Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The Funeral Of The Archbishop Dr. M.A. Thomas

The funeral service for the Archbishop Dr. M.A. Thomas was an outpouring of love and respect from a community that he loved and which he served with compassion.  Before the formal funeral service, which would be held on December 9, 2010 at the Faith Worship Center located on the grounds of the Emmanuel Children’s Home at Raipura, a steady stream of mourners visited the Bishop’s House sanctuary of the Kota Junction church, as the body of M.A. Thomas was available for viewing both day and night, with seminary students keeping a prayerful vigil, leading up to the day when he would be finally laid to rest. 

At advance memorial services, an endless procession of individuals that had been touched by this great man of God offered their own emotional eulogies, as words and memories were shared in the midst of song and prayer.  These pre-funeral services were highlighted by the words offered by the surviving siblings, children, and grandchildren of Dr. Thomas, as each, in turn, took the opportunity to give voice to that which so many were feeling.  Though this was a time in which the family was given the opportunity to speak, the sentiment amongst those in attendance was quite clear, in that all were made to feel, by M.A. Thomas, as if they were family, with the vast majority joining the exceedingly large chorus of those that looked to him as their “Papa.” 

At the conclusion of these services, the time had come to relocate to the Raipura orphanage for the funeral service that would see attendance of nearly five thousand.  The caravan, composed of hundreds of vehicles that accompanied the open-bed truck that carried the casket containing the body of M.A. Thomas, crowded the streets and stretched for miles.  As the procession snaked its way through the streets of Kota, a sense of hushed awe and respect for a life of tremendous impact came over the bustling streets, with many bowing and saluting the body as it passed. 

Celebrants and mourners poured onto the grounds of the Emmanuel Children’s Home, crowding the sanctuary and filling it to capacity.  Truly, a great man of God---a great man by any standard of measurement---was being honored on this day.  The official and final service, presided over by Dr. Sam George, son-in-law of M.A. Thomas, began with the singing of several of the Archbishop’s favorite hymns---To God Be the Glory, Amazing Grace, & How Great Thou Art.  This was followed by a reading of the twenty-third Psalm, which, though regularly recited at funerals, took on a significantly deeper meaning when connected with a man who truly and fervently believed that God would provide for every need, who walked through the valleys of death’s confrontation, who embodied the goodness and mercy of God, and who took the house of God with him wherever he went. 

The choir sang songs that had been written and composed by M.A. Thomas, thus serving as a reminder of the tremendous gifting of the Spirit of God that had been poured out on this remarkable man.  Words of consolation were offered by Dr. K.C. John (founder of Bible Chapel), the Revered Samuel Abraham (younger brother of M.A. Thomas), Dr. David Byrd (board member of Hopegivers International), Dr. A.F. Pinto (founder and president of Ryan International Group), Dr. D. Brahm Dutt (President of All India Lepers Federation, and Dr. Sam George.  Following this, the grandchildren took yet another opportunity to say goodbye to their grandfather, singing one of his songs as a group, standing together as a vocal and living testimony to the blessed life of a faithful man.  The “message of peace” was brought by His Eminence the Most Reverend Dr. K.P Yohannan (founder of Gospel for Asia and Metropolitan of Believer’s Church, India), who spoke of M.A. Thomas as a friend, a mentor, a brother, a father, and as an inspiration in all that he undertakes in the Lord’s service.  Finally, the son of M.A. Thomas, the Bishop Dr. Samuel Thomas, stepped to the pulpit, to deliver the “message of hope,” reminding the assembled crowd that there is a hope beyond death, and inviting those that did not yet share in the faith and hope that was held by M.A. Thomas, to join in that faith and claim Jesus as their Lord. 

Throughout this entire ceremony, an unbroken stream of people, beginning with the orphan children of Raipura to whom M.A. Thomas had dedicated his life, made their way to the front of the sanctuary, to stand before the casket containing the body of the man of service and compassion.  They sprinkled flower petals, laid wreaths and bouquets, bowed, prayed, and wept.  Men and women of various faiths and creeds---Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu---those to whom M.A. Thomas stretched out his hands without discrimination, came to honor the man who purposefully and conscientiously embodied the cross on a daily basis for more than fifty years, who bore the image of God in and for this world, and who served and serves as an inspiring example of what God expects from those that are called to make manifest His kingdom on earth. 

As the service closed, in song and prayer, hearts were both joyous and heavy.  The casket was carried through the front doors of the church sanctuary---carried towards the place of burial.  While on this path the casket was set down and re-opened, giving those that dearly loved this man one final opportunity to pass by and view the face that so radiated God’s glory.  Finally, the casket was carried through the teeming masses to the place in which it would be lowered into the ground.  Appropriately, Dr. Samuel Thomas read from the fifteenth chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, celebrating the resurrection of Christ and the promise of a resurrection to come.  As the casket was placed in the ground, adjacent to the burial plot of his beloved wife, Dr. K.P. Yohannan led the assembly in prayer.  As final good-bye’s were offered, thousands of voices joined together in the singing of “Blessed Assurance,” serving as a reminder that though M.A. Thomas is no longer physically present with us, he most assuredly lives, standing in the presence of God. 

Dr. M.A. Thomas lived as a friend of the friendless, a defender of the defenseless, and as a preacher of the Gospel of Christ.  Undoubtedly His Lord has said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” 


Message Delivered by Dr. David Byrd:
He did not die a martyr’s death, but he lived a martyr’s life.  Along with that, I must say that I feel completely unworthy to share a platform with so many that are also living martyr’s lives.

To my dear friend Samuel, to Elizabeth, to Mary, and to all of the family and friends that are here gathered, and with whom I feel a special kinship, I would like to express, on behalf of my family, and especially on behalf of my beloved and departed father---without whom I would have not had the opportunity to be a servant of this incredible mission---what an amazing and humbling privilege it is to be here today, and what a blessing it has been to be allowed to participate in this great work.  Please know that, along with you, my heart lies heavy.  Together with that, I share with you my sincere desire to continue to have a hand in achieving the vision that has been cast by this noble servant of God, and I ask that you continue to count me, my family, and my church as a willing partner in these efforts.

We have often heard that there is no greater love than that a man lay down his life for his friends.  As you all well know, for the Archbishop Dr. M.A. Thomas, every man, woman and child was a friend. Though there were many that counted themselves as his enemies, and though he endured real and sustained persecution, and though his life was ensconced within true spiritual warfare, he saw no one as an enemy.  Of course, none of us will ever forget that the word that would so often escape his lips when he preached would be “friends.” 

Quite frankly, and I do not say this lightly, and though his labors were performed in obscurity as far as the majority of the world is concerned, I declare to you that this was the greatest man to grace the face of this earth in these last eighty years.  In a century that may have seen the execution of more evil than any other time in human history, this man held a candle to the darkness and embodied the cross, preaching and living out the kingdom of His Lord.  Indeed, when it comes to our responsibility to make manifest God’s kingdom on earth, it can be said that he shows us the way.  If we need an example of what Christ expects from His people, one has been graciously provided.

If anyone was to wonder what drives me to serve, and what it is that inspires me in all that I undertake, the answer is to be found in the life of this man. For me, and this is said with all necessary propriety, this is Jesus.  This man---a man that withheld his goods from no one, who turned his cheek, who opened his home, who shared his table, who gave all that he had unsparingly, yes, who laid down his life in service to the kingdom---is a glorious representation of the One that we call our Savior. Naturally, all of us would do quite well to emulate the stirring example of M.A. Thomas, recognizing that he walked a path of which many speak, some contemplate, but few dare to tread.

As I stand here today, I hope to adequately represent the arms that are stretching out from around the world, to join hearts and hands with those who mourn this loss that we feel.  While weeping does indeed endure in the night that has been left to us with his passing, we take care to celebrate his work, pledging with all sincerity and determination to pick up that candle---which has been passed to us as a blazing torch---and continue to wield it against the dark forces that attempt to dissuade us from reaching out to all and sundry, with hands of service, marked with grace, with love, and with compassion.

As we continue to take up the charge to proclaim the death and Resurrection of Jesus---to preach Christ crucified and glorified---let us also proclaim the faithfulness of our God, honoring the presence of His Spirit in His servant, thankful for the example of a cruciform life that we have been given in our own day, which is that of our much beloved M.A. Thomas.    

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