Talk to Him
This week India celebrates its 67th year of Independence. Born two years after the first Independence Day, I used to hear a lot of stories of patriotism, courage and heroism around the country’s freedom.
We have heard various interpretations of what freedom means to us, the great or little achievements we have had and how real freedom should be defined. One aspect of freedom that we could do well to reflect on is “the freedom to converse with God” without any inhibition or hesitation. I view this freedom as the most valuable of all freedoms in one’s spiritual quest. In childhood itself we are taught to be in awe of God and regard Him as someone who keeps a strict watch (like a policeman) on our life. Thus we develop a fearful attitude towards God, the one who actually created us out of love. The Bible tells us that God is Love (1 John 4:8). If God is our Loving Father and we are His beloved children, we should have the freedom to converse with Him freely and sometimes even playfully, just like a child would with his/her father.
The Book of Genesis, describing a dialogue between Abraham and God, is especially insightful. When Abraham, considered the “Father of Faith” by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, finds out that because of the sins of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, God was going to take a stern action against them, he has a free-flowing conversation with God: “…What if there are 50 righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the 50 righteous people in it?” The Lord said, “If I find 50 righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than 50? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” God said, “I will not destroy it.” Once again Abraham spoke to God, “What if only 40 are found there?” God said, “For the sake of 40, I will not do it (Genesis 18: 23-32).” God, too, seems to play along with Abraham, for Abraham keeps bargaining with God until the number comes down to as low as 10.
Jesus tells his listeners, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7).”
Achieving such freedom and having an open conversation with God is a certain sign of a mature relationship with God our Father.
Father Dominic Emmanuel, a founder-member of Parliament of Religions, is currently the director of communication of the Delhi Catholic Church. He can be contacted at frdominic@gmail.com
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