Christians and the Academy

Responsibility Towards Our University

1. politicization of the university (academic freedom, autonomy);
2. discrimination;
3. ragging, physical harassment; and
4. poor facilities and infrastructure.

Tips
- have people around who encourage you.
- find a place where you are accepted.
- inter-personal relationships are very important.

Responsibility Towards Our Society

"change the university and you change the world."
- Charles Habib Malik, A Christian Critique of the University

Universities give intellectual leadership.
Identify such universities.

Public intellectuals:
- Shashi Tharoor,
- Ramachandran Guha,
- Martin Luther King,
- Noam Chomsky.

Christian public intellectuals:
- address public issues as a Christian;
- influence public policies;
- use public forums (blog, newspapers, TV);
- challenge popular terminology and language (e.g. nationalism, leftist, liberal, )
- question common assumptions (e.g. imperialism in Western, conversion is unethical, technological advancement is progress)
- be sensitive to other's ideologies, be gentle, be wise, be bold

How to engage in productive discussion?
How do we communicate so that everyone understand?

Response - 1

Response - 2
- wrote an article on sexism, bias in algorithms;
- decided to write an article once every 3 months.

Response - 3
- encourages students to snap out of rote-learning mentality;
- considers the classroom as a sacred space for learning;
- feels that students have a utilitarian idea of education;
- encourages students to think beyond grades and placements.

2020: Full Throttle

What the year 2020 has offered so far?

1. Economy
• massive drop in GDP in nations across the world
• blue-collar jobs, manual labor vs. white-collar jobs
• job losses; fear of losing job or contract
• companies going bankrupt
• uncertainty 
2. Mental health
   • rise in suicide rate;
3. Students
   • graduating students; job hunting
   • virtual classrooms are not as engaging as in-person classrooms
   • lack of facilities (Internet connection, laptop) to attend virtual classroom
4. Senior citizen
   • risk of contracting the virus
   • vulnerable age group
5.  Healthcare
   • adequate healthcare for all
   • diligence and strength to deal with fatigue and workload
6. Youngsters - may they have wisdom and patience to deal with the crisis
7.  Government
   • prudent crisis management
8. Conspiracy theories, fake news
   • biological warfare;
9.  Environment
   • fire in Amazon rainforests
   • wildfire in California
   • wildfire in Australia
10. Riots and protests
    • anti-abortion (Poland)
    • Black Lives Matter, racism (US)
    • anti-lockdown (Berlin)
    • Samuel Paty, terrorism (France)
    • ease in tension between Israel and the Middle East (UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia)
    • rise in tension between US and China
     

Is it time to quit?

Is the collapse fast-approaching?

Post-pandemic World

(Originally written on 25th April 2020, during the first lockdown in Europe)

The world is on the verge of a collapse. We are witnessing a transition. The world as we know it might soon be a thing of the past. The world reeks of social injustice and prejudice in the form of casteism, sectarianism, racism and nationalism. Even the developed countries are struggling to control the situation from going haywire by slipping into looting and violence.

The collapse is ecological, economic, social and cultural. The superpowers have locked horns. A 16 year old boy was hacked to death by his friends. The world is on the verge of another recession. Unemployment is on the rise. The current crisis demonstrated the extend of pollution in air and water bodies.

How should a Christian respond in these trying circumstances? The teachings of Christ has now become more relevant than ever. Instead of losing hope and giving up on life, let us inspire ourselves and pray for each other, just like iron sharpens iron. Jesus Christ did not lose hope on us. 

Can we use this time to expand the goal of our lives? Instead of worrying about our lives, family and career, can we take a step back, and look around to have an introspection. 

The classic movie 'Shawshank Redemption' portrays the power of determination, perseverance and hope. The protagonist of the story 'The Pilgrim’s Progress' faces trials and temptations throughout his journey to the Celestial Kingdom.

As I observe the chaos and uncertainty all around, I understand the spiritual nature of the world. Many things do not make sense. Let us learn to find joy in the simple things of life, the ones that we tend to take for granted---the air we breathe, the physical companionship of our friends and family. The world around us paints a picture of life that is at odds with the one in the Bible. As a Christian, it has always been challenging for me to strike the right balance between the two.