The Journey 18: Transformation in my community

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Read: Mark 5: 1-20

An adieu to my friend Late Rev. M. V. George
                 I was woken up late night by my friend Rev. Thomas John, the vicar of the Los Angeles Marthoma Church that our common friend Rev. M.V. George is no more. All three of us share a very special bond. We were together in  the late nineties when M.V Achen and Thomas John Achen worked in the Marthoma Evangelistic Association, while I served in the Sunday School Department. Our friendship is more than three decades old. It is shocking to know that he is no more and I will surely miss his fellowship, his relationship and the bond we share. I feel our Church is poorer by the death of this wonderful parish priest, a fantastic administrator, a good friend and person who had no qualms to go down to the level of the common people, to be a part of their life and experience, to have the guts to do the most menial job as and when the situation demanded and a pastor who was always available for his parishioners and for his clergy friends. A priest who was there always for the need of the community, setting aside his personal goals and aims. I will miss you George achen and “we will meet on that beautiful shore”.
                     On Wednesday we meditate on how our Christian life should be one where we are agents of the transformation in our  community. The portion that we meditate this month on Wednesday is the from Mark 5. Jesus who transformed the life of Legion did this by first forming a relationship with him. But there is also something wonderful that we could learn from the pastoral style of Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ approaches this man he shouts and said “ What do you want with me, Jesus Son of the Most High” [ Mark 5: 7]. Here is this man astonished as to why Jesus is coming to meet him. The fact of Jesus coming to meet him is compounded by the fact that he leaves outside the community, in the tombs, where people dread to go. I believe this approach of Jesus is something that he teaches us to do in our journey of transformation in our community. We are always involved in those mission activities that are comfortable to us, we go to places to do  mission work that has not much pain and sacrifice and also lots of challenges and crisis. What Jesus Chris teaches us is that we need to forsake those mission activities that seems to be comfortable to us and does not involve much risk, but on the contrary travel to those areas and discover new avenues which has not been reached by others, where there are risks and crisis and challenges.
Ready to do  mission work in areas that others have not tread. Let us consciously take up those challenges that others fear to do so that we bring glory to our Lord.
My friend Late Rev. M.V. George was a person like that…..

Let us Pray: O God we often try to do your work in areas that are not very risky. Help us to  move out so that we consciously take up the challenges of doing a meaningful ministry. Amen
One Year Bible Reading Plan
Genesis 36-38, Mark 3,4, Psalms 35-37, Proverbs 23-25

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