01/27/2005: Ask Dr. K.P. Yohannan ...
Ask Dr. K.P. Yohannan ...
Tsunami Response StoryQuestion: There has been criticism in the press that Western Christian groups are using tsunami relief as an excuse to do “proselytizing” among Asia's Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist peoples. What is Gospel for Asia's position on witnessing in the midst of tragedy?
Dr. K.P. Yohannan: Some Western media outlets have been critical of Christian ministries doing what the world calls “proselytizing.” The dictionary defines "proselytize” as “to induce someone to convert to one's own religious faith.” With that definition in mind, let me explain Gospel for Asia's position on this sensitive subject.
First of all, the criticism is largely that “outside groups” are using the tsunami to convert Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and others to Christianity. As people who know GFA understand, our native missionaries, and the 1.5 million church members in Asia that are the fruit of their work, are not “outsiders” at all but are part of the very people they serve. So sharing their faith with their neighbors is no different than you and me sharing the Good News about Jesus with someone in our own city or state.
I also want to point out that GFA did not suddenly decide to “do” disaster relief in order to "proselytize." Our missionaries and church members have always endeavored to share both physical and spiritual healing with the suffering people of Asia.
In the case of the tsunami victims of South India and Sri Lanka, more than 1,000 of our workers were on the scene within the first few days. They continue to be involved in providing fresh water, food, clothing, medical care, and trauma counseling for these shattered men and women, In addition, at the request of local officials they are now caring for orphans in Sri Lanka. And soon we will be building permanent houses for hundreds of survivors in the region-also with the permission and cooperation of local governments.
In addition to this physical and psychological aid, our native missionaries are sharing the Good News of God's love with these people who have lost all hope for the future. We never “pressure” anyone to change religions; and as we have in past crises, we serve people of all religions-and all social castes-equally. This is far from “inducing someone to convert to one's own religious faith,” as the secular media sometimes says.
You see, our model is Christ Himself. We see in the New Testament that Jesus “went about doing good…” (Acts 10:38). He healed the sick, fed the hungry and cared for the children. He had compassion for the helpless (Matt. 9:36). Yet Jesus never forced anyone to believe in Him. He simply loves all people. And that is what we are called to do.
Like Jesus, we have found people whose lives have been shattered, and who desperately want to know there is hope . . . somewhere.
More than once, we have come upon women and men who were ready to commit suicide because they had lost their families and all of their worldly goods. They could see no future except to die. They were literally walking out into the ocean so they could perish in the same waters that killed their families. Physical aid would not save them. But when our native missionaries read the Scriptures to them, they were changed forever. They found hope. They found a reason to live. And their lives were saved.
Would it have been fair to these tsunami survivors to withhold that hope? As believers in Christ, we would be the worst “relief organization” in the world if we refused to save these lives out of fear that someone would be offended.
I repeat, the delivery of the needed physical relief is not dependent on the acceptance of God's Good News of hope. Our workers give this aid to people of all religions and none. But from our perspective, withholding mention of such a promise would be the greatest disservice imaginable, and therefore we will continue to share the Good News that God loves them, and that through His Son there is, indeed, hope for the future—and for eternity.
