Echoes in Joy and in Ashes

Good afternoon! I want to thank the SSC Committee for this honour to address this gathering and especially the freshers this afternoon. On behalf of the Principal, the faculty and the staff and the families, “Welcome to Shalom Bible Seminary!” For many of you, this is your first entry into theological education and training, for some of you it is the joy of joining a different seminary, and for the rest of you “well, here we are again!” Whatever category you fit into, I welcome you into this family. I can only imagine the excitement and the thrill you felt and experienced as you decided to join this seminary. The heartbeats in the hall as you wrote your entrance exam and then faced an interview, the days of suspense awaiting your fate; and finally the gospel from the Academic Dean’s office—“you have been elected.” This piece of news might have made it to the “breaking news” section of your social media status update. Even as others around you shared in your joy, most likely...

Ever since the lockdown was initiated, the big question has been "When is it going to end?" How long till we can get up and about the normal life we are so accustomed to? That is still the question today as we carry on through a second extension of the lockdown. If I may say so, it is like further extending the ticking time on a bomb waiting to explode. Just that in this case, it is a desperate bomb of people waiting to run out into the streets and immerse themselves in the business of life again. I will leave the analysis of such a scenario to others though I do hope that the eventual lifting of the lockdown does not throw the town into a frenzied celebration. I want to rather think of how I am living in these days. Am I living well (with a good spirit) despite the inconveniences? Am I living with gratitude (for I know many are not as fortunate as me)? Am I living with fortitude (rather than complaining and getting dragged into some long winded discussions)? Am I living w...

As I type this, a good part of the whole world is gripped with a sense of uncertainty about what will happen next. This comes in the aftermath of a new strain of the corona virus that caused the outbreak of a sickness last December 2019 in Wuhan, China. However, in that bleak city that went through its trial of fire ordeal, there is a fresh hope as a section of the many medical volunteers vacate the city today to go back to their own cities, homes and families. The city and the country is making its way back to being healthy, though slowly. On the other hand, other parts of the world are being infected and for some, they are almost hitting rock bottom. The news is filled with statistics of new infections, of deaths, of efforts being made to find a cure - a vaccine, a race against time. Plans are being cancelled or at best being deferred, containment measures introduced and it had been said that "the long haul" is most likely it. Amidst all these, there has also been a bit of...

I have often heard the complaint "I am not living for others" most often in the context of an unpleasant comment (or right critique) that had been made. The irony is that we want the "other" for the praise and adulation but not the critique. While I will admit that there is a shade of truth in the statement, it is not "true enough" (to borrow the phrase a professor would tell us) to be a "foundational" statement to build our principles of social relations. Our unwillingness to acknowledge the influence of the "others" in our lives will in no way lessen the reality of their existence and the manner in which they relate to us. For instance, I may not live for others and pursue my own wild dream, but that does not negate or nullify the sound judgment of others who would want me to "tame" it a little. What I as a person could do with that complaint (that I don't live for them) is to attempt to rob the others of the opportuni...

Someone said "A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.” Over the years we have all made friendships. Some are going on strong, some are out there somewhere, hardly in touch, some are probably forgotten (hopefully by both parties!!). How do you define a friend? I struggle to categorize people in my phone especially when I have a group called friends? Who gets to fit into that category in my phone list? Are those casual acquaintances (probably met them on one or two occasions, chit chatted a bit) friends or are they still strangers? Who are friends? I think that's one question we could answer based on how we define the term "friend." Irrespective of how we define who "friends" are, the maintaining of that special bond requires mutual efforts. Friendship begins when "likeness" in the other is recognized - C.S Lewis said “Friendship is born at that moment when one person...

          So the other day these people came to carry out some "medical" tests. Small tests to ensure that everyone's safe. It involved a small prick and a small sample of blood taken. Not the end of the world considering that it did not require anything major or even a small incision. Just a quick prick and it was done. But for some that prick meant their "whole world" had come down.            Some put up a brave face with a thumping heart, others went through it with grace as if it were a daily affair. The "interesting lot" however neither had the brave faces to put up, much less the grace. They were the ones that got the all attention from the others.            This lot came and sat down, looked about nervously, a little unsure of the ordeal they would have to go through. Imagination at its best they dreaded that small prick that would be delivered. As they watched the preparation, they probabl...

            The other day I walked into a store to get me a pair of thermal wears. Nothing fancy, just looking for a decent a pair to keep warm in the cold. The storekeeper struck up a conversation and laid out all the available options. I politely declined the choices because you see I already had something in mind. “Aren’t you buying it for yourself?” he asked. “No, it’s for a friend,” I lied.           Without missing a beat, “We have something cheaper” he hinted. “Thank you, it’s alright,” I said and took leave.          As I walked along the street I wondered “Now why would he comment ‘we have something cheaper’ at my lie?” It did not really imply that I was being cheap, not really directly. But it did reflect a hint of that popular perception –“the best for me, the next for my friend.” No wonder maybe that’s why when gifts are given and received, the joy is missing. This not to chide all, ...