The Journey 115: Romney And His Promise
Read: Acts 2: 38-47
Mitt Romney Wins: Finally the primary elections were held yesterday and the results are declared. Mitt Romney has won from Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island primaries, on his way to an expected five-state primary sweep. Thus he leaves behind all his challengers and most probably without any doubt he may be the Republican candidate to face President Obama in the forthcoming presidential election to be held in November. Romney has started working on his theme and his dream “ A Better America” just like President Obama’s dream of “ We need a Change”. History will tell whether dream of change or the dream of better America is going to bear its desired results. As Romney promises a better America there are lot of challenges ahead. He has to deal with a problems in economy, illegal migration issues, issues in the job front and then problems compounded by his various stand on public and religious issues like gay rights, abortion and so on. The list goes on but Romney is focusing on his journey to the presidential elections with his promise of Better America. It is natural that every person who wants power, position and authority will promise something or the other to the people that he “ wants to serve”. But history has time and again proved that most of the leaders when they assume power totally forget about the promises that they had give to the people and sometimes not only do they totally abandon those promises but they also walk and do just the opposite before they assumed power. But what about God and His promises that He has given us?
This week we are meditating on the theme “ Transformation in my parish”. The Bible portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Acts 2: 38– 47. Here we find the boldness of Peter in preaching the good news of the kingdom of God and also the content of his preaching of the good news. In verse 38, Peter says “ Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. He continues to say about a wonderful promise of God in verse 39 when he says “ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call”. Here is Peter declaring that the gift of the Holy Sprit is given by God to all irrespective of ones age. In the Marthoma Church as our Lord receives infants to His Body– The Church, through the sacrament of baptism, it is this promise of Holy Spirit, that the church dwells on and communicates through the symbolic action of anointing with the Holy Oil. It is not only this gift but every promise in the Bible is meant for all His children. This is the promise that the parish and the church communicates to its members. Let us therefore as Christians hold on to the promise of God in our day to day living, and also seeing that we do not discriminate anyone on the basis of their age or gender or their intellectual ability to receive God’s blessing. Romney has made a promise which only history will tell whether he will be true to his promise. But history and the Word of God has always shown that God and His promises are true and faithful.
Let us depend on God and his promises and that is when my parish and my church becomes transformed.