text:
February 26, 2009
Report of the Task Force to look into distress arising on account of the problem faced by Diamond Industry in Gujarat
The Task Force is grateful to Dr. D Subbarao, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, for giving it an opportunity to conduct this study of immense value for the diamond industry and its workers.
The members of the Task Force, during its meetings held at Ahmedabad as also during its visit to/meeting at Surat, met various associations of the Diamond Industry and the Diamond Workers' Union to get a complete view of the issues and problems. Substantial inputs were received from various sources. Thus, the report is a result of collective efforts and contributions of many people, and the Task Force expresses its indebtedness to each one of them.
The Task Force is thankful to State Bank of India and the Govt. of Gujarat for effectively coordinating the meetings of the members of the Task Force at Surat. The Task Force would like to express its sincere thanks to the Finance, Industries and Labour Departments of the Government of Gujarat and to SBI, BoI, BoB, Dena Bank and SIDBI for providing valuable information that has helped in preparation of this Report. The Task Force also wishes to acknowledge the excellent secretarial support provided by the officers of Rural Planning and Credit Department of the Reserve Bank office at Ahmedabad.
Bank of Baroda
Bank of India
Chief General Manager
District Industries Centre
District Level Consultative Committee
Government of Gujarat
General Manager
National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme
Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme
Reserve Bank of India
Regional Director
Rural Planning and Credit Department
Rural Development and Self Employment Training Institute
State Bank of India
Small Industries Development Bank of India
Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojna
State Level Bankers' Committee
Industrial Training Institute
General Credit Card
Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana
Differential Rate of Interest Scheme
Khadi and Village Industries Commission
Khadi and Village Industries Board
Pursuant to the deliberations in the meeting held by the Governor of RBI with the Honourable Minister of Finance, the Minister of State for Finance of the Government of Gujarat and senior officials of government and banks on February 11, 2009, a Task Force was constituted, comprising representatives of the State Government, the SLBC convener, other banks and SIDBI to look into the distress arising on account of problems faced by diamond industry in Gujarat and to make practicable recommendations for mitigating the difficulties.
The Task Force, based on the discussions with various stake holders and deliberations in the meetings, recommend the following:
Expeditious restructuring of the existing borrowal accounts as per RBI guidelines
RBI has issued detailed guidelines for suitable restructuring of borrowal accounts. Banks will take suitable measures to expeditiously release the benefits of restructuring. In order to enhance the liquidity support to the industry, banks will examine the scope for lending against stock of polished diamonds held by units in their inventory.
Finance for new diamond sector units for creation of employment opportunities
Banks may consider proposals for credit support to new diamond sector enterprises, which will generate employment for the workers. Banks may also explore the possibility of financing procurement of rough diamonds from reputed agencies for cutting and polishing, to maximise employment of workers.
Re-training, re-skilling and rehabilitation of displaced diamond workers
Suitable training programmes will be organised at district level by the district administration to train displaced diamond workers for alternative employment. The district authorities may also identify and sponsor all eligible workers for appropriate financial assistance / loans under various Government Schemes.
Financial relief measures for diamond workers
With a view to helping the diamond sector workers to tide over the distress caused to them on account of loss of jobs / work, soft loans with elongated repayment cycle, will have to be considered, based on their identification by their employers. The diamond sector units will need to sponsor such workers to the banking system. Banks may consider rescheduling of existing housing, educational and personal loans of diamond workers on a case to case basis. Small monetary limits may be considered by banks for workers through General Credit Cards (GCCs), with relaxations, as may be appropriate.
An education fund will have to be constituted to help payment of school fees of children of displaced diamond sector workers.
Chapter I
1.1. On the occasion of the meeting of the Central Board of Directors in Ahmedabad, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India had a meeting on February 11, 2009 with the Hon'ble Minister of Finance of Gujarat Government, the Minister of State for Finance, Senior Officials of the State Government, and Senior Officials of commercial banks and financial institutions represented in Gujarat, to discuss State-specific issues relating to banking industry. Pursuant to the deliberations in the meeting, the Governor of RBI, inter alia, announced that a Task Force would be constituted, consisting of the representatives of the State Government, the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) Convener and other bankers, to look into distress arising on account of problems faced by diamond industry in Gujarat and to make practicable recommendations for mitigating the difficulties. The Reserve Bank will be the convener of the Task Force, which would submit its report not later than February 28, 2009.
Constitution of the Task Force
1.2. The Task Force comprising the following members was thereupon constituted:
I. Shri S. Murali Krishna, Addl. Industries Commissioner, GoG,
II. Shri Manish Verma, Joint Secretary, Finance Dept. and Director, Institutional Finance, GoG,
III. Shri H R Shah, Deputy Labour Commissioner, GoG.
IV. Dr H C Pattnaik, CGM, SBI, LHO, Ahmedabad,
V. Shri Mukesh Kumar Jain, GM, Dena Bank (SLBC Convener),
VI. Shri G G Joshi, GM, BoB,
VII. Shri A K Bhandari, GM, BoI , and
VIII. Shri D Ghosh, GM, SIDBI.
I. Shri S. Murali Krishna, Addl. Industries Commissioner, GoG,
II. Shri Manish Verma, Joint Secretary, Finance Dept. and Director, Institutional Finance, GoG,
III. Shri H R Shah, Deputy Labour Commissioner, GoG.
IV. Dr H C Pattnaik, CGM, SBI, LHO, Ahmedabad,
V. Shri Mukesh Kumar Jain, GM, Dena Bank (SLBC Convener),
VI. Shri G G Joshi, GM, BoB,
VII. Shri A K Bhandari, GM, BoI , and
VIII. Shri D Ghosh, GM, SIDBI.
Shri A K Bera, RD for Gujarat, RBI was the Convener of the Task Force.
Terms of Reference of the Task Force and methodology adopted
1.3 The Terms of Reference of the Task Force were as under:
a) To study the coverage of existing banking facilities for financial restructuring of borrowal accounts of registered diamond sector units and,
to work out a suitable package to give credit support to new enterprises which can provide employment opportunities to the unemployed workers.
b) To examine the possibility of rehabilitation, re-training and re-skilling, with support from Government set-up, for gainful employment of unemployed diamond industry workers ; and
c) To consider provision of some relief to the unemployed workers by way of personal / consumption loans from the banking system within the existing norms, for mitigating their hardships.
a) To study the coverage of existing banking facilities for financial restructuring of borrowal accounts of registered diamond sector units and,
to work out a suitable package to give credit support to new enterprises which can provide employment opportunities to the unemployed workers.
b) To examine the possibility of rehabilitation, re-training and re-skilling, with support from Government set-up, for gainful employment of unemployed diamond industry workers ; and
c) To consider provision of some relief to the unemployed workers by way of personal / consumption loans from the banking system within the existing norms, for mitigating their hardships.
Methodology adopted by the Task Force
1.4. To facilitate the setting up of the Task Force and firming up its terms of reference, a preliminary meeting of senior officials of the Government of Gujarat, the SLBC Convener bank and other leading banks and SIDBI was convened by the Regional Director (RD) of RBI, on February 16, 2009. This meeting was followed up by a visit of the members of the Task Force to Surat on February 24, 2009 to discuss with the Diamond Industries Association the problems faced by the industry and to meet the Diamond Workers' Union to assess the nature of distress caused to the diamond workers as a result of the large scale lay-offs. This was followed by a meeting of the Task Force in Surat on the same day, and a final meeting in Ahmedabad on February 26, 2009. In all, the Task Force had three meetings in Ahmedabad and Surat for finalising its recommendations.
Chapter II
2.1. Though India was known to have diamond mines many centuries ago, it has virtually no mines today. However, India has continued to maintain its tradition of diamond cutting and polishing, and thousands of people are involved in this skilled occupation. The Indian diamond cutting centres are mostly concentrated in Surat in Gujarat. However, there are many units in other parts of the State viz, Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Banaskantha, Patan, Rajkot, Amreli, Junagadh and Bhavnagar. The diamond industry is an employment generating industry. The factor that contributed to the growth in the trade of diamond jewellery is the traditional expertise of artisans in Gujarat in cutting and polishing of rough diamonds and transforming them into glittering jewellery.
2.2. As per the information available with the Government of Gujarat, there are approximately 6547 diamond processing units employing approximately seven lakh people in the State. Of this, approximately 38 % of the units and 57 % of the workforce are in Surat, while Amreli District, with 22% of the units, occupies the second place in terms of number of units, and Ahmedabad, with 14.3% of the workforce, occupies the second position in terms of labour.
2.3. The industry is dependent on foreign countries for raw materials (rough diamonds). Rough diamonds, imported by traders pass through a few layers before reaching the cutting and polishing units. These units undertake the work of cutting and polishing only and no purchase / sale is involved in their dealing with the suppliers of diamonds. These units are, generally, not registered. Very few diamond cutting and polishing units have availed of bank finance.
The diamonds, after cutting and polishing, are returned to the supplier and are ultimately exported by the businessmen engaged in the activity. As the finished product is exported, the survival of the industry depends on overseas markets, especially in view of the limited domestic demand.
Chapter III
3.1. The diamond industry is predominantly an export oriented industry, which is demand driven. With the demand for polished diamonds in the global market having slumped, the industry is caught in a crisis situation where there are no buyers for polished diamonds leading to a build up of large inventories.
3.2. The diamond industry in Gujarat accounts for 72% of the world's processed diamonds and 80% of India's diamond exports. Owing to a drastic fall in export orders from the US and European countries, the two largest markets for cut and polished diamonds, the diamond industry in India has come under the grip of a global economic slowdown and has been pushed to the brink of recession. This unprecedented slack in demand has forced traders to shut their units and there seems to be no sign of recovery or improvement in the market as the US economy continues to remain in turmoil and there is no alternative to the US market. The immediate cause for concern is the large-scale layoffs of diamond workers resulting in acute distress to them. While the entire economy, both in India and the world at large, is faced with the prospect of a severe recession, the large number of workers affected in the diamond industry has begun to engage the attention of the Government and banking circles.
3.3. The diamond industry is, essentially, a closed family-based sector where the labour force is not systematically organised. The diamond workers are often engaged on job-work basis and frequently move from one unit to another. Further, most of the units are unregistered and, hence reliable data on their existence, operations, labour force used etc. is not readily available. The data available with the government pertains to the registered units only. It is, therefore, not possible to ascertain the precise number of people in the diamond industry who have been rendered jobless. However, based on the survey etc. conducted by the labour department, it is estimated that approximately 4.13 lakh workers have lost their jobs in the recession-hit diamond industry.
Unemployed workers: Data
3.4. The data available on the unemployment facing the diamond industry is as under:*
Name of the District
No. of Diamond units (approx)
No. of Diamond workers (approx)
No. of functioning units (approx)
No. of Diamond workers engaged (approx)
No. of workers who have lost their jobs (approx)
3.5. The information made available by leading banks operating in the State with regard to the diamond units financed by them in various districts is as under:
It may be observed that the aggregate of finance extended to diamond units by the four major commercial banks operating in the state and SIDBI works out to Rs.21.09 crore only, involving 85 units as against the total of 6547 estimated units in the state. This observation points to the fact that the units have not been, generally, obtaining financial support from banks for undertaking the cutting and polishing work.
Chapter IV
4.1 Banks' support to units
4.1.1. In the context of the global developments and the knock on effects in the domestic credit markets, RBI has taken several measures to enhance credit delivery to the employment intensive Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE) sector. On August 27, 2008, RBI vide its circular DBOD.BP.BC No.37/ 21.04.132/2008-09 issued comprehensive prudential guidelines for restructuring of advances by banks. This circular along with the modifications issued subsequently provides adequate framework for undertaking restructuring of existing loans (Details are given in Annex-I).
4.1.2. It is observed that most of the finance extended to diamond sector is sanctioned in Mumbai and no major finance is sanctioned to traders in Gujarat. It is also observed that out of the total units engaged in diamond cutting and polishing (about 6547), very few have availed of direct bank finance. Nevertheless, banks may consider restructuring the accounts of those units financed by them. The instructions issued by RBI are adequate to take care of the requirements in this regard.
4.1.3. Indian Banks Association, vide its circular No.CE/270/08 dated December 16, 2008 announced a special package for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector (Details are given in Annex-II). Banks may consider granting additional facilities / concessions / relaxations as provided in the IBA guidelines. This will provide a framework to take care of the need for financial support and restructuring required by the units, which have availed of bank finance. Banks may undertake a review of diamond units financed and take appropriate action in a time-bound manner.
4.2 Institutional mechanism for identifying beneficiaries
4.2.1. The identification of beneficiaries under Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojna (SJSRY) in the urban areas is undertaken by the Municipality / Corporation of the respective areas. After identifying the applicants and receiving their applications, they are sent for training to selected training institutes. After training, the names of the trained applicants are forwarded to the banks to enable them to consider sanctioning loans to the applicants for commencing / establishing the activity / unit. Applications are also received by District Industries Centre (DIC) in the case of Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme in addition to banks, KVIC / KVIB, etc. In the case of applicants belonging to Backward Class and Scheduled Caste, the sponsorship is undertaken by Gujarat Backward Class Development Corporation and Gujarat Scheduled Caste Development Corporation.
4.2.2. Considering the urban scenario, there are institutional mechanisms for identifying beneficiaries to be considered under the three major programmes viz., SJSRY, Vajpayee Bankable Scheme and PMEGP. In the case of SJSRY, it is the Municipality / Corporation officials who identify beneficiaries while in the case of PMEGP, selection of beneficiaries is undertaken by the District Task Force Committee headed by District Magistrate / Deputy Commissioner / Collector through an interview process. The beneficiaries who are interested in availing loans under the PMEGP scheme submit applications along with the project to KVIC / KVIB / DIC / bank officials. In the case of Vajpayee Bankable Scheme, the beneficiaries are sponsored by the DIC.
4.2.3. Identification of diamond industry workers
In view of the fact that appropriate records are not maintained by many units engaged in diamond cutting and polishing, it is imperative that proper identification of workers of diamond sector units is undertaken to consider providing necessary support to them. As already mentioned, appropriate and robust institutional mechanism exists at the District Level in urban centres to identify beneficiaries for various State and Central Government Sponsored Schemes. One of these mechanisms is the Municipality / Corporation in the case of SJSRY Scheme. However, in the process of identification of workers of the diamond industry, it is desirable that assistance of Labour Department officials of Government of Gujarat is also obtained. Hence, it is recommended that the units, which are registered, may be directed to submit to the Labour Commissioner / Labour Welfare Officer the details of labourers engaged by them. In the case of unregistered units, the employees may be asked to make an application for identification along with the details of the employment, unit, location, etc. to the Labour Department. After establishing the correctness of information submitted, the said Department may identify the applicant as a diamond industry worker. Application forms in this regard may be designed by the Labour Department. Identified workers may be issued an Identification Card which can be produced by the workers whenever and wherever required.
4.3. Schemes for Economically Distressed
4.3.1. As of now, there are various schemes for providing a source of livelihood to financially weak people in rural and urban areas. Most of the schemes are sponsored by Government of India, while some of them are sponsored by State Governments. National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme and Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) are available in the rural areas while Swarnajayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) is available in the urban areas. Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) organized by KVIC / KVIB is available in rural areas as well as in urban areas to the extent of Rs.25 lakh for manufacturing sector and Rs.10 lakh for service sector. Further, the Government of Gujarat has the Vajpayee Bankable Scheme where finance can be obtained for various activities. The finance available under this scheme is up to Rs.5 lakh. Under Differential Rate of Interest (DRI) scheme, funds are available at a very low interest rate. As far as urban areas are concerned, loans are available up to Rs.15,000 under DRI Scheme and Rs.50,000 under Swarnajayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana respectively. Further loans, under PMEGP, are available for establishing units, etc.
4.3.2. DRI Scheme, SJSRY, Vajpayee Bankable Scheme and PMEGP put together offer a wide range of schemes which could benefit various sections of the society.
4.4. Financial support to diamond workers
In order to enable the diamond workers to engage in alternative forms of employment / occupation, it is necessary to identify activities and enlist financial support from institutions for the same. However, to ensure that the workers are provided with adequate support immediately, it is practical to use the existing financing schemes rather than designing new ones.
4.4.1. Categorization of diamond workers
The diamond workers who need to be rehabilitated can be identified through the prescribed institutional mechanism by following the procedure mentioned at paragraph 4.2. After identification, the workers will have to be categorized into various groups based on their education, skills, experience and capability to undertake various types of activities. This categorization of labour may have to be undertaken by the Labour Department.
The grouping of labour with a view to identifying appropriate activities that they could undertake and for considering grant of finance to them by banks under various programmes is given below:
Skill set
Level – I
Uneducated, unskilled, mostly engaged in manual labour
Level – II
Less educated / partially skilled / capable of undertaking small business, etc.
Level – III
Primary level education, moderate capability for undertaking business
Level – IV
Highly skilled; those with managerial capability, etc.
Level – I:
An uneducated unskilled labour with limited capabilities can be identified for activities, which require little skill and management acumen. Such workers can be considered for financing of small activities such as running pan shop / roadside restaurant (making pani-puri, pav-bhaji, etc.), vegetable / fruit vending, ironing of clothes, etc. The workers in this category may be termed as LEVEL-I workers.
Level – II:
Based on the skill, expertise, experience, etc. of workers, they can be categorized under LEVEL-II. These workers can be considered for activities requiring comparatively high capabilities and can be covered under higher level of finance. The workers identified under this level can be financed for activities such as small business, Kirana, dealing in other goods, delivering milk to households, newspaper distribution, etc.
Level – III:
The workers who have at least primary level education and a certain level of skill may be considered for undertaking higher level of activities, including those relating to diamond / gems and jewellery. Here, individual as well as group finance may be considered depending upon the activity to be undertaken. For example, a group of skilled workers can organise and start a business to undertake job-works relating to their field of expertise. They can also be considered for individually or jointly owning auto rickshaws, 3-wheelers for carrying goods, etc. Whenever more than one person owns such vehicles, they will be able to use it by rotation enabling longer working hours and consequently, earnings at higher levels.
Level – IV:
The workers with higher levels of skills and managerial capability and adequate educational background, may be encouraged to establish units/ business in the manufacturing or service sector. A group of individuals can also come forward to establish such business enterprises. The business can range from a photocopying centre, logistic business (with own vehicles) to small units engaged in activities where the skill of the workers can be effectively used (e.g., artificial jewellery, etc.)
The unemployed, identified diamond workers may be sponsored for bank finance and the banks may consider financing under general schemes or under special schemes subject to eligibility.
The training and skill development required by the workers to undertake activities will have to be arranged by the Labour Department through the training / technical institutions available in the State.
4.5. Issues of Unskilled workers
As a large number of unskilled workers associated with the diamond units will be looking for employment rather than self-employment, arrangements will have to be made to re-skill them. The re-skilling process has to be of a short duration so as to ensure quicker rehabilitation of the workers. Hence, activities which need limited training period such as 4-wheeler driving, 3-wheeler driving, security, cooking of snacks, etc. could be undertaken by them.
4.6. Re-skilling of skilled workers
Highly skilled workers could be absorbed by related industries such as artificial jewellery, etc. Further, there may be scope for absorbing some workers in other industries located in Surat and nearby areas (eg,Textiles etc). It is necessary to identify industries where there are requirements of skilled labour in order to explore the feasibility of relocating the workers in those areas. Labour Department may have to consult industries in this regard, identify the activities and arrange for training though available institutions so as to ensure re-skilling in the shortest possible time.
These initiatives will ensure multi-skilling and multi-tasking capabilities and will provide a medium term solution to the problem.
4.7. Encouragement for re-employment
Various organizations / corporates in manufacturing sector, especially those in and around the affected districts may be encouraged to employ the workers identified as diamond workers even at a lower scale of wages. Local Government officials may hold meetings with industrialists / businessmen and convince them of the need for re-employment of these workers.
4.8. Technical Support - Infrastructure
It is understood that training facilities at the following institutions are also available in Surat to provide training to workers:-
Baroda Prashikshan Institute, Surat (RUDSETI – Bank of Baroda)
JTI, Mujara Gali, Surat
S.S. Gandhi Eng. Training Institute, Surat
Power Loom Service Centre, Surat
Pareekh Technical High School, Surat
Similar facilities are also available in other affected districts of the State.
Re-training and re-skilling of workers
There is a need to create adequate capacity by re-training / re-skilling the workers to gainfully engage them. The Labour Department may arrange with various training institutions / Technical Institutions in and around the affected districts to train / re-skill the unemployed labour. This should be undertaken in a time bound manner with proper identification of activities of appropriate duration. Preference may be given to development of skills that can be easily acquired and for which demand is in existence.
4.9. Training Period: Maintenance
As the workers who are expected to undergo re-skilling / re-training are mostly unemployed at present, there will be a need to support them during the training. The trainees may be given stipend / allowance during the training to enable the workers to support themselves.
4.10. Operationalisation of units
It has been observed that many of the units have closed down their operations leaving the employees without work and income. While the impact of recessionary trend on this account is well understood, it is important that the workers are taken care of. In view of this, the authorities may, through moral suasion, persuade the units to open and operate at lower levels of turnover. Labour Department and Industries Department will need to work in tandem in this regard. Banks may consider granting working capital limits to those units which agree to open and operate, subject to fulfilling the procedural requirements in this regard.
4.11. Registration of units
In order to mitigate the problems arising out of non-registration of the units, there is a need to put in place a legal framework necessitating industrial units to register with the respective district authorities (e.g. Collector / Commissioner).
4.12. Financial Support for Education
One of the major problems emanating from the partial / full closure of the units is the difficulties faced by the diamond workers in paying the school fees for their children. While it is learned that the problem has been solved temporarily, the issue may come up in the ensuing academic year. In this context, it is suggested that a special fund may be created and managed with contributions from Diamond Industries' Association, major corporates operating in the State, philanthropists, etc.
4.13. Migrant labour
Workers who have migrated to rural areas, may be given employment under National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) to enable them to earn income, subject to their eligibility in this regard.
Chapter V
The Task Force met in Ahmedabad and Surat and held separate meetings with the local administration viz, the District Collector, the Labour and the Industries Department officials of Surat, the Surat Diamond Association and Surat Ratna Kalakar Sangh (Diamond Workers' Union). The following observations emerged from these interactions:-
1. The current recession in the diamond industry is caused by a slackening in demand. The export demand for large and costly diamonds has gone down substantially resulting in closure of many cutting and polishing units in Gujarat. However, some units, predominantly engaged in cutting and polishing small diamonds and catering to domestic market, are still working, though at a reduced capacity.
2. Most of the units have not availed of any credit facilities as they are primarily doing job work. Exporters having units in Gujarat have limits sanctioned by the Mumbai branches of respective banks.
3. The exact number of units engaged in the diamond sector is not known, as most of the units are not registered with the district authorities.
4. In view of non-registration of units in the diamond sector with the Government Authorities, identification of workers engaged in the sector is extremely difficult. The workers are engaged mostly on job-work basis on contractual terms of payment, and change workplace frequently. This makes the accurate quantification of the number of unemployed workers difficult. However, rough estimates from the survey of Labour Department, Government of Gujarat, indicate it at 4.13 lakh in Gujarat of which around 2 lakh are in Surat.
5. The fate of the diamond sector workers is intricately linked with the fortunes of the diamond industry, and any measure to improve the financial condition of workers may not make a significant impact, unless the problems of the industry are also addressed simultaneously.
6. There is some scope for alternative employment in domestic demand driven industries like, artificial gems and jewellery, textiles and garments manufacturing units and embroidery work etc., though the highly skilled and highly paid section of workers of the diamond sector will not find it attractive to be engaged elsewhere.
In the background of this, the Task Force makes the following suggestions /recommendations for consideration of appropriate authorities:-
1. Expeditious restructuring of the existing borrowal accounts as per RBI guidelines
1.1) RBI has issued detailed guidelines for suitable restructuring of borrowal accounts. There is a need to disseminate the information to all borrowers across the industry so that maximum benefits can be availed of by all borrowers. As a first step in this direction, RBI Ahmedabad Office requested the Finance Department, Government of Gujarat, vide letter RD.RBI.AH.No. 108 / 09.01.08 / 2008-09 dated February 17, 2009, to organize workshops, seminars etc, in association with bankers, to create awareness among borrowers / trade associations on the relaxations made available in the policy guidelines. Banks also will take suitable measures to expeditiously release the benefits of restructuring.
1.2) There was a request by diamond traders to banks to lend against stocks of polished diamonds held in their inventory, to enable them to tide over the liquidity crisis, subject to appropriate valuation by an accredited valuer. Banks will examine this for enhancing the liquidity support to the industry.
1.3) The diamond traders also requested interest rate subvention on export credit to be 4%, instead of the current 2%, which is recommended.
Finance for new diamond sector units for creation of employment opportunities
1.4) As regards provision of finance to give credit support to new diamond sector enterprises with potential to generate employment opportunities for the displaced workers, it will be possible for all banks to consider any such proposal for quick processing and release of finance as per guidelines.
Banks, however, felt that to make the process quicker and meaningful, units will need to register themselves first with the appropriate authorities.
1.5) Banks may explore the possibility of financing procurement of rough diamonds, from reputed agencies, for cutting and polishing, on a labour-intensive scale, to maximize employment of workers.
2.) Retraining, re-skilling and rehabilitation of displaced diamond sector workers
2.1) To take care of alternative employment opportunities of displaced diamond sector workers, it is suggested that suitable training programmes be designed for them at the local district level. Preliminary estimates suggested that local administration has a capability to conduct training of up to 9000 workers per month in Surat, with the help of Industrial Training Institutes (ITI), Polytechnics and training institutes of other banks. Accordingly, about 1 lakh workers can be trained in a year's time in such a module. The trainees will need a stipend for their subsistence. Necessary financial support for organizing the training will have to be provided by the Government.
2.2) In addition, District Authorities may quickly identify and sponsor all eligible workers for appropriate financial assistance / loans under various Government schemes, for alternative work, wherever necessary, with suitable relaxation in norms, as a one-time dispensation.
3. Financial relief measures for diamond workers
3.1) With a view to helping the diamond sector workers to tide over the distress caused to them on account of loss of jobs / work, soft loans with elongated repayment cycle, will have to be considered, based on their identification by their employers. The diamond sector units will need to sponsor such workers to the banking system.
3.2) Banks may consider rescheduling of existing housing, educational and personal loans of diamond workers on a case to case basis.
3.3) An education fund will have to be constituted at the initiative of District administration, with contributions from diamond industry, local industry associations and philanthropists, to help payment of school fees of children of displaced diamond sector workers.
3.4) A Group Savings-cum-Insurance Plan may have to be created with premium contribution from all stakeholders, to tide over any financial difficulties for the workers.
3.5) Finally, issue of General Credit Cards (GCC) with small monetary limits may be considered by banks for the workers engaged in the sector, with relaxation in norms.
The Task Force hopes that with the implementation of the above practicable recommendations, most of the distress arising on account of problems faced by diamond industry in Gujarat will be mitigated.
The progress in the implementation of the above recommendations will be monitored jointly by the Reserve Bank of India, the Government of Gujarat and the banks through the forum of State Level Bankers' Committee.
(S Murali Krishna) (M K Verma) (H R Shah)
Member Member Member
(H C Pattnaik) (M K Jain) (G G Joshi)
Member Member Member
(A K Bhandari) (D Ghosh)
Member Member
(A K Bera)
February, 26, 2009
Guidelines from RBI
1. In the context of the global developments and the knock on effects in the domestic credit markets, RBI has taken several measures to enhance credit delivery to the employment intensive micro and small enterprises (MSE) sector. Specifically, the initiatives taken by RBI for assisting this sector are as follows:
2. On August 27, 2008, RBI vide its circular DBOD.No.BP.BC.No.37/ 21.04.132/ 2008-09 has issued comprehensive Prudential Guidelines for Restructuring of Advances by Banks. These cover the guidelines for restructuring of advances extended to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Besides the general principles laid down in Para 3 (General Principles and Prudential Norms for Restructured Advances) of the said circular, wherein the banks may restructure the accounts classified under 'standard', 'sub-standard' and 'doubtful' categories, a special regulatory framework has also been provided for in Para 6 (Special Regulatory Treatment for Asset Classification). This special regulatory framework includes incentive for quick implementation of the restructuring package and retention of the asset classification of the restructured account in the pre-restructuring asset classification category, subject to certain conditions.
3. On October 13, 2008, RBI vide its circular DBOD.No.BP.BC.58 /21.04.048/2008-09, while observing that some of the banks have not been undertaking the restructuring of dues of the SMEs, where warranted, has advised all scheduled commercial banks to consider restructuring the dues of the SMEs, under the guidelines, on merits of the case.
4. RBI, vide its circular No.MPD.BC.309/02.01.009/2008-09 dated November 3, 2008 introduced a special refinance facility under Section 17(3B) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, under which scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs) are provided refinance from the Reserve Bank equivalent to up to 1.0 per cent of each bank's NDTL as on October 24, 2008 at the LAF repo rate up to a maximum period of 90 days. Banks have been encouraged to use this facility for the purpose of extending finance to micro and small enterprises vide circular No.MPD.BC.311/ 02.01.009/2008-09 dated November 18, 2008.
5. To face the problems arising out of the current economic downturn, RBI decided vide its circular DBOD.No.BP.BC.No.93/21.01.132/2008-09 dated December 8, 2008 that, as a onetime measure, the second restructuring done by banks of exposures (other than exposures to commercial real estate, capital market exposures and personal / consumer loans) up to June 30, 2009, will also be eligible for exceptional regulatory treatment.
6. Banks have been advised to contribute an aggregate amount of Rs. 2000 crore to the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) (Refinance) Fund with SIDBI in advance on the basis of the banks' projected shortfall in achievement of sub-target of 10 per cent for lending to Weaker Section category as on the last reporting Friday of March 2009.
7 RBI has provided a refinance limit of Rs.7000 crore to SIDBI for incremental on-lending to the sector directly and through banks, NBFCs and SFCs.
8 RBI, vide its circular DBOD.BP.No.104/ 21.04.132/ 2008-09 dated January 2, 2009 has advised that the period for implementing the restructuring package would stand extended from 90 days to 120 days in respect of accounts covered under the circular dated August 27, 2008.
9. Banks were allowed to apply special regulatory treatment for accounts which were standard on September 1, 2008 and taken up for restructuring up to January 31, 2009 even if these had turned non-performing during this period. Later it was represented to RBI that due to increased workload, the banks have not been able to adhere to the January 31, 2009 time schedule. RBI has, therefore, decided to extend the time schedule for taking up restructuring to March 31, 2009. All these are one-time measures and would be available for restructuring packages implemented till June 30, 2009. Further, it was clarified that this treatment would be available to all accounts which were standard as on September 1, 2008 and were eligible under restructuring in terms of RBI circulars dated August 27, December 8, 2008 and January 2, 2009.
10. RBI, vide its circular RPCD.SME&NFS.BC.No 84A /06.02.31(P)/2008-09 dated January 20, 2009 advised that banks may extend collateral-free loans upto Rs. 5 lakh to the MSE sector (both manufacturing and service enterprises).
11. Banks may use the above mentioned facilities for financial restructuring of borrowal accounts of registered diamond sector units that have been affected by the current economic slowdown.
Special Package from IBA for MSME Sector
1. Indian Banks Association, vide its circular No.CE/270/08 dated December 16, 2008 has also announced a special package for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Sector.
2. Public Sector Banks will grant need based ad hoc Working Capital Demand Loans up to 20 percent of the existing fund based limits in respect of units having overall fund based credit facility up to Rs.10 crore. The loan will be repayable in one year with a provision of moratorium of six months during which only interest will have to be serviced.
3. In the current stretched shipment and receivables situation resulting in elongated operating cycle of business impacting working capital requirement needs, banks will be pro-active and forthcoming in sanctioning adequate increase in working capital limits.
4. Relief will be granted by reducing margin on receivables. Further, receivables up to six months will be reckoned for book debt financing.
5. Cash margins on letters of credit/ guarantee will also be relaxed based on needs.
6. Moratorium period will be extended in respect of loans availed by MSMEs where project implementation has been delayed in the current scenario.
7. For units unable to repay term loan obligation on time, repayment will be rescheduled/ rephased on a case-to-case basis within the overall loan policy of the respective banks.
8. Finance for purchase of gen-sets will be made available on soft terms.
9. Banks will take up a second restructuring of SME accounts on a case-to-case basis.
10. Interest rates for borrowings by Micro Industries will stand reduced by 100 basis points for all existing and new loans with immediate effect. In respect of Small and Medium Enterprises where banks have fund based exposures up to Rs.10 crore, interest rates will stand reduced by 50 basis points with immediate effect. The reduction in these rates of interest will be with reference to the rates of interest prevailing on 30.11.2008.
11. In addition to the above, each Public Sector Bank will also set up Regional MSME Care Centres to facilitate MSM Entrepreneurs for quick redressal of their grievances. The functioning of these Centers will be monitored directly by the Head Office and the list of these Centres will be posted on IBA portal and on the website of each public sector bank by 19.12.2008. These Care Centres would also be in close touch with the branches in their respective jurisdictions to ascertain the position on requests/presentations, in any form, as may be received from any MSME.


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Course Title: Geotechnical Engineering 2
Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: Geotechnical Engineering 2
Credit Points: 12.00
Course Code
Learning Mode
Teaching Period(s)
City Campus
120H Civil, Environmental & Chemical Engineering
|Sem 1 2006,
Sem 1 2007,
Sem 1 2008,
Sem 1 2009,
Sem 1 2010,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 1 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 1 2014,
Sem 1 2015,
Sem 1 2016
City Campus
172H School of Engineering
|Sem 1 2017,
Sem 1 2018,
Sem 1 2019
Voc Training Ctre of Hong Kong
120H Civil, Environmental & Chemical Engineering
|Offsh 3 11,
Offsh3 13,
Offsh3 14
Course Coordinator: Dilan Robert
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 1908
Course Coordinator Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Course Coordinator Location: 10.13.17B
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
The required prior study for this course is CIVE1178 Geotechnical Engineering 1.
Course Description
This course covers a wide range of problems in Civil Engineering. It includes topics such as: foundations for different types of buildings and bridges, excavations, slopes and retaining walls. This course builds on the material introduced in Geotechnical Engineering 1 and develops concepts and models for analysis and design of engineering projects involving soils in a natural or compacted state.
Whilst CIVE1108 Geotechnical Engineering 2 is based in the City Campus, laboratory work will take place in Bundoora East campus from Semester 2, 2015 onwards. Please consult with your course coordinator for more information.
WAM statement:
Please note that if you take this course for a bachelor honours program, your overall mark in this course will be one of the course marks that will be used to calculate the weighted average mark (WAM) that will determine your award level. (This applies to students who commence enrolment in a bachelor honours program from 1 January 2016 onwards. See the WAM information web page for more information.)
The WAM web page link:
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
This course contributes to the following Program Learning Outcomes for BH077 - Bachelor of Engineering (Civil and Infrastructure) (Honours)
1.3. In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline.
1.6. Understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of contemporary engineering practice in the specific discipline
2.1. Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving.
2.2. Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.
On completion of this course you should be able to:
- Analyse the role of a geotechnical engineer in civil engineering projects
- Describe laboratory consolidation tests and interpret the test data for obtaining the consolidation settlement of fine grained soils.
- Determine the shear strength of soils under drained and undrained conditions using laboratory shear tests
- Discriminate types of retaining walls and calculate lateral earth pressures using Rankine's and Coulomb's methods.
- Estimate the stability of slopes considering various drivers (such as seepage, gravity, etc) which provoke slope failure
- Apply established engineering practices to design foundations considering strength, long and short-term settlement, deformation and safety
Overview of Learning Activities
You will learn the concepts and applications of geotechnical engineering through a series of lectures and tutorial classes and a laboratory session. You will work both individually and also collaboratively with your lecturer/tutors for betting understanding of the theories, designs, development and applications. The course is supported by the Blackboard learning management system.
Total study hours: 50 hours of formal contact for one semester comprising lectures and tutorials/lab sessions. In addition, you can expect to spend a minimum of 72 hours per semester in independent study.
Overview of Learning Resources
Prescribed text, recommended references and a learning package will be used as required. Further, access to computers, simulation programs and Geomechanics Laboratory resources will be provided during the course.
RMIT Library Subject Guide: http://rmit.libguides.com/civileng
Overview of Assessment
The course involves three assessment tasks which align with the expected outcomes of the course. They include a mid-semester test, laboratory practical and the final exam. Details of each assessment are given below.
Note that: ☒This course has no hurdle requirements.
Assessment Task 1: Mid-semester exam
Weighting 40%
This assessment task supports CLOs 1 to 4.
Assessment Task 2: Lab class report
Weighting 10%
This assessment task supports CLO 3 & 5.
Assessment 3: End of semester examination
Weighting 50%
This assessment supports CLOs 1 to 6

subset: commoncrawl


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Silver Console Table
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Fusion cooking hasn't been news for a while – except for the way it's done at Izakaya in Hamburg. The crossover of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine works better than you could imagine. Creatively arranged bursts of flavour reflect the cosmopolitan character of the harbour city and are a delight to look at, too. The restaurant is based in a former spice storage facility, and you can taste this heritage in every bite.
Related Article: An eventful summer in Hamburg
Meat Market
If meat is your vegetables, so to say, then you should only settle for the very best. In Hamburg, you'll find it at Meat Market. Here, they know exactly where every single excellent piece of meat was born and raised. You can buy the products or enjoy them here, where the pure flavour of this first class meat will not be obscured by unnecessary frills.
Related Article: A quick bite in Hamburg
Petit Amour
In this restaurant, the 'petit amour' will very soon grow into a great love. The French cuisine with German influence uses only the best products to create harmonically-arranged flavours that will melt on your tongue. A dinner at Petit Amour is a feast for the senses, because the creative dishes are also great to look at.
Related Article: Where to take afternoon tea in Hamburg
For more inspiration on how to Do, Dine and Spend in Hamburg and beyond, visit our Destinations page.


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Youth Education & Travel Fairs
A project of the International Education Network
We believe that long-term stays abroad can make an important contribution to international understanding. In our opinion, nobody should miss the chance to experience another culture and to broaden one's horizon!
It is our aim to ensure that students as well as young adults and their parents have access to competent information about stays abroad and international learning opportunities.Thus, the International Education Network links education providers and agencies with customers seeking for good education as well as interesting travel and work options in Europe and worldwide.
Benefit from our profound knowledge of the European education market and join our fairs!
About IEN
The International Education Network was founded in 2005 by Thomas Terbeck, who grew up near Dortmund in the west of Germany. When he was 16, he decided to spend a high school year in the USA. Ever since then, his itchy feet did not let him stay in Germany for long: Turning 25, he had already visited about 40 countries of our beautiful planet – as backpacker, language student, intern, and as Erasmus student.
1999, still at university, Thomas published the Handbuch Fernweh, which is considered the most comprehensive German guidebook about high school stays abroad. After successfully completing his degree in History, Education Science and Social Studies, he worked as a student counsellor at the Ruhr-University in Bochum for four years. At the same time he founded the independent education counselling service weltweiser and started to organise the German Youth Education & Travel Fair JuBi in 2003.
For more information please contact a member of our team. We will be very happy to answer all questions you might have about us and our Youth Education & Travel Fairs.


text:
If you've noticed any signs and symptoms of diabetes, visit your doctor and get checked now.
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The trick to making permanent lifestyle changes is setting S.M.A.R.T goals. In this webinar, Claude Vautour, a Live Well! Bien Vivre! health coach teaches you how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals that will get you on your way to wellness.
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Word of God
The Subtlety of Unbelief
By Linda Rex
On Wednesday evenings at our discussion group we have been addressing the topic of hell. One of the concerns which was raised this week was how we determine whether or not we are getting off track in our reading and studying. This is a really good question.
Sometimes we can be so afraid of being deceived or getting off track we become afraid of reading anything other than the Bible. We can take this fear even to the place where we restrict our reading of the Bible to only one translation, or we only use a Bible put out by our particular denomination, rejecting all others as heretical.
At other times we may believe only one particular Bible teacher has the truth about God's Word. We read everything this person writes, listen only to this person speaking, and we believe they are the only ones who really know the truth about God's Word. We refuse to listen to what anyone else may have to say about the Bible or what to believe because we do not trust them to be telling the truth.
Unfortunately, our approach to learning about God and about the Bible may end up being governed by fear and mistrust rather than by the faith, hope, and love God gives to us in Christ by the Spirit. Instead of resting in Jesus Christ and trusting he will keep us in the center of his will, we anxiously work to make sure we don't accidentally wander off the path of holiness.
The Scriptures say God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and sound mind. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth as we trust in Christ and allow him to lead us. Yes, it is important to ground ourselves in the Word of God, but only as we allow the living Word of God to take precedence in all things, and allow the Holy Spirit to convict us of where we may be getting off track.
This whole process of studying the written Word of God and seeking to know the truth which will set us free is a relational effort—a participation with Christ by the Spirit in listening to, hearing, and acting upon what the Father is saying to us in the Scriptures. The question is, do we trust God to keep us on the right track, and if we wander off somewhere, to bring us back to the Truth who is Jesus Christ?
How do we gauge if a teaching or a translation is off track? How do we know if what someone is teaching doesn't agree with the truth presented to us in Christ? And this is the key: Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. He is our living relationship with our Abba, and he gives his Spirit to us to lead us into all truth. He is the center.
When we begin to look at difficult topics such as hell, we begin with the appropriate lens. That lens is the Lord Jesus Christ and who he is as God in human flesh, and what he teaches us about the Father, himself, and the Spirit, and what he teaches us about ourselves. This grounds us and enables us to see more clearly the difference between truth and error. Looking through this lens also involves comprehending, believing, and receiving the reality of God's love expressed to us in the giving of his Son and his Spirit for salvation and redemption.
We need to stay centered in the incomprehensible reality God willed not to be God without us: he chose before time began to include us in his life and love, and so he ordained before time began to send his Son in human flesh to draw us up into life in himself. Understanding and believing in the truth of this reality enables us to begin to read the Scriptures with greater clarity and less confusion. We are less likely to be swept aside by false concepts of God and eschatology (any system of doctrines concerning last, or final, matters, as death, the Judgment, the future state, etc.).
What God did for us in Jesus wasn't an afterthought or a reaction to what humanity did, but rather what he intended all along. It was not an outflow of his anger against humanity or the rejection of his Son, but rather an embracing of all of us as lost, broken, rebellious children in need of redemption. That God, in his freedom to be the God he is, would do something new—not only creating creatures to share life with, but also joining them to himself forever—is an amazing and wonderful thing.
It is equally amazing that he who lived ever and always in love, joy, and peace, was willing to reconcile suffering, sorrow, and evil with himself in such a way it would be forever nullified and transformed into the very thing which binds us to himself in love.
Jesus is God's judgment on sin, evil, and death. This judgment (or krisis) each of us encounters is not something or Someone which we should fear, but the Person which we should embrace in faith, trusting Christ is for us all we need in the face of our sin, brokenness, and depravity. Jesus Christ, who is God in human flesh, is the perfect answer or response to God for each one of us, no matter our situation or history or failure.
For this reason, we have nothing to fear when it comes to seeking to know God more fully and completely. Christ has gone ahead of us and has sent his Spirit so we might know which direction to go.
Yes, we have the responsibility to choose our teachers wisely. They need to coincide in their teaching and life with what we know about who Jesus Christ is as the God/man, and who he reveals God to be in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, and in the sending of the Spirit. Our teachers need to be willing to submit to being taught and to sit humbly under the mentorship of those with greater spiritual depth, maturity, and knowledge. The Spirit in them will resonate with the Spirit in us, and we will begin to see with greater clarity the magnitude and depth of God's love for us in Jesus Christ in their teaching.
One of the healthiest things we can do to keep ourselves on the right track is to find other believers who are well-grounded in Christ and to study the Word of God with them. As we pray together, listen to the written Word of God together, and wrestle with our questions and thoughts about what we are learning, the Holy Spirit brings us into a deeper knowledge and understanding of the truth. As we are open to it, we have brothers and sisters who can point out when we are drifting away from our center in Christ. And at the same time, we by the Spirit are growing into a deeper fellowship with God and one another.
Are there times when we may wander off the path? No doubt. But this is why it is essential to walk by faith, not by sight. We trust in the perfect work of Christ and in the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We hold all we read, hear, and see up against the mirror of the living Word of God as revealed in the written Word of God, and we ask ourselves, does this agree with the truth revealed to us in Jesus Christ? Does this diminish Christ or magnify him? And we go from there—it's a walk of faith.
Thank you, Abba, for the gift of your Son the living Word, and for the gift of your precious Spirit. Keep us on the narrow path of faith, and free us from fear and anxiety about missing the mark. When we wander here and there, please bring us back to our center in Christ. We thank you that you are faithful and dependable, and that you will not leave us as orphans, lost or without direction. Open your written Word to our understanding, and transform our hearts by faith, we pray, through Jesus our Lord. Amen.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." 1 John 4:1-6 NASB
Rebuilding the Foundation
By Linda Rex
This morning one of the members, Pat, and I were outside painting a sign at the church. The sun was slowly rising and the intensity of its heat was increasing as we worked to finish our project. Several people who live in the neighborhood passed by, either jogging or walking their dogs, and we said hello. Nearly all of them were friendly and responded cordially. It really was a pleasant day to be in the neighborhood.
I have been a pastor with Good News Fellowship for just about five years now, and this neighborhood has changed tremendously within that short period of time. A common sight are houses being torn down and new, multiple dwellings being put in their place. The neighborhood is in the midst of a gentrification process, yet in spite of all this change, neighbors are starting to get to know one another and look out for one another. And they are vocal about their desire to create and live in a safe, friendly community.
It's good to see and experience the feeling of community growing around us. This neighborhood has only begun to feel that way to me within the last year or two. Perhaps the neighborhood seems different partly because I am actually in the neighborhood involved in some activity on some day other than Sunday morning or Wednesday evening. And I've had the opportunity to meet some of the people who live on the street the church is located on, to learn their names and a little bit about them through the neighborhood association and community activities.
We have a few church neighbors who come over and participate in our weekly Community Café free meal. But these are not the neighbors I saw last night or this morning as we worked on the sign. I have met a few of these neighbors at community events or on the street, but not within our church doors. A few may attend other churches in the Nashville community, but most are uninterested in, and even opposed to, organized Christian religion. Christianity is being viewed more and more as the cause of disharmony and disunity rather than being seen as the solution to it.
One of the conversations we find ourselves having as a pastoral team is how we have a wide variety of people we minister to and who worship with us—all races and strata of society—but none of them are from this group of young adults who are moving into the neighborhood. These are talented and educated professionals who reflect a post-Christian mindset. They are very community-minded, but want nothing to do with organized religion. And I believe they have every reason to reject it when I take into consideration everything they have heard or seen about Christians and their churches.
What I have found since I moved to the South is a strong Christian culture in the Bible Belt—even more so than what I experienced while living in the farming country of Iowa. This Christian culture has its strong points and also its drawbacks. Nowadays in our ministry to people in our community I find I'm talking with someone who already has a lengthy experience with church and the Bible, rather than with someone who is biblically illiterate or unchurched. This means in the apostle Paul's language, when I share the gospel with this person or preach the Word of God to him or her, I am building on another person's foundation rather than building directly upon Christ himself.
Conversations with people who are churched can be challenging. What people may believe about the Bible or God might be drawn from the teachings of various televangelists or popular authors, and need some serious reassessment due to their lack of a healthy spiritual foundation in Christ himself and his written Word. But other times, some people are so sure they are right about what they believe there is no room for the Word of God to go to work to bring about renewal and transformation. The Spirit's efforts to heal and restore are hampered by the haphazard building which has already been done on the foundation which may or may not be Jesus Christ.
This complicates our efforts to fully proclaim the gospel of Christ, as Paul puts it. We are dependent upon the Holy Spirit to minister the word of God to those who already have been built on Christ, and also to deconstruct and rebuild those who need to be reconstructed on a healthy foundation. We are utterly dependent upon Christ and his work by the Spirit in any effort to preach the gospel of Christ to anyone, whether believer or not.
Indeed, it's a real challenge to reach out to those who are unchurched or who are adamantly opposed to church or Christianity in any form. There is only one option left open to us sometimes and it is a good one, actually. What is left for us to do is to share God's love with each and every person we meet in tangible ways—we begin to be good neighbors to each and every person, sharing life with them, offering them truth and grace—and sharing in word and deed what it means to live in the truth of who God is and who we are in him.
Our challenge as a church congregation is to get out of the pews and get into relationships with our church neighbors. This is an extremely difficult and uncomfortable task for some of us, but it is one which God has placed before us. Yet it is not given without his promises and his real, personal Presence in the Holy Spirit to go with us.
The early church prayed for God to confirm his Word through signs and wonders, and to extend the reach of the gospel. And Jesus, by his Spirit and with his people, did those very things. We are called to pray and to participate in Christ's ministry to the world. We have not only because we ask not, and because we depend upon ourselves and our efforts instead of upon Christ. I would encourage those who feel the longing for Jesus to grow and heal this world and this community to pray, to ask, and to anticipate God's generous outpouring of response.
God is not put off by a post-Christian culture. None of this is about Christianity anyway. It is all about each and every person growing up in his or her Christlikeness—of sharing the common relationship we have all been given in Christ by the Spirit with the God who made us in his image to reflect his likeness and to share his love. And our role is to participate in the process and to follow wherever Christ leads us. May we respond to his call to each of us by his Holy Spirit. There is much to be done.
Dear God, thank you for loving each and every person whether or not they know you, or love you in return. I am grateful you are not put off by our refusal to believe, but rather you continue to work unceasingly to change our hearts and minds and to bring us into deep relationship with you in Christ by your Spirit. We long for you to bring spiritual renewal and transformation to our neighborhood so each person can experience the reality of true community. Make it so, Lord, by your Spirit. Give us each the boldness and courage, as well as the opportunities, to share your Words of life and your love with our neighbors. And Holy Spirit, please confirm your Word by the signs and wonders which are appropriate in this day and age, through Jesus our Lord. Amen.
"Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. Rather, as it is written: 'Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.'" Romans 15:17–21 NIV
For Love's Sake—Abandoned Blessings
By Linda Rex
I think the story of St. Patrick is a fascinating one. I never knew until a few years ago I could read his writings and learn quite a bit about this man in the process (for example, go to: https://archive.org/details/writingsofsaintp00patr). In his writings, we see a man just like you and me, who struggled in his relationship with God, in his own personal life, and in coming to know what it meant to follow Christ and to live this out in a pagan culture in which his life and well-being were always at risk.
In my life, years ago, the March 17th holiday celebrating his life was lumped, along with many others, into the category of pagan holidays. I have since made the effort to learn the story behind the observation of this day, and most specifically, the story of St. Patrick's life and service to God in spreading the Trinitarian gospel of love. I've come to see there is something to be said for pausing in the midst of our life to reflect on the beauty of the Trinity, and to once again embrace our calling to lay it all down so others may know God as he really is.
What struck me about St. Patrick's life was not just the suffering he went through as a slave among the Celtic people who stole him from his home. Rather, what really hit home was the choice he made later in life when he was free and at home with his family, to leave it all behind and go back to the Celtic people who had so disrupted his life, so they could hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This resembles so much what the apostle Paul wrote when describing the ministry of God to us in his Son:
"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:5–8 NASB)
When we think about the Word of God, who was God and who was With God, who lived eternally in this inner relation of interpenetrating love and mutual submission, we must realize at some point, God had all he needed—he was at perfect peace, in perfect joy, in such glory and splendor there was no reason for the Word of God to come to this far country, to enter our darkness and blackness, except—love. There is no other possible motivation for doing such a thing—but this is what Jesus said he did: "For God so loved the world he gave…" The Father's love was so great, even the Father was part of the coming of the Word into our broken, fallen cosmos.
I remember as I first read the story of St. Patrick, I was horrified by the experiences he went through in his simple effort to love God and to share the truth of God's love for us in Jesus. Why would anyone choose to go through such experiences? Apart from the love of God placed in their hearts, they wouldn't. It is only the love of God himself which could enable us to give so freely in the midst of such danger, hostility and abuse. The freedom to give one's life completely in this way is a participation in the freedom of God to give himself completely to us, to humanity, even when he knew it meant he would experience suffering and death at our hands.
This has been on my mind a lot the past few weeks—just how much do we as comfortable, well-fed, well-dressed, well-employed people of any nation, creed or language, express this same willingness to set aside the benefits and comforts of our lives for the sake of sharing the love of God in Christ with those who are caught in the darkness of evil, poverty, suffering and grief? Does it break our hearts that others around us do not know who God really is, and that he loves them just as much as he loves us? Do we care enough to do as Jesus did—leave all the blessings for a time so others might experience God's love?
And yet, this is a struggle for me. What does it mean to truly love another human being? Is it best to just give a hungry person money? Or is it better to help them find a way to feed themselves? Is it best to give someone money for a place to stay for the night? Or is it better to let them experience the consequences of refusing to get sober so they could stay at the mission at night and eventually get a job and own their own home?
Really, what does it mean to leave our comforts so others may find comfort? What does it mean to show and teach our neighbor the love of God in Christ?
We cannot fix other people, but we can sure bring them to Christ and participate with Christ in what he is doing to heal, restore, and renew them. We cannot, and should not, do for others what they should be and could be doing for themselves. Carrying other people's loads in their place is not healthy for them or for us (Gal. 6:5). And yet, God calls us to be available to help others who are overburdened beyond their ability to bear up (Gal. 6:2), for this reflects God's heart of love.
Loving others should not arise out of a sense of guilt or shame, but out of a genuine concern and compassion which comes straight from the heart of the Father, through Jesus in the Spirit. It is best to be discerning in our loving of others as ourselves. Loving another person doesn't automatically mean we give them what they want, when they want it, and how they want it. Loving another person may mean saying no, or telling them the truth in love, or asking them to get the help they need so they can heal, grow or change.
This brings to mind the apostle Paul's prayer: "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:9–11 NASB) Prayer and listening to God's Word to us via the Holy Spirit and the written Word are important parts of knowing what we need to do to love others as ourselves.
We need the grace of God, God's wisdom, insight and discernment to know how best to share God's love with others. God gave St. Patrick a call to go to Ireland and he did—but then God also gave him the grace to do the ministry he called him to. We walk by faith, trusting God to guide our footsteps, to give us wisdom in how we love others and tell them the truth about who God is and who they are in Christ. As we keep in tune with the Spirit, God will guide us and teach us how to love each unique person he puts in our path.
Abba, may we each be filled with your heart of love toward those who are caught in darkness, suffering and difficulty. May we be willing to leave our blessings behind as you ask us to and be willing to struggle and suffer and lay down our lives, so others may share in the Triune life and love with us, through Jesus our Lord and by your precious Spirit. Amen.
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." Galatians 6:7–10 NASB
Your Light Has Come
by Linda Rex
This season of year has its ups and downs. It can be so heartwarming and inspiring, while at the same time full of stress and anxious care about shopping and decorating and family complications. I have a special fondness for this time of year since God has awakened me to the wonder of its deep meaning. Understanding the mystery of the incarnation (can one truly understand a mystery?) carries me through all the hassle and frustration which can come from the external efforts to celebrate Christmas.
At this time of year I'm especially mindful of the time in my life when I distained Christmas as being a pagan holiday we should not celebrate if we are true Christians. While I'm still trying to determine exactly what a "true Christian" is (as compared to a "false Christian"), now I see a whole lot more clearly how we can get so caught up in a religious paradigm we cannot see what is right in front of us. We can be so focused on the "truth" that we miss seeing the living Truth who has entered our world and has begun to transform it from the inside out.
Today is Epiphany, and the gospel reading from the lectionary for today is Matthew 2:1-12. Here we read about the magi from the east who traveled many miles seeking to find a newly born king of the Jews. They followed a star and ended up in Jerusalem. I'm sure it was quite unnerving for King Herod to have these men asking about a king he knew nothing about. And no doubt it made him feel quite insecure about his throne.
So Herod called all together the chief priests and scribes—the ones who were supposed to know the Hebrew scriptures and history—and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. The high priests and scribes were the ones who probably would know the answer to the magi's question, so Herod addressed the question to them.
They told the magi to look for the Messiah in Bethlehem. Now, it seems to me, if they had a real interest in knowing about the Messiah or in seeking him out, they would have been alert to what was really going on. They would have joined the search party, or would have maybe even led it. But King Herod sent the magi to Bethlehem and told them to look for the child and to tell him if or when they found him. And the magi left all by themselves, with no Jewish people in their party.
These people who were trusting in astrology to guide them, who were in essence, pagan Gentiles, were seeking to find a child who was Jewish. Now there were some Jews who were pagan enough that they believed the stars ordained certain events. But the Jews had nothing to do with the Gentiles, and because of this they missed something very important which was happening in their world. Their religious paradigm did not allow them to believe that someone other than a Jew might know something about the Messiah they had been expecting for centuries.
Is it possible to have the light of God available to you and still wander around in darkness? Apparently so.
The gospel story we read in the Bible shows us that these Jewish leaders were a whole lot more interested in retaining their positions of power and influence and in restoring the Jewish nation to prominence than they were interested in finding out if the messiah had arrived and had something important to say to them as his people. Their paradigm assured them the messiah would appear in a certain way, he would do certain things, and he most certainly would not look, talk or behave anything like Jesus Christ.
When I was growing up, I was told a lot of things about the Christmas holiday and what it meant and why it shouldn't be observed, but no one ever told me the truth. I was told a lot of superstition, a lot of hearsay, and a lot of heated explanations of why observing Christmas was a sin, but none of those things turned out to be based on facts or on a mature, well-examined explanation of Christian history.
I remember one afternoon sitting in the audience at the Ambassador Auditorium listening to a performance of Handel's "Messiah". It stirred something deep within me. I knew the event of Jesus Christ coming to us and dying on the cross was significant, but I still missed the crucial point—God came into human flesh to live and die and to rise again, and now he bears our perfected humanity for all eternity in the presence of the Father. Forever, we are with God, in Christ by the Spirit. We are embraced, held, in the life and love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit by God's infinite grace through the incarnation of Jesus Christ.
We can focus on whether or not something is pagan, and miss the light of God in the midst of the darkness. Whatever we observe as human is bound to be pagan in some way because we are all broken people. All our righteousness ends up being filthy rags to God—we must never forget God reconciled all things to himself in Christ Jesus.
Whatever we offer to God is broken and flawed—our efforts to get it right are feeble at best. This is why we follow the lead of the Spirit and the guidance of the Word of God, Jesus Christ. We count on God's grace to carry us. We need to be alert to the living Truth in the midst of all our darkness and brokenness. The Light has come—we need to pay attention, turn to the Light and allow him to show us what is really going on, and to follow where he leads us rather than stay in our misguided paradigms.
Who we listen to is crucial. The magi listened to God when he spoke to them in a dream (would we ever consider doing that)? These people who the Jews distained listened to God and obeyed him, and went home a different way, and in the process, they were kept safe from King Herod's evil plot. They had followed the light of a star, had worshiped the Light who had come and offered him gifts, and by the light of the revelation of God in a dream, found their way safely home.
When Jesus grew older, the scribes, the high priests—this group of people who should have known, recognized and received him as the Light of God—were the very ones who rejected him and crucified him. As John wrote in his gospel: "There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him." (John 1:9–11 NASB) Their preconceived notions of how things were supposed to be, and their preoccupation which the things of this life—money, power, prestige—blinded them to the true Light which was in their midst.
On this day of Epiphany, it would be good to pause for a moment and to consider this Light of God who has entered our world and brought to us a whole new way of being—the life of God in human flesh. It would be good to ponder the ways in which we close our eyes to the light he wishes to bring into our world: What paradigms do we need to set aside? What old ways of thinking and believing do we need to suspend in order to embrace the possibility we could be wrong or might need to change? What things are we trusting in which have nothing to do with God's values and God's desires and what he wants to accomplish in this world?
God's Light has come, and he is renewing our broken world and existence from the inside out. We have a wonderful opportunity to embrace this New Year in a new frame of mind and heart—one in which Christ is the center rather than us. May your 2017 be full of an abundance of all God's blessings in Christ!
Abba, thank you for the gift of your Son, and for the gift of a new year ahead of us. You are always working at creating new beginnings. Grant us the grace to keep our life and our being centered in your Light, in Christ your Son, and to stay in tune with and obedient to your Spirit of Life, through Jesus our Lord, amen.
"Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. … No longer will you have the sun for light by day, nor for brightness will the moon give you light; but you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory." Isaiah 60:1–3, 19 NASB
Deciding Who's In and Who's Out
By Linda Rex
In the day to day issues of relationships, it would be helpful if there was a referee in our personal lives whose only responsibility was to tell us who's in and who's out. When we just can't get along with someone because they are a stinking awful jerk (in our mind and maybe our experience too), we'd love to have someone come along and say to them "You're out!" and blip! they'd just disappear.
This would be really helpful in those relationships where we're not sure if the person is really what or who they say they are. We wouldn't have to risk the danger of being wounded, hurt or rejected by them because the referee would just call them in or out, and everything would be wonderful.
When we're having a fight with our mate, we'd be able to know for sure that indeed we are right and our mate is wrong (which is generally the case, right?). We wouldn't have to wrestle with the discomfort of repentance, confession, and admission of guilt, not to mention the hassle of understanding, forgiveness and mercy.
I think this whole paradigm of some being in and some being out comes from the dualistic framework in which western culture and religion are framed. This impacts our relationships with one another and with God, and causes us to live out our existence with the idea that good and evil are real opposites with equal power. This way of thinking and believing has its roots in Greek philosophy. I appreciate Dr. Bruce Wauchope wrestling with this in his series on "God, the Who and the Why" (see the link on the blog site, bottom right).
We make a lot of assumptions that in reality are not based on the teachings of Christ and the early church. For example, we assume that either a person is in God's kingdom or out of God's kingdom. Often in our view, there's no other alternative.
But the scripture teaches us that God through Christ and in the Spirit created all things, and all things are upheld by his powerful Word. (1 Cor. 8:6; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2; John 1:1-5) Nothing exists apart from God or outside of God. When Christ came to earth, taking on our human flesh, Jesus declared that the kingdom of God had come to earth in a real way in his very person and presence. God was present, and so his kingdom was being established in and through Jesus Christ.
And yet we talk about sin and evil and the evil one as though they exist in some place or existence apart from God. Dr. Wauchope points out that anything that exists in some place or existence apart from God is therefore self-existent, and therefore also a god. In other words, when we say that an evil person dies and goes to hell, separated from God forever, we are saying that person is capable of self-existent life apart from God and will sustain him or herself forever in an existence that is not dependent upon God in any way. But this is not the truth.
Nothing exists apart from God. All life is contingent upon God sustaining it and holding it. In order for anyone or anything to exist, God has to give it life. Even evil and the evil one, though not caused by God, are held within God's very life and existence. They are permitted by God, but always servants of God. They must always bow the knee to God and God ever works to redeem and destroy the harm they do. They do not exist separately from or independently from God.
This is where alarm bells go off and people get offended. We believe that God cannot be in the presence of evil or sin, quoting Habakkuk 1:13. In reality the prophet was declaring that God cannot look on evil without doing something about it. And the way God did something about evil and sin was that he became sin for us. (2 Cor. 5:21) God came into our brokenness and healed it.
So we have to wrestle with this whole idea of who Jesus Christ is and what he did when he as God came into our human existence and reconciled all humanity, indeed even the creation, to God. If indeed in the very beginning God through the Word and by the Spirit breathed life into us to give us our very existence, and if indeed, God himself as the Word through the Spirit came into our very human existence and lived, died, and rose again, ascending while bearing our humanity with him, all of us as human beings exist within the kingdom God has established through Jesus Christ and in the Spirit.
Now, existing in the kingdom of God and participating in the kingdom of God are, I believe, two very different things. Just because we exist in the presence of God (which we all do) doesn't mean that we even acknowledge that God exists. We can live our entire lives believing there is no such thing as a God. The gracious Creator of all allows us the freedom to do that. But the consequences of believing and living according to that lie are disastrous.
Suppose a person lived their entire life opposed to the idea that God exists at all, and they certainly did not believe that there was any such thing as heaven or hell. What if they were so adamant that when we die that we just cease to exist and that there is no existence beyond this human life—and then they died?
If it is true that God holds all things in his hand and nothing exists apart from him, it would be quite distressing for such a person to suddenly find themselves in the presence of a loving, gracious God. If this person had spent their whole life running from God and resisting every effort God made to draw them to himself, they would be caught in a serious dilemma.
They would find they had spent their entire life acting as if they were a law unto themselves, that they were a self-sustaining, self-existent one, who could make up their own rules and run every relationship however they chose. But now they are face to face with the reality that God in Christ defines and sustains their very existence. And they're part of an enormous extended family. It's like they've lived in a darkened room with the shutters drawn, and God has just walked in and turned on the floodlights, showing the room is filled with millions of people.
They're in, but they're wishing desperately to be out. God's adopted them and given them life in the Spirit, but they're wishing there's some other family out there who'd take them in. So they run off screaming, hoping to find the door and leave, but they can't leave. They're on the inside—there is no outside.
Hmmm. That doesn't sound like a very nice way to spend eternity, does it?
Especially since we really can't take anything with us but the relationships we have built during our lives and the character God has formed within us through Christ and in the Spirit. This poor person has no relationship with God (at least from their point of view) and many, if not all, of their relationships with others were based on selfish, self-centered motives which no longer apply in this new existence. And the One they thought was the referee (since apparently he does exist after all) has called them in, not out! What do they do now? Good question!
Holy Father, thank you for including each one of us in your life and love through your Son and in the Holy Spirit. Remove the blinders from our eyes so we can see the truth about who you are and who we are in you. Grant us the grace to fully embrace and participate in the adoption you have given us, allowing your Spirit to lead us and to transform us into Christlikeness. Through Jesus our Lord and by your Spirit. Amen.
"For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, …" Romans 8:15–16 NASB
God's Heart Seed
By Linda Rex
God's Heart Seed audio by Linda Rex
There is beauty in human language, no matter which one you may choose to examine. It is marvelous that people are able to communicate thoughts, feelings, facts and ideas through a series of sounds or some type of marks on paper. We rely on oral and written communication in our everyday lives, and in our older years we often take our ability to converse with others for granted.
I cannot imagine what it must be like to be lost within oneself and not be able to hear or see anything or anyone. How dark a place that is to not be able to communicate with the world around you in such a way that they understand you!
But this is no different than our God working to communicate to his creation the depth and width and height of his love for us. He has worked through millennia to bring humanity to the place where we could begin to understand and receive the love he has for us. His efforts to reach us have included his participation in our very human existence.
The apostle John describes it in this way: "the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). God's Word in human flesh. God's Son took on our human existence, lived as we live and died the death we die. But he took our human existence farther than the grave—he arose from death with a resurrected body and ascended to be with the Father forever.
Scripture says that whatever God says he does. (Jer. 12:25, 28; Isa. 45:21–23). God's Word always accomplishes whatever God's purpose for it is. What God says and what God does are one and the same. He does not say one thing and do another. Because God's Word and being are one.
The wonderful thing about God sending his Word to dwell in human flesh is that Jesus promised once he returned to the Father that he would send his Spirit, "the other Helper", in his place. In other words, the Word would be sent again to dwell not just in one human being as the person Jesus Christ, but into all humanity. Peter talked about this in his first sermon, saying that God poured out his Spirit on everyone. (Acts 2:17).
There is the reality that the Word of God is poured out through the Holy Spirit into every human heart. God calls us to receive his "implanted Word" (James 1:21–22). When we receive God's Word, and allow it to govern our existence, it becomes our way of being. In other words, the way we live, act and talk begins to reflect the very nature and being of God in Christ. The Spirit of God transforms us.
I regret the years I believed that in order to be a Christian, I had to somehow get rid of all I am so that I could be filled with Christ. I have often preached this or written about this. But the language of it isn't quite accurate.
God in me does not require that I go away or disappear. Rather, God in me means the same type of hypostatic union that existed in Christ. God in human flesh. God created each of us with a marvelous human glory that lies asleep—dormant and lying in darkness—because of our lostness. God awakens us to new life—that means something new comes to life and grows, producing blossoms and spiritual fruit. You and I become the human beings God meant for us to be all along. We grow up into Christ, yet in doing so, we become fully ourselves.
The beauty of spring is watching things that seem to be dead awaken to life again. They have life inside them, but are asleep, dormant throughout the winter, like many of us who are busy hiding within the darkness of our souls. The quickening of the life of Christ within us by the Spirit as God's Son shines on us can be, and often is, refused, rejected, ignored and suppressed. And slowly, but surely we will die inside.
Or we can respond to the work God is doing in us and with us to bring us to a spiritual awakening. We can heed God's call to "Wake up!" and begin to let God make the changes in us and in our lives that will bring out our true glory—the glory God meant us to have.
There is divine life in you and in me. The Holy Spirit breathes in us. There is a special beauty meant for each woman, prepared for her to blossom and shine in her own unique glory. There is a strength and manliness God meant every man to have, waiting to come forth in him in true masculinity. There is humility, patience, goodness that is waiting to be expressed by each of us. The fruit is there waiting to be borne, when the branches come to full leaf, and the flowers are fully pollinated by God.
God calls us to trust in him as he brings us through this process of transformation. We cannot make a plant grow and produce fruit. It is something that happens while we watch. We can tend a plant and help provide the optimum environment for it—but the miracle of fruitbearing comes from the life inherent within the plant, and the provision of water, soil and sunshine from God himself.
There is amazing fruit to be borne in your life and mine, and it's being produced right now, if we were only aware of it. We participate in the process of growth and fruitbearing as we respond to God's good work in each of us, and help tend his work in one another. We open ourselves up to the Light, and drink in the water of God's Word and Spirit, and we grow, blossom and bear fruit.
This prayer comes to mind, and I offer it for each of us today: "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:14–21 NASB)
"Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God." 1 Peter 1:22–23 NASB