Looking for God in South Asia
I have been actively involved in ministry in various ways for almost a decade. I believe ministry can even look like working at a secular job as we are lights to the whole world, but that's a topic for another day. When I joined Serving Workers for the Harvest in 2024, I was excited to engage the unreached people group of “those who live on social media”. Through the months, however, I discovered I desperately missed interacting with people in person.
In an unexpected answer to my desire, the Lord opened doors to a region I never thought I’d visit: South Asia. With my passion for areas where the Gospel is scarce, the opportunity really shouldn't have taken me by surprise. That said, God never gave me clear understanding for why He was leading me there. My mission became: "Go and see what God is doing".
It became all too obvious that I had a limited understanding of what it meant to see God. Here in the States, He is evident to me in “Jesus fish” bumper stickers, songs about forgiveness, and multitudes of churches scattered throughout the Midwest.
Few of these “displays of God” exist in the predominantly Hindu, Islamic, and Buddhist areas within the 10/40 window. How, then, does one recognize God in such locations? Is He there? Jeremiah 23:24 records the vastness of God in His own words (see photo caption).
Since God fills heaven and earth, we can confidently believe He is everywhere, all the time. Whether a nation’s main belief is Christianity, animism, Judaism, or Sikhism is inconsequential. God is there. Though I am still growing in this practice, I have come to recognize glimpses of God’s glory through:
- Mankind. We are all made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27) which means He can be seen in every person, not just the ones who know Him.
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- In the many, tireless shopkeepers coming from remote villages to sell their produce, I saw faithfulness.
- In the lady on the plane who kindly warned me that I had to delete the picture I took of a military base (there were signs all around forbidding it, as I think back), God’s mercy.
- In all those who didn’t run me over as I crossed the insanely busy streets, grace.
- Daily situations. God is greater than any boxes or time slots that we put Him in. If He is truly holding the universe together, I am inclined to believe He can be found in random, daily situations and circumstances. He does not exist only in our times of intentional consideration, prayer, or Bible study.
- I saw God’s creativity in the restaurant serving salty, sweet, and slightly sour lime juice.
- I experienced the humor of the Lord when I nearly missed the bus my friend was on (I thought she said, “Wait here!”, when she actually said “That’s our bus, let’s go!”. I wish I were lying).
- I recognized the kind consideration of God when, surprisingly, there were actual bathrooms in the remote villages we visited.
- Nature. This one comes as the most obvious to me as confirmed by Romans 1:20. Though cities were mostly covered in cars and concrete, there were glimmers of God's creation with birds, trees, cows, sun, air, and earth.
- In the morning sunbeam shining upon the still-sleeping city, I witnessed God’s goodness.
- In the dense jungle en route to tea gardens, I saw God’s abundant provision.
- In trees scattered between buildings, streets, and sidewalks, I observed His self-sufficiency.
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse". Romans 1:20
Still, my very short time in South Asia did not completely answer, “Where is God among the unreached?”. There are facets of this question I am continually wrestling with as I think back on some of the extreme poverty, the overall sense of isolation, and the jarring awareness that Jesus is not generally heard of or welcomed. If there is anything I am increasingly grateful for, it is that I am not the savior of the world.
"yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God . . . " Romans 4:20.
There is a funny tension in these musings. On one hand, I fully believe the Lord is revealing that He is, in fact, everywhere always. He is in the most exciting of days and also in the most boring. On the other hand, I think perhaps there are times we just have to agree with truth by faith, whether we see evidence of the Lord or not. I will certainly continue to ask God to increase my awareness of His presence, glory, and goodness. At the same time, I realize I can always give thanks to God for His presence and the work He is doing, seen or unseen, as Abraham did concerning the promises He received without seeing (Romans 4).
Unlike the false goddess of the temple I visited, the Lord of lords is not hiding away in an inner sanctum in the easternmost part of the country waiting to meet with us at the end of a lengthy line of devotees. God, most assuredly, is in the day-to-day, mankind, our thoughts, common scenarios, the Word, nature, and in the promises we receive by faith. May God ever increase our awareness of Him, all for His glory.