Question-answer

Does my God get offended or pleased with my words and actions? Does his happiness depend on my actions? Is it a demand from God that I should be perfect and holy like him and try to live and search what he likes rather than living my life as it gives me happiness and joy?

First of all, there is no ‘my god’ and ‘their god.’ If there is God, God must be God for all, not only for humans but for everything in the universe.

God is a perfect being. God has a fulfilled inner life, communion, love, spiration or whatever we call it. God has perfect happiness and perfect well-being. I do not believe that God takes offence because of my actions or words. God’s well-being must be unaffected by anything or anyone, for good or for ill. We use the term ‘impassibility’ for this. We often anthropomorphically apply human ways of sensational responses to God. God cannot feel upset or otherwise emotionally dissatisfied. Any such emotional dissatisfaction would be inconsistent with the fulfilled inner life that a perfect divine person must have. We can understand, as a denial of the care and affection when our character and conduct occasion a negative response to God’s relationship with us. It is a dishonor from our part. Because it is when we do well in our actions and behavior and flourishing in our natural capacities, we give glory to God in our humanity. Since God is love, God does, relates, speaks … in love. There is no need that God has to ‘forgive’ as though God was waiting for the moment that we ‘repent’ and make some reparations. God cannot but love. That love desires and ensures our goodness. Its we who are incapable, or reject that embrace of love. It may be due to our own hurts, sorrows, that have become heavy or solid that we cannot rise up to or look up to the real love of God. Many ways we are trained to nurture shame and guilt and close ourselves within our own pains. The same is repeated in our relationship with God also. We use shame, guilt, and fear as categories defining our relationship with God. We make stories and spiritualities that justify these categories. Thus, we disfigure the image of God, and create unhealthy spirituality.

Perfection/holiness that is held by the Jews was according to the completion of prescribed sacrifices and offering. All could not afford to make these sacrifices and be holy. Only the privileged could be holy accordingly. According to Greek thinking being perfect would mean being faultless. Ordinary people could not be educated and learned, and practice wisdom. So, Jesus assured the kingdom to all the children of God. There is freedom and joy from which true worship can be there.

Is it a demand from God that I should be perfect and holy like him, and try to live and search for what he likes rather than living my life as it gives me happiness and joy?

God wants us to be perfect and holy. But we need to understand what is meant by being perfect and holy. Perfection is not a mathematical perfection. That perfection can mean that we are expected to be mistake-less in our stature, behavior, speaking and all that we are. If we are super-perfect like that we are like God, and we don’t need a God at all. We are being perfected by others. So, our trust, sincere relationship, and genuine affection are the signs of our desire for perfection. Perfection is found in Christ. We too have that perfection when we grow into the full stature of that body. This extension towards others in all sincerity and good will is the holiness we can speak of. What is God’s holiness? God desires the good of all, God wants all to be alive. That is the holiness. That is why he looks after the well, and nurses the injured ones. Repentance is the readiness to be open towards God’s grace. The experience of being found, accepted, forgiven, shown mercy, welcomed, healed … are subjective expressions of the same love that is received. Discerning this process and possibility in our life is the seeking the will of God. The will of God is not an eternally written blueprint. The will of God is that all may have life. That life is possible, and is received through many experiences and persons. It may involve learning, guidance … ‘What gives happiness and joy’ may be at times satisfying the above mentioned sorrows, devaluing, pains … They are only substituting for what we really need. They may be safe shelters where we can hide. They may have good, holy and spiritual faces also. But may not be offering the life that we really need. So discerning the will of God needs to go along with understanding ourselves truthfully, compassionately and charitably. General principles available may be helping as guidelines. We need to understand our inner longings, burdens and pains, and how God approaches them with a will to offer life. Often we understand as though God knows only to judge between right and wrong, and bring justice through punishment. But God’s justice is that we may be strengthened and live a full life. In that sense, some of our very personal struggles require more kindness from our part in order to avoid any form of belief that leads to guilt and shame and fear of punishment from God. Some are to be understood as permitted by God if it is not harming anyone.

Is the world created by God bad, that I have to live in this world as if I do not belong to this world avoiding all things that give me joy?

God found everything he created ‘good.’ That is always the Biblical and Christian understanding of creation. Its from the influence of dual universal principles of good and evil we also got a separation of spiritual and material world. Matter was seen to be evil, and opposing what is spiritual. The hate for the world was intensified by the situation of black death. Many of us spiritualized that hate. God created the world so that we may enjoy the good things of the earth. But we need to be conscious that the enjoyment should not involve denying the good things for others. The powerful in the world often controlled the world by maintaining their greed and pride. They created and maintained systems that supported their greed. What we need is a sense of gratitude for what we receive. Our hearts do find joy in enjoying the good things of the earth. We must increase that joy by being grateful to the giver, and being generous to the needy.

Is God happy and pleased with me when I do fasting and penances rather enjoying the things around me and created for me by him? Do my fasting and prayers make me holy and grow in my life as a good person?

We can understand it in relation to the previous answer, both positively and negatively. God does not ask for fasting and penance as though God finds some joy in our being hungry and undergoing pain. If our pain satisfies God, and accordingly he gives blessings, that is a strange God. God, at the same time, also wants us to know the pain of those who suffer, and treat them with charity and generosity. In that sense fasting, penance and almsgiving receive value. But any regressive form of such practices (humiliating or dehumanizing) is not encouraged by the church.

One can prudently decide what helps oneself for growth. The value of abstaining is to be understood according to the area where a person needs self-control. For one it may be about food, for another it may be about music, entertainment, wasting of time, gossip. Accordingly, one may choose what moderation needs to be exercised. Its is effortful, may go through failures, but takes a steady and focused growth. For some it may be different types of fixations on disciplines and perfections. Here what is required is to practice flexibility and patience.

Sickness, in itself, is not a good thing. First response to sickness needs to be a good treatment. Some sickness can be painful and long lasting. It can become a burden and cause of disappointment. With the help of grace, we may go through different stages of sickness. It involves acceptance, patience, offering, cure, etc. “God wants me to be sick, I want to suffer …” are not good approaches. God is not asking for reparations as though God wants to see some suffering punishment, and then be ready to forgive and bless.

“Only a faithful believer can trust in a God who is as helpless as the victims themselves, and know that it is God’s way of proclaiming that God loves the victimized of this world.” What is the meaning of this?

This statement is in connection with the incarnation, not in relation with the problem of evil. The explanation is like this: there is no form of charity or compassion that can show solidarity to the sufferer other than being one of them. Here the sufferer knows who is the One suffering with him/her. If a bishop goes and stays in a poor village doing all that they do, having their food, and getting sick as they get sick having no special care of being a bishop, there is a sense of being one with the people. That matters. The same can be spoken about the incarnation. However, it is not a solution to the problem of evil. Jesus also did not say that all evil will end since he has come. The blessedness of the victimized is to be ensured by the rest of the body that is in grace. That is the basic seeking of the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Seeking the kingdom of God is not about ritualistic pious practices. It is living the beatitudes in daily realities. A faithful believer is not a blind believer, a faithful believer trusts. It will be taken up in another answer.

Why must the formation period be painful? Is it because of disciplining oneself? Does it make one lose one’s identity of who that person is?

First of all, we are learning all through life. If any one feels that we have learned or achieved full formation one is fixating or stagnating one’s growth. If we feel that we must make the formation really painful it is a wrong view. That also may be coming from the view that God is happy when we take pains ‘for him.’ Discipline itself is not an end, it is towards something. We need a pattern that moulds us according to a form. To be Christlike is the pattern that moulds us as a disciple who disciplines oneself in the path of the master, Christ. We practice the blessedness that the kingdom visualizes, we practice virtues that form us as a good and mature person in Christ. Formation must be aiming at this. We may find it difficult to practice these, because of some burdens, sorrows, hurts … that we have already mentioned in another answer. Often, we blame the devil at this point. But it is our inner hurdles we need to give attention to rise up to the mode of working of grace. By adding chosen suffering we cannot 'remove' the inevitable passing through process. God does not rejoice seeing that we take up pains for 'his joy.'

Having debts written off is only a crude understanding of Christian view of salvation. A self under the burden of punishment is not what Christ taught us to understand about ourselves. It is from that sense we get the idea that discipline must be something that is in the nature of punishing oneself. We are given the life of God, and salvation means the growth in that life. It includes freedom, joy and strength. Christ taught us what that life means, what that freedom and joy mean. Life/grace finds its ways to nurture and fructify; its growth into goodness, the real good of oneself and others.

Life/grace causes a flourishing of one's own life and extends to others. Only in freedom and truth can we genuinely reach out to the  other. So life also means truth, justice, compassion and mercy. One must let a genuine transformation happen in one's life.

This good also means truth, justice, compassion and mercy. The 'good' stands for all virtues that can be sought in a Christ-like human. Every entry into a little good includes death and sacrifice. It also has obstacles that blocks, heavy burdens that drag the process of growth. Because we all have been formed of burdens, injuries, and pains of our family and society. We often want to defend those pains which are within the thorns of vices. They immediately appear because of our closeness to these pains. Often, we apply these 'troubles' to the devil and stand helpless. The roots are where we have grown. Denying yourselves clearly means 'a passing through' these injuries by personal efforts, through available help, and divine grace. Beginning from a determination, finding constant encouragement from God, rejoicing in the everyday signs of life, we make our way of the cross.

God does not make us slaves, nor does God demand a slavish obedience from us. God has created us so unique that he respects our person. It is neither a master-servant relationship. Jewish view in the Bible is as humans represent God by living a life according to the commandments. They can be friends of God who enters into a covenant with God. Jesus taught us that we are the children of God. There is a deeper sense of belonging. Here, they know the will of God not by law, but by the relationship of being the children of God. It is not at all a mechanical following of what God says, but there is dialogue and communion in which one understands the will of God and fulfills that. In that freedom one is able to recognize the good that God wants to realize. There, obedience flows from a mature relationship and deep love.

Our faith in Jesus or our Christian faith has value only because Jesus rose from the dead?

As I understand the question, it looks like the question wants to emphasize on eternal life. We firmly believe that Jesus is alive. We know that he lived here, and was killed, and rose again. The contents of Christian faith fall short if the resurrection did not happen. If it simply says about doctrinal nature, it may be sufficient. But, the question seeks a deeper presentation of its implications. After stating that Jesus is risen, is it an attempt to prove the resurrection of Jesus, or to live as people who experience the living presence of Jesus? How do we imagine or where do we expect this risen Jesus? Is he standing somewhere as someone hiding there unseen always? He lives in and among us. An evangelist perspective of personal salvation has damaged the way we need to understand the church as a communion. We are one body in Christ. We are alive in Christ. We experience the presence of the risen Christ in the communion we have among ourselves.

What do you mean by normal? Is it subjective?

It is a debated issue, and often controversial. One may be understood normal when one conforms to the accepted patterns of behaviour in a community or society. If it is about oneself it is also told about the consistency of one’s behaviour. The problem here is who decides what is normal. Only because the majority agrees to something, others become normal and unnatural. ‘Normal’ is a subjective term. But, in order to justify honestly we need to say that what we call as normal to oneself should not be a convenient choice over time. It needs to be something naturally part of oneself. It may not conform to the demands or expectations of the society. But that is the natural response of that person. Every unique subject may have one’s own web of relationships that formed its nature, biological, geographical, cultural and social.

I am a disciplined person and strict with myself. Does it mean that I am right and others also have to be like that?

We need to see the value desired in making the disciplinary path or that strictness. Being strict and perfect can be from fear of failure. It can be from fear of being challenged by others. It can be from a sense of elitism. Often moral perfection, if not practiced for the sake of virtues, leads to arrogance. Restrictions can also be brought because of our insecure feeling of freedom. Then we begin to spiritualize in the name of poverty, hating the world etc. One may practice discipline, understanding well what helps oneself for a mature and joyful growth. Discipline must bring freedom, not perfection. It can be an example for others if it helps them. One cannot force it upon others. That does not help others, but shows one’s own failure in achieving virtues in all the strictness one follows.

What is redemption that Jesus redeemed us and can anyone who is redeemed be lost again and yet can we call as redemption? Redemption is not a magical one time visa. Personally I don’t like these words, redemption, salvation … Jesus gave us life, the freedom of the children of God. It is up to us whether to reject that life. If one says that one is redeemed and does all nonsense, there is no sign of redemption. Redemption based on guilt-punishment-ransom-freedom has a lot of limitations to understand the mission of Jesus and the will of the Father.

Is it necessary to profess Jesus as the savior if I believe him in front of others or is it ok to keep it to myself? (someone like a new believer who is famous in the society don’t want to profess publicly) if he does not profess will God reject him or deny according to the Gospel of St. Luke 12: 8? There are people interpreting that there must be verbal profession. We need to understand that this verbal profession is only a nominal confession of faith. If there is true faith it will necessarily reflect in the life, attitude, perspectives and behaviours. Someone says that he believes, and no sense of justice and goodness, and illtreats wife neighbours, then where is the faith? The remarkable sign of faith is in the life one lives. That shines as the sign of the gospel.

Jesus is always introduced in the gospels as Son of God and not as God. So can we say Jesus is God? Or because of His testimony about Father that whoever has seen me has seen Father and I and Father are one that we conclude that Jesus is God? I don’t know whether I am speaking some heresy but this thought came to me. We cannot have a scientific explanation or proof for whether Jesus is the son of God. Synoptic gospels have the term Son of Man and son of God as a messianic figuration. John’s view is of his communion with the father. He foresees to introduce us to that communion. My understanding of the son of God was clarified as the concept of Logos was clear to me.

“No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God”. Does it mean if any priest or religious who left will never enter heaven? Does it mean in that way or something else? ‘Entering’ heaven does not depend on whether one is priest or religious. “…a hand to the plow and looks back…” has to be taken in the context of his teaching on discipleship and the context of the early Christians when the gospels are written. The cost is of a life for Christ, and a life of equality and love. It is costly and demanding. Priesthood and religious life is pictured as a divine profession, that is why departing from that is seen as giving away from God’s will. God’s will is that all live their life to the full, socially, psychologically, and biologically. ‘entering’ itself is questionable. It is not a place to enter. It is being in Christ. For being in Christ it is not necessary to be a priest of religious.

“I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightening.” Does it mean to say there is place like heaven and it is above? We don’t have a clear picture of origin of devil in the bible. From the then existed concepts from Jewish- Greek- Persian views only we are able to understand these expressions about satan. This quoted passage indicates the defeat of satan as the disciples came back telling about what happened during their ministry. It is the work of the spirit by which the evils are removed.

What does it mean to born again in water and spirit?

“born again in water and spirit” points to the preparatory function of John the Baptist and the role of Jesus. Water baptism as a ritual and the spirit as reality may have developed from those early times. Being born again, in St John’s language, is the new life one receives by believing in Jesus. It is clear from the Gospel and letters of St John that it is not sufficient to follow a religious tradition. It is to follow Jesus, ultimately to follow the law of love. Here we see the contrast St John makes with Jewish the law which was incapable of providing life, and Christ new law giving life. Similarly we see this contrast in St Paul’s presentation as law incapable of providing grace, and Christ the new law providing that.