Imagine you are sitting in a Buddhist temple in Shigatse listening to the lama, the man you respect the most. He quotes something from the Sutras in Pali and gives an explanation. Since you are Tibetan and do not know Pali, you believe what the lama tells you. Soon you find yourself bowing endlessly before the golden statue of Buddha, hoping that your multitude of prostrations might somehow allow you to be set free from impermanence and suffering so you can achieve nirvana, although you do not really understand it.
Imagine you are sitting in a mosque in Islamabad, and the imam, the man you respect the most, quotes something from the Qur’an in Arabic and gives an explanation. Since you are Pakistani and do not know Arabic, you believe what the imam tells you. Soon you find yourself engaged in jihad, willing to kill people who do not believe like you, thinking an act of holy suicide will somehow allow you to achieve salvation because you do not know of any better options.
Imagine you are sitting in a Hindu temple in Varanasi, and the priest, the man you respect the most, quotes something from the Manu Smriti in Sanskrit and gives an explanation. Since you are low-caste, you are only barely literate in your own tribal language, so you believe what the priest tells you. Soon you find yourself in a contorted position, smeared in ashes, begging for your food, hoping that your extreme asceticism will allow you to be released from the cycle of karma and rebirth, but the longing in your heart remains.
Imagine you are sitting in a bamboo shelter in a distant land among an unreached group of people. Having spent the previous year befriending them, learning their language and understanding their culture, you have earned their respect and won their love. Earnestly, in words they understand, you tell your friends that there is a Savior who lived and died for them. You tell them that through faith in His sacrifice they can experience a new birth of true freedom that ultimately results in eternal life where there will be no more sorrow, pain or death. Feeling the Holy Spirit moving on their hearts, they choose to become Jesus’ disciples, and their lives are transformed for eternity. Hallelujah!
Stop imagining. Make this final scenario a reality today. Please contact us so we can send you to share the everlasting gospel with those who are longing for something better. Call 800.937.4236 or email service@afmonline.org
