Reply to Jose & Zach (See article TO BE LIKE JESUS)

A million thanks to both my friends Joseph Mathew and Zacharias Nedunkanal for their moral support,  words of appreciation and  suggestions  from Zach. Sorry Zach, don't remember if I ever met you at least once in Palai, although you are a person to sit with, talk to and learn from, all because of your insightful writings I have read so often.

        Honestly I feel ashamed to say I am not fluent to speak or write in Malayalam and for appearing like a Sahib or foreigner among my own people. As a child I wanted to be nothing short of an Indian and hated to be a-frog-in-the-well-Keralite. Once I reached the national horizon I could never be satisfied, until I became a world citizen. That is where I am and the lingua franca that helps me to  carry on a meaningful conversation is English. Never wanted to come back to Kerala for many reasons, partly because of its narrow provincial thinking and its craze to rule over everybody and not to be ruled by anyone. I don't go into many other reasons.

      I agree perfectly with what my friend Zach says. No use talking to Malayalies in English whether it is in Kerala, USA or anywhere else. Experience has taught me that. Still I wish to share some of my thoughts with them as they are my kith and kin. Blood is thicker than water.

     In 2009  I wrote a two part article on body donation, after donating my body to Amritha Hospital, Ernakulam and eyes to Little Flower Hospital, Ankamali. No  use preaching things you don't do. So I did a two year  study, donated my body and wrote the article with a lot of facts and figures. Since many asked me to get it translated for Malayalee audience I got it done at the cost of over Rs.1000/- . That was eventually published in several Malayalam publications including  Sathyadeepam  and  in  websites of Emalayalee, South Asia Mail and Joychen Puthukulam etc in USA.. But the honest truth is that I cannot afford to pay that kind of money for all my writings for which I don't either  charge or get a paisa as remuneration. Man does not live by bread alone but he cannot live without bread. But the Lord has been proving enough  for my daily bread without begging, my only prayer being: Lord please don't make me that rich as to forget you or that poor  as to go begging.

        Thanks to many good people I happened to be drawn into Almaya Sabdam and  many other websites which regularly publish my articles. In the case of Almaya  I am immensely grateful to  my friend Joseph Mathew in New York, who suddenly appeared like a God-sent angel from Heaven and even translated many of my articles for the benefit of Almayasabdam readers. He even came to see me at the one day seminar at  Koovaloor's NY Yoga centre last June. That was our first meeting. Ever since he has been often doing the unsolicited thankless job of translating many of my articles mostly because he wants to be of service to readers of Almaya and also because of our close friendship and affinity in thinking on many issues. Dear friend Jose, kindly accept my sincere thanks. I know you are not doing it for my thanks but for the sake of Almaya readers.

       I have  many such seen or unseen internet friends all over the world. How did it happen? God alone knows. To those who love Good (I always say it instead of "love God"  to include also unbelievers) everything turns out for their own good. That is the only explanation I can offer.

     But hardly any of our so-called Catholic publications print my articles because they find in them also  unpleasant  or inconvenient truths.  A few of them who ask for articles  publish them only after emasculating  me or my language, after taking all the sting out of me, that is, after making me literally an unproductive eunuch. The language of Jesus (see Mat.23 full of Woes) is not acceptable to them. But I happen to be one, head on heals with love of Jesus in the raw, that unvarnished and unembellished Jesus -- that  "sweet Jesus meek and mild”, as well as that “bitter Jesus  rough and wild emitting fire and brim stones."

      When I pray or sing "To be like Jesus" I mean both, that village-bread carpenter of Nazareth, a green horn, a rustic, who never got a formal education and so could mingle with the riff-raffs of this world -- sinners, drunkards, criminals, prostitutes, outcasts, the scum of society. And my honest wish is that my article: TO BE LIKE JESUS  reaches Pope Francis. I sent it to him through all the e-mails I know of. I have also requested all my internet friends to help me reach Francis-Pope.  Because, like the woman who was so eager to touch at least the rim of Jesus' clothing to get rid of her chronic illness, I believe if  only Pope Francis  sees  my pleadings in the article, he will surely work wonders.

       Just one more point. Why don't you all friends give your e-mails when you write in Almaya? It  would be a great help to forgetful people like me to respond publicly or privately some of the very nice or very nasty things I may have to share. One should not say nasty things in public, according to accepted rules, although Jesus broke that rule often. And I break it when I talk to Him privately as I know he understands me. He has to, because his standing command is  to deal with him as a friend. That is how I deal with my close friends -- nicely or nastily -- when the first doesn't work .

     So kindly bear with me for my ranting in English, in replying to my two friends Jose and Zach. Any one who wants to be a Good Samaritan, a Simon of Cyrene or a Christopher is most welcome to render my incomprehensible language,  legible to our Malayalee audience who are my kith and kin. God bless all.

(jkottoor@asianetindia.com)

  

With Warm Regards,
Dr. James Kottoor,
Santhibhavan, 31/2249, Thammanam PO,
Ernakulam, Kochi - 682032, Kerala,
Ph.0484-2344679, Mob.09446219203