14. Book Review: Journey of Candle, Geena Ajay Dr. Cherian Samuel

child abuse, relative poverty, etc. These can create tension in the years to come to ecumenical relationship with other churches, but we should be prayerfully prepared to face these and similar challenges. Hundred years ago, Western mission field was in Asia, Africa, and other colonial territories, but now it is our responsibility in helping others with the mission of God; this partnership will take different forms in different places and for different individuals. “Mission is now from everywhere to everywhere.” We need to find new paradigms of mission in these varied contexts. Each of us must give thanks for the goodness we have experienced from God and seek to share that goodness with others. This is our mission, should we decide to accept, it is not an impossible mission, for everything is possible for God. We are very proud of our identity and heritage; but the important identity of being in Christ should give us the courage and stability to integrate with other communities in other countries.

More than 60 percent of Marthomites are now settled outside Kerala, in other Indian states and outside India. There is a clash in understanding of our identity, history, and generational conflicts. Should we stand and stare, admire all things we have done, mourn about the lost opportunities or go forward for more and more spiritually oriented diasporic experiences. In Psalm 137:1ff we read, “By the rivers of the Babylon we sat down; there we wept when we remembered Zion” When those Israelites sat down, they also hung their harps and they could not sing. Sitting down or standing still was one of their problems; as a diaspora community we need to go forward. We started this journey together and we are bound to find obstacles or comfortable wayside inns or other issues, which may distract us from our pilgrimage. It is up to all of us to stay together, pray together and keep the dynamic nature of our fellowship to reach out and find the true potentials of our spiritual journey. We should not forget that it was during a journey from Egypt to Canaan that a Jewish nation was born; it was in the dispersion of the members of our Church that the Mar Thoma Church has become a global Church. Noble laureate, John R. Mott, used to say, “Take your stumbling blocks, and turn them to stepping stones.”

We should realise that Mar Thoma diaspora communities have an important role to play in sustaining faith; expressing concerns and providing ideas that would make man worthy of living in this planet with love, concern and responsibility for all created things and building His kingdom. Let us hope that the Mar Thoma diaspora communities will help the people in different parts of the world to a better life in Christ. Psalmist raises an important question: “How can I repay the Lord for all His gifts to me?” (Psalm 116:12). Therefore, let us offer thanks to Almighty God for the global witness of the Marthomites and for His abundant blessings on our communities throughout the world.

Maple Publishers, Milton Keynes, UK, 2022, Pp88, ISBN 978-1915796-10-3 (Paperback); 978-1-915796-11-0 (E-Book), $5.99 (kindle). https://amzn.eu/d/j9o968U

Advent—meaning “arrival” or “an appearing or coming into place”—is the celebration leading up to Christmas, lasting four Sundays from the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and ending on Christmas Eve. Advent is a commemoration of Christ’s first coming— the Incarnation, the miracle of Jesus as God in human flesh, revealed in Angel Gabriel’s annunciation to Mary (Luke 1:26–38)—as well as the expectation of His second coming.

Geena Ajay’s 2022 Advent devotional—"Journey of a Candle: Devotional readings for advent”—provides an excellent resource for preparing for Advent and beyond, a set of exceptional and insightful meditations and reflections for 25 days, anchored in pertinent Bible passages and befitting applications. The devotional is elegantly and ingeniously crafted in the beautiful lifecycle of a candle— melted from frozen wax, mashed with fragrance, moulded, and lighted—with striking parallels for the Christian life in terms of God melting frozen hearts, mashing spiritual fruits, moulding hearts, and lighting to lighten.

Rt. Revd Dr. Isaac Mar Philoxenos, Mar Thoma Church’s North America and Europe Diocesan Bishop, has rendered an appreciation for the Devotional as: “It is a collection of thoughts and stories for people to get strengthened at the advent season and throughout the year. Christmas is always a hope-filled season and a time when we go beyond measure and sometimes even forget the reason for the season. This book may help you to meditate through each day of the advent with a prayer. As humans we have our own personal worries and problems, which sometimes blow out the flames of our light that we carry inside us. This book may make the flame inside you burning a little bit brighter.”

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