How Do You Reinvent Yourself to Be Who You Want to Be?

Today, our lives are largely driven to flaunt a delusive ideology that errs in keeping a strong foundation and a clear mindset. Francis Bacon wrote, “But men must know, that in this theatre of man’s [including women] life, it is reserved only for God and angels to be lookers on (Book II, The Advancement of Learning),” and that, “Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true (The Essays).” There… Read More »How Do You Reinvent Yourself to Be Who You Want to Be?

Whom Do You Fear?

Several years ago in one of the hospital units of Emmanuel Hospital Association (a non-profit Christian healthcare organisation in India), there was a financial crunch. Although there seemed to be an influx of patients, the hospital’s account books did not match. Someone was stealing. It was decided that CCTV cameras would be placed just above the cashier’s desk. Not surprisingly, the finances began coming in and the bookkeeping began to… Read More »Whom Do You Fear?

3 Reasons Why I Don't Care What You Think of Me

Teenage years, I find, are the epicentre of awkwardness. On the one hand, the typical teenager is trying to find acceptance and a sense of belonging to some group. On the other hand, he is trying to find what makes him an individual and unique in the midst of his social culture. It often leads to a bizarre mix of fakeness and emotional instability. When I was a teenager, I… Read More »3 Reasons Why I Don't Care What You Think of Me

The Purpose of Pruning

A few years ago, as my parents were relocating from Delhi to Dehradun, my father gifted me a selection of his potted plants. Initially, all I did was water them. Then I started digging out the weed until one day I tried pruning the plants with a clip here and a few snips there. Before long, our mini jungle in the balcony looked like it had been hit by a… Read More »The Purpose of Pruning

A Song of Love

The greatest of songs (Songs of Solomon) draws us into an intimate love narrative with eternal consequences. The shepherdess-bride feels unworthy, tainted and desperate. The king-husband brings nothing but acceptance and love without condition. He sees the depth of her beauty despite her own insecurity. He enjoys and dwells on her whole being with the choicest of imageries. He wants her with him – close, forever. Unworthiness is given eternal… Read More »A Song of Love

Praying for Rapists: Justice or Salvation?

Rape is one of the clearest embodiments of evil that we have seen in many years. The very existence of rape culture is a mockery of the so-called civilised society. Rapists prey on the innocent, including children. There’s no question that rape is a menace that deserves the fiercest punishment.  Over the last few days, many of us watched with horror and heartbreak as reports of child rapes and murders… Read More »Praying for Rapists: Justice or Salvation?

Pututa and Selfishness

When I asked my three-year-old daughter recently if she could finish a task, her reply took me by surprise: “Just let me finish some work on the pututa (computer) first.” I laughed out loud because I realised that she was imitating a phrase I often use. Children follow and imitate words and actions readily. The other side, however, is that they can also be fiercely self-oriented. If they don’t get… Read More »Pututa and Selfishness

Consider

Consider the bird. Birds don’t sow or reap like humans. They don’t even store their grains in a barn. But unlike the birds, I sow. I reap. I collect a harvest. And I store it in a savings account. Then I look at those bank savings and worry. I worry that I don’t have enough. I worry about paying back loans. I look at the numbers in my bank. I… Read More »Consider

You Lose, I Win

We live in a hyper-competitive world. Try getting your child into a top school in any major Indian metro. Try telling a football fan that his team is horrible compared with the others. Competition, in fact, is so inculcated into our day-to-day culture that most of us don’t see it. When it comes to our church culture, it’s often much the same: competitive churches, competitive leadership, competitive institutions and competitive… Read More »You Lose, I Win