On conversion – My Story and Viewpoint

Let me begin by the conclusion – forceful conversion of people of any faith is unethical, as much as it is illegal, and no matter people of which religion do it, it needs to be stopped. Period.

Now, let me begin my story.  There are a lot of people equating the recent so called ‘ghar-wapasi’ ceremony and mass conversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism with conversion of Hindus to Islam and Christianity and these equations generalize ALL conversions. I cannot vouch for all that missionaries and evangelicals do to convert people to Christianity because there are several of such initiatives taken by many Christian organizations, and in many cases, it may simply boil down to those individuals or teams who in their evangelical enthusiasm may forget the means to achieve the end. But ALL conversions are not of the same kind where coercion or inducement plays the key role.

My conversion certainly does not belong there. I was a post-graduate, employed, married and stable when I chose to accept Jesus as my personal saviour and Lord, well, against the wishes of my parents and relatives. It was purely due to the spiritual merit of Christianity, I was a spiritual seeker and I couldn’t find anything to satisfy me in my old existence which was Hinduism by birth and upbringing. I had an encounter with God, who changed my life. Is that conversion unethical? Illegal? Who can stop that? Is stopping such conversion desirable? Is that in alignment with our Constitution? As a citizen of free and independent India, am I not free to choose whom to worship? Arguments of blanket ban on conversions are therefore illogical and serve no purpose except infringing on personal freedom.

Conversion in that sense is a misnomer, it is more a transformation brought from inside out. The process is initiated by the realization of sin, typically associated with disillusionment with the world around and failure of human philosophies in explaining the gap in sinfulness and salvation. This is followed by a deep desire to seek the truth, like I had, and as God has promised, those who seek Him shall certainly find Him.  But the world full of self-righteousness will never reach this point of seeking the truth, the absolute truth, and will remain blissful in their self-assessed standards of morality, which in itself has become widely accepted as relative.

Now, let me step on the pedal. Ever since I have given my heart to Jesus, my perspectives have changed and that has brought me peace that cannot be explained by dynamics of this world. I have become fearless. I have been able to forgive and let go. And as a corollary, I share my discovery with all my friends, in pure love that they might also experience life in its fullness just as I am. My being a Christian has helped me being an encourager, a cheerleader, a giver, and a pacifier.  Can that attract people to Christ? Well, yes! On the other hand, if I give money to someone in desperation and ask him to bow down and  pray to any deity, they may do that for the moment, but would that result is life-long relationship, a transformation? Most certainly not. Forcible conversion is futile, it does not serve Christianity. Jesus does not count heads, He looks into hearts.

Historically, this is not the first attempt to hurt the spread of Christianity. Several attempts have been made to erase the existence of the Bible and memory of Jesus Christ around the world. Fabricated stories, including those of His marriage, keep being thrown to unsettle those who believe in Him. But the end result is that Christianity is thriving. It is no longer a western religion, there are more Christians in China than the world believes, in spite of countless restrictions and persecutions. The point I am trying to make is this – it does not matter who stands against God, because victory is His! With greater persecution of church, Christianity is set to grow faster.

Finally, let me quote an episode from the Bible.  Jesus once asked Peter, “Who do you think I am?”, to which he answered, “You are the Christ.” He asks each of us the same question. This Christmas, the answer we have for Him does not so much count for Jesus as much as it determines our future. Whether we acknowledge God as God will not change His position, it will only change our relationship with Him. It will only set the direction for our eternal destination. Watch out.    

First Rains in Hyderabad

Rejoice, Hyderabad, rejoice,
For you have found favour,
The LORD has sent ...the rains,
And washed you anew again!

No more the simmering tar,
And miles of flight for the birds,
Just to dip their beaks in water,
For the LORD has quenched our thirst!

No more the dried sighs,
And gazing into the empty skies,
Now the clouds are pouring showers,
Raindrops and blessings in equal measures!

Praise God. Love you, Jesus.

8 years of togetherness

For it is eight now,
And among the calls for celebrations,
Here is my prayer for you and me
God let us revive our marriage vows.

For all the love Jesus gives us,
Help us to love and forgive,
Each other eighty time eight and more,
... And always find care in you.

For the precious gift of Bambi,
Help us to be praying custodians,
Knowing that she belongs more to Him,
And to us she is God’s love in action.

For the works in His harvest,
Help us to be found in fields equipped,
Willing and eager, poised and on time,
Servants worth your crown and pat.

Days in Heaven

The serenity of God’s peace,

In perfect comprehension,
And yet the grand songs of worship,
In perfect adoration,
And eternal joy of His presence,
In perfect celebration,
And partaking in the glory of Jesus,
In perfect justification,
And everlasting ministry of the Holy Spirit,
In perfect edification,
And beholding the Master face to face,
In perfect identification,
And meeting the faithful ones as body of Christ,
In perfect resurrection,
And we in His heavenly abode all abiding,
In perfect unification.

Wedding Gift

Reward of our patience,

And of waiting unto our Lord,
Praise be to Him in the highest,
For we are joined in love forever.

Graceful, You are!

Grateful, we are!
Worthy, You are!
Thankful, we are!

Cherished companion for life and beyond,

And of blooming relation in one accord,
Praise be to Him in the highest,
For we are blessed by His favour.

Graceful, You are!

Grateful, we are!
Worthy, You are!
Thankful, we are!

Shared future in the glory of God,

And of walking hand in hand together,
Praise be to Him in the highest,
For His love for us is ever greater.

Graceful, You are!

Grateful, we are!
Worthy, You are!
Thankful, we are!

Obadiah

A baby boy, a promised child;

A gift from God, a bundle of joy;
Born to us is our love and blessing;
A precious honour, a mighty favour.

Our hearts rejoice,

Our souls bless You,
Our minds and bodies stand renewed,
Our Lord and Saviour, thank You.

He looks like You, he looks like us;

His tiny feet, his dreamy eyes;
Witness he is of your grace and faithfulness;
A unique creation, a pure celebration.

Our hearts rejoice,

Our souls bless You,
Our minds and bodies stand renewed,
Our Lord and Saviour, thank You.

(Written for the birth of Obadiah Murtaza, son of Neha and Murtaza. Picture has Supriya and Bambi with the new born.)

You are God

Jesus, you are holy and mighty,
Adorable, amazing, supreme and purposeful,
Sovereign, pure, loving, and living,
Compassionate, strong and thoughtful.

Jesus, you are creative and magnificent,

Righteous, strong and faithful,
Splendorous, dazzling, glorious and royal,
Awesome, invincible, peaceful and joyful.

Jesus, you are friendly and present,

Just, immaculate, infinite and graceful,
Pristine, charismatic and charming,
Wise, glorious, beautiful and merciful.

Jesus, you are more than words can say,

Inconceivable, indescribable, and yet mindful,
That you call me your very own,
Personal, saviour to me, you are indeed wonderful.

He loves me

Jesus, am I worthy of your love?
Who am I that You should care?
Why sins as big as mine You forgive?
And pray why all my pains You share?

Why do I see Your presence all around?
How you know my heart's deep desire?
Who am I that my name is on Your palm?
And pray why my burdens are Your affair?

I am Yours forever, now redeemed,
Blood shed on that cross got me cleansed,
Death of my God Lord led me to life,
And resurrection has my blessings revealed.

That You are love and I am Your love,
You long for me and I am called Your son,
Crowned I am with glory You have gifted,
And abundant peace, mercy and grace in You I own. 

Arise

Let your faith rise in me,
And the spirit to obey,
That I am found in You,
When You return to take me home.

Let your love rise in me,
And the spirit to serve,
That I am found in You,
When You look for a messenger to go.

Let your hope rise in me,
And the spirit to worship,
That I am found in You,
When You take your throne to judge.

Travelogue - Israel Trip - Part 1. The Preparations

Dear Bambi,

When I write this letter, you are just about 3 years and 3 months. I am not sure if you would remember going to Israel on a trip that can be life-transforming for most when you are able to read this letter on your own. But the letter will serve the purpose of letting you know that you saw the place where Jesus was born and raised like a tiny one you are, your tiny feet walked where once our Lord walked in His physical form, and your eyes saw for yourself the empty tomb which bears the sign of victory of life over death.

Before I begin, I must tell you that you have been a blessing, you are God’s most precious gift to me and your mama, and we love you. Your presence in our lives has bound us together more and more, because for evidence of God’s love for me and your mama, we just have to open our eyes and see you every morning. Your existence proves that Jesus loves me and I am His very own. That’s why we call you Jesus-baby.


I had been thinking about taking you and your mama for a vacation for a long time when one fine day, Pastor Valson called. He mentioned that he was planning a trip to Israel and was contemplating taking a team along. My heart jumped with joy with the prospect of being able to go to places that I had only read about in the Bible. Pastor asked me to think about the plan. I wanted to go for sure. I talked about this to your mama and blurted all the positives of the trip in half a breath. Knowing her, I expected a very cautious analysis of the prospect, and she met my expectation like always. We started praying about it. That was almost 3 months before we travelled.


Around a month later, I was in Kolkata and was going in one of those yellow and black taxis for a client meeting. It was nearly 10 in the morning but the city was still waking up. These taxis made so much noise that even while the traffic was much less, one would shout on the phone with the intent of just being heard at the other end and one would want to insert the speaker end of the phone close to the ear drum to hear voice coming in. I wasn’t sure what Pastor was talking about when he called but it was something about the Israel trip. I didn’t know what prompted me but I shouted, “Yes, Pastor, we would come along.” He later asked me a few questions about our travel readiness, and I asserted that all three of us had our passports and we were ready to travel. Pastor mentioned that he would send an email about the trip and we would need to be ready with the travel documents and first tranche of payment in sometime. The connection was lost into Kolkata’s damp air.


I began the process of challenging Supriya’s thoughts about difficulties in travelling with you. Your love-hate relationship with food didn’t help me one bit in my discussions with her. On top of that I had not even asked Pastor about whether there would be provision for special needs that children had or whether there were even more children on the trip. I knew his boys would be there and Ruel was just about a year older than you.  But that wasn’t so much of a comfort for your mama to say yes to your papa’s adventurous plans. So, arguments continued as did prayers. We discussed with Mammu and Didi as well if they would like to come along. Mammu had the dreams of going to the Holy Land and she had kept saying in the past that someday she would go, even if she had to go all alone. But then she declined in view of her health and imminent expenses for Didi’s wedding that was being planned.


With every passing day, I was getting convinced that I made a commitment in hurry. Then there came the day of making payment for the trip. Pastor called up to say that I could contemplate taking Mammu and Didi along if they were willing. Now it looked like the Holy Spirit dawned upon me and we wrote the cheque and submitted with Anne who was coordinating the efforts for the chosen ones. Mammu and Didi decided to come along too and they went ahead and submitted their cheque directly with the travel agent. It was in their encounter with Sister Sujatha that they came back laden with more questions for us. Your mama took those questions, dipped them into some more Guntoor gravy and Kakinada ketchups and poured them hot on my head. We decided to meet Sister Sujatha ourselves.    


While we were talking to Sister Sujatha, you were already down with flu and our courage too was down. She explained the whole trip from children’s perspective and mentioned the types of food available. She also mentioned how we could get stuff packed from breakfast table so we could have pre-lunch snacks and lunch for you. She said that rice was available most of the places and most meals would include one or two items which children of your age could manage with. She of course didn’t know you, and how your mama and papa had kept you from any taste bud shocks. Although you had been to Zambia when you were much younger, it wasn’t comparable to the trip in sight. I had been to Zambia so many times before you came over, so I knew what would be in store. On the Israel trip, we had no idea and only had vague descriptions. Also, in Zambia we were to live at one or two places with gangs of chefs, gardeners, cleaners and drivers to take care of us, but here it would be just three of us and a few friends moving places every day. So, your Zambian experience wasn’t relevant.


After we came back home, we had two options – either to drop the trip or to prepare vigorously. At times like these, I somehow have an edge over your mama and I convinced her that we should prepare vigorously and go ahead. She asked me some direct questions – whether I would take your full responsibility and whether I was confident about being able to manage all your work? I didn’t know what these entailed but for the greed of going to Israel, I nodded my head in affirmative.


So then began our shopping spree. The list included new suitcases, rice cooker, kettles, new clothes, shoes, wet tissues, diapers, medicines, books, crayons, toys, Lactogen, and so many things. We were almost carrying your whole cupboard and half of the kitchen for you. Looking at these lying all over in our study room, we would think if the airlines would allow us to carry all these. We prayed harder and we knew the trust that we had put in Him would not disappoint. He had called us and in light of the challenges, we were sure that it was only through His grace that we would make it back home safely singing praises for the places He would show us.


There was orientation program for the whole group in church office a few days before we were to depart. That was the time when it began to dawn upon us that now we were to actually take the trip for which the preparations were on for so long. You were excited too for the orientation since the first glances of what we were to see on the trip were going to be presented. The presentation was exciting as the Bible was beginning to make its physical manifestation on the screen. The places that God planned his moves around for creating a way to His kingdom for lost human kind were for us to visit and see. I had often struggled with the question as to why God chose the tribe of Israel and why He chose the middle-eastern desert lands for His mission. But God had to choose one tribe and one such location, which He eventually did in favor of Israel and its geographical setting.


Your excitement through the presentation was quite visible, you never sat on your chair and you never kept yourself from chatting all the while. Once while Sister Sujatha was talking about Jericho’s sycamore tree, you had exclaimed the name of Zacchaeus to everyone else’s amazement. You had been listening to the stories that papa, mama, mammu and your Sunday school teachers had been telling you! When the trip was symbolically flagged off by cutting the cake, you were invited by Pastor and his papa to join for cake cutting. That was the beginning of special entitlements for you as the youngest member of the trip. You were to enjoy the whole group’s attention, love, blessings and prayers in the days that would follow.


We came back home highly excited, the excited was supported well for the next two days before we took off by the presence of blue bags, blue caps and tags that were all designed for the trip. I wrote our names on the blue cap sides – Dipesh, Supriya, Isabella – to identify our caps. We included such other tags on our suitcases too, which were three for three of us, apart from almost as many hand bags. On the eve, we went around shopping for some eatables and pushed them into the suitcases and handbags. We ensured that we were carrying all electronics with their chargers, replacement batteries, adapters and extension cord. Mama had a list, which went from one sheet to three in the last month, and she ensured that we didn’t miss carrying anything that you might need on the trip. We had thought of sleeping early but the lights finally went out when it was close to midnight and we knew we had to wake up in just about three hours for a long day of travel ahead.


The next day’s story would follow in the next letter. Till then, keep playing.


Love you, Bambi.


Papa