Modern Witnesses: Ganda Christians
Today at Sunday School, we heard about what life can be like for the Ganda people of India when they choose to believe in Jesus. There are over one million Ganda who live in India, but most of them do not understand about Jesus’ love. On average, only about 2 people out of every 100 Ganda you meet are Christians.
Most of the Ganda are very poor. They belong to the Dalit caste. In India, people are often put into groups called castes based on all sorts of things. Some groups are treated as very important; they are given good jobs and everyone looks up to them. Some people are treated in ways that are inhuman; they are treated like less than real people. Many animals in India are better taken care of than they are. The Dalit caste is one of the groups that are treated as completely worthless. The only jobs they are allowed to do are the dirty, hard jobs that no one else wants.
That’s why many Ganda are farmers. They don’t own any land, but they are paid a tiny bit of money to work all day in the hot sun on other people’s farms. And if anyone learns that they have decided to follow Jesus, they may lose their job and not be able to get another one. They could starve; they might not be able to provide food to take care of their families.
Sometimes, things are even worse than going hungry. Finding out a Ganda has become a Christian can make other people very angry. The Christian might get attacked or beaten up as a punishment. Sometimes his family might make him leave home. A Ganda who loves Jesus might lose everything and everyone on this earth that matters to him.
If you had to choose between Jesus and everyone else that you care about, what would you choose?
“Dear God, please help the Ganda Christians in India to love You more than anything or anyone else. Please comfort those who miss their families, and please help the ones who have been beaten up because they love You. Help the Ganda who don’t understand how much You love them to hear about You and trust You. Thank You, too, for the Ganda Christians who have not been thrown out of their homes or lost their jobs. Please continue to help them and keep them all safe. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
For more information on the Ganda of India, please visit the Joshua Project.
If you’d like a printable version of today’s story, click here.
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