BIBLE: ANTIDOTE TO VIOLENCE

I just thought of sharing a few lines from my dissertation paper which I did on René Girard’s Mimetic Theory of Violence. It is interesting to see how Girard presents Bible as an Antidote to Violence.

René Girard’s interpretation of the Bible and the crucial role he assigns it in the history of Western culture are doubtless the most controversial features of his entire intellectual enterprise. In his book Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World Girard attributes our ability to break down and analyze “cultural mechanisms” such as scapegoating and to demystify the role of sacrificial violence in the establishment of order, to the influence of Biblical texts. Traditional myth tell the story from the side of the saved community, vilifying but also deifying the scapegoat, hiding the murder and generative mimetic scapegoating mechanism (GMSM). The Judeo-Christian Scriptures exhibit the traits of siding with the victim, clearly portraying the murder and eventual failure of the sacrifice to bring lasting peace. This can be shown in both the Jewish and the Christian texts, in most of the narratives found therein.

In Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World Girard argues that what was distinctive about the Judeo-Christian Scriptures, beginning with the story of Abraham and Isaac and culminating in the Crucifixion of Jesus, was that the violent structures of culture were progressively unveiled, revealed for their arbitrariness and horror, and finally, utterly repudiated. To this end, he engages in a careful series of readings of Biblical texts and relates them to his previous hypothesis on violence and the sacred. Girard arrives at this insight not as chance discovery but as a deep conversion experience. (We shall look at his conversion experience some time later). His conclusion is that the Bible is the sole textual mechanism to enact a complete exposé of the victimage mechanism. Its mission is to alert us to this seemingly perennial cycle of the restoration of order caused by conflictual desire and violence. This exposé was undertaken in order that humanity may refuse the victimage mechanism without remainder.

The Bible in short, offers us real knowledge of human relations. It is not a text to be dissected with modern critical tools but is itself the double edged sword which cuts through the misconceptions of old modernity to get to the fundamental truths of humanity.

FAITH AND CONVERSION

We are in the fourth week of the holy season of Lent - a season which calls for repentance and return. Today's (4th week of lent Monday) Gospel passage (John 4:43-54) sheds light on the close relationship between faith and conversion. The government official whose son Jesus cures makes a significant movement from faith to conversion. Of course the miracle serves only as a passage towards his conversion along with his entire household. This conversion meant a shift in his fundamental option. What shift did he make? He must have been one of those who have been faithful in practicing his faith. But after his encounter with Christ he alters his fundamental option. There he makes his fundamental option for Christ.

Bernard Lonergan would call this shift a religious conversion. Religious conversion is the turning-around that resets our consciousness in terms of unrestricted love. When we are religously converted, our hearts, the centers of ourselves, open to embrace whatever good, noble, true, is humanizing. If so, religious conversion is a yes to the mystery of God, an acceptance of the Creator's ground-rules or conditions. We have been made to be beyond all partial goods and truths, to reject all idolatries. We must refuse to worship anything less than

the unlimited , infinite goodness that whispers in our limitless questioning. The official in this passage is the example of one who realizes his limits and sets on a journey to embrace what is really true - the person of Christ.

In every conversion love occupies the primary place. In making his option for Christ the official enters into a loving relationship with Jesus. When he is in love, he accepts the values and meanings of the beloved; because he loves, he begins to understand anew the values and meanings he has accepted; he begins to even see and hear and feel differently.

The message of lent is not anything lesser than making a fundamental option for Christ, especially for Christ Crucified, because it was on the cross that Christ epitomizes love. Our response consists in sincerely accepting the demands of his love, that with the light of Easter we may see, hear and feel people and things differently.

INDIA WORLD-CUP KULFI

I am sure the title is amusing. For all the kulfi lovers, here is a new flavor of kulfi, "India World-Cup Kulfi." It sounds strange but in fact this was the name a kulfi seller used in order to sell his product. This happened on my way to Bangalore by Karnatake Express. What promted the vendor to use this name? The one and only reason is the fantastic victory of Indian over Pakistan in the semi-final of World-Cup 2011. The Indian lions pounced upon the Pakistan team to claim victory and make that day go back to the pages of Indian Cricket History in Golden Letters. I don't dare speak much about the match as I know what that victory means to all of us.

One thing is sure. For the kulfi seller that historical victory meant business. He seems to me an example of one who is able to be attentive to the signs of the times and make the best of the opportune time. He has the practical wisdom which guided him to use a name suiting the occasion to lure his customers to buy his product. This is what most business men do. I don't know what they call this tact, but that common man has practical skill required for a good business man. We can say that "He makes hay when the sun shines." I wonder whether it can be termed opportunism...

This am admi (common man) however has a great lesson to offer to all of us. He teaches us to make the best of the opportunity when it stands knocking at our doors. For him the opportunity came through India's victory. For you and me it may come in myriads of other ways. The question is what do we do with the opportunities we get. These days most students are busy with the exams. One natural feeling is that of burdensome. But how many of us think that exam is an opportunity to go further ahead in our academics? Need of the hour is change of attitude and the real motivation to rise up to the occasion. May this lesson from the kulfi man's wisdom box ring in our minds every now and then so that we may make the best use of all our opportunities we get, especially those geared towards our growth - physical, mental and spiritual.

"Am Admi Zindabaad............."