Musahars are a people group in Bihar and also Uttar Pradesh, who are poor landless laborers. They survive by killing and eating rats. They were also listed as criminal tribes. Sudha Varghese found these people need awareness and a determination to overcome it. She visited them on her bicycle in the Danapur area. To gain their trust, she ate rats as they would. That was a rite of passage for her. People trusted her and gradually brought a transformation by living with them for three decades. As a nun, she brought education and enlightenment to them. Children got an education, women were empowered to have some income, and the upper caste men who exploited the women now knew they would end up in jail. Some have got government jobs. She was awarded the Padma Shree by the Union government and Bihar made her vice-chairman of State minority commission. (A J Philip, Indian Currents, 12 November 2023)
Compelled by love: Paul writes that Lord Jesus Christ’s love compels his people to go and serve among people. (II Corinthians 5:14) The people who are marginalized and unloved, receive love through missionaries like Sudha Varghese.
Care: People do not care, unless they realize we care for them. Will an educated woman who speaks a different language be accepted by the marginalized community? Sudha cared for them and was willing to dine with them. Her love and care earned her trust, and she was able to serve them to bring transformation.
Catalyst: Mission brings transformation in the lives of people, who receive the gospel in faith. Children as they attended schools, realized their potential. The Musahar children were no less competent than other privileged children. When given a level playing ground, all children could excel. Missionaries are catalysts who take the great resources of Scripture and the Spirit of God by serving people.
Competition: Is there anyone willing to eat rats with such people and provide a holistic mission? There are no competitors for such missions from other religions or secular or political leaders.
Do I engage in the world to transform through the gospel?