History of C. S. I. Madurai-Ramnad Diocese Logo
Love Divine by Rev.Lloyd L Lorbeer and Logo of C. S. I. Madurai-Ramnad Diocese
Biography
C.V. JOHN
Born: 03/01/1900
Died: 19/08/1977
Lived in : Pasumalai, Madurai
Birthplace: Nagercoil, Tamilnadu, India
Synopsis
C.V. John, more commonly known as ‘Yovan Vaathiar” in Nagercoil and “Drawing Master iyya” in Pasumalai was born in Nagercoil, Tamilnadu, India, on 3rd January 1900, into a Christian middle class family. His father was the middle class business man and doing business with Colombo from Nagercoil and his mother’s religious devotion meant that his upbringing was infused with the Christian teachings of mutual tolerance, love thy neighbors as your and respect all human beings as one. His unfair preference on caste, creed, colour, religious, poor or rich, etc are the main Christian behavior attracts by every one.
He was the architect of "Love Divine" open air stage in Pasumalai, which was one of the best in Asia, under the guidance of Late Rev.L.L.Lorbeer.
Logo of C. S. I. Madurai-Ramnad Diocese
He was not only doing God’s ministries for Pasumalai CSI community, but also done a great work for our CSI Madurai & Ramnad Diocese. Our CSI Madurai & Ramnad Diocese logo was created by Mr..C.V.John, Drawing Master from CSI Whitin Memorial Church, Pasumalai. This logo was incorporated & approved by our Diocesan council during January 1961 held at Srivilliputhur. Actually this committee started commissioning the logo work comprises the following persons on April, 15th in 1958 :
Convenor : Mr.F.S.Chellasamy
Members : Selvi Nikelson
Selvi Barber
Mr.Raja Rao
Mr.C.V.John - Drawing Master
Logo denotes
The Logo of C. S. I. Madurai-Ramnad Diocese has got its approval in the diocesan council which was held on January 1961 at Srivilliputhur.
In the logo the plain cross which occupies much space and the centre symbolises Jesus Christ who died, resurrected and is living.
The J.H.S. which are engraved in the centre of the cross denotes the first three letters of the Latin phrase “Jesus Hominum Salvator” which means “Jesus the saviour of Humankind”.
A Christogram is a monogram or combination of letters which forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, and is traditionally used as a western Christian symbol. HIS/JHS is also interpreted as standing for “Iesus Hominum Salvator ” , which is latin for “Jesus savior of men”. Some uses have even been created for the English language, where “IHS” is interpreted as an abbreviation of “I Have Suffered” or “In His Service”. Such interpretations are known as backronyms. The Latin-alphabet letters I and J were not systematically distinguished until the 17th century, "JHS" and "JHC" are equivalent to "IHS" and "IHC".
The ship which is sailing in the sea denotes the Church which is the body of Christ and the effort of taking the Gospel of Christ as good news till the farthest end of the Earth.
The fish that is seen in the sea is the sign that the early Christians were having who followed the Lord’s assurance “I will make you catchers of men”. The fish was a Christian symbol. In Greek the word ‘ixthus’ (Ixqus) means fish representing the acrostic “JESUS CHRIST GOD’S SON SAVIOUR”. We can say it is the affirmation of faith of the early Church. At the time of persecution, in order to identify each other, “whether he/she believes and professes Christ”, they used to draw the figure of fish with their toe on the earth. If the other person also drew the same figure, they would come to know that the other person were brothers and that they were having the same faith, and would talk freely. It encourage us to spread this belief of “Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and our Saviour”.
The Bible and the lamp that are seen in the emblem show the knowledge about Jesus Christ and the Bible alone is the lamp for everyday Christian life. The Church seen in the symbol even though it is an Indian village Church it was made out of love for Jesus by missionary work, propagating the Christen faith and Church which holds the Bible as daily lamp; it symbolizes that it should remain within the Church unity.
LOVE DIVINE:
During 1942, a devoted American Missionary Rev.L.L.Lorbeer and his wife Mrs.Elva Lorbeer motivated Mr.C.V.John and other community members to enact the Life of Jesus Christ in a simple way, even an illiterate can understand by the simplicity in portrait, script and songs. Actually Rev.Lloyd L.Lorbeer witnessed a play on the life of Jesus Christ staged in an open air stadium in Germany. He was so much impressed with it that he made a solemn yow, “I will organize similar play on the life of Jesus Christ in Pasumalai”. In the year 1942 and 1943 Love Divine was first staged in part, in the name of “The Dawn” the passion of Christ and the witness of Centurion inside school premises and from 1944 onwards staged full length performance in Arangasalai. Rev.Lloyd L Lorbeer rather called it as a missionary work instead of drama.The rugged placed hill was turned down as a stage by the huge hands of Mr.C.V.John, Drawing Master of Pasumalai Training & Schools. After the staging of Love Divine commenced, Arangasalai passed through a complete transformation. The unwelcoming stage put up at the outset gave way in course of time to permanent structures. The place of the high priest with the upper room above & below, natural stone steps in six places, manger scene, Palace of Pilate and the three crosses were built by Mr.C.V.John alongwith the entire stages. The sceneries and back drops by painting on cardboard or wooden reapers are the main attraction for Love Divine. In those days apart from Natural stages, various steps, the settings to be adorned with cloth, card boards & reapers. He painted on the cloth and card boards (removable) and fixes it in the stages. When you see from the audience side, you can feel the places of Jesusalem, Bethlehem, etc on real by the elegant paintings of Mr.C.V.John.
After created those stages Mr.C.V.John altered two to three times in order to suite for the “screen less natural open air stadium” for the drama of the life of Jesus Christ, “LOVE DIVINE”. Rev.Lloyd L.Lorbeer took so many photos from the German drama and he showed those photos to him. Based on those photos he drew pictures in white papers and visualizes the same stage in the “Arangasalai”. It takes one year to complete this project and every day he drafts the outline and gets approval from Rev.L loyd L.Lorbeer and then execute the same one by one. From the year 1944 the stage comes into a full Stage for enacting Love Divine. As informed by my grandfather, I can remember two persons who accompanied him always and the one was Mr.Christopher Solomond and another one was Mr.Looka. Because, every year before the play (during Lenten days), Mr.C.V.John finished his works and used to return to his house in the mid night with Mr.Christopher Solomond, my father B.M.Samuelraj John and Mr.Looka. At those periods, poisonous snakes, foxes, scorpions, etc. are obviously seen and Mr.Looka, dropped them with lantern light upto his house. During 1957, Rev.Lloyd L Lorbeer left America and handed over this Missionary work to CSI Pasumalai congregation and nominated the following nine Pasumalai community leaders to undergo this missionary project:
Directors : Mr.S.P.Devasigamani & Mr.T.J.Sellathurai
Costumes : Mrs.Sugirtha Samuel
Stage Settings : Mr.C.V. John
Lighting : Mr.Christopher Solmond
Music : Mr.V.P.K.Sundaram, Mr.V.Jeyaraj, Mr.John Evangel & Mrs.Jessie Durairai.
CVJ was very adamant in maintaining the natural trees & plants in and around Aranga salai. I can remember one such incident during 1975s, when I was 14 years old, one big tamarind tree was near the settings of Jesusalem Temple and some office bearers want to remove the tree. He said, if you want to cut the tree, first cut me and then touch the tree by holding around the tree. He is a real lover of nature.
“தெய்வீக அன்பின் திருக்காட்சி நாடகங்களுக்கு முதலாவது சீன்களை வரைந்து கொடுத்தது கனம் C.V.ஜான் அவர்கள், இவர் ஒரு ஓவிய ஆசிரியர் மற்றும் ஓவிய நிபுணர், மிகவும் திறமைவாய்ந்தவர், “Love Divine” நாடகமாக நடிக்கப்பட்டபோது தேவையான சீன்களை அவரே தயாரித்தார். இன்றைக்கும் அவரது திறமையை காட்டிக்கொண்டு, மேல் அறை அடியில் எழுதிய/வரைந்த ஒரு கதவின் சித்திரம் உள்ளது. இதை முதலில் நான் பார்த்தபோது எனது கையால் அந்த கதவை திறக்கப்போனேன்.! அவ்வளவு தத்ரூபமாக அச்சித்திரம் அமைந்திருந்தது. இன்றைக்குகூட அந்த ஓவியத்தை நீங்கள் காணலாம்.”
நன்றி ...ஜே.ஜே.துரைராஜ், அவர்கள், பசுமலை
With love in Jesus Christ,
S.Paul Sureshkumar, MBA (HR)
(Grandson of Late Mr.C.V.John)
S/o Late Mr.B.M.Samuelraj John
15/34, “Rock-View”, Old Vilachery Road
Pasumalai, Madurai-625004.
Mob.:9842971959
Director – Love Divine, Pasumalai & PC Member, CSI Whitin Memorial Church, Pasumalai
Email: sureshshanth15@gmail.com
Website: https://paulshumanmanagement-in.webnode.in/
Thanks to Mr.Devaraj Athisayaraj, Rtd. Teacher, Pasumalai Boys HSS, Pasumalai.
