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EASTER MESSAGELast week the people of Thailand joyously celebrated the “Songkran” festival, a big, traditional celebration of the new year. Similar events at the same time were also celebrated in many South East and South Asian countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, India and Sri Lanka - heralding the start of the traditional new year. The Songkran festival in Thailand takes place every 13 -15 of April, and one of the famous celebrations is here in Chiang Mai where the CCA office is located. The Songkran celebration is a special time for a new year ritual giving much respect to water, the most important element in the agricultural culture of Southeast Asia. Also known as the “water festival” people use water as part of the ritual of cleansing and renewal for the new year, signifying one’s commitment to the renewal of life. “I am thirsty,” is one of the seven words of Jesus on the cross. (John 19:28) Those words echo the cry of many people in Asia and around the world – those who have no clean water to drink, women walking many miles to find water for their families, communities opposing the privatization of water, children suffering from skin and various diseases due to contaminated water. And our most recent fear is the impact of nuclear leakage in Japan that could contaminate our Asian soil and water. Ironically, this cry “I am thirsty” is strongly heard also in the midst of the devastating power of water in the form of floods and tsunami. Asia struggles heavily to cope with the impact of disasters that came one after another in quick succession, taking a heavy toll on human lives especially in developing countries. Religious freedom is becoming so fragile that lives were lost and many are in danger especially those of the religious minorities. These times are scary for many in Asia and we ask in fear, “what more is there to come?” “Do not be afraid...,” said the angel to the women who came to visit Jesus at his tomb. The resurrection account says that the women saw an empty tomb. They were taken by fear, but also by joy. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” (Luke 24:5) That experience enabled those women to move from fear to freedom, joy and hope. And they could not keep the good news to themselves. Jesus arose from the dead and left the tomb. He is alive! This, too, is our hope – that we can overcome the power of death, the same power that denies the people of God’s gift of Life. The risen Jesus calls us the Easter people of today to go and proclaim the power of life: “‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15). As we walk through Easter time, let us be transformed, renewed and strengthened in our commitment to the God of Life. Let us remain persevering in hope amidst fears and disasters. Let us allow God to surprise us in our journey to gain fullness of life for all, especially for the least and the vulnerable. HENRIETTE HUTABARAT LEBANG General Secretary posted by cbs on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 LAST WORDSBy Revelation Velunta Last words are important to many of us. Famous last words include Rizal’s “Mi Ultimo Adios” (My Last Farewell) and Antonio Luna’s “P___ -Ina!” (trans., son of a b*** or mother f***) Those of us who watched the coverage of Fernando Poe, Jr.'s wake and burial years ago will remember the variety of remembrances of people who talked about his last words to them. My late mother's last words to me--when we were in the air-conditioned ER of the Philippine Heart Center--were: "Anak mainit, paypayan mo ako" (trans. Child, it's hot, please fan me). And, of course, the most famous last words ever recorded would be Jesus’ Seven as found in the gospels: Mark and Matthew have one; Luke has three; and John has three. Many Christians do not read the Bible. We read books about the Bible and parts of the Bible. If the Gospels were movies, the way most of us “read” is akin to watching only parts of a movie, not the whole show. Now, who among us only watch parts of a video--5 minutes of Harry Potter 7 or 10 minutes of Capten Barbell? The Gospels are complete narratives. I propose studying Jesus’s Last Words based on that fundamental assumption.In other words, if Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John were movies or tele-dramas, then Jesus’s dying words play important roles in how the stories play out. Last Words-- Matthew If one reads Mark and Matthew from beginning to end, one will discover that both narratives privilege Galilee as locus of God’s activity. Most of Jesus’s healing, teaching, and preaching ministry happen in Galilee. In the Matthean and Markan narrative Jerusalem is bad news. Jesus is betrayed in Jerusalem. Jesus is arrested, tortured, and executed in the Holy City. Jesus dies in Jerusalem. One can even argue that God forsakes Jesus in Jerusalem, thus at the point of death he cries, “Eli, Eli lama sabacthani?” or “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Many of us who grew up in church and in Sunday school remember the countless number of Bible verses we memorized. Many of us hated the ritual. I know I did when I was growing up. We thought those verses were useless until something happened in our lives and then the verses suddenly took on a life all their own. The Jesus of Matthew was rooted in the Hebrew Scripture. At the lowest point in his life, near death, Jesus was not blaming God. He was quoting Scripture. Psalm 22 to be exact. I have witnessed people pass from this life to the life beyond and quite a few were quoting scripture. Remember that Matthew does not end with Jesus dying on the cross. The gospel ends with God raising Jesus from the dead. Psalm 22 begins with despair but ends with triumph and an affirmation of faith in a God who saves. Go and read it. Jesus’ last words in Matthew celebrate the promise of Immanuel. In life, in death, in life beyond death, we are not alone. God is with us. Always. Last Words—Mark In Mark, Jesus cries, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani” and dies. Unlike Matthew, the risen Jesus does not appear in the ending. Check your Bibles. The gospel ends in 16:8, where we find women silent and afraid. What we have in the story is a young man who tells the women that Jesus is going ahead of them to Galilee and will be waiting for them there. Jesus is not in the tomb. He is not inJerusalem. He is not where we want him to be. He is back in Galilee where his ministry began and he is waiting for us there. And we are afraid. Why? Because we know that this path will eventually lead to the cross. We know that following Jesus will lead to suffering and, yes, death. Unlike Matthew, Luke, and John where we find beautiful stories of the resurrection—Jesus appears to Magdalene, to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, by the beach and eats breakfast with his followers, Mark offers a young man with a confirmation of a promise – Jesus is risen just as he told you. We do not see Jesus. We are told to believe he is risen. And it is only in going back to Galilee, in places we do not want to go, in ministering among the poorest and the most oppressed, that we will eventually find him. The last words of Jesus in Mark are dying words. The gospel does not end with Jesus’ triumphant words as a risen Lord but with a young man’s affirmation of God’s resurrection power: that hope is stronger than despair, that faith is greater than fear, that love is more powerful than indifference, and that life will always, always conquer death. Last Words—Luke Many Filipinos love the Gospel according to Luke. I read somewhere that our favorite parables are The Prodigal Son and The Good Samaritan. Both come from Luke. A lot of the scriptural support for the Roman Catholic Church’s theology of preferential option for the poor is based on Luke. God is definitely pro-poor in Luke. Jesus’s birth is announced to poor shepherds. Jesus's first sermon--which almost gets him killed--is a proclamation of good news to the poor. And this God who loves the poor so much is most often described as a loving parent. From Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, to Mary, the mother of Jesus, to the Father of the Prodigal Son who waited patiently for his son’s return, to Father Abraham who takes poor Lazarus into his bossom… the Gospel of Luke reminds us, offers us metaphors of God’s unconditional love as parent. At the cross, two of Jesus’s last three words in Luke are addressed to his father. Jesus says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” If God is our parent and we are all God’s children, then we should ACT as brothers and sisters. This means not behaving like the older brother in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, or like the Rich Man in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. This means acting like the Good Samaritan who did not consider the wounded Jew as an enemy but as a brother. Jesus in Luke challenges his followers to love their enemies and to do good to those who hate them. Jesus set the example. We call ourselves Jesus followers but do we really follow? If Jesus is our "Kuya" then our words and our deeds should remind others of our "kuya." Bombing Afghanistan, invading Iraq, trampling on Philippine sovereignty in the guise of "visiting rights"-- are Jesus's brothers and sisters supposed to do these things? Jesus says to one of the criminals crucified with him, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” Filipinos are social creatures. The worst punishment for Filipinos is solitary confinement. Many Filipinos turn on radios and televisions when they are alone, not to listen or watch, but simply to create a semblance of community. God’s salvation is a community project. No one can be a Christian alone. When God saves, God saves communities and peoples. To celebrate the incarnation is to celebrate that God has left heaven to be with us. So no one lives and dies alone. God is with us. In the midst of death on the cross, Jesus reminds his fellow victim that he is not alone. Hindi siya nag-iisa. Then Jesus says, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Luke follows Mark and Matthew’s lead here. Jesus also quotes an Old Testament Psalm. In this case Psalm 31. It is also like Psalm 22, a Psalm of deliverance. Jesus believed in a God who will never forsake. And God does not forsake Jesus. Many of us pray Jesus's prayer before we sleep at night. We commit everything to God, yet we stay up all night thinking of so many things only God has control over. Let us follow Jesus. Even in death, he knew that he was safe in God’s hands. We are never alone. We will never be alone. Last Words—John If one reads the Gospel of John from start to finish one will discover that the story celebrates the discipleship of the unnamed. In other words, the most effective followers of Jesus in the story have no names. The Samaritan woman by Jacob’s well, who runs to her people to share her experience with Jesus, is unnamed. The young boy who offers the five loaves and two fish so that Jesus can feed over five thousand people is also unnamed. The beloved disciple who plays a role bigger than Peter’s in the story is also unnamed. But most important of all, the only disciple who we find at the beginning and at the end of Jesus’s life is also unnamed: Jesus’s mother. We find the two—Jesus’s mother and the beloved disciple—at the foot of the cross. Jesus says to them, “Woman behold your son; behold your mother.” Jesus asks that his two faithful disciples take care of each other. Love is the key theme of the Gospel of John. God became human because of love. The world is supposed to be blessed by our love for each other. Jesus in John leaves his followers only one commandment—for us to love one another as Jesus loved us. Mothers behold your sons; sons behold your mothers; parents behold your children; children behold your parents. We are members of the family of God and our primary task is to live in love for each other, like a family: each one willing to offer one’s life for the other. Then Jesus says, “I thirst.” Again, in the Johannine story, particularly in his conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus is the Living Water. Thus, many people find it puzzling that the one who says he is Living Water is suddenly thirsty. And he is given vinegar by his executioners. Like Matthew’s, Mark’s, and Luke’s quotations, John’s “I thirst” represents a quote from the Old Testament--Psalm 69. Faith draws strength from the past. Like Daniel’s three friends who faced death, yet believed in a God who will deliver them as God has delivered in the past, Jesus affirms the same unwavering faith in a deliverer God. And God did deliver Daniel’s three friends. And God delivered David (who wrote the Psalm). And Jesus believed God will deliver him, as well. Then Jesus says, “It is finished.” The End. Jesus is dead. Remember the only commandment Jesus left his followers in the Gospel of John—greater love hath no one than this, that one offers one’s life for another? Jesus does exactly that. His life was an offering. And we are challenged to do the same. At the beach Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves Jesus… We are asked the same thing. Can we love as Jesus loved?Jesus was not alone when he faced the cross. And his last words on the cross affirmed his faith in God, in people, in the transforming power of love and life, and empowered him to face death. Psalm 22 which Jesus quotes in Matthew and Mark, Psalm 69 which he quotes in John, and Psalm 31 which he quotes in Luke celebrate a God who delivers, a God who liberates, a God who will always take the side of the poor and the oppressed, a God who will not forsake us. And God did not forsake Jesus. And God will never forsake us. [Updated. Originally preached in Tagalog at the Binan United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Good Friday, 2008] Revelation E. Velunta is Associate Professor of New Testament and Cultural Studies at the Union Theological Seminary, Dasmarinas, Cavite, Philippines. posted by cbs on Friday, April 22, 2011 Greening the Cross - EARTH DAY on Good FridayLove Trees: Celebrate our Planet - An Earth Day Call Each year, ‘Earth Day’ falls on 22nd April and marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. In the life journey of humans, Earth is not given Her due place and is usually forgotten. But without Mother Earth nothing can live or move. The entire human community is called to commit on this day to the Billion Green Act, since Earth Day activities help to remind us that the future of the whole ‘earth community’ depends on our planet's future, which is in our hands. In 1970 the celebration of Earth Day went global in mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and highlighting environmental issues on the world stage. Earth Day 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. As the new millennium celebrations approached it was felt urgent to go for a campaign against global warming and a push for clean energy. With 5,000 environmental groups in a record 184 countries reaching out to hundreds of millions of people, Earth Day combined the big-picture feistiness of the Earth Day - 1990 with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day -2000. Earth Day 2000 sent world leaders with a loud and clear message that human communities around the world wanted quick and decisive action on clean energy. Much like 1970, Earth Day 2010 came at a time of great challenge for the environmental community. Climate change deniers, well-funded oil lobbyists, reticent politicians, a disinterested public, and a divided environmental community all contributed to a strong narrative that overshadowed the cause of progress and change. In spite of the challenge, for its 40th anniversary, Earth Day Network reestablished Earth Day as a powerful focal point around which people could demonstrate their commitment. The Earth Day Network brought 225,000 people for a ‘Climate Rally’, amassed 40 million environmental service actions toward its 2012 goal of A Billion Acts of Green, launched an international one million tree planting initiative, and tripled its online base to over 900,000 community members. April 22nd - EARTHDAY 2011: We the human communities, in our life journey do not give due respect and care to our Mother Earth; in all our activities she is neglected, being considered as a less important organism. However our Mother Earth is the only organism that no academic discipline in the world can entirely conceptualize. Each and every creature that crawls, walks and flies is dependent upon her and the Creator; all will hopelessly perish if the Earth that feeds us dies. Rising temperatures, erratic weather, migration, and scarce water resources – along with growing civil unrest and skyrocketing food prices are said to put unprecedented stress on people on the planet. For more than 40 years, Earth Day has served as a call to action, mobilizing individuals and organizations around the world to address these challenges. This year, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has come up with the theme “Love Trees: Celebrate our Planet”. This highlights the need for trees on earth. Deforestation is blamed as a driver of environmental problems: Loving Trees is projected as an emerging solution. On this day the concerned faith communities and individuals are called to proclaim and present the ‘Green Gospel’ to the Church, and Society at large. The National Council of Churches in India, appeals to all the Members and concerned citizens to pledge for Earth Rights and join UNDP by saying ‘Love Trees – Celebrate our Planet’. Let us as friends from all faith-communities join our hands together in spreading the message of Eco-Justice as we commemorate EARTH DAY on 22nd April 2011 (GOOD FRIDAY). This year’s Earth Day falls on Good Friday. This is a right and appropriate occasion to remember the cross, which was made out of Trees, that leads us from bondage to liberation, death to life. Let us join the whole cosmic community in commemorating ‘Green Good Friday 2011’. ‘Greening the Cross’ Activities:
Commission on Justice, Peace and Creation National Council of Churches in India posted by cbs on Thursday, April 21, 2011 Letter to Pakistan President04 April 2011 His Excellency, Asif Ali Zardari President Islamic Republic of Pakistan Your Excellency: We bring you greetings and blessings from the General Committee of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), a regional ecumenical organization representing a 100 member churches and 16 National Councils of Churches in 22 Asian countries. We were shocked and deeply saddened by the assassination of Mr. Shabhaz Bhatti, Minister for Minority Affairs and the only Christian Member of Parliament in the Pakistan Government. CCA has also received information regarding the killing of two and wounding of Christians after Muslim youths allegedly attacked them outside a church building in Hyderabad last 22 March 2011. In the past, through the media we have been informed of killings of civilians based on false accusations of desecrating the Qur’an, with the perpetrators using the Blasphemy Laws as justification for the killings. CCA joins the call from the international community for an urgent and impartial investigation of the case and to bring the perpetrators to justice. We would also like to see more control of the misuse of the Blasphemy Law as justification for such criminal act. CCA as an ecumenical family in Asia also denounces and condemns the burning a copy of the Holy Qur’an in the United States on March 20, 2011, overseen by Florida pastor Terry Jones. Such act is unbecoming for one who professes love and respect for neighbors. We reiterate here what we said in our statement on the burning of the Qur’an issued in September 2010, stating that “As a Christian regional organization, CCA exists to promote unity, CCA holds on to the fundamental belief that each faith has gifts to share for our mutual enrichment. Through the years CCA has done its share to be a venue for the discovery and sharing of those gifts and by promoting dialogue and collaboration in addressing the issues that concern people in Asia regardless of the religious faith they hold.” The churches in Asia offer our prayers and solidarity along with our ecumenical accompaniment of both Muslims and non-Muslims in Pakistan, who have all been rendered victims by a culture of impunity. We enjoin all our Member Churches and Councils in Asia to actively advocate for the rights of minority groups to be respected and protected in Pakistan. Respectfully yours, REV. DR. HENRIETTE HUTABARAT LEBANG General Secretary posted by cbs on Wednesday, April 06, 2011 |
