No Caste or Community in Christianity
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all – Rom 10:12 (NIV)”
My son Sakthi Stephen wanted to join BE (Bachelor of Engineering) degree course in Computer Science. Engineering college admissions are obtained either through Management quota by paying heavy donations or through Entrance examinations conducted by DOTE (Directorate of Technical Education) and the total marks obtained in Plus Two examinations and as per reservation quota for each caste/ community. Through this system, it is very difficult to get the college of your choice. The students and the parents will have to keep watching the day to day position of seats/college allotment and on the day of counseling they had to decide the college within few seconds. So every parent normally selected at least about 5 to 6 colleges and they will be worried and
in full tension till their turn came up for counseling. Even then most of them would not get colleges of their choice and they used to grumble. But I had selected only one College – Jerusalem Engineering College for my son and did not bother to select any other alternative colleges. I told the parents who used to ask me with surprise for having selected only one college that my Lord Jesus Christ has told “Ask and that will be given (Mat 7:7). Surely my Lord will get my son the college he desired”. They used to look at me skeptically and inwardly laugh at my stupidity.
There is no caste or forward or backward community after receiving Jesus Christ. All become one, one family and made brothers and sisters through the precious blood of Jesus. Some converted Christians as well as traditional Christians still have caste, community feelings and affinity. Truly they have not imbibed the spirit and teachings of Jesus. They are Christians only for name sake. Although my entire family had accepted Jesus and become Christians, I was yet to get it changed officially through Government Gazette notification. I had the previous community certificate for Stephen obtained earlier for all of us and attended the counseling on 13th June 2003 with that certificate. Based on the marks obtained and community quota allotment, my son got the seat allotment in Jerusalem Engineering College. But Satan played a trick and an impediment in getting the allotment order.
The Counseling officer after verifying my son’s community certificate signed by Tambaram Tahsildar said that I would have to obtain and produce the certificate from my native place – Sattur by 25th June 2003 failing which the allotment order would be cancelled. Due to government employees’ strike in Tamil Nadu, no government office was functioning in the State since 2nd June 2003. The strike was prolonging indefinitely without any possible solution due to the tough stand taken by the State Government. I mentioned about the strike to the Counseling officer but he said, “I am sorry. I understand your problem. But I cannot help you.
S. THAYAPPAN 53 Somehow you will have to get a new certificate. If you don’t produce the community certificate duly signed by Tahsildar of your native place by June 25th, this seat will be allotted to someone else.” I was stuck and did not know what to do further. I approached a distant relative who was also a Tahsildar in a nearby town. His reply was quite heart breaking and discouraging. He said that nowadays getting a community certificate was too difficult even with all the relevant supporting documents and evidence for my stay at the native place. Added to that, all the government offices were closed. The way it looked, the strike was not likely to come to an end before the month end and I was really worried. I knelt down and prayed to the Lord for help and then made an application to Sattur Tahsildar, explaining my son’s plight and enclosed copies of all our previous community certificates and sent them to my relative. Days were passing by without any reconciliation between the government and the employees’ unions. I was losing hope but intensified my prayers. I used to ring up to my relative every day but his reply was demoralizing. It was 24th and the next day was the last day for producing the certificate. My BP was going up and my tension was mounting. I did not even feel like talking to any one in the house. I just fasted and kept on praying. My son and the entire family were worried and were silently praying. Each minute ticked away with tension and suspense. In the evening, our telephone rang and the ring tone indicated that it was a long distance call. My son rushed to pick up the receiver and after listening, he said the call was from Sattur. My relative was on the line. He was shouting with joy. He said that a Deputy Tahsildar who was on sick leave prior to the commencement of the strike had joined duty and he was posted to Sattur. He had arrived in the office that day morning and he approached him with my application. After reading, the Tahsildar had asked him to obtain counter signature from Village Administrative Officer and Revenue Inspector. He ran up, found them and requested them explaining the situation and urgency. They signed the certificate and then he had approached the Deputy Tahsildar who had also signed the certificate. Now he
had sent the certificate through courier and that I would get it in the morning. When I heard the information, I could not hold my tears on thinking of the Lord’s mercy. JESUS NEVER FORSAKES YOU. Proverb 28:25 says, “He who trusts in the Lord will be prospered”. Why can’t the people trust this unfailing, promising Lord? HE DOES IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEYOND OUR THINKING AND IMAGINATIONS! Next day by morning 10 O’ clock, I received the courier and immediately rushed up to Anna University and produced the certificate to the counseling officer. He was really surprised (may be shocked!) to see the certificate and asked me how I got it when the strike was still going on. I explained every thing to him. He said that it was really a miracle and that the God was really helping me. He released the allotment and gave me the allotment order for my son to join Jerusalem Engineering College. JESUS IS REALLY GREAT! Is He not? Hallelujah!