Athanasius Yohan I Metropolitan’s New Year Message 2023

One of the things about little children, from all over the world – any race or any country, is that they like to hear stories. And they are so gripped by the story they will ask the storyteller to repeat it, many times! Well, I too remember when I was a little boy, my father used to tell stories. He also used to recite poems, which we children enjoyed so much.

One such story I heard I will never forget. I was only maybe three or four years old, when he talked about the ‘ottamuli’. Well, that is a term in my native language; and in the story it means – somewhere way up in the mountains, there is a stream. And besides that stream, there is a mystical plant and if one can pluck a little leaf from that plant and consume it, then you would become whole – because that leaf, from that plant, was the remedy for all ills. No matter what sickness you may have, the answer to your thousand problems is that one mystical plant. One leaf of it, if you can get it, it will cure all illness.

Well, as I grew up I kind of understood it as mythological, made-up story. Even then, I still like to believe that there is somewhere way up in the foothills of Himalayas or some other mountain, a stream by the banks of which is a plant; the leaf of which is the ‘ottamuli.’ Well, the whole idea is, what we call a ‘silver bullet’, one pill, one tablet, one leaf that will cure all sickness. You wouldn’t need hospitals and doctors anymore! Oh, that would be a wonderful day, if that happens!

Well, I’m talking about the year 2023. We are entering into this unknown new year. If the past has anything to tell us about how things are going to be in 2023, I suspect you will agree with me that nothing is going to change much. Yes, the COVID season maybe behind us, but then, there’s so many rumours of wars, problems, starvation and sometimes everything is so unbelievable even as crisis’ and chaos continue to escalate. But then I have a suggestion – what I would like to call the ‘ottamuli.’ These instructions if you follow, this can become the solution to almost any storm, any chaos you face in life, that which will help you to survive; and not just that, but to find meaning, purpose and stability in life.

Well, what I’m talking about is in the Holy Scriptures, the Bible in the book called Proverbs. It is written by a King named Solomon who lived about 3000 years ago. He was the wisest man on Earth and the richest man on Earth. He had everything. And then he talks about life under the Sun in 31 chapters of the book. Incidentally, one year has 365 days divided into 12 months, and each month has 30 or sometimes 31 days.

Now here is the ‘ottamuli’, the one solution; the one thing you can do that will help you to get through the whole year. And that is – starting with the first day of the month, read one chapter of the book of Proverbs. On day two, read chapter two; and so on, till you get to the end of the month. And soon enough, here you are! You have read one chapter every day, and you have finished reading the whole book of Proverbs within a month! Then go back and start over again, the next month.

You know when I was a teenager, somebody told me about this idea and said, look – ‘If you read one chapter of the book of Proverbs every single day, and repeat that every month, something will happen to you. There would be an amazing transformation, from the inside – out.’ And I followed that instruction, and I can guarantee you, it works well!

For example, there are a whole lot of amazing things King Solomon says in his personal diary, the book of Proverbs. Things like –

‘The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom’ – Prov 9:10

‘Above all else guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it comes all the decisions of life’ – Prov 4:23

Here are some reminders:

‘As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens the countenance of his friend’. – Prov 27: 17

‘Have good friends to make your life better’ – Prov 27:9

‘Knowledge is more valuable than gold’ – Prov. 8: 10,11

‘Greed always kills people’ – Prov. 15:27

‘In much wisdom is much grief and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.’ – Eccl 1: 17,18.

No, I’m talking about not getting information, but rather about getting the right information.

Oh, there are so much more:

‘Give me the gift of a listening heart’ – Prov. 1:5

‘For he that thinks to himself he is wise he’s a fool’ – Prov 26:12

And one more thought: ‘The way you think your thoughts you actually become’– Prov 23:7

There are hundreds and hundreds maybe even thousands of sayings like this in the book of Proverbs!

So, there it is – the ‘ottamuli’ – the one thing you can do every single day, which I assure is the antidote to crisis and chaos – and will give you the ability to see things objectively with the proper attitude. And by the way, what you’re reading is God’s Word. And it has power in it. And as you walk into the year 2023, I pray that the living God will give you His blessings and watch over you and your family and bless you in every way. I’m believing that for you individually and the Believers Eastern Church worldwide. I pray that there will be peace on Earth and this new year will be a special year – for the whole world and for the holy church.