Alongside

How do you make sense of an unprecedented calamity of Global proportion? How do you find your bearings in the sudden and crazy turn of events around you?  In the last couple of weeks literally everything has gone for a toss, the lines have been altered drastically, the way we live, behave, communicate, work, move around, celebrate, worship etc. almost every aspect of life. It has been a big jolt for most of us from our reverie of life, stuck at home, being fearful of this terrible virus lurking at every corner, occasionally stepping out of our houses with utmost caution, our faces covered with mask’s against an unseen lethal enemy, scrambling to stockpile our homes with provisions for the lock-down and lathering our hands constantly with soap to keep the tiny killer at bay or otherwise fiddling away on our smartphones, immersed in our social media apps and frequently switching to see how the dreaded virus is faring city-state–nation and worldwide (that seems to be the most pre...

Apostle Paul concludes his famous chapter on Love with this verse, “ and now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. ” 1Cor 13:13. When everything around us is going topsy-turvy, when people are gripped with fear, anxiety and uncertainty, we are reminded that no matter whatever happens these three will remain. Everything else will pass, no doubt Covid 19 will eventually pass, it is not here stay, mankind has seen worse calamities over the centuries, but none of them have remained even though they looked ominous and destructive, it has all passed and human race has survived but these three things are permanent: faith, hope and love. Faith in God who is sovereign over all human affairs, who is in control and He allows certain things to happen even if we don’t appreciate and understand it. But yet we firmly believe that He is working all things for good and He has a great plan in all this, is the foundation stone for us as we face calamitie...

Recently one young man with whom I am on a spiritual Journey asked me, “ bro, tell me how can I live a holy life, how can I stay pure ?” This is probably the most pertinent question that has been troubling young men who long to live a life pleasing to the lord. In the longest Psalm that King David wrote; Psalm 119 verse 9 , he raises this same profound question and then he goes on to answer it by making it look so simple, “ by keeping it according to your word ”. One starts wondering, what! Is that so easy? I have been trying my best, but somehow missing the mark, I can’t figure out where exactly I am going wrong. How on earth can I keep all of God’s words and be pure? Every young believer, whom I have come across, genuinely desires to live a life that is holy and pure, the intentions are all there and it is good but most of them fail miserably, it is a struggle for many- falling, failing and scrambling to stand up somehow and moving forward. Well that might be the summ...