We celebrated Onam in
our Church, with the traditional onasadya (the traditional Onam
feast) and games. Many of us also wore onakkodi (the
traditional Onam dress) to mark the occasion. There were some 'murmurs' about
the appropriateness of celebrating Onam in a Church. But, a vast majority of
the church members were strongly in favor of conducting Onam celebrations in
the church. For a Malayalam language church outside Kerala, the church is also
the strongest link to our homeland, to our mother-tongue and to our
culture!
The discussion about the appropriateness of celebrating Onam in the church prompted me to think more deeply about the aspects involved. Onam is the most popular festival in Kerala. While it is essentially a harvest festival, the underlying mythology of Onam is a distinctly Hindu one, about the benevolent daitya King of Kerala named Mahabali and Vamana (who is considered to be the fifth avatar of Vishnu). However, the complex* (even secular) nature of the narrative is exemplified by the fact that it is Mahabali and not Vamana who is welcomed back to Kerala on the Onam day. Onam is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm by Keralites of all communities as a cultural festival. Celebrating Onam in the Church is also an accurate reflection of the cultural identity of the St. Thomas Christians (also known as Syrian Christians) in Kerala, the community that I belong to.
The population in Kerala is about 55% Hindu, 25% Muslim and 20% Christian. When I grew up in Kerala, my friends were from all the three communities and I used to visit their homes. I used to feel more 'at home' when I was in the homes of my Hindu friends as compared to that of my Muslim friends. I was not sure why. It was surprising as Christianity and Islam are monotheistic religions (as opposed to Hinduism which is polytheistic) and they even worship the same God (the God of Abraham/Ibrahim - remember, Christianity and Islam are called 'Abrahamic religions', along with Judaism). Then it came to me in a flash - I am culturally Hindu, while being Christian by faith. This is very much aligned to the way of life of St. Thomas Christians (Syrian Christians) in Kerala.
Christianity hasn't been perceived to be a 'foreign religion' in Kerala. Kerala has had the advantage of receiving Christianity very early(from AD 52, with the arrival of the apostle St. Thomas). Another great blessing was that Kerala received Christianity from its original source (the Middle East) without getting westernized. The westernization of Christianity (most visible in the westernized images of Jesus and some of the rituals that are more reflective of the western culture than of anything fundamental to Christianity) is so impactful that many people don't realize that the historical Jesus was an Asian and that Christianity originated in Asia. Anyway, Saint Thomas Christians have lived in harmony and in close interaction with their Hindu brothers in Kerala for the last 2000 years.
This has led to the current situation where most of the Christians in Kerala practice a way of Christianity that is very much aligned to the local ('Hindu') culture. For example, 'thalimala' (the wedding necklace) used in the weddings is very similar to the mangalsutra used by Hindus (with a cross inscribed, of course). Also, many of the churches have lamps that are very similar those used in Hindu temples (with a cross added) and the bishops of some of the churches have saffron robes (similar to that used by Hindu spiritual leaders). Again, many of the traditional St. Thomas Christian names are 'indigenized' versions of Aramaic/Syriac names. For example, my surname 'Kurian' is derived from the Aramaic name 'Quriaquos' which means 'Of the Lord'. To be more precise, 'Quriaquos' became 'Kuriakose' (another popular surname among St. Thomas Christians in Kerala) and then its shortened version of 'Kurian'.
Syrian Christians show a high degree of respect for other faiths. Many of the bedtime stories told to the children in Christian households are from the Hindu puranas (Hindu mythology), and, to me, this facilitates cultural integration more than anything else. (Please see here for an amazing example of respect for other traditions- Catholic priests arranging a Brahmin priest for a funeral and participating in the ceremony!)
Kerala is the
state with the highest number of Christians in India (a remarkable feat
considering that Kerala is a small state in terms of overall population).
It is also a state where Christians have had a huge influence in most spheres
of life. Apart from the 'traditional' fields for Christian influence like
Education (word for school in Malayalam is 'pallikootam'. 'Palli' means
a church building and hence pallikootam literally means an
annex of the church) and Healthcare, it is evident in the political
sphere also. For example, the previous Chief Minister (Oomman Chandy) is a
Christian even though Christians constitute less than 20% of the
population in Kerala. Hence, the 'Kerala model of Christianity' has been very
successful - at least more successful than most of the other models of
Christianity in India.
Of course, the Christians need to be careful not to bring in aspects like the caste system in Hinduism into the Christian community. This is a real problem as many of the Syrian Christian families in Kerala have the habit of maintaining a kudumba charithram (family history) that traces their origins to a Namboothiri ('high caste' Brahmin) household that 'adopted' Christianity based on the interaction with Saint Thomas himself. They consider themselves superior to the Christians (mostly from 'lower' castes) who were 'converted' to Christianity by the British missionaries in the 19th and 20th centuries. Therefore, the word 'Syrian' has acquired a caste dimension through it was originally meant to signify the allegiance to the Church in Syria, which was mentoring the Christian Church in Kerala. Of course, there is no way of validating the accuracy of the kudumba charithram (family history) mentioned above. However, this 'smuggles in' caste system into a religion that doesn't support any sort of caste system!
So what does all this mean? To me, 'being culturally Hindu while being Christian by faith' seems to be sustainable model. Seen in this light, celebrating Onam in the church is very much appropriate (and it is definitely not a case of 'appropriating a Hindu festival'). Also, it is not just a matter of 'eat, drink and be merry'! Celebrating festivals together is a great way to bring the community together and to enhance religious harmony. Flowers, colors, dance forms and feasts are all part of the Christian way of life. Festivals are an important part of culture, and, being part of a country culturally goes much beyond just celebrating Independence Day, Republic Day etc. If one is worried about the possible impact on 'religious purity', it must be kept in mind that many of the 'mainstream'(western?!) Christian festivals/customs probably have 'pagan inspirations' if not 'pagan roots'!
When we have a 'double-heritage' (for example, being a Keralite and being a Christian, in this particular context), it is psychologically (and spiritually!) healthier to integrate the two to the maximum extent possible as opposed to keeping them in separate compartments. Trying to be a 'pure Christian in the church' and 'pure Keralite outside the church' is more akin to demonstrating some sort of a 'split-personality disorder' as compared to demonstrating religious or cultural purity. 'Purity' is a dangerous concept in such contexts, and it is also counterproductive as faith and life go together.
To me, the essence of 'Christian faith' is faith in Jesus Christ. Here, it is most appropriate to use the word 'faith' in its original meaning of 'trust' (from Latin 'fides', meaning trust or confidence in a person) and that implies an ongoing relationship with and living in the presence of Jesus. As long as we don't view Christianity essentially as 'a particular set of rituals and customs' or as 'a closed community', there is no contradiction at all in this position/model of 'being culturally Hindu while being Christian by faith'. Hence, celebrating Onam in the
Church is very much appropriate, when we know what exactly are we are
doing and why!
*Note: The beauty of Hindu mythology is that it supports multiple interpretations and even multiple truths (as opposed to clear black and while definitions of right and wrong). Even in the case of the Onam myth there is no clear oppressor or victim. See here for more details.
11 comments:
"Celebrating Onam in the Church " fabulously Indian! Delighted to read this Prasad.
I love Christ. The Church is another entity. My respect for him drew me into accepting invitations to conduct labs on various themes for some of the seniormost members of the Catholic Church (mostly Superiors of various congregations,nuns and priests alike). The results were excellent. Then...we were invited to conduct labs for a large group of parish priests, a completely different story. The lab work went off very well and also brought to our awareness the not so covert contempt for Sanatan Dharma as well as the passion to convert! We ended our association thereafter, round about 87/88.
Then in the nineties i read an article "Who are we in Bharatvarsha", not by any hindutva votary but to my great admiration filled delight, by no less a brilliant thinker than Fr Paulose mar Gregorios. I sought him out for an appointment only to learn that he had passed away just a week prior. That article gave some seed insights that have stood me in great stead. An eye opener about the Syrian church's openness in accepting cultural roots and valuing them. The dialogue must continue!
Thank you very much Sushanta! Honored to see your comment. Yes, there are many priests/bishops in churches in Kerala who have a deep understanding of the Indian frame. Many of the Syrian churches do specify that the worship should be done in a way that aligns with the local culture.
The complications happen mostly at the level of 'Church as an organization with a certain set of beliefs and rituals'. To me, the Indian philosophy is fundamentally about 'what could be' and 'not what should be' and hence inherently 'plural' in nature. So any organization that insists on a 'single truth' might be at odds with this.
Of course, this disappears if we look at religion as a set of values (and not as a set of beliefs and rituals). For example if Christianity is essentially about 'love' and Advaita is about 'oneness' there is no conflict. To me, the main objective of being a Christian is 'to become more like Christ'. Now, the greatest miracle of Christ was himself - being fully human and fully divine at the same time. So, to me, being more Christ-like means nurturing both the humanity and divinity in me at the same time. Not too different an objective from that of process work!!!
Sir, I have a lot of questions to ask as my partner is Christian. And I'm Jain and we go through lot of problems as it is difficult to understand why he is always abstaining from celebrating festivals with me ? Please sir, maybe you can help us to know what is the problem and try to save this failing relationship?
Thank you very much for your comment. I guess, here the key issue seems to be 'what does celebrating a festival associated with another religion mean to him?'. If he thinks that it is a violation (or at least a dilution) of his religious belief, then he will be reluctant to participate in the celebration. However, if he can look at this just a participating in a social activity, then such a problem won't arise. Another aspect here is whether it is possible to participate in the celebration without necessarily having to express his belief in the associated religion. In the case of Onam, one can very well look at it as a harvest festival or as a Kerala cultural festival and hence it is easier - especially for a Syrian Christian. You might want to explore these aspects, in a supportive manner (trying to understand with an open mind/without trying to debate/dispute) and see if a common ground can be found!
With all due respect, I disagree my dear brother in Christ. I used to be an avid fan of Onam, loved dressing up my daughter and partake in Sadhya and just generally celebrate the oneness of the communities. Until I started having doubts about whether I should abstain or not. A simple Google search on Onam would say it is a Hindu festival. But for me that wasn’t convincing enough. Like you rightly mentioned - as Indians most of the cultural ethnic festivals are unfortunately rooted in Hindu mythology which for us Christians is paganism. But I did what Christ would have wanted me to do. Submitted my thoughts and confusion to Him and fervently seeked His help on this matter (Onam celebrations were a few days away and I had to decide what to wear !!) but what the Holy Spirit told me opened my eyes. “Would you be ready to set yourself apart from the ways and celebrations of this world for my name’s sake? Or do you feel it is more comfortable to fit in and blend?” I got my answer then. We are the chosen children of God , separated from the ways of this world because we do not belong here. I decided not to partake in the celebrations much to the surprise and criticism of my colleagues with few coming forward to appreciate and even asked about my conviction. I understand my conviction will not be the same as yours and like I always tell others - don’t take my word for it . But Im certain that the helper God has sent will guide you in your questions and doubts. I pray the Father Son and Holy Spirit will guide your thoughts. God bless. With prayers, your sister in Christ.
Thank you very much Susan for sharing your perspective and for your prayers. A few clarifications. My primary point was that Syrian Christians in Kerala are 'culturally Hindu while being Christian by faith' and hence celebrating Onam is an affirmation of that double heritage - it is an expression of 'who we are'. I was not arguing that celebrating Onam was an adjustment that we need to fit in or to blend in. Regarding your point related to paganism, as I was mentioning in the post, many of the traditional ('western'?) Christian festivals and customs have 'pagan inspirations' if not 'pagan roots'. Regarding your point on 'being separated from the ways of this world', I would just say two things: First, to be logically consistent, this argument should apply to all celebrations including 'Christian' ones. Second, while being not 'of the world', we are very much 'in the world'. Also, I have argued in other posts that the greatest miracle of Christ was that of 'being fully God and fully human at the same time', that the main goal of Christianity is to be more like Christ and that it would imply nourishing both our humanity and divinity at the same time. Of course, what this means for the behavior for an individual is highly personal.
Hi dear brother in Christ,
1. "My primary point was that Syrian Christians in Kerala are 'culturally Hindu while being Christian by faith' and hence celebrating Onam is an affirmation of that double heritage - it is an expression of 'who we are'. I was not arguing that celebrating Onam was an adjustment that we need to fit in or to blend in."
[Susan] : As a member of the Pakalomattom family, deeply rooted in heritage and family - I agree to your point that by blood we might be descendants of Hindus. But our ancestors chose to disregard their faith and community and chose exclusion and expulsion from their fellow brethren for believing in Christ. Our "double heritage" should give us all the more reason to be exclusive to Christ, not inclusive of customs, festivals and celebrations that are not intended to glorify Christ.
2. "Regarding your point related to paganism, as I was mentioning in the post, many of the traditional ('western'?) Christian festivals and customs have 'pagan inspirations' if not 'pagan roots'."
[Susan] : I agree. Even Christmas has pagan roots and as Christians neither do we believe Jesus was born on December 25th nor do we endorse decorating trees or any other customs that were developed over time. Ultimately, the point of any celebration is "Am I doing this to honor my God , my Saviour, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit?". And many Christians do involve in prayer and meditation on Christmas day which is great. On the other hand, majority of us just think of it as an occasion to get together, drink, eat and forget the whole purpose.
3. "Regarding your point on 'being separated from the ways of this world', I would just say two things: First, to be logically consistent, this argument should apply to all celebrations including 'Christian' ones. "
[Susan] : I completely agree and we should take the tough step, swallow the hard pill and do that. There is no greater way to evangelize than speak in love the truth to people who criticise you for staying out of certain celebrations. That's when you get to talk about the truth and message of the gospel.
Although, it is hard to want to be subject of criticism and rejection, we need to remember and be motivated that our rewards are in Heaven and not on earth.
3. Second, while being not 'of the world', we are very much 'in the world'.
[Susan]
John 15:19
"If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."
1 Peter 2:9
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
2 Timothy 1:8
"Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God"
Acts 5:41
"The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name."
1 Peter 4:14
"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you."
We are born into this world, not to be a part of it or the ways of the world but to proclaim the message of Salvation. Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry and Outreach - These summarize the reasons we are born into this world. We are called to be separate from the ways of the world and Christ has himself told us "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." (John 15:18)
4. "Also, I have argued in other posts that the greatest miracle of Christ was that of 'being fully God and fully human at the same time', that the main goal of Christianity is to be more like Christ and that it would imply nourishing both our humanity and divinity at the same time. Of course, what this means for the behavior for an individual is highly personal."
[Susan] Jesus came down into this world and the great commission that has been passed down to us through His disciples and through the Holy Spirit.
" Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20
This is our goal as Christians.
I leave you with a simple question - since we are called to be like Christ - What would Jesus do?
Would Christ have celebrated Onam or any of its aspects such as wearing traditional clothes, eating Sadhya, Pookalam, participating in games etc. fully aware that the festival is deeply rooted in Paganism and what the Bible would classify as demonic OR would He (While the world celebrates Onam) talk about the love of God and the coming of eternal kingdom to those few who follow him and earnestly want to hear from him?
God Bless You.
Thank you very much Susan for the detailed comments. Let me just say that any concepts we have about God (Christ) can limit our experience of God. It has been argued that Christians underestimate (or downplay) the joy of Christ. Also, 'being a Christian' is not a necessary condition for 'being in Christ' (I guess even the Second Vatican Council said something like 'while salvation comes from Christ it is not limited only to Christians'). Anyway, I am of the opinion that 'God can only be experienced and not understood'!. Let's relate to Him based on our individual experiences while being respectful to other people's experiences. Thank you very much for your prayers.
Thank you for posting my comments although you don’t necessarily agree to it. I hope and pray that we all grow together in Christ experiencing His love and grace everyday.
In Jesus mighty name. Amen !
Thank you very much, Susan!
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