The Message of Peace

The Easter season is a reminder to us that the resurrection brings to us Peace of the risen Christ. Whenever Jesus appeared to his disciples he greeted them saying “Peace be with you” for he knew the heart of humans, and how troubled they are and till date they still are. In today's world we all seem to be running a race, however no one is clued in, as to where is the finish line, and that is perhaps why there seems to be no peace. From fast food to fast cars and even faster lives, we're always in the pursuit of something and most often than not we're searching for it on the outside. One very essential point to remember is that your life's journey is how much you travel within rather than how much you travel to and from. So how can we bring ourselves to peace, perhaps to begin with we can start of with the following steps:

* Pray. Meditate: Unlike our general perception of God being like a headmaster or principal, who is always waiting to lecture, scold or punish us. He is far from that, in fact he is more like a friend. We seemed to be caught in too much of activity based forms of prayer and fellowship, which is essential, but should not be our only form of connect with our maker. How often have we heard that hymn “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief’s to bear, what a privilege to carry everything to him in prayer. The only question remains is how often do we set aside time for this our friend?

* Forgive: We all know that that even after being crucified Jesus pleaded for forgiveness for his perpetrators, and that example should be more than sufficient for all of us in the most difficult of situations after all Jesus was just as much human as we are. And surely at some point in time we are going to be rubbed or we might rub a bad shoulder with another. The key then to healing would be forgiveness, for often the one who forgives sets their own hearts free.

* Love: A simple tenet that sums up everything that Christ is, it’s also his greatest commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.” So think about it, Love is something that doesn't require things on the external, it is feeling and is in best effect when it’s genuine. And when you genuinely do, you will experience warmth that even a fireplace can't exude, Grace that is divine and an ease never felt before. Love is something that the more you give away, the more it comes back to you. 

To be at peace is to be in control of ones thoughts and emotions and that happens over time, therefore it is a constant endeavour which can come to being only when one takes small steps of change and that could begin with developing a relationship with your maker, Forgiving the ones who wrong you and by loving all. 

Peace be with you!

Open Letter to the Catholic Comedian: "With Great Powers, Comes Great Responsibilities"

Dear Jose,

It’s not that I am appointed by the Church to reply to your open letter, I do so as a fellow human being, an Indian and a Christian.

To begin with, yes it is not pertinent to know if the apology was asked for or given voluntarily, that it was accepted, reveals that our faith is about love, tolerance, and forgiveness. Let’s put it this way whether with intent or without one, if we were to hurt someone like our parents, spouse or friends, we would tender an apology, right? Or should we just leave it at that, as if it were a trivial matter and move on. Maturity does not come from saying big things; it comes when we understand small things, and it is in that maturity that the two parties came and sat across a table, voiced and discussed their concerns’ and have moved on with life.      

Yes, it is rightly said that laughter is the best medicine, but then to what extent can one go to make fun of or ridicule someone is what needs to be looked at. The stereotype that is really building is that, it’s absolutely okay to make fun of people, and not just that, if it is not funny you can go below the belt even to the extent of hurting someone mentally and/or maybe physically. My concern is, that when things happen too often they seem normal, thus setting a pattern, till a couple of decades back no kids abused in front of their parents, but today profanity seems relatively easy to use and to some, they even sound cool. Are we then waiting for more serious crimes to become normal?

The analogy of turning the other cheek refers to being non-violent, no matter how grave the situation is, and in this matter, the Church has always shown Grace even when she is being torn apart. So it is only reassuring that even in trivial matters such as these, the grace of God works, thus giving us the humility to ask forgiveness and the humility to forgive knowing that we need it too. To put this in perspective take a look at how the world deals with relationships today and we’ll realize the importance of humility. Yes, a couple of jokes cannot diminish our faith, but the humility that followed, will and can only strengthen our faith.

So yes, that is what the Church did; granted her forgiveness and will continue to do so, because that is what Love is all about. Acceptance. So tomorrow even if those that have vandalized the Churches in Delhi and other places realize their mistake and apologize, I am sure the Church will forgive. And let us not forget that, it is we as fellow Christians’ who make up the church and what we do reflects on society as who Christians truly are. Can we then say, they will know we are Christians by what we do?

As a celebrity, everything you express is lapped up by those who follow you; you have the power to form opinions and hence the adage “With great power, comes great responsibility” will always hold true for celebrities as well as the Church. Let’s not forget that, as little as seeds are, they can manifest themselves a hundred times over. What I have expressed is what I felt after reading your letter; I do hope you consider these thoughts, as they too come from a place of immense love and respect for our country its people and their beliefs.

Sincerely,  

Ashford Menezes