Honor Your Father and Mother (A Timely Warning to the Young Generation)

A summary of the message delivered by the author recently at a special gathering of Christian friends.

In Japan, a company is offering actors to play the part of family members. The actors will visit elderly parents as surrogates for the real family members. In Oakland, California, 62-year old man who could neither walk nor talk was found abandoned on a flight. A note was pinned to his clothing saying he needed medical attention. What a shocking acts the people play.



You may say, these are cases from other countries. How can you connect with this to our context? Yes, true, but dear friends, We Indians too are not less in disrespecting our parents. Though our tradition and culture give a high value and respect to our parents many disgusting news are appearing in our daily news papers and visual media. A recent news item I read in a newspaper is rather upsetting. In our city (Hyderabad) a news head line read like this "Grand children dumped their grandparents into the dustbin". What a shocking news it is? This is what is happening in our own cities. The same phenomenon is continuing the world over. Ones the children are able to stand alone on their feet they simply forget about the past, how their parents brought them up to such level, how much hardships they underwent to bring them up they never think. How sad.



Let us look into the Holy Scripture what it says on this issue. The Scripture is very clear on this subject. This type of disregard to parents is contrary to God's instructions. Christians should respect their parents. The word of God very clearly instructs this. In the second book of the Bible Exodus chapter 20 verse 12 we read "Honor your father and your mother that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you" In this particular command there is a special thing to note. There is a slight difference from all the other commandments. Yes if you notice we can find a great promise given along with this commandment. The God has given a promise attached to this. If you do or obey this command along with it you get a blessing. Notice the end portion of the verse. Your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. It's a good thing to have long life. Why God has promised this to us those who Honor and love their parents. Is it to just to live a life as we like? No, but to live a life which is pleasing to Him our Lord. Let us examine ourselves; Are we living a life which is pleasing to our Savior? Or are we living a life just like that.



No doubt we are all living in a very busy world. Our life become so crowded with so many activities, o my God so many things to do at home connected with self and children and sometimes connected with relatives, friends, and neighbors, in school, in church and in so many other areas. Yes, we are all busy people committed to many activities. But dear friends, one thing you and I must remember, do not forget that the one who gave you life may now require your attention as well. Please check to see if they have needs; that are going unmet; if they live nearby invite them to your house. Take some time to show your love to them by talking to them or by spending time with them. If they are staying away from you talk to them over phone as often as possible. Let them speak as much as they want. Dear friends their life may not be long now on this earth, but God the almighty promises that your days will be long upon the land if you honor your father and mother. Don't allow this treasure to pass by your life by just neglecting it.



The day-today incidents say that we are living in the last days. The Bible very clearly says this, in II Timothy chapter 3 and verses 1 & 2. Says, "But realize this that in the last days difficult times will come. Verse 2 for men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful unholy... there is a big list. Please notice the last portion of verse 2. Disobedient to parents. This is the nature of today's world. Somewhat similar portion we can read it in the book of Romans chapter 1:30 notice the last portion of verse 30 they are disobedient to parents. Of course it is talking to the Romans, they know very well about the ordinance of God that those who practice such evil things are worthy of death, but they still do the same thing by themselves, not only that they approve others who practice it.



Dear friends, from these New Testament portions it is very clear that disobedient to parents is not a simple thing to neglect but notice it says, "they are worthy of death." Obey your parents is our Lord's commandment to us. We have to obey. Some may think that these are for the OT believers and it is not applicable to the present generation. No, this is not true. The Bible is God's word, our creator's word or instructions to us. It is for us to obey. If we obey his commandments or his instructions we have life, Life eternal. Solomon the wise, the wisest man ever lived on this earth says: "A wise son makes a father glad. But a foolish son is a grief to his mother. Proverbs 10: 1-2... Let us be wise enough to respect and honor our parents that will be a blessing to us as well as it pleases our Father in Heaven. May God help us.

Do You Want to Live Long? Here is a Clue!

While browsing through the net I stopped at that interesting news item. "A Good News" "Do you want to live longer? Immediately go for a second marriage, it increases your longevity."

The news further stated, "believe it or not this new theory is the result of a longtime scientific research."

I got up from my computer chair with full of enthusiasm and vigor rushed towards the kitchen where my wife was busy with her morning choruses.

Without any preface I said the news and inquired. Hey darling, what to do, I want to live long, shall I opt for one?

Pat came the reply.

OK darling! No Prob.! Search me also one, I too wanted to live longer!!!

Here is an Interesting Story of a Job Hopper

(An Interview with a Job Hopper)

Some, rather most, organizations reject his CV today because he has changed jobs frequently (10 in 14 years). My friend, the 'job hopper' (referred here as Mr. JH), does not mind it.... well he does not need to mind it at all. Having worked full-time with 10 employer companies in just 14 years gives Mr. JH the relaxing edge that most of the 'company loyal' employees are struggling for today. Today, Mr. JH too is laid off like some other 14-15 year experienced guys - the difference being the latter have just worked in 2-3 organizations in the same number of years. Here are the excerpts of an interview with Mr. JH:

Q1. Why have you changed 10 jobs in 14 years?
JH. To get financially sound and stable before getting laid off the second time.

Q2: So you knew you would be laid off in the year 2009?
JH. Well I was laid off first in the year 2002 due to the first global economic slowdown. I had not got a full-time job before January 2003 when the economy started looking up; so I had struggled for almost a year without job and with compromises.

Q3: Which number of job was that?
JH. That was my third job.

Q4: So from Jan 2003 to Jan 2009, in 6 years, you have changed 8 jobs to make the count as 10 jobs in 14 years?
JH. I had no other option. In my first 8 years of professional life, I had worked only for 2 organizations thinking that jobs are deserved after lot of hard work and one should stay with an employer company to justify the saying 'employer loyalty'. But I was an idiot.

Q5: Why do you say so?
JH. My salary in the first 8 years went up only marginally. I could not save enough and also, I had thought that I had a 'permanent' job, so I need not worry about 'what will I do if I lose my job'. I could never imagine losing a job because of economic slowdown and not because of my performance. That was January 2002.

Q:6: Can you brief on what happened between January 2003 and 2009.
JH. Well, I had learnt my lessons of being 'company loyal' and not 'money earning and saving loyal'. But then you can save enough only when you earn enough. So I shifted my loyalty towards money making and saving - I changed 8 jobs in 6 years assuring all my interviewers about my stability.


(An Interview with a Job Hopper)
Q7: So you lied to your interviewers; you had already planned to change the job for which you were being interviewed on a particular day?
JH. Yes, you can change jobs only when the market is up and companies are hiring. You tell me - can I get a job now because of the slowdown? No. So one should change jobs for higher salaries only when the market is up because that is the only time when companies hire and can afford the expected salaries.

Q8: What have you gained by doing such things?
JH. That's the question I was waiting for. In Jan 2003, I had a fixed salary (without variables) of say Rs. X p.a. In January 2009, my salary was 8X. So assuming my salary was Rs.3 lakh p.a. in Jan 2003, my last drawn salary in Jan 2009 was Rs.24 lakh p.a. (without variable). I never bothered about variable as I had no intention to stay for 1 year and go through the appraisal process to wait for the company to give me a hike.

Q9: So you decided on your own hike?
JH. Yes, in 2003, I could see the slowdown coming again in future like it had happened in 2001-02. Though I was not sure by when the next slowdown would come, I was pretty sure I wanted a 'debt-free' life before being laid off again. So I planned my hike targets on a yearly basis without waiting for the year to complete.

Q10: So are you debt-free now?
JH. Yes, I earned so much by virtue of job changes for money and spent so little that today I have a loan free 2 BR flat (1200 sq. feet) plus a loan free big car without bothering about any EMIs. I am laid off too but I do not complain at all. If I have laid off companies for money, it is OK if a company lays me off because of lack of money.

Q11:Who is complaining?
A: All those guys who are not getting a job to pay their EMIs off are complaining. They had made fun of me saying I am a job hopper and do not have any company loyalty. Now I ask them what they gained by their company loyalty; they too are laid off like me and pass comments to me - why will you bother about us, you are already debt-free. They were still in the bracket of 12-14 lakh p.a. when they were laid off.

Q12: What is your advice to professionals?
JH. Like Narayan Murthy had said - love your job and not your company because you never know when your company will stop loving you. In the same lines, love yourself and your family needs more than the company's needs. Companies can keep coming and going; family will always remain the same. Make money for yourself first and simultaneously make money for the company, not the other way around.

Q13: What is your biggest pain point with companies?
JH. When a company does well, its CEO etc will address the entire company saying, 'well done guys, it is YOUR company, keep up the hard work, I am with you." But when the slowdown happens and the company does not do so well, the same CEO etc will say, "It is MY company and to save the company, I have to take tough decisions including asking people to go." So think about your financial stability first; when you get laid off, your kids will complain to you and not your boss.

Source: Santosh H M, Hyderabad

A Response to an Editorial Written by Arindam Chaudhuri, Editor-in-Chief, the Sunday Indian News Weekly on American President Barak Obama's Few Months

(A Response to an Editorial)

A feedback to the editorial written by Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri American President Barak Obama's 100 days rule and its aftermath and some valuable suggestion or advice to the President on throne. This is a feedback to that e

Apropos the editorial "Mr. Obama, I appreciate you, for you have again proven that unlike your predecessor, you are receptive to change and don't stick to irrational logic just for the heck of it!" *(a snippet from the editorial is given below. Read full editorial at this link:

www.thesundayindian.com OR www.Arihdamchaudhuri.blogspot.com ), was a good reminder to the president of America to re-think about his present going. The editorial is an eye opener to Obama and his administrative wing. They should reconsider some of the serious issues for the betterment of their own citizens, especially the decision on the issue of outsourcing to India and other countries. As the editorial pointed out, outsourcing to other countries will be more beneficial to them than other countries. The present economic crisis, in a way is a blessing in disguise for the Asian countries. Obama and his team should realize this fact and act accordingly. Otherwise it will lead the country from bad to worse. It is high time that America should recognize the dominant role India and China can play in the global market. I appreciate Mr. Arindam Chaudhuri for telling these facts through his editorials time and again. I think, TSI should post some copies of this issue to the white house and a special pack addressed to Mr. Obama.


* A snippet from the above said editorial.

"Prior to this editorial, I've written a couple of more editorials on the American President, Barack Obama. In those editorials, I have been extremely appreciative with respect to his historic win; and more than anything else, with his win that had actually made the American citizen the

real winner. I had also been extremely candid with my appreciation towards him, not just for him becoming the President but the arousing reasons that made him so. For the uninitiated, I wrote that he demanded change from his fellow Americans, not simply with respect to the economic outlook or foreign policy, but in something graver; he beseeched them to realise that in the hardships of today should not be forgotten the intensity of the American character of past. This is not to miss how enamored I was with his outstanding speeches"...


Source: www.thesundayindian.com

www.arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.com

http://www.knol.google.com/k/p-v-ariel,

www.pvariel.blogspot.com

A Feedback to the Sunday Indian Weekly Editoria

A Feedback to the Sunday Indian Weekly Editorial--"Does Israel Have Any Options Left, Other Than Retaliation?"
By P.V. Ariel
In the above titled editorial in the Sunday Indian weekly dated Jan 19-25, Prof. Arindam wrote: "For the last few days, since the beginning of the Israeli military operations in Gaza, media - both print and television - has been riddled with scores of pictures of Palestinian kids, grievously injured in the air attacks by Israeli Defense Forces, or IDF. And every time I have seen those pictures, I have felt revulsion towards the blitzkrieg that has been launched by Israel to take the fangs out of Hamas. Yet, ironically, when I tried to think a little deeper about it, I was left wondering why the global media has not put forward the pictures of even Israeli kids who have got killed, injured or hit with impunity in the past due to a barrage of rockets and missiles, and even suicide attacks, that Hamas has made a habit of targeting on Israel..." Read full editorial at this link: www.arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.com

Apropos the above quoted editorial I send the following Feedback and they published it under the title "LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR" on Volume 3 Issue 17 2 Feb-8 Feb 2009th edition.

Sir, your editorial "Is Israel have any options left, other than retaliation?" (TSI,, Jan 19-25) brought out the great truth of disparity and isolation faced by this nation from all the sections of the world. Whether it is media or the authorities, from the beginning of her existence, Israel has been set apart from the nations, locked up into a unique and awesome destiny. The hireling prophet, Balaam, called Israel 'a people who dwell alone, not reckoning itself among the nations.' (Book of Numbers chapter 23: verse 9). That uniqueness is no less apparent today, as Israel fights for survival in the midst of an increasingly hostile world. Why does this tiny nation of over a five million people, occupying less than 1% of the earth's surface, regularly call for the media attention? Why are they a major stumbling block in the international affairs? Why is this nation a fiercely contested piece of real estate in the world? Jerusalem may not qualify as the biggest or the best city in the world. But, it possesses a splendor and glory that is unparallel among world's other cities. The God chose this city to be the capital of His kingdom. There is a wonderful promise of prosperity to those who share God's love for Jerusalem; the Bible says "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you... (Psalm 122:6).-Philip Verghese, Secunderabad.

Read more responses on this subject at the following links: www.thesundayindian.com or www.arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.com

Source: The Sunday Indian Weekly, New Delhi-17
Courtesy: www.thesundayindian.com
Volume 3 Issue 17, dated: 2 Feb-8 Feb 2009
www.arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.com
http://pvariel.blogspot.com

A Feedback to the Editorial at The Sunday Indian Weekly

A Feedback to The Sunday Indian Weekly Editorial—“Does Israel have any options left, other than retaliation?”


In the above titled editorial in the Sunday Indian weekly dated Jan 19-25, Prof. Arindam wrote: “For the last few days, since the beginning of the Israeli military operations in Gaza, media – both print and television – has been riddled with scores of pictures of Palestinian kids, grievously injured in the air attacks by Israeli Defense Forces, or IDF. And every time I have seen those pictures, I have felt revulsion towards the blitzkrieg that has been launched by Israel to take the fangs out of Hamas. Yet, ironically, when I tried to think a little deeper about it, I was left wondering why the global media has not put forward the pictures of even Israeli kids who have got killed, injured or hit with impunity in the past due to a barrage of rockets and missiles, and even suicide attacks, that Hamas has made a habit of targeting on Israel…” Read full editorial at this link: www.arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.com

Apropos the above quoted editorial I send the following Feedback and they published it under the title “LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR” on Volume 3 Issue 17 2 Feb-8 Feb 2009th edition.

Sir, your editorial “Is Israel have any options left, other than retaliation?” (TSI,, Jan 19-25) brought out the great truth of disparity and isolation faced by this nation from all the sections of the world. Whether it is media or the authorities, from the beginning of her existence, Israel has been set apart from the nations, locked up into a unique and awesome destiny. The hireling prophet, Balaam, called Israel ‘a people who dwell alone, not reckoning itself among the nations.’ (Book of Numbers chapter 23: verse 9). That uniqueness is no less apparent today, as Israel fights for survival in the midst of an increasingly hostile world. Why does this tiny nation of over a five million people, occupying less than 1% of the earth’s surface, regularly call for the media attention? Why are they a major stumbling block in the international affairs? Why is this nation a fiercely contested piece of real estate in the world? Jerusalem may not qualify as the biggest or the best city in the world. But, it possesses a splendor and glory that is unparallel among world's other cities. The God chose this city to be the capital of His kingdom. There is a wonderful promise of prosperity to those who share God’s love for Jerusalem; the Bible says “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you… (Psalm 122:6).—Philip Verghese, Secunderabad.

Read more responses on this subject at the following links: www.thesundayindian.com or www.arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.com

Source: The Sunday Indian Weekly, New Delhi-17
Courtesy: www.thesundayindian.com
Volume 3 Issue 17, dated: 2 Feb-8 Feb 2009
www.arindamchaudhuri.blogspot.com
www.pvariel.blogspot.com

THE DEGREE (A Mini Story)

A Young and energetic man of medium height and well built, with a posh briefcase walked towards the prominent hospital in the city. He procured a medical degree from a reputed institution with excellence. He was on his way to appear for an interview for a medical officer’s post. He has taken proper care to dress himself up appropriately to meet the requirements of the formal occasion. His measured steps and purposeful movements indicate self-confidence, resourcefulness, and full of contempt with a pleasant smile on his lips.

He approached the receptionist and she directed him to a hall inside.

The actual venue of interview where he is fully at ease in meeting mixing and making friends in a few minutes time.

By his words, he feels important and wanted by his special individual attention, with whom he was engaged in lively discussion until a peon called upon his name.

As a formal measure, he knocks at the door and entered in to the cabin of selectors, and wished them all in a peculiar style.

Then the senior most well qualified doctor examined his certificates and amazed at the high percentage of marks he scored. He asked some questions related to his qualified arena.

But, to his utter surprise he could not answer a single question. However, he raised a simple question like, “If a patient suffers from acute stomach pain what will be the possible reason and what treatment or remedy you prescribe?”

Again, the candidate kept stone deaf.

The examiner asked some more simple questions in relation to medical science for which he ran his thoughts up and down.

Noting this, the doctor felt something fishy and asked about the high percentage of marks obtained in his certificates.

When this was asked, the young man got up from his seat, opened his brief case, took a few bundles of five hundred rupee notes and a dagger, and threw them on the table.

When asked what is this?

He said, “It’s the money and dagger the sole power for my success so far and when getting such a professional degree was made simple and likewise I will procure this job too.”

Hearing those terrified words the members of the interview board looked at each other in shock.


(A Minikkadha (Mini Story) originally written in Malayalam. Translated from the original Malayalam by the author.)