Short Story 3 : The Kairos time
It was a hot day. An old man collapsed on the sidewalk. Nobody cared to lift him up. Cars buzzed passed him like bees. As the golden sun made a plunge into the Arabian sea, the stink from the dead man's decomposing body attracted attention. People who came for their only physically active part of the day, the evening walk, started to notice him at last, as the stench would not contain itself and started proclaiming the death of the lonely soul. The police came rushing to what now has become a crime scene. His body was covered with a white cloth. White lines were drawn around. The time came to transfer the body to the mortuary. Now the question was "Who would lift a dead body?". There were specialist who were employed for these works. "These works" meant everything from cleaning toilets to disposing dead bodies. "Call Kumar and his company", shouted the officer in charge of the case.
In thirty minutes time there came a dark short man with slightly curled black hair. A group a five men followed him. "What do you want us to do sir?", asked Kumar inquisitively. "What will we ask you to do? As usual it is a dead body", said the tensed officer. "Next time Kumar, don't ask me that stupid question. It has been the job of your caste to dispose dead body for centuries. This is what you were created to do. It's all your Karma. So next time, don't ever....ever again ask that stupid question. Don't keep proving to me that you do belong to those that dispose dead bodies by asking that stupid question. Now get to work."
"Sorry sir! Next time onwards I will not ask that stupid question sir." replied Kumar with much embarrassment.
The body was disposed and ask they returned from the mortuary sat down in the tea shop to have their tea. The shop keeper immediately on seeing them sit down said, "No! Don't sit here. You are coming from the mortuary right?" Even as they started shaking their head, he advised them," First go home and take bath then come to my shop. Or better still never come to my shop. Other potential customers will stop coming if they see you people drinking tea here."
"Sorry sir! We were very tired. So we thought we can have some refreshment." After apologizing, Kumar and company decided to return back home as that was the only place where they can do what they want "freely". "There is no place for us in this society", he muttered. "Is this really because of my Karma?", he thought. "Time and time again" he repeated in disgust. There is something wrong with this society he muttered and when he returned home, he saw his wife reading a black covered book with red margins.
"Now why are you reading? Why should you read anything at all? Are you going to become lord mayor of London?" he asked her with a chuckle. Since he loved her very much and they have been friends from childhood, he gave her freedom and was not restrictive like most doubting husbands. He trusted her.
"Now what is that red book?" he asked softly. "It is Bible", she replied with a smile. "Today I went to next street where my friend Shanti, gave me this. I had headache and I went to the prayer meeting and she prayed for me and the headache subsided. Now I have become Christian. I follow and worship Jesus, who healed me from my unrelenting headache."
" I thought I was your headache". he said with a big laugh. "Let me wait and see if this Jesus has really healed you or not. If your headache does not return in two weeks time I will also join you".
"I am sure. I believe I am healed! I am healed! Jesus has healed me! You see what happens." she replied. "But you must come for the meeting and see for yourself what we do there. You can ask Pastor any questions or doubts you have. He will answer all your questions. Next week one speaker from foreign is coming. You must meet him and pray with him."
Like the unceasing waves of the Arabian sea, life rolled and time came for the him to attend his first Christian meeting. "This is John Moltmann, our speaker from Germany. He will teach us about God and Jesus from the Bible. Let us give this next hour to attentive hearing and thinking. Over to you Bro. John." he said.
John came to the front and motioned to his translator. He motioned back to him and he started."Jesus saves brothers and sisters. He saves from sickness, sin and society. He alone loves you and has demonstrated his love for you on the Cross of Calvary. He is God's love manifest to you in flesh. He will change you life forever, if only you surrender to him and accept him and your only God and Savior." John continued, " Once you accept Jesus, you become his Children. You identity and nature will be changed. You are no longer the old person you used to be. You will a new creation with a with new nature and new identity. You will have your past sins forgiven and forgotten by God. 'He remembers our sins no more'. That is promise from God and he is true and trustworthy. If you want you life changed, if you want a new life, come to Jesus. 'He will never leave you nor forsake you' is God's promise to those who trust him. You trust him and see. Your society might reject you, your family might reject you, you may hate yourself, but God loves you. He loves you so much, he became a man and died for you, yes, you Mr.... ." "I am Kumar" ."Yes, Mr. Kumar, Jesus loves you and has died for you. He loves you. People may reject you at the work place. They may not respect you in the society. But God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. That is the good news. You are no more under sin or the consequences of sin, if you accept Christ. You are free. Your Karma has no power over you. Jesus is your deliverer. You will be set for life Kumar" he said turning to him. "This is your time. There are two kinds of time. 'Chronos time' and 'Kairos time'. Chronos time is quantitative, it is with respect to the amount of time, like hours and weeks and months and is indicated by the calender. Kairos time refers to oppourtnity and is qualitative time. It comes from God. Today is your oppourtunity to receive Christ and become his Child. Today if you hear his invitation, do not harden your hearts. Receive him, receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. He will give you abundant life. He will give you true freedom. He will give you true life, unchained from the opinion of others and society at large. No one can stop you because God is with you."
After the meeting Kumar stayed back and wanted to discuss about Karma with John. When his time came he asked him, "They say I am born to do my work because of my Karma and nothing can be done about it. Can Jesus save me from this?" "The whole idea of Karma is wrong" replied John. "If you present life is caused and conditioned by your previous life, then what caused and conditioned the first lifetime you had. What Karma was causing and conditioning you first life?" "Nothing". "Yes, precisely. This life is also not caused or conditioned by your previous life. This belief in karma and reincarnation is just superstition conjured up by the devil himself and delivered to you people through your religion, through those who control you, the Brahmans. It is a lie to create hopeless and comes from the very mastermind of all hopeless and destruction, the devil. Jesus said, 'Thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. But I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.' You give your life to Christ and he will give you abundant life". With these life filled words of Christ, he moved on the next person.
This idea of abundant life gripped Kumar. He had never known what life free from Karma would be. In the meeting the very next day, Kumar gave his life to Christ. He was baptised a week later. His wife got the headache back. Kumar encountered God even before that. The Kairos moment arrived even before he anticipated. Kumar then became an active member of the Church and brought his whole scavenging gang to Christ. \
One day he told his gang of ex-scavengers. "We are royal, we are holy, we are chosen, we are special. We are not under any Karma. Karma is a lie. Jesus has given us new identity, new nature, new desires, new appetites and new calling to be his ministers carrying his word to a lost and hurting world. Let us do it well and let us do it for his glory."
After five years and serving God faithfully, Kumar was given charge of a small satellite church where he serves as a Pastor full time. "Who would call a rejected scavenger to be his shepherd, except Jesus, the hope of the hopeless, the life giver. You alone Lord give abundant life."
In thirty minutes time there came a dark short man with slightly curled black hair. A group a five men followed him. "What do you want us to do sir?", asked Kumar inquisitively. "What will we ask you to do? As usual it is a dead body", said the tensed officer. "Next time Kumar, don't ask me that stupid question. It has been the job of your caste to dispose dead body for centuries. This is what you were created to do. It's all your Karma. So next time, don't ever....ever again ask that stupid question. Don't keep proving to me that you do belong to those that dispose dead bodies by asking that stupid question. Now get to work."
"Sorry sir! Next time onwards I will not ask that stupid question sir." replied Kumar with much embarrassment.
The body was disposed and ask they returned from the mortuary sat down in the tea shop to have their tea. The shop keeper immediately on seeing them sit down said, "No! Don't sit here. You are coming from the mortuary right?" Even as they started shaking their head, he advised them," First go home and take bath then come to my shop. Or better still never come to my shop. Other potential customers will stop coming if they see you people drinking tea here."
"Sorry sir! We were very tired. So we thought we can have some refreshment." After apologizing, Kumar and company decided to return back home as that was the only place where they can do what they want "freely". "There is no place for us in this society", he muttered. "Is this really because of my Karma?", he thought. "Time and time again" he repeated in disgust. There is something wrong with this society he muttered and when he returned home, he saw his wife reading a black covered book with red margins.
"Now why are you reading? Why should you read anything at all? Are you going to become lord mayor of London?" he asked her with a chuckle. Since he loved her very much and they have been friends from childhood, he gave her freedom and was not restrictive like most doubting husbands. He trusted her.
"Now what is that red book?" he asked softly. "It is Bible", she replied with a smile. "Today I went to next street where my friend Shanti, gave me this. I had headache and I went to the prayer meeting and she prayed for me and the headache subsided. Now I have become Christian. I follow and worship Jesus, who healed me from my unrelenting headache."
" I thought I was your headache". he said with a big laugh. "Let me wait and see if this Jesus has really healed you or not. If your headache does not return in two weeks time I will also join you".
"I am sure. I believe I am healed! I am healed! Jesus has healed me! You see what happens." she replied. "But you must come for the meeting and see for yourself what we do there. You can ask Pastor any questions or doubts you have. He will answer all your questions. Next week one speaker from foreign is coming. You must meet him and pray with him."
Like the unceasing waves of the Arabian sea, life rolled and time came for the him to attend his first Christian meeting. "This is John Moltmann, our speaker from Germany. He will teach us about God and Jesus from the Bible. Let us give this next hour to attentive hearing and thinking. Over to you Bro. John." he said.
John came to the front and motioned to his translator. He motioned back to him and he started."Jesus saves brothers and sisters. He saves from sickness, sin and society. He alone loves you and has demonstrated his love for you on the Cross of Calvary. He is God's love manifest to you in flesh. He will change you life forever, if only you surrender to him and accept him and your only God and Savior." John continued, " Once you accept Jesus, you become his Children. You identity and nature will be changed. You are no longer the old person you used to be. You will a new creation with a with new nature and new identity. You will have your past sins forgiven and forgotten by God. 'He remembers our sins no more'. That is promise from God and he is true and trustworthy. If you want you life changed, if you want a new life, come to Jesus. 'He will never leave you nor forsake you' is God's promise to those who trust him. You trust him and see. Your society might reject you, your family might reject you, you may hate yourself, but God loves you. He loves you so much, he became a man and died for you, yes, you Mr.... ." "I am Kumar" ."Yes, Mr. Kumar, Jesus loves you and has died for you. He loves you. People may reject you at the work place. They may not respect you in the society. But God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. That is the good news. You are no more under sin or the consequences of sin, if you accept Christ. You are free. Your Karma has no power over you. Jesus is your deliverer. You will be set for life Kumar" he said turning to him. "This is your time. There are two kinds of time. 'Chronos time' and 'Kairos time'. Chronos time is quantitative, it is with respect to the amount of time, like hours and weeks and months and is indicated by the calender. Kairos time refers to oppourtnity and is qualitative time. It comes from God. Today is your oppourtunity to receive Christ and become his Child. Today if you hear his invitation, do not harden your hearts. Receive him, receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. He will give you abundant life. He will give you true freedom. He will give you true life, unchained from the opinion of others and society at large. No one can stop you because God is with you."
After the meeting Kumar stayed back and wanted to discuss about Karma with John. When his time came he asked him, "They say I am born to do my work because of my Karma and nothing can be done about it. Can Jesus save me from this?" "The whole idea of Karma is wrong" replied John. "If you present life is caused and conditioned by your previous life, then what caused and conditioned the first lifetime you had. What Karma was causing and conditioning you first life?" "Nothing". "Yes, precisely. This life is also not caused or conditioned by your previous life. This belief in karma and reincarnation is just superstition conjured up by the devil himself and delivered to you people through your religion, through those who control you, the Brahmans. It is a lie to create hopeless and comes from the very mastermind of all hopeless and destruction, the devil. Jesus said, 'Thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. But I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.' You give your life to Christ and he will give you abundant life". With these life filled words of Christ, he moved on the next person.
This idea of abundant life gripped Kumar. He had never known what life free from Karma would be. In the meeting the very next day, Kumar gave his life to Christ. He was baptised a week later. His wife got the headache back. Kumar encountered God even before that. The Kairos moment arrived even before he anticipated. Kumar then became an active member of the Church and brought his whole scavenging gang to Christ. \
One day he told his gang of ex-scavengers. "We are royal, we are holy, we are chosen, we are special. We are not under any Karma. Karma is a lie. Jesus has given us new identity, new nature, new desires, new appetites and new calling to be his ministers carrying his word to a lost and hurting world. Let us do it well and let us do it for his glory."
After five years and serving God faithfully, Kumar was given charge of a small satellite church where he serves as a Pastor full time. "Who would call a rejected scavenger to be his shepherd, except Jesus, the hope of the hopeless, the life giver. You alone Lord give abundant life."
Comments
Post a Comment