Meditation of my heart-14

This Sunbird is one among the regular visiting birds to our garden! 

Following the short interval of respite from rain, this bird was visiting the flowers for its nectar feed. 

I have a sense that it was disappointed as it flew from flower to flower not finding nectar to feed! Following the five days of rain the flowers have a battered look in the garden. There might not be nectar in most of the flowers. 

The Sunbird still had its tuneful bird calls!

What I sensed was the vulnerability of this bird when the rainy season started. It needs its nectar but is depleted of it now. It is an experience of being bereft. 

I remembered a statement the writer Paul,  whose writings appear as  epistles in the New Testament of the Bible, made in the book of I Corinthians 2: 3: 'And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling'.

From the way Paul the apostle expounded the message of Jesus of Nazareth in his epistles and expanded on the teachings to make a scaffolding of attitude, conduct and behaviour in life, one would think of Paul as a 'power communicator' full of strength and confidence. 

In the modern day, people are looking for 'power communicators' who are exuberantly positive, promotional, promising and prominent. 

Paul the apostle presented himself while writing the letter to the people in Corinth in weakness, fear and trembling, which is not what is considered as the strength of a power communicator.

 

But whose message was Paul communicating. He was communicating the message of Jesus of Nazareth, who said to His followers that '...I am among you as the one who serves' (Luke 22:27).

The one who serves is in a vulnerable person. 

If Paul took upon himself a serving role, in his relationship with others, it was likely that  he felt weak, fearful or trembling as he faced resistance or hostility. 

To be in a serving role involves the risk of facing consequences of suspicion, questioning or rejection. 

Dr Benjamin Pulimood, a professor of medicine at the Christian Medical College, Vellore was a teacher with a 'heart' for students. If he found any student missing in his bed side clinic, he would go to the men's hostel in the evening to look for the one who did not attend the clinic. There were instances when he would share with the student what was discussed in the clinic. A few who were defaulters by habitually missing clinics, were touched by this attitude of Dr Pulimood. Dr Pulimood later became the Principal and Director of CMC. 

One such student who later became a surgeon and stayed on in a mission hospital for a life time of service mentioned to me, that 'He saw in the example of Dr Pulimood a serving attitude', which prompted him to change and committed himself to work in a needy area'. 

I remember having a conversation with Dr Pulimood on his visits to men's hostel to meet students who stayed away from  the bedside clinic. He said, 'I did it with apprehension and fear wondering how it would be taken' ! His way of befriending students became a turning point in the lives of some students. 

The risk involved by being in a serving role is genuine. The followers of Jesus of Nazareth can carry only the mantle of service in their heart and practice it! 

Serving is without expecting returns. Serving is self giving with a delightful spirit. 

This Sunbird above reminds me those who live disappointed and go hungry for want of food, shelter, acceptance, affirmation, acts of kindness and thoughtfulness! The Sunbird is looking intently for its feed of nectar!

That is a sufficient reason to pursue the call, ' ...not to be served, but to serve...' ( Mathew 20:28) !

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)