“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; Where the words come out from the depth of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake…..” These words are from the poem of Rabindranath Tagore which clearly depicts his dream about a nation that fosters human values and upholds the dignity of its citizens.
The book of Judges is one of the most exciting, colourful, and disturbing books of the Bible. It combines stories of political conspiracy and assassination, rape and murder, courage and fear, power and greed and so on. The story of Gideon, the fifth judge of Israel, is the story of a leader who fought for Israel against the Midianite oppression.
Bible presents Gideon as a cowardly, hesitant man who is often doubtful of God’s ability to accomplish what God has promised. We can see Gideon often asking signs to confirm whether YHWH is present in his assignments. As we read in the passage, this dream is also one of the elements that God used to convince Gideon about God’s presence and providence.
Dreams were considered as one of the ways that God could communicate to people. Early in Israel's theological tradition dreams were a vehicle for God’s revelation. The dream report was the literary form which was used to describe such a religious experience. In other words here the dream format is a literary tool in the hands of this biblical author for affirming theological beliefs about a transcendent God who faithfully directs the history of the people.
Though till today the content and purpose of dreams are not fully understood, they have been a topic of speculation and interest throughout recorded history. Ferenczi, a Hungarian psychoanalyst proposed that the dream, may communicate something that is not being said outright. Recent researches on dreams also suggest that dreams refer to past memories saturated with powerful feelings. It may be also an outcome of one’s earnest ambitions or aspirations that are kept in their mind. Dreams may be also related to one’s experience.
Thus from this point of view we can see that the dream and its interpretation in this passage as a longing ambition of two persons who are in the Midianite military camp who were anticipating a freedom from it. Through their dreams we can have an entry into their experiences of sufferings and also a hope of liberation. These two men were expecting the divine intervention that their lives may get transformed. When they discuss the supernatural narratives of the dream, their wish of divine intervention they believe to have come true.
This passage reminds us about many people who are suffering because of the extensive militarisation in different parts of our country. The continuing stay of military forces in many schools and tribal hostels in Chattisgarh to fight the Maoists are creating similar dreams in the minds of children who are the promise of the future. Can’t we think that Irom Chanu Sharmila who fought against Armed Forces Special Power Acts envisioned a similar dream when the Assam Rifiles Force brutally muruded the civilians. We should also critically evaluate whether our country is crushing the life Dr. Binayak Sen and Arundhati Roy who shared thier dreams against the parochial interpretation of nation.
Like Tagore, many of the Christians too had a dream about our country. They considered it was their duty to dream and work for an independent India where there are no inequalities. The struggle for the temple entry for the outcastes in Kerala, led and supported by many prominent Christian leaders was also an example of the all encompassing nature of their dreams. The mission activities of Christians in the field of health and education can also be considered as a part of the nation building process.
Friends, as we are going to celebrate another republic day, do we have a place for our country in our dreams? Do we give space for other’s dream? Do we dream a country which is committed to the primary education of all the children, which gives equal priority to rural development as it is given to urban growth, which gives the essential services like food, health and education for all. Let us dream for honest and principled leaders who could bring about a radical change in our country by bringing down the rate of corruption. Into that land, O God let our country awake..Amen.
[Abraham Sudeep Oommen, the leader of this meditation is a final year student of Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India.]
