Child: A paradigm for Ecumenism.

I came to UTC with a prejudiced mind that my church (that is The Chaldean Syrian Church of the East) is ‘The Church’. As I was confined mainly to my own church tradition, my understanding about other denominations was minimal. When I was exposed to other Denominations and traditions right from my first year, I realized the fact that there is a need for me to be moulded in terms of ecumenical understanding. Since we have students from diverse church backgrounds, UTC has enabled me to be open and receptive in terms of ecclesiastical organization.
In June 2006, I was ordained as a Kasisa which means (Fully Ordained Priest). This encouraged me to develop my ecumenical concern for creating unity among the churches in my place. When I look back to my own church, we have joined the WCC, NCCI, and KCC (Kerala Council of Churches) for the name sake, but so far in the implementation part there is no considerable progress as such. When I was searching for the roots of the problem, I realized that our Church dogmas are the stumbling blocks in our ecumenical endeavors. My church already had continued Dialogues with the Roman Catholic Church. Where as in the case of the protestant churches, owing to the church dogmas and traditions related with their apostolic nature, it never happened even in Kerala. And one more hurdle that I found out is the superiority complex of the churches by holding their Traditional and Apostolic antiquity.

The chosen Matthean pericope points towards Jesus teaching regarding humility, which leads to true greatness.
When Jesus was in Capernaum the disciples came to Him and asked this question “Who is the greatest among us?” The context reveals that, this question was asked by all the Disciples of Jesus. The query was very simple and highly relevant for them at that time, because they raised this question after Jesus’ transfiguration and His promise to give the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter. Since the transfiguration was a very important event in His life, Jesus took an inner circle of Peter, James and John to accompany Him.
The other disciples might have misunderstood this act as Jesus granting special authoritative positions to these disciples, and this might have led to an internal clash among the disciples. Mark and Luke also refer to this.

As a convincing answer to the disciples, Jesus presented a child in front of them and asked them to be like a child. The word used for child in this pericope is Padion, which indicates a child up to the age of 7 and not Teknon, which is usually used to refer children up to 14. Thus it is obvious that the child that Jesus referred is an infant. One of the prominent psychological natures of an infant is that he /she will be free from the human temptations of sin. Also they will always have an inseparable relationship with the parents and trust them totally. More over children are always humble and open enough towards new situations.

The conversation here is about the Spiritual childhood. Spiritual childhood means an openness to learn and willingness to grow together. Jesus proposes this as the fundamental elements for greatness. Let us see some of the qualities of children that are essential for greatness.
Children always need constant correction from the elders and they will obey what ever the parents instruct. There is a common tendency among the children to accept any gift that is given. This shows the openness of children and willingness to cross the barriers in order to be part of the community. This can be proved right if we closely observe children in our community, especially when they come together. They are the best examples in crossing the barriers. For them there is no regionalism, they don’t have a biased conscious of their social status. They don’t see whether their friend is the son/daughter of a faculty member or of a student.

When Jesus set the example of the child to the disciples and the gathering, he was moulding the mindset of His hearers in par with Kingdom expectations. Church being the visible channel of the reign of God, it is the divine expectation that its ecclesiastical organization should be based on this very teaching of Jesus Christ. Scholars like Kilpatrick and Martinez agree that this Matthean passage address to the ecclesial leaders.

Here let us remember verse 3 which proclaims - “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” The process of identifying, and adopting the nature of a child should be revised in the life and work of the church, and here the context clearly shows that Christian community can be built only if there is an ongoing conversation and willingness to change from the part of all.

Here comes the questions – “How much humble are we?” Especially in our relationship with sister churches, how far are we open and receptive? Has the humility of child shown by Jesus Christ formed the basis for our ecumenical relationships?

This selected text provides answers to some of our questions. It is my belief that an interpretation of the two inherent qualities of a child will definitely empower us to build up an inclusive Christian community which provides adequate space for ecumenical relationships. Let me explain the two qualities which I have adapted from this pericope.

1) Humbleness for a qualitative church:
In the original text the word which is used for humbleness is Tapeinon which literally means to humble, to make low, and to bow down. This would also mean to respect others without having an egoistic element. It is one of the peculiarities of a child to be humble and free from any sort of egoistic temper. Here we should be very careful that the above mentioned terms should not be misinterpreted as a means of suppressing the historically marginalized sections of the society. ‘To humble’, ‘to make low’ and ‘to bow down’ should be primarily applied to ones own egoistic temper and his/ her notion of superiority, even with in the ecclesiastical traditions. That is to humble and make low one’s attitudinal authoritarianism. Ecumenism is possible only through accepting each other without having any element of egocentric nature. One should be aware about his or her status in order to accept others. In the ecumenical circles, many a times the churches are not ready to go beyond their own dogmas or appreciate doctrines of others. Every denomination has its own individual nature. Ignorance and negligence towards other denominations is strongly opposite to the nature of Humbleness. Jesus’ life was a good example for being humble. In the Christian circle, the present tendency is to project the mission and ministry of one church in order to get the attention of others. Such a purposeful act could not be considered as humbleness. Kingdom values will only be possible through the unity of the churches and making it as Universal which Matthew asserts through out his gospel.

2) Radical openness for an Inclusive church:
Another prominent character that a child holds is radical openness. It is by the gradual acquiring of knowledge that a child develops intellectually and emotionally. Child is naturally open for this process through which he/ she attains intellectual maturity and emotional stability. It could also be observed that a child always like changes. M.F Lacan observes that, Jesus while stating the example of the child, was calling for openness.
We have to be open enough to accept the stand points of others. A recepective mind will help us to rethink upon and to make timely changes in the traditional patterns. Openness towards others will definitely help us to know more about them and will provide space to accommodate them as part of ecumenical relationships. But today, most of us claim that we are from this Tradition, or from Apostolic Church and thus we boast ourselves to others. By doing so, we become hurdles for ourselves to be instruments in ecumenical relationships. Radical openness would surly empower the churches not only to accommodate others, but also to revitalize themselves in the ecumenical relationships.

Quite often, ecumenism remains in the theoretical level. But most of us are confused when it comes to practice. Even though Ecumenical relation has been made possible in the leadership level, in the local congregational level, the sheep are still in different folds. Even though the Catholic church attempts to recognize some of the churches outside Catholicism, their hidden aim is to acquire them and make them as part of their rite, by making Pope as the head even to that church.
It is quite disappointing to hear from Pope Benedict XVI that the Roman Catholic Church is the primal and the only church, which has the real inheritance of Christ’s church on earth. For him, Orthodox churches have only a half way access to salvation, where as the Protestants are merely an ecclesial community and they does not have the means of salvation. By this comments, Pope has shattered the hopes of an ecumenical community. A breach has been formed on the way to ecumenism.
In the contemporary ecclesial situation, where ecumenism is badly threatened, Jesus’ teachings calls forth for humbleness and radical openness in order to reframe effective ecumenical relations and interactions.
May the Holy Spirit lead us and guide us to become instruments in this endeavor in realizing the kingdom values. AMEN.