Santhosh's ramblings

I had the opportunity to go back to one of the institutions I worked after ten years. Walking around, I observed lots of things which have changed and are still changing. New construction all around. Old buildings looking totally different. New faces all around. Few families who have stood through various Ups and downs but still persevering for years together. A sun dial which has stood as witness for 120 odd years. The junk yards which seems as if nothing has changed. Trees which have been silent witness to the changes happening around. The migratory birds which come and go every year. Like many staff who have come in and gone out. But like the green lawns and gardens which have continued to enrich the people who come in and go out, there is some thing else I experienced. The unchanging presence of God in the midst of all the changes. Assuring me again that He is the owner and the sustainer.

Vulnerability of communities of faith scattered across our country is due to both internal and external factors. Broken down walls are one reason. These communities are like city without walls. Walls of protection which should have been there due to our “being in the world” but “not of the world” has been broken down by not caring for these walls of character. We think that it is the physical walls which give us protection, but many times it is not these physical walls, but the walls of our character. Drying up of the river of compassion and care is yet another factor. Character can be assassinated and destroyed by assassins and destroyers, but out flowing river of care and compassion can give protection from any potential destroyers. We have shifted from being connected to the ever flowing source of the river of compassion to other fast drying up ones. Scattering is a third factor. Physical, emotional, and purpose scattering is evident among these communities. Established f...

The running away of Jonah is generally perceived as one which was unusual and something which we are unlikely to fall into. Jonah, was already a prophet, and to one whom God was communicating. He was possibly involved in doing what God wanted him to do earlier, and now, taking this decision to run away from God’s plan and get away in a ship – was it unusual or does this draw parallels in our own life? To me this does not look unusual! As you keep walking into God’s purposes, there comes a time, when some of the directions He is pushing us into are seemingly irrational! Having questions on whether this is the right way to go, is this really from God might be common experiences for many us…At least for me – yes. Ingrained into our nature, is the nature to rebel and run away, the nature to rationally look at things, the nature to take a de-route, trying out alternatives before coming back to the right path! But the ability to sleep in the midst of a storm, deep in the hold of the shi...

How can these role models be developed? How can we encourage a generation who should be role models, to be available to make this contribution, which they received in their life. Four changes has to happen in the way we perceive, live and act. One - Relocations into context where people have access into your lives . We have to strategically relocate. Relocate to locations where there are opportunities for communities of caring to be developed and where supportive mentoring and building can happen. Two - Relationship building as the primary strategy . Mentoring and building can happen only in the context of proactive relationship building. Changes has to happen in the way we look at our life involvement, from being care providers and healers to community builders.   Three - Renewal of Open home and open life practices . Relationships should lead to openness and vulnerability – where houses are open homes and lives are open books. Homes and Lives should be opened in suc...

Delusions – abnormal beliefs which are held with absolute certainty, based on incorrect inferences about external reality. Do I have beliefs about the world and what I see around, which I hold with absolute certainty which is based on my intellectual, rational and scientific thinking? If so we might be in for a surprise – we might find ourselves deluded. The correct inference of external reality comes from using the spectacle of the Grand Narrative – the Narrative based on the creator’s inference. Do I have such inference…? Am I deluded? Illusions - false perceptions of a real external stimulus. Does my delusional thinking lead me to perceptions of people and events? And then I act, react and respond based on those perceptions? I might be bordering on an illusive (if there is a word like this) behavior. A correct perception of people is – the way the owner and creator perceives His creation and His child….not the way you and I see… Hallucinations – perceptions without correspon...

How do we move from confusion to clarity... Did we as a generation fail in helping each other to move from confusion to clarity… Looking back, as we were growing up, there were many who challenged us - “Dare to be a Daniel”... And those who did challenge us were people who has actually had chosen “character” above “career” “call” above “Job”. Like Daniel who put his career on the anvil by choosing not to eat the food, we had role models who more than talking, through their lives communicated that choices made in line with the Big picture was worth it..! Their lives also communicated that, as they took such choices, there was the bigger influence of their lives on many others, not in the usual sense of through their career only, but through their lives and life style. This also was more observed that proclaimed! We also observed that some of them had to face uncertain and difficult situations, rejection by colleagues, peers and family, but you could sense a fulfillment in the...

We are a confused lot. We mean – Health care professionals. Well not all, but very many of us. There was a time when “call” was pre-eminent or rather the reason for any health care involvement….I mean Call of The King. The Call of the King has been replaced by call of My Desires. My desire for a good “career” supersedes all other calls. Career is a good call but it has replaced the better one – The call for a greater purpose. Some where we have forgotten – that seek first the Kingdom……added unto to you….. Verse. Those who keep the King’s Call as pre-eminent also are confused. For some, King’s call is for Soul and my call is for Body. Since Body is material and Soul is spiritual, the higher spiritual call supersedes the lower physical call and so Medical work becomes secondary to Spiritual work. One forgets that the Body Spirit and Soul are part of the same individual! There was an era when “compassion” was the inner motivation for caring, the constraint of Love…This constr...