Dr. Sanduk Ruit, Kathmandu, Nepal

http://www.cureblindness.org/who/dr-sanduk-ruit/

Dr. Sanduk Ruit’s soul mission has been, and continues to be, to bring eyesight back to anyone who needs it, regardless of his or her ability to pay — and to do so with pre- and post-operative care that rivals the highest quality health care throughout the world.

Dr. Ruit developed a sutureless form of cataract surgery, a technique that allows safe, high-volume, low-budget operations. A masterful surgeon, he can perform dozens of flawless cataract operations at eye camps over a 12-hour day. Working tirelessly at the operating table he says “the surgical chair is the most comfortable place on Earth that I have.”

Dr. Sanduk Ruit’s Background: In Depth

Ruit was the first Nepali doctor to perform cataract surgery with intraocular lens implants [link] and the first to pioneer a method for delivering high quality microsurgical procedures in remote eye camps. Ruit was continually innovating. His ingenuity allowed for a sutureless form of surgery that was safe, high quality, high-volume and inexpensive. In the face of heavy skepticism from other doctors in the field, Dr. Ruit tirelessly worked to prove that high quality care could be successfully delivered in places considered squalid by western standards. As a tribute to his remarkable achievements, Dr. Ruit has received some of the highest awards in the field of international health possible.

Honors awarded to Dr. Ruit

Dr. Ruit helped found the Tilganga Eye Centre in 1994. Tilganga treats 2,500 patients a week and surgery fees are waived for the neediest. Because many of the poor and blind cannot make it to Kathmandu, Dr. Ruit reaches out to them by trekking into remote parts of Nepal and throughout the Himalayas. Dr. Ruit and colleagues from Tilganga have worked as far afield as North Korea, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Ethiopia and Ghana (among many other countries).

Dr. Ruit's Background

Sanduk Ruit was born in Olangchungola, Nepal, a remote village in Eastern Nepal. So remote the nearest school was a week’s walk away. And there were no health posts. Ruit’s sister died of tuberculosis when he was 17. This experience led him to become a doctor.

Ruit excelled in his studies and completed a three-year ophthalmology residency at the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, India. He then returned to Nepal. In 1980, while working on a Nepal Blindness Survey, he met Fred Hollows who became his mentor. Fred helped make his life goal clear: the restoration of eyesight to people who were unnecessarily blind. In 1986, Sanduk Ruit studied with Hollows for 14 months at Sydney’s Prince of Wales Hospital in Australia. 

Hollows and Ruit held the conviction that all people with treatable blindness have the right to restored eyesight; and further, that people in developing countries deserve access to the same quality of care and technology as people in the developed world. They also shared an ambitious vision: the elimination of avoidable blindness in the Himalayan region — driven by local people.

In Australia, Sanduk Ruit learned the latest cataract micro-surgery technique using implanted intraocular lenses. He was ready to take his knowledge to the poorest of the poor. Today he continues to trek through the most remote regions of Nepal conducting eye camps and restoring sight to thousands of the blind.

The Church – A Called Out Community

- Rev. Dr. Martin Alphonse

 Introduction:

       Albert Einstein was once traveling by train, and the conductor came in to check  the tickets of the passengers. The conductor was glad to recognize the great scientist on board, welcomed him warmly and asked to see his ticket. Einstein reached out to his coat pocket, but the ticket was not there. He searched all the other side-pockets, his brief case, and all the possible places where he could have stored the ticket. But it was found nowhere. The conductor waited patiently for a  few minutes, and then seeing Einstein was getting terribly embarrassed by the incident, gently told him:” Sir, don’t worry about it. We all know who you are.” Saying so, he proceeded on to check the tickets of the other passengers on board.  About ten minutes later, as the conductor walked by Einstein, he saw something that moved his heart. Einstein, that great scientist of the 20^th century was on his knees on the floor, and gymnastically manipulating his fragile body, he was still searching for the lost ticket under the seats around him. Concerned by the strain Einstein might be going through, the conductor reiterated, even more emphatically this time saying: “ Sir, please don’t worry about the lost ticket. We all know who you  are.” At that point, Einstein lifted his head and responded: “I know who I am. But I don’t know where I am going.”

      A sudden panic attack triggered by a misplaced train ticket momentarily paralyzed the memory power of a great scientist.  He knew ho he was. It was just that for a moment he forgot where he was going. He knew his personal identity, but just forgot his destiny. There are millions of so called Christians around the world, who neither seems to know the nature of identity, nor do they understand their destiny. In this article I would like to briefly explore the nature of the identity of the church as a “Called out Community”.       There are several passages of the Holy Scripture which discuss this vital topic of the nature or characteristics of the church as Ekklesia, a called out community. One of them is 1 Peter in which the Apostle articulates various characteristics and functions of our call as a community.

A Study of 1 Peter

     There are four key and direct references in 1 Peter to the church’s nature and function as a  called out community.  I believe the pivotal verse is 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness in to his wonderful light.”  There are three parts to this one verse which point out to: a) the nature of our identity; b) the nature of our call;  and c) the functions of our call.  

The Nature of Our Identity

     The first part says, “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…”  We have a fourfold identity namely:

       i) We are a “chosen” people. This means that our membership in the church is neither casual, not accidental. We have been “called out” by God’s deliberate will from the world to be members of His body. When did God chose us? Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 1:4 that God ‘chose us in him (Christ) before the creation of the world.” Chosen before even the creation of the world! That means we were in the mind of God for thousands of years prior to our actual admission into the membership of the church. That is a marvelous fact!.

      ii) We are a royal “priesthood”. A most important function of the priest in the biblical times was to be an intercessor in the holy presence of God on behalf of the people.  Today it means God has called us to intercede on behalf of both fellow Christians and the billions of non-Christians. This is a serious responsibility!  

      iii) We are a holy “nation”.  This means we are a nation within a nation, not as a geo-political entity but as a moral and spiritual constituency within the Kingdom of God on earth. The adjective “holy” denotes uniqueness, namely we are a distinct, exclusive community separated from the rest of the communities of the world. This is an incredible honor! 

     iv) We are a   people “belonging” to God.   The word belonging suggest ownership. Of course, God is the rightful owners of all that He has created.  While all the rest of the people of the world  irrespective of their race,  culture, ethnicity  and nationality belong  to God by “creation”, the church belongs to God both by “creation” and “redemption”. A beautiful Eucharistic (Holy Communion) Song of the Roman Catholic Church  puts the dual ownership of God on the church as follows:

“ O God whose love eternal, in wondrous ways is shown,

    Creation and redemption, have made us twice Thine own.

  And now to us Thou comest, in form of bread and wine,

                            To make us one with Thee, as branches of one vine.”

This is a breathtaking phenomenon!

The Nature of Our Call.

     The second part says God has “called you out of darkness in to his wonderful light.”  What kind of darkness is this out of which we as a church has been called out into God’s marvelous light? I live in Portland, Oregon where it rains quite a lot throughout the year. We don’t get to see the sunlight for a long while during fall and winter. Consequently, we long for sunny and bright days. We cannot wait until spring when the sun brightens the sky and we feel as if we have entered into a new world altogether. In fact, as I type this article, we have a bright sunny day today, and a lot of people are outdoors enjoying this brilliant and long awaited gift of God!  But, for a well informed Christian, for a true disciple of Jesus Christ, everyday is a sunny day. Of course, we don’t say it in a physical sense, but from a spiritual perspective.

      In 2 Corinthians 4:4 we read: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of  unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  Today’s world is full of brilliant people. We live at a time of   “knowledge explosion” as powerfully evidenced by the booming industry of information technology which has revolutionized every aspect of human life both individually and corporately; both locally and globally.  Although the people of the whole world today are ubiquitously  surrounded by and deeply immersed in an environment of scientific  brilliance, the Bible says that the minds of billions of people around the globe are still completely blacked out or blinded or darkened by the god of this age!  Their darkened minds cannot see the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.   But, we by God’s great mercy have been called out of this dangerous spiritual darkness of the world, not only to see or “discern” the gospel, but also to “declare” it to others.

      Now the third part of the verse points to the purpose why God has  called us out. It says: “that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness in to his wonderful light.”  Our call is both a relational and a functional call. Including in this verse, Apostle Peter in his epistle emphatically  reminds the members of the church the several functions God has called them to perform. Basically, he discusses four functions of our call in this epistle. This does not mean, these are the exlusive functions of our call. There are more. But for our purpose here, let me briefly enumerate these four to you.

The Functions of Our Call.

1) Called for Perfection.

    1 Peter 1:15-16 “ But just as he who called us is holy, so be holy in all you do. For it is written, “Be holy, because I am holy.” Holiness has been an unpopular world among millions of Christians in the modern world. Tragically it has become even more unpopular in the post-Christian ethos in which we live today. It has become a subject of ridicule in the media, and unacceptable in many political circles.  People blatantly deny the moral standards God has set for humanity in His Word, and want to redefine the concept of holiness according to their own taste and comfort zones in which they live. Speaking of moral and spiritual values, being “politically correct” is more important for most people to day than to becoming theologically sound.  It is from this anti-theistic, absolutely secular, and raising-your fist-against-God culture, that God has “called us out” to be holy.  

       The call to holiness came to the people of Israel in the Old testament itself. In fact Peter seems to reiterate that same call God have His people repeatedly  in Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2 and 20:7.  In his Sermon on the Mountain, Jesus also commanded his disciples in Matthew 5:48 “ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect.” The question and challenges are, is it truly possible for anyone to be absolutely holy as God Himself is? Of course, considered from a solely human perspective, it may seem impossible for anyone to become as holy as our heavenly father is.  But we must ask ourselves, “Will God ever command us to do something which He knows is absolutely impossible to do?”  Of course not. Then think about it! Yes, by our own strength, this is an impossible journey to undertake and an unrealistic destiny to reach.  But by the aid of Holy Spirit, nothing becomes impossible. Holiness and perfection are not a matter of human efforts. They are gifts of God bestowed upon all willing hearts. Are you willing to receive this gift from God?

2) Called for Proclamation.

     Again getting back to 1 Peter 2: 9 we read:  “that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness in to his wonderful light.”  Jesus told his disciples in Acts 1:8 “ you will be my witnesses.”  It is the same concept and call peter repeats here. To be a witness of Jesus includes our acts of declaring or proclaiming the gospel of Christ that has called us out of moral darkness to his marvelous light. In a broad, but true sense, this means the act of evangelism. Proclamation of the gospel does not mean only the formal and professional way in which evangelists present it in a mass crusade. Proclamation also includes sharing the gospel with one another in a friendly relational manner. Dr. D. T. Niles, a prominent leader of  the Methodist Church in Sri Lanka defined it: “Eevangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where bread can be found.”   Dr. E. Stanley Jones used to say that in his evangelism he would not simply “speak to Hindus and Muslims, but just tell them how Christ meets their needs. He has met my needs; he will meet their needs too.”  We are called to proclaim to others how he called us out of our own regions of darkness, whatever that might have been, into his marvelous light. This is also called giving your own testimony to others! Are you a testifying Christian?

3) Called for Persecution.

     In 1 Peter 2:18-21 Peter discusses how we have been “called out for persecution”. Called out for persecution?  That is a scary thought. Isn’t it? Of course, persecution takes place in various forms and with varied degrees of intensity. The early church was persecuted in alarming proportions, and millions of Christians including women and youth courageously laid down their life for the sake of the gospel. They lived by the maxim, “A cause that is not  worth not dying for is not worth living for.” The phenomenon of Christian  persecution in many parts of the world has perpetuated its gruesome acts through many generations spilling over even into the 21rst century. Even now we keep hearing atrocities committed against Christians in several parts of the world including in some northern states of India.

      But not all Christians undergo persecution in the same form or intensity. Peter here talks about a form of social persecution, namely suffering for doing good in our work place. It is not a persecution which results in martyrdom. He talks about Christian slaves being ill-treated by their masters and are made to suffer pain for some wrong they never committed. He sums it up in verses 20-21 by saying: “… if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called,  because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps.”  Note the emphases on several aspects of our call to persecution:  a) We are called to suffer for doing good; b) We are called to endure it; c) Such suffering is commendable before God; d) Christ suffered unjustly and left an example for us; e) We are called to follow his food steps.  This may be happening right now to some of you in your work place, in your relationships, and unfortunately even in your family.  Remember Jesus Christ. Seek his help. He will sustain you, surround you with his power and love, and deliver you.

4) Called for Pardoning    

    I Peter 3:8-12 discuss our call to forgive one another. v9: “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”  God commands us to forgive one another. Jesus made it a key requirement of our discipleship in the  prayer he taught us in Matthew 6:9-13. v13 “Forgive our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us..”  Have you noticed what Jesus reinforced in vv14-15? After teaching the short prayer he repeated one more time just that one aspect of the prayer in vv14-15 saying: “For, if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men for their sins, your father will not forgive your sins.”  Why did Jesus repeat it? Because, I believe, this is real serious! For, our forgiveness by God is reciprocal. God forgives us “as” we forgive others. That means:

                        If we forgive others more, He will forgive us more.

  If we forgive others less, He will forgive us less.

  If we forgive others of everything, He will forgive us of everything.

If we forgive others of nothing, He will forgive us of nothing.

     Voluntary forgiveness is central to Christian spirituality. Often people say “I am willing to forgive if the person who offended me first apologizes to me.” But that is not what Jesus taught us. Dying on the cross, he voluntarily forgave all of his offenders, when he prayed “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”   There is no evidence whatsoever, that any one of his offenders ever apologized to him. Yet he forgave them all.  We have been called out to be his disciples. As was the Master, so must his disciple be!  As did the Master, so must the disciple do. Otherwise, we cannot be his disciples.  

Revisiting the Great Commission

 Rev. Dr. Martin Alphonse

     The church universal had been under heavy attack in the twentieth century by two combined forces. They have even more intensified their assault on Christianity in the twenty first century. On the one hand, there is the intellectual attack on the Christian faith by forces of post-modernity such as secularism and religious pluralism which repudiate the Church’s claims of the uniqueness and universality of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, there is the direct, organized, physical assault on Christian workers, particularly on missionaries and church related property, by fanatic anti-Christian religious extremists. Despite the escalation of the twin attacks on Christianity world wide,  the opportunity for fulfilling the Great Commission in this generation is still unlimited.

            New frontiers have been reached with the gospel and the horizon of missionary activity keeps expanding everyday. Hundreds of new churches are being planted among un-reached people groups every month. Mission and Evangelism have become vital topics of discussion in churches and Christian homes, and as specialized subjects of study and research in theological institutions. A number of international conferences and consultations have been held in several nations of the world in order to mobilize a global task force for expediting the cause of World Evangelization with an unprecedented intensity. New mission efforts have been exploding at a global level resulting in the emergence of thousands of indigenous and self-financing mission agencies even in a number of economically disenfranchised nations of the world. Tables have turned and tides have changed in terms of the locus and the potential of the sending bodies. The West is no longer the sole sending agency, and the so called Third World nations are no longer the receiving ends exclusively.

        In this context, it is a matter of enormous joy and celebration to note that the Diocese of North America and Europe of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church has established a mission field in Mexico. The enthusiastic participation of the Mar Thoma youth in the Mexico Mission is of significant encouragement and challenge to the whole Mar Thoma Church.  

      What does motivate the church to move on with a mission so enthusiastically? Of course, traditionally the Great Commission has been singled out as the most significant motif for mission. The Lord has so commanded us in Matthew 28:19-20. Hence we must obey Him. However, for argument’s sake one might like to ask: “What if the Lord Jesus did not give the command to his disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 to  ‘go and make disciples of all nations’?  Does the absence of a command exempt or excuse the church from getting involved in mission? Absolutely not! Even if for some mysterious reasons the Lord Jesus did not command the church, we still have to be involved in mission to reach the world for Him. As Dr. E. Stanley Jones, that legendry missionary to India, and a distinguished evangelist who preached for more than 45 years in the celebrated Maramon Convention once passionately challenged the church saying:

        “As far the ‘Great Commission’ … it is not based on a command, but upon the very nature of the gospel, upon him. Last command or no last command, we must share him, for the very necessities of human life demand us to give a Savior such as Jesus. Out of the deep necessities comes the imperious voice, “Go into the world and preach the gospel.” If we hold our peace, the stones- the hard, bare facts of life - will cry out.¹

              As Dr. Jones has pointed out, the Great Commission is not centered on a command. Ii is  centered on the very person, character  and ministry of the Lord Jesus. I also see the Great Commission  is not just as a command, but as a summary statement of all that the Lord Jesus had been doing in those three and half years of his public ministry even as He was teaching and training His disciples along the same lines.

The Nature of the Great Commission.

       “¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)² NIV.

Let us briefly examine the nature of this command or commission.

1. It is  a  Categorical  Commission.  

    The word categorical means “unconditional, or non-negotiable”. It is binding on all concerned. We can see two striking features of non-negotiability embedded in the Great Commission.

       a) The cosmic authority with which the Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples.           

          The Lord Jesus said, as quoted in verse 18: “All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me. Therefore go …” This statement is a conclusive revelation and a compelling affirmation of the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ that demands an immediate obedience.  It was a profound sense of obligation to the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus which motivated the early church to move on aggressively with the task of evangelization amidst great opposition and persecution. The members of the early church became simply unstoppable in their zeal for evangelistic witness. They kept on moving all the way to martyrdom which thousands of them embraced very willingly. 

        Therefore, the commission to ‘Go’ is categorical, unconditional, and non-negotiable. The church is never exempted from carrying it out in full measure under any circumstance whatsoever. The sovereign Lord has commanded, and we must obey Him at any cost, anywhere and in every generation.

       b) The nature of the audience to whom the sovereign Lord Jesus had given the            command.

           The Great Commission was given originally to a mixed band of ‘believers and skeptics’. In verse 16 we notice that the eleven disciples had promptly gathered on the mountain of Galilee where the Lord appeared to them. However their response to His appearance was not unanimous. Verse 17 says, “When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted.” It was a mixed band of worshippers and doubters, believers and skeptics.  Instead of admonishing a few skeptics who were among the apostles, the Lord Jesus straight away commanded the entire group of mixed responders to “Go and make disciples of all nations”. That is to say, He “entrusted” the commission to both believers as well as skeptics because He “trusted” that they would eventually understand, change and obey Him.

        This is the paradox of mission the Church Universal is suffering from even today. Churches all over the world are filled with both believers and skeptics especially when it comes to interpreting and obeying the Great Commission. Despite the paradoxical mixture of believers and skeptics in the church, the Lord Jesus has once and for all “entrusted” the Great Commission to both believers and skeptics because He still “trusts” that the Christian skeptics of today would also eventually understand, change and obey Him.

2.  It is a Continuing Commission  

      Verse 19 and 20 read: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (NIV)

     The grammar of Greek language in which all the books of New Testament were written employs two types of imperatives. One is aorist imperative denoting a one time command. Another is present imperative which denotes a repetitive or continuing command. Apostle Matthew has employed the present imperative to describe the command of the Lord Jesus: “Go”. Given in the present imperative the word ‘go’ means that the apostles, and subsequently the church, must keep on going. The Lord Jesus said: “make disciples”, meaning that we must keep on making disciples.  He said:  “baptizing”, meaning that we must keep on baptizing, (by that of course not at all meaning baptizing the same people over and over again), but continuing on with the activity of baptizing new peoples as they are being saved. He said: “teaching them”, meaning that we must keep on teaching the people generation after generation until His triumphal return to the earth again.

3.  A Comprehensive Commission.

       Verse 20 says: “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Evangelical Christians, by and large, have been placing a strong emphasis on two aspects of the Great Commission as central to it, namely, the ‘going’ aspect and the ‘disciple-making’ aspect. But as we see in this verse, the Lord Jesus has made the Great Commission much more comprehensive in nature which obligates equality of emphasis on all of its aspects. So to say, the task of evangelizing an individual or a people group or a community is not completed until the initial receptors of the gospel are able to intellectually comprehend the demands of the gospel in its entirety, and are clearly taught  to obey ‘everything’ the Lord had commanded the apostles themselves to do. Being able to evangelize a people group and subsequently planting a church among them successfully does not bring the act of evangelization to its completion. It still continues on with the inevitable need for teaching the converts to obey everything the Lord has commanded.

 4.  A Covenantal  Commission.

      In verse 20 we again read: “ ^… And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  When the Lord Jesus gave the apostles the command He knew the fulfilling of the task was not going to be an easy one. In fact, throughout His training of the disciples in the preceding three and half years He had repeatedly predicted the toughness of the task that was awaiting them. Anticipating all the struggles, hardships, oppositions, persecution and martyrdom they would be facing, and of course subsequently millions of Christians through the generation also would be facing, He made a covenant with them saying: “ I am with you to the very end of the age.”  By His promise to be with them the Lord did not at all mean that they would be spared of all suffering for the sake of the gospel, but that He would be by their side at all those terrible and fatal moments sustaining, encouraging and enabling them to complete their mission.

      True to His covenant, the Lord Jesus has always been with His suffering and persecuted church to this very day.  Persecution against the church is on the increase in an  alarming scale in several nations of the world today. For instance, who would have ever imagined that in India, globally reputed to be the nation of Mahatma Gandhi the Apostle of Ahimsa, religiously fanatic elements would gruesomely burn to death a dedicated missionary to the lepers as Graham Staines and two of his innocent children. Even as I am writing this article, I continue to receive news from India reporting the ongoing persecution against Christian workers in several parts of India.. Although persecutions against the church continue to escalate world wide, the Lord who made a covenant with the church is always with us. And He will continue to be with us to the very end of the age.

5.  A Consummate Commission.

     Finally in verse 20 we read: “ ^… And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  We are living in an age in which there is so much of renewed interest among Christians in the topic of the parousia or the Second Coming of Christ.  To cite just one example, the book series called “Left Behind” jointly authored by Tim Lahaye, have consistently hit New York’ best seller list. There is a renewed curiosity in churches to study the Book of Revelation in order to check if we are almost at the end of the age. The rapidly changing political scenario in the Middle East are being watched closely by biblical scholars to find out how end-time prophecies concerning Israel are being literally fulfilled in our generation, thus heralding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ any time now!

       Mere curiosity aside, one of the definite signs of the return of Jesus Christ is the responsibility assigned to the church by the  Lord to complete the process of World Evangelization as He himself predicted it in Matthew 24 in which the Lord explained  to his disciples various signs of the end times. He concluded it by saying candidly: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the while world as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.”’ (Matthew 24:14) NIV.

         We are indeed living in a most exciting generation as far as completion of the process of World Evangelization is concerned. Unprecedented in the church’s history of mission evangelical Christians around the world have intensified their combined efforts to expedite that process in our generation. A great motivation for this combined effort comes from the promise of the Lord Jesus to be with us to the very end of the age.  The process of World Evangelization as embedded in the Great Commission is indeed moving steadily forward to its consummation.

Conclusion:

      How did the Lord Jesus send His disciples when He said,”Go”. How were they to go into a hostile world? What model of going were they to follow? Of course, the Lord himself was their model. Earlier on, on the very day He had resurrected the Lord appeared to His disciples and said: “… As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21) (NIV).  And how did the Father send Him? As a prelude to uttering those powerful words the Lord had first made a dramatic presentation of His wounded body in John 20:20 “… he showed them his hands and side, …” (NIV).  We could possibly draw two conclusions from this dramatization, namely: a) He presented a proof of His crucifixion and resurrection; and b) By showing them the scars on his body He meant that the cross was the way for them to do mission just His Father had meant it for Him. The mission of the church is inseparably linked with the cross of Christ. The Lord has made it crystal clear that there can be no Christian discipleship without our willingness to take up our cross and follow Him( Matthew 10:38; Mark 8:34; Luke 14:27;).

       To the Lord Jesus, the cross simply meant an absolute surrender to His father’s will.

 So it is with us today. We have to be on the move with mission in absolute obedience to what the Lord has commissioned us to do. Come what may, we will meet the consequences squarely in the great confidence that He who said He will be with us till the very end of the age will certainly be with us just He said.

End Notes:

1. E. Stanley Jones, The Christ of the Indian Road (London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.,   

   1925), p6.

2. All scripture quotations used in this article are taken from the New International

    Version and used here with general permission by Zondervan, Grand Rapids,  

    Michigan, USA.

Editor’s Note: Rev. Dr. Martin Alphonse is a native of India, an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church. Beginning his ministry in India He has served the Lord globally including as a missionary to Singapore, and as a pastor in several churches in USA. He currently teaches mission and evangelism at Multnomah Bible College at Portland, Oregon, USA.  Since 1978 Dr. Alphonse has been a frequent speaker in several of Mar Thoma Church conventions, family conferences, youth conferences both in India and North America including his preaching every alternate year at the Maramon Convention, Kerala since 1998. He is looking forward to speaking at Maramon again in February 2009. Phone:  (Home) 503-653-8838,  (Office) 503-255-0332 or at e-mail:  malphonse@yahoo.com

 

 

 

Directorate of Social and Business Communication.                                        Matamoros, Tampalipas, Mexico

To the people of The Mezquital Islands who lost their homes in Hurricane Emily.                       May 11, 2008

Erick Silva and the Indian Bishops hand over                                                                                   Bulletin 210H

some of the houses in the "Mar Thoma Colony”.

 The mayor of Matamoros, Erick Silva, and a group of Bishops from India gave 90 houses to the families of the Mesquital that were devastated by Hurricane Emily. With this, one act was demonstrated that both communities understood that the service provided to these poverty-stricken individuals was a reflection of a job with high feelings of humanity.

The houses that were constructed by this Christian Community forms part of a colony named “ Mar Thoma Colony”, that is located on the 18.5 kilometer by the highway that runs to Port Mesquital, today known as Puerto Matamoros.

For this function the mayor of Matamoros, was accompanied by his wife Maria Castaneda de Silva and the local deputy Alfonso Sanchez Garza.

Upon his arrival to the “Mar Thoma” Colony, Silva Santos was greeted by the Indian Community. Individuals came all the way from India to participate in the festivities and observe the exchange of the keys, while others came from all over the United States of America. They were dressed in their traditional Indian clothes and accessories.

The President of the Municipality of Matamoros was accompanied by his wife Marisa Castaneda, and by the Global Bishop of the Orthodox religion “Philipose Mar Chyrsostom” whom in his 90 years of age has provided services for people in need all over the world.

Also present for the festivities were Bishop Joseph Mar Thoma and Euyakim Mar Coorilos. The construction of each house costs approximately $5000.00.

After the exchange of the keys to the families who lost their homes that had been in the path of Hurricane Emily, the President of the Municipal government gave his gratitude to the religious mission that brought help to this much needed community.

This event speaks about two sister cultures like Mexico and India “two communities that understand the providing help for those in need is the most important”.

Silva Santos added, “today all the governments of the world should be humble governments with a social sense; for those governments that worry for those who have less, that is why we give thanks to you and your religious community on behalf of me and my wife.

The President of the Municipal invited all the Indian people to get to know Matamoros because it is a city rich in history, generosity, and tradition. It is full of nice and cordial people who will always appreciate the support they have offered to the people of the Mesquital.

The “Mar Thoma Colony” also has a sewing school, a technical school, and other salons that will increase the quality of education to the families of the Mesquital.

 

Directorate of Social and Business Communication.                                        Matamoros, Tampalipas, Mexico

To the people of The Mezquital Islands who lost their homes in Hurricane Emily.                       May 11, 2008

Erick Silva and the Indian Bishops hand over                                                                                   Bulletin 210H

some of the houses in the "Mar Thoma Colony”.

             The mayor of Matamoros, Erick Silva, and a group of Bishops from India gave 90 houses to the families of the Mesquital that were devastated by Hurricane Emily. With this, one act was demonstrated that both communities understood that the service provided to these poverty-stricken individuals was a reflection of a job with high feelings of humanity.

The houses that were constructed by this Christian Community forms part of a colony named “ Mar Thoma Colony”, that is located on the 18.5 kilometer by the highway that runs to Port Mesquital, today known as Puerto Matamoros.

For this function the mayor of Matamoros, was accompanied by his wife Maria Castaneda de Silva and the local deputy Alfonso Sanchez Garza.

  Upon his arrival to the “Mar Thoma” Colony, Silva Santos was greeted by the Indian Community. Individuals came all the way from India to participate in the festivities and observe the exchange of the keys, while others came from all over the United States of America. They were dressed in their traditional Indian clothes and accessories.

  The President of the Municipality of Matamoros was accompanied by his wife Marisa Castaneda, and by the Global Bishop of the Orthodox religion “Philipose Mar Chyrsostom” whom in his 90 years of age has provided services for people in need all over the world.

  Also present for the festivities were Bishop Joseph Mar Thoma and Euyakim Mar Coorilos. The construction of each house costs approximately $5000.00.

  After the exchange of the keys to the families who lost their homes that had been in the path of Hurricane Emily, the President of the Municipal government gave his gratitude to the religious mission that brought help to this much needed community.

  This event speaks about two sister cultures like Mexico and India “two communities that understand the providing help for those in need is the most important”.

  Silva Santos added, “today all the governments of the world should be humble governments with a social sense; for those governments that worry for those who have less, that is why we give thanks to you and your religious community on behalf of me and my wife.

  The President of the Municipal invited all the Indian people to get to know Matamoros because it is a city rich in history, generosity, and tradition. It is full of nice and cordial people who will always appreciate the support they have offered to the people of the Mesquital.

  The “Mar Thoma Colony” also has a sewing school, a technical school, and other salons that will increase the quality of education to the families of the Mesquital.

 

BIBLICAL APPROACH TO HOMOSEXUALITY

Atty. Lal Varghese, MTC of Dallas, Farmers Branch, Dallas

Pope John Paul II celebrated his 25th anniversary as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, which is Christianity's largest denomination. The process began to declare Mother Theresa as a Saint by the Pope. It has been a quarter century of enormous changes, and few have been more significant, for the church and mainstream Protestant denominations, than the withering of the Christian faith all over the world from its basic beliefs about marriage and procreation. The preamble of a new, unfinished constitution for the new European Union omits any mention of Christianity or even God among the cultural forces that shaped Europe, although the Pope and other Christian leaders raised vehement objections.

Europeans are moving well ahead of Americans, and more aggressively challenging traditional Christian teachings by providing civil recognition for same-sex couples. Despite stern opposition from the Vatican, the French, Belgian, Dutch and German governments have granted same-sex couples legal entitlements and protections, and Britain is considering it, too. We are seeing such trends in United States also, where legal actions are being fought against separation of Church and State, to omit the use of the word God in the pledge of allegiance, and removal of the carved monument of the ten commandments from the rotunda of Alabama Supreme Court, and such other biblical monuments to be removed from public places, and  are forced to find safe and secure places in churches, and monasteries. Legislations were passed by different states to recognize homosexual marriages and families, and most states accept the civil union between the same sex people with all privileges of married couples. Finally Episcopal Church has appointed a homosexual as its Bishop, which has created much protest and even possible split in the American Anglican Episcopal Church.

The continued tension between contemporary attitudes and traditional church teachings has forced the leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion to debate the acceptability of openly gay bishops in their church. Representatives from congregations in the developing world have threatened to break the church in two if their Anglican Church authorities move to that permissive direction.  The arguments in favor and against homosexuality have caused a lot of confusion in the minds of our young generation as to the true biblical approach to this subject, and about our stand towards this issue. So let us examine what the Bible says about homosexuality and traditional concept about marriage and procreation.

God had a purpose in creating human being as revealed in Genesis 1:27-28 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the seas and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that move upon the earth”. After the great flood, God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, which also shows God’s real intention that man should unite with woman and multiply in order to replenish the earth.  The LORD said to Abram, Get out of thy country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, unto a land that I will show you: And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing:  And I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So God intended Abraham and his kindred to multiply so that a great nation is born, to be blessed by God. God wanted man and women unite together to become families of the earth to blessed by Him.  If one thinks sensibly, it is easy to see that God created male AND female for a reason. The rationale behind God’s creation should be to populate the earth, and to rule the earth, and over every living things in earth.

Abraham dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, where are the men who came in to your house this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them. So by lying with those men who came to Lot’s house the people of Sodom sinned against God. The LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. So it is clear that God does not like the wickedness of the man, and thereby destroying the city of Sodom and Gomorrah.

  Leviticus 18:22, 20:13 (Leviticus Laws), I Corinthians 6:9, Romans 1:26-27, and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in old testament - and none address loving, consenting homosexual acts as we know them today.  But those passages should be taken in its original meaning and spirit to deal with the issue of homosexuality in church – whether to have homosexual priests and bishops to lead and serve God’s chosen people, and to teach and guide them from sinful human nature. Leviticus 18:22 states the principle: "You [masculine] shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination". Leviticus 20:13 adds the penalty: "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them." Even though in I Corinthians 6: 9 Paul does not refer to homosexuality directly. The original Greek word often quoted as sexual immorality, Paul used was "porneia" which means "a harlot for hire". In Corinth in the temples of Venus, the principal deity of Corinth, where Christians went to worship, a thousand public prostitutes were kept at public expense to glorify and act as surrogates for the fertility Gods. Paul in unequivocal terms contempt the practice of sexual immorality during his time.

  Romans 1:26-27 mentions homosexual acts performed by people who are clearly described as heterosexual. The men in the NT patriarchal culture exerted dominance not only over women, but over younger males as well. Such an act was regarded as an "abomination" for several reasons during that time, and is still relevant now. There are many verses in the old testament regarding this sin, but one that is very timely is that which is found in the first chapter of Romans: "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever.

Whatever the rationale for those who supports homosexuals, the texts leave no room for much maneuvering for such people. Bible says persons committing homosexual acts are to be executed, and this is the unambiguous command of Scripture. The meaning is clear: anyone who wishes to base his or her beliefs on the witness of the Old Testament must be completely consistent and demand the death penalty for everyone who performs homosexual acts. It is unlikely that any American court will ever again condemn a homosexual to death, even though Scripture clearly commands it. Old Testament texts have to be weighed against the New Testament texts. Consequently, Paul's unambiguous condemnation of homosexual behavior in Rom. 1:26-27 must be the centerpiece of any discussion on this subject. For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.

In Romans 1: 26 - 32 it says: for this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

 So also in Romans 12: 12 - 14 it says: the night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. In 1 Corinthians 6: 9 – 10 it says: Know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 7: 2 says: Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

 Again Genesis 5: 19 - 21 says: the works of the flesh are manifest, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. In Ephesians 5: 3 says but fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints; and verse 5 – 8 it reads as for this you know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. You should not be therefore partakers with them. For you were sometimes in darkness, but now you are the light in the Lord: walk as children of light.

 Colossians 3: 5 – 6 says mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience: 1 Thessalonians 4: 3 also says for this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication. 1 Peter 1: 14 – 16 reminds us “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he who has called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, be you holy; for I am holy. 1 Peter 2: 11 -12 say “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 4: 2 – 3 asks that we no longer should live the rest of our time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God,  for the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries.

A homosexual Episcopalian group estimates over 100 gay men and lesbians have been ordained as priests and deacons in the US Episcopal Church. Canon Gene Robinson, a homosexual in a committed relationship, was elected bishop of New Hampshire in 2003 by the American Episcopal Church, who is a member of World Council of Churches (WCC) in which Mar Thoma Church is also a member. We the Mar Thoma Christians, who claim to be descendants of St. Thomas, and who claims the eastern tradition, culture, and values should wake up and strongly protest about the trends in the Episcopal Churches and other churches in United States. Probably God might have sent us here in this land to stand against these unbiblical teachings and interpretations so that U. S may not be another Sodom. So let us teach ourselves and others that the true biblical approach is to live as God wanted us to live in His text, and not to follow the modern trends of this culture. May the God guide the universal Church in the right directions so that His name may be glorified.

Need to organize Christian Diaspora Community and to establish Diaspora Centers in Kerala for our Generations

Atty. Lal Varghese, Dallas

The term “Diaspora” is a Greek word which means “dispersion” or “scattering” or “sowing”.  The root words of Diaspora is in the Latin – dia  = through, and speirein = to scatter or sow. The Hebrew equivalent word for Diaspora is Galut which means “exile”. In Malayalam it is commonly known as “Pravasikal”. Thus Diaspora means dispersed or scattered seeds to propagate new generation. Jews are a Diaspora community scattered all over the world who longed to return to Israel. We have a large number of Christians from Kerala and all over India as a Diaspora community scattered all around the world without the privilege to attend local parishes, since there is none in most of the places. Christian Diaspora communities are present today in the United States of America, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Middle East, and more recently in South America including Mexico. We became a Diaspora for reasons other than Jewish Diaspora . But still we need to understand and recognize the Diaspora community due to their plight from homeland, intention to resettle in homeland, intent to cultivate in the future generation its rich religious and cultural heritage, future of the Diaspora generations, and our vision and mission about the homeland from where we have been dispersed

The election and calling of the Christians must be traced from the calling of Abraham to understand its historical purpose and the relevance of the Diaspora Community. Hence we are told that the election was given over to the Christians with the Great Mission. "Go into all over the world and preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15). We the Christians have the great tradition of being elected by Jesus for ministering the Gospel through his most rational disciple St. Thomas. But now we have scattered into all over the world. Our call and election as a Diaspora Community is clear and unequivocal; to proclaim the living Jesus Christ in the community where we live, and to pass on the rich tradition and heritage of our culture to our future generations.

What we need to do as Christians is to help this Diaspora Community to do the duties entrusted to them by God? We need to recognize and equip the Diaspora Community and the extended Diaspora Community who have no access to parishes to do their roles according to God’s plans wherever they are living. Our Christian heritage, strong family ties, our moral codes of behavior as individuals, families and community, our ethical standards in marriage and interpersonal relations, emphasis on monogamy and chastity, sexual purity and avoidance of sexual perversions and our emphasis on living on the word of God are unique and is the solution to the decaying society all over the world. No other culture in the world can give these values to the cultures we are living. It is because of this uniqueness; we are placed as a Diaspora Community at this historical moment.

Syrian Christians are no longer a local community within the bounds of Kerala. It has spread its wings across the world, since they moved across the different continents seeking better opportunities for whom God has specific plans. There are two kinds of Diaspora Christians, those who have access to local Indian parishes, and extended Diaspora Christians, those who do not have access to local Indian parishes. Both of these Diaspora Christians should not be ignored anymore by the various Church authorities. They have given valuable contributions to the respective churches they belong in the past, and still providing valuable contributions to such churches. We need to organize the Diaspora Community worldwide without any strings attached to any churches. It should be an independent organization consisting of members of different Christian denominations. Diaspora Christians should be able to communicate and extend help each other and organizations like FOCUS may take up this challenge and organize Diaspora Christians all around the world under one umbrella. They should be provided with everything which they are missing from a parish including pastoral care, and lay people’s caring and sharing.

When we think of what had happened to Jews in Germany during holocaust or Asians in Uganda or Mar Thoma Christians in Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion, we immediately understand the importance and the urgent need for a Diaspora Centers in our mother land.  Now we may feel secure in our countries of adoption but a political tragedy in 50 or 100 years may change the landscape and it is important consider and provide for this eventuality. Joseph saw the famine before it occurred; therefore, he was able to save a whole generation and a nation. Since the leaders of the Church are ignoring the please to recognize Diaspora Community we should think about this very seriously, and should see that it has been implemented as token of appreciation for the future Diaspora generation living outside Kerala. Most of the other religious faiths have recognized its Diaspora Community, and is catering to their needs by providing Diaspora Centers, and other related services through such centers. Recently the government of India has recognized the need to organize Indian Diaspora Community all around the world and has taken steps for implementing to establish Diaspora Centers in India.

          Majority of the Christians may not think now seriously about the importance of recognizing Christian Diaspora Community living all over the world, and the importance of having Diaspora Centers in our homeland, to cater to their needs. It is not a building, it is an idea, and it is a mutual pledge that in times of adversity that we may have a home away from home. We have a father waiting to receive us back at home in case we may be forced to return for no fault of ours. It may not happen in our life time, it may not happen in our children's life time. But it may happen because of our skin color say in 50-500 years from now. But we should not put it away from our psyche this knowledge and this possibility. This is what Diaspora centre is all about, it is a concept for providing everything to build that concept and extent that possibility form 50 years to 500 years. This concept will also help the second generation Diaspora Christians to know about their roots, its faith and the rich traditions of their parents.

It is high time that we should awaken and organize the Diaspora Community all over the world under one umbrella and in the future to build Diaspora Centers in our home land. Our young people can use this Center as a source for building their knowledge about the faith and practices of our traditions, culture and origin. The dream to organize Diaspora community will materialize only if the independent organizations like FOCUS without any affiliation to any church can come forward and gather all Diaspora Christians under one umbrella. Let us pray that the good Lord may provide such opportunities to our future generations in the future through FOCUS for a community which has been neglected for the last more than half a century by the church authorities.