A Life well spent in God's service written by an old friend.
I have known Fr James for many years. My parents were both teachers at St Johns and James came to teach there so I knew of him. But we really got to know each other and become friends when we both acted in a play (Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde) St Johns produced. James had a commanding voice and spoke so well he was a hit. Soon after I left for Peradeniya and he left for England to study for ministry. When I met him after his return from England he narrated a story which showed how witty he was. While travelling by train in England he got talking to a little old lady who asked him what he was doing there. He told her he was at university studying theology. The lady remarked "How nice, and how many natives are there with you there?" To which he replied "Madam they are all natives I alone am a foreigner!"
After I graduated I started as teacher at Chundikuli and when James returned he became the chaplain at St Johns.
After I married my husband Ariam Niles and I visited James at his abode at St Johns called the Armory from time to time. He was an entertaining person and we had such interesting and God honouring talks.
There were gaps in our meeting each other because I moved after a short stint at teaching to take up an appointment at the University in Peradeniya. But then Fr James came to the university as chaplain. By this time he was married to Latika who I knew from SCM camps we attended and perhaps when we were students although she was junior to me. So we continued to meet them and socialise with them.
All the time I knew Fr James I knew about his deep commitment to God and a strong desire to serve Him.
I always felt challenged and up lifted by his preaching. He was very articulate and had a accent which was the envy of all of us.
Although we didn't live in the same place all the time we did keep in touch. At one time in the early 1980s I went to teach in Nigeria. It was a very troubling experience. When I was home I met Fr James one day and after listening to my tale of woe he asked me' "So, Sushila what did you learn from this experience? I replied "I learnt more about God. about other people and about myself".
We moved to Australia but always tried to visit Latika and James whenever we returned to Sri Lanka for a visit. We enjoyed good friendship and appreciated what a true servant of God he was.
One last comment I would like to make is ; Once while we caught up with him he told us that at a funeral the officiating priest instead of saying the phrase "in the midst of life we are in death" had said "in the midst of death we are in life". At this time it is appropriate to ponder on this thought. Fr James has now attained new life and is now resting from his labour. As it says in Revelations 14:13 Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on "yes" says the Spirit. "they will rest from their labour for their deeds will follow them"
My deepest heartfelt sympathies to Latika and the children.
Sushila Niles
A Life well spent in God's service written by an old friend.
I have known Fr James for many years. My parents were both teachers at St Johns and James came to teach there so I knew of him. But we really got to know each other and become friends when we both acted in a play (Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde) St Johns produced. James had a commanding voice and spoke so well he was a hit. Soon after I left for Peradeniya and he left for England to study for ministry. When I met him after his return from England he narrated a story which showed how witty he was. While travelling by train in England he got talking to a little old lady who asked him what he was doing there. He told her he was at university studying theology. The lady remarked "How nice, and how many natives are there with you there?" To which he replied "Madam they are all natives I alone am a foreigner!"
After I graduated I started as teacher at Chundikuli and when James returned he became the chaplain at St Johns.
After I married my husband Ariam Niles and I visited James at his abode at St Johns called the Armory from time to time. He was an entertaining person and we had such interesting and God honouring talks.
There were gaps in our meeting each other because I moved after a short stint at teaching to take up an appointment at the University in Peradeniya. But then Fr James came to the university as chaplain. By this time he was married to Latika who I knew from SCM camps we attended and perhaps when we were students although she was junior to me. So we continued to meet them and socialise with them.
All the time I knew Fr James I knew about his deep commitment to God and a strong desire to serve Him.
I always felt challenged and up lifted by his preaching. He was very articulate and had a accent which was the envy of all of us.
Although we didn't live in the same place all the time we did keep in touch. At one time in the early 1980s I went to teach in Nigeria. It was a very troubling experience. When I was home I met Fr James one day and after listening to my tale of woe he asked me' "So, Sushila what did you learn from this experience? I replied "I learnt more about God. about other people and about myself".
We moved to Australia but always tried to visit Latika and James whenever we returned to Sri Lanka for a visit. We enjoyed good friendship and appreciated what a true servant of God he was.
One last comment I would like to make is ; Once while we caught up with him he told us that at a funeral the officiating priest instead of saying the phrase "in the midst of life we are in death" had said "in the midst of death we are in life". At this time it is appropriate to ponder on this thought. Fr James has now attained new life and is now resting from his labour. As it says in Revelations 14:13 Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on "yes" says the Spirit. "they will rest from their labour for their deeds will follow them"
My deepest heartfelt sympathies to Latika and the children.
Sushila Niles
