wall

Wonder why we write on 'walls' in facebook? Walls are built to obstruct people from our territories. Wonder why facebook chooses to call it's writing space a 'wall' and coaxes us to write on each other's walls.Writing on the wall also means something ominous.

It is amusing that we hardly converse with each other face to face but we are more than eager to write on 'walls'. If we do that in real life we could be sued. But facebook encourages us to merrily 'trespass'each others' walls.It is a world of 'walls' and 'boxes'. Reminds me of coffins and cages.

It is great though to add 'long-lost'schoolmates after ten years of schooling.However in this 'lost and found'game, there is a pattern and here most social networking sites follow the same ritual. After the initial euphoria of fiery display of friendship remarks on each others' walls, the passion just freezes out.Then Mother-like Facebook goads us to 'write on each others' walls',cajoles us to're-connect'.It suggests friends for us as if we are dying a miserable lonely death.Facebook is the only book with a virtual heart. It comprehends our need to connect. We do not understand our own species anymore. It is a virtual site which has to nudge us about reconnecting with people.Doesn't that say volumes about our 'lack of communication'?

It is the world of 'virtual farms and mafia wars'.We are talking about farmers' suicides and agricultural crisis.But on facebook we are in search of 'the cows and goats'.We have quizzes,messages from God himself,astrology for the day and what not.Ask for it, it is there.High brow consumerism,should we say?Wouldn't our consumerist values percolate 'social' networking sites too?

Facebook is the book without a 'face'.It is a world full of walls but still the world without boundaries.If you are not blocked or rejected by your acquaintance, you can safely trespass without getting prosecuted.Facebook is going great guns with liking,commenting,suggesting,connecting,finding friends through friend-finders.It has become a public theatre where we unwind our lives to each other in mysterious fashions.Our emotions and feelings are in the public eye. There is a mystery and openness about our feelings.Isn't it a bit uncanny?The walls do not wall out, neither do they wall-in, they are not ominous suggesting impending doom,as in the book of Daniel, nor do they become a cause for dispute. It is open yet shut,it is half-open, half-sincere,half-real!!

Reminds me of hybrid seeds which bring excellent output for a particular timeperiod then dies its death.They are half-viable!


The walled out/in Rashmi :)

mind

My mind wants to know what's on your minds.I seek your mindful intervention on my mindless banter knowing that this delightful mindlessness is mindfully creative in its mindlessness.Many a times our minds deserve such mindless momentary reliefs.Love,MINDFULLY yours,the one and only mind of the mindful rashmi lee george :)

Well!

Thanks to the movie Three Idiots the phrase All is well has become extremely popular. Do people know there is a beautiful Christian hymn called “It is well”? I have been singing the Hymn “It is well” since my childhood.But the "It is well" that I hear from my friend Clementina is heavenly.

For every adversity, problem, even in the face of death, Clementina ’s response is always, without fail “ It is well”. No matter how gruesome her situation is, my friend would invariably smile and say “It is well”,Rashmi. I have never seen her panic under any pressure. I have seen the power of God reflect through this wonderful lady who with her faith can even help you conquer mountains of doubts and despair. Her powerful prayer life, her unflinching faith in the word of God have been the reasons for her strength and force.

I have often wondered why does peace descend when she says “It is well”?Some people are at peace with God. They have no questions about the veracity and the soveriegnity of God. Clementina is one such person. Her reliance on God inspires me.She is the contemporary Esther, Hannah,Nehemiah all rolled into one personality. I am always in awe of her ability to surmount any odds thanks to her belief.It because of her steady faith in Jesus that enables her to be the person she is.She is a true Jesus Freak!! I am never tired of speaking about her. I think all my friends know Clementina because I have spoken to all of them about her.She is an inspiration.It is the spirit of God which binds our friendship- a truly loving bond between people of two different continents-Africa and Asia!!God be praised!

When unpredictable things occur, when life is tempestuous, Clementina’s words ring in my ears,in my mind.When my loved ones go through tough times,Clementina's phrase is what I use " It is well!" Oh what a joy it is to believe that however ugly and sqaulid one's circumstances may seem,God is above it all.God CAN!! Amen!! I am totally inspired by my God-given friend, to say, It is well.Believe it "It is well"Amen!!!Be blessed!!

Mindfull

If you ask me what remains forever in human mind then it’s only memories. They are inorganic yet verdant always. That is the paradox of a memory. It is a remnant of something, of someone. You want to erase them, you can’t imagine letting go off them. You just have to dive into the recesses of your thoughts...they hide there, ready to spring at you at any given time of your existence. They live there, or should I say, we enclose them in the deep trenches of our secret corners. When allowed they can change your mood. They can make you happy, sad, happy-sad, excited, regret and so on. They wield immense power. Many of our actions are motivated, stalled, propelled by our memories of something or the other. It is the secret power behind many of our actions. Memories enable us, or they disenable us; they empower us, they debilitate. They stay with us always. They surface at the most uncanny moments. They can surprise you. It is a bitter-sweet existence. It reminds us that we don’t have Alzheimer’s disease. It doesn’t herald its arrival. No one knows what can trigger the stream of consciousness. It can be just about anything...a word, a shout, a musical note, the movement of the fan, the smell of perfume, it could be a song.,,it could be Nothing that can spearhead a memory into action...it could be the emptiness of one’s heart, mind, soul..it could be boredom that could remind us of the times that were contrary to the present. Memories are creatures you hate; they are the adorable treasures you keep as the keepsakes of your heart...those that you will never trade for any wealth in the world...those that can never be displaced or replaced. They remain seated forever till we become someone else’s memory!!!

Songs in the Night

(Wrote this article for the Souvenir published by the Sharjah CSI church in 2005)

On a cold December night, Graham Staines, an Australian missionary was returning home with his two junior school sons Philip and Timothy. He worked for the lepers and the downtrodden in the rural provinces of Orissa in India. Suddenly, a mob appeared. They stopped the van and set fire to it. Graham Staines and his little sons were burnt alive.

This shocking incident became the main news story in both the print and visual media. "Missionary and his sons burnt alive" shrieked the newspapers. On the front page of the newspapers was another small news item."I forgive them" it said. Those were the words of Mrs.Gladys Staines,the wife of Graham Staines.

The visual media showed the charred remains of the van and also the lamentation of the people whom Staines served.The TV news channels transmitted excerpts of the funeral service of the three Christian martyrs. During the funeral service, Gladys Staines and her 13-year old daughter Esther sang:

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives all fear is gone,
Because I know, He holds the future
Life is worth the living just because He Lives!

In the darkest hour of their lives, it was a song of praise and faith which emanated out of lips of the mother-daughter duo. It was a song in the night! Though it might have seemed that God had forsaken them, they still reposed their trust in Him. Gladys and Esther were not cowed down by this great personal catastrophe. They travelled the length and breadth of India declaring their faith in God. They also continued the legacy of Graham Staines by reaching out to the poor and needy just as Staines did. Their response to the tragedy and their unwavering faith in God were eye-openers to all the slumbering-armchair Christians. Gladys and Esther, like the Psalmist," remembered their songs in the night"

“Songs in the night” means praising God even in the most sorrowful moments of our life. Paul, David and even Christ himself endured many hardships but they did not give up on God. Surely if it were one of us facing such sufferings, we would have stopped believing in the veracity of God. However, stalwarts like Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego said the following words when they were about to be thrown in the fiery furnace, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it and he will rescue us. But even if he does not, we want you to know, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have." The rest is history.

Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego’s response to sufferings led to a lot of people respecting their religion. Our responses to situations are a reflection of our relationship with God. Are we conscious that people are watching us to know about our God? Do our responses mirror our relationship with God? Do we thank and praise God even before our work is done? Do we face adversities with a song of praise on our lips?

We all sing. We can at least vouch to be "Bathroom singers". We sing praises when we are joyful. But the bible reiterates about praising God during tempestuous times. Upon scrutinizing the lives of the biblical heroes, we realize that they became "heroes of faith" or "a cloud of witnesses" because of their faith in God. They did not stop praising God when the going was tough. Therefore" God was not ashamed to be called as their God"-Hebrews11:16.

Christ exhorts us to worship and praise God in truth and spirit. We cannot let our "mood swings", "job", "studies"," tuitions", ”coaching classes” affect our relationship with God. When we praise God in the gloomiest times of our life, we are re-affirming our faith in the omniscience and omnipotence of God. The interesting paradox, however, is that we can produce melody in trying circumstances only if we have faith. Therefore the bottomline is we can sing "songs in the night" only if we trust god.

Stress, tensions, work pressure ,traffic jams, lack of security etc are a part of our daily existence. But God is capable of transforming our sufferings and "mourning into gladness"(jeremiah31:13).Habakkuk3:17-18 says: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my saviour." We ought to be able to replicate the same sentiment, ie. rejoice and praise god even when things are not fine with us.

The sisterhood

A smile that is what I recall of that baby. A sweet-knowing smile that she gave me while lying in swaddling clothes. She still has that charming and disarming smile. Now she is no-longer that baby. She is the baby-girl-woman now. The apple of our dad’s eyes. The Kunju of our Mum. Our bacha for ever. Our beloved chuklumaav. Our sister. My sister. Mine and Renu’s. Reena!
An avid believer in the power of the one who turned water into wine. She vouches by the Jewish Carpenter. Always acknowledges the impact of this carpenter. His art as the master carpenter of her life is undeniable. She celebrates his goodness through music. She is the modern Mary and all generations shall call her Blessed. The Cross of the Carpenter is her favourite symbol. She is the quintessential cross-bearer, not her’s alone, but others’ crosses too.
Elizabeth Fry. Does that name ring a bell? Ms. Fry was an English prison reformer, social reformer and, a Christian philanthropist. Who would have ever thought that the 19th century reformer could have instilled some life-altering values in an eighth grade girl? Reena did not win any prize in that elocution competition. She however, won an ambition – a passion to undergird the cause of the prisoners.
A new chapter unfolds; a new world waits with open arms to embrace her. It’s an eyeful to watch her persevere to transform her dreams into reality. I have confidence and confidence alone. That has been Reena Mary Maria’s Song. She is marching to Vienna. Bhandup to Vienna. Wow! People asked what good could come out of Bethlehem. Well what good could have come out of Bhandup!! B.E.S. English High School. Central Government Servants Quarters aka C-Sector. The Water Tank. The Guava Trees. Bhandup East, Bhandup West, Bhandup Gaon!!! We even came to be known as The Bhandup Sisters.
Time to bid adieu to Bhandup has arrived. The hills of Vienna beckon and they are alive with the Sound of Music. Hope Vienna will enable you to strum new chords which will reverberate ,rejuvenate and revolutionise your world. May your world be free from prison bars always. May you surmount all impediments and always fly up high.

Free?

Freedom,Liberty,independence,individuality, my-self are the catch-phrases of our age. We rave and rant about our spaces, territories,places.All of these reek of ownership,posssession.Can we truly break free?Is there something like that?

Are we all not the product of chain reactions;the origin of which we cannot trace and when we are unable to trace that origin, we think we are free. We cherish coinages such as "disconnected","disengaged","detached","out of range" etc.Blissfully glossing over that "something" which links us to "some" "other" things we triumphantly envisage we are individuals existing upon the sole merit of our identities, our thoughts. However,our identities and our thoughts are outcome of the preceding identity or thought. We position ourselves in the sphere called "different","non-conformist".How do we become "different" or "non-conformist"? By refusing to adhere to the set norms and patterns we achieve the status of "the free-spirited mavericks","the glorious aberrant"but could we absolve ourselves from the onus of having modelled our existence on something that has preceded the present.Can we deny the parasitic link which exists between us and the rejected ideas norms etc? We feed off them and gain our subsistence from what has gone before.

In our naivety we presume that if we do not depend on any human being,then we are independent.Is that the only meaning of being Independent or Free?Does freedom come into being only when we cease to affect others or be affected by others?Can such a state ever arrive?

Nature compels us to depend on her. We may sever all ties with the human race;cleave with our self alone in the name of "discovering our Self" and "feel liberated".But,if nature decides to stop having any connection with us what would be our plight?.We cannot breathe if we fail to receive oxygen.We depend on the Universe,the cosmos to breathe.? Are we not dependent on something called "air"? We compromise!!