The late Pastor Susai Joseph was a remarkable servant of God. He was my father-in-law but more than that he was my spiritual father. He was a gift from God to bless the church in India. He had an undying passion to see people reached with the gospel of Jesus. He lived his life to unshackle the church and spur it on to fulfill the Great Commission.
After his passing in June 2021, I was immediately impressed to write about the lessons I had learned from him. I had not even hinted that I would write the book when he was alive. Knowing him he would have had a lot of suggested changes and in the end he may not have been happy with the outcome. So, I think it was best that I wrote it after his passing.
The lessons from my spiritual father were brimming within me. I wrote most of the book in about ten days in the month of July, 2021. The structure of the four sections: Man, Miracles, Mission and Mandate came to me fairly easily and made a good fit for the chapters they contain. With every lesson, I was reminded of stories that helped make the lessons come alive. In a way it was easy to write about such a colourful personality who impacted all whom he encountered.
I wrote the book for myself, for my family, for those who knew Pastor and for the countless others who would read the book and learn lessons from his life. Since writing, I am often reminded of the lessons and the chapters when I am preaching. I use the stories as illustrations in my messages. With each lesson comes a life-story, a saying and a memory that make the teachings so real and incarnate.
We read the book, a chapter a day, to my mother-in-law while she was with us. I could see that she enjoyed them, they were easy to read, interesting enough and sometimes left her asking for more. I imagined reading the book to my grandkids, pausing every once in a while and adding more background information on their illustrious great grandfather. I wrote the book for future generations too.
How easy it is for people, even great ones, to be forgotten. Unless there was a written record, many details of great men and women would be lost. Although Pastor Joseph had at least 2 biographies researched and manuscripted, they were not published because he was dissatisfied with them. Would he thus be forgotten without a biography? Would the lessons I had learned be forgotten too? The very process of writing this book helped underscore and cement in my mind the lessons that I learned from him. I'm so glad that I was given the burden and inspiration to write the book.