Ecumenism, Dialogue and Ex-communication!

It is the third attempt! May be, some of us may even think that it is not what is to be said and shared. However, I am trying to say what I am compelled to say.
Jesus came fulfilling the law and that was with love. The command of the law is love. Jesus saw this and presented this in a new perspective and that was how it became a ‘new law’. Law has no place where there is love. That is how Jesus could present the parable of the Prodigal Son, the story of the lost sheep and the lost coin.
The spirit of Jesus was that of freedom. This freedom was slowly lost among the disciples when they began to consolidate themselves as a church and thereby an establishment. In this juncture I recall the saying attributed to Nietzsche, “Jesus was a crocodile and the church was built upon it. And the crocodile went down leaving the church to be visible.”
Similarly there is another story: A black man seemingly went to a white people’s church. Apparently he was not only not welcome but was despised and chased away. Someone joined him, as he came out sad. The stranger enquired the reason and was told of the discriminatory attitude still prevalent. To this the stranger responded that they have sent him out before chasing the black away. The bewildered black man enquired who he was. To his surprise and shock he replied that he was Jesus himself!
People in one region of our diocese are quite confused as they were asked not to go any more to a Prayer Centre which till recently had all patronage from the diocesan authorities! By this time they naturally have developed an affinity towards that centre which they are not in a position to quit at the whims and fancies of the same authorities!
One such confused faithful, a housewife died recently. She was denied burial because she was said have been ‘ex-communicated!’ The Indian Laws ensure a decent burial to the dead. To deny that on the alleged flimsy ground of having joined a different sect is little too much and certainly a human rights violation, especially when there is no alternate provision to burry the dead.
Having no land of their own, they were forced to burry the dead in the ‘veranda’ of her little house. As the body got decomposed it emitted bad smell not to be tolerated by anyone anymore. On complaint the civil authorities came to exhume the body and burry in an alien piece of land reminding of Jesus burial in a borrowed tomb!
Vatican II opened up the closed windows to let the fresh breeze in and let the outpouring of the spirit in. That is how we have the golden opportunity of dialogue with other faiths and ecumenism with other denominations of Christians. Church is committed now to go after the strayed sheep, the separated brethren. If that is the case, why can’t we be tolerant towards those of us who are trying another alternative firmly rooted in the faith of Christ himself? How Christian ex-communication is? When Jesus himself prays for unity, who are we to thrust upon divisiveness?
What do we communicate through such inhuman acts? Where has gone the all embracing love of the master who could even kiss the betrayer, entrust the denier with greater responsibility of caring his own sheep.
Should the church be vindictive even at death? Who are we to say no to the ever compassionate love of Jesus? If some of the church people take offense at such goodness let them have it at the triumph of love.
Let me conclude this concern with a key piece of the great hymn of love sung by Paul:
“Love is patient and kind;
love is not jealous or boastful;
it is not arrogant or rude.
Love does not insist on its own way;
it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrong,
but rejoices in the right.
Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.”

Cruelty even to the dead!

In one context Jesus said, "let the dead burry their dead." We were told that he wept at the tomb of Lazar, his friend and the brother of Martha and Mary. An honourable burial is the right of an individual in India. This was seemingly denied to a poor person in one of the parishes of our diocese! That person like many in our villages don't have a land of his own, not even the land on which his hut is put up may not be his! It is the Church's, that means that it is everybody's. Simply because he opted out for a different denomination within Christianity, he is denied of that last and very basic right. It is indeed a human right violation.

Once such differing people are denied of the right to be burried in the cemetry, governments should provide an atlernative, if that denial is OK with the government! Or else what has happened in the case in reference now would happen again, that is the poor deceased was forced to be buried in their own house! This was later telecasted in the TV saying that there is bad smell emitting from the burial place as the body could not be buried sufficiently deep due to various reasons.

Inhuman attitude to this extent is not Christian at all. Even Christ could be ashamed of this to happen in his name! The responsible people must come together to sort out such grave concerns and save humanity and its delicate conscience and concerns.