Talk to my hand

I have five fingers in each of my hands. Therefore, I am a sexist.

Each finger is different from the others. But all join "hands" to dislodge the tidbit wedged between the molars using the toothpick. They also perform all other tasks together. Always together.

Among all the fingers, the pinkie is the smallest but it can do the most delicately indelicate tasks. It reaches places the other fingers can't. It can clean my ears, when it itches (hoping nobody watches). In the left hand it can hold the 6th, 7th and diminished notes on the guitar. In the piano it stretches like a rubber band to hit the keys normally not reached by other fingers. Or in a school-bus when a child shows the pinkie, it signals that her bladder is full especially when she has no clue about where is the loo, and you have to go when you have to go!

Next to it is the ring finger. It is a finger of relationships. When men first propose to the girl of their dreams they push a circular metal studded with some shiny stone to announce their private intentions in a public place! Why they choose only this finger I don't know, but its very sexist to ignore the other fingers and treat them of lesser value. And why women prefer only this finger for the ring I don't know but its very sexist, though romantic. The woman is enamored, but in the end its very sexist. Why this finger alone is isolated for this ornamental role I have not been able to find out. Nobody wears a ring on the thumb, but on the ring finger it is treated with great value especially during those times when the ring gets stuck and can't come out. Of course, in India they wear rings on other fingers too. However this is not for relationships, its for superstition (health, life, protection from enemies etc depending on the stones used). As a result Indians are not sexist.*

Next comes the middle finger, and it can easily boast over all the others because its the tallest. It doesn't have any specific function of its own. But recently non-sexist and politically correct people have delegated it for an exclusive use in non-verbal conversations. In such dialogues they stick the middle-finger out. When used this way it has a meaning that is functionally similar to that of rectal endoscopy.

Then comes the pointer-finger. Generally, this is used to show direction. At other times teachers and preachers use it as a baton, as if they are going to cane someone with that finger if they dont heed the warnings. These functions are found only among the Homo sapiens. You don't observe it in any of the other species among the vertebrates. If you point the moon to a cat, it wont look up. If you show the finger baton to a street mongrel it might chew it off. Therefore, the pointer-finger points out that humans are different from animals. However, among the Homo sapiens a sub-species called the Homo sapiens cannibalis use it for another extended purpose. They use finger-pointing to cannibalize the character of others. A typical example of such character assassination is, "You are a sexist", or "that is a sexist remark". And in the guise of political correctness, ethical snobbery and spiritual progressiveness the orthodoxy-oriented counter-trend thinkers are dumped on the bleachers. Ostracized. Marginalized. Lobotomized. There is no room for a rational Socratic dialogue -- "Please dont confuse my mind with facts, my mind is already made up."

Finally, there is the thumb. It is almost as small as the pinkie, but its stout. Really stout. In some way this digit is more important than the others. When pointed upward you can get a ride on a road, or indicate that something is excellent. When pointed downward it means things are going bad. Then the thumbprint can be used in place of a signature for the illiterates. And in the scientific world we have the Fleming's left hand thumb rule (to comprehend Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction). Most functions are impossible without the cooperation of the thumb. In the Indian epic, Mahabharatha, Drona asks Ekklavya's thumb as gurudakshina (teacher's fee) to eliminate Ekklavya's superiority over Arjuna in archery. The thumb is important, but its of no value if the other finger aren't there. Imagine, that in an accident you lost all your fingers, excepting the thumb. What would you do with it? You couldn't even pick your nose! Again if all the fingers were identical, the hand would lose its flexibility, control and efficiency. 

This means that -- there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it (I Corinthians 12: 25-26). This is how the home, the church and the society should be built. All the fingers belong to the same hand. And though they are not equal in function yet all are needed for the hand. And the hand is needed for the body. The ring finger doesn't think that it is a sexist remark just because someone points out that the pinkie is different. In the same way to recognize that woman is different from man is not sexist. Endocrinology and anatomy display, without remorse, that women and men are intrinsically different from each other. The hormones that course through their blood are different. And these hormones even shape they way their social & mental processes differ. Neurologically the way the left and right halves of their brains are wired, are also different. But all this is not for the function of one-up-manship or the argumentum ad hominem of male-bashing and misogyny. Man and woman were created equal (Genesis 1: 26-27). They complement each other in their limitations and enhance each other in their skills. So in the guise of political correctness let us not undermine the value each has by squeezing everyone into bland xeroxes of conformity, uniformity and eventual deformity. At some point we must understand the meaning of unity in diversity. God made each of us different, not just man and woman. And each person is uniquely imbued with value and purpose. This value should not be narrowly confined to the bloated grandstand of gender harmony, but should include race, caste, language, tribe, education, age and status. For, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor master, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3: 28).

I have five fingers in my hand. Therefore, I am a sexist.

* The Times of India newspaper (26th July 2018) reported, in a statistical list of nations, that India is most dangerous country for women

Celebration

You are not going to believe this remarkable, and seemingly silly, observation. I was in a taxi wending my way home, peeking out of the window and subject to the usual barrage of visual bombardment that is the bane of every Indian city - the cine-posters, the ridiculous adverts, the graffiti, the political slogans and so on. Then just before the Dhakuria bridge, as the taxi waited for the signal to change, I heard a loud and prolonged yell. Yeaaaaaah...! A lean guy and his tall friend with a fat stomach wearing bermudas kept at the yell until they came to the intersection and met their elderly friend. This elderly friend at the intersection had a plastic bag with some purchases. But as they all met, this celebration of meeting was so beautiful. They even inspected what was in the plastic bag, but the ambience of comfort that they had with each other was unusual. For me watching them was a divine moment.

In that simple moment I was transported into a world of beauty. If I felt this deeply for watching a celebration of strangers, how much more must God feel when his people are united in celebrating each other and God! There is power in these experiences. In fact, in Matthew 18:19 Jesus promises, "if two of you agree as touching anything, it will be done by my Father in heaven." So why not claim the inheritance that is promised in these words?

Of course, the experience was not over so easily. When I felt that intimacy with God, by watching unknown folk celebrating I was quietly thanking God for letting me see such beauty. The very next moment my taxi-driver for some unknown reason offered me a litchi-flavoured toffee. I politely refused, but he insisted. Not wanting to hurt him, I accepted his simple gift. I have not seen that taxi-driver again, but I m always praying for him. Hope God will let me celebrate, by helping me meet him again.

Holy Ground

       One of the dumb, mundane, observations of long distance drives in the US is that the tank becomes empty and the bladder gets full.
       I found that this curiously pathological fact cuts through all denominations, religions and races. This common denominator not only finds its practical application in service centers across interstate highways but also provides jocular camaraderie with each other, irrespective of our theological or political inclinations. Basically, it helps us to be more human.
       In a world where it is politically sound to be tolerant (intolerantly), it is more important to find common ground. We all know how to wear beaming faces tolerantly, while our hearts are acrid with disagreement. Is God actually pleased with this? Or are we? Even in the very beginning God did not make human beings as xeroxes. He made Adam and Eve. Man and woman. Their psychological wiring was different, their anatomy was different, their biochemistry was different and yet they were called to be one (Genesis 2: 24). Beauty lies in finding common ground, keeping it paramount and enjoying differences.
       In the end common ground is Holy ground (Psalm 133). Jesus said, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” This verse in Matthew 18: 19-20 is in the context of disagreement (Matt 18: 15). When we can agree to disagree in an agreeable manner and love our differences we are on Holy Ground. Nobody puts it better than the 4rth Century Augustine of Hippo - "in essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity."
       So I recommend you to take long drives along with friends you differ with and celebrate common ground.
       In the picture above is the SDA Church in Tacoma Park, Baltimore, where I worshipped last Saturday, 16th June. I was blessed to experience the presence of God there deeply. And the picture below is my dear friend Dittu Abraham, a Seventh Day Adventist, and a large family gathering at his house singing worship choruses.