Biblical Poems in Corona times

Online Christian (soft) Persecution - A New Ecumenical Challenge

Three days back, I got an email from an unknown name with one word 'books'. Yesterday another mail came from the same person, with another one-word 'later'. A few hours ago, I got yet another, this time from a new email, it invited me to a YouTube link of certain people who are saying selective but wrong interpretations about Christian faith. But very conveniently and convincingly, placed it is a study from and about the Bible. Though I blocked the emails from this person, I thought it may be useful to reflect on this and share my views on this virtual experience as most of us are getting more into the online world.

In an age where the cultural right of every minority religion is at the peak in the western democratic countries, there is a new 'online civilization' growing and being nurtured. This new online civilization is aggressive to each other and especially aggressive to the Christian faith. One can see hundreds and thousands of sites, posts and YouTube videos that are against the Bible, but cunningly and cleverly done by a selective reading of passages of the Bible itself.

Unfortunately, we the members of the church are busy with our everyday life issues like COVID and our churches being busy with other existential issues, internal wars of self-righteous groups, power-play between leaders and games against other denominations; we cannot feel or miss this soft persecution going on around the globe. But the fact is that We, the Christians, are persecuted in the online world. Maybe it is time to address this online persecution too.

This soft persecution online is so dangerous that it doesn't not show up as any immediate violence to the Christian faith but it is most alarming that it misinterprets the Holy Trinity, Incarnation, Death on the Cross, Resurrection and the Second coming through a very selective reading of few passages of the Bible itself!! Of course, if someone is not clear about the basic doctrines of biblical faith, they can be easily pulled into this trap. It makes us alert that in the history of human civilization, physical persecution of a group of people or religion is preceded by mocking, negating and persecuting their ideals/ history/faith /philosophy by a selective misreading. Soft persecution, of this sort, is manufacturing consent for the physical persecution that is yet to come or already taking place.

Of course, inter-religious experts will not dare to speak about this as they want to say that it is done by a small group of miscreants. Some of the above mentioned heretical/ soft persecution videos have 130K viewership, which defies the argument of interreligious experts as such occurrences as a minor issue. Sometimes, educated scholars of theology, unfortunately, take a similar stance on such heretical/ soft persecution teachings. They suggest it as advancements of faith. But this trend only helps the soft persecution agenda, as they collaborate, by logic, in the denouncing of basic principles of faith. This situation makes it grave and demands immediate attention.

One the one hand, the basics of Christian faith are not properly taught in families or in the fellowship of the church ( traditional or contemporary) or in the theological seminaries and on the other hand, in the online world, thousands of heretical/soft persecution sources are reaching to people personally by special use of artificial intelligence and content aesthetic study.

Be alert to any email or FB link or YouTube suggestions, that come on your screen as they may be a fishing technique to a world of heresies/ anti-biblical teaching through a convincing argument of selective reading of the Holy Bible.

If I had not been able to study the Bible in a meaningful way for the last 25 years; I would have been easily convinced by the heretic/soft persecution YouTube link sent to my personal email without my consent.

So, I believe, we live in an age of soft persecution. Be alert to any email from unknown persons and even unfamiliar content from known persons too.

We have to read, meditate, and internalize the words of St. Paul as it is written in

Galatians 1.8 v

" But even if we or an angel from Heaven should preach a gospel other than the one, we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!"

In the study of the Holy Scriptures, let us pray with Ephrem the Syrian,
" Lord Jesus Christ, open the ears and eyes of my heart so that I may hear Thy words and understand them, may fulfil Thy will. Guard me from deception (soft persecution)."

Christ is Risen, Indeed. Amen.

Rev. Sam Koshy.T (Elanthoor)

Dated 11.07.2020

Silent , but Significant

The two imageries used in the verse 13, 14 of St. Mathew 5 is that of the salt and of the light . These two imageries have many commonalities . One is that both of them are silent working . Nowadays we all are tempted to vioce ourselves too much .We are at times schooled to believe that if you make noise only , you will get attention. Am reminded of a line form an African poem ' thay talk and talk but do not say any thing at all is also true abotu us.

Here in these two imgeries , Jesus is giving us a different world . We are salt and light . Both of them are very silent , but very significant. A noble act, an act of kindness , discipline, forgiveness, reconciliation and encouragement are all silent , but they are significant.

Let us have a question to sharpen this note , do we remember any person , because that one spoke too loudly?

Paintings , poems and pilgrim places are all silent in themselves , many others speak about it. So , let us be confident that though being silent we are significant.

The Ps 139 is very dear to all of us . Why it is so dear to us ? It may be becuase of the reason that it enusres God with us . Am reminded of our church liturgy which repeatedly remids about the God with us .

When We are sure that God is with us what is the differnce : It instill in us courgae and accountability. Courgae is the ability to face and transform life to Good . Life is swing between both , bible invites us to club both .

Maramon convention is the pilgrime centre for reformed christians.This time ecology has come to the top concern. As trees were distributed , let us imagine the power of the machinery. The trees will be planted with care and memory. A new memory of the maramon will be farmered through the land. A new way of relating to the environment is called for in this .

this is the post foundational dalit theologian from india Rev. Y.T Vinayaraj.

Dears

This is an attempt to share and search the ways to enhance life affirming living around the globe.