Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 48, 11 February 1944, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments

(Supplied by the Wliakatone Ministers' Association).

IN INDIA

"1 don't believe in Missions," a Church member said, "these foreign people are better left with their own religions." ]jn the following letter, written to her home, a New Zealand girl tells of some of her holiday experiences in I'ndia, and mentions some of the Christian people she met in that land :— Another interesting visitor to our camp Mas Lady Maharaj Singh, of whom you probably know as much as I do. She is: a member of the famous Maya Das family—are there not nine sisters? One. of them, Miss Helen Maya Das, stayed with me once in Jagadhri, while on a temperance; lecture tour. Sir Maharaj Singh is a son of the only rejah in India who has ever become a Christian —Rajah Harman Singh, of Jullundcr. This, year he was appointed Prime Minister of Kashmir, from which appointment he resigned after a few months only. Lady Maharaj Singh, being president of the Y.W.C.A. of Tndia, Burma and. Ceylon, had got into tou-ch with two of our campers, Miss Winter, an Australian, who is secretary of the Lahore Y.AV.C.A., and Miss Chaltho, of the Y.AV.C.A. o! Travancorc. She invited us all to supper at her house one night, after taking us down the river in a <'shikara," and entertained us right royally. A truly gracious, lovely avoman. One thanks God for her Christian character and the influence she wields. Church services arc held every Sunday under the shady chenar trees of Nasim Bagh, and Ave have enjoyed them. The last Sunday Ave were there some of us Avent in to evening service at the Anglican church in Srinagar. AVe did not know who Avas to preach, but — well —the church and vicarage gardens themselves move one to silent worship. They are so A'ery, A T ery lovely. The service was conducted by an

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE

IS IT NOTHING TO YOU ?

elderly ■clergyman—probal)ly the canon. The man who read the lcs.« son was much younger, and as .soon as he began to read the Word, one could sense the reality of his faith. Later on he stood up to preach. 1 should like to tell you what he said, but this letter is too long already. As he spoke to a spell-bound con-: 'gregation, without gesture, but with force and conviction. Ti thought to myself "This young man will ijo far in the ecclesiastical world." After the service Ii found that he has already attained —-I had been listening to the Bishop of Tinnevelly! Now "\vo arc on trek. Yesterday we. saw Nanga Parbat at sunrise from the Kamri Pass. To-morrow we begin our homeward trek. The wild ilowers on the hillsides have been, marvellous—columbines, roses, anemones, gentions, primulas, scabias. AVe have found one. hundred and sixty-five different flowers. How I wish you could see them!

I.s it nothing to you who builds God's shrines And array them with golden glow, That millions are dying without the light Because we have failed to know? Is it nothing to you who have the keys To the kingdom of light and love, That the door bolted and all is dark And the Saviour plead,s above? Is it nothing to you, .since faith and hope Have mantled your earthly way, That others are kept in the darkest night And you have the blaze of the. day? lis it nothing to you that, the Bible stays A precious, but sealed up book, And you with the light of the Father's face Could brighten the darkest nook.