All Quite on the Western Front

 

"All Quiet on the Western Front”

This is a book describing a German soldier’s experiences in the World War I, which I had always wanted to read, but managed to read only now. It is written by Eric Maria Remarque, originally published in 1928, and I got to read the translation published in India in 2021. It is a tragic story. The book was banned in Germany itself during Nazi era, that the book could demoralize young recruits! When I saw that this book has been made into movie and recently vied for 2023 Oscar nomination and lost to “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” but still walked away with four awards, including one for the Best International Feature film, my resolve to write a blog on it became firm. And here is the story.

A bunch of boys, mere teenager school students, 18 and 19 year olds, stirred by the patriotic speech given by their Schoolmaster, to be frank the whole class, volunteers to join the army to defend their Fatherland in World War I. They were taken to the Western front after training and some 22 of them were in the same unit and underwent untold miseries of war, especially trench warfare of yesteryears. With constant shelling from enemies, lack of provisions and even water, living in dirt and mud, they fight to defend their Fatherland, due to someone else’s ambition and desire for control other countries. Paul, one of these boys is the narrator and through his eyes the author paints us a graphic picture of the war front experiences.

I am not going into the graphic details of the war and the sufferings, but touch upon only the effects on these boys. Many get killed and maimed by bullet wounds, and the young boys soon grow old in their own eyes, no longer young. Paul says contemplatively, “We are not youth any longer.” They are emotionally drained, shaken and scared psychologically for life. Paul goes home for a brief vocation, but could not find anything common with his own village and home. He feels like a foreigner, a stranger, and hardly feels at home, except for his attachment to his mother, who lay dying. He returns to the battle field. In the trench shoots an enemy soldier and watches him die in agony. He feels bad and apologizes to the dying man, and vows to return his wallet to his family. But soon gets over it.

He and some of his friends were posted to guard a supply depot in a village and for some time they eat well out of the provisions and enjoy themselves. But it ends soon, and he and another friend get bullet wounds and get admitted in Catholic hospital. There, while Paul was recovering, his friend’s leg had to be amputated. His friend’s eyes kept following Paul’s good legs as he walked around and Paul noticing this learnt to walk outside his friend’s cot. 

One by one most of Paul’s friends kept falling to the bullets. The war was ending and the German troops were retreating. Finally a good friend and a mentor, a bit older than the boys, by name Kit, gets hurt by a shrapnel and Paul carries him from the trench and dashes to the nearby camp, but on arrival he finds that Kat had died by a stray splinter in his head at the back. Kat was talking to Paul just a few minutes back. Paul couldn’t comprehend it. He loses all interest in life after this. For him to live or die would be of no consequence. Their lives got twisted by the war and got wasted. He can no longer get back to civilian life and be happy in it. War had changed him totally. A generation had lived, matured and died in the trenches of the war.

In October 1918, almost at the end of the war, Paul also gets killed hit by a bullet, as he leaned out of his trench to touch a butterfly that alighted on his trench. His dead face was calm and serene. On the day he died, the announcement of the army report from the front said, “All quiet on the Western front.” May be after all Paul found happiness and peace in his death. It looks as if death was his savior for he would have lived in night mare after having lost almost all his friends and having to adjust to the civilian life for which he was fit no more. Seeing people die on the battle field of bullet wounds and fire does something horrible to the psyche of a soldier. Army officers and politicians, who gamble the lives of such innocent boys and men, do not understand these travails. As the war raged later on boys were brought in to the front without much training even, just to die as canon-fodder.

Reading this book was an eye-opener to what the young soldiers go through in the front and in the trenches and the horrors of starvation, death and sufferings, all for man-made ambitions and search after power. Promising lives were lost in this mayhem. We see Putin’s ambition to re-establish the Soviet Union and its glory once again has led to the war in Ukraine; how many lives have been lost, young and old, on both sides, including civilians on Ukraine’s side. How many sons and husbands lost to their families and civilians uprooted from their own homes, and living as refugees in other countries? What madness is this? And when will all these end?

I recall a verse from the Bible, “And they (nations) shall beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks: nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4). There will be peace and prosperity with no madness about war and death and decimation. When will this prophecy come true? I think only when Jesus Christ returns and establish his rule on earth; only when he comes as a King and destroys all these earthly rulers and their madness. Along with every other believer in Christ, lets also respond to Christ’s announcement that, “”Yes, I am coming soon,” with “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20).     

Pondicherry - a Travelogue

 

Two years of Covid-19 scare, during which time I was busy betting Total Knee Replacement surgeries done to both my knees, my travel itch was surfacing now and then. February 2019 was my major outing, trip to USA to see my grandson; 2020 was quiet without any trip. Not that I did not stir out, for in December 2021 with another lady friend, I took Rani Chennamma train to Londa, onward to Old Magazine House and the Jungle Lodges at Ganesh Gudi, on the recommendation of an IFS (Indian Forest Service) officer, spent two days and a night checking on all the winged creatures there, for this Jungle Lodge is famous for bird watching; saw also Malabar giant squirrel and many exotic birds. After a coracle ride in the waters, went on and halted at a beautiful place called Castlerock, thanks to the advice of another Forest Office, a member of my church, and took some adventurous local train journeys to go and watch the fabulous Doodh Sagar falls; walked on the railway tract and entered a dark tunnel under disuse to reach the place. Though it was not the season, the falls was fabulous. That was a memorable trip. That December I went to Chennai to be with my brother’s family and had a beautiful Christmas with them.

2022 started on a low key, but the travel itch was very much there and in September with my brother, I went to Ranchi on a private visit. Then came 2023! Now no holds barred! Trips one must take! But, where to go and with whom? Difficult questions! Sure enough I remembered some all women group tours organized by agencies like Wanderlust of Women (WOW) club and Wander Womanya. There was a trip to Pondicherry in Jan. 21-24 in the latter; I just jumped in. Though I have been to most of the places in India, I hadn’t been to Pondi, which is surprising because I am from Chennai and Pondi is so close to Chennai.

Well, on 21.1.2021, met with some fourteen women, some young girls, some slightly older ladies at Chennai airport and along with the ‘tour buddy,’ Asmita, herself a young girl, we all left in a traveler towards Pondicherry. It was silent for everyone was tired; for example I left my home at 3.30 am that day to catch the flight and reach Chennai airport. Girls from Bombay and Ahmadabad and Delhi had all started quite early to reach Chennai by flight. We stopped on the way at a hotel called Manna near Thozhupadu and had our vegetarian thali food. It was good. We all started to talk to each other and get to know each other better. We reached Hotel Sarguru by 3 pm; having gone alone I was put up with the tour buddy and may be that was the best thing to have happened. The girl Asmita was very sweet and accommodative. After a wash and refreshing ourselves we set out to visit Promenade Beach. At Promenade beach we simply walked up and down; took lot of pictures; it was like Marine Drive in Mumbai, but not that crowded. There was a Gandhi statue and school children were rehearsing Republic Day parade. A bit ahead there was a Nehru statue as well. We had ice cream at Gelateria, had something to eat and returned to the hotel for a well earned sleep.

Next day we left for the French Colony in Pondi. We roamed about the streets in that colony, took some pictures, but had no clue about the architectural specialties of French construction! They were all painted bright yellow, and had lot of greenery around them; many have been converted into small and big restaurants to cater to the needs of the tourists. A memorable visit was to the Sacred Heart Basilica, with beautiful stain glasses all around and at the altar. There was another smaller catholic church, Our Lady of Angels. We went in and around it too; St. Francis Assisi seemed to be the patron saint over there.

After lunch at Hope Café, we went on to Paradise or Sand Dune beach, where we had the opportunity to play in the waves and the waters. We giggled and laughed and played among the waves like young girls; age was forgotten, especially for me! I behaved like someone who is 37! Age reversals are a beautiful thing! Some of us visited Nehru street and Mission street where ladies’ garments, palazzos and tops were dime a dozen and quite cheap too. Tired legs alone dragged us back to the van and to the room.  

The last day in Pondi, we were up and marched off to Auroville, the City of dawn and the universal town established by Mother 1968, proclaiming Human Unity. Some people from 80 countries live there now. First we visited the Swaram Museum, where in the open air, big pipes and harps stood and a Taiwanese resident of the Ashram, an old and jolly good fellow demonstrated each musical instrument and allowed us to play them too. Most visited Matri Mandir, the temple of the Mother, when I was busy visiting the boutiques, where things were costly, but I was able to pick some tit-bits here and there. After lunch we headed to the third beach, the Serenity beach. There are huge rocks making enclosures of the beach so that the in-between beach is calm and serene. We climbed up the rocks, sat on the top enjoying beautiful and peaceful views all around. More adventurous one went till the very edge of these rock fortresses. I must admit, two girls held my hands on either side and helped me climb down in a almost perpendicular climb down. No need for any shame at my age! On return to the Hotel, almost all the girls refreshed, dressed up and went to a pub, LB2 Restaurant. Of course I didn’t go and ordered food to my room. Others went and enjoyed themselves.

Before we bid good bye to Pondi, some girls visited Sri Aurobindo Ashram established by Aurobindo Ghose in 1926, an Indian philosopher who died in 1950 in Pondicherry. We then travelled to Mamallapuram to visit the shore temple, etc. That I think was a mistake. We landed there almost at mid day when the sun was hottest and we went to the shore temple first instead to the Five Rathas. After the shore temple, people had to be literally dragged to see the Arnun’s penance and the Rathas. No one was in a mood, with the stones and rocks, however beautifully sculptured, reflecting hot sun’s rays. Well, may be pleasure and history on stones should not be combined! We had our lunch at a Chettinad hotel and returned to Chennai airport. I got dropped off on the way nearer to my brother’s place, and had wonderful two day with my brother’s family and returned to Bangalore on 28^th evening.

Wow Womanya! That was a great trip. I had my apprehensions how the young and mod girls will vibe with an oldie like me, but the girls proved to be excellently well disposed to each other and to me. Some even befriended me to know the secret of getting out on trips like this at my age! Mamata from Mumbai “interviewed” me at quite some length at the breakfast table! Kusum from Ahamedabad, one who was the heart of the group with her tic-toc dances, who recorded the group in a dance sequence individually and in a group, very confidentially asked some gyan from me as I have lived so long! My trepidations fully dissolved!

The bed and breakfast were good at the hotel. There was an array of almost all south Indian breakfast items in the buffet and the north Indians enjoyed themselves. I enjoyed it too. Broke my resolve not to eat sweets, and went ahead with ice creams! It was a nice break, nice group and a nice travel buddy and room-mate. The weather was kind, (except on the last day at Mamallapuram!) and we enjoyed our roaming in the city. Well, some shop-keepers did not even know that Pondicherry had been renamed as Puducherry, until we told them. I personally prefer Pondicherry or even Pondi for short.

Hoping for a nice break like this in some time to come, may be after some six months, if God willing. Let me thank my Lord for giving me this lovely break with the

                                                     Swaram museum

Matir Manthir

Hope Cafe at French Colony

Beach near the Stone Temple, Mamallapuram

Asmita at Serenity beach on the rocks

Me in front of a French building

Nehru street with lights

Basilica

lovely ladies. Praise God!

A Christmas Story

 

Though Christmas is over and one is surfeit with cakes and biriyani and of course wine, the season with its carol songs and Merry Christmas greetings still lingers in the air and rings in the ear. So I think it is quite alright to write a Christmas story for my blog. I haven’t written for a long time and I think it is good to write one before the aroma of biriyani wafts into the air and disappears!

Can you imagine a Christmas story that starts with ghosts? Yes, this one does. I am referring to the novel, “A Christmas Carol” written by Charles Dickens in the year 1843. Quite inappropriate that I read this story meant for children only now, after retirement! They say in old age one behaves like a young child. May be I am in that stage!

This is the story of a businessman by name Scrooge, who with his partner Marley, had been running his business of a counting-house, in today’s parlance, a sort of bank in England. After the death of his partner some seven years back, Scrooge is running the business on his own, without changing the name of the firm, “Scrooge and Marley.” Scrooge is a miser, tight-fisted and a covetous old man. He is also self-contained and solitary. He didn’t like anyone greeting him or sticking a conversation with him in his office or on the road. Nobody dared to do so too. In his office, even in winter, he wouldn’t spend money for warming himself and his clerk, who had to warm himself at the candle.

One Christmas season his nephew came wishing him Merry Christmas. Scrooge’s response was “Bah! Humbug!” His principle was a person as poor as his nephew had no business wishing anyone Merry Christmas. What is merry about Christmas for a poor man like him in any case? Then his nephew asks him, why is he not happy and celebrate Christmas cheerfully when he is rich! His uncle would have none of that. The nephew goes off saying Christmas is a kind, forgiving, charitable and pleasant time and his uncles is missing the whole Christmas spirit. But Scrooge refuses his nephew’s dinner invitation and dismisses him off grumpily.

Another two men come seeking some contribution from Scrooge for the poor and destitute during Christmas time. You think Scrooge would open up his purse or heart? No way! He tells them to advice the poor to go the workhouses and get benefits under the Poor Law. His policy again is not to make idle people happy. If the poor die, then in his opinion, it is good because it will reduce the surplus population. Well, what do you think? The two gentlemen quietly withdrew. He even refused paid-holiday to his clerk for Christmas. Next he chased off a boy singing Christmas Carol at his door. Now you know what sort of man Scrooge is. Well, someone ought to do something for him – may be smack him on his behind!  

As Scrooge returns home and warms up some food and starts to eat it, he discerns another figure in his bedroom, Marley, his dead partner’s ghost! It strikes a conversation with Scrooge. Trembling Scrooge asks why he is visiting him now. The ghost regrets that while he lived he was similar to Scrooge, unkind to the poor and the people and now he is in chains and roaming the world for the sins he had committed. He warns Scrooge not to continue these mistakes and become like him at his death. He can still correct himself. Marley’s ghost says three more ghosts will visit him, one after the other, sharp at twelve at night.

First ghost promptly appears at 12 midnight. It calls itself the “Ghost of Christmas Past.” It takes Scrooge for a ride outside to the place where Scrooge was born and brought up. Scrooge recognises the place and the school he studied. A boy was sitting alone in the school, Scrooge! Then they went in to a dilapidated, cold but big mansion. Scrooge was there as a small boy all alone shivering in the cold reading a book. Scrooge had tears in his eyes when he saw himself so lonely and neglected as a boy. Now he wishes he had not chased the boy who came singing Carol to his place. Then the ghost takes him to the shop keeper where Scrooge had worked as an apprentice. He saw how the master invited him and other boys and how they all had a wonderful and merry Christmas party in his home. Then he sees himself as a young man in love, but his ambition was to make money. The girl releases him from the commitment, because she realizes that he is after money and not love. Later she was married, though poor yet lived a happy life. On Christmas day her husband comes in bringing lot of small Christmas gifts to her and their children. This also the ghost shows him. Scrooge is heart-broken seeing all these, realizing how miserable he had been, thinks he has learnt a lesson. Has he, really?

Next night the next ghost appears, and introduces itself as the “Ghost of Christmas Present.” This ghost takes Scrooge to the streets where boys are running around delightfully and homes are celebrating Christmas with friends and families. Even in that winter cold people were happy and cheerful. They both went to the suburbs – to the house of Scrooge’s clerk. Even they had a good Christmas dinner and were rejoicing, in spite of having a boy who was crippled. They even drank to the health of Scrooge! Everywhere people were wishing each other Merry Christmas and the spirit of Christmas and cheer were overflowing. Then they visited the home of Scrooge’s nephew. They also were enjoying with one another Christmas dinner.

Next comes the third ghost, the “Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.” It is about the future. It takes Scrooge to a group of businessmen, who were talking about the dead Scrooge, who had died alone in his bed! They spoke so ill of him! It would be a cheap funeral they said! No one said one good or kind word about him. Unloved, unsung, unattended he had died. On seeing this, the horror of it strikes Scrooge, who vows that he will become a changed man, so that he wouldn’t meet such a lonely and despicable end. Good for him!

At home he sobbed violently, then he got up, ran out and wished a boy on the street Merry Christmas. In one night Marley’s ghost and the three other ghosts had really done a great job and Scrooge was a changed man. He went to the church, smiled at people, visited his nephew, raised the salary of his clerk, and generally became a kind and helpful gentleman.

So ends the story. Charles Dickens beautifully shows the transformation of a miser into a liberal and kind man, who helped everyone. This is a simple story, emphasizing the importance of Christmas spirit of sharing, and loving, and wishing peace and happiness to all. Didn’t the angels sing,  “Glory to God in the highest heaven, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Is any one of us like Scrooge? Better change for good, or else one might get a visitation from the Christmas ghosts!

Wishing you all Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. God bless you all.

Is Christianity losing out in the world today or may be not?

 

Is Christianity losing out in the World Today or may be not?

This is a serious question. Till the mid 19^th century, Christianity was ruling high as the only faith in the West. But by the end of 18^th century this scenario had changed. Many people in the West lost faith in Christianity, the church and even the Bible. This could have happened because of rationalism, fostered by the writings of people like Carlyle, Voltaire, etc. It could be because of science triumphing over religion, starting with the Theory of Natural Selection or Darwinism. Biblical criticism contributed to people losing faith in miracles and the supernatural and led to liberalism and modernist theology. Or it could be the false religious lives that Christians lived, and the obvious hypocrisy of it all as we saw in the story narrated in the previous blog, based on the book by Samuel Butler. The conduct of nefarious bishops and pastors, the co-called God’s servants made many to be skeptical of the truths preached by them and the Bible. More importantly the religious wars after the Reformation and the spirit of tolerance that followed it, among the various sects or divisions of Christianity, contributed to this loss of faith in Christianity in the West. The trend was towards secularism and liberal Christianity. The knowledge of the existence of various other religions in the world by the 20^th century and the desire to be at peace with them respecting their religious sentiments also contributed to these trends.

Does all this mean that Christianity has lost its flavor and is dying out in the world today? On the contrary, there are signs that Christianity is thriving and growing in the world, albeit slowly. It is not dying but is shifting from the North to the South of the world! According to the “Report of Status of Global Christianity, 2022,” it is seen that Christianity is growing at 1.17% in the world. Some of the other religions that are growing faster are Islam (1.95%), Sikhism (1.66%) and Hinduism (1.30), but Christianity is still doing quite well, thank you! Among Christians, the Pentecostals or Charismatic are growing at the rate of 1.88% and evangelicals at 1.8%.

In a population of 7.7 billion in the world today, 2.56 billion are Christians. It might be declining in the Western countries, but it is growing faster in the southern countries. The centre of Christianity has moved from the global North to the global South. It is growing at a rate of 1.18% in Latin America, 2.77% in Africa and 1.5% in Asia. South is bearing the full weight of Christianity!

Surprisingly atheism is losing flavor and less number of people today call themselves atheists. Moreover lot more non-Christians have the opportunity of hearing about Christ today than ever from someone whom they know. The population of people who have not heard about Jesus Christ or the un-evangelized people form only 28.4% of the world’s population. This year it is expected that 93 million copies of Bible are getting printed and distributed in the world. Six billion copies of the Bible have been sold up until now! Daniel had said in his prophecy, “Many shall be running back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”[1] Yes, the world has become small, a global village and knowledge has spread, along with the good news of the gospel has also spread.

So who says Christianity is dying? Not at all! It has just shifted from the North to the South.

It doesn’t mean that we can relax and let things be as they are. Every Christian has a duty and a service to render by spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to all we know. When many disciples stopped following Jesus and went back because his teachings were difficult, Jesus asked his twelve disciples, “Do you also wish to go away?” Then Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe that you are the Holy One of God,” (Christ or the Son of the living God in some ancient authorities).[2] Christ is the Son of God and he has the authority to forgive our sins because of his sacrificial death on the cross and those who believe in him will inherit eternal life. This is the sum and substance of the gospel, the good news and it is our duty to give this message of life to people with whom we interact, both family and friends, secular and religious.  

My God bless the readers of this blog and enable us to live up to the expectation of Christ, the Savior of humanity, sent by God to the world to save the world.

---

[1] Daniel 12:4

[2] John 6:60, 66-69

A Story and critique of Christian way of life in the end of 19th Century in the West.

 

A Story and critique of Christian way of life in the end of 19^th Century in the West

A book which I had read long time back, I happen to reread now. It is amazing to realize how many things that escaped my notice then, have come to my mind now! By the end of 19^th century Christianity in the Western world was in disrepute. The veracity of the Bible was being questioned, especially after the release of the book “On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection” by Charles Darwin in 1859. The creation of the world and all there is in it as narrated in Genesis chapter 1 was doubted and evolution of the species by the survival of the fittest, including that of human beings came as the alternative theory to creation. If the beginning itself was wrong, then how to believe the other matters written in the Bible? That became the skeptic's question. Many novels and books were written describing the morals and daily life of those professed Christianity, especially in high positions in the churches and elsewhere deepened these questions. Sigmund Freud’s theory of Psychoanalysis written in 1905 also shook the world to its foundation with regard to how we looked at the mental and psychological disorders.

The book I am talking about is “The way of all flesh,” by Samuel Butler, written in 1882. The story is about three generations of Pontifexes. John Pontifex (1727-1811) was just a carpenter, poor and ordinary, who also used to build organs and played the organ in the local church in Paleham. His only son George Pontifex when he was only 15 years old was taken by his aunt (mother’s sister) and uncle to live with them in London and assist him in his business of publication. He worked hard, earned the trust of his uncle and on their death, he inherited the publication business and became rich at a very young age. He married well and had four children, three girls and two boys. When his wife died in child birth, he did not marry again. John was his eldest son, then was born Theobald in 1802, two elder girls Eliza and Maria and the last girl was Alethea.  

George Pontifex was rich but loved money. His way of controlling the children, especially the boys was to throw at their face how hard he had to work to make his riches and how he is not going to throw away it on them unless they proved worthy of it. He thrashed both his boys at least twice a week if not more. I suppose that is what all the fathers did during that time! You are never to spare the rod and spoil the child. What is written in the Bible was never questioned. The first sign of self-will in a child was to be broken in the childhood itself so that he or she grows to be an obedient child. They are to be obedient till their 21^st year and thereafter they are free to do what they pleased as long as they did not want the money of their father, if he happened to be rich. That was the philosophy of life then. George gave his boys expensive education and expected them to make their own living and not be a drag on him and his money. The Damocles’ sword over their heads was if they didn’t do well, their father will not leave a single penny to them.  

John the eldest was smarter and managed to do well and took to George’s business. Theobald was shy and timid and was not very smart, with the result though he was educated at Cambridge, George wanted him to become a clergyman. He could only mildly protest to the father and with the threat of disinheritance, he quietly became ordained as a clergyman in 1825, though he disliked the profession. He married after a long engagement Christiana, the daughter of the Rector whom he helped in the church activities, only after he got employment as Rector in Battersby in 1831. George had objected to him marrying a penniless girl four years elder to him, but reconciled and settled him in life with 10,000 pounds. They settled down and beget children of their own. 

Theobald was not fond of children, but he had three children, Ernest the first born, Joey and then Charlotte. He started to teach Ernest to read and write at the age of two and when the child made mistakes he was whipped. When he was three years old, Ernest couldn’t pronounce ‘c’ so kept saying ‘tum,’ for ‘come,’ and scolding him that he was deliberately doing this Theobald whipped him soundly. Christina never interfered in these punishments saying her husband is an exemplary father and that he is taking this trouble over the child only for the child’s good. Then they had family prayers, regularly every day, after the daily whipping and screaming and the crying. Again the idea was self-will must be destroyed in childhood itself so that they boy grows up as an obedient and manageable son. The boy suffered like this every day till he was 12 years old when he was sent to a school.

The grandfather, George being happy to get the first grandson in Ernest left him 2500 pound, which he had taken from his father Theobald’s share, to be given to Ernest on his 21^st birthday. This angered Theobald even more. George on his death left 20,000 pounds each to his three girls and 17,250 pounds to Theobald and the rest to the eldest son John. While he was in the school his unmarried aunt Alethea took interest in him and wanted to adopt him as her own. But she died early and left some 20,000 pound for Ernest but under the management of the narrator of the story, to be given to the boy only on his 28^th birthday, as she was not sure he would have learnt to manage the money wisely before that. The narrator happens to be a friend of Theobald, having born in the same year and an admirer of Alethea, and also the god-father of Ernest.

Having been under the thumb of the father, Ernest was not developed in his personality, but was weak and was pleased with anyone who said a few good words about him and preferred the company of the servant class and the poor whom he considered equal to him. He had been told umpteen times by his parents that he was worth nothing and that it was his luck or grace of God that he got such a good father who looked after him and educated him. With such deep insecurity and low-self esteem, the boy took up vows as a clergy man when he completed his studies and went and lived in a poor locality to bring the poor and the suffering to Christ. His grandfather’s deposit of 2500 pounds had grown into 5000 by the time he became 21 years old, but he lost it all by entrusting it to a friend who duped him and disappeared with the money. He also got embroiled in a case of assault of a girl living in that place in a shackle, and was sent to jail for six months for no fault of his own.

By then he had become so angry with his father that when he came out of the prison penniless, he wanted to have no dealings with him at all. However nemesis caught up with him. Immediately after his release he met the pretty servant girl who had worked in his house when he was a boy and by the end of an hour, had proposed to her and married her soon after. They started to live in another poorer tenement and started to sell second hand books and clothes to make a living and got two children also. It took him some time to discover that his wife was an alcoholic and that she was spending up his hard earned money for liquor without his knowledge. He was shattered when he came to know of this; for once more he had been taken for a ride. Fortunately for him he came to know that she was legally married to the coachman of his father a few years before his own marriage to her and got her to admit it and got out of his marriage to her, which was in any case can not be legally recognized. He made arrangements for some money to be granted to her weekly and left the children under the care of a couple who were willing to bring them up along with their own kids for a small amount.

In all these debacles it was the narrator and the friend of his aunt who had stood by him and helped him out. On his 28^th birthday, the amount of 20,000 pounds deposited by his aunt had grown into 70,000 by wise investments and was transferred to him by the narrator, as was desired by his aunt. Bitten not twice but thrice, that too seriously, our hero Ernest decided not to marry again and not to mingle with people of any class, low or high, and took to writing and travelling, safe occupations. His daughter married her childhood friend in the family where she grew up, and Ernest settled her well and bought motorized boats to both his son and his son-in-law to set them on their livelihood. He was even blessed with a grandson. When his mother was ill and dying he went and stayed in their Battersby house for a week till she died. He also visited his father at least once a year till he died, overcoming his hatred for his father.  

So all is well that ends well? I am not so sure. I have just narrated the story so far. We are yet to get onto the criticism of the life of Christians, especially the clergy, and its effect on the children, the next generation. We will do that in the next episode. So till then, read the story, enjoy it and keep mulling over it in your mind.

Good bye and God bless you.

The Story of Civilizations

 

In his unique book “A Study of History,” Toynbee undertakes an amazing study of 21 civilizations of our world formed of societies. He traces the origin of these civilizations, studies the growth, analyses the causes of their breakdown and explains their disintegration. Such a wide coverage of world civilizations blows your mind! Let us delve into this study.

The present day Western civilization, affiliated to the dead Greco-Roman or Hellenic (Greek) society, is a living civilization, along with the Orthodox Christian society in South East Europe and Russia, which can be divided into Orthodox Byzantine consisting of Anatolia and Balkans and Orthodox Russian societies; Islamic society of North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia up to China, which includes Iranic and Arabic societies; Hindu society in the sub-continent of India and the Far Eastern society in Japan, form the five living societies. Far Eastern society can be divided into Chinese and Japanese-Korean societies. The dead civilizations include Minoan, Hellenic, Syriac, Sumeric, Hittite, Babylonian, Andean, Yacatac, and Mayan. Monophysite Christians of Armenia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Abyssinia; Nestorian Christians of Kurdistan and ex-Nestorian who are the relics of Syriac society and the Jews and Parsees are seen as the fossilized relics of now extinct civilizations. Another set of fossilized relics are Lamistic Mahayanian Buddhist of Tibet and Mongolia; Hinayanian Buddhists of Ceylon, Burma, Siam, Cambodia and Jains of India, relics from Hindu society which itself is from Indic society.  

While engaging in a comparative study of these societies, Toynbee traces four stages: 1). Time of trouble: eg. Persian wars on the Greek society during 480-479 BC and Barbarian’s attack on Roman Empire in 415 AD. 2). Formation of a Universal State: eg. Roman Empire. 3). Interregnum: the stage between the fall of a civilization and the emergence of another civilization in its place; eg. after the fall of Roman Empire and the disappearance of Hellenic civilization, Western society emerged. During this interim period, there appears (1) a Universal church, (2) dominant minority that might turn more violent to hold on to power and (3) a chaotic stage of wandering barbarians, the former two products of the internal and the latter a product of the external proletariat of a dying civilization.

Of these 21 civilizations, 15 are affiliated to previous but dead civilizations. Six emerged directly from primitive societies, these being Egyptiac, Sumeric, Monoan, Sinic, Mayan and Andean; Minoan, Sumeric and Egyptic go back to the dawn of history itself. How does a primitive society transform itself into a civilization? If we examine the last 6000 years, when human civilizations have been on earth, it is seen that neither race nor environment are the decisive factors in the genesis of a civilization. The important factor could be the encounter between two superhuman personalities (Toynbee gives the encounter of Jesus and Satan in the desert as an example for it led to the genesis of Christian society. I do not agree with this, for it is a very simplistic explanation of the rise of Christianity and the Western society shaped by it!).

Suffering seems to be another major factor in evolving a successful civilization. When faced with adversity, humans took on risks to improve their situation and this process of adjusting themselves to a harsh environment led to growth. Ice ages when some humans with pluck travelled in search of food, tropical climate and shelter; they became the pioneers. Response to challenges is definitely the most important factor in such advancement of a civilization. From food-gatherers, they became hunters and then cultivators.

In Nile River delta and Mesopotamian river deltas of Euphrates and Tigris were drained by digging canals and river swamps converted into fertile fields. Nile valley produced Egyptian civilization and Mesopotamian valley gave birth to Sumerian society of the Land of Shinar. Similar factor brought in the Sinic civilization in the delta of Yellow river. Crossing of Atlantic Ocean was the challenge that gave birth to Minoan civilization in Crete which in turn gave birth to Greek society. Colonist groups on North America faced severe challenges, but built the most powerful country. Only those who took up the challenge of harsh climatic and geographic obstacles got the toughness to emerge as living societies. So the stimulus to growth is difficulties. Greater the difficulty, greater is the stimulus and stronger the civilization that resulted.  

Some civilizations are born but do not grow to adulthood and maturity, but get stuck in their state, eg. Polynesians, Eskimos and Nomads. Of the living societies, Toynbee’s perception is almost all are now in death throws, except the Western Civilization, because all the others are getting absorbed by the Western civilization, as every society is adopting the Western culture. We may not agree with this, for he had written this in 1933-39. Today the Western culture is on decline and we do not know which civilization will replace it; may be Sinic or Indic or a new civilization that will arise from the breakup of the Western civilization.

When a civilization disintegrates, a horizontal schism splits the society to three factions: the dominant minority who are the elite ruling class; internal proletariat, the people of the society and the external proletariat, who act as pressure group on the dying society. Each of these leave institutions, a Universal State, a Universal Church and barbarian war bands. Hellenic society produced Roman Empire as its State; its dominant minority became Roman administrators and Greek philosophers. Hindu society’s State was produced by outsiders, the Mughal Empire and later British Raj. Brahmins, the dominant minority became administrators of both these empires. Syriac civilization created Christian Church; Iranian Mithraism; Egyptians Isis; Anatolians the Great Mother Cybele and Sumeric Ishtar.

The causes for such a breakdown of civilizations could be due to the normal pattern of birth, growth, disease and death, which we see in human life, but a society is not an organism and hence we cannot allude to this reason. External aggression or failure to master the environment, impact of religion, etc, is discarded as the causes. It could be because the creative dominant minority is not able to carry the uncreative majority to their heights of achievements. In such a case the society loses its capacity for self-determination, which causes degeneration. When old institutions fail to carry on the creative force of the new ideas, breakdown happens and revolution results, as in French Revolution, which put back the clock of development by many decades. When new challenges come, the society that faced and overcame challenges in the initial stage might not be able to handle the new challenge. The loss of such creativity could also lead to breakdown.

During such disintegration, people look for a Savior, who could be a creative genius or a strong man with the sword, or a philosopher-king as recommended by Plato in his philosophy. It could also be a God incarnate in a Man, who died and rose for the people, as Jesus Christ did, who seem to be the only God or God-Man who did that for the world. Those who believe in him, he said he will lead to an everlasting Kingdom.

A very interesting study for anyone interested in history, civilizations of the world and a comparative study of these civilizations, for Toynbee writes exhaustively covering many civilizations. A great feat to perform and Somervell who abridged these writings of six volumes in one single volume, which I happened to read, has also performed an admirable job.

Finally, we the believers, look forward to the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth by Jesus Christ who had promised to return to the world very soon and establish his eternal rule, which shall never be destroyed by any of the above mentioned causes or events, but will stand forever. Fortunate are those who will inherit such a blessing by believing in Jesus Christ. Amen. 

 

The French Revolution

French Revolution is the most memorable event that happened in the Western world, which changed the world once and for all. It is worth knowing about it. The story starts with the young king Louis XVI coming to throne in France when he was just 19 years old, on the death of his grandfather King Louis XV in 1774. His father had died when he was just 11 years old, and his mother followed him soon to the grave. He was married when he was just 15 years old, to Marie Antoinette, who was 13 years old,[1] the daughter of the formidable Empress Maria-Theresa of Austria. Royal headquarters was at the beautiful Versailles. Four children were born to them; King and the queen were loved by the people but they lived an extravagant life as would fit the monarchs of that age.

Population of France in the late 18^th century was 26,000,000 (26 million or 2.6 crores). 90% of them were formers. They were poor but paid all the taxes to the State, supporting the royalty, nobility and the clergy; these estates paid no tax. So the whole burden was on the poor farmers. It was a feudal system with noble land owners extracting taxes from the tillers. Clergy numbered 100,000, but monasteries were governed by bishops from rich aristocratic families, who did not pay tax but owned on tenth of the land in France. Many lower level priests were poor, but the church as an institution was very strong and powerful. During Enlightenment philosophers and thinkers like Voltaire and Rousseau wrote against the privileges of the church and the aristocracy. Since 1781, one could not even get a commission in the army unless four generations of aristocratic birth could be proved. Nobility numbered 400,000 and owned one fifth of the land in the country. A small group of professionals and business people was just getting established.

France was deep in debt as the Royal Treasury was near empty. France participated in American Independence war of 1774, spending about 2000 million livres, which added to the woes. To fill in the treasury new taxes were imposed on everyone, including the aristocracy. It was opposed and vetoed by the privileged classes. To approve new taxation and to reform the society, Estates General (General Estate) was convened, which consisted of the Clergy, Nobles and the Third Estate (the Commons), which had not met since 1614. King Louis XI used force to quell any dissidence, but violence erupted all over France. Nobles and magistrates tried to block the equality of taxes imposed by the King and riots broke out between the Third Estate and the other two orders-clergy and nobility. New elections were held in early 1789 and 1201 representatives were elected, 291 nobles, 300 clergy and 610 from the Third Estate. Though many reforms were proposed, Clergy opposed it all to retain its independence and Nobility to retain their social rank and feudal dues. Commons voted themselves as the National Assembly.

King received the elected members at Versailles on 2 May 1789. After two days there was the procession of all the three Estates with King and the queen following them. As each Estate started their deliberations separately, the National Assembly was refused a hall to hold their meetings. They occupied the indoor tennis court within king’s palace and took an oath on 20^th June 1789 to stay together till an acceptable constitution was established. By the end of the month most of the clergy and 47 of the nobility had joined the National Assembly. Thus the first stage of the Revolution was achieved without bloodshed. Now things started to move fast.

Based on rumors that thousands of troops have been sent to protect aristocracy, common people took precautions to distribute whatever guns they had with them and on 14^th July 1789, 60,000 strong mob armed and unarmed stormed the Bastille in Paris, a huge fortress build in fourteenth century, used as a state prison. It was seen as the symbol of the intolerable regime. After a brief struggle Bastille capitulated. All over the country and villages castles, manor houses, abbeys and tax offices were invaded, and set fire, the event being known as the Great Fear. King agreed to withdraw the troops. This is the second victory for the Common man in the French Revolution.  

Though King yielded to the demands of the Third Estate, situation was so bad in Paris. Though people now accepted the king as belonging to the Third Estate and cheerfully welcomed him, unemployment was high, bread was expensive and in short supply. Harvest was bad in 1788, and food riots erupted. More killing and more destruction happened. Angry crowds marched to town halls demanding bread. Officials were chased and killed and some were hanged on lampposts. Some decided that king’s residence should be in the capital and not in Versailles. On 1^st October 1789 some 6000 women with knives and clubs assembled and some of them marched to Versailles in the rain angrily, shouting that they will wring the neck of the queen and seek her blood. In Versailles the mob broke down the inner doors of the palace and rushed forward. Queen had to be taken to safety hurriedly. They severed the heads of many guards, demanding King and the Queen appear before them. Once that happened they started to shout “The King to Paris!” The royal family was escorted to Paris in the royal carriage, surrounded by shouting women. National Guard led the way with wagon-loads of wheat and flour taken from hoarders and big farmers. National Assembly followed them. Now on royalty’s home will be in Tuileries, Paris. This women’s march was the third phase of the Revolution, with common man and woman tasting blood!

From then on it was a steep slide down along the slippery path of Revolution. On 2^nd November church properties were nationalized. In June 1790 titles of hereditary nobility were abolished. Church was reorganized as constitutional church with bishops elected by the people. New Constitution was written, passed by the National Assembly and approved by the king in September 1790. Many nobles and aristocracy fled the country. Their properties were forfeited to the nation. Neighboring kingdoms of Austria, Prussia, Spain and England declared war against France. In June 1791 King with his family tried to escape to Varnnes, a border town, but were caught and brought back to Paris, as prisoners.

In September 1792 horrible prison massacre takes place. 500 Swiss guards of the palace were slaughtered, in addition to some 1200 prisoners. Men and women wallowed in blood and played with baskets full of human heads. These gangs of citizens were served with food and drank wine now and then to replenish their strength to behead more people. Some even tore of the hearts, squeezed these to drink the ‘aristocrats’ blood.’ Convention abolished monarchy. Now the question was what to do with the king? If he escapes to a neighboring country, from there with the help of the other monarchs he can fight and reclaim his throne. If he stays in the country, he becomes the rallying point for the royalists. After much debate King was executed on 21 January, 1793, by Guillotine, invented by Dr. Joseph Guillotin in October, 1789.    

Girondins, the moderates and educated were ruling the country with lot of restrains. They were overthrown in June 1793 and Jacobins, the real revolutionary ones took up the reigns. Marat, their leader was murdered by a young girl. Feudal rights were abolished without compensation. Revolutionary calendar was adopted in October 1793. Marie Antoinette, the queen was executed on 16^th October, 1793. Many Girondin leaders were guillotined. Many were simply executed by the Committee of Public Safety, in the Reign of Terror, when 17,000 people were beheaded. Until one day, in July 1794, Jacobins feared there won’t be any one left and they executed Robespierre on the most important leader of the Committee, and the one engineering the Revolution, and called for purging of the government and leaders. Revolution, like Saturn, devoured its own children. With his death the fervor of bloodshed subsided. One of the victims famously said, “Oh Liberty, what crimes are committed in your name.”

Peace was signed with countries of Prussia, Holland, Spain and some peace returned to the country. From the ashes of Revolution arose Napoleon Bonaparte, who won miraculous victories in Italy and over Austria and was elevated as the General of the Army. With that a new chapter in French Revolution started! Napoleon consolidated the Revolution ideas into Napoleon Code and wanted to instil that in all Europe. There followed series of wars and amazing victories and finally defeat and exile. But that is another story for another day!   

What a price to pay for Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, the motto of French revolution! Aristocratic England quickly passed reform acts to get rid of many of the social evils of Industrial Revolution so that their people will not copy the French and launch a bloody Revolution in England. Some credit John Wesley to have kept the working class in England in moderation by preaching Methodism, brining in Revival and not Revolution. Europe had always been a hotbed of wars, bloodshed and tyrannies. It was America that first sounded the beagle of revolution and fought the War of independence in 1774. French followed it. But world changed irrevocably after French Revolution. European countries became republics and democracies; feudalism was completely abolished. Western civilization entered into modernity. The sad part is they are still fighting for freedom and democracy as in Ukraine against Russia.

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[1] That is child-marriage! An arranged marriage that too! But in 18^th century that is how almost all marriages took place, even in Europe.