Discerning the time for contemplative planning !

The COVID 19 is already a defining event in the economic, social and health care readiness of almost 215 nations during the last three four months. The economic prosperity as defined by the Gross Domestic Product of many nations was looking upwards for the last five to seven years. When I look at the flowers in this photograph in our garden, it reminds me of an aesthetic richness it brings and an abundance colour and fragrance. But these flowers like others also fade away after a week or so. It takes several weeks for another blossom to appertains in this plant. This cycle of abundance and leanness is the order in nature.  

Jospeh of the Old Testament in the Bible, who was a prisoner was called in to interpret two dreams of Pharaoh (Genesis.41:14-57), when all the usual wise interpreters of dreams could not discern or describe the two dreams. The first dream was, 'seven lean  and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows' (v20) and the second one was , 'seven thin ears swallowed the seven good ears '(v.24). They were according to Joseph, 'one and the same' dream (v25) and a message from God, about what 'God was about to do'- seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine.

Who was this Joseph prior to this! An overseer in Pharaoh's house (Gen.39:4), but later a prisoner wrongfully confined to the jail based on a false accusations by Pharaoh's wife (Gen.39: 19-23). What was written about Joseph stands out, 'But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favour in the sight of the chief jailor. And the chief jailor committed to Joseph's charge all the prisoners who were in the jail...' It is an inspiration to read a commendation of this nature about Joseph. No wonder Joseph was promoted to the highest office in Egypt and given charge to plan and prepare for the unusual 14 years and thereafter! 

I have seven thoughts that engage me on the story of Egypt during the season of famine and thereafter.

1.  The in between time.  

There is an in between time in the dream of Pharaoh- between the two seven years of plenty and famine. 

If I were to apply this dream symbolically today, the seven years of plenty is over for many nations of the world, looking at the indices of progress in economy, industries, technology, medicine, informatics, and infrastructure. It was a period that generated wealth and gave way to wealth creation  which became a passion for the leaders of many nations. It was a season when a decade of global trading and connectivity became advantageous for some nations and such nations after having had an advantage of profiting from the free zone trade globally, was turning inward to be protective of their economy and wealth. Those nations subsequently engaged in meddling in the internal affairs of some nations by slowly investing in economically promising projects,  with a desire to control the political, economic and trade affairs of those nations. 

How else we can understand the global presence of China in at least seventy countries by acquiring assets of property, stocks in mega projects or institutions or be the manufacturing hub for mega companies or tamper with the political processes in some countries! China holds about one percent of the stocks in the successful HDFC bank of India. The strongly suspicious involvement of Russia or other countries in modifying the outcome of the presidential election of the United States of America five years ago, is another example of some nations wanting to control and dominate other countries.  This is against the collaborative and interactive global culture we witnessed after the end of cold war. Subsequently a new climate of Neo-liberal policies became the norm trans-continently, about twenty  five years ago. 

To me, we are now moving out of an in between time of neo-liberal global climate and moving to an authoritarian pursuit  of some nations to control, subdue and defeat competition to exercise exclusive rights of dominance. The democratic hallmark of, decency of equity or opportunities for all, is now in the back burner for some leading nations. Have we not already heard the slogans, 'America for Americans', 'Europe for Europeans', 'China for Chinese', 'Hindustan for Hindus', etc. in the recent years !

2. The lean time

The central verse in the Biblical passage I referred to earlier is, 'Now as for repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God and God will quickly bring it about'(v.32). Pharaoh saw two different dreams, but both with the same message. It was to make certain that the dreams would turn out to be a reality. 

Two events of considerable importance happened successively during the last 12 months in India. This might have a prophetic message for us in India.  

The first historical change in India was the revocation of the article 370 of the Indian constitution related to the autonomous status of Kashmir, although part of the republic of India, and replacing its statehood by dividing it into Union territories. This happening without the legislative approval of the Kashmir state assembly, as the state assembly was in suspended animation, was a departure from the democratic convention. It nullified at one stroke a constitutionally valid agreement between the Union of India  and the erstwhile province of Kashmir which led to the accession of Kashmir to become a state of the Indian Union. What followed this extra-ordinary step was the imprisonment of all political leaders and keeping Kashmir inaccessible from all communication and political activity. There is a sinister political intent behind this. Even the honourable Supreme Court of India is still to hear a petition against this move, arousing suspicion about the denial of fairness to discuss the contours of law and the process of implementation of law!  

The second was the amendment of the Citizen's Act which excluded Muslims from having the same benefits to return to India like people of other religions, currently resident in the neighbouring countries. The protests, violence, police action, communal violence that took place in different places finally culminating in human loss in New Delhi were another of those unusual events that frightened all of us. A change was taking place in our political perspective as access to Indian citizenship was denied to one religious group. 

I suspect that we are entering into a 'lean' time after a season of plenty monetarily, materially and altruistically. The global affairs have a cyclical rhythm.  

In the Biblical story of Pharaoh's dream, Joseph proposed that, 'Behold seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land in Egypt; and after them, seven years of famine will come and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will ravage the land' (v.29,30). 

I have a sense that we are at the threshold of that lean time in global economy after the plentiful period of a decade or so. The COVID 19 pandemic is likely to be the lean 'cows and ears' that would consume the prosperity, the nations achieved during the last seven years. Joseph was designated to gather grain during the season of plenty to provide food during the time of famine. Most of us would have thought that the United States of America, whose logo in their currencies is, 'in God we trust' would be that nation, which would have been the good steward to lead all the nations to a collaborative action to rescue the nations from post COVID 19 calamity awaiting all nations economically and socially. But we begin to wonder whether the current president of America, has any   such thought except making plans for the campaign trail for a second term in office.

I keep waiting for the global Church to become the custodian of this troubled times to bring hope, cheer and direction to people to face the lean years ahead. That too is not forthcoming. 

I feel overcome by anxiety at the thought of a long lean season of 'famine' ahead of us because 'the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe'  (Gen.41:31). The  leaders of World Economic Forum and the aUnited Nations have already alluded to a severe shortage of food post COVID 19. If we were to take into consideration the jobs lost and unemployment increasing exponentially, the near collapse of medium and small size industries, the banking stress that is already palpable, the manufacturing of consumer products depleting because of lack of demand and the prediction of global recession, what else would the lean years lead to except a famine hither to unknown to humanity!

3. Food, life and living

Joseph's recommendation to Pharaoh was, 'Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish during the famine' (Gen. 41:36).

Jesus of Nazareth included in His prayer a petition, 'Give us this day our daily bread'. The people on the exodus journey was given manna and locusts as their food to sustain themselves along the journey to the promised land. Jesus of Nazareth referring to His vocation said, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger and he who believes in Me shall never thirst' (John.6:35). There is a literal and figurative meaning to food in the Biblical context. That is how we too shall look at food to 'become reserve for the land..'!

Joseph was young in age, just thirty years of age (v46), when he was appointed by Pharaoh to be in charge of the nation to manage the fourteen years of plenty and famine. Before the year of the famine came (v50), Joseph had two sons.  The first, he named Manasseh, because 'he said, God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household' (v.51). Joseph lived with the  memory of a horrible story of his brothers selling him to the Egyptians and reporting to his father Jacob, that Joseph was killed by wild animals by showing him a blood soaked multicoloured coat that Joseph was wearing. Joseph named his first son to 'forget' his trouble and his father's household. He made his first son to be a symbol of his inner journey of turning away from what would have been an anger and grief generating life long experience. He found God as his companion in life and overcame the hurt of rudeness and hostility he suffered from his brothers. He had set his mind on a recovery journey to discover the larger meaning of what befell on him at the hands of his brothers 'And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people' (Gen.50:20). While Joseph was gathering grain from the whole land of Egypt during the time of plenty for seven years (v.48, 49), he was preparing himself for emotional recovery and inner healing from the pain and rejection from his household. That was a journey which ended in naming his first son symbolically, Manasseh, because he embraced a new life of rejoicing and not grieving about his past. 

And Joseph named his second son, Ephraim, because he said, 'God has made him fruitful in the land of my affliction' (v.52). Before Joseph was to embark on managing the season of famine in Egypt with granary in many places overflowing with food, Joseph had to encounter his own personal famine of bereft relationships with his father, mother, brothers and rest of his family. He lived alienated from what was his lineage and heritage. For him to journey from a draining experience of living with a sense of affliction to finding hope in God was a transforming experience, to say the least. It was a metanoia, a new optic and a new beginning! Joseph moved out of remaining in a victim's role and experienced God favouring him to bring 'food' to others in the land. Although Joseph appeared  resentful and reactive towards his brothers and put them in prison for three days initially (Gen.42:17) when they came to fetch food for themselves, (Gen. 42:1-28), we find Joseph weeping (v.24) and giving back his brothers the money they brought for the food, and sending them with 'provisions for their journey' (v 25). His brothers on their way back with food, was already becoming mellowed by the abundance of goodness they found in the ruler, Joseph that  they became guilty for selling Joseph (v 21) and began to ponder, 'What is this God has done to us' (v28)! Joseph identified his brothers in their first visit but His brothers did not recognise Joseph. The generous consideration towards his brothers was the result of Joseph becoming conscious of God making him fruitful. 

Joseph became a provider of food, 'And  the people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain form Joseph because famine was severe in all the earth' (Gen.41:57). Hs brothers and his father's family  were provided food by Joseph during the famine. Following the self disclosure Joseph made to his brothers during their second visit, 'I am Joseph' (Gen.45:3), Joseph had this to say to his brothers, '...God sent me before you  to preserve life' (v5) and ' to preserve for you a remnant in the earth and to keep you alive by a great deliverance' (v.7). Joseph was aware of the responsibility God reposed on him to preserve life and prosper the living of people on the earth. 

The post COVID 19 scene globally would be one of people struggling to preserve life, faced with adverse challenges for normal living. The famine is more than lack of food, but lack of  generosity of heart in the global leadership, trans-continental collaboration, sharing of resources and the vision of a humanity of nations and people, and sharing a common destiny of life and living. 

Joseph in this Old Testament story of famine, symbolises to us the collective planning that saved humankind at that time of devastation of the resources of the earth. Joseph also symbolises the benefits of prudent pursuit to preserve life on earth. It is through providing food for the hungry we foster life and living.   

The 'famine' created by COVID 19 can recover, if we in india can find leadership who can 'forget' the past of envy, resentment, and intolerance and be open to God to be made 'fruitful' at a time such as this. 

After the strike that paralysed CMC Vellore which involved sending away some staff, the process of rebuilding the community began by Re A.C.Oommen suggesting to the director Dr. L.B.M Joseph that a new life for the institution can emerge only through acts of forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration of the motto of the institution, 'not to be ministered not but to minister'. That led to the beginning of the retreat series for the staff, which became a means for bringing back the community to its calling!

Food is therefore for the body and soul. During the famine, people were preserved physically and Joseph, his brothers and the rest of people on earth were drawn to each other to be a new humanity under God's provisions.

4. A dispossessed and displaced community

When people and spent all their money to buy food, and when no money was left with them, people bartered their livestock for food ((Gen.47:13-26). When the famine went on for another year, people came back to Joseph, requesting him to buy them and their land for food and provide them with seed to cultivate the land (v.19). Joseph bought all the land for pharaoh and removed people to cities. Joseph provided seed to people on the agreement that they would give one fifth of the produce at the harvest  time to Pharaoh (v.24). The famine made people loose their money, livestock and land. 

The words of Joseph to the people of the time was, 'Behold, I have today bought you and your land from Pharaoh, now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land' (v.23). This a state of permanent indebtedness. The famine made them indebted to Pharaoh because they owed him money for the food given to them during famine, which they no longer had. So they gave the land in lieu of money,  The famine displaced them to cities from their normal dwelling places, which meant strange dwelling places and neighbourhood. This is a double disadvantage- dispossessed and displaced. 

I wonder why there was no provision given to people, to pay back money they owe for food to pharaoh in instalments after the famine ! Why was Pharaoh unmindful of the helplessness of his people and denied them the inheritance of their land! Did Pharaoh take advantage of the hunger of desperate people and bargained land for food! These are ethical questions and issues of propriety. Pharaoh gathered food during the seven years of of plenty by paying for it. He sold grains during the seven years of famine and became prosperous by transferring the land wealth to himself. A famine brought gain to Pharaoh and loss to the natives. 

It was the desperate people who proposed to Pharaoh, 'Buy us and our land for food and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh. So give us seed, that we may live and not die and that the land may not be desolate' (v.19). How awful to be so desperate that people offered to be slaves and surrender their land in order to live and not die during the famine. Earlier they were exhausted of all money following which they gave away  their livestock to obtain food to live (v.17). They offered their livestock at the order of Joseph (v.16), when they had no more money left to buy food. This often is the mindset of those in positions of authority. When there is an opportunity, plan to prosper their cause even if it is by usurping the rights of helpless people. 

But something good stood out in the proposal of Joseph. People could have the four portions of the harvest, while one portion was needed to be given to pharaoh. This was the best dispensation that people could bargain for, for staying alive. Life was at stake and the people consented to the only option of giving away their land in order to preserve life. The famine brought a life of indebtedness and a loss of land while saving life from extinction. 

I have an existential perspective on this matter. Joseph and Pharaoh collided to reduce the citizens to be slaves by taking possession of their land. This appears to be a mindless and heartless act. Pharaoh the ruler, usurps to himself the inheritance of the land that belonged to the citizens of his kingdom. The existential order is to thrive by subduing the weak among us for the advantage and prosperity  of those who lead or rule.  It is a forced dispossession and displacement under the pretext of civil order and democratic practices, where the elected rulers control the affairs of people at a time when they are helpless and voiceless. The revocation of article 370 of the Indian constitution and the amendment of of the citizen's act are two such recent examples, where an elected government legalised disinheriting the rights of people. 

The contemplative perspective on this issue is that it was an act of protection by Pharaoh as he provided seed to sow when people had no more money left to buy seed. The fact that only fifth portion was required by Pharaoh in lieu of money they owed for food during the famine and he provided seed during every sowing season, it was as an act of generosity and compassion as well as a means to make people better stewards of the land by cultivating it. This step led people to regard their land rather than leave it desolate for lack of resources. It looked a short term loss for people and a gain for Pharaoh, but a win-win situation for both in the long run. Pharaoh made people industrious and accountable and people needed a break away from a sense of ownership to partnership. A pilgrim community, which is what we are if we trust in God and sojourn in this life, belong to another tradition and outlook to our calling in the words of St Paul in 2 Cor.6:4-10, ' but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses.....as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as having nothing, yet possessing all things' .  

This is yet another time, a similar story is waiting to unfold. There is already a distressed selling of land.  A taxi driver in our village is now desperate to sell part of his land to raise money for the by-pass surgery of his wife. Since the stay at home order to contain the spread of corona infection a month ago, he has had no income, which depleted his small savings in the bank. Another vegetable shop keeper is desperate for money to pay fees for the college education of his daughter, who too is planning to sell part of his land. The only security of families is their land. The post COVED 19 scene can lead many to distressing situations of losing their reserve savings, household items, house and land. It is a loss in the making if we were to go by the trend of depleted income for all those in the unorganised sector. 

I wonder how the Church with all its material wealth and assets look at this emerging situation! The church began its pilgrim presence in the world by a self-giving response to their calling. 'And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need' (Acts.2:44-45). It is a need or an opportunity that would reveal the heart of the gospel that we profess to proclaim and our intent to pursue a way of living consistent with it. 

Dr Mary Varghese, who became paraplegic as a medical student went on to train herself in rehabilitation and established the physical medicine and Rehabilitation department at CMC Vellore. She left her earthly assets for creating a facility for the long term of needs of 'disabled' people who needed supervised living. I remember my parents about forty-five years ago giving a portion of our land in front of our gate, to a landless labourer for a heavily subsided cost, who still live opposite to us! I found that as an unwise move. But my parents were keen to give him and his family of two children a place to live! My parents who had enough and more of land was mindful of a landless labourer!

We live among millions who would soon be dispossessed of their subsistence and the church would be a callous community if it still went on its current profile of celebrating festivals and building shopping complexes in their property, rather than become an asylum for those who are dispossessed ! No government would have unlimited resources to sustain people from a disaster! It is the church which ought to be sharing that it  loves its neighbours and we prepare ourselves in different ways to redeem people from an impending disaster. It is time that we have counselling centres attached to every congregation as the first step towards our caring presence and contemplative action!

 5. The snare of our perspective

The time had come for Jacob, the father of Joseph to say farewell and bless all his sons and grandchildren. At the time of Jacob blessing Joseph's sons, Jacob laid his right hand on the second son of Joseph, Ephraim and his left hand on the first son, Manasseh (Gen.48:14). When Joseph saw this (v17), it displeased Joseph, and he 'grasped his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head and pleaded with his father (v18) to bless his first born. But Jacob  refused to do so (v.19) and said to Joseph, 'I know my son, I know: he (Manasseh) shall become a people and he also shall be great. However his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations' (v.19). Jacob, blessed both Manasseh and Ephraim, but Jacob, 'Put Ephraim before Manasseh' (v.20). Jacob also blessed Joseph preferentially, saying, 'I give you one portion more than your brothers...."(v.22).

Joseph had a preference for Manasseh, whom he named him so because  'God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household' (Gen.41.51). Jospeh wanted his second son Ephraim, because, 'God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction (52). After all the years of his dramatic experience of leading people through years of plenty and famine and reconciling with his brothers, it seemed a paradox that he drifted towards his first son, who was a symbol of all his troubles and not dwell on the joy of fruitfulness of his life which his second son represented. In fact, by now Joseph ought to have been in a position of the blessedness of experiences of reconciling with his family and redeeming people from a famine. 

Joseph grew up in an environment, where his father, Jacob  'loved Joseph more than all his brothers' (Gen.37:4). Joseph was driven by his instinct of self importance as revealed by his two dreams when he was seventeen years of age (Gen.37.2-17). He saw himself as a sheaf around whom other sheaves  gathered and bowed (v7) and the 'son, moon and eleven stars bowing before him' (v9). When he narrated these dreams, Joseph planted thoughts of envy towards him in his brother's hearts. That was the beginning of his brothers plotting to eliminate him (Gen.37.18-36). The outer and the inner ambience of Joseph during his childhood and teenage years was survival by preferential attachment and affinity. 

At the time of Jacob blessing Joseph's sons, Joseph regressed to his earlier habit of thriving by being preferential. Jacob too seemed to practice this in blessing one grandson more than the other. Even in that there was a conflict between Jacob and Joseph as their preference for one over the other was not the same. 

Those of us who grew up in the tradition of the theology of predetermination, '...we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestines according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel ofHis will..' (Ephesians.1:11) would find the preferences or choices of Jacob and Jospeh made in favour of one son or the other as part of this predestination. But why then there is a conflict between Jacob and Joseph in the choice of one son over the other. Jacob preferred Manasseh over Ephraim and Joseph reversed it. 

When we read this conflict in the narration of this story, we begin to wonder whether Jospeh was once again indulgent with his earlier habit of teenage years, when he wanted prominence over his older brothers. He wanted to supersede the choice of Jacob his father just as he described in his dream   of the 'sun and moon' bowing before him. It is this which make me doubt whether the manipulative style of the earlier years came back to Joseph powerfully that he turned a solemn occasion of Jacob blessing  his grandsons as a competition of interest between himself and his father. 

The post COVID 199 scene can be such a snare of conflict of perspectives. Already the president of the USA  has stopped immigration to the USA for sixty days, thereby giving a clear message that America hitherto a place of opportunity for all those who are innovative would be a restricted place from now on. China is under suspicion for various acts of commission and omission. The European nations who are the worst affected have a perspective of oppressed by the domination of China. I hear only a feeble and occasional voice of equity, fraternity, collaboration, togetherness and celebration of unity of nations. 

It is the voice of reason and a vision of opportunities for all, that ought to be the common denominator  of the value system for all the nations of the world from now on. This is the hope I live with.

If loss of well over hundred and eighty thousand thousand lives and another 2.6 millions still fighting the corona viral infection globally, do not awake our conscience to the new realities, we are of all people, miserable to lose an opportunity to envision a new future for humanity!

The earth and its beings and belongings until now defined by geographical boundaries and parochial interests cannot continue that way. The environment of pollution, the accumulation of industrial and nuclear waste, the global upward temperature change, depletion of natural resources such as ground level water, death of thousands each year due to malnutrition, infective diseases, life style diseases....etc are not issues confined to any geographical territory in the world. They are common to humanity for its survival.

We need to go beyond survival instinct to 'fullness of life for all', because Jesus of Nazareth said, that 'I came  that they might have life and might have it abundantly' (John. 10:10)!

Dr Francis Schaffer, a well known apologetic, philosopher, writer and speaker was a voice of reason from the late nineteen sixties till the mid eighties for people who were drifting under the influence of hippie culture. Thousands of young people were living aimlessly and purposelessly, many under the influence of narcotise substances. What worried him was the aimless way young people lived and spread out from the Western countries to the East to find meaning through meditation and eastern religions. Dr Schaffer established L'Abri, in Switzerland, a community living experience for such people from western countries in order to help them with a new direction in life. Anna and I visited him a year before his home call in 1984, to get a perspective of how and why he had set out to create a place for hundreds of people in the Swiss alps to find their faith in God and assist them to return to mainstream life in their home lands. His responses that he saw how young people were moving towards ruin in their lives because of break down in marriages and family life and relationships.  There was a famine of spiritual nurture and mentoring for human development, because of which young people in anger and anguish chose to live rebelliously and dangerously. Dr Schaffer felt for them and abandoned his illustrious his university career in the United States of America and set out to offer a home for rest and recovery in the alps mountains. His was a mission to bring 'fulness of life' to people who lived lonely lives lost in despair and hopelessness.

The post COVID 19 season is likely to be such a season of lostness, grief and famine unless we have a contemplative plan to accompany people to an experience fulness of life even in the midst of suffering and hardship. Life is for living and learning.

6. Twelve tribes out of a divergent home !

Jacob before his departure blessed all his children ( Gen.49:3-27) who later became the  twelve tribes of  Israel (Gen. 49:28). Jacob blessed 'every one  with the blessing appropriate to him' (v.28). Jacob's was a home of many contradictions and hateful events. Joseph was at the heart of it all. Jacob and his sons would have succumbed to the famine but for Joseph whom his brothers got rid off. The famine could have consumed the lives of many but for Joseph who earned the role of a manager par excellence who was able to have a master plan of action  to preserve lives and save the nation from a disaster. He got the land cultivated by offering seed. He protected the twelve tribes of Israel for generations to come.

This story has two outstanding climaxes at the end of the famine of seven years. The first was twelve tribes were born because Joseph prepared himself to preserve lives of his brothers during the famine. The second was that a divergent home became a reconciled home (Gen.50:17-20), when all the eleven bothers after Jacob's departure came to a new relationship with Joseph by seeking his forgiveness and Joseph offering unconditional acceptance by weeping while his were brothers were speaking to him.(v.17). When Joseph's brothers fell at his feet, saying, 'Behold we are your servants' (v18), Joseph surprised them by his magnanimous words, 'Do not be afraid for am I in God's place' (v.19). The longing of Joseph to rule over his brothers, which was the theme of his dreams when he was seventeen years of age, actually came true naturally at this time. But Jospeh voluntarily set aside that opportunity and welcomed his brothers into a new relationship of companionship for life. Joseph and his brothers were a transformed family at the end.

This change in attitude happened after Joseph and his brothers bid farewell to their father, Jacob and buried him in the family grave Canaan (Gen.50:5-8). It was following this Joseph's brothers were cast upon Joseph helplessly fearing that Jospeh would take revenge on him (v 15-17). It was a loss and grief that made Joseph's brothers feel repentant and seek Josep's forgiveness for all that they did to  eliminate him from their midst.

A famine is not just a season of misery alone. It brings in its wings healing to convert a broken family into a reconciled family.

For the first time in the recent months there is cease fire in Syria, least militant activity in Afghanistan, crime rates dropped significantly in west Africa, relative peace between Israel and Palestinians. This good news is the outcome of a new consciousness of tolerance and solidarity that a common loss is bringing about.

In my own village, some of he alcohol dependent men are now seeking de-addiction treatment. At the de-addiction centre in the hospital I work, there is a 200 percent increase in the number who seek de-addiction treatment.

There is a cloth manufacturing factory close to my home which has begum to manufacture Personal Protection Equipment for health professionals engaged in looking after patients of corona infection. The staff work in three shifts to produce the protective gear in good number at this time of heavy demand. The staff who work over time decided to forego the extra pay due to them in order to reduce the cost of production of the protective gear. The company distributes them to the government at cost price.

This is my hope even as we hear more and more of the distressing news of the terrible losses the corona infection is bringing to the human family globally, that there would be tears of joy sooner than later of human kindness, benevolence, and collective consciousness of goodwill towards each other.

7. Jacob became the generous giver   

In the final section of the 50th chapter of Genesis, there is a verse that revealed the heart of the converted Jacob, when he addressed his brothers, ' "So, therefore  do not be afraid; I will provide  for you and your little ones". So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them' (Gen.50: 21).

From the account in Genesis 50:26, Joseph too died, but he was alive long enough to see the 'third generation of Ephraim's sons, and the sons of Machir and the son of Manasseh' (v.23). Th final reference to the generosity of Joseph was: 'And Joseph said to his brothers, I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isac and to Jacob' (Gen.50:24).

We came across Joseph as one who was seeking to rule over his brothers and family from the message of his teenage dreams. But Jacob became generous towards his brothers, who were displaced from their home land and had to be in the land of Goshen following the famine. The one who projected himself when he was young, to rule over his brothers became their benefactor and enabler to live with a vision for the realisation of the promise of God in their lives. Jacob left his legacy for his brothers and their families to inherit.

This to me is the call to the followers of Jesus of nazareth in the post COVID 19 scene! Let us give all that we have to restore the desolate lives of those who have no resources of there own to rebuild their lives.

The wide expanse of uncultivated land is one resource to be turned into use, for which a partnership plan for land pooling and community farming would be needed. The church owned land can be turned into community farming sites to cultivate fruits, vegetables, and fodder for farm animals. The church or church related institutions such as colleges and schools can run community kitchen for at least a year in order to provide two meals for people in the neighbourhood. Let all the institutions create a Samaritan purse to help the neighbours in time of their emergency needs. Let the consortium of voluntary organisations have a three year recovery plan for their neighbourhood! The local governments and the national government might take the lead to sustain us through this crisis prone season, but the rebuilding of lives and the economy would need greater participation from the civil society.

The forecast of severe food shortage, recession lasting for at least three years and a negative growth rate ought to warn us of a long season of suffering and shortage awaiting us.

I referred to the In between time, The lean time,  Food, life and living,  A dispossessed and displaced community and The snare of our perspective, Twelve tribes out of a divergent home and Jacob became a generous giver in an attempt to understand the the post COVED 19 challenges and opportunities we have !

Jacob's life is a resource for further learning in spiritual formation during seasons of plenty or famine!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)