many of the OM faithful at Uncle Madhu and Aunty Esther's wedding - the happy couple in the back row of course. Yours truly second from rightWe did have many 'uncles' and 'aunties' though. Growing up in OM - the commune-like Christian mission that shaped my parents (and was shaped by them in turn) - we were literally part of a large family. Anyone 10 years older to me was an Uncle (or an Auntie if the person was a she).
Uncle Madhu was one of our favourites. He always had a joke and a story to tell. His cooking skills were legendary. His big smile and hugs were looked forward to. Hailing from Orissa - his shape soon enough fit his jolly nature. My earliest (admittedly faint) memories of Uncle were of a thin man - but most of our growing-up years Uncle's shape got him frequent good-natured ribbings to join the "skinny club."
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Today Uncle Madhu serves in various capacities - speaking, networking, encouraging Christian work across the country.
We were talking about our work with people with HIV and Madhu told me a story.
Some time ago a person had come to Hyderabad for some complicated heart surgery. Madhu helped organise various aspects for this person. He was told that they needed a lot of blood before the surgery and so put out an appeal to OM folks to volunteer. In a short time he had 6 men step forward and so took them to the blood bank.
After the testing had been done the lady doctor in charge asked Madhu to come and meet her. "Are you Chrrristians?" she almost snarled. Taken a bit aback, but still maintaining his composure, Madhu answered "Yes, we are ... have we committed a crime?" "What is the 'OM' you are part of?" the medico continued. Madhu explained how young people came together to live with each other and share about the person and love of Christ. "Hmmm" said the doc and dismissed him - telling him to come tomorrow for the actual donation.
The next day the six came and donated their blood. After this was over the main lab tech motioned to Madhu. "I can tell you why the doctor was reacting that way yesterday" he told Madhu.
Apparently at just about the same time as Madhu had brought his posse of donors, carers for another patient from Vijaywada had brought 8 donors to give blood. In the pre-donation screening (usually done under the guise of 'testing compatibility') 6 out of the 8 were found to be HIV positive! The lab techs could not believe it and retested the lot - only to find the same results.
None of the 6 donors that Madhu had brought were HIV positive. All the blood they gave was used - in fact 2 units were left over and Madhu gave permission for it to be used for other patients.
"Blood speaks" said the lab tech.
Indeed it does. The words he said that day burrowed into Madhu's mind. He immediately told the lab tech how true his words were.
The first family recorded in the holy writ saw the terrible murder of brother by brother. Afterwards Abel's blood cried out to God. The scarlet line of blood twists through scripture in various forms. The blood of animals in sacrifices, the various laws forbidding the drinking of blood since people believed it contained a life-force.
Most importantly for Christians - it is the sacrificial blood of Christ that gives hope of redemption. The blood that gives hope that the terrible consequences of our rebellious acts have been paid in full - and that our own spurning of our Loving Father is fully forgiven.
"Blood speaks". It does. Little did that lab technician know the depth of what he said.
Today Uncle Madhu serves in various capacities - speaking, networking, encouraging Christian work across the country.
We were talking about our work with people with HIV and Madhu told me a story.
Some time ago a person had come to Hyderabad for some complicated heart surgery. Madhu helped organise various aspects for this person. He was told that they needed a lot of blood before the surgery and so put out an appeal to OM folks to volunteer. In a short time he had 6 men step forward and so took them to the blood bank.
After the testing had been done the lady doctor in charge asked Madhu to come and meet her. "Are you Chrrristians?" she almost snarled. Taken a bit aback, but still maintaining his composure, Madhu answered "Yes, we are ... have we committed a crime?" "What is the 'OM' you are part of?" the medico continued. Madhu explained how young people came together to live with each other and share about the person and love of Christ. "Hmmm" said the doc and dismissed him - telling him to come tomorrow for the actual donation.
The next day the six came and donated their blood. After this was over the main lab tech motioned to Madhu. "I can tell you why the doctor was reacting that way yesterday" he told Madhu.
Apparently at just about the same time as Madhu had brought his posse of donors, carers for another patient from Vijaywada had brought 8 donors to give blood. In the pre-donation screening (usually done under the guise of 'testing compatibility') 6 out of the 8 were found to be HIV positive! The lab techs could not believe it and retested the lot - only to find the same results.
None of the 6 donors that Madhu had brought were HIV positive. All the blood they gave was used - in fact 2 units were left over and Madhu gave permission for it to be used for other patients.
"Blood speaks" said the lab tech.
Indeed it does. The words he said that day burrowed into Madhu's mind. He immediately told the lab tech how true his words were.
The first family recorded in the holy writ saw the terrible murder of brother by brother. Afterwards Abel's blood cried out to God. The scarlet line of blood twists through scripture in various forms. The blood of animals in sacrifices, the various laws forbidding the drinking of blood since people believed it contained a life-force.
Most importantly for Christians - it is the sacrificial blood of Christ that gives hope of redemption. The blood that gives hope that the terrible consequences of our rebellious acts have been paid in full - and that our own spurning of our Loving Father is fully forgiven.
"Blood speaks". It does. Little did that lab technician know the depth of what he said.
Thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteYes - many Christians have HIV! I hope I am not implying that Christians have 'less HIV than others' - that we are 'better' etc... I was just really struck by that comment 'blood speaks!'.
It is my privilege to regularly drink from the same communion cup as fellow believers who are HIV positive - and to remember the Lord's sacrifice for a sinner such as me by remembering his blood through the Lord's supper.
Regarding male and female blood... All bodily emissions - blood, semen etc. were considered impure under Mosaic law - and there were elaborate rules about purity and purification that involve sacrifices etc. Obviously a Jewish woman will be considered regularly ritually impure when she menstruates. But the same would be said for both men and women after every sexual act etc.
As we are reading through these as a family these days - what strikes me is the seriousness that God has behind the statement - 'be holy (set apart) because I am holy'. The elaborate rules speak to me not so much as a fool proof way to become holy - but of a desire to try and teach us about an underlying facet of the character of Almighty and Alloving Father which is His absolute holiness.
There can be no doubt that these rules have been used by selfish, proud and cruel people (both men and women) to keep others in servitude and under their control over the ages - such is heart of humanity - desperately wicked... But the mere fact that something is twisted out of shape does not mean that it was worthless to begin with.
One of the key understandings that I have is seen ina statement that the writer of Hebrews makes when he points out that Christ Jesus suffered outside the city gate - and urges us to join Him "in His disgrace."
He who knew no sin - became sin for us. And now He wants us too to take on the shame of others.
Challenging - because that is the last thing that I want to do on my own ... but He gives grace...
I met Mr madhusuadan Das when I was in school. He had come with an Om team to rourkela and was a speaker in rourkela Christian church of which we were members(in german club campus).He spoke oriya with an english accent.
ReplyDeleteThen he became Madhu bhai after we became friends with his nephew sanjeev(Laltu). His work in Om is legendary. I pray that God will use him more in the ministry where he is chosen.