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IN SEARCH OF THE IDENTITY OF MAR THEODOSIUS
1. What do you think of your priestly vocation in the community?
Any one is a person in community. He or she is to bean integrated personality and this is possible only in relation to a community where he/she is a past and parcel. People need friends with whom they can share their visions, seek support and grow as a community.
Priestly vocation, I believe, has the ministry of community nations and community living.
As an ordained minister, the ministry I had at Santacruz (Bombay) Calcutta, Toronto (Canada), Nanthencode (Trivandrum) and Calicut were among the communities at each place and with the religious community. To be faithful to the call and to fulfill the ministry, I need the support, fellowship and challenges of the community. As an Episcopa, I feel all the more that without a community, life because a zero. Everyday, I grow and learn in community life.
2. Do you have anyone to name whose guidance had helped you to take up your life-long pursuit of Christian discipleship? If so, what is the personal trait of the person that had attracted you?
I would say, I have two. One is late Rev. T. C. Thomas who was the Principal of the Mar Thoma College, Tiruvalla at that time when I was doing my graduate course with Physics (Main) and Maths & Chemistry Sub. (1966-1969). I know him more closely from the time I gave in my application for admissions. I stayed in the hostel. The Principal’s Quarters was next to the hostel and therefore I got opportunities to interact with him. That was a time when he represented the Mar Thoma Church in the World Council of Churches. His love and concern for every one, loyalty to the Church and humility in life (Lk 1: 46-49) are characteristics that attracted me. He used to read contemporary books.
Second is late Rev. K. C. Cherian who was my Parish priest at Ashtamudy. During those days (since 1949) there was only one Church at Inchavila, Perinadu, Quilon. Achan used to come by cycle to visit houses and took time to talk to all in the family. He was fond of children and he used to recognize them during his pastoral visit. My house was about 3 miles away from the Parsonage. I never found him tired of his pastoral visits. He was particular that we all attend the Church Service which is a community-worship. I was attracted by his hard and systematic pastoral ministry in a village Parish and his personal relationship with the parishioners. He was s shepherd ‘who knew his sheep byname. Jn. 10:3. I am grateful that he came for my First Qurbana and preached on the occasion.
3. You have had plenty of exposures in life. What are the influence that had made a difference in your personal growth?
I am grateful that I had several exposures in life.
4. How do you rate your family and parish influence on your formative period?
I am one among the seven children born to my parents with three sisters and three brothers. I am grateful all of them for their love and affection.
My father served in the Military as a Medical practitioner (LMP) in the rank of Captain. He had the opportunities to travel far and wide at the time of World Wars II and left the Service to come back and look after his mother who was an aged widow by that time. My mother came from the Orthodox Church and got adjusted to the Mar Thoma Church, regular in worship Service and active in the Sevika Sanghom. We had regular morning and evening family prayer where my father gave the lead and used to speak from the word of God. His extempore prayer in the morning included every one in the family and it was his nature to pray for each person. Evening prayer gave occasion for other members of the family to pray. Children were also encouraged to pray. On Sundays we went to Church, walking up and down the 3 mile distance, along with other Mar Thoma families in the neighbourhood. As children we enjoyed the walk which in fact was a community walk-walking and talking. If we were at home on Sundays, our practice was to have a family worship at noon time before lunch. My father used give religious instructions at that time. My parents remained committed to God and loyal to the Church. This has had its influence on me.
All the children were sent to Boarding homes, as there was only a primary School in Ashtamudy-boys were sent to Mar Thoma Seminary, Kottayam and girls to Nicholson Girls High School, Tiruvalla. (I am told that my father also studied at the Mar Thoma Seminary Kottayam when the late Juhanon Mar Thoma was a School Teacher). After my school education and Pre-Degree classes at the Baselius College, Kottayam, I was sent to the Mar Thoma College, Tiruvalla for graduate students. It was there that I had the opportunity to meet late Rev. T. C. Thomas. My parents were particular that we study in Mar Thoma Institutions. It was a time when both Ordained Ministries and Teachers were well respected by society for their commitment, value-oriented living and service in moulding the personalities of children. I appreciate the concern of my parents in sending all of us to Mar Thoma Institutions, even though they had to work hard to make both ends meet.
The village parish priests in our local parish include people like Late Revds. K.C. Cherian (Pallippadu) and P. M. Stephen (Keezhillam). I remember their commitment, hard work and the simplicity of life. Rev. E. J. George never used cycle but was not tired by walking all distances to meet his flock. The life examples of the Vicars and my parish influenced me to commit my life for the same cause.
I grew up in different places, worshipping at different parishes-Ashtamudy. Kottayam and Tiruvalla. It was the question of growing up in different regional communities but at the same time who are members of the same Church. This has helped me to understand unity in diversity. The Mar Thoma boy’s camp and the Mar Thoma Students’ Conference have helped me to study the faith and practices of our Church. I had my First Communion in the Mar Thoma Students’ Conference, grew up as a communicant member in Kottayam and started assisting in the Holy Qurbana Services in Tiruvalla.
5. You have undertaken quite a few humanitarian projects in the community. What do you think of other such noble efforts initiated by people of other faiths?
Humanitarian projects in community are quite essential for community, living and nourishment. A religious community in a geographical area is not and should not be a closed community. The whole is habited earth is a large community of communities. Humanitarian projects in community initiated by people of other faiths are compliment to the activities of the Church. I believe in the celebration of diversity and at the same time keeping a Spirit of unity. Jesus said… ‘That which is not against us is for us.’
6. You have written a doctoral dissertation under the guidance of Dr. Arappura on the topic “Change and continuity in the religious life of Ezhavas of South Travancore.” Will you specify your contribution to the academic fraternity?
Ezhavas of Southern Travancore is the single largest community that came up in the social ladder in a cast-ridden society without claiming their ancestry to a higher caste (Sanskritization) or changing their religion for a better social recognition. This unique nature made the Study intereship.
Is this not due to the western influence (westernization)? This is a questions often raised by students of religion when they hear about the presence of British in India. Southern Travancore never came under the British rule (like Malabar) but only had a resident under Madras Presidency. Hence the religions movement among the Ezhavas was indigenous.
The reformation of the St. Thomas Christian of Kerala came earlier than the Ezhava movement and hence that remained as a model of their resurgence.
The Ezhava movement was studied under the guidance of Dr. John Arappura and Dr. Paul younger who knew Kerala community very well. My thesis was to state the movement as ‘Modernization’ with some unique natures. (The thesis is published and hence I am not repeating it here).
7. What you think of the several “new age religious gurus” in India? How do you rate their contribution to the transformation of the people in India? Are they co-workers with God?
First of all we need to classify “new age religious gurus” into two categories: the true and the false.
There are false gurus these days who under the cover of religion, play their part for their selfish ends. Money, Sex and Power are the three main areas where they fall. There are powerful mafias who make use of religious gurus for their ends.
There are true gurus who are enlightened and commit themselves to the call of time and to the cause which they want to live for. India stands for ‘Sanatana dharma’ (Eternal Dharma). Gurus though living in time and space are supposed to transcend them particularly all selfish desires, vested interests, pleasures of the world and regionalism. Their spiritual exercise is to live closer to God. Hinduism speaks of Brahmasmi = I am Brahman where the distance between the two is reduced to zero. Christianity speaks of Life in Christ where again the distance is not kept. St. Paul says: “I am crucified with Christ. It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me”. Again he says; “For me to live is Christ”.
Gurus have the role of leading the people on the right path; in true light. What India needs is not simply ‘ethical gurus’ (Max Weber) but also exemplary gurus whose lives will also be an example – worthy for the generations to follow.
Indian Gurus have no scarcity for followers. Today the world is flat. It has no boundaries. Gurus are known globally and they have followers from all corners of the world. The Significant question is not who or what the guru is but where are the followers led? Certainly the dharma of the Guru is to commit their lives for the transformation of the People. Mother Teresa, globally known as ‘the Mother’ spent her life for the poorest of the poor thereby transforming the mind of the whole generation of her time.
I consider such Gurus as co_workers with God.
8. As a student of the philosophy of religions, do you whole-heartedly support dialogue with people of other faiths and ideologies? What do you think in the goal of such efforts?
I do whole-heartedly support dialogue with people of other faiths and ideologies.
Dialogue is different from monologue in the sense that both person and groups engaged in this have the privilege of listening and communicating. It opens room for both to learn from each other and also through dialogue. It can result in the transformations of both leading to the growth of religions. It can contribute to the larger society and also to the generations. More than the conversion from one to the other which may or may not take place I understand the result as the growth and renewal of both. More than the academic contribution I understand it as the spiritual reformation.
As a Christian this is subjecting ourselves to the guidance and working of the Holy Spirit which will lead us unto the Truth. Satyameva Jayate! Jesus said: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”. Hence Dialogue is inevitable in Christian life in its true spirit.
9. As a diocesan bishop of the Mar Thoma Church in Chennai, what do you think of the major challenges in the mission of the Church in India? How will you relate yourself to the marginalized groups in the Church?
Mar Thoma Christ is an evangelical Church and wherever our people have gone on the global land, they maintain their interest for Gospel-work. Our North American Diocese has started a Missionfield in Mexico. Singapore has joined hands with Salvation Army to reach out to the suffering people in El-Turior. Malaysia has work among Tamil speaking migrants in Pandamaran and Lebis.
Mar Thoma Church from the early 20th Century started opening Mission Centres across the length and breadth of India including Nepal and Tibetan border. Now or an assessment of our Evangelistic work, I can say that our Church has more mission centres in the Southern Region of India. As the Diocesan Bishop of Chennai-Bangalore Diocese I cover this Southern region.
There are now 185 evangelists working in three language areas of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. We have mission centres in Andaman Nicobar islands as well. There are 8517 baptized members added to the Church as a date and a good member of seekers in each place. The diocese along has spent about Rs. 1 Crore in 2007. I am certain that Evangelistic Association and the Missionary Achans in each area have spent not less than an equal amount.
This is posing several challenges before us. The general attitude is to added the numerical number to say how many are added each other. I believe that each baptism is giving us added responsibility to see that each new member is given adequate spiritual nurture. It is like the responsibility parents have when children are born to them. There is joy but it goes with responsibility. This year the diocese printed Sunday School books in Kannada. The Kendra Yuvajana Sakhyam is providing Bible notes in Kannada for daily devotion and study.
Some people say that we remain a caste by ourselves in the cast ridden nations. Don’t we have a spirit of exclusivism as Syrian, as Malayalee, as elite group? This is a challenge. I am glad that our Church is choosing people for ordination and to be evangelist from among the new believers. We are also recognizing them as Congregations and Parishes. Right now we have 25 parishes and 59 congregations among them apart from the house-churches existing in the frontiers. As there are parishes, people’s representatives are now coming to the Diocesan Assemblies and Sabha Mandalam. Will we encourage them to participate in the decision making bodies of our Church? For thus we need devices to understand their language and to converse with them. If we don’t do that they will be kept outside the wall.
Another major challenge is to understand them and serve among them for their intergrated development. It is not the questions of simply catering to their spiritual need but also to their physical and mental aspects. Food, clothes, houses, education, health, recreation are some of the areas where mission centres have to attend to so that each can live and grow as human beings. Therefore, it can be eradicated if we have mind to do so. Any development is to be particularly. The present charitable approach needs transformation. Mission is to empower people. Then only the development will remain sustainable.
The general cry that I hear from the people in our mission fields is: ‘you have been preaching gospel to us all these years; when are you going to live the Gospel among us?’
This is a call to continue the incarnation ministry of Jesus Christ. Church cannot be are that is to be seen at a distance. The Church is to be there where the people are. Instead of convening people to Tiruvalla, Maramon, Madras or Bangalore steps are to be taken for them to know the Church is with them and they are the Church.
When we speak of the marginalized groups let us be aware that in their eyes we are also marginalized. The New Heaven and New Earth has no walls or boundaries. Love builds people together. Giving your best for the best of the other is love. We need to relate with marginalized groups with the understanding that the other is an extension of my own self. We then enter into intra-subjective experience.
10. In the Festschrift volume, your friends and well-wishers have written on a them which is dear to you: In Search of Christian Identity in the Community. Will you initiate study groups on the theme for further reflection and response?
I will be happy if the Festschrift itself would turn out to be a study book.
Christian identity reveals Jesus Christ and His revelation of God. Christian identity communicates the good-news of God’s economy of salvation in Christ.
The Holy Bible says: “The Earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell there in” (Ps 24: 1). This is the household of God which lives and moves as one community with God as the Father.
Plurality and Diversity are God-given realities. The Holy Trinity stands as model for unity that we need in the inhabited earth. Christ has taught us this unity and prayed for it (St. Jn 17). Christian identity is revealed in maintaining the unity in diversity. This is possible only through a continued reflection and response of our living in community.
Cross is the Symbol. It is the mark of our Christian identity. It reminds us of Jesus Christ, his incarnation, public ministry, death on the Cross, resurrection, ascension and second coming. All these became meaningful and relevant to us now only in history and in community celebration. His teaching on Servant-ministry, sacrificial giving, care for the other, transformed life and salvation experience are all possible only in community living.
Therefore the search for Christian identity in the Community is not only a topic for study but one to be experienced in our daily life.
11. Will you critically evaluate the institutional witness of the Mar Thoma Church?
Institutions are there to carry out the mission of God Church entered into Educational ministry when she understood that there are unprivileged children. So the Church opened opportunities. In the same way healing ministry and the like. Institutions are needs as vehicles to carry out the mission. But when you institutionalize the missions, institution remains and mission is lost. I am sorry to note that some of our Christian organizations are satisfied in catering to the privileged class, ignoring the less privileged and the poor. It is my opinion that the Church continue to maintain our option for the poor and move to the unreached areas of life and to the unreached people. Let us make it a reality what Christ has said: I have come that you have life and have it abundantly.
Spirit of competition, market culture of seeing my people as customers, Profit motive, materialism etc are to be shunned from the life style of the Church. Institutions are to witness God and to work for the growth of the community of God.
12. What are the challenges in the life of the Diaspora Community of the Mar Thoma Church?
Mar Thoma Church remained in the Kerala coast for a long time. The Diaspora community emerged, I would say, on the eve of 19th Century are growing in member after the World wars. We have larger communities in the worth-American diocese, Gulf region and Singapore-Malaysia-Australia diocese.
The first generation Community, in general, thought about returning to their motherland after utilizing the job opportunities. But the question of identity remained unanswered as they faced inter-mingling of cultures. The second challenge is to inter social marriages which their children started preferring and opting. Now we have the third challenge of globalization where you may not have a localized residence or a localized place of worship. We experience the rapid changes taking place in our world where a space of our own is becoming a distant reality. I don’t ignore the increase in divorces among our people, innumerable suicides taking place or the erosion of the values in the lives of people.
I am of opinion that the Church is not able to cope up with the speed of the day. The Church is note able to equip the mission and ministry in the light of the changes taking place arrived us. Is the Church able to understand the people on the pews? All the ordained ministers, lay leaders and training centres have to wake up and define the modus operandi to be relevant and meaningful.
The postmodern generation itself is a Diaspora Community on a different dimension. The world has become flat. A person living in India can have lunch in UK and evening tea in USA. The postmodern need not confine are self to a place of residence like the Agrarian youth. The modern technology and communication net work do not need a physical office. Post modern family may not be under the same roof. Postmodernism poses a different set of challenges.
13. How will you promote Ecumenism in the life of the churches?
Ecumenism is derived from the word oikoumene which indicates the whole inhabited world which is to be seen as one house-hold.
Ecumenism celebrates diversity instead of uniformity. The Churches in ecumenical relationship should not look for uniformity, but open ourself for accepting the other with differences.
Ecumenism celebrates unity. It does not mean unity of separate entities. The Churches in ecumenism shall reveal the spirit of mutuality where one feels that existence in meaningful only in living in mutual relationship. The Holy Trinity is the model for the Churches.
Ecumenism is gazing together to understand the present and the future. Students of physics would understand that the vision and experience of the person differs from that of the other even when both are looking at the same object from the same space and in the same time. Here the difference will become complementary for a better understanding of the truth. The ultimate reality is one.
A leader of the Church along with the members of the Church shall promote the question of listening to one another, sharing and discussing the experiences and to live together to grasp the Truth God reveals from time to time through different means.
The Churches are to be taught to transcend the spirit of Religious fundamentalism, fascism and promote the ecumenical spirit and universal understanding that all in the whole created order are wanted and has to live in relationship willing to care each other and the share the resources.
14. Do you have any special message to the youth and to the clergy of the Mar Thoma Church?
The youth is the strength of any given society. They are the hope of the present with talents and dynamism. They dare to take risks and venture to the impossible. They have the potential to fly higher than others and to lead the rest in society.
I have 12 student chaplains in the diocese covering 12 stations in different regions of the diocese trying to reach out to the students who are far away from their have and in places where we do not have regular worship services.
In the modern family structure, majority of both the father and mother are working. They seldom get time to spend with their children. The family prayer and the personal devotions are at stake. Our parents are eager to give their children, the best education possible. So some children are sent to boarding schools. Almost all children to for tuition classes to better their education. There are tuition classes on Sunday mornings which deprive the opportunities of children going for worship services and to the Sunday school. This is resulting as the lack of interest on the past of our youth in going to church for Sunday-worship services, area wise prayer fellowship meeting and shouldering various responsible positions in the Church. This results in the delusions of interest in religious matters and erosion of their spiritual life.
The modern youth live in a world of high competition and in the spirit of consumerism. The spirit of competitions distances the youth from living their neighbour and caring the person in need. The spirit of consumerism prevents the youth in sharing their resources for the upliftment of the poor and needy. The craving for money takes them to higher salaried jobs and creates a culture where the less privileged are neglected and ignored. This is reflected in the style of living and in interpersonal relationships including marriage. The Christian values of simplicity, sacrificial giving, shouldering the responsibilities of the other, empathy with the suffering are all loosing. A culture without Christian values is growing day by day. The high speed of the post modern society enhances this culture. There is a great need to stop like Jesus Christ to call Bar Timai. The ‘3-miles an hour God’ (Kosuke Koyama) is to be understood. A re-reading the Bible will help re-positioning of ourself and to give space for the ten privileged. There is a great need to critically understand the ships in postmodern society and to construct historical locations according to the plan and purpose of God.
Clergy:
Credibility, Accountability and Transparence are the three qualities essentially needed in the life of all public leaders. Very much so in the life of the Clergy of the Mar Thoma Church.
The Clergy has to be careful in considering priesthood as professionalism. Though it is good to have professional quality in the ministry that is carried out, we as clergy, need to remember that this is a vocation in which the entire, life and entire time is required.
Interpersonal relationship and pastoral visit are important factors in ministry. There is no power and authority for a servant who is called to serve according to the will and purpose of God and for the needs of the given people in a geographical area. A pastor who serves with humility is recognized and respected by the people. This gives power and authority for a shepherded to lead the flock and to empower them.
In a highly competitive society, a priest is called for a team ministry where the other members are welcomed and respected and the learn together engage in a ministry where individual talents are pooled for common good and used as complementing each other.
In a fast changing world, updating ourself has become an urgent need. Blogging has become quite common. So equipping ourself day by day has become a necessity today then former days.
The world today is a fragmented world. Though globalization has helped a number of people, a good number is also marginalized. There is to be preferential option in Church’s ministry particularly when we know that poverty can be wiped off and marginalization can be corrected. This world involves suffering, renunciation and transcendence as the part of the Clergy who is called to minister in today’s world.
15. How will you give expression to the meaning of God’s Economy of Salvation in Christ in your teaching and preaching in the pluralistic context of the world?
Jesus Christ is the saviour of the world. Holy Qurbana is God incarnate. He has revealed to us the ultimate God whom we understand as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Judgment belongs to God and we are not here to judge who is one saved and who all are not we are called to communicate the good news that salvation is open for all who believes in Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
Before the Day of the final Judgment, every created being has the potential and opportunity to turn to God for redemption. As such we cannot discard any creation or count away as unwanted. All created beings are wanted in the sight of God. They are in the household of God with us and related to each other.
In the pluralistic context of the world, we come across religions which do not speak about God or do not believe in the existence of God. God is God irrespective of what religious and therefore humans speak about. God is always the subject and never the object. God is not exhausted by what humans know about Him.
Jesus Christ said I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me. This does not mean that Jesus Christ is not present outside Christianity. For that matter, Christianity as a religion came after Christ. Christ is active and present outside Christianity. Jesus Christ is not exhausted by our understanding. His presence outside Christianity or Church is not controlled by any one of us or any organization. This is how I understand other theistic religions in the world. There is only one God.
Christ said: ‘Those who have seen me have seen the Father’ How can we claim that we have seen Christ fully? Now we are having a living communion relationship with him we will know more about him as he reveals himself to us from time to time and more fully in his coming. |
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