Good News for the Poor and Freedom for the Captives

Objectives: Spiritual, social, economic freedom of our people

Means: God, Prayer, redeemed ones and  all God-given resources

God of Bible is God of Creation. After creating all things, He declared all of them, “good” (Genesis1:31). Being the Creator, He loves and cares for His entire creation; we can find His loving and caring heart throughout the scriptures. God is with His people and favoring them. God made from one root all mankind and blessed them, in their forefathers to be fruitful and multiply. He provided them the good things in the Eden garden. He continued to show his care for His people by sending rain and sunlight, without favoring anyone. Indeed, in Him, we find the pictures of loving, caring, and approachable God, the Father.

The Bible reveals that God is concerned about his people. He specially pays attention to the suffering and oppressed people. This we see when He sent His servant, Moses to free the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and oppression. The Egyptian had made the Israelites life as hell.  We find that God frees them, so that they might worship Him. God showed His concern by performing many miracles for His people and by bringing them to a land of honey and milk. The picture of promise land for the Israelites, show that they enjoyed freedom and dignity under God’s rule.

Dalits too, are God’s people and a wonderful part of His supreme work, created in His own image (Genesis 2:27) God knows Dalits poor condition too. Being as a caring Father, He can not see them in physical and spiritual oppression. So He wants them to see free like the Israelites, so that they too, worship and bring glory to Him. He wants Dalits yoke of slavery and captivity to be broken. He has Good News for them. And the good news is that, He is their Creator. He has come to the earth in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ to show that love and care. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares for his (sheep) followers. He does not want any one to wander and to perish. The Lord does not delight in the destruction of men. Jesus is the Messiah who does not punish but gives life. Jesus has come to “preach the Good News and to set the captives free” (Isaiah 61:1-2, Luke 4:18-19). The God of universe is concerned about poor, widows, marginalized, and the oppressed. Dalits as the suffering people of God have been waiting for message of Hope and Liberation. God has finished the work of saving and liberating people in His Son, when He said, “It is finished”  (John 19:30).

 The Good News of Jesus’ message is the only hope for the Dalits in Indian subcontinent. The Researcher believes, it is the Message of Christ that will set the Dalits free and will give them the dignity as human being. The message of Messiah has to be shared and be shown in practical ways to the oppressed by the Christian Missions.

When we see God’s righteous and just heart for his creation, it must encouraged, His believers to do the same, for their neighbor and oppressed. The followers of God can not remain cold and mute spectators rather they should make His justice to rule the injustice of this world everywhere. And bring comfort and hope for the victims of injustice and oppression. The Bible says that, “the creation groans” for liberty (Rom.8:22), and it’s true of the Dalits of India. It is a community, which has been oppressed physically and spiritually. It needs the love, care, liberation, and transformation in view of God’s people.

It is sin and Satan actually which inspires people to make, others suffer. Satan from the very beginning had not been at peace with God and his wonderful creation, which bears his image. Satan caused our forefather to sin and brought them under suffering of many kinds.

What Hindu scriptures teach and high caste Hindu practice today is the consequences of sin and its impact, “therefore they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).” Therefore, it is Christian Missions duty, now to bring these people, to the true knowledge of our Lord. The researcher believe if people know the  True God and his Word, then the whole life of individuals and distorted society is going to be totally different. The distorted picture of our life and society will be changed and people will be transformed and will live at peace. Yes, there is hope for the betterment of Dalits. When they will come to the true knowledge of our Lord, then, they will be changed, inwardly and outwardly.

As God’s people, we can not be mute spectator of Dalits situation. “The Church must accept a new paradigm of the Mission of Dalit Liberation. The Dalit issue must be on the Christian Missions priority. The Missionaries must… join hands with all forces that enable Dalit Liberation: oppose all forces that perpetuate Dalit slavery. Church must be committed to liberate the Dalits from the age-old Hindu oppressors.”[1]

 As we live together, we have to show our love in action for them as God did it by sending His only Son for us. The Bible says, “Speak for the voiceless.” Therefore, the role of mission is to be voice of the voiceless and bring hope to hopeless. The missionaries need to tell that God loves the Dalits and cares for them. And that they too, have the right to life, dignity, education and employment. The role of Christian missions is important to bring, the holistic transformation for the Dalits

And now, The Christian Missionaries duty is to make people know that God loves and cares for his creation. Dalits have hope in the present world and the world to come. And that God has entered in the human society in the form of Christ Jesus, the God-man. He has come as the Messiah of the oppressed people. He has broken the walls between Jews and Samaritans, clean and unclean, servant and Lord, male and female, Greek and Jew. And He wants to become the Messiah of Dalits, The Christian missions need to take this message to the concerned people and show their Christian love in actions, so that their lives will no longer be the same as it is today but will experience the social and spiritual transformation. 

Almost every day there is news related to Dalit atrocities. On September 1 also, it was reported by  Indian Express Daily that in Danapur (Bihar), " Steaming ‘dal’ was poured on a Dalit woman and her six-month-old daughter, while several others were beaten up for allowing their children to play in the premises of a temple here, police said on Saturday."*1

These children of Dalit caste never knew that they will be punished for playing in the local temple premises. When a man belonging to Yadav caste saw this he "objected and roughed up the children". Later on, the parents of these children came and spoke in favor of their children, which the Yadavas did not like. They made a decision to teach a lesson to the dalit women and children. So these 'high caste' man and his family members, later on on the same day evening, beaten the 3 women and their children, and not only that " Steaming ‘dal’ (boiling soup of pulses) was poured on a Dalit woman and her six-month-old daughter."

What a sad thing to read. Children who knew nothing about what was their fault, were punished. These children may not know that  they were "lower' humans and not allowed to enter in the temple of their gods. Shame on our society, and on our system, where the educated people involve in such inhuman activities. The man, who involved in the crime was an educated one, retired from the Indian railways.

Yes, For these reasons, Dr. Ambedkar protested against the Caste system. And he literally burned the book called Manusmariti, publicly on 25th December- 1927, which divided the people into different sections, making them lower and higher. And on that same day Dr. Ambedkar asked his followers to take the following wows:

1. I do not believe on Chaturvarna based on birth.

2. I do not believe in caste distinctions.

3. I believe that untouchability is an anathema on Hinduism and I will honestly try my best to completely destroy it.

4. Considering that there is no inequality, I will not follow any restrictions about food and drink among at least all Hindus.

5. I believe that untouchables must have equal rights in temples, water sources, schools and other amenities.*2

Well, Dr. Ambedkar did his best to fight against the evil of societies in regards to caste system. And little has improved but mostly, it is same even today, as it was during the time of Dr. Ambedkar. He has been called 'Messiah' by the Dalits because of his love and contribution for his people.

Nothing is wrong in calling Dr. Ambedkar as Messiah, but let me point out that, 'Messiah is the biblical term and has been used only for Jesus Christ, who loved his people, cared for them, fought for them against injustices and ill practices of then religious and social system.

Jesus Christ, the Messiah stood with the lepers, the outcaste, the unclean, the Samaritans (the untouchables), the tax-collectors and with the weaker section of the people. He became the voice for the voiceless. His love and work was  perfect and great for his people. The weaker section of the people, the womens, the sinners, the uncleans loved HIM and liked Him but the religious, social and political authrities hated him very much. But Jesus did not disassociate Himself from the service of the humanity. He said to the people, "I have come to serve and not to be served." His teachings inspired his disciples to carry the misisons in the first century until now. He stands with with the people even now invisibly and speakes for them.

The Church today is Messiah's agent to do the same for the weaker sections. Many people hate the Church and its teachings, not because they are wrong  or corrupt but because they attack the evil practices of the societies and brings dignity, equality, peace, freedom, liberation to the adhrents. The oppressers and the evil minded people can not bear that. They want a system which will protect their system of enequality and social injusctice.

The same loving  Messiah shouts for  Dalits (children) today, "Let the little children come to me and do not forbid them, for the kindom of God belongs to such as these."  Jesus' discples had thought, the children would disturb the function and meeting with Jesus but Jesus asked his disciples, not to stop the children from His presence. When children were brought to Him, He loved and  blessed them. What a love of the SAVIOUR! Many thanks to the Messiah of the oppressed and the lover of children.

Jesus teaches us a lesson to love the children, work for them and to do our best for them. The children ministry of the Church plays an important role in the eyes of their CREATOR.

All the children, women, and people are welcomed in the house of God (the Church). And there is no discrimination. If there is, then, those people do not know who Christ, the Messiah is and They are liars according to the Bible, though they claim to know God but they have no relation with HIM.

Will our poeple understand this?

*1.http://www.indianexpress.com/story/213973.html

*2. www.ambedkar.org

One of my professor who is not familiar with the Dalits and Hindu society, asked me, what does this photo caption mean?

Presently I'm reading a book on 'Dalits Freedom now and forever' written by Dr. Joseph D'souza. On page 96 of this book, there is a photo of a dalit woman, seems to be praying (with joined hands). And the caption of the photo is "In Jesus, Dalits do not need a mediator between God and mankind". well, I happned to show this book to my professor. After going through some pages of this book, He stopped, on page 96 and asked me what does this caption mean?

Well, My professor is a scholar of theology and knows well, what it means to have a mediator between God and man. He knows well, about the priesthood of Christ and teaches to the master level.

When He asked me about the meaning, I thougt he caught some theological mistake. After a minute I answered him. The caption does not say about the belivers but about the unbelievers (dalits).It did not says Christian, Otherwise the meaning of the caption would have been compeletly wrong.

The Acutal Meaning of the Caption is, "Dalits don't need A Brahmin priest to represent them to God in rituals, cermonies and worship of God, once they come to Jesus Christ. Dalits can become themselves priests to the God. Anyone, who belives in Jesus, becomes a Priest of God. Now, we don't need anymore the 'Church Father' or Pastor to pray on their behalf but every beliver of Jesus can have access to their loving God. The 'priesthood of all believers' has been established by the word of God. Although, the Pastors or other learder can pray for the believers, and they do but God also accepts us individually too.

But the photo caption meant more than that. Actually having a mediator smbolized that the particular man or family are not worthy to reach to God. And it also implies that as if God only accepts the prayers and worship of Brahimin only. It also teaches that Some people are more holier than others, so that God accpets them, and rejects others. This also brings us to another dimension that the one who calls a Priest in his home, is of lower status. And this, unnessarily puts some poeple higher than others or the family. But Thank God there is no Jew or Greek, no slave or master, nor male or female (no Guru or bhakta) in Christ, all are equal. Although on the basis of knowledge of the Word and age can make differentce but overall Anybody can reach to their Saviour in worship and prayers.

The Dalits don't need a mediator in Jesus, meaning- they don't need to pay money as daksina to pundit jee and buy expensive incences, milk, fruits, and many kinds of foods. Actually what happens, when Dalits or others call a pundit to perform puja (worship), the pundit demand money very shrewedly in the name of differnt daan (alms and offerings), in the olden times and even now the Pundit ask the bhakatas (devoutess) to offer their expensive lands, animal which gives good amount of milk(it used to be cow but the traditional cow does not give milk anymore,so no body want them now, but they replace money instead of a cow now, since nobody want to give an expensive buffallo or a Jersy cow) different kinds of grains. Many people have been looted in this way, by  so called mediators everyday.

When people go to take bath in the pilgrimage, the pandas, over there asks the bhakta to make vows to pay differnet kind of daan, if the amount of money or grains is not sufficient with the bhakta, then Pujari (guru) ask him to pay later, when the harvest is over, (the guru later on sends his chelas (disciples) to collect the money and grains and colthes from the field), the bhakta then is helped in his/her puja. And by giving happily or not with a happy heart the bhakta gets his puja done. I have heard it, and seen with my own eyes in India and Nepal, many have been looted in the name of "religious mediatiorship."

And not only this, but if the pujari is not a Brahmin but belongs to any other caste then they also ask wine, and meat, along with money. So this is the practice of mediators.

This way, dalit or anybody when they come to Christ, he/she does not need to be looted/oppressed again in the name of religion and mediatorship. God accepts us as it is. God loves his people, the barrier, the curtain in the temple had been torn by Christ death, and now we can have direct acces to holy God.

Now finally, we do have a Mediator in the house of God, He is Jesus Himself. But Jesus is not the kind of mediator we have talked just now, on the earth, who loot and oppress but this mediator carries us to God, accepts us, prays for us, interceedth for us, and above all gave his life for us. So his mediatorship is for us and not against us. True mediator brings peace, love, joy, life, and prosperity but the thief (false mediator) takes it away.

Those who do not know true Mediator please read about Him in the holy word of God (the Bible).