Short Story 2: The Light
Once upon a time there lived a man. His name was Bertrand. He was from California. He was the son of a wealthy business man. One day he went to meet his father in his office and found that his father had been admitted to the hospital. He has had a heart attack. After admission and intensive care treatment, he improved a bit. Then his legs started swelling up, his ECG monitor showed bradycardia, slow heart rate. After an hour of resuscitation he improved gradually but suddenly died in his sleep in the small hours of the next day. Bertrand was then 30 years old. This tragedy was followed by a bitter divorce with his wife taking over custody of his only son. In spite of all this, his business grew and his company expanded to other continents. It grew from good to great. It expanded from America to Asia and reached into India.
In India he started his business operation in the mining town of Neyveli where a open lignite mine was spewing out tonnes of this rare fossil fuel. Lignite, like coal was used to generate electricity. The government was expanding the mines and the heavy machinery was supplied by Bertrand's corporation. On his first visit to India, he was taken on a tour to the nearby location of tourist interest. On the way back, he was taken by his guide to a place called Vadalur, where stood an ashram which was started by an Hindu ascetic named Vallalar. People believed that he did not die but became one with the light which he taught was god. Bertrand was puzzled. "Did he say that light is god?", he mumbled. Unable to answer his questions his guide presented him with the "Classic works of Vallar", which had all the important thoughts of Vallalar penned down by himself before his merging with the light.
He read the book from cover to cover and was captivated by the insights this Hindu sage had. He decided to become his follower and took a few weeks off to join the ashram and see for himself how they actually practiced this strand of light worship in Hinduism. He started attending the fire worship sessions and found that contrary to what most Hindus believed and practiced, this Vallalar was against Idol worship and advocated the worship of light. His followers there were daily involved in light worship. After those few weeks in this ashram, Bertrand returned home and resumed his routine work.
Even as went about expanding his business occupying himself with work and trying to avoid the pain of loss of his father, wife and child, a question arose in his mind: "Who is this God who is light?"
He looked into major Hindu texts and Buddhist writings but could not find an answer. His curiosity became a little far too stretched and every night he kept reading the sacred writings of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. This went on for a year. Then the time came for Bertrand to return to India. This time he guide took to some other places around the lignite mine in Neyveli and took him to an old Danish trading post, now part of India called Tranquebar.
There his guide showed him around the various beaches and museums and in that process introduce him to Zeigenbalg the German missionary to Tamils, who translated the bible into Tamil. Zeigenbalg was instrumental in starting the first printing press and the first school for education of girls in India. After knowing about Zeigenbalg's labour and service for the Tamil people and Tamil language, Bertrand asked for a copy of Bible so that he can for completion sake read through it, though he did not expect to find anything spectacular. He started reading the Bible and kept reading it. He completed the Old testament in two weeks time and started reading the New Testament which starts with Matthews account of the life of Jesus Christ. His story captivated him and he kept reading it daily.
First he came across the word light in Matthew Chapter 5, where Jesus teaches his disciples, 'You are the light of the world'. But he was looking for a God who is the light, not the disciples. So with much disappointment he kept reading and finally reached the Gospel of John. There as he read Jesus say, "I am the light of the world. He who comes to me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life". He immediate gave him chills down his spine. "Is Jesus the light God? Is he the true God who is light?" As he thought about it he feel into a deep sleep. The next day as he woke up; his curiosity reached an altogether different level and as he opened the Bible randomly to 1 John 5 his eyes fell on these particular words, "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all."
This verse convinced him that the God of the Bible, Jesus Christ is the light of the world. He had discovered the God who is light. "Yes!", he said. "It is Jesus".
In India he started his business operation in the mining town of Neyveli where a open lignite mine was spewing out tonnes of this rare fossil fuel. Lignite, like coal was used to generate electricity. The government was expanding the mines and the heavy machinery was supplied by Bertrand's corporation. On his first visit to India, he was taken on a tour to the nearby location of tourist interest. On the way back, he was taken by his guide to a place called Vadalur, where stood an ashram which was started by an Hindu ascetic named Vallalar. People believed that he did not die but became one with the light which he taught was god. Bertrand was puzzled. "Did he say that light is god?", he mumbled. Unable to answer his questions his guide presented him with the "Classic works of Vallar", which had all the important thoughts of Vallalar penned down by himself before his merging with the light.
He read the book from cover to cover and was captivated by the insights this Hindu sage had. He decided to become his follower and took a few weeks off to join the ashram and see for himself how they actually practiced this strand of light worship in Hinduism. He started attending the fire worship sessions and found that contrary to what most Hindus believed and practiced, this Vallalar was against Idol worship and advocated the worship of light. His followers there were daily involved in light worship. After those few weeks in this ashram, Bertrand returned home and resumed his routine work.
Even as went about expanding his business occupying himself with work and trying to avoid the pain of loss of his father, wife and child, a question arose in his mind: "Who is this God who is light?"
He looked into major Hindu texts and Buddhist writings but could not find an answer. His curiosity became a little far too stretched and every night he kept reading the sacred writings of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. This went on for a year. Then the time came for Bertrand to return to India. This time he guide took to some other places around the lignite mine in Neyveli and took him to an old Danish trading post, now part of India called Tranquebar.
There his guide showed him around the various beaches and museums and in that process introduce him to Zeigenbalg the German missionary to Tamils, who translated the bible into Tamil. Zeigenbalg was instrumental in starting the first printing press and the first school for education of girls in India. After knowing about Zeigenbalg's labour and service for the Tamil people and Tamil language, Bertrand asked for a copy of Bible so that he can for completion sake read through it, though he did not expect to find anything spectacular. He started reading the Bible and kept reading it. He completed the Old testament in two weeks time and started reading the New Testament which starts with Matthews account of the life of Jesus Christ. His story captivated him and he kept reading it daily.
First he came across the word light in Matthew Chapter 5, where Jesus teaches his disciples, 'You are the light of the world'. But he was looking for a God who is the light, not the disciples. So with much disappointment he kept reading and finally reached the Gospel of John. There as he read Jesus say, "I am the light of the world. He who comes to me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life". He immediate gave him chills down his spine. "Is Jesus the light God? Is he the true God who is light?" As he thought about it he feel into a deep sleep. The next day as he woke up; his curiosity reached an altogether different level and as he opened the Bible randomly to 1 John 5 his eyes fell on these particular words, "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all."
This verse convinced him that the God of the Bible, Jesus Christ is the light of the world. He had discovered the God who is light. "Yes!", he said. "It is Jesus".
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