SEND! magazine Third Quarter 2006: Extending Christ's Compassion
Extending Christ's Compassion
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Niranjan has reached out to touch hundreds of others just like Sanjay with Christ's love in this Dalit community in Uttar Pradesh, India. Because he himself is a Dalit, he understands and feels their disgrace. He also remembers the agony of his own mental illness. Today, Christ's love and salvation have brought him meaning and purpose—something he desires for each Dalit.
The word Dalit means "broken," "crushed," "smashed beyond repair." Viewed as unclean and often treated as worse than animals under the caste system, India's Dalits go through life despised and ostracized. Most of them feel their lives are indeed beyond any chance of restoration.
But Niranjan is showing these "Untouchables" that there is hope and that they are cherished by a Creator whose love satisfies every yearning of their hearts.
Growing up, Niranjan never really had a childhood. As a young boy, he watched his parents suffer, working hard in the wheat fields and in construction work, struggling to make ends meet. Meals were only once a day—that was all they could afford. Like other families in their community, they were subject to the demands and whims of their high-caste landlords.
"I was hurt," Niranjan remembers, "when they did not give us enough food to eat, while we worked more than they did. I would always think, when will things get better?"
Then, when it seemed that things couldn't get worse, Niranjan's father became ill. Only in third grade at the time, Niranjan was forced to quit school and work to support his family. It was hard work, spending all day in the fields and in construction, usually for just a handful of rupees (only pennies). He had no shoes to wear and hardly a change of clothes.
"I was very sad because I had to stop my schooling," Niranjan recalls. "My dreams were shattered because I had to financially support my family. That was the hardest part of my childhood."
When Niranjan grew up, he began working at a clothing mill for extra income. One day he was suddenly unable to recognize colors of threads—a costly mistake. He began to struggle with basic tasks and lost his sense of direction. He had no desire for personal hygiene; in fact, he didn't want to do much of anything but smoke. The loss of his job only added to his feelings of darkness and despair. It became apparent Niranjan was suffering from mental illness.
But Niranjan found healing and hope when a Gospel for Asia missionary shared the Good News and prayed for him. And when Niranjan trusted Christ as his Savior, he found complete healing for his heart and mind.
As Niranjan grew in his faith, he also gained a burden to see his own people spiritually lifted up. He attended a GFA Bible college and, despite having only a third-grade education, thrived there. Grateful for the encouragement of his leaders and motivated by a God-given passion for the lost, he immersed himself in his studies.
Upon graduation, Niranjan began full-time ministry among the Dalits. Today, nine years later, nearly 250 people gather to worship the Lord in a thatched-roof building in Uttar Pradesh. They are a testimony of how this simple Dalit man has been an agent of Christ's compassion and healing for the downtrodden. Pastor Niranjan also leads several fellowships of believers in nearby communities, where dozens of Dalits have received Christ as well.
Niranjan is one of thousands of GFA missionaries bringing the Good News to Dalits in daily, tangible ways. Their prayer and vision is that many more Dalits will find refuge in Christ, the One who alone offers them significance and worth.
Read more about Niranjan's ministry here.
By praying and giving toward Dalit outreach, you can touch these precious people with the Good News of God's love. Learn more here.
