In the 1900s, there was a great revival in India. God raised up many men and women who were powerfully anointed, shared the Gospel and thousands saw the Light. Villages turned to Christ and revival fires spread all over. This is perhaps why there is a community of Christians in India besides of course Apostle Thomas coming to the south in the 1st century to share the Gospel. During British-ruled India, British and American missionaries also shared the Gospel, and some turned to Christ, but this was done on a smaller scale. The mass turning to Christ was during this great awakening where revival tent meetings were held in different parts of India, Indian preachers preached openly, and villages upon villages turned to Christ. They did not have to do much, the Spirit of God was already moving mightily, they just declared the Gospel simply… I am sharing about just one of the anointed men of God during that time.
India
Sadhu Sundur Singh was born a Sikh in 1889 in Punjab, India. He originally came from a very wealthy family. As he grew up, he was an extremist who hated Christianity violently. When he was 14, his mother, whom he loved dearly died and a few months later, an elder brother died who he was very attached to. Later, he was again sent to a mission school in Rampur, where he was taught the Bible. Against his will, he found some teaching of the Bible compelling, but still was determined to oppose it and considered it a false book of the West. One day, he called some school friends and in front of them tore the Bible in half and set it on fire. A couple of days after this act, Sadhu Sundur Singh fell into deep depression and became suicidal. He wanted to take his life by throwing himself under the Ludhiana Express train if God did not reveal the way of peace to him. At 3 a.m. in the moonlight, he went to his courtyard to take the ceremonial bath done by the Hindus and Sikhs before worship. Then he prayed and waited for God to reveal himself. In half an hour, the Ludhiana train would come and Sundur Sadhu Singh would be going to fling himself under that train. Nothing seemed to happen as he waited for God to reveal himself. He sat in his room, his head down, defeated, depressed and disappointed. Then, he then lifted up his head suddenly and opened his eyes, surprised to find a faint light in the room. It was not dawn light and thinking it came from the courtyard he looked out. The courtyard was in darkness. In the meantime, the light in his room was growing brighter and then he stood amazed for he saw a radiant figure with a face of not Krishna or Buddha as he would have expected but Jesus Christ! Jesus shining said to him “Why do you persecute Me? I died for you!” Sundar Singh says later “I will never forget His glorious loving face or the words He spoke.” All the depression and confusion in Sundar Singh’s heart vanished just upon looking at Jesus and hearing His voice.
After this the next day, he openly declared to his father that he was a Christian. It was very unwelcome that Sundur Singh had become a Christian to many. Even the Christian missionary principal was uncomfortable with this news because he would face the backlash of his father. Thus, Sundur Singh was not encouraged in his belief in Jesus. However, slowly the headmaster gave in and did teach Sundar Singh the Bible secretly as Sundur Singh wanted this.
His father on finding that Sundar Singh was seriously following Christ was very concerned. An uncle of Sundur Singh took him to a cellar, opened an iron box, showed him the treasures inside and promised he would have all of it if he remained a Sikh. He even took off his turban and laid it at Sundar Singh’s feet, which was a very humbling act, but Sundar Singh did not give in. He continued in the missionary school in the hostel but soon was sad to find out that the Christian boys in the mission school were Christian in name only, having no love or relationship with Christ. He returned back home and his family were happy, thinking he was a Sikh again, but he resisted going to temples and secretly kept reading the Bible.
Finally, in an attempt to establish the veracity of his decision of his faith in Jesus, he cut his hair, which was a major step for a Sikh as they have to grow long hair, tied in a turban, after which he was regarded as an outcaste and thrown out of the home. His brother had also tried to poison him a number of times, but he miraculously survived those murderous attempts.
Finally, once he was thrown out of home, he had no one to turn to, no community, he was alone. Later, he did get some Christian friends. Sundur Singh chose a life of a sadhu, (ascetic) sharing the gospel, and accepting any food or shelter that was offered to him. He had two sets of clothes and a shawl. He crossed forests, met wild animals, which never harmed or attacked him! He was even thrown in a pit in Tibet, and encountered many dangers. In all this, he had visitations from angels and was supernaturally protected and provided for. He said when thrown of out of home “I experienced deep fellowship with my Master and it was like heaven.” This was secret of his powerful testimony, his deep walk with Christ throughout his life that gave him incredible power and peace extending to strangers. Many Christians felt he was just like Jesus.
My own grandfather in Punjab, Sardar Khan, was a Christian and was the principal of Mission Boys School. One day, Sundar Singh came home. As they opened the door, Sundar Singh stood there, tall, powerful with a very calm serene face. People felt Jesus in him very strongly. My mother tells me that her elder sister Flora had a kitten who was sick and dying, and she was very disturbed about the kitten. She asked Sundar Singh to pray for the kitten and the kitten got healed to her great delight and this was later shared to my mother by her!
God arranged wonderful Christian friends for him who did provide for him, but Sadhu Sundar Singh lived in scarcity having no possessions and was always on the move, sharing the gospel and had no home to call his own. A kind family let him use a cottage in South India as a retreat home whenever he needed.
He preached the Gospel to thousands of Indians in conferences held in North India and South India. He walked to villages, preaching the Gospel and many came to Christ. He walked through forests and no wild animals ever harmed him and at times he was persecuted, and one time, he was thrown into a well left to die..and angels pulled him out. He chose to walk a very difficult path, which was why the supernatural manifestations in his life were greater…
He kept visiting Tibet and shared the gospel with the Tibetans. On his last visit to Tibet in 1929, he never returned, his body was never found. Some Christians believe he was taken up to Heaven because he had such a close walk with the Lord!
He was perhaps the most incredible and amazing Christian who had no attachments to the world. He literally walked with Christ with deep fellowship and communion. He would spend hours just talking to Christ and got incredible joy and internal strength during his communion. He walked through dangers, which was why he experienced supernatural miracles. When we walk a dangerous and difficult path with Christ, we will experience more of the supernatural because of the protecting power of Christ. He was invited to speak in many conventions in India during those days and the Indians were having a mighty spiritual revival. A majority of converts came through this great spiritual awakening of Christ in the 1900s, in India, through many men and women like Sadhu Sundar Singh..
Rita
References for Sadhu Sundar Singh..
P. Surya Prakash, The Preaching of Sadhu Sundar Singh: A Homiletic Analysis of Independent Preaching and Personal Christianity”, Bangalore: Wordmakers, 1991.[1]
P. Surya Prakash, Sadhu Sundar Singh’s Contribution,[2] in Roger E. Hedlund (Edited), Christianity is Indian: The Emergence of an Indigenous Community, Revised edition, ISPCK, New Delhi, 2004, pp.113-128
Appasamy, A. J. Sundar Singh. Cambridge: Lutterworth, 1958.
Benge, Janet & Geoff Sundar Singh: Footprints Over the Mountains
Davey, Cyril J. The Story of Sadhu Sundar Singh (Chicago: Moody Press, 1963); reprinted as Sadhu Sundar Singh (Bromley: STL Books, 1980).
Francis, Dayanandan, ed. The Christian Witness of Sadhu Sundar Singh. Alresford: Christian Literature Society, 1989.
Stevens, Alec, Sadhu Sundar Singh (Dover, NJ: Calvary Comics, 2006).
Streeter, Burnett and A. J. Appasamy. The Sadhu: a Study in Mysticism and Practical Religion. London: Macmillan, 1921.
Thompson, Phyllis, Sadhu Sundar Singh (Carlisle: Operation Mobilisation, 1992).
Watson, Janet Lynn. The Saffron Robe. London: Hodder and Stoughton,1975.
Woodbridge, John. More Than Conquerors. Australia, 1992.
Benge, Geoff and Janet. “Sundar Singh: Footprints Over the Mountains” (Christian Heroes: Then and Now Series)
Much of the above detail was provided by this book.
Andrews, C. F. Sadhu Sundar Singh: A Personal Memoir. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1934.
Joyce Reason. The man who disappeared: Sundar Singh of India. London: Edinburgh House Press, 1937
Commentaires