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GFA Staff : Sep 27, 2010  Gospel for Asia

Once a part of the terrible persecution against Christians in Orissa back in 2008, now this attacker has been changed by the love of Jesus into a fellow worshiper in the very church he tried to demolish.

In 2008, Sharada Tamo was so angry at the Christian church in his village that he joined a mob that tried to destroy the church's building. Sharada personally climbed on the roof of the building and broke its telltale cross.

Today, Sharada visits the church every week. But now he is there to worship Jesus in the same building that he once tried to destroy.

Sharada was part of the violent mobs that tore through Orissa, India in August, 2008, burning down churches, attacking Christians and setting their homes on fire. When the attackers were finished, 75 Christians were dead and at least 75,000 were left homeless.

The attackers were upset about the death of a prominent Hindu leader, who is reported to have been murdered by anti-government extremists. The mobs instead blamed Christians for their leader's death. The arson and murders were their revenge.

Almost nine months earlier on Christmas day, 2007, there was a smaller, yet just as systematic, attack on Christians in the state.

The church Sharada attacked that August was well-respected in the community. It was founded in 1997 and over its first decade, had served hundreds of people. Under the leadership of a Gospel for Asia-supported missionary, the church became known for its community outreach programs and ministry to women and youth. Many people have chosen to follow Jesus as a result of the ministry of this missionary and his congregation. This angered the local anti-Christian extremists, including Sharada.

Even though this church was well respected, it was not exempt from the violence that broke out in Orissa that August.

The church was badly damaged and was unusable for months afterward. Its congregation was scattered as Christians were forced out of the village. But its days of being a beacon for the love of Jesus were not over.

Today, Gospel for Asia-supported missionary Rutajit is rebuilding this outpost of faith in Orissa. The church building has been repaired and there are 197 people, including Sharada Tamo, attending worship services at the rebuilt church. In fact, Sharada's entire family has chosen to follow Christ. The cross, which Sharada ripped off the building, has been replaced and is once again a shining symbol of forgiveness to all—including Sharada—who enter the building.

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