A LETTER TO MY LAND

Picture Credit: Google Images

                                             

Dear India,

Hope you're fine. Or hope you are able to survive. I have been hearing countless stories of lynching and rapes. And I shudder to think what you have been going through.

In the day and age I was born in your land, everything was so serene. Okay, this isn't about how I feel. I wanted you to know there are thousands who are still with you. I know this isn't what you wanted your future to look like...an 80-year-old man being beaten up, a Muslim or a migrant worker being lynched, an 8-year-old girl being raped and murdered. After every gruesome incident, hashtags emerge. And then, everything fades off. You must be wondering how many of us still remember Asifa, the blue-eyed girl. When you were freed from bondage 71 years ago, you wanted violence to end. Now, it is rearing its ugly head again. It seems it never wants to go back to its bottomless pit.

I have heard patriotism is by choice. One shouldn't love their country, just by being born in it. I fell in love with you when I saw how different and classy you were. Songs like 'Mile Sur Mera Tumhaara' gave me goosebumps. It still does!

You have loved your people, no matter how much they betrayed you. And I sincerely hope your love and sacrifice yield you true results. Even as politicians fight and tear off each other’s heads, let me tell you one thing. There are many of us who want you to prosper. We are worried now! But we hope for the future that you dreamt of.

Even as you are traumatized by the turn of events, please be assured of a better tomorrow. I know it's too much optimism. But, it’s worth hoping for.

Yours sincerely,

A Patriotic Indian

In His Presence

 Leaning on the metro door, I scrolled through my mail inbox, skipping the numerous devotionals that I received. One mail caught my attention, ‘Five Ways to Receive Financial Blessings’. And here’s what triggered this article.

What do we approach God for? In this age of prosperity gospel and sermons prioritising materialistic blessings, every Christian should ask God this question, what do we approach God for? Firstly, a disclaimer, I am not against materialistic blessing. I would be a hypocrite if I seemed to oppose such prayers. However, what is our priority when we pray? I have heard so many sermons on chalking out a layout for your dream house or imagining an interview for that dream job. But, how many preachers dare to stand up and say, we need God and just Him? Very few, I feel.

A well-known Bible verse goes like this, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) It is a hard truth, but yes it is. He wants us to seek Him first and His kingdom. He wants us to rely only on Him. He wants us to thirst for His presence. When we spend time in prayer, He wants us to enjoy His presence, acknowledging His love and faithfulness. Oh, how He loves when we relax in His presence, as a child would do.

He loves it when we try to fix our eyes on Him, when it’s dark and stormy outside. He loves it when we call out to Him from the pit. He loves it when we spend time with Him, shutting out the world. And won’t you love it if the Creator and the Master says, “This is my daughter/son, with whom I am pleased.” That would give me joy beyond the world’s understanding. A verse that I have consistently been encountering, “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalms 46:10), has made me think a lot about stillness lately. How ready are we, to spend time in Him, without the worries of the world? It’s difficult, I agree. But, it’s worth a try, being still and knowing He is in perfect control. You and I cannot do it alone, but only with His help. However, it is important to experience this stillness with joy.

One of my favourite Bible verses has been Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” And I sincerely hope I am able to embody this joy in my darkest times, so that the King and my Father looks down at me and says “She is my daughter, with whom I am pleased.”

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