Page 7 - Good News May 2019 paper
P. 7
Ramesh Raju
ith the nation of Sri burgeoning backpack, which his explosive device outside the the power to sustain her during
Lanka still reeling from appeared to be weighing him church gates - Ramesh was killed these excruciating days. “I love
Wthe devastating bomb- down as he sauntered through the instantly! my Jesus, I love my Jesus,” she
ings that ripped through three courtyard towards the church Raju, who was buried on Monday, cried, with tears pouring down
churches over Easter Weekend, doors. will never know how many lives her face.
some staggering stories of he saved during those final The Easter Sunday terrorist
heroism are beginning to emerge. Without delay, Raju rushed moments, but the families of the attack on churches and hotels in
One such incident occurred towards the man, demanding to survivors will forever look upon Sri Lanka took the lives of 253
moments before a huge blast at know what he was doing there his heroics with an eternal debt of people, according to the Sri
Zion Church in Batticaloa, when a and why he was carrying such a gratitude. Though this is some Lankan Health Ministry.
brave and quick-thinking church large bag. Flustered, the man told comfort to Chrishanthini in her [Source: Rajini Vaidyanathan,
member saved innumerable him the backpack contained a time of mourning, she said that BBC News, Faithwire, Joel News
lives. His name was Ramesh video camera and that he had her faith is the only thing that has International 1123, 26/04/2019].
Raju. come to film worshippers inside.
Still not satisfied, Ramesh con-
On the fateful day of the tinued to quiz the unwelcome
bombings Ramesh's wife, Chris- visitor before ordering him to
hanthini, was teaching a Sunday leave. “My husband sensed
School class, which was held just something was wrong, and
before the main Easter Service. informed him he'd need to get
Once the class had finished and permission first,” Chrishanthini
in anticipation of the church-wide told the BBC.
celebration, the children headed Assured that Ramesh was taking
outside to the courtyard for care of the situation, Chris-
snacks. It was at this point that hanthini ushered the children into
Ramesh, a 40-year-old building the main church, which was
contractor, spotted a man he packed to rafters with some 450 This picture was taken at Zion Church in Sri Lanka during Sunday
didn't recognize. Though puzzled worshippers. Moments later, the School, just moments before the bombing. 22 of these children died.
by the stranger's presence, there ground was shaken with an According to an unconfirmed source, moments before the blast, the
was something else that imme- enormous explosion. Realizing Sunday School teacher asked these kids if they were ready to die for
diately set off alarm bells in that his cowardly plan had been Christ - they all raised their hands.
Ramesh's mind - the man's thwarted, the bomber detonated