Christian & Knannaite 4

Knannaites all over the world are more concerned on the recent developments in America, where the members and the clergy including non knannaite clergy seriously debate on the future of our identity and endogamous status than me advocating charity in our community. As you all may be aware, this is not the first time in our history these issues are being discussed and we continued to stand united against these unscrupulous people and always won, which is why where we are now. This is likely to continue forever till the time Syro-Malabar feel not threatened by our unity and strength (Which is not likely to happen). Again if it happened in America, there is every possibility to repeat the same in UK, if not today but surely tomorrow.  

I believe it’s we, the laymen’s responsibility to safe guard our culture, heritage and traditions, therefore rather than waiting it to happen, let’s get ready to either face it today or prepare our self to effectively resist it, and the only way is by strengthening UKKCA, it’s legal as well as social and organisational status in UK.  Even though we, the members have the primary individual  responsibility, since we have a well structured and well represented association and we all respect its elected leadership, it’s down to them  to initiate appropriate measures to safeguard UKKCA interests as well as UK Knannaites interest. 

Being an organisation, especially community organisation will have many conflicting matters, which need enough time to resolve. At the same time, a continuous and steady growth is needed and to acheive that, we need to emphasise the importance Christian ways of living and to continue to promote the word charity, the Christian theological concept of unlimited love and kindness, specifically within our community.

Only for that reason, it’s always good to look and learn from the work of other communities or charities, how they resolve issues and get along with their routine charitable activities to achieve some positive results of living in an organised and productive community.

UKKCA has over 1800 families, effectively making them more than 7000 members (including children), may be more. In comparison with UK citizens, we are migrants and work only to earn our livelihood but being a Christian believer we have the responsibility to continue our charity work wherever we are and everyone is free to adopt any form of charity work previously described. That’s also one of the reasons, why our own association, UKKCA, which is destined to safeguard our interests is registered as national charity. 

One can also see the following reasons to justify their heavenly work within the first category : 

1st Reason. To hold conformity with the rest of His world, being delighted to show forth the glory of his wisdom in the variety and difference of the creatures, and the glory of His power in ordering all these differences for the preservation and good of the whole, and the glory of His greatness, counting himself more honoured in dispensing his gifts to man by man, than if he did it by his own immediate hands.

2nd Reason. That He might have the more occasion to manifest the work of his Spirit, first upon the wicked in moderating and restraining them, so that the rich and mighty should not eat up the poor, nor the poor and despised rise up against and shake off their yoke. Thereafter to  regenerate, in exercising His graces in them, as in the great ones, their love, mercy, gentleness, temperance etc., and in the poor and inferior sort, their faith, patience, obedience etc.

3rd Reason. That every man might have need of others, and from hence they might be all knit more nearly together in the bonds of brotherly affection. From hence it appears plainly that no man is made more honourable than another or more wealthy etc., out of any particular and singular respect to himself, but for the glory of his Creator and the common good of the creature - man.

Being a Christian and Knannaite, few more justifications from the Holy Bible :

Therefore God still reserves the property of these gifts to Himself as Ezek. 16:17, He there calls wealth, His gold and His silver, and Prov. 3:9, He claims their service as His due, "Honour the Lord with thy riches," - All men being thus (by divine providence) ranked into two sorts, rich and poor; under the first are comprehended all such as are able to live comfortably by their own means duly improved; and all others are poor according to the former distribution.

There are two rules whereby we are to walk one towards another, which is Justice and Mercy. These are always distinguished in their act and in their object, yet may they both concur in the same subject in each respect, as sometimes there may be an occasion of showing mercy to a rich man in some sudden danger or distress situation, and also doing of mere justice to a poor man in regard of some particular contract and rights.

To be continued..