One day before Christ!
It was on one of those cool mornings of December, exactly on the 24th of December 1974, I came out of one of the most secure place in the world for many children. Official records might indicate otherwise, but how many of the babies born before 80s got their official birth dates right that match their actual one? I could have stayed a little more but doctors had different ideas and I was handled a caesarean birth. I plan to sue them sometime later for forcing me and effectively ending plans for further children for my parents. They deprived me of chances of having younger siblings, especially sisters, and playing and growing with them. World was not fair then too as I was about to find out soon.
I realized that India was a secular country by knowing that I had Christian neighbours on the left where as I had a Muslim family to our right. I did not feel any difference then and now apart from the fact that my Christian neighbours used to visit church on every Sunday and held prayers before dinner every evening. I knew that there were at least five times a day my other side went to prayers and understood that there must be something good in doing prayers. Although we used to visit temples, I always took pride in my mom offering the first set of eggs, from the small chicken farm (may be 10 or less) she used to grow, to the church rather than to the temple (Hindu gods WERE complete vegetarians). And we used to occasionally spent time to offer prayers and coins to the tomb of a Muslim Sheikh, who was known for his healing skills and powers, on the way to my mother's ancestral home. She taught me true secularism by showing respect to other religions andI learned everybody's right and need to exist in this beautiful world. Later in my life, friends from all caste and religion played a great part making me believe that I must be lucky to have born in India.
For every failure or inability to face a challenge, there would be an excuse. And conversions are excuses. As far as it brings relief to the individual, fair enough. Preaching that I am right and others are wrong will only increase tension and create confusion. There is no absolute right. It is relative. Relative to time and space. A right here might be wrong somewhere else some other time. India was fortunate enough to reap the benefits of the various cultures and religions it embraced. If children are the largest asset of a country, if their education is the major investment, then the work of convent schools run by Christian missionaries should get a pat on the back. I did my education with nuns for more than 7 years and always thank them for the strongest foundation they built for me to bloom. True that I learned bible stories quite often, but it always made me a better person in life. To suffer, forgive and sacrifice. To be patient, to understand and to give. And of course to die for those you love.
I always believed in coincidences. If I was born one day before a Christmas day, I got married a day before one Good Friday. It was on 20th of April 2000, Maundy Thursday. I was crucified a day before only to find myself resurrect and find out true meaning of life. Jesus Christ, for me, is a hero than a God whom I hold close to my heart. And truly he was a human being than a God. He died for the masses to show them the power of forgiveness and pain and pleasure of sacrifice. Writing about the power of the Almighty bring tears to my eyes and that's the way I return the favours. I believe in the plan God has for me and want to live that plan to the best of my abilities. I am sure that He will forgive me for the sins I have committed and lead me to a better person through the tests each and every day. Oh God, I believe in you and I want you to show me the way. And I thank you for the days you give me in this world for I know that it can end any time. Let me make it good for me as well as others.
Doesn't it feel good to be in the security of the most powerful when you are living in a city of man made security which is not flawless? I remember the caption of the 1994 movie, The Shawshank Redemption: "Fear can hold you prisoner; Hope can set you Free".
I realized that India was a secular country by knowing that I had Christian neighbours on the left where as I had a Muslim family to our right. I did not feel any difference then and now apart from the fact that my Christian neighbours used to visit church on every Sunday and held prayers before dinner every evening. I knew that there were at least five times a day my other side went to prayers and understood that there must be something good in doing prayers. Although we used to visit temples, I always took pride in my mom offering the first set of eggs, from the small chicken farm (may be 10 or less) she used to grow, to the church rather than to the temple (Hindu gods WERE complete vegetarians). And we used to occasionally spent time to offer prayers and coins to the tomb of a Muslim Sheikh, who was known for his healing skills and powers, on the way to my mother's ancestral home. She taught me true secularism by showing respect to other religions andI learned everybody's right and need to exist in this beautiful world. Later in my life, friends from all caste and religion played a great part making me believe that I must be lucky to have born in India.
For every failure or inability to face a challenge, there would be an excuse. And conversions are excuses. As far as it brings relief to the individual, fair enough. Preaching that I am right and others are wrong will only increase tension and create confusion. There is no absolute right. It is relative. Relative to time and space. A right here might be wrong somewhere else some other time. India was fortunate enough to reap the benefits of the various cultures and religions it embraced. If children are the largest asset of a country, if their education is the major investment, then the work of convent schools run by Christian missionaries should get a pat on the back. I did my education with nuns for more than 7 years and always thank them for the strongest foundation they built for me to bloom. True that I learned bible stories quite often, but it always made me a better person in life. To suffer, forgive and sacrifice. To be patient, to understand and to give. And of course to die for those you love.
I always believed in coincidences. If I was born one day before a Christmas day, I got married a day before one Good Friday. It was on 20th of April 2000, Maundy Thursday. I was crucified a day before only to find myself resurrect and find out true meaning of life. Jesus Christ, for me, is a hero than a God whom I hold close to my heart. And truly he was a human being than a God. He died for the masses to show them the power of forgiveness and pain and pleasure of sacrifice. Writing about the power of the Almighty bring tears to my eyes and that's the way I return the favours. I believe in the plan God has for me and want to live that plan to the best of my abilities. I am sure that He will forgive me for the sins I have committed and lead me to a better person through the tests each and every day. Oh God, I believe in you and I want you to show me the way. And I thank you for the days you give me in this world for I know that it can end any time. Let me make it good for me as well as others.
Doesn't it feel good to be in the security of the most powerful when you are living in a city of man made security which is not flawless? I remember the caption of the 1994 movie, The Shawshank Redemption: "Fear can hold you prisoner; Hope can set you Free".
posted by Myna | 11:10 PM
2 Comments:
R u converted? i ws going thru ur other blogs n found it interesting as well as meaningful, except dis 1..i dont ever think India s a secular nation..wn Xian missionaries r taking every step 2 get 1 converted to +, n politicians/leaders are utilising each oppurtunity to please muslims(as muslim votes counts for laying the foundation f their party as they belong to minority)..can dis be called a secular nation wn one dont have the rights to follow one's religion? can u be proud to tell that india is witnessing attacks from terrorists (previously from pak, now born and trained muslims in india) ?? you should be ashamed to praise those people who s aiming only to destroy india, only to destroy d secular culture f india, n finally to convert it either into a xian/muslim nation..atleast u shd hav dat sense to understand wt s happening outside, especially to india, before praising any religions..otherwise also, y shld u be blamed? u got settled outside india n y shld u be bothered 4 wtever happens to india..
I am not. Your opinions depend on your surroundings, learning, experiences and so is mine.
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