Small Christian Community

It was 7:00 am when the handphone rang, and she apologised for having disturbed at this early hour. She had fractured her hip, when she slipped on the street the previous night, and needed to be hospitalised. I was ready to call her an ambulance, when she said let it arrive after 10:00 am.

My day took over, and in the busy'ness of things, missed to call her at 10:00. Came evening and a flurry of calls, asking me if I was aware of her being hurt. I confirmed in the positive but becaue of her request to delay action, it skipped my mind.

All who called me to enquire, seemed to tell me I was guilty of ignoring her cry for help.

Here was a woman in her late 70's, the exco-ordinator of her small christian community (SCC) so immersed in prayer & worship that they forgot they also need to serve within the community. Where were members of her community, that she had to reach out to an outsider.

As SCCs stand today, they are a phenomenon of the modern day Christianity. The unity and diversity within the church enriches the community, equipping people in the church for righteousness to glorify Christ and to spread the news of his love and salvation that extends to all. Christians are never called to be followers of Jesus in isolation. We live in groups or communities, so that if one of us falls down, the other can help. Pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Here was a situation with no one available. When we help each other we find an unparalleled sense of unity between God and us. This is why assisting each other is as important as praying! It's not just a nice thing to do for someone; it is a vital part of growing in our own faith while encouraging others along the way.

The X Factor

Having spent a decade and half, he was now Manager of the organization. Chosen for his Man-Management skills, as the Company had been though a turmoil with labor relations that was unable to resolve, or was it a deliberate attempt to keep the issue alive as the Sales Director could always blame the workers for the accumulated loss due to no production.

A walk through the different departments that seemed all dull and gloomy, made him wonder if he had made the right choice in accepting the challenge and offer to get resolved the issues plaguing the organization. He entered the Tool Room and introduced himself to the technicians there, when the bomb fell.

The following month the Turner was to retire, and he had to recruit another on priority. HR was informed, an advertisement released. A dozen odd candidates arrived for the interview. But one of them stood out from the rest. It is him I will be talking about in this blog.

Gave him a drawing and asked him to proceed as indicated. 30 minutes went by, he did not return with the result, I descended to the Tool Room to check the status. Noticed he was still staring at the drawing, unable to understand how to proceed. I asked the next candidate to do his test, as I walked this candidate to my office

Having him seated and relaxed, I wanted to know where the confusion lay. It seemed he did not understand the drawing. Asked him the work he did at the Docks, for that was on his application. He said, he had to machine Very large Propellor Shafts used on the Ships that arrived for overhaul. I heard him. He informed that one shaft could take a few days for machining. I heard him. After the first cut, he would reset his cutting tool and start the second cut. I heard him. I asked him his role on the first day of employment and was stunned to know this was the task on the first day that continued all these 30 years.

This was the reason why he could not think beyond the first cut. He kept doing the same task the first day which meant he had a one-day experience at the Docks. A week later, having been doing the same job, and he thought  he had a seven-day experience.
A month later, he had a month’s experience and 12 months later he had a years’ experience which 30 years later he was proud to say he had a 30-year experience. 

I heard him. This was the reason that he could not perform any task because in reality his experience was just 1 day multiplied 10950 times.

Many of us are in a similar situation. We tell others how old and experienced we are. Are we like this Turner who multiplied the same task 10950 times, that we too multiply our days on Planet Earth and Work by a number. If we have to return to our Heavenly Father, and face the Interview of our Time spent on Planet Earth, will ours too be a one-day experience multiplied by X. Time to ponder and make our lives more meaningful.

The Tongue of Fire

John 14:16 - Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit before he departs... "If you love Me, you will keep My commandment" .... "Love one another as I have loved you", and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever. 

Acts 2:2-4 says, “And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributed and resting on each one of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak as the Spirit gave them utterance.” It was the Day of Pentecost

Acts 19:6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they were baptized in the Lord. From that moment on, they were praising God and talking about God’s actions...while they spoke in their own language, they who heard it was in their own.

Here they were all speaking in the language known to them,(Not unknown) and they that heard them understood the message and continued the conversation in the language they knew and all understood each other well. Have you wondered how the animals on land, and birds in the air communicate. Do they proclaim in Tongues or is it just a higher level of communication we are unaware of.
 

The Painter

He brought in his brush and can of paints to sketch what was in mind. Strokes and more to emphasize the depth of his feelings, and finally it was done.

He called in his Master for a critical evaluation of his work. The Master suggested that since it was Plebeian art, it was best to have comments from the townsmen. Place it at the street corner with a note, was the instruction given to him.  

The next morning he carried his work and placed it at the street corner as advised, with a bottle of black paint, and a Note that read, "Please dot a spot you think that needs correction."

Came evening and he was all excited to see the corrections recommended. On reaching the corner he found his Painting was dabbled in dots of black, that left no trace of the original. Dismayed and distraught, he carried his work home and informed his Master.

After seeing the painting the Master suggested he make another similar. When done, place it on the same street corner, with a multitude of colours and a Note that read. "If you can better this, then choose the colour and dab it on the spot to enhance the value of this work."

Evening came and when he visited the corner, found it as left. No corrections, no nothing.
Disappointed one more time, he carried it and all the paraphernalia home and informed the Master.

The Master smiled and told the painter, "it is easy for all to criticize and blacken your creation. But ask anyone to identify the recourse, and none will, as none can. This is the ultimate truth."

The Moral is: You need to follow your heart, and not the advice of others who have little knowledge of the subject other than comment & criticize

The Kiss of Death

All Thirteen looked identical, - be it their Garments, Hairstyle, Facial grooming, Footwear, Physical Structure, Body Language etc.

For an outsider it was definitely difficult to identify the Master, until he spoke.

To ensure they did not arrest the wrong individual and send to condemnation, they had to have one among the Twelve identify the Master.   

Rather than denounce the betrayer, we have to accept this as God's plan to avenge the Fall of Man.