Jai Ho: May the victory be yours
To me India always seemed as this far off land that I would read about in books but never see.
It was a country of intrigue and mystique. A country that I never even dreamed of going to. And now I am here, in India, living for a whole month. And I am in love. Everything about India, from the vibrant colors, strong aroma of spices and chai, to the consistent honking of horns. It’s an energy that you can only understand by being there. Everywhere you go there seems to be a multitude of people and cows.
And despite the darkness that covers this country. The three hundred and fifty million gods that the lost of this nation are bowing down to. Despite the darkness behind their idols, witchcraft, and temples. Despite that it’s illegal to evangelize or change your religion. Despite it all, I still feel that the future of India is so bright. That one day they will wake up and realize they are praying to stone and an animal that makes a better burger than a god. That one day they will take down their idols.
The statistics say two percent, but the statics are wrong. It’s more like ten percent and growing, the number of Christians in India.
With no rule on how many children one can have, India will soon be the largest nation. The possibilities are endless. “A revival is stirring,” echo the missionaries throughout this nation. There is a fire being ignited in the body. With their backgrounds of being devout Hindus, these first and second generation believers take Jesus seriously! They are prayer warriors to say the least. They believe full heartedly in the power of the name of Jesus and His ability to heal and save.
In just a few days the elections will end. With an electorate of 814 million, it is the world’s largest election… and with so much riding at stake, especially for Christians of this country. The current leader at the polls is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is led by a Hindu nationalist known for pushing a Hindu nationalist agenda. Which brings much cause for apprehension for Christians.
There is no denying the tension between Hindus and Christians in India, which can be seen thru the history of anti-Christian attacks, such as the burning of churches and bibles and killings of believers. But things have been looking up over the past few years with the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by the secular Congress Party that has ruled the nation for the past two terms.
Our contact at Rise India described the trials and persecution they faced in the past. He said they were awful times, yet he remained thankful for them. Thankful for how it united the body and brought them closer together. Thankful that it gave them something to fight for.
The faith and courage of believers in India is amazing. There is a fire in them, I’ve seen it! A fire that I believe fuels them to endure every trial, a fire fueled by an intense and burning love for Jesus!
So no matter the outcome of this election I believe that the Christians of this nation will continue to Rise. I believe that they will continue to bring the Kingdom! They will continue to bring light to this dark nation. And so I say Jai Ho India…may the victory be yours!
Please pray for India and the elections:
Father, we bring before Your presence the elections taking place now in India. We pray for Christians as they go to the polls that You would grant wisdom. Regardless of the outcome, we pray that You will overrule in decisions that come before the parliament on behalf of justice and on behalf of Your church. Where rulers would rule with injustice toward the poor and the minority populations, we pray that Your hand of protection and justice would be apparent in their midst. We pray for the Christian community that You would overwhelm them with Your peace in the midst of uncertainty. In the name of Jesus who has promised never to leave or forsake His church, Amen.
