mchamberland@violet.uwaterloo.ca (Marc Chamberland) (11/23/90)
After reading some of the recent discussions, I wish to draw attention
to some experiences which I believe are indicative of God's desire that
those who seek shall find, regardless of background.
First, I would like you to meet Sundar Singh. He was born to an
affluent family in north India in the late 19th century. Under his
mother's influence, he became deeply interested in religion, especially
Sikhism and Hinduism. It seems he memorized a lot of Hindu scripture
(the whole Gita I believe), and had reached high levels of meditational
experience, all by his early teens. Because of the proximity of schools
in the area, he was forced to attend a Mission school, which he
loathed. He had a deep-seated hatred for anything to do with
Christianity. On one occasion, he felt he had to bathe himself several
times before he could be cleansed from the pollution of a missionary's
shadow crossing him.
His mother died while he was still at that tender age. All was chaos.
His religion offered him no peace. At one point he burnt the Bible, and
his unrest only increased. Unable to bear his misery, he decided he would
wake in the early hours of the morning, and would pray that God,
if He existed, would reveal Himself. If the answer didn't come, he would
place his head on the railroad tracks at 5:00 am, and end his life.
After waking at 3:00 am, he took a cold bath, and started praying.
He remained in prayer until 4:30, expecting Krishna or Buddha to appear
to him. A light started filling the room. To his absolute shock, Christ
appeared, asking "Why do you persecute me?" Sundar Singh realized his
prayer had been for the True God, whoever that was, and so fell at
Christ's feet. He became a new person.
His family didn't take so kindly to his conversion. He was kicked
out and excommunicated, and he almost met his death, seeing as they had
poisoned his last meal.
Space does not permit many more details, but he went on to become a
mighty influence to all those he met. He chose as his mission place the
inhospitable land of Tibet, and crossed the Himalayas (with bare feet)
no less than twenty times.
He also wrote several books. One book, entitled "With and Without Christ",
gives examples of people he met from other religions, who found Christ
when they sought for the truth.
Unfortunately, as far as I know, his books are only available in India
by the Christian Literature Society. Several biographies have been
written, but most of these are in India. There is a recent biography
entitled "Sadhu Sundar Singh : He Walked with God", which is available
in Western countries at a very reasonable price.
Another person I'd like you to meet is Gulshan. She hails from an
Islamic family in Pakistan. Her family is highly regarded since they
are direct descendents of Mohammed. She was crippled by typhoid at the
age of six months, and was confined to a wheelchair. When she was
fourteen, her father took her to England to obtain the best medical
diagnosis available. The doctor said only prayers could help. They
proceeded onto Mecca, the holiest place for Muslims, on a pilgrimage.
The air buzzed with religious fervour, and everyone was excited. She
also was thrilled, and prayed for her healing as she kissed the Black
Stone in the mosque. She also bathed in the "water of life" which was
reputed to heal people. After all these things, there was no reaction,
and thus she returned to her home town.
Her future seemed dim, since all her siblings had grown up, married,
and moved out, and marriage, I assume, seemed impossible for her. Her
mother had died when she was a baby, and she derived great solace from
her father. He died when she was sixteen. Life seemed so black. She
wanted to end her life, but knew that she would be damned if she did.
The day after her father died, she prayed, as she says, "... I began
to talk to God, really talk Him, not as a Muslim does,..." She heard
a low soft voice say, "... I am Jesus, son of Mary. Read about me in
the Quran, in the Sura Maryam."
For three years she read and re-read about Jesus in the Quran. She
came to the end of her rope, and cried out in a frenzy for Jesus to
help her. Then Jesus, with twelve others appeared to her. He said,
"Stand up and come to me. I am Jesus." She was healed. He also gave
her a prayer to pray, which was word for word the Lord's prayer, though
she did not know this at the time. This happened in the early 1970's.
Again, many things happened after this. In a vision, Jesus showed
her where to obtain a Bible. Though her family was initially enthused
about her healing, their hatred for Christ soon dominated, and she
left home.
Her autobiography, entitled "The Torn Veil", is printed by the Christian
Literature Crusade Books, with a recent American printing.
These are but two examples of those who wanted the truth, and found it.
I believe God will reveal Himself to those who seek Him.
If you are interested in the books I have mentioned above, they may be
available in your local Christian book store (especially the second one).
I can help you by e-mail if you are unable to locate them.
"Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all
your heart." Jer. 29:13.
Marc Chamberland