Author: Hoihnu Hauzel
Publication: The Hindustan
Times
Date: December 29, 2000
As A Christian, I have
always believed in one thing: that we are the children of Jesus Christ
and that there is no distinction among His children. However, a recent
experience has made me realise that even in His kingdom, there is room
for discrimination.
This Christmas Eve, I
took a friend who wanted to witness the midnight mass and carols to the
church. What was surprising was that I was deprived of the Holy Communion.
The reason? Because I happen to be a Protestant and not a Catholic.
In my attempt to show
my Hindu friend the best side of the Christmas spirit, I took him to two
chapels. First, we went to the Cathedral Church of the Redemption.
As we stepped in and seated ourselves in the Victorian-style wooden furniture,
I noticed an instant chord my friend had developed for the tranquil atmosphere.
Though it was his first time in the church, I heard him sing louder than
the rest of the crowd.
Soon after the sermon,
we went to the Sacred Heart Cathedral for carols. This place was
bubbling with music and the crowd was jostling for space. My excited
friend led me in front of a temporary pandal made for the occasion.
Lively carols immediately lifted our weary spirits. The conductor
announced that it was time for the Lord's Supper. Being a born-again
Christian, I joined the queue to partake in the Holy Sacrament.
As my turn came, a priest
in a spotless white robe blessed and gave me the bread - a symbol of Christ's
flesh. After a short prayer, I was putting the bread into my mouth
when a stout fellow assisting the priest stopped me.
"Are you a Catholic?"
he asked, peering into my eyes.
"I am a Christian," I
answered firmly.
"I am sorry, you cannot
have it," he replied and snatched the bread away from my hand. My
friend, who was a witness to this, found it hard to understand. Even
though I understood that some sections normally maintain exclusivity when
it comes to the Lord's Supper, I felt deprived.
Maintaining exclusivity
in the Christian churches is nothing new in history. Two decades
ago, some Pentecostal churches set a rule that anyone wearing gold ornaments
should be prohibited from having the Holy Communion. Some extreme
spiritual groups even insisted that unless a member is baptised by one
specially anointed by God, he or she could not have Holy Communion.
Every denomination may
have different practices, but it is unkind to deny someone his or her 'access'
to Christ just because the order of worship differs. In John 6:37,
Christ said: "And the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out."
When children were brought to Jesus to be blessed, his disciples rebuked
their parents. But Jesus replied: "Let the little children come to
me, and do not forbid them: for such is the kingdom of heaven." (Mathew
19:14).
Shouldn't anyone who
feels the need to have access to the Lord be allowed to? The adulteress
from the Mount of Olives was condemned by her society for "being caught
in the act". But even she found favour in the Lord. (John 8:1-12).
Or the girl who bled for 12 years (Mark 5:25-34) and was determined to
touch Jesus. She fought her way through the crowd oblivious of those
who looked down upon her.
How many people have
we turned away? Considering the number of attacks on Christians in India
over the recent months, isn't it time we acknowledge the fact that we belong
to the same community?
