Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it is in your power to act. Proverbs 3:27

The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?

The one issue that attracted the attention of many in the last mandalam meeting was the Kuwait Episode. A perusal of the Questions & Answers printed and circulated among the Mandalam Members will prove this. Those questions were raised by:
1. Mr. Sajan Veloor of Dubai Mar Thoma Church(Qn. 6.II; Page: 5),
2. Mr. Shibu Oommen of Prayar Sehion (Qn.14.I; page: 10),
3. Mr. Samkumar G. of Pazhinjam St. Paul's (Qn. 20:II; page: 18),
4. Prof. Koshy Mathai of Othera St. Pauls (Qn. 24.III; Page: 22),
5. Prof. Dr. Alex Abraham Odikandathil (Qn. 31: III; Page: 28),
6. Rev. Koshy C.K. of Channappetta Bethany (Qn. 41. I; page: 37),
7. Mr. K.P. Philip of Kuriannur Mar Thoma Church( Qn. 47.II, page: 43), and
8. Mr. M.C. James of Vallamkulam St. Lukes (49.1, page: 44).

If 8 out of 49 were to seek answers to one single question, that's too many people and too big in terms of proportion and percentage.
If so vast a number had concern over this issue, it had to be of paramount importance and the Sabha leadership should have been upright and honest in their response.

But did we get any satisfactory answer to those questions enveloping such a grave matter? What are our rights and privileges as Mandalam members?

The Metropolitan told this asker that he does not want to talk about it as it is a matter of sub judice. Believing it, I withdrew my question but when I later found that he is evading questions, I got on my feet with a sub-question to another's but he said everything is done in order and claimed that the diocesean episcopa maintains a proper file for it, to which the concerned bishop nodded with grace. Then, waving the Kuwaitee brochure above my head, I asked it be put on the table when the Metropolitan said he has many copies of the same and that Kuwait people who are rich can afford to print such colorful notices, feigning(?) ignorance of the parliamentary procedure. Then we were told how the Kuwait marthomites sent a pentecostal emissary for compromise talk but how he refused to yield and threatened to take steps against Kuwait people to get them extridited from Kuwait for collecting money using Sabha's letter-head etc.- something that discounts the very decorum of the house. Since I did not have any further information on the subject, I had to leave the matter there but was tempted to think the reference to 'nanjool' and 'cultic movements' along with the statement, " ഈ സുഭിക്ഷത എന്നും നിലനില്‍ലക്കും എന്ന് വിചാരിക്കരുത്, സമൃദ്ധിയുടെ മേച്ചില്‍ സ്ഥലങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്നുകൊണ്ട് സഭയുടെ ദര്‍ശനതെയും ശിക്ഷനത്തെയും അവഹെളിക്കുന്നവര്‍ തങ്ങളുടെ ജീവിതത്തില്‍ വന്‍ വീഴ്ചകള്‍ അനുഭവിക്കുന്നു എന്നതിന് നമ്മുടെ തലമുറയില്‍ തന്നെ ധാരാളം ദ്രിഷ്ടാന്തങ്ങള്‍ ഉണ്ട്" in the presidential address was aimed at Kuwaitee Marthomites- a cheap and hollow threat resorted to by ecclesiastes from time immemorial for emotional and psychological upper hand over their opponents; an exercise in futility and of little significance and of zero effect, anymore.

Sabha, as mentioned above, has a vision? discipline? a BIG joke, it is!
For me, this is by and large, a privilege issue.. which needs to be settled... once and for all.

Now, there is this Big New Question in Kuwait:
Why did the three Marthomite priests in Kuwait boycott the Viewing/ Homage Service of a deceased Marthomite?
Were they expressly told/ ordered to keep away?
Who do the priests owe allegiance to- their superiors, Mar Thoma Church or a Higher Power? Who pays them for their services in their capacity as priests?

Please re-read my subject line:
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it is in your power to act. Proverbs 3:27

And what are the allegations surrounding the stone-laying of the brand-new Pandanad Immanuel MT Church by the Suffragan Metropolitan? Defy the law of the land, including but not limited to, the encroachment of public property?

I am eager to know...

Thank you,
Love,
Adv. Alex Abraham Odikandathil