Anson Thomas—A Man after God’s own Heart
Mr. Anson Thomas’s name may not be one that prompts an immediate recollection. Neither does his face frequently grace the front page, or the page three’s, of our popular newspapers. However, to the lives that he has managed to touch—in some of the dingiest red light areas in the city— he is nothing less than a hero.
Armed with nothing but a Bible and the love of God, he paves his way into that sphere of society most people like to turn their backs on. As he talks of helping those whose lives are sold for a few moments of pleasure, you find that you are drawn to this noble cause, and you feel the need of having his mission become your own.
Mr. Thomas did not realize this higher calling until the year 1992. It was at this time when during a church picnic he tried to sneak in liquor, only to be later discovered by the authorities in charge. The pastor of the Marthoma church of which he belonged, was a wise man. He asked Mr. Thomas to visit an alcoholic in Mumbai’s Sion Hospital.
Mr. Thomas recalls this time as being a turning point in his life.
He recalls how he found in that place— riddled with victims of all sorts of ills and addictions— what he was really purposed for. He vividly describes how he started interacting with the other patients and how he soon developed a heart for the ones in need. During this time, when walking late one night on the streets of the city, he was confronted with yet another evil, the inconspicuous but much prevalent, flesh trade.
He speaks about this vile practice both empathically and sincerely. He describes the initial moments of fear and anguish he felt amidst calls of women offering their bodies for sale and of vicious brothel owners who lurked around besmirched corners. He speaks of the horror he felt when he slowly grasped the wholeness of this disease, that he found, was eating the society of its innocence.
Today, years later, he is unfazed by corruption and even threats by the unruly brothel owners. He only knows his mission, which is to save and rehabilitate these commercial sex workers, whom he graciously calls ‘sisters’.
In a short time, you become captivated by this uncommon genuineness, and in a society that has forgotten how to blush, you find Mr. Anson Thomas, a breath of fresh air.
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