INDIA
The sub continent of India was called the jewel of the
British Empire; a vast land containing about a quarter of the world’s
population falling under the rule of a small island nation imperial power was
indeed a jewel. It was 1922 when Reverent James Manoon, a British missionary,
decided to move to India. He found ready accommodation amongst the British
middle class in the capital city of Delhi as he went about his evangelical work
. One day Reverend Manoon was invited to a crusade in
a far away small village in the hinterlands, he decided to go along with his
Indian interpreter, his assistant, in his shiny new car! The little town was
located far away in the hinterland and the road, if any, was very bad. They
were able to find their way to the small village after a long drive. At
the end of the crusade in the late evening, the Reverend and his Indian
assistant set out to leave when a scruffy por looking young Indian man in old
second hand clothes and wearing rubber bathroom slippers came forward to meet
them. Reverend Mansoon’s Indian assistant informed him that the young man was
an aspiring preacher who came all the way from his village about 80 kilometers
away on foot to attend the crusade. The young Indian man was seeking for a
lift, he wanted the Reverend to take him in his car on his way back and drop
him along the way. Reverend Mansoon was put off at the sight of the
scruffy and dirty looking young man. And adopting the air of the British
colonial upper class he saw no need of being nice to the Indian man. He clearly
had no intention of carrying the young poor villager in his car. Reverend
Mansoon did not bother to even answer the request as he started his car and
left.
The young preacher was left to walk alone all the way
back to his village, a journey of 8 hours on foot at night and along the rough
lonely way. Two years after Reverend Mansoon was to returned to his native
England after his tour of duty in India. About thirty years later,
Reverend Mansoon, old, poor and in retirement, decided to pay a last visit
before he dies to the far country where he served during his days as a
missionary.
On arrival in India, Mansoon was introduced to the
leadership of the Christian organization in India. The big executives
were all there meet the poor old man that served long time ago in their country
and they treated the ageing preacher with high reverence. One of the big
executives, a big preacher, took special interest in Mansoon, he agreed to
lodge Mansoon in his house, a big duplex in the rich suburb of Delhi. He and
his family were exceptionally kind to Mansoon throughout his stay with them.
Mansoon was overwhelmed by the man’s show of love. And Before Mansoon
left, his host took him shopping to the best supermarket in Delhi and made heavy
purchases for Mansoon and his family back home in England.
The day Mansoon was leaving, the man and his wife took
Mansoon to the airport in their big limousine, and the big Indian preacher
passed the old Reverend a gift of a big envelope full of British pounds on his
way to enter the plane. Mansoon was shocked at the man’s extreme generosity.
’why are you so kind to me, I Know am your brother in Christ but that can’t be
all, you and your family are exceptionally kind to me and you never even knew
me!’’ Old Reverend Mansoon asked with huge curiosity. The rich Indian preacher
smiled and said ‘’ I knew you longtime, sir’’ Mansoon looked up surprised ‘’
yea? Where? I can’t remember meeting you before’’ ‘’yes sir, you did, thirty
years ago, I was a young twenty two year old aspiring preacher when we met at a
crusade in a small village here in India’’ ‘’yes, I believe I was here in India
then, but I can’t even remember meeting u at the crusade’’ ‘’ yes u did sir. I
was the young preacher boy, the dirty and poor young preacher, whom you did not
find worthy to enter your car. I had to trek 80 kilometers back to my
destination the night you refused to carry me in your car. It took me 8 hours
of long and difficult walk but I learned a good lesson as I walked back in that
lonely night along the long way back to my destination. I learnt that no
matter how long the journey is in life, no matter how hard, no matter what one
is lacking or who has denied you help or abandoned you along the way, as long
as you keep faith with God and continue walking and not giving up, one day you
will surely reach the destination.
I reached my destination after a long and difficult
walk that night sir. And today I have also arrived at my destination in life
after a long walk, sir. I am a very successful man now with outreaches not only
in India but in several countries and I will always be grateful for the lesson
you taught me, sir’’’ That u are in place does not mean other people are
displaced, they will grow no matter what, one day so be kind to those life
has brought u in position to address. Everybody that u meet in ur journey in
life, God has brought them for a purpose, all are imporatnt to ur life and one
day God will bring ur path together again and it could be in a humbling way!
God wants us to be kind to all that come our way...... we can only see as far
as the man standing in front of us, but God sees as far as his/her destiny will
carry him or her in years to come.
.. Gideon
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