On his way to a prayer meeting on January 30, 1948, Mohandas Gandhi, the renowned non-resistant Indian reformer who helped turn that populous nation upside down, was shot dead by a Hindu radical in Birla House, New Delhi. Gandhi was a spiritual man in search of truth and yet….
His long struggle and fruitless search for the God of the Bible was reflected in his dying words which were said to have been a homage to a strange god, Rama: “He Ram!” (Oh God!).
But nothing about Jesus. Why not? Surely he heard the claims of Christ.
Phillip Yancey, in his book The Soul Survivor, recounts this story about Gandhi and Reverend Andrews, a Presbyterian cross cultural missionary, who were walking together in South Africa:
The two suddenly find their way blocked by young thugs. Reverend Andrews takes one look at the menacing gangsters and decides to run for it. Gandhi stops him. ‘Doesn’t the New Testament say if an enemy strikes you on the right cheek you should offer him the left?’ Andrews mumbles that he thought the phrase was used metaphorically. ‘I’m not so sure,’ Gandhi replies. ‘I suspect he meant you must show courage – be willing to take a blow, several blows, to show you will not strike back nor will you be turned aside. And when you do that it calls on something in human nature, something that makes his hatred decrease and his respect increase. I think Christ grasped that and I have seen it work.’
Here’s one of Gandhi’s most famous quotes:
I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
Why, we can even order these bumper stickers for our vehicles as I saw one on a pagan’s van alongside other non-Jesus slogans. And not to be undone, why not a “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians” coffee mug while we’re at it…sold on the Internet.
What now? May the striving Gandhi’s of today that cross our path see the Refiner’s gold in the form of the real living Jesus. Causing someone to stumble is a horrible thing. For them. And for us…
God our Father, help us…please. We need all Your grace today to be just like You. We seek Your promise of greater works. Please, Lord. Please…
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,
Marc
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Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!
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You may view our Archives here: FRIDAY FIRE – ARCHIVES; Complete Archives. May our Father richly bless you with His grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in order to walk worthy of His name.
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Marc White, Director, Walk Worthy Ministries, www.WalkWorthy.org
