Echoes in Joy and in Ashes

Every year, around this time a batch of students graduate and the whole community goes through the process of bidding "good-byes" and "see yous". It is indeed a day of mixed emotions as achievements are celebrated and the reality of parting of ways (but hopefully not of friendships) sets in. Every year, I walk the down the line to congratulate the graduates and wish them knowing fully well that some I will never meet again, at least in this life, though bits of news may make through now and then. A few hours ago today, we went through this whole process and finished off the academic year. Some are now back home, safe and sound, others travelling still; some are going back home with much joy to loved ones, some are going back with a heavy heart having lost loved ones in the near past. However, whatever may be the case, this fact remains "the journey is done and God has seen us through" and this is worth honouring. As such, as an old timer I writ...

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...

Some many months ago I saw a question about what one could do about their flaws. It made me curious and I gave a response that I thought was fair. Not a good move when you do not know the backstory, but I guess the I-want-to-give-you-my-advice-anyway-syndrome kicked in. I still do not know the finer details of the backstory but then a small conversation ensued and stories flowed. Well, months later here we are, revisiting that question, not exactly as it was posed but in a more general and broader sense. But still at the centre of this thought is this question: "what do we do with our flaws?" In one of the many bygone years, my colleagues and I were asked to take a personal examination exercise in which we were to discover our strengths. I did the test and was pleasantly surprised by the result that was given to me. But then a senior spoke up and burst the happy bubble I was in. He said some thing like this, "It is good to know our strengths, but what about o...

When it comes to prayer, I am not much of an expert on the subject, more of a pilgrim who is still making the journey to grow deeper. I am blessed as I listen to sincere prayers offered in the worship services or the prayer times. I am blessed listening to the manner in which the prayer is crafted and prayed, and while we might say it is also an art, the deep beauty lies in the sincerity and the conviction with which the prayer is said. There are five images that come to my mind when I think of prayer. The first is a song that I sang as a kid in Sunday School: "Read your Bible pray everyday, you will grow, grow, grow." This simple chorus goes on to say "leave your Bible forget to pray, you will shrink, shrink, shrink." I must say I have sung this song full-throatedly but have not practiced this full-heartedly. When it comes to prayer, there is a mismatch between what I know to be good and what I practice. It is not that I do not understand that prayer is a good spir...

An experience over childhood was to try my hands at different crafts and train them. These included the more leisurely folding papers to make aeroplanes and boats to the more serious "origami" and handicraft pursuits. I am probably one of those who grew up being given the opportunity to try a wide variety of making things (handicrafts). Though the case has not been one where these skills have developed into a more "professional" take. Growing up with a mother who insisted that we (I and my siblings) try our hands at almost everything, I have often ended up doing things that would be considered "unorthodox" for a boy - from picking pre-drawn patterns on fabric to knitting socks, to weaving belts and picking cross stitches (I bet I can do it better than most average people). By the age of 10, I was already on the way to a typing institute after school hours (for about 3 times a week, if my memory serves me right) to learn to type on the good old typewrit...

A couple of days ago, a dear friend (also known as lil' sis) joined the world of blogging-a whole world of writing possibilities. She very graciously attributed the new venture to me. However, she had already entered this world of writings on another platform, just that it was deleted while trying to learn the ropes of operating one. So while the venture had already begun, the honour was given to me in the first post.  As I read that post again today, I thought of writing a post of gratitude but nothing seemed to inspire. But then as I thought, memories of some pictures sent to me came back. So in this post I use four pictures that she took (without telling her and I pray lil' sis don't sue me; it's for a noble cause, please just this once) through the course of her field trips as part of her study. These four pictures cannot summarize her whole journey, neither will it do justice. But still these are four pictures and the thoughts drawn from it will hopefully reson...

Courage is the virtue that endows a person the ability to stand strong in the face of danger and look it straight in the eye and not flinch (maybe that’s not always true). Such would be recognized as being courageous and be looked upon as a “brave” among the people. Whatever the degree of courage, what a courageous person does is that he or she gives courage to others – helps courage grow in others. Their presence makes all the difference. The popularity of superheroes in a way points to our desire for courage. They are our perfect models; with immeasurable strength and abilities nothing seems to stop them. Except for a small flaw or weakness which can temporarily cause them to weaken but they will not be stopped at anything. At the risk of their lives they will jump into the chaos. This is the world of heroes, a world that depends on their heroes for the balance of life to be maintained. But as much as they inspire us, in a way we know it is not real – the outcome of the battle is ...

Broken. Crushed. Shattered. Smashed. Not the very best words to add value, in fact they will "devalue" anything that is associated with it. Something broken, crushed, shattered or smashed is thrown away, no longer valued or treasured. What more can we expect from broken things? Why waste our efforts on them? Get a new one. My broken cup has done its service, it's now time to move on. But then, in every "brokenness" is also an opportunity for restoration (a not-easy process). Yes, the flawless perfection will not be achieved again. The cracks can be healed but the lines will probably show, the scars may not altogether go away.  It will probably be a little harder to appreciate the "restored" look in comparison to the "perfect ones."  It's very sight will remind of the broken state that it was in. It will be a little more harder, a little more trying to keep things together, a little more effort to overlook the scars and to consider it ...