I love to pray. I love connecting with God. I love expecting to hear from Him. It is not that I require anything of Him for me to keep coming. Just as I do not expect my friends to bring me gifts. I enjoy it when they do. But that is not why I love them, talking with them and spending quality time together with them. But, sharing what I have with them and receiving what they share is always a delight.
Though I do not require anything of God other than His salvation and sustaining presence, I am thrilled at the shape of the developments when we ask him to be specfically in the mix. I have asked many to pray for our brothers and sisters in India who have been severely persecuted (some killed) by Hindu extremists. We couldn't see how the persecution, that was on the increase for years, would be diminished in an area where virtually all of the momentum was to worsen the situation for Christians. But, we continued to pray for God's intervention.
Well, there have been some God-shaped developments. First, some of the prevailing extremist politicians have been unseated, providing some relief from local governments that turned the other way to the violence. That is one. Second, as many of the Christians have returned to their villages, their houses have been rebuilt and their confidence is intact. In the course of rebuilding, many of the houses are twice as nice as the ones before them, due to the generous assistance from some international gifts. Remember, these are dalits (no caste and low caste people) who have very little and have access to earn very little. Many Hindu dalits are becoming aware of the fact that high caste Hindus have not usually benefitted them during persecution and see the stark contrast, finding Christianity more appealing than their own religion. That's two.
Third, in a delightful development, one community had an interesting experience. Seven local elephants that were typically docile and well controlled creatures went berserk. They came into a village where much persecution had taken place and stampeded through the town. They brought havoc in the town. After all was settled, they learned that all of the houses destroyed were owned by the persecutors. Not one house owned by a Christian was touched. No property from the Christians were damaged while complete destruction was the fate of most of the persecutors' property. The end result has been a whole community that concluded that this is the judgment of God upon the perpetrators of violence. They are now referring to the elephants as Christian elephants. That's three.
I am less interested in how it all happens. I am very interested in knowing that it is happening. Our prayers are being heard. The local Christians are encouraged. They are experience the mercy and generous grace of the Lord. Once again, I go to prayer, expecting answers and thrilled to see them. I did not pray for local people to compare benefits. I did not pray for the elections. I did not pray for the elephants. I prayed for God to bring about his mercy and grace. Again, God-shaped developments resulted.
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