Good morning. Sundar Singh was born in 1889 into a family that followed the Sikh religion in northern India. As a child his mother delivered him to Sadhu, an ascetic holy man, that her son would grow up with inner peace. This man told young Sundar that he was personally intrigued by the teachings of Jesus Christ and encouraged Sundar to find out more about the Christian faith. He tried to do so, but his approach to Christianity was entirely cerebral. His aim was to balance the realities of the Sikh faith and those of Christianity to determine which would make the most sense for his life.
But at the age of fourteen tragedy struck. His mother died suddenly and Sundar decided that this was an act of the God of the Bible as punishment for his dualistic faith. He publicly burned his Bible, as well as all his other books relating to Christian faith. For two years he lived in turmoil, never feeling at peace with himself or with the world around him. Finally, at age sixteen, he could take it no longer and made it known that the next day he intended to throw himself in front of a train to commit suicide. This was not only an afront to any remnants of Christian faith and teaching, but also a contradiction to the Sikh Dharma, which teaches that every person must train their mind to find and accept the Divine Light within themselves and thereby experience true peace.
It was difficult for Sundar to rest that night but eventually he did fall asleep. In that sleep Sundar believed that he was visited by Jesus Christ who spoke to him about finding true peace and freedom from the rage that consumed him. He said that Jesus told him that his destiny was to become a missionary to the people of northern India.
The next day Sundar publicly accepted Christ and was baptized, and as soon as possible Sundar enrolled in a Christian school. For this, he was ostracized by his father and the rest of his family but his new conviction in faith remained firm. He began to serve with a missionary in the Himalayan foothills whose ministry was to the large population of lepers located there. His work frequently called for him to climb through high mountain passes in the Himalayas and it was on one of these journeys that Sundar Singh’s life was changed yet again.
He had heard of a village that was located high in the mountains with a people who not only had never heard the good news of Jesus, but also were in desperate need of medicines. He set out on the journey with another man, determined to bring the needed medicines to treat a kind of pneumonia that was proving deadly. Sundar and his companion were well into their long, steep walk and climb up the mountain when the weather turned against them. It was clear that unless they reached shelter within the next 24 hours they wouldn’t survive. That was when they saw a body in the snow. The body belonged to a villager who had been overcome by the conditions, but as Sundar examined him he found that the man was still alive, barely. His companion noted that the man’s chances of living were very remote and that if they tried to carry him it would slow them down and end in their deaths as well. Sundar refused to leave him, and as his companion trekked on alone, Sundar tied the mostly frozen man to his back and continued his arduous climb. As he walked, his body heat bled into the man he carried. In a few hours the man could walk on his own. This was important because soon the conditions were so bad that they needed to lean on each other, sharing body heat and supporting each other’s steps.
After hours of this struggle, they discovered another body collapsed in the snow. It was the body of Sundar’s first companion, and he was frozen solid and dead.
They arrived at the village, and many were saved by the medicines they carried. Sundar also shared the good news of salvation in Christ, and many in the village became Christians. For his work among the people who lived in some of the most remote places on earth Sundar became known as “the apostle with the bleeding feet.” Sundar would claim that in every face he looked upon while sharing the good news of salvation he could see the face of Jesus who had appeared to him in a dream so many years before.
We read in Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
That seems like a “nice” verse to remember. But when you consider the strength of the command it is quite remarkable. As Christian people, we are to always look beyond ourselves and see to the needs of those around us, and in faith we are to rely on God to provide the blessings. As Sundar Sikh found out, sometimes God will bless in ways that are completely unexpected.
God’s blessings upon your day!
Vern