Care for Muslims!

Christian community, and particularly the leadership, must take note that the Muslim population in Canada is on the increase. Here are some numbers from Statistics Canada: in Ontario the number of Muslims from 52,110 in 1981 increased to 352,525 in 2001; in Alberta from 16,860 went up to 49,045; in British Columbia 12,720 swelled to 56,215; and in Quebec 12,115 rose to 108,620. After 2001, the US war against Afghanistan and US occupation in Iraq with not much of change in US policies with regards to Middle East is only pushing these numbers higher and much quicker.

Christians have nothing to rejoice, or whine about these growing numbers. For these events are only a clarion call for Christians to consider reshaping of their minds and missions. Christians must ask the question: What is the Christian Mission in Canada in the context of a rising tide of “Islamophobia”?

Anglican Bishop Kenneth Cragg (formerly of the Diocese of Oxford, now retired) has been reminding the Christian Community for over four decades that “not to care for Muslims” does entail “not to care for Christ”!

Proclaiming the Trinity!

Bible neither proves nor explains “Trinity”. But there is a witness to Trinity in every page of the Bible.

Christians, I believe, are not called to prove, or defend, “Trinity” but to promote a “Trinitarian Model” of living both in their personal and communal aspects of life! Christians proclaim and celebrate “Trinity” to spontaneously and constantly evolve a “Trinitarian community”. Hence, transforming the communities into a “Trinitarian shape” should be the chief concern of all those who belong to church communities!

In the “godhead”, portrayed in the Bible, there is perfect agreement. The “wills” of the three persons – Father, Son and the Holy Spirit – do not conflict. Jesus’ will perfectly coincided with the “will of the Father”, and therefore, Jesus could say, “The Father and I are the same, or, “If you have seen me then you have seen the Father”. Furthermore, in the Bible, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit of “Trinity” do not compete with one another for “control” but rather “co-operate and submit to one another” in harmonious unity!

When human lives are moulded into such a “shape” then there is an authentic proclamation, celebration and true worship of “Trinity”. When people gather together, breaking down the walls in between, and erase boundaries to move together towards a new horizon, then there is a human movement towards that “Trinitarian Community”.

Transformed Non-Conformist!

Paul calls the people of faith to become “transformed non-conformist”, when he wrote: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds …” (Romans 12:2). Two midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, in the story of Moses (in Exodus chapter one) provide us examples of non-conformity. They refused to march to the music of the King of Egypt. The two women by choosing “non-conformity” as their life style perhaps missed much awards and accolades. They risked dismissal, imprisonment and possibly death from the powerful king. Many today think this as imprudence and utter foolishness, a psychological and social maladjustment! But, wasn’t Jesus, an imprudent maladjusted Rabbi of his time? We need to stop being “a parrot” parroting easy popular slogans and conforming to dominant cultural mould, imitating its values in preference to those values of God’s Kingdom! God’s rule is often promoted when we disobey the “Multinational Corporations”, the “Mass Media”, and many other local paraphernalia that supports the opposite of godly values, promising personal progress and prosperity, distorting our humanity and dictating our living style.