The Best of all is God with us

  🌹 Tribute to Mariazell Gunatilleke 🌹 Today I pause to honour the memory of the late Mariazell Gunatilleke , a beloved Sinhala pop artist of our generation. Her unforgettable hit “Kandy Lamissi” was always on our lips, a song that carried joy and rhythm into everyday life. My first personal encounter with her was about twelve years ago at a Sri Lanka Air Force Anniversary Christian Service , where she sang with grace and power. From that day, I discovered that Mariazell was not only a voice for lively baila songs, but also a soul who poured herself into spiritual and devotional music . Those songs touched hearts deeply and inspired many. She was even invited as a guest artist at the Christmas Programme of the President’s House , a testimony to her wide recognition and the respect she commanded. The last time I met her was in December 2025 at the Winsetha Hospital Christmas event in Punchi Borella , where I shared a Christmas message and she entertained the staff with her...

  When Hidden Guilt Surfaces: A Pastoral Reflection on Sri Lanka’s Current Unrest Sri Lanka is passing through a season of deep unease. Sudden deaths, unexpected confessions, and high‑profile interrogations have unsettled the national conscience. Beneath the political noise lies something more human, more fragile, and more spiritually significant: the eruption of long‑suppressed guilt and unhealed trauma . This is not merely a political moment. It is a psychological and moral moment — a moment that invites us to look honestly at the wounds we carry as individuals and as a nation. 1. The Burden of Suppressed Guilt Guilt is not an enemy. It is a moral signal — the conscience calling us back to truth. But when guilt is buried, denied, or silenced, it does not disappear. It becomes: a quiet fear of exposure a restlessness of the mind a tendency toward aggression a deepening sense of insecurity Psychologists call this suppressed guilt , and it of...

  Fasting Unto Death: What Do Our Religions Really Teach? The news of Suresh Salley’s decision to fast unto death while under CID detention has stirred strong emotions across the country. Whatever one’s political position, his act forces us to confront a deeper moral and spiritual question: How do the great religious traditions view self‑destruction and the choice to embrace death through fasting? Buddhism Buddhism places the highest value on ahimsa —non‑harm toward all beings, including oneself. Intentionally ending one’s life, even through fasting, is generally seen as an unwholesome act rooted in suffering, not liberation. The Buddha consistently discouraged self‑mortification and taught the Middle Path as the way to transform injustice, not self‑destruction. Hinduism Hindu thought also upholds the sanctity of life. While ancient texts mention prayopavesa —a disciplined fast unto death—it is permitted only under extremely narrow conditions: old age, terminal illness, and...

  Understanding “The Other’s World of Pain” — A Calling at the Heart of Pastoral Care In every pastoral encounter, we step into a moment that is sacred and fragile — the now of another person’s life. At that moment, the person before you may be living within what I call “their world of pain.” It is the space where psychological, spiritual, and physical suffering converge. It may not have existed last week, and it may be gone tomorrow, but here and now it is real, and it defines the person’s experience. Your task as pastoral caregivers is not to fix that pain, nor to rush past it, but to enter it with reverence . Pain is not simply a problem to be solved; it is a language to be listened to. It speaks of loss, fear, guilt, loneliness, and sometimes of hope struggling to survive. When you meet someone in their world of pain, you are meeting them at the most honest point of their humanity. When engaged in pastoral conversation — we must to be relentless pursuers of pain . This d...

  The Binding of the Son: A Shared Story of Obedience in Christianity and Islam Introduction In the past few days, our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world celebrated Eid al‑Adha , the festival that commemorates Abraham’s profound act of obedience and God’s gracious provision. As a Christian pastor and a fellow seeker of God’s truth, I write this reflection as a gesture of goodwill and friendship — honouring the deep faith of the Islamic community and acknowledging the sacred story we hold in common. At a time when our world longs for understanding and peace, this shared narrative of Abraham invites us to stand together with respect, humility, and mutual appreciation. A Shared Story of Faith Few stories in our sacred traditions carry the emotional weight and theological depth of the moment when Abraham is asked to sacrifice his beloved son. Whether told as the binding of Isaac in the Bible or the offering of Ishmael in the Qur’an, this narrative stands as one of the...

  The Episcopate in Methodism:  A Sri Lankan Journey Introduction “Methodists don’t have Bishops; they have only Presidents, Chairmen, and Superintendents.” This has long been the general understanding among Christians in Sri Lanka—until quite recently. But is it true? The answer is partly yes and partly no. According to statistics from the World Methodist Council, of the 73 Methodist Churches worldwide, fewer than half a dozen still follow the British model, where the head of the Church is titled “President.” Even the British Methodist Conference—the Mother Church of Methodism—has agreed with the Anglican Church that, in the near future, the head of the Methodist Church will be titled “President-Bishop,” exercising an episcopal ministry.¹ Early Encounters with the Title “Bishop” My second appointment as a probationary minister (the equivalent of a Deacon in Anglicanism) was in the Kandy Circuit of the Methodist Church, under the superintendence of Rev. Dr. Kingsley Mutt...