59

MY LIFE IN ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE

Going to College meant for me entering into a bigger world and a wider circle of the Christian community. I was afraid to enter this new world, in fact I had expressed my desire to go straight to some seminary after my matriculation, but the good friends like the Rev. N. H. Tubbs, (later Bishop) the principal of the School, and Canon A. W. Davies (now the Dean of Worcester in England) very kindly insisted on my going to college. In the Rev. N. H. Tubbs I had found a great friend and one who loved me very dearly, and who did his best for my spiritual and physical progress. He introduced me to good books, sought every means to widen the sphere of my knowledge, and watched as keenly my moral progress as he did my physical improvement. On the slightest suspicion of my weak lung he sent me to the hills and kept me there for nine months, and not till I had gained many pounds in weight was I allowed to return. It was through him that I had my first opportunity of getting in touch with mass movement work, and attending the Sialkot convention. This was during my first year in the College when, during a vacation, he took me along with other senior boys of the School Hostel to Aligarh, where I had the opportunity of going round the village visiting the Christian community. I returned from Aligarh with a mixed feeling of disappointment and of hope. I rejoiced to see such a large community of new Christians, but was grieved to find on closer acquaintance that a majority of them have little or no knowledge of the Saviour whom they were supposed to have accepted.


60

I, however, saw a great possibility in future of real conversions in that crowd. Subsequent to this visit to the mass movement area in Aligarh, I had a great many opportunities of seeing more of this great work in certain cities of North India.

In College new contacts were made and new friends were gained. In Dean Davies I found another good friend who took keen interest in my future. Silently and lovingly he watched my progress and sought my good. I, however, had now the opportunity of getting in touch with the Christian community; the protected life in the Boys' Hostel had come to an end. The closer knowledge of the community and of older students born of Christian parents, in many respects brought many joys, but there were several who gave occasions for disappointment. Shortly after I had joined the College its Christian Union received a great spiritual revival under the inspiring leadership of Professor R. C. Das (now of Pilgrims' Mission in Benares) with whom, as its president, I was elected its Secretary and soon mission study circles and evangelistic meetings in Mohallas were organised. Leaflets and tracts containing pleas for active Christian services were printed and published. The principal of the College, Dean A. W. Davies, who was not then in the station, wrote as follows on hearing of this new enterprise in the college: "I have just read your note with very great joy and thankfulness and will gladly pray for the success of this undertaking. I am so glad that you have found a field for your work in the Christian Hostel and I hope that this will be the means of leading many boys to devote their lives to active service for Christ. It is a very good plan through these leaflets to try to extend this influence still further."


Table of contents to How a Sufi Found His Lord
Answering Islam Home Page