In the Cubicle Next Door

Each Sunday morning, Kumar sits in a folding chair, waiting for the rock band to start up, and the preacher to give a seeker-sensitve sermon.  The chairs are partly filled, in a school gymnasium, just outside Washington, D.C.

He's a small man, from Chennai, India, and here, in the rows for the audience, he's part of someone's Big Vision.  Like many others, the church start-up has a visionary, who hopes it becomes the next Willow Creek, even hoping to buy 40 acres in suburban D.C.  (Anyone got a half-bil for that?)

And Kumar, who's 36, drives each day to his office job at Sun Microsystems, where he spends a lot of time checking urgent email from very far away.

Friday night, I walked with Kumar, and our mutual friend, Woody, to a crowded Whole Foods Market in Alexandria.  I made a salad about four times bigger than his, but when we got back to the hotel room, it took him a couple hours to finish.  I kept asking questions.  He kept answering.

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Kumar was on a crowded bus in Chennai, India.  He heard God's voice.  "Unmistakably," he says.  I heard God say, twice, 'Seek Me.'  That was it.  Twice." 

Just "Seek Me"?

"Just 'Seek Me'.  And I knew it was God, but which God?  I was Hindu.  Was it Vishnu?  Calli...?  No idea.  I just knew it was God.  Somehow, I knew it.  Unmistakable."

And Kumar isn't the gullible type.  He has multiple advanced degrees in Aero Engineering and Physics, for starters, from the M.I.T.-equivalent in India.

He studied and researched, but just wasn't satisfied that it was one of his familiar gods, and eventually found a friend with a Bible -- a "good luck charm" -- and traded a textbook for it.  He started reading, got confused, but eventually was pointed to Jesus.

He became a Jesus-follower.  Costly decision.

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His parents weren't happy.  They scheduled an arranged marriage.  Kumar met his wife-to-be on Friday, told her and his parents on Saturday about his Jesus decision, and got married on Sunday.  "They thought it would blow over," he says.  It didn't.

Six months later, there was an intervention.  Her family, his family, neighbors, friends -- 150 people strong -- all telling him to repudiate his faith.  He refused.  His parents, fearing for their reputation, said he should leave the area immediately.  They would tell everyone that he was dead.

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Kumar took a job in the states.  He drove to a big church building.  "I didn't know what else to do," he says.  "Nice cars everywhere.  I liked that."

He walked in, and was taken aback.  "It was a fancy church, and everyone was a black person, and they were quite animated.  They were walking on their chairs around the room.  I was confused, but they were happy.

"They had a testimony time, and I like microphones, so I got up and told them, 'I am so happy about Jesus!  I do not want a Mercedes or a BMW!  I want to go back to India to tell people about Jesus!'  Everyone applauded me!  I was the center of attention!  But I had just lied!  I did not want to go back.  Actually, I did want to be rich.  I did want a Mercedes."

But some brothers took him to a room and prayed with him, that his return to India would happen.  "I did not want to go back to India..."

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A few years later, he went back to India.  Kumar took his vacation from Sun, and headed over with no plan.  He just went door-to-door, and told people about Jesus.

The first day, 45 people decided to become Jesus-followers.  How'd THAT happen?

"I don't know.  I just went door to door, and neighbors would introduce me to others, and I was amazed."

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Kumar still takes his vacations, two weeks a year, and heads to India.  But things have grown.  From those first 45, and from his trips over the past seven years...

More than 100,000 conversions.  139 communities.  More than 100 pastors.  Model orphanages for children suffering from AIDS  Schools for Dalit children, the lowest-of-the-low in India.  Shelters for little girls, now rescued from prostitution.  Food.  Medicine.  Jesus.

They want to name projects after Kumar.  He does not allow them.  He spends hours every day, after work, praying and communicating and wondering what the next move is.  He doesn't raise financial support.  Not his style.

"God always provides.  Children are dying in a project, because all we have is rice for them, and not much.  Woody gave us some money for a down-payment on four acres with hundreds of coconut trees, and then several families who know us each called me, unaware of what we were doing.  'God woke us up last night, and we can't get you off our mind.  Here's five thousand dollars...here's a thousand dollars...we got the forty-thousand we needed to buy the land.  I am always amazed."

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"Kumar...I don't get it.  We made a quantum leap in your story.  45 people decide to follow Jesus, and now more than 100 thousand.  Wha...?  How...?"

We sit at our table in our hotel room, and Kumar starts laughing.  I laugh, too! -- and then, I realize, he's not laughing.  He's crying, and he can't speak. 

"So many have died..."

Who has died?

"So many of our pastors, so many of our people..."

I look at Woody, who knows the stories, and he bites his lip and nods.

"They are beaten to death, they are killed, because they are talking about Jesus.  It happens all the time in India, but the country is very concerned about image, very concerned about foreign investment, they pretend it doesn't happen.

"They are the reason this growth has happened.  Their blood.  I ask God, 'Why do you let this happen to these people who love you?'  They have nothing.  Our pastors are not paid.  There is no money.  But I realized, God is releasing them, at last.  They have nothing, they are beaten, they are hungry, they live on the ground, in the streets, and God finally releases them to go home."

Pause.  And I can't talk, either.

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Woody, who met Kumar at that seeker-sensitive church in suburban D.C., says I should let Kumar eat his salad.  He's right.   It's getting late.

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If you're reading this on a weekday, Kumar is sitting in a little room at Sun and doing his job, and answering far-flung emails while he prays.  And on Sundays, he sits on a folding chair in a high school gym, and hears about the church's big plans.  It will be costly, but just think what could happen, with a new building!

He admits he wonders sometimes...

"They have now added us to their missions budget.  They give $1,000 per year.   I guess I am happy for that, but..."  and his voice trails.

But...the church has other priorities, and a Big Vision for an another affluent suburb that, need we remind, needs Jesus, too.

Comments

[Woody]

Brant,

You are a good story teller.

Here's a bit to add to the story.

I remember walking into this startup church near DC, I had found it online.

Typical, it was in a public elementary school auditorium. I was alone because Nancy was visiting her mom. We had moved to the DC area only a few weeks earlier.

I spotted a South Asian couple down towards the front. I made a beeline and took the seat in front of them. India is a special place to me. I have been there several times.

During the obligatory "shake hands" 30 seconds, I introduced myself and found out that they were from India, in fact south India.

Bit of Bible trivia here. Bet most of your readers will not know (I didn't) when the name of Jesus was first preached in India.

Well it was pretty early since Jesus was first preached in India by the Apostle Thomas. Yes, that's right, the guy who insisted on proof. He's buried near Chennai. There are pictures he painted in the caves he hid in while being persecuted. So martyrdom of Jesus' followers has a long tradition in India.

I have friends in India that can trace their local congregation back 2000 years. Awesome!

Anyway after the service I queried Kumar more about himself and found out that he was saving his money, vacation and sick leave, and paying his own way to India to share Jesus.

I asked him what missionary group he was with. He said "Just me".

I said who is helping you, "Nobody, just me".

I told him right on the spot, "You're alone anymore". I guess that was about 3 years ago.

In over 30 years of following Jesus, I have had the privilege to meet lots of famous people including lots of famous Evangelicals, but only a handful have the anointing and favor of God that Kumar has.

He is an utterly amazing guy. God's hand is on him in a stupendous way. I count it a supreme privilege to help in his ministry.

[Jim]

speechless.

[Clint]

**speechless**

[Michelle Van Loon]

Thank you.

[Coralie]

I can't tell you how this makes me celebrate and mourn at the same time. I just have no words.

[Tim]

Ouch.

[Mike P]

That is an amazing story and an amazing man. It is inspiring for me but also it makes me feel like Im doing nothing. Look at all hes done. I know we've talked about "one of the least of these" but this guy is doing IT. Guess Im ready to go to India. Does Compasion have Indian kids?

[Shaun]

Wow man,
That is unbelievable. It must be so hard for him to choose what to do next. I guess it's easy here in the west to lose sight of the cost involved for some people in just admitting they follow Jesus. Heavy stuff, and I thought I had problems.
Thanks for sharing this Brant.
Peace

[wilsonian]

Okay. I'm crying now.

[Eric Bennett]

Hi Brant. Long time. If you have a free minute sometime, send me your email.

Eric Bennett

ericdb68@gmail.com

[cap]

Wow. Thanks man.

-j

[kerry]

Wow! This story could be a book! What a picture of two worlds. Thank you for sharing this rich experience.

[Jon Reid]

My poor domesticated Christian brain is trying to wrap its, uh, brain around this.
And failing.

[Sarah]

Thanks for sharing Kumar's story. What can I say? It's a lot to think about. I'm glad you shared.

[Julie G.]

That was cool. And moving. And profound. And...

I wish my faith was as big as his. He is way more qualified to call himself a follower of Jesus than I am.

[Da Bears Fan]

Do you know what that kind of building on a $500,000,000.00 piece of land in suburban DC could do for the believers in India? Yep, me neither. (I am filing my comment under "Stuff I Posted Without Fully Thinking Through @ 1:45am")

[Elle]

Brant, I posted this on another blog's comment section, but thought I'd let you know about it here as I referenced your blog and how much it impacted me this morning.

Here's part of what I wrote:
"I was reading Brant’s blog this morning (http://tinyurl.com/26jr5w) and was struck by how much it challenges my tiny Western mindset of the way I live my life. I immediately jumped in my head to Jesus’ words to Peter (John, chapter 21) after Peter sees John following them and says to the Lord, “What about him?” Jesus responds: “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” It just brought home to me once again that we each may have radically different paths to follow in the spirit of “ministry,” and we cannot compare ourselves to one another… …but I think we can use each other’s lives as a reason to occasionally take a closer look at our heart’s true condition when it comes to following Jesus."

Well, you can read my whole comment here: http://tinyurl.com/253bqc, but just wanted to let you know how much your post impacted my heart today.

Thanks,
Elle

[Seaton]

Mike P- Yes , Compassion does have Indian kids. We just had one child form India graduate the program, and are starting to sponsor another from there.

[Note from Brant: I've had a chance to meet our Compassion kid in Chennai, named Kanaan. We also sponsored a little girl named Premi in Calcutta. I should write about Kanaan sometime. What a trip.

We lost both of them (to us) due to legal changes affecting church and state -- long story, that I don't fully understand. Broke our hearts.]

[Nathanael]

Thank you, dear brother, for sharing this wonderful story.
I needed to read it.

Shalom

[Bill Kinnon]

Probably your best post ever, Brant. And that IS saying something.

[jeff]

Thanks Brant. You said it very well.

[John M.]

That really is something. I know a mother/daughter team that periodically goes to Nigeria on their own to work in a clinic there. Just them and whatever support they can drum up from family and friends.

[freebiebeebe]

Wonderful post Brant! It goes to show you what one life sold out for God armed with the simplicity of the Gospel message and the love of Jesus can accomplish. I just love it!!! WOW!

[M.E.]

This was the last thing I read last night before going to bed......and there are still no words to describe what I felt then and now.

God bless you, Brant, for posting this.

[Justin Patton]

The Body has different gifts, of course, but what a great example of a man following Jesus in spite of "the church". Maybe Kumar is the guy to lead the next reformation. I'm starting to think maybe someone needs to.