Inner Reality and Outward Mask

In one of his letters to Indira Gandhi, Nehru distinguished between privacy and secrecy. The terms should not be confused. Much of privacy is regulated by cultural demarcations. Privacy relates to modesty and decency. Secrecy relates to discretion. Privacy is ruled by external culture, secrecy is governed by inner understanding. Shame is opposed to modesty and occurs when privacy is violated. Fear or anxiety often accompanies exposure of secrecy. There is a healthy aspect of both privacy and secrecy. Privacy of our dressing room and secrecy of military strategy, for instance. However, when secrecy tries to cover inner foulness by means of a false masquerade, then the secrecy and privacy are means that are abused. The affront of dignity that conceals inner immodesty is hypocrisy. When the internal fails to accord with the external, inner confusion, delusion, or overt rebellion is bound to occur. Fear conceals inner reality and brandishes a fake glowing face as long as social ties seem necessary. Anonymity breeds evil by deindividualization and dehumanization (see Zimbardo). Shame and fear are thus related. The only thing that can bring accord between the internal and the external is confession. The confession of mouth and an inner brokenness...faith is heart brings healing. Hypocritical Christianity exists because culture exists, because society exists, but more because a sense of the need for acceptance exists. The fear of rejection compels secrecy to guard inner vileness. Privacy can only guard modesty. Where modesty is destroyed secrecy steps in to cover immodesty. Unless the sinner throws away his false coverings, God can neither wash nor clothe him. But the will is imperfect so repentance is a vague point. Repentance needs strengthening. It can only be strengthened by confession. One should stop covering up by means of arguments. One must submit in obedience. Lord have mercy on me the chiefest of sinners! May sin be abominable in my eyes, may your love be supreme, for love is purity and holiness. Forgive me Lord and cover me! If the outward mask is broken, the inner vileness will be revealed. But let it be so for your cleansing waters of grace and mercy to flow in irresistibly and wash my sins away. One can't wear the robe of righteousness over a body of sin. It is only a body redeemed and sanctified by His blood that can don the fair garment. May JESUS reign!

Domenic Marbaniang, 03 June, 2008

A Tale of Something, or Nothing, and God

In the beginning was God and nothing. Then, God created something out of nothing. But, soon that something forgot she was once a nothing. And, forgetting herself and God, she assumed herself to be everything. And, assuming herself to be everything, she died to everything else and God. After many days, when this something had run out of everything she got, She came to her senses and "Who am I? Where am I?" she thought. Then, she realized she was a nothing without her God, And so returned to her original place in God. In the end was God and something.

Not I but Grace

I worked...yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1Cor. 15:10) I get tired and weary most times; grace, never. I feel weak sometimes; grace, never. I get confused at times; grace, never. I see darkness at times; grace, never. I wish to give up sometimes; grace, never. I fail many times; grace, never. I have misunderstandings at times; grace, never. I am afraid at times; grace, never. I feel broken sometimes; grace comes to heal. I feel estranged sometimes; grace comes to comfort. I feel purposeless sometimes; grace comes to guide. I feel powerless sometimes; grave comes to strengthen. I feel I am that I am because of what I am; grace departs.... For God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

August 15 Speech - School

Honorable Director, Respected Chief Guest, Principal, Teachers, and Dear Friends: It gives me great honor to speak on the occasion of the 66th Independence Day Celebration of India. As we know, our country went through various phases of foreign domination, finally falling subject to the British Crown, before we saw the Sun of Freedom rise over our nation. But we were never slaves to anyone. In our minds we were always a free spirit. Mahatma Gandhi said, "The moment the slave resolves that he will no longer be a slave, his fetters fall. Freedom and slavery are mental states." Freedom begins within, first, then comes in action externally. The Austrian psychologist Viktor Frankl said, "Forces beyond control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation." This sense and life of freedom, subject only to the Law of God, to the Law of Justice, Equality, Liberty, and Fraternity, is the spring and fountain...

Marbaniang, Domenic

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