In recent months, as I’ve been meeting more South Asian believers who have come from other faiths, I questioned if we really understand the cost of following Jesus and what discipleship looks like for those who have come from a different faith. Especially from a ministry context.
Over 5.5million people in the UK are from a South Asian background and do not know Jesus. If mission and evangelism is at the heart of what you are doing, then it’s important to understand how to help people transition well, remain in their communities and culture (if they feel called to).
It wasn’t until recently as we’ve been thinking as a group of people who minister to or are from a South Asian background, that we realised the gap in our churches when it comes to discipleship. Discipleship is not a one-size-fits-all. Following Jesus may seem easy. However, as many of us know, it can be challenging. It stretches us to think about how others operate at a human level, why they might think the way they do, why they are different and, dare I say, maybe we are not always right, and there are other ways of doing life, other than what we know of, in our own culture.
I’ve realised in my own journey that healing and the renewing of our mind takes time, sometimes even years. It’s a work of the Holy Spirit and us partnering with Him on that journey means we are training to become Christlike. But, in an instant world, are we patient enough with each other to allow one another to develop? Are we willing to walk the journey out with someone from other cultures as well as our own?
Every culture is unique, as is each individual experience. As the Lord shared with me, ‘Every heart and every home has a story’. Following Jesus costs everyone something. Whether it’s time, money, relationships – or even your home. However, for some there is an even greater cost – for some it’s their life. A Muslim coming to faith [in Christ] is seen as blasphemous and their life can be literally on the line. Some may have come from abusive or oppressive backgrounds, maybe neglect or abandonment, some may have difficult backgrounds, been rejected by their culture, ex-faith communities and even families – we cannot always instantaneously ‘break’ people out of that mindset. It requires safe environments, understanding, love, compassion, time and prayer.
For many, though not all, coming to faith in Christ leaves a sense of isolation. You aren’t Western enough for some, or South Asian enough for others. There is a loss of identity, you are not who you once were, nor are you yet who you are supposed to be. There is an unlearning from your previous faith and how you did things, to understanding how church works, who Jesus means for an individual in their own personal circumstances and collectively. That’s one of the many things I love about Jesus – He met people where they were, as they were, yet journeying with us transforms us into the likeness of Himself.
Discipleship looks different in different cultural contexts; the focus should be for believers to have visible fruit in their lives of walking with Jesus – and that walk will be different for each person. Are they growing in their intimacy with the Lord and are they becoming more like Jesus? Discipleship also means understanding the spiritual realities individuals may be dealing with. I believe it’s important for us to understand other faiths and what they believe, as it helps us to understand our South Asian brothers and sisters better and what they may be dealing with as they come into church. Ephesians 6:10 is a reminder that ‘our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’.
Church communities can be beautiful, but they can sadly also sometimes be cliquey and more about assimilation rather than inter-cultural dialogue. Though we are making movements with this, it’s human nature to be creatures of habit, to not want to change or be uncomfortable at the expense of another. But I like change (most of the time); I love learning about others and how as a body we can welcome all people, from all walks of life, whilst still learning how to journey with people.
I would encourage you to talk to someone who has come from a different faith (if you haven’t already), find out more about them, what their journey has been like. For some it will have been easy, for others not so much. I am sure though that you will discover the cost of following Jesus and the real pain behind some of those smiles, if you gently ask.
Rather than asking people to become like us, let’s celebrate people becoming more like Jesus in whom God created them to be.
