Text: Luke 6:46-49
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
Foundations are important.
Recently, my family and I joined the peaceful protest organized by a couple of young friends from Watkins Glen against the brutal acts of racism in America. The same evening during family prayer we asked our children to share about their day. John told his experience at Savona which gave us a big shock. He narrated his experience, and our tears rolled and praised God for his qualitative approach towards racist comments. While he was in the track field, he was called by one of his friends as “Dog in the field” and some of his friends confronted the accuser. John was so angry at him, but never reacted. He swallowed his emotions. In due course, when the accuser had some problems in the Math subject, John helped him to resolve his issues which eventually made his friend understand John’s love for him. He never shared his experience with us until he listened to the talks on Saturday at the park. We asked him what made him turn his anger into love? He just smiled, and we thanked God for the quality which transformed his friend, and now they are good friends. This experience haunted me about the foundations of moral thinking. As we know, we all are gifts of God and such assertions will enable us to refix and dismantle the organized systems that advocate bigotry, hate and apathy to make ourselves bind with Christ.
I feel intentions are so important as well the approach to resolve the issues. The hate for the blacks (George Floyd) made four people (Police) reap the consequences by law. Because racism is so systematic and institutionalized like the caste system in India. The unconscious bias is still articulating in the minds of the racist and its effects are so unpleasant. However, my argument is, will these four be morally corrected???? Likewise, the other racist notions?? Can force bring a change? I feel the unconscious belief influences our deeds. This unconscious self is difficult to be measured but can be altered when it is scrutinized with the moral prism more than the legal prism. I am happy justice is served today; however, I fear this will not put the matter to end. The notion of race is immoral and inhuman. This needs to be confronted without fail but in a modest way. I strongly believe hate cannot win hate. We are called to communicate the message of love to everyone for a moral change. We can take the horse to the water but we cannot make it drink!!!
Morality is the first demand, and we are called to live with the morality of respecting each other with mutuality and dignity. America has had an unresolved pandemic called racism for centuries!!! Blacks, Browns, Reds and Yellows still live in an uncanny deprivation of identity based on the content of color which stirs the cacophonic echoes in a free and brave society. Both East and West vacillates between the caste and race issues. When will this end!!!????
When we follow the teaching of Christ, eventually the foundations of peace and love will be the true language both in speech and deeds. Such foundations can be done by the Church (We), since it's mandatory for every Christian to propagate the Good News. The empire's nature and prosperity traits have shifted the priority of the church’s mission agenda and the foundations became so shallow. Let the movement of Christ spread the aroma of love everywhere to treat humans as human and accept everyone equally.
If any of us say it will change in due course of time, I think we escape from the challenge. We need to help people to understand that everyone is equal not only by law but in moral thinking. This is true spiritually. Let the unconscious bias of race disappear and through our evangelical acts to realize humanity in appropriate peace and justice. Let us continue to act with love and stay with Christ as our profound foundation to spread the moral demand. Also, it’s our duty to bring the horse to drink the water of love!!!!
God bless these words.
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
Foundations are important.
Recently, my family and I joined the peaceful protest organized by a couple of young friends from Watkins Glen against the brutal acts of racism in America. The same evening during family prayer we asked our children to share about their day. John told his experience at Savona which gave us a big shock. He narrated his experience, and our tears rolled and praised God for his qualitative approach towards racist comments. While he was in the track field, he was called by one of his friends as “Dog in the field” and some of his friends confronted the accuser. John was so angry at him, but never reacted. He swallowed his emotions. In due course, when the accuser had some problems in the Math subject, John helped him to resolve his issues which eventually made his friend understand John’s love for him. He never shared his experience with us until he listened to the talks on Saturday at the park. We asked him what made him turn his anger into love? He just smiled, and we thanked God for the quality which transformed his friend, and now they are good friends. This experience haunted me about the foundations of moral thinking. As we know, we all are gifts of God and such assertions will enable us to refix and dismantle the organized systems that advocate bigotry, hate and apathy to make ourselves bind with Christ.
I feel intentions are so important as well the approach to resolve the issues. The hate for the blacks (George Floyd) made four people (Police) reap the consequences by law. Because racism is so systematic and institutionalized like the caste system in India. The unconscious bias is still articulating in the minds of the racist and its effects are so unpleasant. However, my argument is, will these four be morally corrected???? Likewise, the other racist notions?? Can force bring a change? I feel the unconscious belief influences our deeds. This unconscious self is difficult to be measured but can be altered when it is scrutinized with the moral prism more than the legal prism. I am happy justice is served today; however, I fear this will not put the matter to end. The notion of race is immoral and inhuman. This needs to be confronted without fail but in a modest way. I strongly believe hate cannot win hate. We are called to communicate the message of love to everyone for a moral change. We can take the horse to the water but we cannot make it drink!!!
Morality is the first demand, and we are called to live with the morality of respecting each other with mutuality and dignity. America has had an unresolved pandemic called racism for centuries!!! Blacks, Browns, Reds and Yellows still live in an uncanny deprivation of identity based on the content of color which stirs the cacophonic echoes in a free and brave society. Both East and West vacillates between the caste and race issues. When will this end!!!????
When we follow the teaching of Christ, eventually the foundations of peace and love will be the true language both in speech and deeds. Such foundations can be done by the Church (We), since it's mandatory for every Christian to propagate the Good News. The empire's nature and prosperity traits have shifted the priority of the church’s mission agenda and the foundations became so shallow. Let the movement of Christ spread the aroma of love everywhere to treat humans as human and accept everyone equally.
If any of us say it will change in due course of time, I think we escape from the challenge. We need to help people to understand that everyone is equal not only by law but in moral thinking. This is true spiritually. Let the unconscious bias of race disappear and through our evangelical acts to realize humanity in appropriate peace and justice. Let us continue to act with love and stay with Christ as our profound foundation to spread the moral demand. Also, it’s our duty to bring the horse to drink the water of love!!!!
God bless these words.