They were strangers who met on a bus. They believe God brought them together. Shobha Warrier reports on an incredible story of kindness and giving from Kerala.
Here is an unusual story of two people from different faiths and different places with the hand of God uniting them in a bus. And this chance meeting is going to change both their lives.
Father Sebastian is a 41-year-old Catholic priest from Kottayam, presently stationed at Chalakkudy. Rasad Mohammed is a 30-year-old from Alappuzha urgently in need of a kidney transplant.
Father Sebastian and Rasad, both strong believers in their faiths were sitting next to each other in a Kerala State Transport Corporation bus on their way to Kochi and that was when the priest offered to donate one of his kidneys to the young Muslim man.
It was as if God Himself appeared in front of the young man in the form of the priest and blessed him with a new life.
Father Sebastian
Father Sebastian grew up in a very religious Catholic family with his parents encouraging him and his brothers to attend mass every Sunday. He grew up seeing how priests helped others, and slowly was attracted to it without him realising it. When he was a very small boy itself, his only elder sister had joined the nunnery.
Though he was a topper in school and in the district, he chose to be a priest. "From when I can remember, I have been drawn to the life of a priest. In school, when teachers asked us who we wanted to become, I always answered, a priest. May be my frequent visits to the church and my only sister becoming a nun had an impact on my decision," says Father Sebastian of his school life.
He also admits that there was a period in his life when he was confused about life and what he wanted to be. There was a small desire in a corner of his mind to be an engineer but eventually after the 10th standard, he joined the seminary, and finished his college education in theology and philosophy.
He became a priest 13 years ago and in his large extended family of 350 members, he became the first member to be a priest.
He is one priest whose eyes well up when he sees someone crying or in pain. "It is difficult for me to say the prayers where there is a death. When I see the family members crying, I also get tears in my eyes. So, I try not to look at them lest I find it difficult to carry on with the prayers."
God's presence
Both Father Sebastian and Rasad see what happened on February 25 as something God ordained. "I am a Catholic priest from Chalakuddy; Rasad, a Muslim from Haripad and we met on a bus to Kochi. What a strange coincidence! Without God deciding it, how can this happen? Both of us believe in our respective religions fiercely," Father Sebastian says.
He also strongly believes that there is only one God and that God has decided that they meet. "As per my religious beliefs, there is nothing more than giving one's life to someone and God has given me the opportunity to give a part of my life to a person so that he gets a new lease of life. I am talking about what am doing only because I will be blessed if this can inspire at least one other person."
Rasad could only say, "What Father Sebastian has given me is another life which I never thought would happen, or at least happen this way."
Message Father Sebastian wants to spread
The only message Father Sebastian wants to spread is, "we may be following different faiths but all of us should remember that there is only one God and He represents love and kindness. And in front of death, there is no religion. I sincerely hope nobody will impose their faith on others and nobody would fight in the name of religion.
Religion never came to my mind when I wanted to help Rasad; the only thoughts I had were of love, peace, brotherhood and humanism."
Photographs: Courtesy: Malayala Manorama Text and Image Shared from Rediff News
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