A STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATION -Matthew 15:21-28

Rabia, is a Muslim woman, who lives in Malppuram district of Kerala. She is a differently abled woman. She lost the movement of her legs and is only able to lie down and do the necessary needs of her life. But she was not ready to surrender to her inabilities and she took it a challenge and used these inabilities for the struggle of her liberation and for the liberation of her society. She turned her room to a class room. First, she learned how to read and write and then taught her fellow beings the first letters of knowledge. This process of teaching changed the entire society and the society became a literate one.
The passage explains the encounter and dialogue between Jesus and the Canaanite woman. This was not just a dialogue but it was a struggle. This was a struggle for the healing of her daughter and a struggle for the liberation of her race. According to the Jews, she was not one of the God’s chosen people but a gentile by birth and apparently by religion. She was a Canaanite too and lived in Phoenicia. She was descended from the ancient enemies of Israel. Tyre and Sidon was located on the Mediterranean coast approximately 35 miles north to Mount Carmel. These were ancient and well known cities of Phoenicia. Jews considered these as gentile cities and were not spoken of favourably in the Old Testament. She had no claim either of kindred or religion.
This passage also reveals the voice of pain of a woman and her race. She approached Jesus as a healer for her daughter and also she acted as a liberator not only for her daughter but also for her people. I would like to draw your attention to this struggle for liberation of the Canaanite woman.
1. She had overcome the hurdles for liberation
The reason behind her approach to Jesus was the sickness of her daughter. The Canaanite people were the most hated race by the Jewish. That was a time when no person from the context of a gentile background would have dared to come to a Jewish citizen. There was huge gap between the Jews and the Canaanite people. But she had overcome this gap by approaching Jesus with her problem. Firstly, she overcame the purity and pollution concepts of the then society. She had broken this concept by publically approaching Jesus. She can be understood as a representative of her race to break this boundary of purity and pollution. Secondly she was a woman. A Canaanite woman can be compared to a Dalit woman in India who is oppressed twice, as a Dalit and as a woman. A Canaanite woman was a symbol of oppression, who was oppressed by the Jews and by her own community. Even inside the Jewish community women were oppressed and were not allowed to come publically and speak to a male. But she broke these barriers for the liberation of her daughter and for her community. Thirdly, Jesus’ responses were a hurdle to her. She came to Jesus and said “have mercy on me Lord son of David, my daughter is tormented by a demon.” The first response of Jesus was a mere silence. This silence was severe than words. Again the disciples requested Jesus to send her away. Then Jesus responded by saying that he was sent only for the Jews. This was a very weak response by Jesus. And again she came to Jesus and requested for help. But the response of Jesus was a strong humiliation. But she was not ready to surrender to these responses. She overcame these responses by her faith and commitment toward her cause of liberation.
What is the significance of these hurdles in today’s context? There are people and communities around us who are longing for liberation. Liberation is only possible when we are able to cross the boundaries and hurdles. She crossed the boundary of purity and pollution, the boundary of gender and caste and the boundary of humiliation.
2. She used humiliation as a tool for liberation
She had to undergo the humiliation throughout her encounter with Jesus. His disciples wanted to send her away without addressing her voice of cry. She was not just telling about her struggle but she was crying. The Greek word used here is ‘craiso’ that means to cry or scream. Even this cry did not change the mind of disciples. They wanted to avoid her from that scene. Jesus’ responses were even more humiliating. Jesus announced that he has come to the world for the lost sheep of Israel. The final response of Jesus to her plea was even more tormenting and Jesus compared her to a dog who eats from the fallen loaves from his master’s table. She might have remembered the prayer that the Jewish people used to pray, “thank you Lord for not making me a woman or a Dog.
She used these words of humiliation to respond to Jesus. She was strong enough to turn her humiliation as a tool for the liberation. She argues with Jesus using Jesus’ own words to say that If Jesus had come as a saviour to the world then she and her community will also be a part of that. Humiliation was not a new thing to a woman like the Canaanite woman. This was her experience throughout her life. Now she has decided to turn that humiliation as a tool for her own liberation.
The story of Daya Bahai tells us about the opposition and struggle she had to undergo when she reached the tribal villages of Madhya Pradesh. Her name was Mercy Mathew and she belonged the Catholic Church in Kerala. She joined the Sisterhood of the church and wanted to become a nun of the Catholic Church. But before finishing her training period she left the church and went to the villages of Madhya Pradesh. She had to face humiliation and opposition from her own church, from the land mafia, from the police department, political leaders etc. But she was not ready to give up her struggle for the tribal communities. Today she lives as a tribal and continuing her struggle for the liberation of the marginalised people.
We have a number of brothers and sisters who live a life of humiliation and condemnation. But they are not able to come out of their struggles. But the Canaanite woman, herself became a channel of liberation. We as Christians have the responsibility of liberating our brothers and sisters from their oppressive structures. But we normally make them silent by humiliating them. We want the poor and the dalit to remain poor and dalit. For that we humiliate them and use them. We always want them to eat the crumbs that fall down from the table and not the meal at the table. But the Canaanite woman was not willing to submit to these injustices. She turned that system and used that as a tool for the liberation.
3. She used her God-consciousness and theological affirmations for liberation
Jews had a false understanding that they are the custodians of God and theology. But here she also affirmed her God consciousness and theological beliefs. The first verbal encounter begins with her cry of "Lord" and "Son of David." In Mathew, "Lord" is addressed to Jesus only by true believers, and "Son of David" is used by the marginalized of society, who recognized the Messiah of Israel, whom the leaders of Israel reject. The woman knows that her insight of faith gives her no claim on the Jewish Messiah; But she affirmed that she also have the right to accept Jesus as her Liberator. Persisting in the face of discouragement, the woman of faith "comes" to Jesus and "worships" him. The word used here is proskyneô, a favourite Matthean verb for the proper act of reverence toward Jesus. She repeats her petition with heart-rending simplicity: "Lord, help me." Like the Psalmist, she is at the end of her rope. She also affirmed her faith by saying that she also has the right to eat from the crumbs. In a way, she was saying that she also has the right to have the liberation from God. She did not think about the consequences of her public statements about this God consciousness. Jesus accepted her as a woman of great faith. She overcame the hurdles and humiliations through this God-consciousness. She called to Jesus as the son of David and affirmed the prophetical declarations about the coming of a messiah as the liberator of the whole world.
Let me conclude my message. The story of the Canaanite woman gives us a challenge to overcome our struggles in the path of liberation. She used the humiliation and condemnation as a tool for her liberation. Even in the midst of the struggles and pain she had a strong God consciousness and she affirmed this without fear. Church is the called-out community of God. We are entrusted with the task of becoming the channels of liberation. Can we be the channel of liberation amidst humiliation and pain? Can we participate in the struggles of our brothers and sisters who are still oppressed by caste, colour and gender. May the almighty God bless us to be the channel of liberation. 

[This sermon is prepared and delivered by Liju Raju ,  a final year BD Student in Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India.]

The Loser and the Lost: Rethinking Pastoral Care in India

Scripture lessons: Ezek. 34: 8-16 , 1 Pet. 5: 1-4, Luke. 15: 1-10.

“Jesus sent me to witness to the lost” (In India) shouted a Canadian Missionary during a heated discussion between the conservatives and liberals in a Kodaikanal School Church Council meeting. According to him the “lost” are people of all non-Christian faith backgrounds and the liberals, who according to his standards, were not “true Christians”! The Canadian was convinced that he was doing God’s work of preaching the Good News to the “heathen” in India. His aggressive and often inhuman mission incited serious troubles both within the school campus and outside; and his mission did not end up peacefully. The usage of terms such as “lost”, “shepherd” etc. are not uncommon in Christian circles.
The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin in Luke’s gospel take us right into the context namely, the character of the Shepherd/Owner. God, the Good Shepherd, is concerned about the lost. In this meditation, I want to focus on the first parable and occasionally refer to the one of the lost coin to reflect on the significance of the “shepherding ministry” or pastoral care in India today.
The passage shows that the sheep owner diligently searches for the sheep. The parables are set in a controversial context in which Jesus angered the Jewish religious leaders by welcoming and sharing the table with the outcastes and the wretched in the Jewish society. The two parables use a common theme apollymi (meaning lost) and heurisko (meaning found). The context of the first parable reflects a Palestinian farming setting. In the Old Testament God is described as Israel’s shepherd (Is. 40: 11); by contrast, in the New Testament, the image is limited to Jesus’ parables (Lk. 15: 1 ff). Both in the Old Testament and Christian literature the Shepherd image also represents leaders of the people who did not serve the sheep well. Yahweh denounces such faithless shepherds (Ezek. 34), who for their personal gains, ignored and scattered the sheep and neglected their care. The true nature and character of God manifested through the parables interest all of us. They are examined under three headings.
1. The diligently seeking God:
God the Shepherd is one who searches for the lost and the least. God invests much effort and is genuinely concerned about the search. Should one sheep get astray the Shepherd leaves the 99 secure in the field and brings back to the fold the frightened and disoriented sheep. The lost one is temporarily more important than the rest who do not need care right now. Because of the high value of the sheep it is no token search. In spite of the hurdles along the way, the search is stopped only when the lost one is found. The focus here is on the shepherd’s diligent searching than on the straying. Jesus takes the place of God who performs the acts of God. The seeking of the lost needs certain other qualities as well.
2. The courageous God:
The diligently seeking God is also a courageous God. Here courage does not mean the tough/strong image but the calm, fearless shepherd who is willing to take risks to the extent of self sacrifice for the lost one. The shepherd in the parable took two risks: first, the risk of leaving the 99 behind; second, readiness to face any unexpected event in the act of saving. The diligence and courage sustain the shepherd to continue the search till the lost is found. The obstacles on the way do not block the shepherd from searching.
The shepherd image is a paradigm for God’s care and concern. Jesus who fulfills the ministry as the Good Shepherd is the forerunner of the ministry of shepherding. Alastair Campbell, a British Pastoral Theologian, finds in Jesus’ words, deeds and sufferings the character of a courageous shepherd (Alastair V. Campbell, Rediscovering Pastoral Care,1986). It is inclusive of, but is not limited to, Jesus’ relationship with his parent God, his certainty of the supremacy of love, his courage to move and eat with the outcastes and the marginalized of his time, to share bread and wine with his betrayer and even to allow himself to be tortured until death. The inner wholeness and oneness with God and humanity are crucial to Jesus’ image as the Good Shepherd. The Shepherd’s task does not end with searching and finding the lost one but includes rejoicing and celebrating also.
3. The rejoicing and celebrating God:
When the lost is found there is much rejoicing. The parable describes the joy of the shepherd who finds the sheep which was separated from the company and the host. Rejoicing and celebrating are not private and exclusive ceremonies. The shepherd invites neighbors to join the feast. God takes more delight to celebrate with the repentant outcastes than with the Jewish religious leaders. Their righteousness does not make God rejoice. Because of their attitude, they separated themselves from the table fellowship. The parable of the lost coin has the same ending. There the woman finds the lost coin after a diligent search, and when found, she includes her women friends and neighbors in the celebration!
The shepherd image in the parable of the lost sheep is central to pastoral care. The term “pastoral” which is often associated with the image “shepherd” is not merely a function but a “perspective”, an “attitude” or “point of view” (Seward Hiltner, Preface to Pastoral Theology, 1958). Seward Hiltner, a North American Pastoral Theologian, argues that this “perspective” should govern all activities of the church.
Both the parables calls for a paradigm shift in the way we conceive and practice pastoral care in India. I want to briefly comment on three aspects.
First, if pastoral care and counseling are to be relevant to India they should be informed by the multi-faith, multi-cultural and socio-economic realities of her people. Pastoral Counselling is more than a one to one conversation in the comforts of the counselor’s therapy room. It is facilitating the compassionate encounter of a loving and caring God in the painful moments of the troubled person’s crisis. In this encounter the humans are the “living human documents” (Anton T. Boisen, The Exploration of the Inner World, 1952); in other words, the broken, wretched or outcast bodies become the reference point of the theory and practice of pastoral care. For instance, our ministry among the Persons Living with HIV/AIDS is not to them but with them in the sense that their infected bodies become, in Dr. George Zachariah’s words, “authentic texts” (George Zachariah, “Ethics in the Time of HIV and AIDS: Celebrating Infectious Memories for Positive Living”, Asian Christian Review, Vol 4: No: 1, Summer 2010) or subjects of pastoral ministry. Thus theology is not borne out of the professor’s study or a method of “God management” (K.M. George, The Silent Roots, 1994) using verbal and theological jargons but it is borne out of theological reflections on the raw realities of human lives. It is pastoral theology at its best.
Second, pastoral care is a community task. The man and the woman in the parables rejoice and celebrate the finding of the lost sheep/coin with their neighbors. It is important to note the leadership role of the woman in the parable of the lost coin. Pastoral care and church leadership are not the prerogatives of a group of male clergy. Therefore, they need rethinking along gender equality lines. This is a challenge to churches and institutions which are not even willing to consider women for pastoral ministry and other leadership positions. In spite of the many social services that the church and its agencies are engaged in, many of them seldom share their resources and function exclusively in providing care. As a faith community we need to reflect on how we must go beyond our narrow ecclesial and ethnic clan consciousness and theological differences to minister to people who do not belong to our fold. As a hospital chaplain, I was confronted by many people of non-Christian backgrounds regarding my openness to ministry with them. Often I am spiritually urged to break my ecclesial norms to provide pastoral care including sacraments to people and their families in crisis! Giving a plate of food to a hungry person, a glass of water to a thirsty person, offering a word of prayer where needed, a moment of solidarity with the marginalized, a helping hand to a visually handicapped, all these may not receive recognition in the national or world conference of theologians and church leaders but they too are acts of care in God’s name. I compare my painful experience of being refused drinking water in the cafeteria of a Christian organization in Chennai with the Chennai Jain community’s compassionate act of providing drinking water in clay pots to the public!
Third and last, but not the least, is the narrow understanding of the term “pastoral” in churches and even in theological institutions in India. The term should not be confined to the function of a pastor or those who teach and learn pastoral care but it should govern all our Christian activities. It is a sad reality that in most of the theological institutions, pastoral care is given the lowest priority, be it the appointment of faculty or the motivation given to the students to specialize in this field. But, very recently, there are some optimistic signs from the Serampore Senate (University) to promote pastoral care in theological institutions. My point is that, not only pastoral care and counselling but all activities in churches and theological institutions also need to have a pastoral perspective. With reference to Gurukul College this includes the Gurukul cultural fete and even the finance campaign which will be inaugurated at the end of this week. For me finance campaign is, in addition to collecting money for the college (which is important), our rededication to the bold theological vision and mission of our college. It also includes responsibility and accountability to the donors, the churches and the public who entrust us with their material resources to be used for God’s glory.
Many years ago, our group of theological students from Union Theological Seminary, New York City, visited the United Nations General Assembly hall. Our guide took us to various sections sponsored by each member nation. In one area I noticed that the ceiling was not completed and I asked the guide for the reason. He replied that the European nation which undertook that work intentionally left it incomplete to constantly remind the UN of its unfinished task. Sisters and brothers in Christ, the current realities in today’s world is a reminder of the church’s unfinished pastoral ministry and mission. May the Spirit of God inspire us to follow the great Shepherd, Jesus the Christ, to fulfill God’s ministry and mission. Amen. 

[Rev. Fr. Dr. George Varughese, the leader of this meditation, is the Assistant Professor in the Department of Christian Ministry in Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai,India.]

PAROUSIA-GOD’S CONTINOUS ACTION- 2 PETER 3:8 –13

There are not as many personal references in 2 Peter for the authorship of Peter, as there are in 1 Peter. Though the opening verse of the epistle identifies the author as Simon Peter, an apostle of Christ, it has been challenged by critics because of the later date than Peter’s lifetime and different style from that of the first. The recipients of this letter would have been the churches that would include, in Asia Minor, Churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. The historical situation that prompted the author to write this letter is the presence of the false teachers in the church who apparently were backslidden Christians. The situation became serious, because the doctrine and practice of these false teachers were contrary to those taught by the apostles. The apostles taught that Jesus would return for them in their day. But, these false teachers had convinced some, particularly spiritually weak or new Christians to accept their doctrine and practices. They even posed a danger to those mature in faith who yet had remained unconvinced by them. Their doctrine was based on eschatological skepticism. They, as well as many other early Christians, expected that the Parousia of Christ would occur during the life time of the first generation of Christians. But that generation died without experiencing Parousia. As a result, they claimed that the apostolic proclamation of Parousia was a myth. They also claimed that the apostolic proclamation was not inspired but were the result of the prophet’s misguided personal interpretations of their own prophetic visions. The author’s urgency stems from the conviction that the Parousia would occur in the life time of the Christians addressed. Since the appearance of false teachers and their scoffing is a precursor or sign of the Parousia of Christ and the judgment of the world, the author believed that the Parousia was near.
Chapter 3 of II Peter starts with refuting the false teachers’ accusation. In our given passage for today, the writer further urges the churches not to overlook God’s forbearance. Here, he has reworked on Psalms 90.4, which says, “For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night. The writer uses this verse to prove that human life is transient, while God is everlasting. The period before the eschatological end would seem long to humanity, but not to God. It is affirmed that what may seem like a delay of the Parousia is not a delay from God’s perspective. The author does not address the problem of the failure of the Parousia to occur within this limited time. Rather, he admits the delay and affirms the eventual fulfillment of the promised Parousia. The delay does not indicate a false promise, but God’s forbearance as provision for the repentance for sinners. In V.10, the affirmation of Parousia and judgment opens with the verb Echo ‘will come’ to emphasize that, although God’s patience delays the Parousia, surely it will come. The simile of the thief probably comes from Jesus’ Parable of the thief in gospel tradition (Mt. 24: 43, 44; Lk. 12: 39, 40). It conveys both the unexpectedness of Parousia and the threat of judgment it brings to those who impose on the patience of God by delaying their own repentance.
Patience is often cited as a character trait of God based on God’s self-revelation in Ex. 34: 6, 7. This mercy is an outgrowth of God’s love in putting up with sins of sinners and withholding the judgment. This gives the sinner, the time to repent but this time of mercy is not unlimited. Judgment will eventually come for the unrepentant, and the time of its coming is as unpredictable as the coming of a thief. Thus we should not take so much comfort in the patience of God, having a false sense that there is plenty of time to repent.
We may say about the coming of Christ as a future event. We may feel it is a doctrine we have to lay on one side but we cannot escape from the certainty of the entry of God into our own experience. As a community of faith, we should not think it as a future event which may happen at the end times. It is not a one-time end action that is going to happen afar. Many a time, we tend to think like that and be reluctant to the things that we ought to do. But, as responsible people of faith, our attitude towards Parousia should not be a final or end time event. It is sure that Christ breaks into every one of our lives. Coming of Christ is a daily process, which happen every day in our lives. Christ breaks into our life in each and every aspect we experience. But, we should be in a position to realize the coming of Christ into our lives. We have to prepare ourselves to meet Christ who is coming into our life. That preparation is the repentance and the righteous actions which have to be continued throughout our life. Our repentance should be renewed day by day. If Christ’s coming is a daily process, then our repentance and righteousness should also be a daily process.
May God help us to be prepared to meet Christ who comes into our lives. Amen. 

[This Meditation was lead by Chrisida Nithyakalyani (chris_niths@yahoo.co.in) , Final Year BD Student]

Jeremiah 3: 1- 4:2

Jeremiah 3: 1- 4:2, emphasise on the return of the apostate. Jeremiah’s mission was two-fold - to root out and tear down and to build and plant. The present poem is the second panel of diptych. The essence of the whole section is the working out of the conditions required to bring about the reconciliation between Israel and Yahweh. The profound unity of the entire composition was maintained through the constant use of the key word “Shubh”. Basically the root means to return from one place to another. In terms of religious meanings this expression designates both an aversion from and a conversation to the right.
Human life is a beautiful composition of visits and revisits. The God who works in the history also is seen as a God who visits and revisits. This God does not designate a destination for any works God does, instead revisits or returns to all that are seen as good. We see in the above read passage about a God who is a promising God, as a forgiving God, a God who expects the return of his beloved.
Incarnation of Jesus is the towering portrayal of the return of God in history. The incarnation of Jesus exemplifies the willingness of God to return to the communion which God had with creation in the Garden of Eden. Jesus' ministry cannot be seen as a linear projectile with specific goals attached to every course of action he undertook or each person he met. In his journeys as he walked, he stopped when he heard someone cry, he turned when someone touched his cloak and returned to those who needed his attention and care.
The seashore of Tiberius in the post resurrection narrative witnesses an evident scene of this returning Jesus to his disciples. Jesus and his disciples were moving together towards the cross all through his ministry. But at the crucial time of facing the cross the disciples deserted him and hid in their secure enclosures. But what we see at the end of the day is a Jesus waiting on his disciples with words of comfort and reassurance. Jesus returns back from his journey to the glory to reinstate his beloved group. Every returning compassion is compelled by a permanent space reserved in the corner for the beloved. Most often our evaluations on the events in our lives reserve no permanent space for the people or events in or cognitive space. We could not effectively engage with the call of the least and the lost as we never bruised ourselves to leave a permanent space for them. Their cries for help are just prayer points in our profligate spiritual exercises.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi left his lucrative job prospects and a promising career as he could reserve some permanent space for his fellow people yearning for freedom. This made him return to his country leading it into Independence. Today let us examine deep into our hearts and see how much space we reserve for the commitments and how much shallow are our engagements. Let us return to our commitments and find permanent spaces for events and people we meet in our daily lives. Amen
[ Alex Das, the leader of this meditation, is a final year BD student  in Gurukul College]

Jeremiah 13:23-27

The past does affect the future. Habits learned yesterday will guide what one does tomorrow. When one is accustomed to doing wrong it becomes impossible to do right. Just as we cannot change the color of our skin and leopards cannot move their spots from one place to another, so we continue to do evil forgetting God and trust in the lies of the world around us. Hence, we walk in darkness and our ways are wicked, when we replace God’s standard of living to some prescribed lifestyle of the world.
This is the message sent to king Jehoiakim, and his queen by Jeremiah. Indeed, their sorrows would be great indeed. Do they ask, from where comes these sorrows and why the nation is so distressed and why things so heavily laid upon us? Jeremiah prophesies that to let them know, it is for the nation’s obstinacy in sin. He uses a figurative language, as we cannot alter the natural colour of the skin; and so it is morally impossible to reclaim and reform these people. Sin is the blackness or darkness of the soul. It is the discolouring of it the soul. We were shapen in it, so that we cannot get clear of it by any power of our own. However, God in His grace is able to change that which is impossible to human. Neither natural depravity nor strong habits of sin, form an obstacle to the working of God in creating the new Spirit. Now it is up to Jerusalem to decide, whether she is determined not be made clean.
It is the reality that no system of government can force morality on its citizens. Cultural renewal requires more than the passage of a set of laws demanding morality. It requires that people, as both individuals and collective, who want to be moral.
In the words of two individuals, the columnist Cal Thomas and the former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, strike at the heart of the matter. Thomas writes, “When a building’s foundation is in disrepair, it must be replaced. This will take a change of heart and mind that requires different behavior and lifestyle choices. No politician can legislate that.” Sadat wrote in his autobiography, “He who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality.” The most vital key to ultimately creating a truly reformed culture is the change that will have to occur within the “very fabric” of people’s thoughts.
The scripture points to that time. In due course, when an entirely new governmental foundation is laid, God will write His laws and ways, not in the form of legislative documents but in the willing hearts and minds of people, morally transforming society and delivering it from all its cultural ills (Jeremiah 31:31–33).While activists and legislators strive to reform a culture through the politics of democracy and self-determination, God’s plan is to write His moral precepts in human hearts.
So, are we then in hopeless, once we’ve decided to go against God and learned to live according to the desires of our own hearts and become accustomed to doing evil? In Ezekiel, God promises to put a new spirit and a new heart, a new heart of flesh to replace the heart of stone that we develop when we continuously rebel against God. In verse 27 of Jeremiah chapter 13 offers us a choice. Our wickedness and our running after the “false gods” in our lives are contrasted with the opportunity to have God cleanse us. We are dirty, filthy, with abominations filling us when we walk after our own desires. We can choose to be cleansed by God. God will wash us from our sins and we could be morally transformed community. The Ethiopian cannot change his skin and the leopard cannot change his spots, but we will be changed through the power and glory of God to give up our desires to do wrong. We can be pure in heart that desire to follow God. We can give up the evil as we are accustomed to doing and through God in forming new habits, where we will be accustomed to do good. We choose to follow God, and God changes us to children with hearts receptive to love God.
Let this be our prayer this day, that you desire to be changed in heart of stone to a heart of flesh to love God..!
[Thomas Manoj Samuel, who lead this meditation, is a doctoral student in Communication]