The Journey 64: Transformation in my community

-
Read: Exodus 3
Key Verse: “The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. [ Exodus 3:7]

A huge tornadoes  ripped across the Midwest and South on Friday, which killed an estimated 40 people in five states, 22 of them in Kentucky and 13 in Indiana, including a 15-month-old toddler named Angel, who was in the news for the last two day, as a survivor of the tornado, but later succumbed  to her injuries. The tornado had  killed her parents and two siblings too. The deaths also included three in Ohio and one each in Alabama and Georgia. The destruction of the property, homes and other essential belonging is also another concern for the residents there. Yesterday I celebrated Holy Communion service at the St. Peter’s  Marthoma Church, Teaneck, New Jersey. As we were travelling back, my wife mentioned to me as to how I forgot to pray for the victims of tornado during the intercessory prayers. That is when I remembered that I had totally forgotten the people of Midwest and south. Being in south east region in Philadelphia, I had totally taken for granted the suffering and magnitude of death and destruction in another part of the state. That set me thinking. ...Aren't we become so immune to all these innumerable news people being killed both by natural disasters or otherwise, that whatever happens it is life and business for us as usual. Is that what God expects from us?
                 This week we shall meditate on the theme : Transformation in the Community”. Transformation in our personal life has a repercussion for the better in the community that we live. Our faith and faith living is not only expressed in our personal life but we need to be a witness of that faith in our community too. The character that we will meditate this week will be on the life and ministry of Moses. In today’s portion we find one of the most powerful statement that brings hope to all the suffering people. A statement that God makes to Moses and we find that in Exodus 3:7, “The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering”. Here we find the nature and character of God which gives us a model for how we need to bring transformation in our community. I think even the people of Israel live in a mind set and got so used to take their suffering and oppression, that though they were the ones suffering, they continued to endure it as something normal as they had no other option. A whole nation is suffering, men, woman and children. Suffering because of the oppressive nature of the rulers of Egypt. That is when God makes known his mission and His mind to Moses. He is concerned about the untold suffering of his people. He cannot be a mute spectator or witness to all that is happening around, and that is when He wants to commission Moses to go to Egypt as His deliverer and liberator. The mind of and nature of God teaches us that we are not to be a mute spectators to all that suffering that we see around us if even it is in another state of our land. Transformation in the community starts when each of us build in us the attitude of empathy, a sense of commitment and duty to do something for the  people who suffer.
Are we mute witness to all the suffering that happens or do we want to live a life of trying to be immune from all these tragedies that happen around us?
Let us open our eyes and ears…...so that we can see and hear the cries of our neighbour. That is the beginning of the transformation process in our community.
 
Let us Pray: Lord forgive us because we sometimes tend to live like a mute witness to all that is happening around us. We are only concerned when something disastrous happens to us only. Empower us to be channels of change and transformation. Amen

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind who are evil by nature, give good gifts t
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tell a child as to why they’ve been a
Read more