3 - 7 - 2023

                                     Glimpses of God

God of the Subalterns - God of Steadfastness  - God of Serendipity

Glimpses of God is the title of my reflection today, triggered by the Mass readings of the last day of June. The first reading talks about Abraham and how he was blessed with a son through the covenantal bond. For reasons unknown, I have a strange fascination with and liking for the Book of Genesis. For me, it is the microcosm of the world that is presented later with all its sound, thunder, fury, lightning, and shadows—in a way, all reflecting the different shades of God Almighty.

Actually, this reflection was shared with my community by me as a sermon. For simplicity's sake and clarity's sake, I would like to delve into three different aspects of God.

1. God of the Subalterns

As we wade through the pages of the Holy Scripture, we come to know, or rather, we encounter, a God who takes the side of the subaltern people. This subaltern study, as a branch of intellectual inquiry, is now an established field. We have famous figures like Ramachandra Guha and others who have firmly anchored themselves and given marvellous insights to the academic world.

I began my sermon with a note from Gayatri Spivak’s "Can the Subaltern Speak?". It is now resolutely established that the Subalterns do speak and that the world stops to listen to their cry. As the days go by, somehow I am saddened by the shallowness and hypocrisy of the rich. As I look around, I see so many people wearing suitable masks, especially to dupe the society they live in. Their worlds are empty and devoid of care and compassion for the poor. This also gets reflected in their faith, I believe. 

Many of the people I see and encounter—regular churchgoers, faithful Catholics—fail, in my opinion, to exercise the Christian charity that is due towards their poor, needy neighbours! I used to have a cousin who regularly asked for the Biblical meaning of certain theological terms. I always laugh inwardly. This cousin of mine, in my opinion, has never opened his purse to the poor and needy of his parish! (I hope my relatives won’t break their heads; this is no reference to any of them!). This particular cousin is no more!

2. God of Steadfastness

‘Steadfastness’ is a heavenly quality that is ascribed to the Almighty. This can be considered one of the strongest Christian virtues. Steadfastness can also be translated as ‘faithfulness’. Our God is steadfast in love and faithful in keeping his covenantal relationship. The whole book of Genesis is a classic example of this steadfastness, as is the entire Bible. This God of the subalterns, in the course of history, chooses one particular tribe, makes a covenant with them, and travels with them to the ends of the earth! One can write volumes on this particular area!

3. God of Serendipity

"Serendipity" is more of a theological word for me! The meaning of this word is simple: It means ‘accidental discovery.’ This is a theologically loaded word for me. In the Bible, in the tradition of the Sacred Scripture, one can find many accidental discoveries. Abraham finds a ram to offer to the Lord instead of Isaac; that can be an example….Ruth gleans wheat corns in the field of Boaz and ultimately marries him; that is one of serendipity; there are many accidental discoveries. This also means that our Lord is the Lord of Surprises. 

"God of Surprises" is a famous book by the Jesuit Gerard W. Hughes SJ. We have a hymn in Tamil that begins - அதிசயங்கள் செய்கிறவர் நம் அருகில் இருக்கிறார்  (the God who performs miracles is near us).

Once again, this is another topic that is very close to my heart! Obviously, our God is a God of surprises. But I believe that this ‘surprise’ comes with a lot of caveats!

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My dear,

I just wanted to share with you something that I found interesting and exciting! I hope and pray that you were excited as well!

Happy to stay in touch and to scribble a few lines now and then...

Please whisper a small prayer for me—stay tuned to my Vanavil!

May the God of the Subalterns, the God of Steadfast Love and Compassion, and the God of Serendipity consume us and make us all His own possessions!

 Greetings!

Sahayaraj Stanley SJ.