - not in places of majesty and glamour but among the poor and the down-trodden, the sick and dying, the hungry, the oppressed and in those we love and even in those we hate. In short He is in every one we encounter in our daily lives, our spouse, children parents, friends and more importantly our enemies, those who hurt us.
Amidst all our celebrations, did we pause a while to look around us to recognize that Jesus who is among us, in every person and in every trial and tribulation we encounter in our lives? As step into the New Year, let us make a resolution to look around to recognize Jesus in those who do not have joy and peace in their lives.
Let us resolve to do the little within our means to alleviate the pain and misery in their lives. Let us do whatever we can to give them the hope that triumph will one day wipe out the sadness in the hearts.
We too, like Jesus, must have the humility to come down from our positions of comfort and power to meet Him in the people around us. If we isolate ourselves from the masses by building a fortress around us with all our wealth and power together with greed, selfishness and pride, then we can keep waiting for Jesus all our lives but it will only be in vain.
Jesus is born into the world but have we found him yet? Has he been born into our lives yet? If we haven’t then his birth, that is Christmas, will be just another day to celebrate, eat, drink and make merry. It will never become the day when we bring hope of triumph that dispels the sadness in our lives and in those around us.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Friday, December 12, 2008
Allah issue an opportunity to exhibit Christ's love
What is in a name after all
The Kuala Lumpur High Court has set a new trial date on Feb 27 on the suit filed by our Catholic weekly Herald on the use of the word 'Allah’. It is sad that we have to resort to human judgment to determine the name we use to address the one and the same God for all mankind.
Since the case was filed a number of other interested parties have joined in as co-respondents. These include eight Islamic agencies, the Home Ministry and the Malaysian Gurdwara Association representing the Sikh community. It appears that when the case may be paving the way for a showdown between the Muslims and non-Muslims, in particular, Christians.
"Allah" is the same name used by Christian Arabs and Jewish Arabs in their Bible, centuries before Islam came. The non-Muslims in Malaysia, like Christians and Sikhs, have been using the word 'Allah' without any problem all these years. It would be wrong for the government now to create an issue out of something which has been a non-issue all these while. What is their motive in forbidding others from using that word?
At a time when racial and religious differences are causing so much tension and anxiety among the people, will a public debate on the 'Allah' issue help to restore the much needed inter-religious harmony? Wouldn’t it aggravate the already existing tense situation.
There is no doubt that we are frustrated at being denied our fundamental rights of worship and are tempted to react with anger and hate. However Jesus has taught us to love all men regardless of the race, religion, social status and political ideology. By his Passion and crucifixion, Jesus has taught us to love and forgive even those who hurt us, to offer the other cheek when struck on one. In short Jesus has asked us to even love our enemies as ourselves which seems to be ridiculous in today’s world. If our neighbour is hurt by what we do or say, wouldn't the right thing for us to do is to refrain from continuing with those offending acts?
This dispute over the right to use "Allah" has given us the opportunity to demonstrate the true meaning of love, goodwill and tolerance as demonstrated by Jesus himself. These virtues may appear to make us the losers in a material world governed by wealth,power and egomania but in the eyes of God, truth will definitely prevail as the ultimate victor in our struggles for justice.
Our judicial system may be a civil way that allows one to seek revenge and hitting back at those who have hurt us in some way. As the true followers of Christ what are we to do? Should we fight back to just to regain our rights to call God Allah? Can’t we call him by some other name? After all what is in a name as God is still God by whatever name we call him.
Instead of spending our time, energy and resources to fight over the use of “Allah” it would be more fruitful for us to be more worried about the rapidly declining influence of the Church in the lives of peoples in the world. Christianity is losing its identity as the promoter of peace, love, humility, forgiveness, morality and a champion of the masses. Let's spend more of our time and energy to address these problems that plague our Church in particular and humanity in general.
Let's implore the Holy Spirit to guide the minds of all so that we can one day, regardless of our different religious believes, come together as His children, to worship the one true God, addressing Him by any name we like.
Dr.Chris Anthony
The Kuala Lumpur High Court has set a new trial date on Feb 27 on the suit filed by our Catholic weekly Herald on the use of the word 'Allah’. It is sad that we have to resort to human judgment to determine the name we use to address the one and the same God for all mankind.
Since the case was filed a number of other interested parties have joined in as co-respondents. These include eight Islamic agencies, the Home Ministry and the Malaysian Gurdwara Association representing the Sikh community. It appears that when the case may be paving the way for a showdown between the Muslims and non-Muslims, in particular, Christians.
"Allah" is the same name used by Christian Arabs and Jewish Arabs in their Bible, centuries before Islam came. The non-Muslims in Malaysia, like Christians and Sikhs, have been using the word 'Allah' without any problem all these years. It would be wrong for the government now to create an issue out of something which has been a non-issue all these while. What is their motive in forbidding others from using that word?
At a time when racial and religious differences are causing so much tension and anxiety among the people, will a public debate on the 'Allah' issue help to restore the much needed inter-religious harmony? Wouldn’t it aggravate the already existing tense situation.
There is no doubt that we are frustrated at being denied our fundamental rights of worship and are tempted to react with anger and hate. However Jesus has taught us to love all men regardless of the race, religion, social status and political ideology. By his Passion and crucifixion, Jesus has taught us to love and forgive even those who hurt us, to offer the other cheek when struck on one. In short Jesus has asked us to even love our enemies as ourselves which seems to be ridiculous in today’s world. If our neighbour is hurt by what we do or say, wouldn't the right thing for us to do is to refrain from continuing with those offending acts?
This dispute over the right to use "Allah" has given us the opportunity to demonstrate the true meaning of love, goodwill and tolerance as demonstrated by Jesus himself. These virtues may appear to make us the losers in a material world governed by wealth,power and egomania but in the eyes of God, truth will definitely prevail as the ultimate victor in our struggles for justice.
Our judicial system may be a civil way that allows one to seek revenge and hitting back at those who have hurt us in some way. As the true followers of Christ what are we to do? Should we fight back to just to regain our rights to call God Allah? Can’t we call him by some other name? After all what is in a name as God is still God by whatever name we call him.
Instead of spending our time, energy and resources to fight over the use of “Allah” it would be more fruitful for us to be more worried about the rapidly declining influence of the Church in the lives of peoples in the world. Christianity is losing its identity as the promoter of peace, love, humility, forgiveness, morality and a champion of the masses. Let's spend more of our time and energy to address these problems that plague our Church in particular and humanity in general.
Let's implore the Holy Spirit to guide the minds of all so that we can one day, regardless of our different religious believes, come together as His children, to worship the one true God, addressing Him by any name we like.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Lessons in life : Paul
The gentleman who holds steadfast to his father’s advice
Introduction
I had the privilege of meeting an elderly gentleman named Paul, on a number of occasions recently. Uncle Paul, as we call him, has been journeying through life for the past 86 years and will be turning 87 come next March. His vast experiences in his life add further to the many lessons I have learnt in my own. I always believe that every human is a marvelous creation of God, who is a chest of knowledge and experience waiting to be tapped. Uncle Paul is undeniably such a marvelous creation of His.
In a world that is so materialistic, competitive, so advanced in technology that life has become more robotic and devoid of empathy, when we are so busy toiling to make ends meet we have very little time for old people like Paul who we consider have nothing valuable to contribute to our advancements. We fail to realise that every human who has walked upon this earth, regardless of race and religion, young or old, rich or poor is a chest of treasure and knowledge for us in life to be utilised for our own benefit and the benefit of those around us.
In fact many of us today do not have the time even for our own aged parents, who have made us what we are now. We find so many excuses to send them away somewhere hoping they would be happier there. We pass the responsibility to others hoping that they can provide better care and comfort than us in our own homes. One such place is the old folk’s homes that are mushrooming all over the country due to the tremendous increase in demand. We may have no choice but these oldies will never opt for such a place if only they had a choice to be taken care in their own homes.
Uncle Paul stays in one such home and he appears to be happy to be with the company of fellow inmates. His basic needs are taken care of reasonably well and he is regularly visited by his children, relatives and friends. Like all parents, he does not blame his children for sending him there, but we know that he misses their continuous company. He misses his home, not just the building but the company of his loved ones.
He lost his wife 20 years ago after a short illness and till today he missed her so dearly. At the twilight of life, his physical and mental faculties are beginning to fail him one by one; he has no permanent companion to cling on for support and reassurance. This is the time he wished so badly that his wife was around to share the pains of old age. His eyes swell with tears each time we talk about the darling in his life. He says “if only my wife was around, I will not be here.”
I learnt a lot about the past from my meetings with him, about life at the time of the British and the Japanese occupation, his family and all his experiences, good and bad, over the past 86 years. As I myself grow older, and my children leaving home one by one, I seem to appreciate his experiences much more as they are becoming increasingly more relevant in my own life. I look around and see that many more are leading such solitude lives without a shoulder to lean on for solace. Am I heading for such a lonely life in the years to come? It is frightening to think I may be so.
Punctuality
Among some of the things that struck me first on meeting Uncle Paul was his neatly groomed appearance and his punctuality. Every time I make an appointment to meet him he is ready waiting for me, neatly dressed in slacks, long sleeved shirt and polished shoes. According to his caretaker he gets ready hours before and sits in the porch eagerly waiting for my arrival. He never forgets to greet me as soon as he sees me. There is so much warmth in his voice and the grip of his handshake.Depite his failing memory he remembers the details of my children and never fails to enquire about them each time we meet.
His punctuality puts many of us to shame who have very little regards for time and people. Punctuality is an indication of our eagerness to meet someone and it reflects the place we accord him in our hearts. I understand if we value somebody’s company then we would never be late to meet him as our minds will always be preoccupied with thoughts of that person. These days very few people value the true company of others and that may be the reasons why we are always late for appointments. We tend to value a person by his material possession not by the contents of his heart.
Living steadfast to his father’s advice
Another interesting thing I learnt from Uncle Paul is his attitude towards his late parents that was reflected in his advice to the youngsters of today. He still remembers and cherishes what his father had advised him when he was working in the government service as a young man.
According to him his father had advised him against taking bribes for whatever reason. He recalls what his late father had told him, “If you need money badly, you may borrow or even beg for it but never accept bribes however desperate you are”.
He adhered to his father’s advised so strictly that he could not afford to own his own house and lived in government quarters all his life. Now all alone at the age of 86, although physically fit, he does not have a place to call home and has to settle for an old folk’s home as his abode. It was the price he had to pay for being steadfast in submitting to his father’s stand against corruption.
It is inspiring to realise that at the age of 86, like a little boy, he still holds steadfastly to the advice of his late father whom he described as a strict and disciplined man.
How often do we listen and submit to the demands of our own parents? When we are older and attained much success wealth and fame, do we still have the humility to listen and respect the wishes of our parents, who may be old and senile? Sometimes we know what they are saying may be not appropriate but do we still listen to them with respect or just brush them aside as irrelevant? These are some of the questions that we should pose to ourselves. As what we do to them today may be repeated by our own children tomorrow.
Honour your father and mother
When asked for his advice to the youngsters of today, who have little respect for the elderly, he says, “They should Honour their father and mother and everything else will be fine”. Reflecting on what he said and recalling my own experiences with many, I realised how right he was. He may be old and senile but he pushed forward a point precisely about a very important issue in our life, which I agree determines whether we attain the happiness we all strive for. If we miss this important lesson then all our efforts to seek that happiness will all be in vain.
To honour our parents is to show great respect for them especially for their pride and honesty. Do the actions in our own lives reflect this honour that is due to them? We must always do things that uphold their pride and honour; otherwise we would be failing them. We make many major decisions in our lives, like choosing our life partners; change of career, travelling all over the world, caring for our children, major illnesses and so on. Do we consult them, at least as a mark of respect, regarding these major changes in our lives? They may not be a position to give us the physical or monetary help but I am sure they can give us something that all the money in the world cannot buy - advice based on love and personal experience. Unfortunately these invaluable commodities are the least we value these days.
Happiness in our lives
Throughout the ages man had strived for happiness in mind and body and till today the foremost target in our lives is this happiness. This is what we work, slog and strive in life. Despite all the successes we achieve very few can be said to be really happy. According to Uncle Paul there is no way we can achieve happiness if we do not make our parents happy. This I have realised is very true. I whatever we do if we consider the feelings of our parents so as not to hurt them; happiness will automatically come to us. Happiness is within our reach, it is we who are not able to reach it by our own selfishness.
Giving what they like, not what we think they like
Often we give our elderly parents what we think they like, not realising that they may not prefer what we give them. As children we believe that we are giving them the best by sending them to the old folk’s home where they have the company and are well catered for their needs. It is pertinent to ask ourselves whether they are really happy to be there. Do they need the company of others who are strangers and physically infirm? Is this what they need most at that advanced age?
They may say that they are happy there because they do not want to burden us further which is the typical sense of magnanimity of all elderly parents towards their children; however negligent or even cruel the children may be to them the parents will always have a soft spot for them in their hearts. They gave us whatever we needed without asking, why should we not at least grant them what they ask?
Loneliness, the greatest fear
His greatest fear, like all elderly people, is loneliness. This was particularly profound after the demise of his wife 20 years ago. He has the feeling that he is all alone in this cruel world. It is pathetic to realise that at the age of 86, staying in a home for the aged and surrounded by unfamiliar faces, Uncle Paul has very little to hope for except waiting to be united with his wife by the Lord.
Uncle Paul and many others like him have given us the opportunity to provide them some hope and cheer in their lives especially this approaching season of Christmas. It is not money, gifts or food that they need most. All they asks for is the love of fellow humans like you and I, in particular their children and grandchildren to share a little bit of our time to be with them during some of the special days in their lives.
Dr.Chris Anthony
November 21, 2008
Introduction
I had the privilege of meeting an elderly gentleman named Paul, on a number of occasions recently. Uncle Paul, as we call him, has been journeying through life for the past 86 years and will be turning 87 come next March. His vast experiences in his life add further to the many lessons I have learnt in my own. I always believe that every human is a marvelous creation of God, who is a chest of knowledge and experience waiting to be tapped. Uncle Paul is undeniably such a marvelous creation of His.
In a world that is so materialistic, competitive, so advanced in technology that life has become more robotic and devoid of empathy, when we are so busy toiling to make ends meet we have very little time for old people like Paul who we consider have nothing valuable to contribute to our advancements. We fail to realise that every human who has walked upon this earth, regardless of race and religion, young or old, rich or poor is a chest of treasure and knowledge for us in life to be utilised for our own benefit and the benefit of those around us.
In fact many of us today do not have the time even for our own aged parents, who have made us what we are now. We find so many excuses to send them away somewhere hoping they would be happier there. We pass the responsibility to others hoping that they can provide better care and comfort than us in our own homes. One such place is the old folk’s homes that are mushrooming all over the country due to the tremendous increase in demand. We may have no choice but these oldies will never opt for such a place if only they had a choice to be taken care in their own homes.
Uncle Paul stays in one such home and he appears to be happy to be with the company of fellow inmates. His basic needs are taken care of reasonably well and he is regularly visited by his children, relatives and friends. Like all parents, he does not blame his children for sending him there, but we know that he misses their continuous company. He misses his home, not just the building but the company of his loved ones.
He lost his wife 20 years ago after a short illness and till today he missed her so dearly. At the twilight of life, his physical and mental faculties are beginning to fail him one by one; he has no permanent companion to cling on for support and reassurance. This is the time he wished so badly that his wife was around to share the pains of old age. His eyes swell with tears each time we talk about the darling in his life. He says “if only my wife was around, I will not be here.”
I learnt a lot about the past from my meetings with him, about life at the time of the British and the Japanese occupation, his family and all his experiences, good and bad, over the past 86 years. As I myself grow older, and my children leaving home one by one, I seem to appreciate his experiences much more as they are becoming increasingly more relevant in my own life. I look around and see that many more are leading such solitude lives without a shoulder to lean on for solace. Am I heading for such a lonely life in the years to come? It is frightening to think I may be so.
Punctuality
Among some of the things that struck me first on meeting Uncle Paul was his neatly groomed appearance and his punctuality. Every time I make an appointment to meet him he is ready waiting for me, neatly dressed in slacks, long sleeved shirt and polished shoes. According to his caretaker he gets ready hours before and sits in the porch eagerly waiting for my arrival. He never forgets to greet me as soon as he sees me. There is so much warmth in his voice and the grip of his handshake.Depite his failing memory he remembers the details of my children and never fails to enquire about them each time we meet.
His punctuality puts many of us to shame who have very little regards for time and people. Punctuality is an indication of our eagerness to meet someone and it reflects the place we accord him in our hearts. I understand if we value somebody’s company then we would never be late to meet him as our minds will always be preoccupied with thoughts of that person. These days very few people value the true company of others and that may be the reasons why we are always late for appointments. We tend to value a person by his material possession not by the contents of his heart.
Living steadfast to his father’s advice
Another interesting thing I learnt from Uncle Paul is his attitude towards his late parents that was reflected in his advice to the youngsters of today. He still remembers and cherishes what his father had advised him when he was working in the government service as a young man.
According to him his father had advised him against taking bribes for whatever reason. He recalls what his late father had told him, “If you need money badly, you may borrow or even beg for it but never accept bribes however desperate you are”.
He adhered to his father’s advised so strictly that he could not afford to own his own house and lived in government quarters all his life. Now all alone at the age of 86, although physically fit, he does not have a place to call home and has to settle for an old folk’s home as his abode. It was the price he had to pay for being steadfast in submitting to his father’s stand against corruption.
It is inspiring to realise that at the age of 86, like a little boy, he still holds steadfastly to the advice of his late father whom he described as a strict and disciplined man.
How often do we listen and submit to the demands of our own parents? When we are older and attained much success wealth and fame, do we still have the humility to listen and respect the wishes of our parents, who may be old and senile? Sometimes we know what they are saying may be not appropriate but do we still listen to them with respect or just brush them aside as irrelevant? These are some of the questions that we should pose to ourselves. As what we do to them today may be repeated by our own children tomorrow.
Honour your father and mother
When asked for his advice to the youngsters of today, who have little respect for the elderly, he says, “They should Honour their father and mother and everything else will be fine”. Reflecting on what he said and recalling my own experiences with many, I realised how right he was. He may be old and senile but he pushed forward a point precisely about a very important issue in our life, which I agree determines whether we attain the happiness we all strive for. If we miss this important lesson then all our efforts to seek that happiness will all be in vain.
To honour our parents is to show great respect for them especially for their pride and honesty. Do the actions in our own lives reflect this honour that is due to them? We must always do things that uphold their pride and honour; otherwise we would be failing them. We make many major decisions in our lives, like choosing our life partners; change of career, travelling all over the world, caring for our children, major illnesses and so on. Do we consult them, at least as a mark of respect, regarding these major changes in our lives? They may not be a position to give us the physical or monetary help but I am sure they can give us something that all the money in the world cannot buy - advice based on love and personal experience. Unfortunately these invaluable commodities are the least we value these days.
Happiness in our lives
Throughout the ages man had strived for happiness in mind and body and till today the foremost target in our lives is this happiness. This is what we work, slog and strive in life. Despite all the successes we achieve very few can be said to be really happy. According to Uncle Paul there is no way we can achieve happiness if we do not make our parents happy. This I have realised is very true. I whatever we do if we consider the feelings of our parents so as not to hurt them; happiness will automatically come to us. Happiness is within our reach, it is we who are not able to reach it by our own selfishness.
Giving what they like, not what we think they like
Often we give our elderly parents what we think they like, not realising that they may not prefer what we give them. As children we believe that we are giving them the best by sending them to the old folk’s home where they have the company and are well catered for their needs. It is pertinent to ask ourselves whether they are really happy to be there. Do they need the company of others who are strangers and physically infirm? Is this what they need most at that advanced age?
They may say that they are happy there because they do not want to burden us further which is the typical sense of magnanimity of all elderly parents towards their children; however negligent or even cruel the children may be to them the parents will always have a soft spot for them in their hearts. They gave us whatever we needed without asking, why should we not at least grant them what they ask?
Loneliness, the greatest fear
His greatest fear, like all elderly people, is loneliness. This was particularly profound after the demise of his wife 20 years ago. He has the feeling that he is all alone in this cruel world. It is pathetic to realise that at the age of 86, staying in a home for the aged and surrounded by unfamiliar faces, Uncle Paul has very little to hope for except waiting to be united with his wife by the Lord.
Uncle Paul and many others like him have given us the opportunity to provide them some hope and cheer in their lives especially this approaching season of Christmas. It is not money, gifts or food that they need most. All they asks for is the love of fellow humans like you and I, in particular their children and grandchildren to share a little bit of our time to be with them during some of the special days in their lives.
Dr.Chris Anthony
November 21, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Politics and religion
Worship or service
Of late I have been following closely the debate over politics and religion among the readers of Herald in its letters column. There was widespread criticism of the writer who expressed that the Church should restrict itself to purely worship and not get involved in politics. The vast majority of the readers rightly were of the view that politics and religion go hand in hand and cannot be divorced from our lives as Christians.
Politics is defined as “the activities of the government, members of law-making organizations or people who try to influence the way a country is governed” and religion is “the belief in and worship of God or any such system of belief and worship”.
As Christians we believe that Jesus is the son of God and whatever he taught was the absolute truth. As he was God himself there were no flaws whatsoever in his teachings which remains relevant throughout the ages. As man he led an exemplary life for all of us to see, indicating what we should and should not do during our life on earth.
Jesus taught us many things through his preaching, parables and most importantly by his examples. His teachings were very simple to be comprehended by all but we had made them so complex to become beyond the comprehension of many even highly educated people. Today we have to spend many precious years to try to understand what Jesus really taught us.
All his teachings can be simplified into his 2 great commandments: Firstly, love God with all your heart and mind and secondly, love your neighbor as yourself.
There is an emerging trend today, among followers of all faiths including Christians, to indulge themselves in prayer, fasting, pilgrimages and all forms of rituals to please God but failing to recognize the plight of those around us. They seem to be just interested in worship but not service. It is people like these who would say that the Church must be exclusively involved in worship not service.
As the followers of Christ we should not only love God but love our neighbor as well. Jesus had made it absolutely clear that we cannot love God if we do not love our fellow men. How can we say we love our neighbor when we do nothing when they are persecuted and ignore their cries for help? Wouldn’t we want others to sympathesize and come to our aid when we are in such a situation?
If we truly love fellow men then it is equally important to ensure that our system of governance is also tailored to impart that love to the people. It is our duty as lovers of God to ensure that the government we help to form exhibit that love for fellow men, by catering for their basic needs, alleviating their impoverished states and granting them justice and freedom.
Discrimination in the any form, racial, religious, social or political is unjust, so is denial of basic human rights and freedom, and these must be resisted peacefully at all costs. The abuse of the Internal Security Act (ISA) is just one of those injustices in our country. If we really love God then we are duty-bound to defend not just ours but the rights of our fellow men as well. But as Christians this resistance and protest must be absolutely peaceful and with the expression of love, not hatred, for the “enemy” that perpetrates the injustice.
Politics and religion are inter-twined and cannot be divorced from each other. If we do so we would be separating worship from service that is contrary to the teaching of Jesus. The good moral values propagated by religion should be used as the basis for good governance that includes accountability, morality, compassion and love in serving the people.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Of late I have been following closely the debate over politics and religion among the readers of Herald in its letters column. There was widespread criticism of the writer who expressed that the Church should restrict itself to purely worship and not get involved in politics. The vast majority of the readers rightly were of the view that politics and religion go hand in hand and cannot be divorced from our lives as Christians.
Politics is defined as “the activities of the government, members of law-making organizations or people who try to influence the way a country is governed” and religion is “the belief in and worship of God or any such system of belief and worship”.
As Christians we believe that Jesus is the son of God and whatever he taught was the absolute truth. As he was God himself there were no flaws whatsoever in his teachings which remains relevant throughout the ages. As man he led an exemplary life for all of us to see, indicating what we should and should not do during our life on earth.
Jesus taught us many things through his preaching, parables and most importantly by his examples. His teachings were very simple to be comprehended by all but we had made them so complex to become beyond the comprehension of many even highly educated people. Today we have to spend many precious years to try to understand what Jesus really taught us.
All his teachings can be simplified into his 2 great commandments: Firstly, love God with all your heart and mind and secondly, love your neighbor as yourself.
There is an emerging trend today, among followers of all faiths including Christians, to indulge themselves in prayer, fasting, pilgrimages and all forms of rituals to please God but failing to recognize the plight of those around us. They seem to be just interested in worship but not service. It is people like these who would say that the Church must be exclusively involved in worship not service.
As the followers of Christ we should not only love God but love our neighbor as well. Jesus had made it absolutely clear that we cannot love God if we do not love our fellow men. How can we say we love our neighbor when we do nothing when they are persecuted and ignore their cries for help? Wouldn’t we want others to sympathesize and come to our aid when we are in such a situation?
If we truly love fellow men then it is equally important to ensure that our system of governance is also tailored to impart that love to the people. It is our duty as lovers of God to ensure that the government we help to form exhibit that love for fellow men, by catering for their basic needs, alleviating their impoverished states and granting them justice and freedom.
Discrimination in the any form, racial, religious, social or political is unjust, so is denial of basic human rights and freedom, and these must be resisted peacefully at all costs. The abuse of the Internal Security Act (ISA) is just one of those injustices in our country. If we really love God then we are duty-bound to defend not just ours but the rights of our fellow men as well. But as Christians this resistance and protest must be absolutely peaceful and with the expression of love, not hatred, for the “enemy” that perpetrates the injustice.
Politics and religion are inter-twined and cannot be divorced from each other. If we do so we would be separating worship from service that is contrary to the teaching of Jesus. The good moral values propagated by religion should be used as the basis for good governance that includes accountability, morality, compassion and love in serving the people.
Dr.Chris Anthony
Friday, October 03, 2008
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Gandhi,Jesus and Christianity
He remains a conscience in the hearts of men
October 2nd 2008 is the 139th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and this year marks the 60th anniversary of his death. Gandhi is one of the greatest personalities of recent times and he can be considered the saint of non-violence. He did what he preached and preached only what he did.
Although a devout Hindu, Gandhi was a follower of Jesus in many ways. His actions proved that one does not need be a formal Christian to be a follower of Christ. One can be a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or for that matter any religion but can still be a devout follower of Christ. All one needs is to love God and love fellow men to be a disciple of Christ.
This is what he had to say about Jesus:
“Jesus was the most active resister known perhaps to history. His was nonviolence par excellence.”
As Christians, who claim to be the followers of Jesus, we very often do not emulate Christ in actual life. It may be timely for us to reflect on our lives to see how Christ-like we are in daily living.
This is what Gandhi had to say about Christians:
“It is a first class human tragedy that people of the earth who claim to believe in the message of Jesus, whom they describe as the Prince of Peace, show little of that belief in actual practice.”
Though his views were influenced by his experience with the racist policies and hegemony of the powerful Christian British Empire at that time, his observations are nevertheless true to this day. He continued,
“Do not flatter yourselves with the belief that a mere recital of that celebrated verse in St. John makes a man a Christian. If I had to face only the Sermon on the Mount and my own interpretation of it, I should not hesitate to say, ‘O yes, I am a Christian.”
Today many of us have the misguided notion that to be a good Christians we must have a thorough knowledge of the bible. We spend a lot of time and energy to muster the bible. What about those who cannot read and write? What about those who are physically or mentally handicapped? They cannot read and comprehend the bible but can’t they be good followers of Christ?
Gandhi,a devout Hindu, appeared to have understood Jesus much more than many of us. Lord Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy of India said “Gandhi would go down in history as 'on par with Buddha and Jesus Christ', I cannot agree less with that statement and I even go a step further to say that the Mahatma was a modern version of the man,Jesus.
Gandhi believed in the universality of God, “The Allah of Islam is the same as the God of Christians and the Ishwar of Hindus.”
This concept of the universality of God is something, which is badly needed in today’s world where violence in His name is so rampant. It is also something we as Christians can learn from him; despite belonging to different faiths we are in fact all children of one God.
We are so intent in fighting one another to claim superiority over our adversaries, man against man, race against race, religion against religion and nation against nation. We resort to all the resources at our disposal; powerful arms, violence and war, to achieve victory over our enemies. We justify the use of violence to protect our perceived rights.
But to the great man of non-violence “Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.”
That philosophy he proved right when he single-handedly defeated the all-powerful British colonialist, not by power and might but peace and love. Doesn’t his action resemble those of Jesus whose love, humility, non-retaliation and forgiveness, brought him victory over the powerful Roman Empire?
Many of us today find it difficult to believe how a small, timid and frail looking man like Gandhi could dare to challenge the mighty British Empire. Just after sixty years we are finding it difficult to believe how Gandhi could have brought down the British Empire. As Albert Einstein, another great man and genius said 'Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.
Mahatma Gandhi may have left this world but his memories remain very much with us, alive and relevant. Like Jesus he did not possess power, position or wealth. His simplicity, integrity and a heart for fellow men had touched many and he will remain a conscience in the hearts of men for generations to come.
Dr.Chris Anthony
October 2nd 2008 is the 139th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and this year marks the 60th anniversary of his death. Gandhi is one of the greatest personalities of recent times and he can be considered the saint of non-violence. He did what he preached and preached only what he did.
Although a devout Hindu, Gandhi was a follower of Jesus in many ways. His actions proved that one does not need be a formal Christian to be a follower of Christ. One can be a Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or for that matter any religion but can still be a devout follower of Christ. All one needs is to love God and love fellow men to be a disciple of Christ.
This is what he had to say about Jesus:
“Jesus was the most active resister known perhaps to history. His was nonviolence par excellence.”
As Christians, who claim to be the followers of Jesus, we very often do not emulate Christ in actual life. It may be timely for us to reflect on our lives to see how Christ-like we are in daily living.
This is what Gandhi had to say about Christians:
“It is a first class human tragedy that people of the earth who claim to believe in the message of Jesus, whom they describe as the Prince of Peace, show little of that belief in actual practice.”
Though his views were influenced by his experience with the racist policies and hegemony of the powerful Christian British Empire at that time, his observations are nevertheless true to this day. He continued,
“Do not flatter yourselves with the belief that a mere recital of that celebrated verse in St. John makes a man a Christian. If I had to face only the Sermon on the Mount and my own interpretation of it, I should not hesitate to say, ‘O yes, I am a Christian.”
Today many of us have the misguided notion that to be a good Christians we must have a thorough knowledge of the bible. We spend a lot of time and energy to muster the bible. What about those who cannot read and write? What about those who are physically or mentally handicapped? They cannot read and comprehend the bible but can’t they be good followers of Christ?
Gandhi,a devout Hindu, appeared to have understood Jesus much more than many of us. Lord Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy of India said “Gandhi would go down in history as 'on par with Buddha and Jesus Christ', I cannot agree less with that statement and I even go a step further to say that the Mahatma was a modern version of the man,Jesus.
Gandhi believed in the universality of God, “The Allah of Islam is the same as the God of Christians and the Ishwar of Hindus.”
This concept of the universality of God is something, which is badly needed in today’s world where violence in His name is so rampant. It is also something we as Christians can learn from him; despite belonging to different faiths we are in fact all children of one God.
We are so intent in fighting one another to claim superiority over our adversaries, man against man, race against race, religion against religion and nation against nation. We resort to all the resources at our disposal; powerful arms, violence and war, to achieve victory over our enemies. We justify the use of violence to protect our perceived rights.
But to the great man of non-violence “Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.”
That philosophy he proved right when he single-handedly defeated the all-powerful British colonialist, not by power and might but peace and love. Doesn’t his action resemble those of Jesus whose love, humility, non-retaliation and forgiveness, brought him victory over the powerful Roman Empire?
Many of us today find it difficult to believe how a small, timid and frail looking man like Gandhi could dare to challenge the mighty British Empire. Just after sixty years we are finding it difficult to believe how Gandhi could have brought down the British Empire. As Albert Einstein, another great man and genius said 'Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.
Mahatma Gandhi may have left this world but his memories remain very much with us, alive and relevant. Like Jesus he did not possess power, position or wealth. His simplicity, integrity and a heart for fellow men had touched many and he will remain a conscience in the hearts of men for generations to come.
Dr.Chris Anthony
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