Monday, June 10, 2019

Namaste Barnabas.


Wishing all a (belated) feast of Pentecost.

This Sunday-June 09th, we were witness to one of the Great Feasts of our church- the feast of
Icon of St Barnabas
Pentecost which commemorated the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and the followers of Christ after the ascension of our Lord. 
One of the striking features that a person encounters in an Orthodox liturgy is the smell of incense. During the liturgy, the Holy Altar, Evangelion Table, the Baptismal font etc are censed (clearly, they are ‘set apart’ for liturgical worship). Along with the above, the people are censed as well by the celebrant priest, as an acknowledgement of them being created in the image and likeness of their Creator. And while they are being censed, the faithful make a sign of cross upon themselves, remembering and pondering the great love of the Creator and to imitate the incarnate Son- our Lord and Saviour Jesus in our earthly sojourn.

This concept of acknowledging people in having been created in the image and likeness of the Creator is so profoundly seen in our Indian traditions and customs when we greet each other with ‘Namaste’. (meaning, ‘I bow before you’). When we greet with a Namaste with folded hands we acknowledge the divine in the other person.
For us, this is easier said than done. In our day to day life we do face difficulty in acknowledging the scope and potential of other person, and factors like his/her surroundings, their past life, may cloud our opinion.

I do not recollect the exact words, but I had read a quote as to how the packets of flower seeds have pictures of flowers on the cover, meaning we should not be disheartened if our present is inconsequential but ought to focus on what one can become- what potential can one reach. Such also is the quality exhibited by men of God and the infant church witnessed such was a man- St. Barnabas.

We read about St. Barnabas in the Holy Scripture as a man called Joses who was named by Apostles themselves as ‘Barnabas’ translated as Son of Encouragement (Acts 4:36). Further, the qualities about St Barnabas as attested by the Scripture is that he was ‘a good man, full of Holy Spirit and of faith’ (Acts 11:24). St. Barnabas could see the good in others, he could encourage them and not let them slip through hopelessness if the society/community judged such people thus. After Saul’s conversion, we read that the disciples were sceptical of him (since Saul was infamous for persecuting the church). However, the Holy Scripture points us that ‘Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles” (Acts 9:27). When everyone else disbelieved, Barnabas trusted Saul and believed that he could definitely reform for good.

Further in Acts 11, verse 20 onward, we see some nameless pioneers of Christ who preached Him in the city of Antioch. And who was sent to encourage these people? The answer is Barnabas- the ‘good man’. The little things we do for God may look ‘small’ for the world but not for Him. And He sends Barnabases to encourage these simple hearted!

In these verses we further read that Barnabas had departed to Tarsus to find Saul. Where had Saul gone? Going back to Acts chapter 9 we see that after St. Barnabas had brought Saul to the Apostles, Saul (later St Paul) was boldly speaking about Lord Jesus Christ against the Hellenist and there was a danger to his life. Hence, he was sent to Tarsus. Had Barnabas been one of those who crave worldly honours, he would have gladly loved to be the ‘lone hero’ at Antioch by being the spiritual guide to these evangelists. But it wasn’t so- he sought for Saul and brought him to Antioch!

The church owes it to St. Barnabas for utilizing St Paul and bringing him to forefront.
The story of St. Barnabas doesn’t end there. In Acts 15:37 onward we see St Barnabas and St Paul having a sharp argument over John called Mark, who had deserted them in Pamphylia. St. Paul didn’t want to take a deserter with him; however, St Barnabas recognizing that Mark has returned for good, was quick to accept him back. If St Barnabas like St.  Paul, would have been judgmental of Mark, perhaps the history of the Coptic Church in Alexandria (whose founder was St Mark) would have been entirely different!
We see in Colossians 4:10, as to how later St Mark became St Paul’s trusted aide.
The Church owes to it to the good man- St Barnabas who recognized the good in these men when others lost hope on them!
St Barnabas’s life teaches us to look at the core aspect of the person- that he/she is created in the image and likeness of the Creator- that they might have fallen today but they do have a potential to rise. This surely would help us to forgive those who wronged us, persist in hope that those who have gone astray will return, encourage those are discouraged, welcome the one ‘who comes in the name of the Lord’.
Namaste!

By the prayers of our holy father among the saints- St Barnabas, may the Lord have mercy upon us.

In Christ,
Rincy

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