Doing The Lord's Work
Nimi Kurian
22 October 2007, 11:05On Monday morning when the phone rang, Immanuel felt a cold fear creep up his spine. He had some premonition about the call. Heart beating, he answered. Yes, it was a bad call. It was the bank — telling him they cannot clear the cheque for there were no funds in his account. Luckily for him, his wife had already left for work. But the bank would call her too, he knew that. Immanuel wanted to swear…but swearing was not allowed. Good Christians don’t do that. Suppressing his frustration and rather depressed he walked to the office.
It was a large compound, with three cottages, the office, the boarding house and of course the General Secretary’s bungalow with its sprawling garden and gazebo. There was also an orchard that ran down into the valley and met up with the river.
The view was amazing — surrounded by blue hills, slow, undulating and most often covered in a hazy mist. But none of this pleased Immanuel. All he wanted was some more money. He knew when he got home in the evening, his wife would have something to say too! She always did.
When Ranjith Devakirpa, the General Secretary came into the office Immanuel, Peter (who was the senior field officer) and Mrs Dastur the secretary stood up. Devakripa, was short and plump. His round, protruding stomach a testimony to his love for good food. He preferred to be known as Brother Devakripa or just Brother.
“Good morning, Brother,” they said.
“Good morning,” he replied. “Praise the Lord.”
Soon, they assembled in his room for their morning prayer. It was only after this that the days work would begin. Sometimes Brother Devakripa would get the spirit in him and the prayer would go on for a long time.
Today seemed such a day. After the Bible reading and the ‘talk’ (it was always a talk, not a sermon) which was ‘rather inspiring’, thought Peter, he began his prayers. He prayed long and hard, weeping and crying out. He prayed against the evil forces that were soon to fall upon them, the materialistic attitude of people, the excessive love of Bacchus and more. In the end when his energy was spent he wiped his eyes and looked around at his staff, they tried to look away, for he made them feel very guilty. With a final loud ‘Amen’ he finished.
“Today’s prayer was good,” he thought to himself. “Hopefully they are suitably chastised.”
Brother Devakripa had some work in town and so Immanuel had to drive him around. All morning, was spent on errands both important and unimportant. Close to noon they visited their bookshop which stocked all kinds of books. But then, the local people had long since given up any hope of finding anything of interest there. The books on display were old, shop soiled and dog eared. But despite the condition of the books no discount was offered. But Brother Devakripa wanted it to be that way. As he walked into the bookstore he smiled.
“Yes, this is how it should be. Just old books, the place dark and desolate,” he thought to himself. He shuddered as he remembered his BIG mistake. He had hired a woman to manage the bookshop. Actually, he had hired her because she was going through a bit of a problem with her marriage, and he was just extending a helping hand. Oh! But how badly that had turned out! He hadn’t realised how ambitious she was. She got the bookshop cleaned! Cleaned! Can you believe it? He shook his head in disbelief. And then, new curtains! And publishers sending in new books! And a book fair…People were actually coming into the bookshop to buy books. Anyway, he had quickly put a stop to all that. He smiled, as he remembered.
For Immanuel, there were no fond memories to make his smile. His thoughts were on his lack of funds and his wife’s anger at the end of the day. Having completed his inspection of the bookshop they made their way back home. Brother Devakripa had a nice hot lunch waiting. Today he had rice, sambhar, more kolumbu, chicken curry, fish fry and fried yam. He had given strict instructions that there should not be more than one vegetable at lunch. This was followed by a light, fluffy caramel custard with the caramel dripping down the sides — just the way he liked it. Satisfied, Brother Devakripa went to have a lie down. It was tiring doing the Lord’s work, he reasoned.
However, Immanuel had no such luck. He went back to his cold, austere cottage and had roti and sabzi and was back at the office. All through the afternoon he and Peter, trudged through reports — writing and reading them, checked the accounts and planned for the week ahead.
At around four o’clock Brother Devakripa returned to the office. Refreshed after his sleep and a light tea of coffee cake, biscuits and crumpets, Brother Devakripa was ready to take on the evening.
“Ready, Immanuel? We have a prayer meeting at 5.30 with the defence personnel.”
Immanuel sighed. The day had just got longer. Now he knew he would be home only by midnight. And his wife’s scolding still awaited. But he consoled himself as he had been taught. “I am doing the Lord’s work! I am doing the Lord’s work! MY reward is in heaven.”
The prayer meeting was well attended and Brother Devakripa’s talk was a big hit. After the prayer, very discreetly they invited him to partake in the ‘fellowship’. Brother Devakripa was reluctant, as usual, but not wanting to disappoint his hosts for the trouble they had taken for him, he allowed them to lead him.
After a couple of strong shots of whisky inside him, he was more relaxed, jovial and better company. Gone was his discipline and god-fearing ways. Immanuel tried to tell him that they had to get back home but Brother Devakripa was having a good time.
Finally, close to midnight they wound their way back home.
At home, Immanuel’s wife was waiting up for him. She knew about the cheque that could not be cashed, the money that was not there and the money that he was incapable of earning. She was filled with anger and disgust and the fact that she had to work twice as hard to put bread on the table. As she waited, her anger brewed. And when he did show up, she let him have it. The lashing was scathing, biting and absolutely humbling. Having let off steam she went to bed. But sleep was a long time in coming for Immanuel.
He walked up and down in the verandah. He mumbled and cursed. He looked up at the moon that was fast waning and he still didn’t have an answer to his problem. Exhausted, he sat on a chair, and fell asleep. He was awakened with bright sunshine and the chirping of sparrows. The sunbeams fell on him, warming his cold and aching limbs. He had a vision then — a revelation.
All he had to do was ask Brother Devakripa for a raise. He would explain all his difficulties and how his pay was so low that he could barely meet his expenses. “Yes,” he thought, “such a simple answer. Of course, Brother Devakripa who was so compassionate and kind would understand. He would help him.”
With hope in his step he walked to office. “I’ll talk to him after the prayer,” he thought.
After the prayer when everyone else had gone back to their seats, Immanuel lingered.
“Ahh! Mmm! Brother I need to talk to you,” he said.
Brother Devakripa looked up, his eyes red and burning. He was still suffering a hangover, and he was tired. He didn’t have a very good breakfast either.
Immanuel listed out his woes, his troubles, his problems. Once he got started he couldn’t stop. He whined and whinged for almost 20 minutes. He was whining so much he almost forgot to ask for the raise. Luckily he remembered in time.
“So I would like a raise. As it is I am getting only Rs. 3000 a month and its just not enough to look after a family!” Ending his speech he looked up. Brother Devakripa had lost track of Immanuel’s whining a long time ago, his head was hurting and his stomach felt as if it was on fire. All he heard was the last bit – need for more money. He stared at him, unblinking. Then rising from his seat he walked around the table.
Standing next to Immanuel, who was a head taller than him, he looked up and said, “Brother, the devil has been working evil in your heart. How often we have prayed hard to keep him away from our door. But now he is finding entry through your heart. Brother, kneel down and pray. Ask for forgiveness for being materialistic, for craving after the things of the world. Brother, you are doing the Lord’s work and your reward is in heaven!”
Immanuel was immediately filled with remorse. He knelt down and asked forgiveness. He cried in shame, how could he have been so greedy?
And so began another day…
