With names like Lutheran, St. Joseph’s and Methodist (now Parkview), Fort Wayne’s private hospitals are obvious proof of faith’s power to inspire generosity and compassion.

No imposing edifice in town bears Sathya Sai Baba’s name on it. You’ve probably never even heard of the good deeds being done in his name, because his followers want it that way.

Which is all the more reason to tell their story – a story of how universal themes can unite people of vastly different races, cultures and religions.

“In their hearts, every person knows that, though the paths may be different, there can be only one god. Our tradition is spiritual, not religious,” said Dr. Venkat Kanubaddi, an India-born anesthesiologist and leader of Fort Wayne’s 70-member Sathya Sai Baba Center. “The ego divides, but the spirit unites, translating love into selfless action. In service (to others), no one disagrees.”

That’s a crucial point. Like Kanubaddi, a Fort Wayne resident for the past 28 years, many of the center’s members have Indian and Hindu backgrounds. But other nationalities and religions are represented too, Kanubaddi said – since the center’s universalism accepts all faiths as it promotes personal enlightenment and service to others. The Fort Wayne center is one of about 250 in the United States and 2,200 worldwide. All follow the teachings of their namesake, who was born in India in 1926 and preaches five basic values he says form the foundation of all major religions: truth, right conduct, peace, love and nonviolence.

Even the name itself – Sai – illustrates the group’s mission, Kanubaddi said: “S” for service, “A” for adoration and “I” for illumination. “Love all, serve all!” Sathya Sai Baba teaches. “Help ever, hurt never!”

Serious Christians, Jews, Muslims and adherents to other faiths may not be able to embrace the group’s universalistic creed. Christ, for one, was quite explicit about who would and would not enter heaven, and why. And, to be sure, Sathya Sai Baba has his share of critics, some of whom accuse him of faking miracles – and worse. But a spiritual leader’s personal foibles, real or alleged, don’t necessarily invalidate the entire message. Nor should you have to fully accept that message to appreciate or cooperate in the earthly works those beliefs produce.

After all, members of the Fort Wayne center are making an impact in ways that belie their relatively small numbers.

Last month, the group sponsored a health fair for about 150 Hispanics at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, and a similar fair for local Burmese before that. Its members – mostly doctors and other professional people – cook spicy Indian vegetarian dishes once a month for residents at the Rescue Mission, visit the county-owned Byron Health Clinic and engage in other service projects.

You don’t hear about it because the center’s rules prohibit the seeking of publicity. Nor does it actively recruit new members or solicit donations. Members support the group and its work because they want to help others. They meet weekly for study and devotions at Kanubaddi’s home in Sycamore Hills.

Their work is no less appreciated because of its low profile.

“They’re a very good group of people. We have a great need for medical services, and they wanted to help low-income and uninsured people from the bottom of their hearts. They worked really hard,” said Max Montesino, director of the Hispanic Leadership Coalition.

“They’ve been helping us for years, and people really look forward to their food,” said Al Bruner, assistant cook at the Rescue Mission.

Nor did the group’s health fairs merely identify medical problems, then leave the treatment – if any – to someone else. Working with local hospitals and free clinics, the center’s members provide ongoing care up to and including surgery, Kanubaddi said.

They are willing to do that, he said, because excessive attachment to material things “leads men astray.”

The Sathya Sai Baba organization operates several free hospitals in India, and may never come close to duplicating that in America, much less Fort Wayne. But, as this city grows more diverse, we should remember how people of various cultures and religions can live together in peace – so long as they do not celebrate those differences at the expense of their common humanity.