‘Most Precious Gift in the World’

KERALA, India — The day after the exhibition in Trivandurum, en route to a branch meeting in the town of Adur, up in the beautiful Western Ghat hills, we stopped for half an hour at an old people’s home, run by the local Mar Thoma Mandiram Jubilee Church. And this brief visit turned out for me to be a highlight of the whole trip, and indeed an experience which I will never forget as long as I live.

First of all we met the young director, who told us that the home was started by the Mar Thoma church in 1966, and now takes care of 50 elderly and disabled people. It is financed primarily by the church, but also receives support from the Kerala Government State Welfare Board.

Then we walked into the small chapel, and there we found an old gentleman quietly reading an English King James Bible. Mr Kunyepen Chacko Christ told us that he had been reading the Bible every day since his childhood, though he normally reads it in his mother tongue of Malayalam. Formerly a wealthy man, he now spends his remaining resources on the preparation and distribution of Christian literature.

Then we went to see the former warden of the home, A J Samuel. At 85 years old, Mr Samuel has lived in the place for 30 years, and he served as warden from 1966 to 1987. His parents were Hindu, but 54 years ago he became a Christian.

Well worn

Although she was a Hindu, Mr Samuel’s mother had given him a Malayalam Bible, telling him that it was "the most precious gift in the world." And this same Bible was now sitting on his desk together with another more modern edition. I took a quick look at the old book – printed on the Christian Missionary Society press in Kottayam for the British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) in 1928, it was beautifully bound in leather, and was clearly well worn and well used. Then I put it back on the desk.

"Every day I get up at 4.00am and read my Bible for half an hour," he said. "Do you know about the work of the Bible Society?" I asked him. "I have been a member of the Kottarakara branch for the last 15 years," he replied proudly. "We do thank the Society for subsidising the Bible because we simply cannot afford to buy at the normal price.

"You know, my mother bought this beautiful leather-bound Bible in 1928 for one and a half rupees." This led me to say that looking at this Bible printed by the BFBS so long ago, and which he had been faithfully reading for nearly 70 years, made me feel that our work was really worthwhile. Then I noticed that he was starting to remove from the Bible all the various cards and pieces of paper that he used for bookmarks, and before I knew what was happening he was making a present of it to me.

Now, as I write this report, I have this worn old book sitting here on my desk. I pick it up, turn the pages – so many of the verses underlined, so many marginal notes in Mr Samuel’s fine Malayalam script – and remember how moved, and indeed, how disconcerted I was at the moment when I realised just what was happening.

Reluctant to accept

Extremely reluctant to accept such a gift, and yet knowing I could not refuse it, I told him as best I could that I accepted his Bible on behalf of everyone around the world who has supported the Bible Society through their gifts and prayers. "I have no gift, indeed I could have no kind of gift that I could give in return for such a precious possession," I said.

Afterwards I told Maurice that I had not wanted to accept it; for indeed it was the old man’s most precious possession. Maurice made a very thoughtful and helpful remark in reply: "Sometimes old people pass on something precious before they die, because they know that in that way they will live on."

At all events I will treasure this Bible and will tell this story wherever I speak about Bible Society work, and it is my hope and intention that the book may eventually end up in the BFBS library in Cambridge as an example of a Bible used through a long life of Christian service, and returned with thanks to representatives of those who originally provided it.

Radiant with joy

But this memorable visit was not yet over. In a neighbouring room were two ladies, one of them, Rajumma, severely crippled by palsy. Formerly a Hindu, whose family was unable to take care of her, she had been brought to the home by Christian friends. During the seven years she has been there she has got to know and love Christ and the book which speaks of him.

Her face radiant with joy, she said, "I learnt that it was the Bible that was behind this love that the Christian people were showing to me. I have learnt so much since coming here, and I have received so much love and friendship."

As we left, Mr Kohar, the Kerala Auxiliary Treasurer, said quietly to us: "That happiness on her face, that is something divine, isn’t it?"

This page was last updated on Tuesday, 24th June 1997.