‘SatMaya’ Magic show By Fr Sunny John O.Carm.
In mark 16:15 Jesus told us to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” Fr Sunny does this by using visual illustrations using sleight of hand, optical illusion, storytelling, and other visual arts.
Why do we use the various performing arts to teach and preach the “Good News?” Because a person will only retain a small percentage of what they hear, but if you give them visual illustrations along with the lesson, their retention factor increases greatly. Add to the illustration a mystery or surprise ending, and you lock in on their curiosity and they will long remember what you’ve taught.
A problem rises from the fact that certain words have two meanings. "Magic" has the meaning of witchcraft or sorcery, but the word also means sleight of hand and illusion, the surprising and fascinating modern entertainment medium. Obviously and certainly Fr Sunny is using magic as sleight of hand and illusion.
In fact in I Thessalonians 5:22 say, “avoid every form of evil" or "avoid every kind of evil." In dealing with right and wrong, one must always be careful of appearances, but it is not the appearance that makes something right or wrong. The emphasis on appearance is the essence of hypocrisy. If the issue were that Christians are to refrain from doing anything that looks like sin or could be misinterpreted by someone who does not know, then we would never be able to do anything with confidence. According to this thinking, Jesus was correctly rebuked for eating with publicans, for forgiving prostitutes and for touching lepers. Certainly, these actions confused many people, but the Son of God knew His mission and performed His ministry in spite of possible objections.
Some Christians are very superstitious and assume that anything they cannot themselves understand and explain must be supernatural. Hence they see negative effects as being produced by demons, and every positive event must be a miracle of God.
Knowing all these dispute issues Fr Sunny John was doing Magic since 1998 on the stages in many countries. He started learning and using this talents to explain the gospel when he was actively involved in the teen agers’ retreat called “Christeen” which is founded by Ms Marykutty in India and is well known internationally.
‘SatMaya’ is Fr Sunny’s troop name for magic and this name is formed with 7 letter word and ‘Sat’ is part of satchitananda which refers to the attributes of God who is completeness of truth ,Bliss and joy. ‘Maya’ is the Indian philosophical term for illusion. In the book of Ecclesiastes 1:2 says “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity.” This is the meaning of Maya. Ina nutshell ‘satmaya’ means the hidden truth or truth in Vanity or vanity in truth.
Dealing with the nature of truth. At any given time, a presentation of truth only represents a portion of reality. For example, take a black and white photograph of a person that everyone claims is a very candid likeness, yet it deceives in certain ways. For one thing, the person is not black and white and gray; for another, he or she is more than two inches tall and is not flat. But the image abstracted by this photograph captures her or his expression and personality very honestly. It is an honest--though partial--representation of the truth. So there is an illusion in every assumed truth.
Matthew 13:34 indicates that in Jesus' teaching, He always used object lessons. Sleight of hand and illusion provide a way of presenting some very powerful spiritual messages in a visual way. When a dirty handkerchief--representing sin--is transformed into an egg, it makes a very striking illustration of the change God makes in a person's life when he trusts Christ. Magic tricks have power to gain and maintain attention.
In the New Testament the word magos is used to describe the magi of Matthew’s Gospel. The word magos is also used to describe those practicing sorcery and magic in the book of Acts. It is from the Greek language from which is derived our own English word .magic.. What do we mean by the word .magic.? Henry Hay3 defines magic as the .art or game .of entertaining by tempting a particular audience to accept, temporarily, minor infractions of natural law.. And he suggests that these are mainly accomplished by manipulating the interest and perceptions of the audience. Through the use of mechanical apparatus, sleight-of-hand, misdirection, (making the audience look .the other way!.) and psychological associations, the entertainer is able to draw the audience into a world of make-believe where the impossible appears to happen.
"Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks [and honor and glory] through Him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17
Sharing God's Love Through MAGIC
Satmaya
In mark 16:15 Jesus told us to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” Fr Sunny does this by using visual illustrations using sleight of hand, optical illusion, storytelling, and other visual arts.
Why do we use the various performing arts to teach and preach the “Good News?” Because a person will only retain a small percentage of what they hear, but if you give them visual illustrations along with the lesson, their retention factor increases greatly. Add to the illustration a mystery or surprise ending, and you lock in on their curiosity and they will long remember what you’ve taught.
A problem rises from the fact that certain words have two meanings. "Magic" has the meaning of witchcraft or sorcery, but the word also means sleight of hand and illusion, the surprising and fascinating modern entertainment medium. Obviously and certainly Fr Sunny is using magic as sleight of hand and illusion.
In fact in I Thessalonians 5:22 say, “avoid every form of evil" or "avoid every kind of evil." In dealing with right and wrong, one must always be careful of appearances, but it is not the appearance that makes something right or wrong. The emphasis on appearance is the essence of hypocrisy. If the issue were that Christians are to refrain from doing anything that looks like sin or could be misinterpreted by someone who does not know, then we would never be able to do anything with confidence. According to this thinking, Jesus was correctly rebuked for eating with publicans, for forgiving prostitutes and for touching lepers. Certainly, these actions confused many people, but the Son of God knew His mission and performed His ministry in spite of possible objections.
Some Christians are very superstitious and assume that anything they cannot themselves understand and explain must be supernatural. Hence they see negative effects as being produced by demons, and every positive event must be a miracle of God.
Knowing all these dispute issues Fr Sunny John was doing Magic since 1998 on the stages in many countries. He started learning and using this talents to explain the gospel when he was actively involved in the teen agers’ retreat called “Christeen” which is founded by Ms Marykutty in India and is well known internationally.
‘SatMaya’ is Fr Sunny’s troop name for magic and this name is formed with 7 letter word and ‘Sat’ is part of satchitananda which refers to the attributes of God who is completeness of truth ,Bliss and joy. ‘Maya’ is the Indian philosophical term for illusion. In the book of Ecclesiastes 1:2 says “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity.” This is the meaning of Maya. Ina nutshell ‘satmaya’ means the hidden truth or truth in Vanity or vanity in truth.
Dealing with the nature of truth. At any given time, a presentation of truth only represents a portion of reality. For example, take a black and white photograph of a person that everyone claims is a very candid likeness, yet it deceives in certain ways. For one thing, the person is not black and white and gray; for another, he or she is more than two inches tall and is not flat. But the image abstracted by this photograph captures her or his expression and personality very honestly. It is an honest--though partial--representation of the truth. So there is an illusion in every assumed truth.
Matthew 13:34 indicates that in Jesus' teaching, He always used object lessons. Sleight of hand and illusion provide a way of presenting some very powerful spiritual messages in a visual way. When a dirty handkerchief--representing sin--is transformed into an egg, it makes a very striking illustration of the change God makes in a person's life when he trusts Christ. Magic tricks have power to gain and maintain attention.
In the New Testament the word magos is used to describe the magi of Matthew’s Gospel. The word magos is also used to describe those practicing sorcery and magic in the book of Acts. It is from the Greek language from which is derived our own English word .magic.. What do we mean by the word .magic.? Henry Hay3 defines magic as the .art or game .of entertaining by tempting a particular audience to accept, temporarily, minor infractions of natural law.. And he suggests that these are mainly accomplished by manipulating the interest and perceptions of the audience. Through the use of mechanical apparatus, sleight-of-hand, misdirection, (making the audience look .the other way!.) and psychological associations, the entertainer is able to draw the audience into a world of make-believe where the impossible appears to happen.
"Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks [and honor and glory] through Him to God the Father." Colossians 3:17
Sharing God's Love Through MAGIC
Satmaya
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