The Joureny 284
Read: 2 Kings 22: 14-20
A 14 year old girl from Pakistan has caught attention world wide. Her name: Malala Yousafzai. She is considered as the voice of millions of Muslim girls in Pakistan. Malala and her friends were returning from school in the school bus when militants stopped the bus and singled out Malala and opened fire on her. She is still battling for her life. Her crime– She was shot because , through her blog she started raising her voice against the injustice and opposing the policy of Taliban, where woman were subjugated and denied the right for education. The people, the media and all political parties in Pakistan have condemned this cowardly act of Taliban. Both the President, Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister, Raja Pervez Ashraf have condemned the attack on Malala and has vowed that they would fight and continue to support right of education for the girl child. It was in 2209, that she attracted international attention as a 11 year girl who started raising her voice through her blog for BBC Urdu service where she constantly exposed the suffering caused by militants in the Swat valley of Pakistan. The Taliban's had captured the Swat valley in late 2007 and what they did was the promulgation of Shariah law whereby all girls schools were closed down. Some of the rural areas of Pakistan are still governed by the Taliban interpretation of Shariah laws. According to this interpretation woman are barred from working and the right to educate, playing loud music, laughing loudly were all prohibited. People who broke the laws were punished in the most barbaric ways. Thus slowly the country of Pakistan it seems became a country of coward with no one daring to voice their opposition to Taliban and their interpretation of religious laws. Though the death threat still loom large, the family of Malala is proud about her advocacy. Her father who has been a huge influence in her life stated to the news agencies that he will never regret if her daughter dies for a greater cause. The Taliban's have vowed that if Malala survives they will try to kill her again. Here is a 14 year old girl fighting not only for education but also speaking out against the misinterpretation of religious laws. I think she also stand against those religious fundamentalist who claim to speak in the name of God and their religious belief. It is high time that prophetic voices in our community is given legitimate strength and right so that any injustice done through a wrong interpretation of the Word, or in the name of religion and faith could be corrected.
In our meditations titled “Transformed Living” we focus today on how God raises up prophets to be a spokesperson for Him and also in building up of a just society, a replica of the Kingdom of God. In Deuteronomy 18:18, we find Lord saying to Moses “ I will raise a prophet like you from among their own people, I will put my words in the mouth of prophet who shall speak to them everything that I command”. In the old testament you have a prophet named Huldah, who played the role of a catalyst of change, one who played an authority figure in the correct interpretation of book of law. The prophecies of Huldah dates back to the eighteenth year of the reign of King Josiah, when he was going through deep spiritual and moral crisis. [Chronicles 34:14-21, 2 Kings 14: 14-20]. The book of the law is found and Josiah needs to know whether this work is authentic and if it is really the word of the Lord and what the word of the Lord is. So Josiah sends Hilkiah the high priest, Abdon, Shaphan the secretary and his son Ahikam, and Asiah. The instruction of Josiah to these men to seek the Lord or correctly interpret what is written in the book of law. It is at this juncture that the King turns to Huldah. What is unique about Josiah’ action is that there were other male prophets at that time, but he turned to Huldah. Huldah does not mince words when she speaks about God voice and His will in the life of Judah and the contemporary context that they were living. She tells Josiah that disaster is going to fall on the people because they have forsaken God’s law, but since the king is humble, he will not witness the doom of the land. Here is a king who is willing to correctly understand what is God’s will, seeks the help of prophet so that God’s will could be translated in people lives, thus be a channel in the establishment of a just society. It is sad that we live in a world where there are people who claim to be God’s voice yet bring injustice and oppression on people. What is needed today are people like Malala standing not only for justice, but also for the correct perception and interpretation of God’s word so that His will could be promoted in the life of a nation and individuals.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla
A 14 year old girl from Pakistan has caught attention world wide. Her name: Malala Yousafzai. She is considered as the voice of millions of Muslim girls in Pakistan. Malala and her friends were returning from school in the school bus when militants stopped the bus and singled out Malala and opened fire on her. She is still battling for her life. Her crime– She was shot because , through her blog she started raising her voice against the injustice and opposing the policy of Taliban, where woman were subjugated and denied the right for education. The people, the media and all political parties in Pakistan have condemned this cowardly act of Taliban. Both the President, Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister, Raja Pervez Ashraf have condemned the attack on Malala and has vowed that they would fight and continue to support right of education for the girl child. It was in 2209, that she attracted international attention as a 11 year girl who started raising her voice through her blog for BBC Urdu service where she constantly exposed the suffering caused by militants in the Swat valley of Pakistan. The Taliban's had captured the Swat valley in late 2007 and what they did was the promulgation of Shariah law whereby all girls schools were closed down. Some of the rural areas of Pakistan are still governed by the Taliban interpretation of Shariah laws. According to this interpretation woman are barred from working and the right to educate, playing loud music, laughing loudly were all prohibited. People who broke the laws were punished in the most barbaric ways. Thus slowly the country of Pakistan it seems became a country of coward with no one daring to voice their opposition to Taliban and their interpretation of religious laws. Though the death threat still loom large, the family of Malala is proud about her advocacy. Her father who has been a huge influence in her life stated to the news agencies that he will never regret if her daughter dies for a greater cause. The Taliban's have vowed that if Malala survives they will try to kill her again. Here is a 14 year old girl fighting not only for education but also speaking out against the misinterpretation of religious laws. I think she also stand against those religious fundamentalist who claim to speak in the name of God and their religious belief. It is high time that prophetic voices in our community is given legitimate strength and right so that any injustice done through a wrong interpretation of the Word, or in the name of religion and faith could be corrected.
In our meditations titled “Transformed Living” we focus today on how God raises up prophets to be a spokesperson for Him and also in building up of a just society, a replica of the Kingdom of God. In Deuteronomy 18:18, we find Lord saying to Moses “ I will raise a prophet like you from among their own people, I will put my words in the mouth of prophet who shall speak to them everything that I command”. In the old testament you have a prophet named Huldah, who played the role of a catalyst of change, one who played an authority figure in the correct interpretation of book of law. The prophecies of Huldah dates back to the eighteenth year of the reign of King Josiah, when he was going through deep spiritual and moral crisis. [Chronicles 34:14-21, 2 Kings 14: 14-20]. The book of the law is found and Josiah needs to know whether this work is authentic and if it is really the word of the Lord and what the word of the Lord is. So Josiah sends Hilkiah the high priest, Abdon, Shaphan the secretary and his son Ahikam, and Asiah. The instruction of Josiah to these men to seek the Lord or correctly interpret what is written in the book of law. It is at this juncture that the King turns to Huldah. What is unique about Josiah’ action is that there were other male prophets at that time, but he turned to Huldah. Huldah does not mince words when she speaks about God voice and His will in the life of Judah and the contemporary context that they were living. She tells Josiah that disaster is going to fall on the people because they have forsaken God’s law, but since the king is humble, he will not witness the doom of the land. Here is a king who is willing to correctly understand what is God’s will, seeks the help of prophet so that God’s will could be translated in people lives, thus be a channel in the establishment of a just society. It is sad that we live in a world where there are people who claim to be God’s voice yet bring injustice and oppression on people. What is needed today are people like Malala standing not only for justice, but also for the correct perception and interpretation of God’s word so that His will could be promoted in the life of a nation and individuals.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla