The Meaning of the Pentecostal Day event

பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் நடந்த நிகழ்ச்சிகளின் பொருள்
The Meaning of the Pentecostal Day event.
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1. கடவுளின் காணக்கூடிய பிரசன்னம் வெளிப்பட்டது. ( Theophany )
கடவுள் தன்னுடைய பிரசன்னத்தை வெளிப்படுத்தும் இடத்தில் "காற்றும்" "நெருப்பும்"காணப்படும். பழைய ஏற்பாட்டில் கடவுள் ஓரிடத்திற்கு வரும்போது அவ்வாறு நடந்தன. இரண்டாவது அங்கு கூடியிருந்தவர்கள் புரிந்து கொள்ளும் படியாக அந்த 120 பேரும் அயல் மொழிகளை பேசினார்கள். ( அப்போஸ்தலர் 2: 3; 5-11).

2. கடைசிகாலத்தில் ஊற்றப்படப்
போகின்ற பரிசுத்த ஆவியின்  அருள்மாரியினைக்குறிக்கும்.
Eschatological outpouring of the Spirit.
கடைசிக்காலம் என்பது பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாள் முதல் கிறிஸ்துவின் இரண்டாம் வருகைக்கு இடைபட்ட காலமாகும். கடைசி நாட்கள் (Last days )என்றும் இதற்கு மறுபெயர் உண்டு. பரிசுத்த ஆவியானவர் அனைத்து மனிதர்கள்- ஆண்கள் பெண்கள் முதியோர் இளைஞர்  கடவுளின் வேலைக்காரர்கள் வேலைக்காரிகள் ஆகிய அனைவர் மீதும் தனது ஆவியை ஊற்றுவார் என்பது பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் ஆரம்பிக்கப் படப் போகிற ஆவியின் அருள்மாரியைக் குறித்த  தீர்க்க தரிசன நிறைவேறுதல் என்று கூறலாம் (யோவேல் 2: 28,29; எசேக்கியேல் 36:27 ; அப்போஸ்தலர் 1:5 )

3. பெந்தேகோஸ்தே இயேசு உயிர்த்தெழுதலின் நிறைவாகும். Pentecost is the fullness of Easter. (அப்போஸ்தலர் 2: 23-33). கிறிஸ்து சிலுவையில் அறையப்பட்டு மரித்து அடக்கம் பண்ணப்பட்டு உயிர்த்தெழுந்து பரத்துக்கேறி பிதாவினுடைய வலதுபாரிசத்தில் உட்கார்ந்து அவருடைய அப்போஸ்தலர்களின் சமுதாயத்தின் (apostolic community)மீது பரிசுத்த ஆவியை அனுப்பி தனது மீட்பின் கிரியைகளை நிறைவேற்றி முடித்தார்.

4. மேசியாவின் சமுதாயத்தை கூட்டி சேர்த்தல். The gathering together of the Messianic Community .
பழைய ஏற்பாட்டில் இறைவாக்கு உரைத்தவர்கள் சிதறடிக்கப்பட்ட இஸ்ரவேலர்கள் அனைவரும் சீயோன் மலையில் கூட்டி சேர்க்கப்படுவார்கள் என்றும் இஸ்ரவேல் சபையார்கள் கர்த்தரை மையமாக வைத்து சேர்க்கப்படுவார்கள் என்றும் உரைத்தனர். அவ்வாறு சேர்க்கப்படும் போது  சகல நாடுகளிலிருந்து வந்திருந்த யூதர்களும் யூத சமயத்திற்கு மதம் மாறியவர்களும் (proselytes) ஒரு ஆவிக்குரிய ஐக்கியத்திற்கு வர பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாள் அவர்களுக்கு உதவியது . அவ்வாறு வந்த அவர்கள் அப்போஸ்தலர்களின் உபதேசத்திலும் சகோதர சிநேகத்திலும் அப்பம் பிட்குதலிலும் நிலைத்திருந்தார்கள். (அப்போஸ்தலர் 2: 42 ).
 
5. பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் உண்டான சபையில் அனைத்து மக்களும்  அங்கத்தினர்கள் ஆகலாம்.A community opened to all the people. தூய ஆவியானவர் அப்போஸ்தலர்களின் சமுதாயத்திற்கு கொடுக்கப்பட்ட நோக்கமே அவர்கள் உலகத்தின் கடைசி எல்லை வரையிலும்  இயேசுவுக்கு " சாட்சி " பகர வேண்டும் என்பதுவே ( அப்போஸ்தலர் 1:8 ). பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் புதிய மொழிகளில் பேசப்பட்ட வார்த்தையை வானத்தின் கீழெங்கிலுமிருந்து வந்திருந்த யூதர்களும் யூதமார்க்கத்தை ஏற்றுக்கொண்டவர்களும் தேவ பக்தியுள்ள யூதர்களும் கேட்ட பொழுது அவர்களும் அப்போஸ்தலர்களின் சமுதாயத்தில் சேர்த்துக்கொள்ளப்பட உதவியது(அப்போஸ்தலர் 2:5-11). புறஜாதிகள் மீது தூய ஆவியானவர் வந்து இறங்கிய போதும் அவர்கள் அப்போஸ்தலர்களின் சமுதாயத்தில் சேர்த்துக்கொள்ளப்பட்டனர்( அப்போஸ்தலர் 10: 44) . பாபேலில் பல்வகையான மொழிகள் பேசப்பட்ட போது மக்கள் பிரிந்தனர். ஆனால் பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் பல்வேறு வகையான மொழிகள் பேசப்பட்டபோது மக்கள் ஒரே ஐக்கியத்திற்குள் வந்தனர் ( ஆதியாகமம் 11:1-9) .

6. திருச்சபையின் ஊழியம் பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் உருவாயிற்று . Beginning of the Mission of the Church . பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் கிறிஸ்துவை நம்பினவர்கள் ஒரே சமுதாயமாக வந்தது மட்டும் அல்லாது அவர்களின் திருச்சபை ஊழியம் பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் ஆரம்பித்தது எனலாம். அப்போஸ்தலர் 2:14 யில் "பேதுரு பதினொருவருடனும் எழுந்து நின்று" என்று வருவதைக் கவனிக்க வேண்டும். " பரிசுத்தஆவி உங்களிடத்தில் வரும்போது நீங்கள் பெலனடைந்து எருசலேமிலும், யூதேயா முழுவதிலும், சமாரியாவிலும், பூமியின் கடைசிபரியந்தமும், எனக்குச் சாட்சிகளாயிருப்பீர்கள் என்றார்" இயேசு.
(அப்போஸ்தலர் 1:8). அப்போஸ்தலர்கள் மீது பரிசுத்த ஆவியானவர் இறங்கியது அவர்களை இயேசுகிறிஸ்துவின் நற்செய்தியை அறிவிக்கும் ஊழியத்திற்கு ஏற்படுத்திக் கொடுக்கப்பட்ட ஒரு பதவி ஏற்பு நிகழ்ச்சி( investiture) என்றும் கூறலாம். ஒரு ஆயரோ அல்லது ஒரு பேராயரோ அருட்பொழிவு பெற்ற பிறகு தங்களது ஊழியத்தை தொடங்குவதைப் போல இயேசுவின் அப்போஸ்தலர்கள் பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் பெற்ற தூய ஆவியானவரின்  அருட்பொழிவுக்கு பின்னர் உலகமெங்கும் சென்று நற்செய்தியை பரப்பினார்கள். பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் புதிய பிரமாணமும் புதிய ஆவியும் ( New Law and New Spirit ) அப்போஸ்தலர்களுக்கு கொடுக்கப்படுகிறது( எரேமியா 31:33; எசேக்கியேல் 36:27). முக்கியமாக பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் " புது படைப்பின் செயல்" ( New Creation ) நடைபெற்றது ( ஆதியாகமம் 1:2) என்பதை உணரலாம்.

7. இரட்சிப்பின் இரகசியத்தை பெந்தேகோஸ்தே வெளிப்படுத்துகிறது. Pentecost reveals the mystery of Salvation . கிறிஸ்து பரத்துக்கேறிய பிறகு பத்தாம் நாளில் பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் தூய ஆவியானவர் அருளப்பட்டார். பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் சபையில் இறங்கிய அதே தூய ஆவியானவர் தான் இன்றும் சபையில் யிருக்கின்றார். கிறிஸ்துவின் வருகை வரையிலும் அதே தூய ஆவியானவர் தான் சபையை வழி நடத்தி செல்லுவார். திருச்சபையின் ஊழியங்களை வழிநடத்துவதும் திருச்சபையில் புதிய ஆத்துமாக்களை கொண்டு வந்து  சேர்ப்பதும் தூய ஆவியானவர் தான். அது அவரின் செயல் ( அப்போஸ்தலர் 4:8; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6).சில இடங்களில்  தூய ஆவியானவர் செயல்கள்  வெளிப்படையாக வெளிப்படுவதையும் நாம் காண்கிறோம் ( அப்போஸ்தலர் 4:31; 10:44 ). பெந்தேகோஸ்தே நாளில் அப்போஸ்தல சமுதாயத்தின் மீது ( apostolic community ) இறங்கிய தூய ஆவியானவர் தற்போது  நமது சபைகளிலும் பூமியில் உள்ள அனைத்து சபைகளிலும் இப்போதும் செயல்பட்டு வருகின்றார்.  கர்த்தருக்கு ஸ்தோத்திரம்.
-பாஸ்டர் S.ஜான் மதியழகன்.
Reference :
Xavier Leon - Dufour . Dictionary of Biblical Theology .London. Burns & Oats. 1988.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆; 𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄!

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆; 𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄!

The recent protests against the murder of George Floyd have been condemned by many. But this does not come as a surprise for in the eyes of the privileged and “whitewashed tombs,” all protests and acts of resistance emerging from the margins, violent or non-violent, are a moral wrong. Protests are perceived as acts that threaten social order and disarrange civil peace, performatives that preclude the “normal” continuance of daily living, and phenomena that diffuse political friction. Yet, protests are the life-blood of oppressed communities for they question hegemonic powers.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬? First, illegitimating protests is a sign of the privileged morally evaluating protests from a place of privilege. Moral reasoning done from the realm of abstractions tend to legitimize happenings that protect and preserve the social and political elites’ (moral) vision and privilege, and delegitimize every other happening that puts their (moral) vision and privilege under threat.

Second, in illegitimating protests the focus turns toward individual moral character heightening its violations and omissions while neglecting oppressive structures that generate from oppressed communities a certain pattern of behavior and praxis that transgress dominant moral norms and reasoning. The privileged end up labelling disenfranchised communities engaging in protests as “drunkards” (Acts 2:13) or “thugs,” viewing them as problems in need of monitoring, disciplining, or eliminating.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭? No protest emerges in a vacuum; histories give birth to them. These histories are marked by moments of years of violence, alienation and oppression, narratives of pessimism and incapacitation, denial of self-worth, and violation of bodies and its experiences. Therefore, those who protest seize the right to self-fashion their own identities by rejecting and undoing the imposed distorted identities that lead to their oppression or death.

As noted in my recent essay, suffering communities use their powers of imagination—emerging from histories of oppression, pain, and denial of self-worth—to speak truth to power, expose draconian policies and vengeful politics, challenge the moral conscience of the oppressors, contest universalized and objectivized norms, and resist the invisibilization of bodies and memories. Does not the callous dismissal of protests as immoral and illegitimate invisibilize communities and justify centuries of systemic oppressions?

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞! In the Book of Acts, we read of Peter standing up and reminding the listeners of their actions against the violated one—Jesus (2:23). Protestors all over the country are doing the same—reminding people of how their actions and silences have contributed to the killing of Floyd, the killing of thousands of people of color, and the killing of Jesus himself. If the Divine Feminine is creating chaos by taking today’s Peters and the company to the streets in order to remind people of their sins, the Pentecost isn’t coming; it is already here.

PS: Just to give a context to my post—George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was killed by Derek Chauvin, a white cop, as he knelt on Floyd's neck. This is another case of police brutality against Black bodies.

Pentecost Sunday - An Exhortation

"When the day of Pentecost came...All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability...And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power” (Acts 2:1-11).
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Today is Pentecost Sunday, a day that celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Jesus' disciples (12+), and the beginning of the Church. This happened on the 50th day after Jesus' Resurrection. One of the  important things we observe in the text above is that the disciples were "speaking about God's deeds of power." This is the highlight of  Pentecost day.

Today, many Christians and churches are needlessly divided along the question of what entails speaking in tongues? Is it taught or given freely? Is a measure of one's spirituality? Is it a mystical utterance or intelligible language? Besides all these, we also argue about which (mother) tongue to speak in public worship. The above passage is self-explanatory and answers clearly the dilemma of every confused Christian.

Pentecost, as clearly witnessed in the text, was never intended to create divisive theology and church practice. It was an occasion for the disciples to reveal the power and will of God. That's the reason the crowd that heard the "tongues" were not only amazed to hear rustic disciples (Galileans) speaking foreign languages - as if they had the privilege to learn them. But they were also amazed because they heard the crux of their utterance; which was the proclamation of the message of God's greatness inna language they understood. That continues to be a crucial task of the Church and Christians too.

On Pentecost, let us be reminded that God approves our linguistic plurality. In fact, he's author of our tongues. Every language/tongue that is used to honor God is pleasing to him. It includes the mystical "gibberish" so long as it spoken with the mind to glorify God and him alone.

Blessed day.

Eying
Baptist Theological College
Pfutsero, Nagaland

Has Christianity Failed

_On November 26, 2008, a gang of Islamic terrorists stormed the historic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai. After the carnage that took over two hundred innocent lives ended, one of the guests who had been at the hotel for dinner that night was interviewed by the media._

_An Indian-born English

actor, he described how he and his friends were eating dinners when they heard gunshots. Someone grabbed him and pulled him under the table. The assassins came striding through the restaurant, shooting at will, until everyone (so they thought)

had been killed. This man, however, found himself miraculously alive. When the interviewer asked him how it was that

everyone at his table and in the room was dead and yet he was

alive, his answer was sobering: *“I suppose it’s because I was

covered in someone else’s blood, and they took me for dead.”*_

_This is a perfect metaphor of *God’s gift through Jesus* to

each one of us. *Because he paid the penalty for our sin—

because we are covered in the blood of his sacrifice—we may

have eternal life.*_

- *Ravi Zacharias*, _Has Christianity failed you ?_

Insightful thoughts

#inspiration💙

An old man meets a young man who asks:

“Do you remember me?” 

And the old man says no.  Then the young man tells him he was his student, And the teacher asks:

“What do you do, what do you do in life?”

The young man answers:

“Well, I became a teacher.”

“ah, how good, like me?” Asks the old man.

“Well, yes.  In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.”

The old man, curious, asks the young man at what time he decided to become a teacher.  And the young man tells him the following story:

“One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it and I stole it, I took it out of his pocket.

Shortly after, my friend noticed the flight and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you. Then you went to the class:

‘This student's watch was stolen during classes today.  Whoever stole it, please return it.’

I didn't give it back because I didn't want to.  Then you closed the door and told us all to get up and you were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found.  But you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for his watch if we all had our eyes closed.

So we did, and you went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it.  You kept searching everyone's pockets, and when you were done you said

‘open your eyes. We have the watch.’

You didn't tell me and you never mentioned the episode. You never said who stole the watch either.  That day you saved my dignity forever.  It was the most shameful day of my life.

But this is also the day my dignity was saved and I decided not to become a thief, a bad person, etc. You never said anything, nor even scold me or took me aside to give me a moral lesson, I received your message clearly.

And thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do.  Do you remember this episode, professor?

And the professor answers:

‘I remember the situation, the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone’s pocket, but I didn't remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.’

This is the essence of teaching:

" If to correct you must humiliate; you don't know how to teach ".

Corona Virus – Theological Perspective

Corona Virus  –  Theological Perspective

Annual Essay by H. Isaac

27^th May 2020, Chennai

1. Introduction

COrona VIrus Disease-19 (COVID-19) popularly known as Corona virus is a strange and dangerous virus which paused the happenings of 2020 in the whole world.  All of a sudden the world which we live changes drastically. Work from home, online services and online classes becomes common with people wearing masks, cloves and cleaning their hands with sanitizers becomes mandatory. Social distancing is the new term that is used during this severe pandemic COVID-19 which is threatening the lives of many all over the world. Measures and ideas of social distancing have been strictly practiced to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through community. A microscopic virus threatens our Life in this post modern world which has powerful weapons and high sophisticated technology.   It also makes people to raise various questions like, How did this virus emerge? What is the role of Government/Sarkar in this pandemic? What we should do now? Where is God? and so on. Here, we are going to look into a biblical passage (John-4:7-10, 19-20) and ponder upon those words in this chaotic context.

2. Biblical Passage : John-4:7-10, 19-20

7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”               8 (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)[a] 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you[a] say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.”

2.1. The Bruised and Bleeding Pharisees

In these verses we see a Jew is talking to a Samaritan. Knowing the fact of their history of rivalry of more than 400 years, and here this Samaritan is a woman; even the Samaritan woman is surprised because Jesus is a Jew and a teacher. In the Jewish context Rabbi would not greet woman in public nor would he even speak to his own wife and daughter in public. Some Rabbis were called “The bruised and bleeding Pharisees” because they close their eyes when they sees woman in the streets and so walk to walls and house. Hence for a Rabbi to speak in public was the end of his reputation and here Jesus is speaking to a woman, a Samaritan, a woman of immoral character.

2.2. Taking the Word literally

We see the Verse 10- This conversation follows the same pattern as the conversation with Nicodemus. The woman took the word literally, when Jesus told her about the living water because in that context of Jews living water was the running water, the water of the running streams. And the Samaritan woman who was fetching water in the well was not even a spring well but a well into which water have been percolated from the subsoil. So the woman is asking, are you going to give me pure stream water? Where will you get it in this dry land (Desert).

2.3. Mocking Jesus

In verse 11 we see the women is taking the conversation in her own way, feels like she is taking Jesus as someone who is not in a very normal state of mind. On seeing that Jesus don’t have anything to fetch water with, she comment, the well is deep and you don’t even have a bucket to get the water from the well? And here see that she is trying to mock Jesus.

2.4. Failed to understand

And then in Verse 12 – She goes on to say Jacob our great ancestor, when he came to this land he dug this well and for generation, drank and took water for his family and cattle and till then we are being benefitting. Who are you to speak such foolishness? This is blasphemous talk to our great ancestor Jacob. Now she is taking it as an insult to her ancestor Jacob, hence we can feel the emotions of the woman getting annoyed and there she asked are you greater than our Father Jacob? As the woman failed to understand what Jesus is telling her, He took another step in the conversation. But the woman chooses to understand almost the crude literalism. But it was something, which was not to be misunderstood, because in the context of Jews, they also have another way of using the word water.

2.5. Living Water

            They often spoke of the thirst of the soul for God and often spoke of quenching that thirst with living water. It was a word which anyone with little spiritual insight will understand. Because all Jewish pictorial religious language was full of this idea of the thirst of the soul which could be quenched only with the living water that was the gift. We can see some of the Bible verses from the Old Testament that has this theme. (Isaiah 12:3; with joy you will draw water from the well of salvation.  Psalms 42:1; Isaiah 44:3, For I will pour water on the thirsty land,  and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,    and my blessing on your descendants.) However she choose to take it that way, and so in Verse13 -15 – When Jesus said to her whoever drinks of this well will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water I give will thirst no more.  The woman again missed the mark, of what Jesus was trying to tell her. As we see that she is taking Jesus as a crazy guy, someone who is mentally abnormal. She speaks with jest and in an insulting way, making fun of Him saying, “Give me this water, so that I will never be thirsty again and will not have to walk to the well day after day”.

2.6. Realizing the Reality

Jesus was compelled to take another step further in the conversation because, there are certain truths which a human being cannot accept but one must discover them for oneself. When she asked for the water that way Jesus asked her to go and bring her husband. The woman stiffened as if a sudden pain had caught her. She recalled about her life, as if hit by a sudden shock. She was awaken and as she had suddenly caught sight of herself and was forced to realized the life she was living.

3.  Revelation in Christianity can be understood in two ways.

3.1.  Revelation of God

3.2.  Revelation of oneself to self.

No human can ever really see oneself, until he/she see oneself in the presence of divine perfection of Christ. And when we awake to our self in His presence we wake up to the need of God in our hearts in humility. It was only in the presence of Christ she could realize who she was, and when she awoke to herself in the presence of Christ she woke to her need of God.

4. Fixing it in Today’s Context

4.1. Wake up call

Looking at this present scenario we can understand, how urgent it to wake up to ourselves in this chaotic situation. This pandemic in one way or the other have started to reveal our true identity of selfishness, and the spirit of exclusivist. Then where is it that we begin with our identity, to call ourselves as the children of God, when we try to keep away those people who are in need of us? God in the history had reveal Himself to the humanity, however the highest of God’s revelation was in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ reveals His will to the Humanity even today through the Holy Spirit. I believe until and unless we realize the revealed Christ to us, the second revelation is impossible.

4.2. Reflecting identity

By second revelation I mean revealing ourselves to ourselves. It happens only when we draw ourselves closer to Christ that we see His divine perfection and we cannot help ourselves but to realize who and how confused we are, as we reveal ourselves to self. In such a time like this we must constantly check ourselves, where do we stand with Christ? Is our identity in Christ reflected in our actions? Or do we need to realize ourselves more than ever before, in other words do we need to seek God more to know His will in us and His Church? If not, we would be ignorant and continue to mock God and God’s children, and even going to the extent of ill treating them and abusing them psychologically, emotionally, physically, and the philanthropic work done to them would be displayed in the chest of the Individuals, Organizations and Church as a MEDAL of HONOUR.

4. 3. With Spirit and Truth

When we look at the verse 20, we see that, she immediately asked Christ where do I find God? Where do I ought to worship? Is it, in the mountain or Jerusalem? But Jesus said, there is a time coming where you will not worship God in the mountain nor in Jerusalem but in Spirit and in Truth.

4.4. An Apostolic Witness

Elizabeth Schusller Fiorenza, a renowned theologian elucidates that  the theological argument from the mouth of the woman signifies the historical leadership women had opening up Jesus’ movement and community to non-Israelites. The woman is thus representative of an exemplary disciple: an apostolic witness. This reversal of social stigma and religion sponsored oppression of the Samaritan woman is a directive for us to unlearn and critically engage with scripture, ethics and science on every dominant ideology that is spread and shared in the name of glorifying and  propagating vice oppressive culture, religion and faith.

5. Conclusion

5.1. Christian Comfort

Anything that threatens the existence of life is the concern of a believer, and therefore, to participate, contribute, and extend any help in any form to emancipate the Children of God is the basic Christian vocation. Thinking through Christian hope in the face of the corona crisis is a very difficult task. I think that theology and the Church may and must keep their nerves in precisely this crisis. If the church no longer dares to expose itself to the accusation of empty promises, then she can no longer comfort others.

5.2. Christian Hope

When the power of human beings to keep and preserve life ends, God’s power does not. The Church also hopes “backward,” for Christian hope hopes against the timeline: It is a defiant hope that God, even in the face of Corona Crisis, will once again turn creatively to the countless victims who often remain nameless for us. The reason for this defiant hope lies in the promise that occurred in the Resurrection of the Crucified One.

5.3. Christian Vocation

To understand this Christian vocation, especially in the time of Corona one must stretch oneself to go beyond the mountains and the four walls of the Church, that Jesus Christ clearly address here in this verse. For which one must seek God in Spirit and in Truth to realize the true identity of Christ in us. The after math of which is the inevitable Christian Vocation.

So instead of asking, How did this virus emerge? What is the role of Government/Sarkar in this pandemic? What we should do now? Where is God? let us understand the reality, realize our identity and be prepared to face the real reality. The real challenge is ahead of us. Let us be prepared to face the Post-Pandemic situation as a Church, Society, family and individual.

Methodological Issues in any one Strand of Liberation Theology

Methodological Issues in any one Strand of Liberation Theology

Introduction:

This paper is an attempt to analyze the methodological issues in liberation theology with special reference to Dalit theology. First it will evaluate the liberation theology and its emergence. Then it is going to examine the methodological issues and premises of liberation theology in ecclesial level, in theological level. In the second part of this paper it explores the dalit theology as a strand of liberation theology. Some of the major concern of dalit theology like goals and usage of dalit’s experience as a source of dalit thelogy and methodological issues of dalit theology are deal with in detail.

Liberation theology:

Liberation theology is a theology from the experience of oppressed people and social classes, and it says the people are oppressed by others. Liberation theology that was happened in Latin American society we can know through history that is Christian faith implications for the poor. Liberation theologians attempt to read the bible with the eyes of the poor to help them interpret the Christian faith in a new way. Theology of liberation involved in three areas that is human need liberation, socio, politic, economic liberation.

But liberation theology focuses on Jesus life and message that is according to the bible “Christ is presented as the one who brings us liberation” and “Christ the savior liberates humankind from sin”[1] this is the ultimate root of deliverance for injustice and oppression. Theology of liberation challenged the church to accept the demands of the New Testament and involve itself in the struggles of the poor. Liberation theology is a critique of the activity of the church and of Christians from the perspective of the poor. The Latin American church indeed faces different and acute problems related to the process of liberation. Liberation theology is not unique to Latin American.

Emergence of liberation theology:

How theology of liberation has emerged from church? The answer is found in the experience of crisis in Latin American societies in 1960’s and the impact of Vatican council II on the Catholic Church. At that time new question have raised about the social order demanded new answers and the church people felt a new freedom to respond. It raises the situation of the rural parish priest. Many priests and sisters raise questions about their activity. It has rises as Cuban revolution. Later in august 1968,130 catholic bishops were met in medalin, Colombia for the task of concerning Vatican II to Latin America. In this conference, the bishops were repeatedly used the word “liberation” and similar terms. Peruvian theologian Gustavo Gutierrez gave importance for poverty in the church that is “Theology of Liberation” and then he developed his ideas on this topic. His major work was basically scriptures and modern theology. It was defense of traditional catholic theology and it against the Protestantism, the enlightenment and modernity .Theologians began to take Latin American as their context for raising questions. Latin American theologians found that they were not dealing with different issues but that their methods are engaged in theology was different.Gutierrez defines theology as “critic reflection on praxis in the light of the word of God”[2]. It is a critique of low social exploration of principles on how people should act. Rather it is a discovery of the theological meaning of such activity. They go on to point out the biblical and theological resonances of liberation. It is not concern for how to struggle for injustice. It is an expression of love for neighbor. Liberation theology anticipated the major issues that developed later.

Methodological Issues and premises in liberation theology:

Fundamentally, in liberation theology, these are three major issues were emerged in universally especially in Latin America. They are Ecclesial issue in church, theological issue in scripture.

Ecclesial Issue:

Preferential option for the poor:

The great reflection to pastoral service in Latin American churches regarding the liberation. In 1960 there was a great renewal through the churches. The churches began to take their social mission seriously; lay persons are all committed their life to work among poor. The priests also encouraged the church to involve in the liberation the priests also encouraged the church to involve in the liberation process. The same time popular movement and Christian movement they both worked in liberation process among the poor. In Latin American churches more than 200 laymen,priests,and bishops of El savader they discussed about, the failure to work in liberation process so, they discusses that we were failed the concept of the salvation of man and mission of the church.

Gustavo Gutierrez say that,” In recent years it has second move and more clear to many Christians that, if the church wished to be faithful to the god of Jesus Christ it must become aware of itself from underneath, from among the poor of this word, the exploited classes, despised ethnic groups, and marginalized cultures. He compared the faith to Jesus Christ with poor people and marginalized people. Jesus Christ he taken care of poor and oppressed people but the next continuous process of liberation are the church is the main source of liberation[3].

Theological Issues:

1. God as Liberator:

Israel people was oppressed by the king pharaoh and the Egyptians at that time God who was hear the cry of the oppressed Israelites and gave them deliverance. God spoken to Moses from the burning and he chose Moses to lead Israel and deliver them from oppression, so god did several signs in front of pharaoh to release the Israelites from the slavery. Exodus chapter 3:7-8 says that god who can hear the cry of the oppressed, who comes down, and who leads them to liberation. In this incident we can feel that god has chosen the Israelites, so that he has taken effort to release the Israel people from the oppression. On other hand Israel’s special place in God’s plan of salvation in this case here God as liberator it is not only for Israelites but it continuing in the church today.

2. Jesus and the Liberation:

Liberation theology mostly focuses on the mission of Jesus and the message to the world. Jesus proclaimed the message “The kingdom of God is at hand” this message is given important in liberation theology[4].

Segundo Gal ilea comment is the Christology of the revolutionary Christ is the model of the struggle and liberation of the oppressed. Luke 4:18-19 says “He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim Liberty to the captives. Jesus has liberated us from sin it is true because all the message of Jesus is a liberating word.[5] One more point of Jesus Christ good news is for the liberation of human beings to get deliverance. The good news that speaks about the liberation for the oppressed, suffers, hunger, poverty, so the Christology is mainly focuses on liberation theology. According to these views, theologians say Jesus Christ as liberator.

Strands in liberation Theology:

Latin American theology is not an isolated phenomenon. Equivalent theologies like Black Theology/African Theology, Asian Theology: An Asia Woman’s perspective (Feminist theology). Especially Dalit theology has its own perspective and difficulties of dalits. Dalit theology is an interesting one to criticize most of the theologies, so Iam going to deal with the Dalit theology as one strand of Liberation theology.[6]

Dalit Theology:

Dalit theology is not only a prophetic theology it is for identification of oppression of Dalit’s and struggles for equality and justice[7]. James Massey says that Dalit theology talks about the daily bread for dalit, overcome from oppression, poverty, struggles, sufferings, injustice.

Dalit theology answered in three ways first one is theology about the dalit’s, second one is theology for the depressed classes or the message addressed of dipressed classes. Third one is theology from the depressed class[8].The Latin American Liberation Theologians comment; it is the exodus experience, exodus liberation. Dalit theology talks about those who are outside of the camp, oppressed through caste and society.

Dalit theology it is a peoples theology it discusses about a particular people’s theology it is a theology of Dalits, by the Dalits, for the Dalits. A Dalit theology talk about the dalit’s oppressed within the church and outside of the church. Dalit theology it comes from the dalit and produced by the Dalits. It is a story of dalit’s and struggles of Dalits[9].The new Identity of Dalit theology is generally focused on Dalit Christology and theology.

The Dalit Background:

‘Dal’ means cut, split, that a person cut, split or broken. It is mainly focuses on the group of ‘Untouchables’. The Untouchable may not cross the line from their part because they are occupied by higher Castes. They called by different names Panchamas, Chandalas, Scheduled Castes and Dalits.[10]Most of the Dalit’s they are all live in villages they are depend on Agriculture and they are agriculture labours they don’t have houses,lands.Living in poor conditions and another profession for dalit’s is they are doing leather works, skinning, carrying soil on their heads. During 1920 the beginning of dalit Movement and 1970 Movement of Dalit panther in Maharashtra came. Dalit does not mean caste or low caste or poor our human community only created and divided all these unwanted divisions. Majority of the Dalit’s are uneducated peoples yet some dalit’s didn’t get the Awareness of education and the importance of education they don’t have way to lift their life style. Dalits are rejected in temples, religious processions, schools, public places, and also walking through streets. In some village hotels they are still working as servants, washing the plates, cleaning in the hotels[11].

Dalit Christians:

Dalit Christian’s mass movement that is the conversion of dalit’s in to Christianity is started around 1890. In 1980 Baptists in Ongole and the united Presbyterians in the Punjab[12] They started this mission work to the conversion of dalit’s in to Christianity that work was finalized in 1890.missionary resources took some effort for this conversion. First the united Presbyterians they focused the establishment of schools in villages that was the very big achievement of conversion. The result of this conversion work is 695 students they are converted as a dalit’s and 470 were new Christians that was the huge conversion of dalit Christians[13].

In Punjab north missionaries they took effort they went to villages and established self-support activities and land allocations in villages. In the south missionaries took effort for granting land to dalit’s.”The root for this evangelistic work is Rev. Adam Andrew, church of Scotland and Rev. William Goudie a Wesley Methodist. After this movement many of the dalit peoples became Christians and they accepted baptism and they are added to Christian community finally they became “Body of Christ”.

Caste Discriminations within the Church:

The two different divisions in the church one are dalit Christian families and another one is non-dalit Christian families. Basically non-dalit Christians are very well developed people their life style is royal and rich they are all higher income groups and higher literacy but dalit Christians people they are all basically lowest income groups and non literacy, so non dalit Christians they keep some distance with dalit Christians that is called Madiga Christians[14].

They are all same Christian congregation members but there is no Inter-dining and Inter-marriage .some village dalit  families they are saying the town Christians ‘look down’ to dalit Christians, now a days in the church this is only the major problems. The non dalit Christian families they are dominating and showing caste discrimination in the church this is very bad activities in the church. Sometimes Christian faith mainly escapes because of caste oppression. Dalits are not suffering in the society and they are also suffering in the church by caste discrimination.

Caste Discriminations within the Society:

In a terrible end to a story of love is frustrated by caste discrimination. Dalit youth E. Ilavarasan, whose marriage to a vanniyar girl Divya this was the Major Issue happened in Dharmapuri, Tamilnadu. In this incident, the boy Ilavarasan and the girl Divya and married but in Divya family they rejected this Marriage.

On 7^th November 2012 Divya’s father died by Suicide attend because his daughter Divya married a Dalit boy Ilavarasan so he committed Suicide. After this incident there was huge quarrel between Dalits and Vanniyars people. Vanniyars attacked three Dalit colonies and 268 houses were destroyed and then set on fire[15].Just focus on this incident there is no rights and freedom to take their own decisions, so all happened the only reason of caste discrimination it is not only in marriage and also Religious places, colleges, society. Our human body Structure is same, running of blood inside the body is same but from where the casteism came.

Dalit Hermeneutics:

As a Hermeneutical Principle Christology from the Dalit Perspective functions in a similar way in that it contextually expresses the life of dalit’s through the paradigm of the life of Jesus Christ[16].We can say in other words the intention of Christology with in Dalit theology is to interpret the importance of the person hood and Message of Jesus Christ. It also provides liberative models of Dalits and it can construct an alternative vision of social and religious interactions, enabling them to move towards a liberated life.

A.P.Nirmal says the dalit theology claimed that the “suffering servant” image actualized by Jesus Christ has become the foundational Manifestation of the Dalit God[17].Jesus Christ Identified and participated in the oppressed Dalits experience is primary and fundamental to express God’s plan of liberation for rejected people from the society. Jesus Feel these Dalit experiences as the Model of all Dalits. Jesus enters in to deepness of human experience of Pain and Pathos .It was an experience of Sadness and loneliness, an experience of rejected by people and God. Jesus Christ also rejected, Unloved, teased, suffered it Identifiable with Dalits. The Dalit Christ who is the resurrected lord, but he encountered in the dalit experience. This encounter has spoken and prepared as Dalit theology.

In another view Jesus Christ as the messiah who undergoes suffering to bring about salvation to marginalized members of society, including the Dalits. Dalits are looking for Messiahs from outside, but Jesus as one among the oppressed mutual can be more real Messiah than Jesus who comes as an intruder in to history and as a non-oppressed person. The God who submitted himself for the deliverance of the oppressed and poor, cross the path of complete rejection, hatred, and ridicule, so that the Messianic trust for dalit’s will be both meaningful and real. [18]His life stands as a perfect reason for carryout oppression on Dalits. Dalits are pushed to follow Christ only in his Patience, tolerance, humbleness, obedience, forgiveness, and compassion.

Methodological Issues in Dalit Theology:

Methodological Exclusivism and Theological Inclusivism:

Dalit theological interpretation states that Dalit theology is a counter theology it promotes Exclusivism in all its affairs. A.P.Nirmal says “Dalit theology will be produced by Dalits.

It is based on their own experiences, sufferings, aspirations and their own hope.[19] It is the story of their Pain, Pathos and Protest against the Socio-economic injustices. The reason of counter theology it is necessary that also exclusive in character. Methodological Exclusivism events Dalit Subjectivity it is pointed freedom of dalit, freedom from the fear, influence and recreated by dominant characteristics and Principles. This will be a Methodological Exclusivism.

On the other hand it interrelated of theological information and the inclusive nature of the Christian community, Dalit theologies identify about discipline, it allows understanding Pain and Pathos of the oppressed people. It has offer line towards the universality of God and the inclusiveness of all human beings in the function of this one creation.

Reflection:

Liberation theology Movement made great changes not only in Latin America, but all over the world. It created the respect to poor in society. It gave Uniqueness to poor in church and society and Liberation theology produced great changes in church level, theological level and in the society. It has been breaking the Oppression and poverty in the society.

Really the Dalit Movement is not fulfilled till now this movement is going on process. When the oppression, poverty and caste based discriminations find no place at the earth, then we can say that the task of “Dalit Movement “has been accomplished its goal and has brought liberation to the Dalits and Victims of Casteism.

Dalit Interpretation of the bible is making great change in our society. Our traditions are made us to Praise God as Abraham’s God, Isaac’s God and Jacob’s God. But Dalit theologies make us to think God as Dalit’s God.

Some churches have accepted this Dalit theology, Dalits welcome in church. They are giving honor to Dalits but at the same time most of the churches do not accept the Dalit theology and Dalits. They are not giving importance to Poverty people, oppressed people this situation should be change and we will create equality in the church and in the society.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carr, Dhyanchand. “A Biblical Basis for Dalit Theology”. Indigenous people: dalit’s issues in today’s theological debate. Edited by James Massey Delhi: ISPCK, 1994.

Clarke, Sathianathan. “Dalit Theology: An Introductory and Interpretive Theological Exposition,” Dalit theology in the twenty first century, discordant voices, discerning pathways. Edited by Sathianathan Clarke New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Devasahayam V. Review of Pollution, Poverty and Powerlessness a Dalit perspective. NCCI 1988.

Ferm, William Deane. Third world theologies New York: Orbis books, 1987.

Gutierrez Gustavo. Theology of Liberation. Mary knoll: Orbis Books, 1973.

http://www.TheHindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/parties-demad-proper-probe.into-Ilavarasan/article 4884426.ece (19 July 2013).

Jeremiah, Anderson H. M. “Exploring new facts of Dalit Christology critical Interaction with J.D.Crossan’s Portrayal of the Jesus,” Dalit theology in the twenty first century, discordant voices, discerning pathways. Edited by Sathianathan Clarke. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2010.

M.E. Prabhakar. “The search for a Dalit theology”, Indigenous people: dalit’s issues in today’s theological debate. Edited by James Massey Delhi: ISPCK, 1994.

Nirmal, Arvind P. Review of   Toward a Christian Dalit theology. NCCI Feb 1988.

Rajkumar, Peniel J.R. Dalit theology and Dalit liberation, problem paradigms and possibilities. Bangalore: The United Theological College, 2010.

Shiri, Godwin.  Dalit Christians: A Saga of Faith and Pathos. Nagpur: NCCI, 2012.

Webster, John C. B. The Dalit Christians A History. Delhi: ISPCK, 1992.

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[1]Gustavo Gutierrez, Theology of Liberation, (Mary knoll: Orbis Books, 1973), 36-37

[2]Gustavo Gutierrez, Theology of Liberation, (Mary knoll: Orbis Books, 1973), 36-37

[3] Ibid., 101-119.

[4]Dhyanchand Carr, “A Biblical Basis for Dalit Theology”, Indigenous people: dalit’s issues in today’s theological debate, edited by James Massey (Delhi: ISPCK, 1994), 236-238.

[5] Deane William Ferm, Third world theologies (New York: Orbis books, 1987), 176-181.

[6] Ibid., 256-372.

[7] M.E. Prabhakar, “The search for a Dalit theology”, Indigenous people: dalit’s issues in today’s theological debate, edited by James Massey (Delhi: ISPCK, 1994), 41-43.

[8]Arvind P. Nirmal, review of   Toward a Christian Dalit theology, NCCI (Feb 1988): 58-59.

[9]J.R. Peniel Rajkumar, Dalit theology and Dalit liberation, problem paradigms and possibilities (Bangalore: The United Theological College, 2010), 44-45.

[10] V. Devasahayam, review of Pollution, Poverty and Powerlessness a Dalit perspective, NCCI (1988):1-2.

[11] Ibid., 3-5.

[12] John C. B. Webster, The Dalit Christians A History (Delhi: ISPCK, 1992), 59-63.

[13] John C. B. Webster, The Dalit Christians A History (Delhi: ISPCK, 1992), 59-63.

[14] Godwin Shiri, Dalit Christians: A Saga of Faith and Pathos, (Nagpur: NCCI, 2012), 96-97.

[15]http://www.TheHindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/parties-demad-proper-probe.into-Ilavarasan/article 4884426.ece (19 July 2013).

[16]Anderson H. M. Jeremiah, “exploring new facts of Dalit Christology critical Interaction with J.D.Crossan’s Portrayal of the Jesus,” Dalit theology in the twenty first century, discordant voices, discerning pathways, edited by Sathianathan Clarke (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2010), 151.

[17] Ibid, 152.

[18] Ibid, 153.

[19] Sathianathan Clarke, “Dalit Theology: An Introductory and Interpretive Theological Exposition,” Dalit theology in the twenty first century, discordant voices, discerning pathways, edited by Sathianathan Clarke (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2010), 20-21.