Nepal... A Nation in Need
Less than 2% (1.4% to be exact) of the population in Nepal profess to be Christians. Rest of the people have never accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. More than likely they have never heard the gospel. Hinduism has a great stronghold in Nepal. As a matter of fact, it used to be the only Hindu nation in the world. Everything was done according to the Hindu laws. Recently, an interim constitution has allowed religious tolerance. Despite this tolerance, Christians in many parts of Nepal are still persecuted in one form or another. Being a Christian is still a big ‘no-no’ in most of the villages of Nepal. In Nepal, Christianity is seen as an American culture. So, being a Christian implies forsaking Nepali culture and adopting a foreign one. Many Nepalese people don’t understand that Christianity is not an American culture, and Jesus Christ is not an American god. They fail to realize that God of the Christians is the true and only God. This misunderstanding has created a hostile environment for Christians in Nepal. Many Christians are kicked out of their homes and family. They are even fired from their jobs. A political party in Nepal, which is heavily influenced by a Hindu extremist group, is trying to bring back Hindu laws in the constitution of Nepal. This means no more religious tolerance. A small door of hope that is opened in Nepal right now can be shut in any moment. There, therefore is a great necessity and urgency to reach as many Nepali people for Christ as possible before this door of hope closes. Nepali people are extremely religious. Almost everybody believes in god. The problem is that they don’t know the true God. Their multiple gods have not satisfied their spiritual emptiness. In their frantic attempts to find peace and happiness, people pursue ‘Mockshaya’ and ‘Nirvana’. They sacrifice lot of money, time and energy in order to find salvation. Guided by their false religion, they go on pilgrimages and offer various sacrifices. They are desperately searching for answers, but to no avail. The bible says “...whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved...” In other words, Jesus Christ is the answer they are looking for. The bible also says, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" (Romans 10:14, 15). Who shall tell these people about Jesus Christ? The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few (Matthew 9:36-38). Truly Nepal is a place of great need. We must act before it is said, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." (Jeremiah 8:20)! |