The Journey 317
Read: Isiah 45
The people in India celebrates today the festival of lights–Deepavali. Growing in a multicultural, linguistic and religious background I found it always an enriching experience to have friends from all faith background. On this day one of the landmarks of this years representation to the US Congress is the presence of the first Hindu representative– Tulsi Gabbard. Tulsi becomes the first Hindu American to be elected to the Congress. She won from Hawaii on Democrat ticket. There are also lot of other interesting aspects in constitution of members in Congress. There are about 20 woman who will serve the senate, while another 76 woman will be there in the House. There is also the presence of a gay senator Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin who was elected on democrat ticket. Moreover the congress also boast the presence of another woman and that too a Buddhist– Mazie K Hirono. Thus the victory of both Tulsi and Hirono reflect on the broad changes that are happening not only in the social and cultural life in United States but also in its political realm where the contribution of the Asian American and especially from the members of Hindu community is being noticed on a wider scale. Tulsi is happy at her victory and she remarked that though there were not many people from her faith in Hawaii, she felt that she was never discriminated because of her faith and she felt comfortable practicing her religion in United States. Though Tulsi is not an Indian, she was raise by her mother who was a Hindu while her father was a catholic. She embraced Hinduism when she was a teen and she is well versed in her faith and proclaims that her faith will be an asset to the congress and she hopes to make contribution in the area of environmental issues, veterans issue and also in helping develop much closer ties between United States and India. Let us pray for these leaders who are elected to the congress so that even in the midst of diverse faith background, everyone could work together for the welfare of the country, community and people and be an instrument of God in the extension of His Kingdom on the earth. One of the truths that we find in the Word of God is the way God used the most unexpected people to carry out his mission, his purpose and ministry in this world and it is only when we recognize that mystery, can we understand the unique role that each human being play in God’s scheme of things, irrespective of their faith background. Let us explore this thought further.
We are meditating on the theme “Transformed Living” and the portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Isaiah 45. Here in this portion we find God anointing King Cyrus and making him an instrument to achieve his purpose. To proclaim Cyrus as anointed was a deviation from the traditional understanding of those times with respects to who an anointed person was. For Hebrews, the term anointed is a very powerful word in their religious terminology and understanding. It is in such a context that God says “Cyrus the anointed”. Who is Cyrus?. Cyrus is Persian king who defeated Babylon when the nation of Judah was in captive. Cyrus does not belong to “chosen race or the chosen nation” . He was a total alien, an outsider who did not worship Yahweh. He belonged to another land, another alien culture and religion and yet we find that God working through him and in him. In the Old Testament we can find a number of people who are anointed by God for fulfilling certain purposes. God had anointed prophets and kings. Both king David and king Saul are examples to this. But when God says that Cyrus is his anointed we find God using non believer in the Jewish religious terminology for furthering His purpose with regards to the nation of Judah, and also communicating to the world that ultimately it is God who is in control. In this context God is not concerned about faith of King Cyrus and I presume that Cyrus may also not know that he was being used by God. But God give power to Cyrus and proclaims that ‘for the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honour”[ Isaiah 45:4]. What is unique here is that God empowers Cyrus to save his people, and thus in the end the nation of Judah is saved through the mighty acts of God done through the empowering of Cyrus. Thus the anointing of King Cyrus by God teaches us that God has His own ways and means and people to achieve his purpose and goals. What is important today is to see how we all could be an instrument in God’s hand. As the American congress welcome its leaders from diverse cultural and religious background let us also affirm in the biblical truth and wisdom that ultimately it is God who is in control of history, in the affairs of the world, in the affairs of human life. He chooses one over the other, irrespective of what their culture, language and religion is. As a Christian let us affirm these mighty acts of God and submit ourselves to the Lord so that we all can affirm the sovereignty of God not only in our life but in the life of every individual that He has created. It is only when we affirm this biblical truth, can we work harmoniously with God and with our fellow human being, in the ministry of establishing God’s reign on this wonderful earth. Let us therefore pray for Tulsi and all other leaders so that God can use them for the furtherance of His plan and purpose.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla
The people in India celebrates today the festival of lights–Deepavali. Growing in a multicultural, linguistic and religious background I found it always an enriching experience to have friends from all faith background. On this day one of the landmarks of this years representation to the US Congress is the presence of the first Hindu representative– Tulsi Gabbard. Tulsi becomes the first Hindu American to be elected to the Congress. She won from Hawaii on Democrat ticket. There are also lot of other interesting aspects in constitution of members in Congress. There are about 20 woman who will serve the senate, while another 76 woman will be there in the House. There is also the presence of a gay senator Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin who was elected on democrat ticket. Moreover the congress also boast the presence of another woman and that too a Buddhist– Mazie K Hirono. Thus the victory of both Tulsi and Hirono reflect on the broad changes that are happening not only in the social and cultural life in United States but also in its political realm where the contribution of the Asian American and especially from the members of Hindu community is being noticed on a wider scale. Tulsi is happy at her victory and she remarked that though there were not many people from her faith in Hawaii, she felt that she was never discriminated because of her faith and she felt comfortable practicing her religion in United States. Though Tulsi is not an Indian, she was raise by her mother who was a Hindu while her father was a catholic. She embraced Hinduism when she was a teen and she is well versed in her faith and proclaims that her faith will be an asset to the congress and she hopes to make contribution in the area of environmental issues, veterans issue and also in helping develop much closer ties between United States and India. Let us pray for these leaders who are elected to the congress so that even in the midst of diverse faith background, everyone could work together for the welfare of the country, community and people and be an instrument of God in the extension of His Kingdom on the earth. One of the truths that we find in the Word of God is the way God used the most unexpected people to carry out his mission, his purpose and ministry in this world and it is only when we recognize that mystery, can we understand the unique role that each human being play in God’s scheme of things, irrespective of their faith background. Let us explore this thought further.
We are meditating on the theme “Transformed Living” and the portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Isaiah 45. Here in this portion we find God anointing King Cyrus and making him an instrument to achieve his purpose. To proclaim Cyrus as anointed was a deviation from the traditional understanding of those times with respects to who an anointed person was. For Hebrews, the term anointed is a very powerful word in their religious terminology and understanding. It is in such a context that God says “Cyrus the anointed”. Who is Cyrus?. Cyrus is Persian king who defeated Babylon when the nation of Judah was in captive. Cyrus does not belong to “chosen race or the chosen nation” . He was a total alien, an outsider who did not worship Yahweh. He belonged to another land, another alien culture and religion and yet we find that God working through him and in him. In the Old Testament we can find a number of people who are anointed by God for fulfilling certain purposes. God had anointed prophets and kings. Both king David and king Saul are examples to this. But when God says that Cyrus is his anointed we find God using non believer in the Jewish religious terminology for furthering His purpose with regards to the nation of Judah, and also communicating to the world that ultimately it is God who is in control. In this context God is not concerned about faith of King Cyrus and I presume that Cyrus may also not know that he was being used by God. But God give power to Cyrus and proclaims that ‘for the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honour”[ Isaiah 45:4]. What is unique here is that God empowers Cyrus to save his people, and thus in the end the nation of Judah is saved through the mighty acts of God done through the empowering of Cyrus. Thus the anointing of King Cyrus by God teaches us that God has His own ways and means and people to achieve his purpose and goals. What is important today is to see how we all could be an instrument in God’s hand. As the American congress welcome its leaders from diverse cultural and religious background let us also affirm in the biblical truth and wisdom that ultimately it is God who is in control of history, in the affairs of the world, in the affairs of human life. He chooses one over the other, irrespective of what their culture, language and religion is. As a Christian let us affirm these mighty acts of God and submit ourselves to the Lord so that we all can affirm the sovereignty of God not only in our life but in the life of every individual that He has created. It is only when we affirm this biblical truth, can we work harmoniously with God and with our fellow human being, in the ministry of establishing God’s reign on this wonderful earth. Let us therefore pray for Tulsi and all other leaders so that God can use them for the furtherance of His plan and purpose.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla