Good Morning and Welcome to the Sunrise With Jesus

Sunrise with Jesus is a show that goes up on an Indian channel called Goodness TV at sharp 6:30 am every day.

Maria checked her watch from where she stood, now facing the famous Chalakudy river, famous at least among the 1000s of people who flock to this place to get a retreat, a retreat from the rat race of our lives. 

There were two kinds of people who came here: the pious souls who made a visit to the place every year, and then, the more interesting ones who had a story (mostly tragic) to tell, a story that would lead them to the place situated at the bank of the chalakudy river, Divine Retreat Centre Potta, where miracles happened year after year

Eighteen years in the place, Maria grew to believe this to be her lifestyle now: watch people flock in on a Saturday morning and then see them renewed as they go out on the Friday of the same week. 

Maria checked her watch and sighed. It was 6:00 am, when the real sunrise was happening. At least she got to enjoy that, she smiled to herself as she thought of all the people tucked under their blankets in cosy bedrooms now.

It was somewhere in the middle of August, not exactly winter, but cold enough to make a person want to hit the snooze button, what with the rains that poured in the night. And here she stood, surrounded by cameramen and makeup artists, soon to be on air, on a show called “Sunrise with Jesus”. 

Maria sipped her coffee as she thought about the empty halls that had, for the best eighteen years that she had been there, been filled at this time each day, now empty, with the only sound being the echo of one's own voice, as he/she would enter into the hall. The centre that consoled and brought life to millions of souls over the eyes, now lay there, big empty rooms, nothing but vacant space. 

She sipped again and turned her gaze away from the water. The topic for today was “gratitude”, and it wasn’t a good thing to look resentful on a day when she would be appearing on a morning show to cheer the thousands of viewers now waiting for her presence on air. 

She looked around at the crew. Standing alone here and watching the sunrise was leading her to kill that smile that was so important for her show. Perhaps it would be a good idea to check what the others in the crew were up to. 

She turned, leaving the river alone for a while and made her way to Sister. Theresa. Sister Theresa was one of the choir singers of the place. Married to Glen Larive, they were a couple now, serving at Divine for more years than she had. It felt good to know that so many souls find solace in serving a man called Jesus, helping Him bring back all; those lost sheep into the flock. 

“Maria, we’re going on air in five minutes!” the director called. So much for chatting with the crew. She gulped her last sip before placing her cup by the table nearby and walked to her spot. 

The theme for today was “gratitude”, and the message was the famous way in which God rescued the place which was once drowned by the very river she was standing by now about two years back. And here she was today, to talk about all the ways in which God came to the rescue till finally, there stood the centre, back and intact waiting to welcome the millions over the country, who are equally waiting to enter.

Only she wouldn't be telling them that part where the centre was now drenched in another flood, this one not looking like it wasn’t going to vanish soon, as months passed and people stayed away, the flood called Covid 19. It was sad, but she was on a morning show, giving hope to all, so, just like she should, as the cameras came on, she flashed her brightest smile. 

…………………………………

Joan made her way to the bathroom with a grudging stride, not someone used to early mornings. Thanks to this pandemic, changes were becoming inevitable in her life. A lost job, a marriage put on hold and it looks like it would be quite a while, she needed some hope. She wasn’t the kind to let anyone steal her good vibe, and one way she was going to fight this was by rising early in the morning. 

Making her way to the kitchen, she fixed a cup of coffee, then turned on her TV. It was time for her daily morning routine, that part of the day that seemed to make an entire difference to all that it looked like she would have to go through for a while, the morning show from Divine Retreat Centre, called the Sunrise with Jesus.

It was a sharp 6:30 and Maria’s bright smile shone on the screen, just what she needed this morning. She smiled. 

….

And it’s not just Joan…

As Maria began her show for the day, thousands across the nation sat before their screens, sipping their morning tea, smiling at the lady named Maria who brought light into so many souls with her daily morning message, on a TV show named “Sunrise With Jesus”!

And you can be a part of it too. Sunrise With Jesus is a morning TV show that airs on Goodness TV every day for all those who, like you and me, are looking for some hope to hold on too, in the difficult days of this pandemic. 

And as Maria ended her show that day, little did she realize the number of grateful souls that switched off the TV that day, as they went about to face the day, a smile on their faces, a smile emanating from the smile of Maria, whose smile emanated that of Jesus, as she hosted the daily TV show, the show called “Sunrise with Jesus”.