This post and video tribute is to my new friend Sukha ‘Sun’ Jogi. Sukha runs a ministry in Ludhiana, India, located in the northern part of the State of Punjab. Let me tell you the story, which I will call, The stranger on Kew Road. And then, if the spirit moves you, take eight minutes to walk Albany Pass with me, JJ Grey and the sparkling sun. At the end of the video you will see Sun’s ministry and the beautiful people of Ludhiana.
The stranger on Kew Road
About two and a half months ago, on a bright May morning in the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames, a stranger with kind eyes stopped me in my tracks. ‘Sun’ told me I had a mark on my forehead signifying a long life—and one free from illness. He said I would live until at least 92 years of age. Sun told me he had just arrived in London from India, where he leads a ministry feeding the poor.
He asked permission to call me “Sir,” explaining that I was his elder. I felt both sceptical and oddly certain that this man, or at least this meeting, was something extraordinary.
Then he started telling me things he could not possibly have known.
In a calm, confident manner, he spoke in broken English, yet clear and comforting. He knew names of people whom I had been close to many years ago, and much more.
- Sun spoke of trials I had faced, years apart, and he knew when these trials happened and how I had managed to get through them.
- He knew I had a grandfather whom I had never met, but who, he said, still walks with me – a deeply spiritual man. (My father’s father, Rev Garland Singletary, was a Baptist minister in rural North Carolina and passed away two years before my birth.)
- Sun urged me to drink more water, to write often, sometimes secretly, and to keep certain blessings hidden between myself and God.
I call you Sun because you shine
He asked me to call him “Son,” but I couldn’t get my head around that, so I chose “Sun” instead, sharing with him an old sentiment I often say to my daughters:
I don’t call you son because you are mine, I call you ‘sun’ because you shine.
We met twice more before he vanished across oceans, yet his voice still reaches me in quiet hours. Some say such meetings are chance. I believe they are the language of God, spoken in the space between two strangers’ steps. Sun prays for me and my family. I pray for Sun, his family, and his ministry.
A renewed focus for my writing
Since meeting ‘Sun’, I have rediscovered a focus in my writing and have produced a significant amount of quality work in a short span. Some individuals, I believe, are placed in our path for reasons we cannot yet comprehend. If you are receptive enough to notice, you might encounter someone who ignites a fire within you.
Albany Passage
During one of our meetings, we took a walk on a special footpath known as Albany Passage. Cathy and I often refer to England as the land of nooks and crannies; in part because there are many charming, narrow footpaths. Albany Passage is the route we use to reach Richmond’s centre in one direction and our local ‘parade-of-shops’ in the other, as well as St Matthias Church.
St Matthias Church stands tall atop Richmond Hill, its spire visible for miles, guiding both locals and visitors. The church is the masterpiece of renowned British archetect, Sir Gilbert Scott. During the day, it is a striking landmark; at night, its illuminated tower serves as a quiet beacon of faith and welcome.
I will never forget the many times Cathy and I have walked this path, and I will never forget walking and talking to Sun.
A tribute to ‘Sun’ on Albany Pass
Below is a ‘sun-splashed’ tribute I made for ‘Sun’ with help from JJ Grey & Mofro, and his song, The Sun is Shining Down. As noted, if you make the entire walk with me, you will see Sun’s ministry and the beautiful people of Ludhiana, India.
Enjoy!
