Ram Rajya and the Kindgom of God in India [Being Indian & Christian #18]
Why we all desire Ram Rajya, and how Christians can articulate a better vision for India than Hindutva
Hi Friends,
India recently witnessed a historic event — the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The blog post for this week reflects on the Indian desire for Ram Rajya. I argue that every human being, whether they admit it or not, desire Ram Rajya.
Here are the links for the week
1. Blog Post for the week — We all desire Ram Rajya
Many people desire Ram Rajya because it is an appropriate desire. It is a desire that is born out of the fact that we humans were made for another world — we were made for that perfect world. Our hearts groan within us as we long for that perfect kingdom.
2. Desiring God — Why We Long for Revival
The real reason earnest Christians long for revival is similar to the real reason Lucy longed to return to Narnia. Lucy longed to experience being close to Aslan; Christians long to experience being close to Jesus. It isn’t the manifestations of revival we most deeply long for, as wonderful as those manifestations might be. It’s the Source of revival we really want.
3. Vishal Mangalwadi — Can Hindutva Survive the Persecution of Christians in India? (
Even though quite old (and bits of it may be debatable), this is a great article that I would highly recommend to every one of you. Vishal Mangalwadi is responding to persecution of Christians and Christian missionaries in the country. He argues that it is the Bible alone that can provide a true vision of greatness for India. It is the Biblical truth that can bring true freedom to a country that is sunk in corruption and oppression. But the church needs to respond appropriately to persecution in India. He offers 4 recommendations:
Stick to the gospel: To use Mangalwadi’s own words, allow the issue to remain as Gospel vs. Hindutva instead of making it secularism vs. Hindutva. (India needs to remain a tolerant and pluralistic society. But it is the Gospel, not secular political parties, that will provide the real, solid basis for building a tolerant, pluralistic society
Articulate a clear Christian vision for the blessing of India
Create resources that present the truth of the gospel and that present the powerful impact of the gospel in India: The gospel has already transformed the lives of oppressed and marginalised peoples throughout the country. But the nation has forgotten about it. As Mangalwadi says, While the hatred has to be countered by love, and force by suffering, the propaganda must be countered by a fearless presentation of the truth… the Gospel has already done more for India than all other ideologies put together. The nation is forgetting it because the leadership of the Indian Church has not honored, encouraged and supported the creativity of her young people.
Create institutional structures for Countering persecution, such as centres for documentation and analysis of incidents of persecution.
That’s all for this week, folks,
Cheers,
Caleb
Thanks for sharing Caleb! Awesome! May our dear Lord continue to lead and anoint you, to mightily contribute in His Kingdom building!