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A Spiritual Rainy Season
4 December 2007
“It was Easter morning,” wrote Drs. Andrew and Michelle Cornwell, “when we spotted signs of the first blades of grass penetrating the red earth. Soon our dry surroundings were transformed into something of a tropical jungle filled with a rainbow of fresh blossoms and the joyful eruption of bird songs. We’d been told that Bembéréké would be green and beautiful during rainy season, but it was impossible to visualize that beauty during our first few months in Benin. Are we similarly slow to believe that people will open their hearts to God’s truth?” Missionaries often face doubts like these in the early stages of evangelism and church planting. The spiritual ground seems so hard. The dominant religious system—whether it isIslam, Buddhism, Hinduism, superstition, or secular atheism—grips the souls of the people so tenaciously. All of them envelop people in darkness and bondage.
A Hindu Faces ObstaclesShannon writes from South Asia about her friend Sunita. One day they were talking about Jesus, and Shannon encouraged Sunita to come to Christ. “But Didi,” she said, “I have already believed in Jesus.” This sounds wonderful, but it’s difficult to discern exactly what “belief” means in this context. The people can so easily add Christ to their other gods. Shannon explained that the Lord asks for whole-hearted commitment. Sunita confessed, “In my heart I fully believe and am ready to become a Christian. I have left the idol worship, but there is one Hindu festival I cannot leave. My mother-in-law would be so angry.” She was referring to an annual event during which wives fast and offer sacrifices for their husbands’ wellbeing while worshiping in a sacred river. To abandon this festival would be a public announcement that she hates her husband. So, of course, her husband also discouraged her from becoming a Christian. Nevertheless, on Easter Sunday, 2007, Sunita’s “spiritual dry season” ended, and she put her faith in Christ. She shows signs of growth: hunger to learn God’s Word, hatred of sin, and bold witness—even to her husband, despite opposition. She also witnesses to her friends, who continue to worship various gods including mounds of mud from a “holy river.” When will the “spiritual rainy season” begin for these friends and for her husband and mother-in-law? Struggles of a Former MuslimIn another country of South Asia, “Rohan,” a 24-year-old Christian believer, continues to face bewildering questions and struggles. Before he became a follower of Jesus, he served as muzzei in his poor village, giving the call to prayer at the small mosque near his home. But God was stirring in his soul a restlessness over all the external rules required to win the favor of Allah. He personally knew no one who followed them. Then his father began speaking to him about the prophet, Isa-Masih, Jesus Christ. He explained to Rohan that Isa was able to pray to Allah for mercy for his people. Imagine! He knew that his failure to follow the rules put him in a position to need mercy. He was eager to know more. Eventually, he joined his father in believers’ baptism in a local river. But his struggles aren’t over.
The suffering and violence that surround Rohan unsettle his soul. He’s also confused by the goodness he sees in some people who aren’t yet followers of Isa-Masih. He struggles with his basic identity. It used to be clear: he was a Muslim, a member of the worldwide Ummah (brotherhood). But now he’s part of a tiny unpopular minority. What should he call himself? “Christian” carries alien connotations in his country. “A Muslimwho follows Jesus” is a label chosen by some believers; would that work? It’s a dilemma he shares with many young Christians. Rohan is very poor. When the bag for the jakat (tithe) is passed in his jamat (house church), he struggles to give; he really needs the few coins in his pocket for his daily food. He is struck with pangs of guilt every time he passes a beggar on the street without giving alms. Still, in the midst of these soul struggles, Rohan recognizes his blessings. He is growing in his knowledge of God and the Bible. Even as he looks for answers, he continues to follow Isa with all his heart. Unprecedented OpennessMost new believers from all religious backgrounds face similar issues: family disapproval, economic struggles, purity of faith (unmixed with past beliefs), and how to identify with other followers of Christ. Struggles notwithstanding, research shows unprecedented openness on the part of many Muslim and Hindu people. The World Christian Database (2007, Leiden: Brill Publications) shows that of the 100 most responsive people groups larger than one million in size, 31 groups are Hindu and 31 are Muslim. Let us boldly trust God for a “spiritual rainy season” to bless all the peoples of the world. 
 
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