Reflections - Limitation as Strength

Limitation as Strength

Detrimental only if not used to advantage

The conquests began from an apparent limitation. Alexander III of Macedon (356-323 BC), better known as Alexander the Great, was still being tutored by one of the greatest philosophers of all times, Aristotle, in the martial arts and how to rule, when his father Philip II, the powerful king of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia was assassinated by a young Macedonian noble, Pausanias, for being denied justice. Alexander was 20 years old then.

 

His ascension to the throne was not a ‘walkover’. He had to fight for it. He quickly dealt with his enemies at home and reasserted Macedonian power within Greece. He then set out to conquer the massive Persian Empire.

 

Against overwhelming odds – which began with his ascension - he led his army to victories across the Persian territories of Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt without suffering a single defeat. His greatest victory was at the Battle of Gaugamela, in what is now northern Iraq, in 331 BC. The young king of Macedonia, leader of the Greeks, overlord of Asia Minor and pharaoh of Egypt became 'great king' of Persia at the age of 25.

Alexander’s army stopped at the outskirts of India. His men who battled for 13 years beside him against the strongest forces of that era, refused to budge from their demand to go back home to their families. Alexander had to give in. He sent them back by ship while he marched alongside on land perhaps not quite able to quench is ‘conquering spirit’ even when abandoned by his men.

 

Alexander died of a fever in Babylon in June 323 BC. When his body was being taken for burial to Alexandria in Egypt, one of the greatest cities he founded, it was stolen, and disappeared, never to be found.

 

Most people who rise to heights of greatness, rise despite or because of their limitations.

 

Abraham Lincoln was poor (born in a log cabin with not much to eat), was awkward looking with a gangly gait to match, with huge palms and funny ears. He incurred losses in business, personal loss of his mother, sister, child, fiancée. He had a mental breakdown, was married to a manic depressive, and had his own ‘dark night of the soul’.

 

He was believed to have a neurodegenerative disorder. He was defeated in State Legislature, US Congress and Senate elections 7 times overall, but when it counted, he won, to become the 16^th President of the United States of American in 1860.

 

He was humane, focused, witty, tenacious, gracious, self-taught, prayerful (“Bible is the only book he read for insights and to illustrate his points and vision and dependence on God for victory in the Civil War of Emancipation of Slavery”), and his very last action before his assassination was to stamp the line on the US Coin, “In God We Trust”.

 

The impression produced by the size of his extremities, and by his flapping and wide projecting ears, may be removed by the appearance of kindliness, sagacity, and the awkward bonhomie of his face...--William Howard Russell in My Diary North and South, March 27, 1861

When he was with me, I have seen him get a case and seem to be bewildered at first, but he would go at it and after a while he would master it. He was very tenacious in his grasp of a thing that he once got hold of. --Stephen Logan in the Lincoln Centennial Association Bulletin, September 1, 1928

He may not have been trained in much of the technical learning of the schools, but in point of mental development and mental discipline, the chief aim and object of education, he was highly educated. --Smith Stimmel in Personal Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln

As a writer he was fluent and forcible. His papers bore few marks of revision, and while his style was not Ciceronian, it was clear, pure, and easily comprehended. He composed letters amid distractions which would have appalled other men. --Edward Neill in Reminiscences of the Last Year of President Lincoln's Life

In conversation, he was a patient, attentive listener, rather looking for the opinion of others, than hazarding his own, and trying to view a matter in all of its phases before coming to a conclusion.
--William E. Doster in Lincoln and Episodes of the Civil War

Never did a President enter upon office with less means at his command, outside his own strength of heart and steadiness of understanding, for inspiring confidence in the people, and so winning it for himself, than Mr. Lincoln. --James Russell Lowell in the North American Review, January 1864

...he certainly did not dream that his principal duty would be to raise great armies and fleets, and the means to sustain them, for the suppression of the most determined and sanguinary rebellion, in defence of slavery, that our planet ever witnessed. --Henry Villard in "Recollections of Lincoln"

Lincoln was more familiar with the bible than any other book in the language, and this was apparent, both from his style of his illustrations, so often taken from that book. He verified the maxim that it is better to know thoroughly a few good books than to read many.
--Isaac Arnold in "Lincoln and Douglas as Lawyers"

The starkest example of people who make success of their life out of their seeming limitations are the comedians, vamps and villains in the movies. If not for their face or other awkwardness they would be unlikely candidates for celebrityhood. The clown in a circus gets his livelihood from being stunted; making his personal limitations a matter of joy for others especially innocent children who can stand head-to-head with him.

Some use their one core strength – their baritone voice – to cover up for their ‘non-chocolatey, brooding, even angry’ face and unusual disproportioned, non-six-abs physique. Those in India and fans of Hindi films know even before reading further that there is only one such person who fits the description: Amitabh Bachchan who continues to be the ‘Badshah’ of Bollywood, despite ‘chocolatey’ faced claimants.

What is key to the story of limitation that makes it a strength?

Three factors, really:

1.   Not wanting to be somebody else other than themselves

2.   Embracing their limitations and not shielding it from the world

3.   Unwilling to submit to stereotyping by others or accepting failure until the goal is achieved

We rarely hear of those who stopped short or gave up on their goals; much as we rarely remember who came second in a competition or was acclaimed for a historical achievement – stepping on the moon’s surface.

We all have our limitations and to our detriment we hide it well instead of letting it flower and serve the purpose for which we have been ‘blessed’ with the limitation. The limitations I speak of are not what we have brought upon ourselves through our disobedient, intemperate, imprudent, uncaring, and ‘devil-be-damned’ behaviour, but what is congenital, or result of an accident or sickness that we are called to bear.

We can all take comfort from the Word of God, which is the truth, and nothing but the truth (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12)

“I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor the favour to the skilful. For time and chance happen to all.”

The US Army with the English played a stellar role, along with Stalin’s Soviet Union in the capitulation of Hitler and Germany in World War II. There are three US Generals who prominently feature in any narration of the WWII. Two are familiar names: General Eisenhower and General Patton (more for notoriety). There was one other: General Omar N. Bradley, (12 Feb 1893 – 8 April 1981). He was the last of the nation's five-star generals.

General Bradley became deputy commander of the United States II Corps, fighting in the Tebessa area under General Patton. His main duty, however, was to act as General Eisenhower's eyes and ears along the entire front. (The quirk of fate, during the Normandy landing, General Patton reported into General Bradley, and for a reason).

Although Field Marshal Montgomery was in direct command of the assault landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, the command of the First Army and ultimately of the 12th Army Group was held by General Bradley through the remainder of the fighting in France and Germany. He was ashore fewer than 24 hours after the first Allied units hit the Normandy beaches.

After Germany's capitulation, General Bradley returned to Washington and took over as head of the Veterans Administration from 1945 to 1947. He then became Chief of Staff of the Army and served two terms as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, departing in 1954. He was made a five-star general in 1950.

The brief profile as it emerges in the above narration would give the impression that the three Generals topped their class at West Point.   

Cadet Bradley graduated 44th in a class of 164. General Eisenhower, a classmate, graduated 25th in the class. Patton struggled academically during his initial year at the U.S. Military Academy and was required to repeat his first year after failing mathematics. Patton worked with a tutor and redoubled his efforts to receive adequate grades the remainder of his tenure at West Point, eventually graduating 46th in his class of 103 cadets.

None of the three Generals topped their class. But they topped their profession. This is not to provide hope to those who do not study, but to those who due to limitations or out of other interests find it hard to be ‘toppers’.

As classmates at West Point, Eisenhower trusted Bradley to handle Patton, first as Eisenhower’s ‘eyes and ears’ when Bradley was appointed to Patton’s II Corps, and then as Patton’s boss, during the Normandy landing. In reality, no one other than General Eisenhower could manage Patton. General Eisenhower had the power to promote, transfer or fire Patton (very nearly did on couple of occasions).

General Patton was a maverick US army general, who was distinguished and distinct from all army generals active in WWII. He struck fear, as much in the heart of the enemy headquarters (read Rommel and Hitler), as well as, his own headquarters (read General Eisenhower) for his bold moves on the battlefield and erratic and emotional ways. On one occasion he slapped an infantryman in the army camp hospital for lying in bed with no injury; the infantryman was being treated for ‘trauma’ (an ailment alien to Patton).

We get a good insight into what leads to leadership from General Eisenhower’s his explanation to his HQ staff on managing Patton, when appointing Bradley to Patton’s II Corps:

The presence of a senior officer out of the chain of command is always irksome to the responsible commanders, and this occasion was no exception. But General Eisenhower appraised his men correctly when he wrote of General Bradley: ''He was a keen judge of men and their capabilities and was absolutely fair and just in his dealings with them. Added to this, he was emotionally stable and possessed a grasp of the larger issues that clearly marked him for high office.''

It is evident from these stories that none are born to greatness. Those who leverage their moments of crisis or God-given limitations, acquire traits that help them conquer empires, launch into celebrityhood, manage a country through civil war, or manage an army to thwart designs of evil men.

In times of economic crisis or forced lockdowns due to an infectious virus spread through community transmission (Covid-19) we are all challenged. It has separated family members across cities, states and countries due to travel restrictions. It has also forced the tormented and the tormentor to live cheek-by-jowl in close quarters for weeks and months. Between March 25 – May 17 2020 a Child Helpline has received over 300,000 calls for help arising from domestic violence.  

Every limitation when addressed can be a source of strength (the idea of a Child Helpline for children in these times) by conquering it and leveraging it to our advantage to achieve a personal or collective good (Alexander the Great marauding conquests, exempted).

Reflections - The Corruption of our Soul

The Corruption of our Soul

It is free, but comes at huge cost

The move from analog (newspaper) to electronic (television) and now to digital (search engines and social media) has resulted in torrential transmission of information, communication and entertainment. At hands’ reach, and at the click of a button. Not all good and largely untrue too.

As humans, we are genetically, prime time and breaking news oriented. The FOMO factor – the Fear of Mixing Out may well be designated by the US Food and Drug Authority (FDA) as a disease.

A ping on our mobile and pong we respond. Depending on the number of digital media and channels that we are subscribed to, some of us could well contend for the world table tennis championship title.

The information spewed out is cataclysmic and yet too little to satiate our appetite. It has become our daily diet that takes us away from more worthy pursuits.

There is an arms race between countries, and vested interests within the countries, with differing ideologies and goals, to command the airwaves or undersea cable capacities – to get the news and entertainment to us – fastest – to the fastest finger. The more we click and consume, the better the goals of the vested interests are met, and greater the money for the abetting media.

In this ping-pong world, the rat-a-tat of bouncing messages from one chat to another and from one platform to another, can consume a whole day, with very little of significance being done.  

If there is increase in panic attacks and anxiety bouts that people are experiencing these days the mobile phone is the prime suspect for this epidemic. Put it on detox for a day and then two and see the difference.

There is so much news coming to us and almost all of it bad, it is no surprise, that peace of mind, has become a privilege that only people in media dark world enjoy.

Or those who are aware of the malicious attempt of the perpetrators, have taken measures to shut off the channels spitting out the pervasive and pernicious news. They have developed a system by which they choose to focus only on tested, verified channels providing stream of affirmations. In the grossly upended world of bad news, there is still much good to be found, if we diligently and deliberately seek it.

That is key. That should be our endeavor. We need to diligently and deliberately seek what we want and not be swamped by the menacing swarm of WhatsApp and other posts.

Getting to hear messages of affirmation that is edifying is the long tail. If you take book distribution for instance, the ‘Head’ is all the popular books with substantial marketing dollars supporting it.

And, then there are some good books with good content which does not get the publicity, but by word-of-mouth people get to hear about it. Some become best sellers by the sheer weight of their content. This is the long tail before the prominence.

Which are the books that have sold in millions?

Don Quixote by Miquel de Cervantes has sold 500 million copies; A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, 200 million copies; The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, 150 million copies; The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 142 million copies; followed by JK Rowling Harry Potter Series; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis, 85 million copies; The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, 80 million copies; Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, 70 million copies.

The most read books tug at some deep emotions within us related to salvation, solidarity, security, serenity, success, striving, strife, struggle, survival, seduction, secrecy and sorcery. All of it to do with our interaction with our fellow human being, humanoids, human-like animals, extra-terrestrial beings, Gods or the God Almighty. 

The Bible, the Quran, the Gita, Mao Tse-tung’s Quotations exceed the print runs of all of above – though not necessarily bought, but distributed.

These books touch upon a range of emotions of a set of communities each numbering over a billion. Then there is the Torah of the Jews and such like smaller communities. Some inspired and common to many communities and one a mere propaganda tool.

From the High-Definition, the News-on-Steroid world that we live in today, when we hark two millennia back, the transmission of news was either on horseback or use of a runner or at gatherings of places of worship, town centres and road junctions, or from hill and mountain tops. (The Beatitudes; the Teaching before the feeding of the 5000 by Jesus).

The credibility of the transmitter, the content, and the source was of utmost importance. The sources then were either the sacred books or decrees from kings, emperors, governors or local administrative head.

The content were essentially directives formulated in different forms but seeking a definite action from the listener. The transmitter made the difference, if he carried the heft of the sender of the message. The message structure too mattered.  

Mark Anthony (‘Caesar’s burial’), Abraham Lincoln (‘Gettysburg Address’), Martin Luther King (‘I have a dream’), John F Kennedy (‘Ich Bin Berliner’), Winston Churchill (‘Blood, sweat and tears’); and many forgettable ones - Hitler, Mussolini, Franco – they all had one thing in common – the ability to arouse feelings of liberation or prime the masses for sacrifices or a fight.

David Ogilvy, in Ogilvy on Advertising to illustrate what a good advertisement must do, gave the example of Greek Athens’s engagement with Macedonia, “When Aeschines spoke, they said, ‘How well he speaks.’ When Demosthenes spoke, they said, ‘Let us march against Philip (Philip II of Macedonia).’

Jesus was the perfect transmitter. His content was par excellence. His heft came from His Father in Heaven. His style was simple for his audience who were the underlings of society.

Often, He spoke in Parables. He believed that not all are interested in His message, and of those who are interested, must make the effort to understand the Parables so that His teaching sticks and is realized in action.

Very unlike the efforts of today’s transmitters pursuing their agenda. They take over the airwaves or digital bits and bytes, and relentlessly hammer the message to stand out in all the noise, intent on achieving their objectives in their lifetime. And, so the self-inflicted trauma and panic attacks that we as consumers of their messages bring upon ourselves.

We needn’t. There is so much good in the world. If we can only turn our attention toward it, and switch off from what is titillating, temporary and tempestuous that does nothing but cause us mental grief and agony.

Jesus had three years to get the job done and the effect for all times to eternity. Our pursuit should be to gain serenity and eschew sorcery which comes in so many disguises unknown, undetectable, and undecipherable to us in the news, books and entertainment we consume.

Jesus did not have a broadcasting device. Just his soothing voice. He did not scream, but taught in an even tone. He reserved his harshness only to the ‘learned’ who had become arrogant and ardently protected their privilege. He did not arouse mercurial emotions that would make people do something ‘rash’. We know of some leaders who do to stay in power.

The ‘rash’ part He reserved for himself given what it entailed – his suffering, death and resurrections – which His disciples will emulate in time – after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them at Pentecost, and St Paul separately after his Damascus experience.

Jesus followed a process.

He first recruited full time able followers – in ones and twos - until he had twelve. Then, there were women who supported His ministry – most were called Mary – but there was a Joanna and a Salome - of all Mary Magdalene was the most prominent.

At first Jesus taught these chosen exclusively. Mk 4:11-12

He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’^”

This is an echo of what we here in Isaiah 6:9-10. He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Both these verses in Mark 4:11-12 and Isaiah 6:9-10 have to do with the four responses in the Parable of the Sower in Mt 13 of how people receive the Word; the fifth being hardening of the heart which is a constant theme in the Old Testament; of Israelite’s treatment of the prophesies and the prophets leading to the exile and destruction of the Jerusalem temple.

So as part of Jesus’ ministry, to bring the kingdom of God on earth, He chose disciples (they did not choose Him; as with our God; we don’t choose, He chooses us) and it was for them (and us) to say ‘Yes’.

Some outright rejected the call. Others followed Him and were willing to endure the consequences in the hostile environment in which Christianity evolved.

However, when Jesus taught the disciples, the key teachings about his arrest, suffering, death and resurrection did not appear to get traction with the disciples. They were simply overwhelmed by Jesus’s miracles and ‘kicked’ to be part of His entourage.

Then he undertook the part of his teaching that the disciples chose to ignore – the suffering and humiliation of crucifixion in the company of thieves. When the events unfolded, the disciples except John became scarce, as Jesus had said (John 16:32), “Look, an hour is coming and has already come when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.”

After the resurrection Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples, and many others in Jerusalem, where the disciples were still there attending the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. 

Subsequently, the disciples left for Galilee. Jesus repeatedly told through Mary Magdalene and others, “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as he told you.” Mk 16:6-8.

The disciples too felt safer in Galilee with their own people, away from the hostility of the Jews in Jerusalem. They met Jesus on the mountain as He had said, got their faith in the resurrection confirmed many times over, and they were all set for ‘The Great Commission’ "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15

Toward this end the disciples returned to Jerusalem, to be crowned with the Holy Spirit. ‘The Great Commission’ was set in motion, of which you and I are the beneficiaries, “For this is the will of the of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” Jn 6:40

The choices we make in our consumption of media and news which all comes to us free (which is what we think), actually comes at a great cost – the cost of our peace of mind and also of our soul.

Better to pay for the media and channels of our choice and be disciplined in what messages we allow to enter our heart. For whatever enters is bound to either corrupt or sanctify our soul. We should not give in to tardiness in this critical area of our life.

In any case, be committed to a worthy task that takes up 60 percent of your time, with just 10 percent for media-related communication, so that the balance 30 percent you can enjoy sound sleep and a healthy existence.

Wednesday, 29 April 2020

Reflections - Are you the Chosen One?

Are you the Chosen One?

King Saul of Israel, dithered. To attack or not to attack. His men too were getting restless at his indecisiveness, seeing the Philistine garrison camp across the valley was ripe for the picking.

God wasn’t answering Saul’s prayers and Prophet Samuel was missing in action. Hence, the status quo.

Meanwhile, his son Jonathan, who was at another location, away from where Saul was, told the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us; for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.” 

And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that your mind inclines to; behold, I am with you, as is your mind so is mine.” (1 Sam 14:7)

And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me; for the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel.”

Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they (Philistines) fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him; and that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, was of about twenty men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land. 

And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison and even the raiders trembled; the earth quaked; and it became a very great panic. (1 Samuel 14:1-16)

Nobody is born a leader. They become a leader when elected or appointed to a leadership position. Some like Jonathan, King Saul’s son, assume leadership, to do what needs to be done; not wait for leadership to be thrust on them.

King Saul, who loved rituals, waited for Prophet Samuel to come, to make the offering to God, to get God’s blessing to attack.

Jonathan, on the other hand, had the confidence in his God, trustingly expressed, “it may be that the LORD will work for us; for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.”

They attacked the camp, just Jonathan and his armor bearer with God on their side. Their uncharacteristic attack threw the Philistine camp into complete panic.

One essential element of being a leader is having followers. Without followers, the 'leader' is only an administrator. To be a leader is something special. Only few can be leaders. They need to be chosen.

Jonathan was blessed with an armor bearer (follower), who spoke like a prophet or like God himself, “Do all that your mind inclines to; behold, I am with you, as is your mind so is mine.” (1 Sam 14:7)

To be a chosen leader you need God’s anointing, for sure. The anointing from God, above everything else, insulates the leader from fear.  The bad stress that fear causes inhibits clear thinking. A mind freed from fear is capable of astounding achievements. A given expectation from a true leader. With God at hand every decision is a blessed one. You will not be prey to deceit. Your ways will be well-ordered.

Saul had the anointing but he did not live up to the merits of the anointing. He did not execute God’s directive. He was afraid of his own people deserting him.  Not a sign of a fearless mind confident of God’s presence in his life. Jonathan had what was missing in Saul. God, however, compensated through Jonathan.

King Saul was appointed by Prophet Samuel who until then was a Seer and Judge over the people of Israel. He had grown old and the people were not impressed with Samuel’s sons, who Samuel had appointed in his place to be Judge over the people. 

The people wanted to be led by a King. That was the case with other nations. Their King fought for their nations against Israel. By their demand for a king, the Israelites were rejecting God as their King, who brought them out of Egypt and from slavery.

God gave Samuel the permission to give the people a king. Samuel wanted to cling to his authority over the people and so appointed a Prophet-led King who would do his bidding.

He picked on Saul who had the personality to be King. Saul was anointed. God’s spirit came upon Saul. It was clearly a compromised situation. It did not go well. Saul failed God by not following the instruction to completely annihilate the Amalekites – every one of them - and not taking any of their possessions. Saul and his people did not obey God neither in spirit nor in letter. (1 Sam 15:15)

The anointing left Saul soon enough (and so his dithering when faced with an important decision). The anointing moved on to a “ruddy’ youth, David, who would become King over a united Judah and Israel and reign for 40 years.

The anointing never left David even though he sinned with Bathsheba (David’s Hittite General’s wife) and ran a census of his people that displeased God. Jesus comes from the line of David through Joseph and Mary, through their paternal lineage going up to King David.

The leader must be endowed with a clarity of mind and purpose and be unstinting in executing God’s given plans.

Abraham Lincoln was one such leader. He governed the United States during the toughest part of American history. He governed with a ‘team of rivals’ who had contested the presidency against him. 

Abraham Lincoln had the anointing. He was clear-eyed about who can help him achieve the aim of his presidency. He inducted his 'rivals' into his cabinet because they were the best he had on hand. He needed the best to achieve his aim of emancipation of slaves; to abolish slavery forever. Like Jonathan, Abraham Lincoln took it that God was with him. He read the Word of God every night and before every important decision. Abraham Lincoln, was emblematic of ‘servant leadership’.

Jesus, of course, stands apart, in ‘servant leadership’ and executing God’s plan. He too created a cabinet of twelve with the most unlikely folks to take his message to the corners of the world. 

Judas, who betrayed Jesus, and committed suicide from remorse, was replaced, by an intellectual and a persecutor of Jesus' followers before his conversion at Damascus.

St. Paul was relentless in taking the message to what we today know as Europe, and to the gentiles, taking Jesus' teaching beyond the Jews to all humanity. 

The fact that he was Roman helped take the message to the seat of the empire, which continues today as the seat of the Roman Catholic church where St Peter's successors govern the church of over a billion believers.

Jesus' short ministry on earth of three years followed a strict two-fold plan or pattern: pray and preach.

We read in Mark 1:35-38 & Luke 4:42-44

Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray. Simon and his companions went to look for Him, and when they found Him, they said, “Everyone is looking for You!”

But Jesus answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns so I can preach there as well, for that is why I have come.” So He went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Even though He was Son of God, He did not seek equality with God, but did what His Father wanted Him to do. 

And, He had a lot to do.

Heal the sick. Feed the multitude. Deliver the possessed. Occasionally, raise the dead to life. Mighty works that overshadowed Jesus' real ministry: to preach ... always preceded by deep prayer to know God's will for the day.

Miracles, frankly, did not take much of Jesus’ time. It just happened.

In Luke 17:14, When (Jesus) saw them (the lepers), he said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed”

The woman with the ISSUE OF BLOOD touched the helm of His garment and immediately sensed she was healed. (Luke 8:43-48)

Most times it is Jesus who initiated and willed the healing. Taken aback by the incidence of healing without his explicit doing, Jesus asked who touched him. He appeared visibly weakened as power flowed out of him.

Jesus’ diffidence to perform the miracle at the wedding feast of Cana, His very first, perhaps arose from a sense of unpreparedness to perform the miracle, but more importantly, he sensed or more likely knew that it would trigger His imminent walk on Calvary.

These episodes in the Bible underscore the importance of prayer to strengthen oneself before a performing a miracle (or as a corollary to our own life, praying before undertaking any major task or crucial decision).

This discipline of God's anointing on the decision is so critical when you are operating in a leadership position.

Jesus invested his time on teaching. The miracle happened as and when. As an all-knowing God, He knew that what will get his disciples, you and me, through challenging times is knowing, understanding and adhering to His teachings.

Jesus’ teachings are the most precious words ever spoken with 4000 years of history behind it since Abraham was called to leave his ancestral home and journey to the promise land. Difficult to put a time to the creation of the universe. Jesus words would effectively be that many years old.   

Such is the weight and aura of his teachings that how we receive it and what we do with the teachings we have heard makes a profound difference to what we achieve on earth - especially for leaders - who are put in their positions or assume such positions.

We need to hear the word reverentially, not merely, as a feel-good story. It is not one. Allow it to soak into our senses. When we breathe in deeply, we can feel the breath touching every organ, sinew, muscle and vessel in our body. We must take in the Word of God as with a deep breath. Allow it to touch every part of our senses. And, most importantly, put it into practice consciously. For practice leads to perfection of our spirit with the spirit of god. 

The miracles brought attention to Jesus’ words. His teaching was challenging in His time, and is challenging even now. Knowing and living the Word is hard. It is like doing a Ph.D. It is a lot of hard work – research and coursework. But worth the effort for the singular discovery of the research, to defend it before the jury. 

As you would have to, if ever called before the authorities, to stand up for your belief.

In Daniel 3, we read about the Jewish exiles, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar to the highest positions in Babylonian Empire: to oversee the affairs of the province of Babylon. Along with that exalted responsibility came the demand to bow to the golden statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. They declined. They were thrown into a fiery furnace “heated seven times more than it was usually heated”.

The event had a happy ending.

Nebuchadnezzar saw “… four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” His astonishment was such that he “decree(d): Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.”

From where comes such faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their devotion to God?

Most who listened to Jesus’ teaching, it was water off ducks back (“building on sand”). It did not stick. Or when it did, it was shaken off. It did not wear well on them. For the teaching hinged on one word, LOVE. God is Love. Love meant sacrifice – of bad habits, ego, fears and possessions – of all attachments. 

Out of our desperation for miracles we are willing to go on a limb and do whatever to obtain it – often straying from the Lord’s teaching itself – going to fortune tellers or those promising healing through witchcraft. Talk about desperation when the Word is not in you.

Why do we seek miracles when we should be seeking The Word? For “In the beginning was The Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God”.

For God to reach us in this cacophonous world is becoming increasingly difficult. The distractions are too many. Wanting to know the Word is a conscious and deliberate decision. It does not happen just like that. God too must have a hand in it. He must choose you. God is selective. Only few are chosen.

Are you one of them?

Life is too chilled for most of us. We have not walked through our ‘valley of darkness’ to desire the “rod, the staff, and the sling of Our Shepherd” to guide and protect us. When the ‘storm’ hits we try to do catch up like the five virgins who ran out of oil when the bridegroom, delayed, but finally showed up. (Matt 25:1-13). Better late than never. 

If admission to Harvard is hard. Imagine admission to God’s Kingdom through the Word of God. Harder. Few qualify. Only grace and merit count.

A graduate from Harvard goes into law, medicine and investment banking. They also become presidents of the most powerful country in the world. 

A graduate from God’s university goes to win soul for His Kingdom. His or her presidency when his or her time is up on earth (I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7) is in the most fabulous place in the universe, Heaven, where not mere mortals, but angels will attend to him or her.

Given a choice what would you rather go for your studies and life thereof? And, that’s the hard choice before us, in a manner of speaking. It means giving up on many things that can give you ‘worldly joy’ for the eternal joy.

You may make the choice in a state of euphoria enchanted momentarily by the Word you heard or a miracle in your own life. But, for the decision to really work out you need to be chosen. 

Intent may exist but to choose such a path for yourself has its risks. Commitments are made in a moment of time. Sustaining the commitment is the challenge.  On our own strength it is impossible. We are not made for the rigor of the commitment - the dependence on God for our shelter, clothes and provision; the living in a community and not with our own family, and conversely, the solitariness of mission work. You need God’s anointing to walk faithfully to see your mission (His mission, really) through.  

Of ten who choose the religious path only two make it and one truly lives the vocation.

Are you the one?