From the book, ‘Mother Teresa of Calcutta, A Personal Portrait,’. . .
“Mother Teresa’s great influence on the many people who met her became clear to me for the first time in the case of a high-ranking Indian police officer who accompanied us on a long trip. At first I did not like him at all; he appeared to be a know-it-all and gave instructions rudely. He made it plain to us that he wanted no part in religious matters and was only doing his duty. On the second day he already seemed considerably mellower. After Mother Teresa had given a short speech at one of our stops along the way, we took a short break before continuing our high speed drive to the airport. At the end of the short break the policeman asked if they could say goodbye to Mother Teresa there. The officer who had been so unlikable at the start was no longer arrogant or aloof. Big tears rolled down his cheeks as he touched Mother Teresa’s feet in the traditional Indian darshan (respectful farewell) and asked for her blessing. Mother Teresa offered them just one sentence from the Bible:”When they see your good works may they give glory to God who is in heaven” (Mt 5:16).
In the car on the way to the airport, I had a lesson from Mother Teresa: “Father, our witness for Christ must always be of such a kind that people cannot decide against Him by mistake!” This was the kind of witness that Mother Teresa herself gave to countless people whom she met. The police officer dealt with all the formalities for us and even accompanied us til we boarded the plane, but now everything he did came from his heart, perhaps clumsily and overexuberantly, but with joy and gratitude. ~From the book, ‘Mother Teresa of Calcutta, A Personal Portrait,’ (Ignatius Press Distribution, Fort Collins, CO, 2011), p.157
(Posts with a preamble asterisk * are for a more general audience, and not specific to teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)
