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John 1:1, Greek Articles, and the Trinity
This blog will be slightly technical, but I think you’ll find it interesting if you stay with me. I was recently teaching Greek to a few pastors and seminarians. One of the questions I am often asked is, ‘Why should we learn the original languages in an age of AI? Why can’t we simply trust…
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Marketing versus Witnessing
In 2014 Lamborghini opened a new showroom in Bangalore. It was the third showroom in India. Back then, not many people owned Lamborghinis in the country. The number was probably small enough to count. My friend Mathews, my BSc classmate from St Joseph’s College, and I decided to pay a visit to the showroom. It…
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The Marcan Fig Sandwich
Back in 2007, when I was studying at SJPUC, life was little different. At SJPUC we were treated much like college students. There was no uniform, and we were free to come and go from the campus as we pleased. The junior college was situated near the Cotton schools, both boys and girls. In those…
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From Lotus to Scripture: Why Context Matters
In May 2019 I posted a short status on social media: “Lotus has bloomed everywhere in Bangalore.” At that time I was not in Bangalore, but living in Dresden, Germany. A German acquaintance commented on the post, “Wow, so pretty,” with a few smiling emojis. On a purely literal level, her response was correct. The…
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God Pitched His Tent Among Us
The other day, I was having a lime tea at one of the cafeterias on the Central Campus of Christ University. Nearby, a few undergraduate students, probably in their late teens, were discussing whether it was ethically right to use AI to help with assignments. I found myself drawn into their conversation. I spoke in…
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When They Saw the Star, They Were Overjoyed
I have always loved trekking in Europe, mainly because it feels safer and far less infested with poisonous reptiles than the mountains in India. One range I kept returning to was the Tatra Mountains. The routine was simple: arrive in Zakopane, stay the night, begin early the next morning, hike up to the alpine lakes,…
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A Josephite’s Advent Reflection
Here in Bangalore, those of us who studied at St Joseph’s institutions still proudly call ourselves Josephites. St Joseph’s first opened in 1854 when it was founded by the Missions Étrangères de Paris, and later, in 1937, the administration was handed over to the Jesuits. For over a century, it was an all-boys institution devoted…
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Good for Nothing, Nazareth?
Last month I attended a course in archaeology as part of my studies. The course focused on the Levant, the fertile region often described as the promised land. As part of our assessment, the professor, who had completed his doctorate in Israel, asked each of us to write a paper and give a presentation on…
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Elizabeth and Mary: Advent’s Miraculous Mothers
As Advent dawns, Luke chapter 1 invites us into the home of an elderly couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah was a priest from the division of Abijah, faithfully carrying out his duties before the Lord. This couple had no children, and Elizabeth was advanced in years, which meant she was well beyond the natural age…