UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY

The Rev. Josiah Henson (1789-1883) was born as a slave. His parents and siblings were victims of the cruelty of slavery. He led a life of suffering, experiencing and witnessing the horrible life of slaves. Later he escaped to Canada and led a historic mission against slavery and apartheid. He was denied formal education, but by his own efforts became a renowned scholar and a distinguished communicator. Impressed by his vast knowledge and attractive personality, the Archbishop of Canterbury once enquired about the University where he was trained. He replied, “I studied in the University of Adversity.”

History reveals the success of great personalities like Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin who were exposed to poverty and hardship during childhood. They could overcome their hardships by hard work and determination. But they are exceptions.

Adversities impede the development of millions of children. Many are exposed to the disgusting bitterness of poverty and starvation. It is the prime duty of the Church and its institutions to pool all resources for the uplift of the poor, suffering and downtrodden children of our community. Unfortunately some of our institutions, which offer expensive education and health care, appear to serve only an affluent minority. Let us work with Jesus who proclaimed, “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest” {Matthew 11: 28}.

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By Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India. This is Story No. 10 in this site. Please click ‘Older Post’ at the bottom of this page to read previous stories and click 'Newer Post' at the bottom of this page to read newer stories in this site. Please click on a word in the 'Story Themes' to read stories on that theme.