Chapter 4
We landed in Delhi after an eventful trip to China and Thailand on 29 th may
Without any fear of flying mother and daughter boarded Jet Airways 2 june for Heathrow London. Not once did the thought arise , that we may die in a plane crash . The flight time was short just seven hours , the funny part is that the plane landed on Heathrow airport with me sitting on the throne in the toilet with the stewardess knocking at the door and asking me to return to my seat .Some landing indeed . Friendship between people is a strange thing , it crosses oceans and joins continents Such is my mother’s friendship with Sandy Bagnall ,who lives in England .
Lets start from the beginning The American Presbytarian Church of USA had sent Arthur E. Slater as a missionary to India ,he was stationed in Boys Agriculture college Etah in north India where my grandfather Mr Edwin Richards was also working. I 1913 where his "missionaries in feathers" were introduced, demonstration poultry farm in Etah, in the United Provinces now called Uttar Pradesh Mr Mrs Slater had a daughter Marion who is Sandy’s mother .Mrs Sandy Bagnall has two grown children, she settled in Old Harlow town England after her marriage. Mrs Sandy Bagnall is a tall and elegant psychiatrist , a pretty lady with a adventurous streak, she took a journey round the globe from USA to India to visit Etah Delhi Agra and Kanpur curious about the country where her grandparents had served
My mother had five sisters and one brother ,it was a tradition at Christmas my grandfather use to sent as a gift a goose or turkey to the Slaters which had been the duty of my mother and her brother to deliver. She never forgets how the goose or gander use to peck them.
My mother as young schoolgirl was sitting with Mrs Slater [american missionary who was sandy’s grandmother ] my grandmother Beaumont Richards was a nurse also an active church leader of W.F.C.S in Etah.
“ Don’t forget your sisters ,she advised they’ll be more important as you get older .No matter how much you love your husband and care for your children .How much your in-laws care for you Still you are going to need sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then Do things with them ,Sisters are there ,no matter how much time and how many km are between.A sister is never farther away when you have to walk that lonesome valley by yourself ,cheering you on, praying for you intervening on your behalf and waiting with open arms when needing her ,sometimes breaking rules to walk beside you.
Mrs Slater meant all women are “Sisters” the girl friends , female colleagues, female relatives nieces ,aunts , daughters as well as daughter in laws, mother inlaws grandmothers ,cousins . You‘ll always need other women ,women always do There’s a special kind of freedom sisters enjoy ,they are able to share their innermost thoughts ,to ask a favour show their true feelings a real extended family.The world would n’t be same without women . Long live sisterhood
Today my mother old ,retired from her teaching job says that she followed her advice seriously she kept in contact with her two sisters living in USA and two living in India , she made friends of her colleagues in school where she taught , wrote to her college friends now married and settled all over India managed to visit them too My mother even wrote to her penpal and after retirement visited her in England Later at 65 she managed to travel to California USA to meet her sisters after 40 years
As the years tumbled by one after another , Mercy my mother gradually came to understand what Mrs Slater had been talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, sisters are the mainstays of her life Time passes things happens ,distances separates ,children grow up jobs come and go. Love? It waxes and wanes Hearts break Wives outlive Husbands
Parents die ,colleagues forget favours and careers end .Sisters are there ,no matter how much time and how many miles are between them . As I grew up My mother made me her sister . Today we do things together We both traveled to many countries ,where I attended conferences and workshops . She became my proud elder sister .
Over heads of fellow travellers
I peer at the sliver in the east of faint scimitar pale old moon
as the sky lightens, knowing ,we'll soon be landing at Heathrow.
Out there cold as snake skin alien in thick shrouds
of scudding skimming clouds, moist with clammy trails,
lifts cradles us all in controlled descent, the wing
in tight chest suspension over Heathrow.
Opens, between wing and cloud,a sudden window, my first view
of the soft, the green and ancient countryside of England,
meadows vague and soft, lanes between horse guards hedgerows,
as we touch down at Heathrow.
Now in full view of crowded Terminal floods of sudden emotion
arrive unannounced tears to my eyes and I’m , a girl again
relive with Mills & Boons ,all the vicarious pleasures of youth
at last as we land at Heathrow.
Mrs Sandy Bagnall met us at the airport ,Jet airways had started a new flight to London which reached almost half hour before time.
Drive from Heathrow to Harlow village is very scenic everywhere there were roses and houses were with grey tiles and creepers climbing on the roof, English summer was at its peak.
Old Harlow is the historic part of the new town and district of Harlow, Essex in England.and is situated in the north-east area.There is a High Street has two Indian restaurants, a Chinese restaurant, a chip and kebab shop and a daytime cafe.Opposite High Street runs Fore Street and Market Street, where there are three of the Old Town pubs, the Chequers, the Marquis of Granby and the Crown The Crown has a wall of medieval painting, dating back to the 17th century.At the other end of High Street a short walk takes you to the Green Man Hotel The town is served by St Mary's Church.
David Beckham the English soccer star lives ,right behind a pub called 'The Straw Hat 'in new Harlow town.The pubs in England are more than 100 years old names ranging from Red lion , Blue Stag , Three ledged calf , The Stallion .
Some of the beautiful houses have been designed by Mr Bagnall in old Harlow town in England.The house which Mrs Bagnall lived was almost two hundred years old with a attic and basement. I loved roaming in her garden in the morning she had wild strawberries and plums . The garden had been decorated with artificial butterflies and birds. There were bird feeders for the wild birds. She was sweet put up a hammock for me ,while she mowed the grass , there were two pet cats who hated the sound of the mower.Every morning they would be sitting on our beds.
Sandy was very good driver ,she was planning to write a book about her grandparents mission work in India , she was making a family tree tracing their origins in England . She took us to a village called 'Sandy' where Rev Slater had served some 200 years ago before his kin migrated to USA.
After spending two days with Mrs Bagnall in Harlow ,We took the underground to London then we came out of Victoria station , then walked Victoria coach station from there we took a bus for Oxford
The Thames flows through the British isles and crossing it , symbolized for me freedom and the meeting of minds as I wander the face of this earth attending various conferences and delivering lectures . India lives under the ghost of the Bristish Raj ,even though it is long gone but it is there in the Indian subconscious London spreads along and around the Thames , similarly in Oxford , where it wanders around the meadows . You can see the barges and the students in their canoes
Town of Oxford is special for me because Christ Church college, Sheldion theatre and street ,bridge of sighs and All soul’s church is here and even if the indian Christ Church college Kanpur is nothing compared to this one , still it one of the first school opened by the British East India company in 1840.
In Oxford I was jogging along the banks of the thames and feeding the swans , water is life as long as the rivers flow so do they sustain life and freedom It was a pleasant surprise to discover that Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles Ludwig Dodgson a mathematician and lecturer [1855-81] in Christ Church college “Alice in wonderland” was written by him to amuse Alice Liddell , the daughter of the Dean of Christ Church college in Oxford .Queen Victoria was so pleased by his best selling story book that she asked for his other books and he immediately sent his books on algebra . Most of his writings and notes are on display in the museum
Charles Darwin and his “ Origin of Species' related collections and specimens can be seen Of course replicas of skeletons of dinosaurs are indeed a journey in the wonderland that is the science of discovery and achievements of various chemists ,biologists and physicts We visited the church which had sent Wesley as missionary to India .Another author is connected with Oxford ''C.S.Lewis " who created the Magical land of Narnia taught in Magdalene College.Edmonton an important character in the Narnia Book series is Sikander Keynes , the grandson of Charles Darwin.
I spoke in Oxford youth centre on the topic ,’Dare To Be A Daniel ‘
Danniel , Hananiah ,Mishael, and Azariah were among the chosen young men.The King had ordered that they shall be fed from the king’s table and shall drink the wine that he drank .They shall receive food and education for three years Daniel requested the captain of eunuchs to give the four of them only pulses to eat and plain water to drink , The captain was afraid to do because of the Kings order , but was surprised to see that the four young men became stronger and more skilled in knowledge and wisdom than the other jewish men When they abstained from King’s food and wine .[Daniel 1:1-15]
Daniel’s great heroism lies in his abstinence from wine and not in the lions den where the angel closed the lion’s mouth . He found favour in God’s sight and he was blessed with great wisdom that was practical . Daniel’s wisdom gave him the career of a King’s wise man and saved the jewish people in the end . Young Men dare to be a Daniel , abstain from smoking cigarettes and drinking liquor .It is indeed King’s food the joy of holding a cigarette between your lips the flavour of nicotine staining your teeth ,the luxury of rolling a cigarette between your fingers . Ofcourse it is considered a style to be smoking foreign cigars . To be accepted among their friends , young men often indulge in smoking and drinking liquor . Later this becomes a habit when they start a their careers and enter a new life . It considered a sign of maturity a show of their new found independence by the new generation , to be able to smoke and drink freely
King Neb-u-chad-nezzar of Babylon built a gold statue and placed it in the market place and commanded that at the sound of the bugle everyone should fall down and worship the golden statue .All the wise men and subjects bowed and worshiped the statue except Hananiah ,Mishael, and Azariah who had been appointed governors of Babylon Since they refused to do so they were cast in the furnace and were saved by the Angel of God [Daniel 3:1-13]
Young men and women beware of cult following , dare to stand alone. In a constant attempt to be different , teenagers copy cinema stars ,their favourite sportsmen ,pop singers or religious leaders .
For the fear of ridicule the young people do as their friends ,to be accepted in the more popular circles . 18-24 years is the most impressional age when young people are easily influenced and manipulated by devious men .
They are often brain washed by so called teachers about great missions on earth . Many terrorist groups recruit poor teenagers and train them in their camps .Send these young men and women as suicidal killers .As we know that the Chaldean people bowed to the golden statue out of Fear , they praised their King by their tongues and not from their hearts .
A DAY WITH GUSHAN ESTHER
I was staying in the house of Catharine and Lawrence Shama , I came to know that Gulshan Esther was their family. I requested to meet her, Cathy’s aunty Ruth who was her friend and caretaker came took us to her home. I heard the story of her miraculous life from her lips. We ate lunch with her , aunty ruth took me the shopping centre
This is the story of sister Gulshan Esther, a Pakistani national living in political asylum in UK .A truly enlightened being ,someone whose life is indeed a miracle . India ,Pakistan and Bangladesh are originally parts of undivided Indian subcontinent before 1947 .
At the age of three ,she fell ill and was struck by palsy losing control of her lower limbs she was the youngest daughter of a rich Pakistani Jamindar [ of royal lineage ] a pious muslim who prayed 5 times daily .Till sixteen years after the death of her mother she stayed in the house cared by maids ,always sitting in a wheelchair
One day some one adviced her father to take her to London immediately her father arranged a visa and took her along with her maid to London .The father and daughter landed at Heathrow and were taken directly to an English orthodopedic .Unfortunately he pronounced that only prayers can heal after examining her legs.
The poor father took his words as a command and flew directly to Jeddha for a pilgrimage to Mecca. Where his close friend an arab sheikh arranged their stay
They had expected that on completing the pilgrimage she will be cured
The father was disappointed that the miracle did not occur .the three returned to Pakistan ,were received at the airport with great fanfare Gulshan was called ” Haji “ [one who had completed the holy pilgrimage]
On her return she became more pious , daily 5 times doing the holy namaz , reading the Koran Sharif always helped by her faithful maid
Both her sisters were married , her elder brothers with their families lived in Rawalpindi .Gulshan and her father lived in Lahore in their ancestral Bunglow
One day while she was doing the namaz [prayer] she heard a voice commanding her
To read the “ Sure – Mariam “ in the Koran every time she did the namaz she heard the command
The holy Koran Sharif is written in Arabic understood by only those who read arabic
Most of the muslims memorise the Koran Sharif and the namaz in Arabic
Gulshan sent her trusted maid to obtain all the available urdu translations of Koran Sharif , now most of her time was spent in reading them.
After several weeks of study ,she came upon the portion where it is written that Jesus son of Mariam has the power to heal
A change came over Gulshan daily 5 times she went for namaz but only said each time
‘ O Jesus son of Mariam heal me”
Unfortunately her father fell ill and died ,her family came for the funeral after 40 days his will was read Her father had left the to her and instructed her brothers to care for her . Her brothers wanted to take her with them ,but respected her desire to stay in Lahore . In the end her elder brother who loved her very much decided to put her monthly allowance in a bank giving her the freedom to use it as she wished and allowed to live with her trusted maid in the bunglow.
Now Gulshan daily 5 times she went for namaz but only said each time
‘ O Jesus son of Mariam heal me
Six months later one night she was sleeping in her room she saw 13 figures standing at the foot of her bed .and her room was filled with light.The person in the center called her “ Rise and come “ Gulshan did not do as he commanded , 3 times he called
The fourth time he rebuked her “ Why do you not listen to me ! All the time you are calling me ‘ O Jesus son of Mariam heal me”
immediately Gulshan got out of her bed and went to towards the central person and fell at his feet and worshiped him .She cried for a long time at his feet
In the early hours of the morning she woke up to find herself in the bed , her dream still fresh in her mind Decided to test her feet and got out the bed without any assistance and completed her toilet on her own . She now believed in her dream and Vision of the saviour she was excited and rang the bell to summon her maids
The whole house was upoar to see Gulshan Bibi standing without help or sitting in the Wheelchair . Infact it was hard to believe her excited family came rushing to Lahore .Every one was happy , but Gulshan bibi had other plans she began to go to church .Started teaching in a girls school ,roaming freely in her father’s car .
The new found freedom she was enjoying was short lived She had adopted some orphan Christian children and lived with them in her house
One evening ,she returned from a meeting and found it occupied by some unsavoury elements who told her to stay out as now it was their home Gulshan protested and one man who was branishing a pistol , fired some shots killing the 18 year old Christian girl
Gulshan bibi along with other children sat near the dead body crying all through the night .Nobody not even the police came to help her to take the daughter to the hospital
In the morning her brother came from Rawalpindi and arranged the funeral of the dead girl. Gulshan Bibi approached the british embassy for protection and they arranged her departure to England .
I had the wonderful chance to meet Gulshan Bibi in person in her home in Oxford of She has been invited all over the world , her biography ‘The Torn Veil’ has been translated in 30 languages A living miracle .
LORD JESUS’S LIBERAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS WOMEN
In Oxford,we stayed in different home for three days we stayed in the house of Mr Bally in Rosehill ,who took us with him in his car to a convention in Southhall the venue was a middle school, lots of Punjabi Christians from Leeds, Birmingham and London gathered . Southhall is a part of England where Delhi and its culture throbs, the streets are lined by street stalls selling fruits ,vegetables. Small shops where salwar kameez and mojri are displayed. There are Indian tailor shops and food products like roti, chappati, papad and namkeens. The whole day was spent in fellowship, lunch was served with volunteers helping. We returned with a Christian Pakistani doctor and his wife, who have migrated to USA. In Oxford we visited the church of Charles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Methodist founder John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley the Younger. It’s a beautiful simple church
I was asked by pastor Masih to conduct a evening session of bible study in the church.This is a summary of my talk .
The Women of the middle east are under shadow of the dreaded Taliban which is in truth emerging as the antichrist . The rules of conduct for women set by Taliban have horrified the modern world The mullahs have declared that women have to cover themselves from head to foot , they have no right to formal education they cannot be treated by a male doctor , cannot buy anything from a male shopkeeper , the women have to stay in house and can move out only with a male escort. If a woman is accused of adultery , she will be stoned to death No woman can drive a vehicle , even a woman foreigner has to follow the same rules.
At this point one is compelled to make a journey 2000 years back Is this a distorted form of Leviticus chapter 20 the jewish book of rules ? Our Lord Jesus had started his ministry on earth and one is reminded how at every step how the Scribes and Pharisees questioned his authority to teach and do miracles Our lord Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for their hypocrisy [Luke 12:37- 52]
Jesus was compassionate and sympathetic towards women and upheld them in various roles as mother , wife , sister , daughter and friend . Pharisees had brought to Our lord a woman accused for adultery when the woman was about to be stoned to death [ John 8:1-12 ] Lord Jesus just bent down and began writing on the ground it is intrepreted by scholars that the Lord wrote down Leviticus chapter 20 where it is stated in such a case both the man and woman shall be stoned to death [ Deutronomy 17:5 ; 22:22 ] , at same time he wrotedown how many times those men present had committed adultery both in mind and body . All those accusers left quietly with revengeful hearts , afraid of exposure . Lord Jesus did not rebuke the woman but forgave her understanding her humiliation and repentance .
Lord Jesus had put down divorce and accused men of hardened hearts he knew how women suffered on account of this law [Mathew 19 :1-11] , A man could divorce his wife but a woman could not do so [ Deutronomy 24 :1-4 ] A divorced woman had to suffer humiliation in the society and could not remarry
The Jews never interacted with Samaritans , though he knew this Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well at noon [she was a woman of poor reputation because she was drawing water alone in the after noon when every one had gone away ] .The Samaritan woman was repentant in her heart for her circumstances and she did not deny when Jesus told about her life , that she had five husbands [John 4: 3-41] According to the social law widow was supposed to marry her husband’s brother then he would support her and her children .Again we can assume that Samaritan woman was forced to marry her husbands relatives It can be possible that , they all had died or were unable to support her . Through her most of the people in the village believed and came to the Lord . Jesus called her in the same manner as he called the fisher men . It was is not eye catching but she began spreading the Gospel , she was brave and truthful she became a missonary of Christ The villagers went to meet the Lord when she told them about the Messiah . It is to be noted the entire villager believed , yet they gave no importance to her simply because she was a woman . Lord Jesus knew about the social customs , psychology of the common people It was very difficult for the people to accept any change, one could not reform a race overnight . A gradual change in thinking was possible. Jesus in a quiet yet subtle manner began uplifting women from their status of secondary citizens . Lord Jesus did not formally include women among the chosen disciples but they were included in the great plan of God .The birth of the Messiah from a virgin’s womb places women in an exalted position as the prophets foretold . The Lord knew the women could not leave their homes due to social taboos , they were the physically weaker sex and insecure He brought them foreward in a different manner , by encouraging them and recognizing their faith
The first miracle in canaan shows the Lords love and great respect for the woman his mother In the wedding feast , mother Mary informs her son that there is no wine left for the guests . Lord Jesus lovingly chides his mother saying , “Woman what do you want of me ,my time has not yet come .Unpertrubed mother Mary bids the servants to do as he commands . And Lord Jesus obeys his mother and turns the water into wine .As this miracle in canaan shows our lords great love and respect for his mother . Again at the cross we see the same love Lord Jesus talks his mother , and says ‘Woman look your son’ words full of meaning conveying his pain , Mother ! look at the tortured and broken body of your son , who grew up in your arms , now the time has come to complete the work of his heavenly father Our lord bade his disciple John to take care of his mother. [John 19: 25-27 ]
Though Adam was equally at fault yet he blamed Eve, and Eve was cursed by God [Genesis 3:16 ]Lord Jesus by his birth , blessed the mother’s womb and was known for ever as Mary’s Son .
Jesus appreciated a widows offering in the Temple [.Luke 21: 1-4 ] He understood her suffering yet faithful heart , rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy . He prayed yet he listened to prayers . He wept and he dried our tears
Lord Jesus was in the town of Bethany , sitting in the house of Simon and Mary washed his feet with her tears and hair , poured perfume over his head [ Math 26: 6-11 ; Mark 14:3-9 ; John 12: 2-3 ] A jewish woman was supposed to keep her head covered and not come in the male quaters Mary entered in the room and annointed Jesus’s feet , he did not rebuke her about her appearance nor actions but praised her in presence of all. He encouraged her and rebuked the host for his hypocrisy that no one present had washed his feet or welcomed him .
In the house of Lazurus [ Luke 10: 38-42 ] Martha went and complained that her sister Mary was not helping her with the work . Martha is chided for not listening to him and learning about the God’s word while he was there .At the same time he does not admonish Mary to go in the kitchen and not sit among men Once again without appearing to do so he favoured the woman and encouraged her movement out of the kitchen and her presence in the male quaters .
Jesus Lord experienced many kinds of relationships . Those that exhausted his energy were perhaps the most common in our lords earthly life for he spent much of his time giving He healed the sick , encouraged the downtrodden and taught the masses. We know that sometimes he must have been worn out by these expriences . He often went away to pray and renew Himself [Matt 4: 23 ;Luke 5:16] Some of his relationship were probably just casual contacts , the replenishing ones encouraged Jesus . They were the relationships with his mother , Martha , Mary and Lazarus ,Nicodemus whose love and presence uplifted him .
Jesus Christ carried his cross to Golgatha , and the women followed crying and weeping for him [Luke 23:27-28 ] The crucifixion was not the completion of his work on earth but his victory over death His death would be vindicated as the resurrection and his enemies would be overcome , the glory of divine justice was revealed by the empty tomb on the third day . Mary Magadalene a woman is the first witness to the resurrection of Lord Jesus and became the first woman missionary by her faith [ John 20:11-18 ; Mark 16:9- 11 ; Mathew 28:9-10 ] Mary went to the tomb ,her devotion and love overcame her fear of the Roman soldiers unlike the disciples who were frightened and sitting huddled together . Mary met the risen Savior , her Rabboni on that blessed dawn . The woman was now formally included among the disciples . The eye witness to the resurrection has a paramount importance in the great plan of salvation . Mary Magadalene has great faith not once did she doubt unlike Thomas who knew about scriptures but did not believe . We may not have a written account of the missionary work done by Mary Magadalene yet it can be said with conviction that she won many for the Lord through her faith and perseverance .
From ancient times men and women have been bought and sold like animals , slavery was a common practice Christ taught his people , love their neighbour as themself love also their brothers as themself . He himself was sold for thirty pieces of silver by his chosen disciple yet He redeems sinners His disciples as they matured in God’s wisdom understood what he meant by freedom . In Paul in his letter to Philemon ,he writes on behalf of Onesimus a run-away slave owned by Philemon a wealthy man .The ironically the supposedly christian world has never been trully christian . History tells us that the african people were enslaved in the United states of America It is sad that black negro people were bought and sold like animals , they were forced to wear collars and beaten with stripes . The policies followed British people in India , has made the entire nation of indian people anti christian . Appratheid the segregation of black and white people was followed in the churches of South Africa . Mahatama Gandhi was ill treated and thrown out by whites in Johannesberg .
Many church denominations still donot ordain women as pastors , they are strongly against women speaking in public places . They are still treating women as secondary citizens . One should remember that lives are won by actions not words . Modern world is under the influence of many political and radical changes, each time a new movement , a new system comes up it brings with it new ways to enslave women . One should step carefully and not continue to repeat the mistakes made by our founding fathers .
Lord Jesus came to change the old order the High Priest who came intercede on our behalf without appearing so also began quietly reforming the social system. Christianity is Christ himself .Hence , it does not depend on physical establishments like church buildings or institutions The christian gospel is a message of God’s love and forgiveness . It brings newness of life to all those who sincerely accept it . The message of Christ has liberated millions of people both men and women of all castes , colour and creed around the world for past two thousand years . Christians are called to follow the a Master who willingly suffered and gave his life for liberating humanity from the clutches of sin and slavery .
UNITED COLLEGE OF THE ASCENSION SELLY OAKS , BIRMINGHAM
I had come to know that the Church of North India offered a scholarship to study in England to pastors and college lecturers and the application has to forwarded through his excellency the Bishop. It includes the airticket and college fees Since I was already going to UK ,I decided to write to the college and request for some study time. I did not receive any reply to my disappointment. We were staying in Blackburn with a young Indian doctor who I had taught in Jaipuria school his parents were doctors in Kanpur. We had kept in touch through email He and his wife were busy at work the whole day . I made friends with neighbours who were muslims from maharastra .They would take us around in the car to the shopping mall.My student got a new job in the Blackburn health centre ,he celebrated and took us for dinner in a pakistani restuarent . In the foyer was a huge brass camel reminding us of Indian brass industry of Moradabad
Blackburn has an high percentage of muslims looks and feels like Pakistan.
There was an community centre donated by the Pakistani criketer Imran Khan where you could study and use the computer.I spent a week in Manchester and later another in Blackburn I lookedup the website of Birmingham university and called the office of United College of Ascension the Principal Dr Israel Selvarajan talked to me The institution was breathing it last and will close down in july 2006 .God gave me the opportunity to visit England, study in Birmingham . Dr Israel Selvarajan was very kind and allowed me to use the library and attend some classes for one week.We were given a nice room on the first floor .
The entire co