Ben Bavinck

herzlichen beileid an seiner Familie. ich bin ein alter schüler von jaffna college, vaddukoddai, als ich in der 8 klasse war, ben war uniorschool principal. ich bin der neffe von dem ehemaligen bishop von jaffna ambalavaner.
als ich in 1980 nach berlin kamm, hatte ich etwas schwierigkeiten hier, dann habe ich an bavinck angerufen, und er hat mir viel geholfen. damit konnte ich mein theologiscvhe studium in berlin weiter studieren zu konnten.
ich war sehr dankbar an bavinck.
gott hat uns ihm gegeben, und gott hat ihm wieder genommen.
ich bete in meinen gebet an die familien. 

Beste Familie,

Op Sri Lanka las ik in de Sunday Island dat Ben was overleden. Ik wil jullie van harte condoleren met dit verlies.
Ik heb jullie vader en jullie voor het eerst ontmoet in Jaffna waar ik als adjunct directeur van Novib de projecten van Novib in die streek bezocht.
Na jullie terugkomst ben ik nog een flink aantal keren in Leersum op bezoek geweest. Ik bewaar de fijnste herinneringen aan Ben die ik zeer hoog aansloeg om zijn beminnelijkheid en zijn vreugde in het leven.

Ik wens jullie veel sterkte om dit verlies te dragen,

Lenie Huiskamp-Nuijens 

Beste Maarten en familie,
Allereerst gecondoleerd met het overlijden van Ben. Vandaag pas las ik de kaart op het IISG. Ik was de maanden juli en aug. op IISG-verlof en een maand in Midden-Amerika. Kon daardoor helaas niet op de begrafenis zijn.Veel sterkte met dit grote verlies. Emile Schwidder 

Beste karen,

Sterkte met dit verlies.
wellicht kun je je t Revius nog herinneren (en mij)?
Zou graag nog eens van gedachten wisselen en dit was de enige weg die ik naar jou kon vinden.

met vriendelijke groet, Timea Boross 

beste familie Bavinck,
Net terug van vakantie las ik het overlijdensbericht van jullie vader. Ik wens jullie veel sterkte toe. Ook wens ik jullie toe troost te vinden in de mooie herinneringen aan een warme en bijzondere man, zoals geschetst in het memoriam. Jammer genoeg heb ik zelf te weinig contact met hem gehad.
Vriendelijke groet,
Marlies van Ligten 

My deepest condolences on the death of Ben Bavinck. When I was living in Sri Lanka from 1986-1993, we shared many common concerns. I had a tremendous respect for his wisdom, his knowledge and his courage. As Wesley Ariarajah has said in this condolence book, he was all a mission partner should be - deeply empathetic, without arrogance and willing to take risks for the good of the people.

My second visit to Jaffna, in the early 1990s, was with Ben. I can remember the speed with which we covered the ground, early morning, from Colombo to Kurunegala - the fastest I've ever travelled that road. Things were slower after that. At Paranthan, we moved to motorbyke to reach Pooneryn - Ben steering and me clinging onto the back. It was a visit I shall never forget and has been followed with more visits since.

Ben's love for Sri Lanka and his knowledge of Sri Lanka was incredibly deep. His was a life well lived and I am deeply grateful for it. 

Geachte kinderen van Dhr Bavinck,

Hierbij wil ik jullie concoleren met het overlijden van jullie vader. Ik ben jarenlang zijn behandelend uroloog geweest en heb hem, net zoals velen, leren kennen als een zeer bijzonder mens. Altijd vol aandacht voor zijn omgeving, rustig, reeel, warm en innemend met een ongekende energie. Zijn overlijden moet een groot verlies voor jullie betekenen, maar de herinnering aanzo'n bijzonder mens waar jullie met recht trots op kunnen zijn, moet kracht geven.

Met een vriendelijke groet,

George van Andel 

Lieve Hans, Maarten, Karin, Shyamala.

Het is een eer jullie vader te hebben gekend. Zoveel vriendelijkheid en rust straalde van hem uit, een kracht van het zijn. Dat zijn liefde en warmte jullie blijft omhelsen in deze tijd van veranderingen 

TRIBUTE TO BEN BAVINCK

I could remember Ben and his family as far back as I could remember my life. Ben and his family had a strong and close relationship with my parents when my father was the President of Jaffna College and before. I was a friend of Martyn, Hans and Pipi from the time I was five years old. We enjoyed life so much together in Vaddukkodai. We spent time together at Cassuarina Beach, we had camping in Irannamadu tank, we cycled together to Navageevanam and so much more. Once we were camping at Irannamadu tank and Martyn and I went on a ride in a rubber inflated boat in the tank and we were chased by a crocodile and Mart shouting at me paddle winthy...paddle? until we reached safety. Later we had camp fire barbecue with Ben roasting the meat over the fire for us. They were great times. Later in the 80?s Mart before his marriage visited me in London. In 1968 Ben taught me Christianity (non RC) in Tamil for GCE (O.L) at Jaffna College and I got a Distinction. I still remember how he taught us the theme of the Kingdom of God from the gospel of Mark. I was 15 years at that time and I never forgot that to this day. What made Ben to uproot his young family in 1954 from Holland and made the journey to Jaffna, Sri Lanka? He did not get up one morning and closed his eyes and placed a finger on a world map and it rested on Jaffna and he decided to go there. No, it did not happen like that. It was a deliberate conscious decision of his will. I always pondered what pushed him to make a decision like that, to leave his home land together with it all its comforts in Europe, sacrificing the prime of his and his family?s life. That unselfish sacrifice continued until recent years. The answer came to me like an earthquake. The foundation for him to move to Jaffna was built on his faith on a living God. I have read various testimonies about Ben being a missionary, a legend, a life of sacrifice etc. But, among all that what stands out tall is his faith in his maker and his saviour.
The motto of Jaffna College is ? Jesus Christ the Light of Life?. The college was formed by the early missionaries from the USA in the 1800?s who wanted to carry this Light of God to a dark and primitive land of Jaffna, Ceylon. Some of them lost their children and wives in the raging seas during their journey. Many of them died in Jaffna away from their countries and were buried in Jaffna. Ben and his family followed in the foot steps of these early pioneers. This was the unselfish sacrifice and the price paid for the formation of Jaffna College. Let today?s Jaffna College never forget this. It was their unshakeable faith in their God and the obedience to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ?.? Go into the all the world and preach the good news?. This relentless sacrifice of these missionaries including Ben was the foundation for my education at Jaffna College and to the formation of my life. Ben was part of my faith and my life. Ben and his family planted a seed in my life when I was 5 years old which I did not even recognise until 35 years later when I followed in his footsteps to be obedient to carry the same Light of God he carried unto the nations of this world. I can still very vividly remember the sermon Ben Bavinck preached at the Vaddukoddai Cathedral on the first Sunday evening after Mr.Balasingham?s ( former Principal of Jaffna College) funeral on the subject of death from the scriptures 1 Corinthians 15:55 ? Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?? I learnt from Ben and his family unselfish sacrifice, dedication, obedience, integrity and love. They were the foundation stones for my life as they were for their lives. Ben visited me at home in London in 1997 after my graduation from the Theological Studies and we discussed many things about Jaffna and Sri Lanka and our faith.
I can write so much of Ben, but for me he gave something which is priceless and turned the whole course of my life. He planted in me the seeds for my faith in a living God. I will be eternally thankful to my God for the life of Ben and I sincerely thank his family for sharing him with us.

For this I salute Ben Bavinck as a fellow soldier in the Kingdom of God.

Winthrop Jeyasingham
24th August 2011 

Ben Bavinck was a good man, very dedicated to the cause of justice and peace. I counted him among my best foreign friends. May God now give him eternal repose. My special sympathies to Shiyamala.

Paul Caspersz, sj 

Lieve Familie van Ben,
Het overlijden van Ben heeft mij ontroerd. Wij waren zeer verbonden door onze gemeenschappelijke inzet, zowel voor de bevrijding van Zuid-Afrika (toen ik bij de WCC werkte) als voor de Tamils in Sri Lanka. Een aantal jaren geleden heeft Ben nog bij ons gelogeerd in Genève, waar wij nog wonen. Ik meen dat één van jullie toen met hem meekwam. Ben's heengaan betekent voor mij dat weer één van de getrouwe makkers en vrienden uit de jaren 60-70 naar de andere oever is overgegaan. Na een lang en bewogen leven, heeft hij dan nu de rust gekregen waarnaar hij verlangde
Ik voel mij bevoorrecht met hem samengewerkt te hebben.
Jullie allemaal veel sterkte bij het verwerken van dit heengaan.
Boudewijn Sjollema 

Beste familie Bavinck,

Ik ben onderweg naar mijnvakantie plek.. bericht meneer Bavinck is overleden!
Het lijkt kort geleden dat ik hem voor het laatst heb gezien, maar ik herinner me hem als een man met heel veel levenswijsheid, een warme persoonlijkheid en een heel groot hart en een enorme betrokkenheid bij de wereld en (SLW) Sri Lanka vooral Sri Lankanen in het bijzonder.
Ik heb de heer Bawing leren kennen in Nederland, ik vond het heel bijzonder met hem een gesprekin mijn eigen taal te hebben.
Meneer Bavinck heeft een lang en actief leven gehad. Hij blijft in onze herinnering voortleven.
Beste Familie Jullie zullen hem vast enorm gaan missen en ik wens jullie allemaal veel sterkte!

Rajah Sagarajah
Alkmaar, Nederland. 

A Life Well Spent
It is not always that one feels so deeply and profoundly thankful to God, when someone passes on, for a life so well-lived, and so fully spent in the service of others. Many will remember Ben as a dedicated teacher, supportive co-worker, committed missionary and genuine friend. All these are true, and I myself felt a profound sense of loss of a close friend when I heard the message. He never failed to visit and have a meal with me and Shyamala at Madison, NJ, or in Geneva, whenever he came to these places in the course of his work or to visit his family. When he called to make these appointments he would end the call asking me, ?My Shiyamala is fine, how is yours doing?? pointing to the fact that my wife and his daughter shared the same name. He always felt that this was a happy coincidence.
For me, the most significant contribution that Ben made, in the context of the plaguing ambiguities about Christian missions in our day, was to demonstrate with his life what a missionary in our day should be, and what Christian mission is all about. Those of us who have followed his ministry during the most difficult years of the conflict in Sri Lanka (a glimpse of which one would be able to get in his recently published diary: Of Tamils and Tigers ? A Journey through Sri Lanka?s War Years, Vijitha Yapa Publications, Colombo, 2011) would know the faith and faithfulness and the courage and conviction that inspired his life and mission. While working among the Tamil militants who were engaged in an armed struggle, unlike many others, he refused to compromise on his stand against violence as a way to resolve conflicts. While fully recognizing the grievances of the Tamil people and opposing government actions against them, he steadfastly believed in the unity of the church and the nation across the ethnic barrier. He was also firmly critical of human rights violations, from whichever side they came. He stood by these principles whether the person he was facing was a bishop, a government official, or the ?boys? ? as he referred to the militants. I was very worried that this would put him in conflict with the militants and would endanger his life. His answer has been ?Well, Wesley, this possibility cannot be ruled out; but the innocent people who are suffering need to be helped.? My own sense is that the Militants were aware of his views, but were also aware of his total commitment to the suffering people and decided to spare him.
He exhibited in his life some of the enduring positive characteristics we associate with the Dutch in the ecumenical movement: Total dedication to what one sets out to do, stubborn refusal to compromise on basic principles, capacity to work in collaboration with others and to make good friendships, an uncanny ability to judge people, and sheer hard work! I have never ceased to admire the tenacity and the toil and hard work my Dutch colleagues were willing to put in to complete the tasks before them. But above all stood their enormous resources for humility; never looking for approval or praise of people, they did what they did purely out of conviction and a sense of calling. On all these, Ben was Dutch to the core.
But then, Ben was also a ?Jaffna Man? who had adopted the Tamil people, irrespective of their religion or status, as his own people, and allowed himself to be inculturated fully into the Tamil culture and way of life. The test of mastery of a new language is whether one is eventually able to joke and gossip in it and understand the hidden nuances of the puns and idioms used in ordinary conversations. Ben not only understood them fully but also used them liberally! Most missionaries learn and use literary Tamil. Ben, having studied it, excelled especially in Tamil spoken by ordinary people.
Those of us who have the opportunity and facility to pay tribute to Ben in this way are privileged; many tens of thousands of peoples in the displaced areas of Sri Lanka?s tragic and irrational conflict may not have heard of Ben?s passing away, and even if they did, would not have the opportunity to say ?Thank You? to him for the life he lived among them. But then, Ben would never expect them to do so. But I am sure that they would remember and be grateful to the white man who came to them in bicycle, trucks, vans, and buses at the most critical times of their life and who brought in food and water to them in their most desperate moments. Such memories linger in the lives of people.
Ben is a candidate the group of people mentioned in the parable in Matthew 15:37-40.
?And the righteous will ask, ?Lord, when did we see three hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and gave thee drink? And when did we see three a stranger and welcomed thee, or naked and clothed thee?...
And the King will answer them, ?Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers (and sisters) you did it to me?.?
Shyamala and I extend our sincere condolence to Ben?s family members. We can only say that he lived a life in Sri Lanka and served the people, even in his last years, in a way you can be truly proud of; and he would be gratefully remembered and cherished for years to come by many whom you do not know, and would never get to know. What more can one expect of the life of a loved one?
? Wesley Ariarajah. 

Lieve Sjam en familie,

Wat een fijne en indrukwekkende verhalen staan er geschreven over jullie vader op deze site. En wat een leegte laat hij achter. Opa Ben was er altijd bij op verjaardagen en belangrijke momenten. Ik zie hem nog zo zitten in Doorn in zijn stoel bij het raam of op de bank. En altijd wel een leuk verhaal om te vertellen. Een zeer interessante en aimabele man! We zullen hem heel erg missen. Lieve Sjam, Pien, Annika, Lousewies, Bauke, Maarten, Juud, Hans en Karin, we wensen jullie heel veel sterkte en zodra we weer in Nederland zijn, zullen we samen een borrel op hem drinken! Dikke kussen van ons allemaal. 

I was one of three "Sinhalese" students at JVC in 1960/1. Though I made many friends, Mr. Bavink went out of his way to find time for me and had me for dinner on many occasions. Sometimes we would sit and listen to classical music, of which he had many recordings. After I finished my exams, I moved on and lost contact with him and many good friends I made at JVC. Thanks to Anton Nadesan, I was able to contact Mr. Bavink by e mail and phone last year and we had a few conversations of the old days and the promise of the future. It was a peaceful and calm time in Jaffna and the nation as a whole, and I am sure that Mr. Bavink will want to see such a time again, To all his dear ones, be sure you will see him again in the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour. Till then, live with the fond memories. God bless you all. 

It was a privilege to have Ben as a genuine friend during the difficult times in Jaffna.
We were able to share his sense of fun and good humour once more during his stay with us in New Zealand. We will miss you very much, Ben. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family whom we have never met but have heard Ben talks so much about. Paul& Tamari 

De condoleantiebijdragen roepen een beeld op van Ben Bavinck als warm en bewogen man, die zijn leven heeft gewijd aan zijn medemens en aan de "eeuwige" strijd tegen discriminatie.
Het moet voor jullie (klein)kinderen een troost zijn te weten, dat jullie (groot)vader in veel mensenharten een bijzondere plaats inneemt.
Het spijt me, dat ik als buurvrouw hem te weinig heb gesproken. 

Lieve Shiyamala, beste familie,

Gecondoleerd met het verlies van jullie vader. Ik kende hem vooral uit de tijd van de Kwartellaan in Leersum. Na die tijd vertelde Shiyamala, wanneer we elkaar na een lange tijd weer eens zagen, altijd waar hij was en waar hij mee bezig was. Ik was altijd onder de indruk van zijn energie en bevlogenheid, op een één of andere manier weinig gehinderd door zijn gezondheidsproblemen.

Sterkte!! Hartelijke groet Victor 

Tot mijn grote spijt heb ik nu juist de naam van Ben weggelaten uit mijn condoleance. Ben was de ADB-vertegenwoordiger in onze "Kleine Club" aan wie wij ontzaglijk veel te danken hebben. 

Ik heb Ben mee mogen maken in zijn ADB-jaren. Cor Groenendijk, Teun van Weelie (later ook Bert Boer) en ik vormden samen de "Kleine Club", die op naam van Hervormd en Gereformeerd Werelddiakonaat en ICCO, grote bedragen wist te sluizen naar de grote strijders tegen de apartheid: ds. Beyers Naude, Desmond Tutu en Allan Boesak. Ben was in deze zaken onvoorwaardelijk trouw aan de goede zaak.Zijn nagedachtenis zij tot zegen.