Where is a Christian when you need one?

WHERE IS A CHRISTIAN WHEN YOU NEED ONE? It’s interesting to note what’s the first thing that pops into our head when we hear of an event or a person or a place. For example, Cricket. Sachin Tendulkar! How about Corruption? Anna Hazare!! Umm.. What about Hollywood? Maybe Johnny Depp or Tom Cruise..and Music? Justin Beiber! Or maybe not…but get the point right? So what comes to your mind when you Think of a Christian? Or more importantly, what comes to the mind of a Non Christian when he or she thinks of a Christian? Actually why don’t try it out? Tomorrow at work or at college, during your break, ask your colleagues or classmates what comes to their mind as soon as they hear the word Christian?(might be a good opportunity to continue in the topic and share the gospel with them) I am guessing that these three would probably be the most common answers – Jesus, the Cross and Mother Theresa.

 Jesus and the cross are from history. We were wrongly thought during our school days that Jesus Christ ‘founded’ Christianity comparing to the other founders such as Buddhism and Jainism. The cross is seen everywhere…on the top of churches, around the necks of many people(including Mr. T) as a pendant and people are quickly able to identify it as symbol of Christianity. However, Mother Theresa is only in the recent, history. So how does her name pop into the minds of non Christians first when they think about Christians? Simple…her life of Charity and working for the downtrodden and the marginalized. Her life was so powerful through her actions that even people who mocked God and ridiculed Christians were unable to criticize her for her works. James gently reminds us. Faith without deeds…is dead.

 Are we as Christians doing enough in terms of taking care of the needy and those who are struggling with situations bigger than them and situations they cannot control? I am taking about the widows, the elderly, the orphans, the physically challenged, etc. Check out this link which is some Bible study material on orphans alone. http://www.lifeissues.org/clergy/prot/resources/sermons/2005Sanctity.pdf. The Word or orphan comes in the Old testament alone 41 times and throughout the Bible we told to exercise opportunities to assist them.

 Ok all this big intro for just a small incident that came to my attention. Near my house, there is a orphanage for little girls. Around 20 of them from the age group of 3 to 10 years stay here. Since my niece is of this same age, she is taken there twice a month for day spending. During one of the times we were there, this is what the warden of the orphanage told us. By the way, she is a committed Christian spinster who has dedicated her lives to raise these kids. Almost all weekends, a young doctor spends her time in this orphanage. She was educated at CMC vellore which means that she is very intelligent and has a very kind heart too. But, she is NOT a Christian. Every time she comes to this orphanage, she showers the girls with many gifts. Candies, books, stationeries, toys and so on. Not just that she has a very positive influence on the children as well. She’s teaching them to speak flawless English and table etiquette and manners. She always helps the older children with their studies.

Few weeks back, this doctor took all the girls to her friends’ house so that the girls would have a change in atmosphere. The following week some of these kids had their exams. And when the doctor and her friend came to know about this, they made the girls walk around a Hindu shrine and offer prayers for their exam. (they did this as they wanted to teach the girls ‘good habits’) When some of the girls were not sure about this as they knew that they are being raised as Christians, this doctor told them its ok. All religions are one. God only sees our heart and so on. At that moment, deep imprints were made in the minds of many of those young kids. This aunty, who spends so much time with us, showers us with gifts, plays hide and seek with us, teaches us good manners….what she says must be true!

 Here’s where I would like to ask the question which is the title of this article…seriously, Where is a Christian when you need one? Has the busyness and the fatigue accompanied with it of our everyday lives makes us think that as long as I read my Bible, pray, attend a good church and maybe even attend a small cell group every week is more than sufficient for being a ‘good’ Christian? I am not addressing this to lukewarm Christians or new believers but primarily to those of us who call ourselves disciples. Are we doing enough? In Mathew chapter 25, we read about how God is going to split the sheep and the goat. And He explicitly says that He will say “Away from me you who are cursed. I never knew you!” What was the mistake of these believers who did many miracles in Jesus’ name? They neglected the marginalized and those who needed help. We are living in an age where prosperity gospel is prospering and not much is taught or done to help the downtrodden. Even those who do not believe in it find it hard to come out of their comfort zone to go and implicitly obey the Bible. If they have a special place in God’s heart so should there be a special place in our heart for the widows and orphans and elderly and the sick and prisoners.

Can we decide as individuals or families or prayer cell groups or as churches to go and visit them and spend time with them and more importantly, share the gospel with them. I am praying that those 20 girls and all the others who will be part of the orphanage will come to accept Jesus, follow His teachings for everyday life and then that I would be able to meet them in heaven.