India: A Lesson in Forgiveness

“The glory of Christianity is to conquer by forgiveness.” --William Blake

Perhaps there is nothing as earth shattering or unfathomable in this world as the concept of forgiveness. It rails against our very nature and often times our heart seems to cry out in denial against it. Yet it is something as Christians we cannot escape. Jesus clearly tells us in Matthew 6 that if we do not forgive others, then our heavenly Father will not forgive us. As if that were not enough, in Matthew 18, He tells us that we have to forgive from our heart. How impossible a task if we try on our own strength! But yet, what glorious healing when Christ’s forgiveness flows through us.

An incredible story of forgiveness comes out of India in the story of Gladys Staines. Gladys is an Australian missionary who lived in India with her husband, Graham, and their three children. They lived and worked at the Mayurbhanj Leprosy Home in Orissa, working with people who were outcasts in that society. They had been there for over a decade when tragedy struck them. Graham had taken their two boys (10 and 6) to a nearby village to attend a religious camp meeting in support of the local pastors. Out of the 150 families in the village, 22 had come to Christ. The family spent the night in their jeep, but were attacked by a mob of angry villagers. The mob hemmed them inside the vehicle, busted out the windows, and beat at them with axes, sticks, and knives. They even placed bodyguards at the entrance to the huts in the village to prevent anyone from coming out to help them. After they finished attacking the family inside, the mob placed straw underneath the jeep and lit it on fire with Graham and his two sons still in it. By the time police arrived from another village, it was too late. Graham and his boys were dead. When Gladys found out what occurred and was telling her daughter, she told her that “We will forgive them.” And it was evident in their actions that they did. Gladys stayed on in India and continued to run the Leprosy Home. When she was asked how she could forgive, she simply replied that you have to forgive, forgiveness brings healing. Since the attack on her husband and sons, Gladys has been asked to speak at countless schools, churches, and public events around the world, sharing about the persecution in India and her message of forgiveness. Because of her message, she has received thousands of letters from people all over India who apologized for the attack against her family. What an incredible testimony that is to an entire nation! For us as Christians, it is an amazing encouragement to see living proof of being able to forgive from the heart. May God grant us the grace to respond in such a way when our lives are turned upside down by the actions of another. (Gladys’ story can be read from her own view in “Hearts of Fire” which is published by the Voice of the Martyrs.)
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When praying for India, there are some important facts to know about their culture and laws. India is a democratic nation that has constitutional freedoms of speech and religion and, generally speaking, the government works to protect those freedoms. India does not have an official state religion, but promotes the right to practice, preach, and propagate any religion. Religious communities are governed by their own personal laws, which means that the norm is for each religious community to govern themselves according to their own personal laws in family matters. This is a major obstacle for converts to Christianity since conversion of a faith is seen as a family matter. So even though the government supports freedom of religion, there is often intense pressure from within one’s own family and community. Many converts to Christianity face harassment, abuse, and threats on their life from family members and others in the community. There are seven Indian states that have anti-conversion laws and they are Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. These laws impose prison terms and hefty fines against anyone who converts Indians by force, fraud or allurement. And their definitions of force and allurement are very broad, which causes problems for Christians who are trying to serve the sick and those in need. Under the laws, any gift or material benefit received by Christian converts can be considered an allurement to convert. These laws give support to militant groups and result in ongoing violence against Christians. Another thing to know about India is their caste based system. The Indian Constitution has outlawed caste-based discrimination, but it is still deeply entrenched in Indian society and continues to play a major role in the Indian society and politics. Until 1950, “The Untouchables” (Dalits) were for centuries regarded as the refuse of society. They worked in what were seen as unhealthy, disgusting or polluting jobs. In the past, the Dalits suffered from social segregation and restrictions in addition to extreme poverty. They were not allowed temple worship with others, nor water from the same sources. Persons of higher castes would not interact with them. If somehow a member of a higher caste came into physical or social contact with an untouchable, the member of the higher caste was defiled, and had to bathe thoroughly to purge him/herself of the impurity. The social discrimination developed even among the Dalits. Upper sub-castes among Dalits like dhobi, nai etc. would not interact with lower-order Bhangis, described as "outcasts even among outcasts". The 1950 law guarantees a certain number of Dalits in specific societal institutions, but Dalits who convert to other religions lose their Scheduled Caste status. This means that they often forfeit their jobs and livelihood when they convert from Hinduism. Currently in India, more than 70% of Christians are Dalits. (Most of this information has been compiled from Wikipedia and Voice of the Martyrs, please check out their websites for more information.)

When praying for India, remember these requests:

Pray that militant influences in the government will continue to decrease and that freedom of religion will be recognized throughout India.

Pray for protection for pastors, evangelists and other Christian workers as they share the Good News of Jesus.

Pray for that those who turn to Christ will find the means to have their needs met.

Pray that those who seek to hinder the work of the Church in India will see the love and grace of Jesus in the lives of Indian Christians.

India’s motto is “Truth alone Triumphs.” Pray that the people of India will come to know the ultimate Truth that can set them free from fear and superstitions (John 8:32).

Since 1990 more Christians have been martyred, raped, beaten, and threatened in India than in the entire history of Christianity in that country. Pray that God would move on behalf of His people and that the ‘gates of Hades will not overcome’ His church in India (Matt. 16:18b).

Pray that people in India would come to know and accept that in Christ all are equal in spite of their differences (There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.- Galatians 3:28).
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India has been experiencing a recent wave of persecution in Orissa that started back in August of 2008. Go to the Voice of the Martyrs Canada link on this page and look at India under their countries report to learn about the attacks that have been going on for 5 months now. They have the article reports on the left side of the India page.
I have also found some videos to share about the persecution in India. I hope that by watching them, the persecution in India will go from being an abstract concept to a concrete reality for you. May it fuel your spirit and strengthen your prayers.



Graham Staines Video


Persecution of Christians in Orissa, India



Christian Persecution in Orissa, Update


5 Million Christians Worshipping in India


Grief Overtakes Orissa


Religious Violence in Orissa Explained