Religious minorities in India are experiencing heightening human rights violations as Hindu extremism gains ground. The Indian Church is confronted with many limitations, such as a weak economic base, lack of legal aid, and authorities turning a blind eye to the urgent needs of persecuted victims. Despite this, the Church continues to stand strong and young people like Raj* are meeting our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Never smart enough
Raj grew up in a Hindu family with his two younger brothers. School was very hard for him, which made his relationship with his father difficult. “I felt bad because I knew other children were smarter than I was. My dad would yell at me and ask me why I wasn’t different,” Raj shares.
When Raj was 16, his father passed away. Although their relationship wasn’t always easy, he was filled with grief. This was the beginning of a time of uncertainty. Because Raj’s father was the breadwinner, Raj dropped out of school, trying to find a job to help support his family. There wasn’t enough money for school fees for all of them. Later on, some teachers offered to help with the school fees, so he went back to school. But he still found a part-time job after school to help provide for the basic needs of his family.
‘You have a Father in heaven’
On top of their other troubles, Raj’s mother suffered from arthritis. One day the pain was so severe, someone advised Raj to ask a pastor to pray for her. Raj was very sceptical about prayer. “What I knew about prayer is that many people will pray, but they will charge you for it.” A pastor came and prayed and didn’t ask for money. The moment the pastor began to pray for her, Raj’s mother received her healing, and Raj with his family were amazed.
‘Share your power with me’
Raj was very interested in the power the pastor seemed to have. He asked, “What is the power that you have? Can you share it with me?” Raj and his family were invited to a church service that night. A woman at the service spoke to Raj’s mother, saying, “Don’t worry. You have a Father in heaven. Although your kids don’t have a father any more, how much greater is your heavenly Father who can provide more than their earthly father.” The pastor of the church gave Raj a New Testament Bible. That night, Raj read through the whole book of Matthew. Eventually, Raj and his whole family accepted Christ and were baptised.
‘The real joy is in Jesus’
Raj quickly found that not everyone was pleased about his new faith. “Some of my relatives accused me, saying that I became a Christian because of the money they offered. Many of my family members were saying those things against me. But because I stood firm in my faith, it also surprised people.”
Although he hasn’t been a Christian for long, he sees the difference between his new faith in Christ and his Hindu faith. “Hindus fear their gods in a different way. They believe that when they break the rules or regulations, something bad will happen to them. There is no joy, no love in that kind of worship.
“Once we became Christians, we saw that lives were transformed . . . The real God and the real joy is in Jesus and that’s where I find peace.”
Growing in faith
Raj was able to attend seminars organised by local partners of Open Doors. These seminars are vital as the persecution of Christians in India continues to rise. Here, new believers like Raj grow in their faith and learn how to stand strong in the face of the fiercest persecution.
Stand with Open Doors
India currently ranks number 10 of countries with the worst persecution of Christians, according to Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List. Please stand with us to support the body of Christ in India. Join our Impact India Team today and stand with Indian Christians as we advocate and pray with them!
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Date published: 17/05/2019
Written by: Open Doors SA
Article source: JOY! Magazine
