Spiritual leadership

Seldom in our times has the spirit of Orthodox Christianity found creative expression in response to as many human concerns as through the l...

Seldom in our times has the spirit of Orthodox Christianity found creative expression in response to as many human concerns as through the life and work of late Metropolitan (bishop) Dr Paulos Mar Gregorios. During his lifetime (1922-1996), he stood tall among global spiritual leaders. But he was much more: articulator of the Orthodox Christian faith; Biblical scholar, exponent of sacred traditions; promoter of unity among Christian faiths; ecumenical leader devoted to inter-faith dialogue and co-operation and president of the World Council of Churches, Geneva. His interests saw him as an activist for disarmament, propagator of holistic health and advocate of women’s equality.

His wide interests took him to eminent positions: from being a personal advisor to Ethiopia’s Emperor Haile Sellasie, to being president of the Inter-religious Federation of World Peace. A sought after visiting professor at several international universities, he has authored numerous research papers and wrote scores of best-selling books.

The Sophia Society of the Indian Orthodox Church, which he founded in 1984 as an organisation to promote activities of national unity, community health, social education and peace with justice, instituted the Paulos Mar Gregorios Award after his lifetime. The first award in ’97 was conferred upon His Holiness the Dalai Lama. This year, it is going to Dr Baba Amte, the globally acclaimed social worker who dedicated his life to the care and rehabilitation of leprosy patients.

In fact, Paulos Mar Gregorios embodied this spirit of compassion and he sincerely believed that his mission was to live a life of suffering and compassion as Jesus Christ lived. Throughout his life, he identified himself with the suffering and the poor. He set up balbhavans to take care of young children and also balwadis for their education. St Luke, chapter 4, says: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me;he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor; he has sent me to heal the broken-hearted and to announce that captives shall be released and the blind shall see, that the downtrodden shall be freed from their oppressors and that God is ready to give blessings to all who come to him.” This was reflected in Paulos Mar Gregorios’s life: that suffering is an integral part of life which leads to tolerance and spiritual maturity which finally gives hope for a better future.

Take his last days for example. Defying serious physical discomfort and partial paralysis, he would often try to lead life normally and say and believe that all his suffering and physical pain in the last days was a way to purify himself so that he can draw even closer to God.

The writer is secretary, Sophia Society, and a vicar of the Indian Orthodox Church, Delhi