Arches of life!

Every time, I come across arches of trees over a road, I am reminded of, what late Dr A.K.Tharien of Christian Fellowship Hospital of Oddanchtaram, TN once told me about the profession of medicine: 'We are called to provide a shelter for people in their journey of life'! 

Dr Tharien having grown up in the pre-independent India, in a rural part of central Travancore, was keen to study medicine. But the opportunity for someone who grew up in a rural setting was not bright. When there was an opportunity to apply to the Miraj Medical College, in 1943, he did apply. When he came for the interview wearing hand spun clothes, the college authorities were suspicious of him of being an anti-British at a time when the freedom movement was gathering momentum. 

He became part of a group, which he referred to as the 'Miraj seven', who used to meet together to pray and prepare themselves to live and work in a free independent India in the vocation of medicine in the rural parts of India. 

This group became active in praying and preparing for their future and got themselves grouped into two streams: one who preparing to go to North India and the other to South India. One of the two doctors who went to North India, Dr P A Abraham, (the other was Dr Mathai) to live and work at Rajnandgaon, created a new culture of care and wholistic development. On a few occasions when I visited him during my medical training at Nagpur, I felt the noble mission of  his life 'simple living and abundant life for others'! Dr Abraham was a surgeon par excellence and a hunter of some repute! 

The other two doctors, Dr Tharien and Dr Jacob Cheriyan along with one nurse, Ms Kunjamma and a laboratory technician, Mr Cheriyan, moved to live and work at Oddnachatram, a village in Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu, which was a rain starved region, with people even surviving on saw dust for want of food. This group laid the foundation for two significant initiatives in health care: Christian Fellowship at Oddanchatram and the other at Ambilikkai.  These two  initiatives in south India are examples of wholistic health care in rural India. There is enormous health care, training of professionals and educational initiatives in allied disciplines in these two places which are iconic and inspirational initiatives. These two places have been formative in my journey of life. Anna and I owe a lot to Dr Tharien and his family and Dr Cheriyan and his family for investing in our lives and accompanying us.

One member of the 'Miraj Seven', a nurse, Mr P.T.Chandapilla became the first national general secretary of the Union of Evangelical Students of India, which was and is an organisation in India helping students to be followers of Jesus of Nazareth and pursue a missionary vocation.

The 'Miraj Seven' prepared themselves to offer shelter for people living in deprived and demanding situations!

The arch in this blog photo is that of bamboo, fragile, weak, and prone to adversity of wind and storm! We too are such fragile beings, whose strength is a paradox of 'weakness and vulnerability', but called to live and serve, looking unto God, the enabler and provider! 

We are called to provide arches for sheltering others in the journey of life!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)