Titles and names matter a lot when it comes to people’s career progression. It is part of their style and identity. Once they’ve achieved this position of influence that they desire, they tend to abuse their power. Sometimes to the extent of reducing the lives of those who are subject to their power to mere numbers and statistics. Before we delve into that, let us start off with Pharaoh and Moses. Pharaoh was THE ruler of ancient times, with a title that only HE could possess. No one would dare say a word in his presence. Moses was titleless, nameless, and a runaway shepherd with faltering lips. Even his own people, the Israelites, would not bother to listen to him. But God had a purpose for Moses His Master plan. You may not be a big name or have a big title, but, as you are reading this, be assured that God has chosen you for a purpose. Your weakness, your ordinary looks, your faltering lips, your humble background, or even your profession (shepherds were not respected by Egyptians) may be inadequate for the world. However, God finds your design a good fit for His purpose. In his wisdom, your assessment of negatives could be made positive. He uses you to show the distinction. God chooses the weak to show His greatness. He is against the proud, and on the humble He showers His grace. It is better to be the lowest and be exalted by God than to be the mighty Pharaoh. God will make a distinction so that the world will know that He is God in your life. Now, thousands of years later, Pharaoh remains a title, not known by his name, but Moses the shepherd is known by his name all over the world. Titles are man-made; names are God-made. Pharaoh was a monarch. Moses was a leader. Pharaoh’s power was position-based; Moses’ authority was calling-based. Pharaoh’s rule was backed by ego and evil. Moses’ service was backed by humility and God’s goodness.
Many aspire to have big designations and positions. Positions will change, and titles will disappear. Names will not be called. God said to Abraham, I will make your name great. He promised Abraham he would make his name great, and that he did. His name is claimed by the three major religions of the Middle East: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity!
Let God make you a great name. Pursue to fulfill God’s purpose, not man’s and their titles. Moving on, as men pursue titles and power (it’s a sad reality; we live in such horrid times), names and lives become statistics and numbers in the hands of abusers of authority. Public service no longer serves the public; it is the public serving the office.
It is arguably or shall I say undeniably true that power corrupts, and absolute power absolutely corrupts. It emboldens people to commit atrocities and massacres. We have seen many examples of this in history, from Hitler to Putin.
George Floyd from US, Jeyaraj & Bennix from Tamil Nadu, names known for being the victims of power abuse. (Jeyaraj and Fenix were the father and son duo, who were brutally killed in Police Custody by the Indian Police for the benefit of those living under the proverbial rock)
The list of forgotten victims have no beginning and may have no end. Sadly, many have suffered this tragic end; they were, they are, and they will be faceless and nameless deaths in numbers. Taken as statistics, not lives. Police custodial deaths in India are reported to be about one every two or three days. Indian Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed the Rajya Sabha that a total of 146 cases of death in police custody were reported during 2017–2018, 136 in 2018–2019, 112 in 2019–2021, 100 in 2020–2021, and 175 in 2021–2022. (Courtesy Indian Express).
Instead of public authorities upholding integrity and the constitution, the fence (read Police) that is supposed to protect is not only eating (read looting) our grass (read poor and needy), but even trampling upon it.
Despite knowing right from wrong, injustice becomes a way of life for us, by us, and through us as we do nothing to stop it, or rather, are the helpless bystanders. Everyday life is ebbing away in numbers; names enter the record books as statistics, all the while one sect of people clamors for titles and names, power maniacs, exhibiting sadism at will. Now greed is ambition. Betrayal is the norm. Goodness is weakness. Cheating is business. Charity is a cover for hoarding, and so on. There is no exception, even among Christians.
What has gone wrong? Where is the Christian Love? Are our consciences seared? Perverted minds? Distorted values? Biased views? Coloured glasses. Where evil is glorified. God is removed from our hearts and minds. We have forgotten the accountability and judgment that await.
Jesus was a radical; he was called names for doing good to people. He stood up against the Pharisees to heal people on the Sabbath. For him, people were not ‘numbers, likes, or views’. They were lives, people with feelings and emotions, whether it be feeding five thousand or caring for one Samaritan woman at the well.
Jesus died for you and me to make us righteous. So that we live in righteousness and stand for righteousness. For Jesus, righteousness matters, and black and white lives matter. What matters to us? What is our stand? Are we the good Samaritans of our times or the Priests who passed by?
Now, In Tamil Nadu, the Christian Diocese has infights and court cases for power, money, name and position and is the most polluted and corrupted example in the land of missionaries and Apostle Thomas the Martyr. Where is the stamp of Faith and integrity that is supposed to be part of a Christian identity? Where is the faith to remain righteous, the will to serve others, and the courage to stand for righteousness?
Some sects of so-called Christians boast about caste and creed and argue for pride. They build lies, not lives. Hypocrisy is at its height; some have two faces, one for Sunday and another for weekdays. To serve the underprivileged is the call of the privileged.
It is not about titles, but about the name, about the legacy that are we going to leave behind. Be a name that people would remember. Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, MLK and the likes! Beyond titles and power. Live for the Name above all Names. Purpose matters! Lives matters! Live right. Live Full!
