God Is Bigger

My trip to India in January was a beautiful example of the depth and beauty of God’s people. Experiencing the diversity of the body of Christ is one of my favorite aspects of traveling with HOPE61. The colorful culture and traditions, the flavorful food (I miss having puri bread at every meal), and the precious people of India all highlight God’s love and passion for his creation. What a privilege!

During our two-week stay in India, our team of four traveled by plane, train, and overnight train to five different cities around the country. Everywhere we went, I was overwhelmed by the number of people around us. Even the smallest “village” we stayed in had a population of more than 105,000. The sights, sounds, and cultures of each area we visited reminded me how diverse God is! While in Delhi, we visited a church that held three services, each one led by a different pastor in a different language. I love worshiping Jesus around the world because it reminds me that his plan goes beyond our church walls or denominations. God is not contained by one culture or language or people group. We are all loved, and he is willing that none of us should perish without knowing him.

 

Often when we conduct the first portion of our ENGAGE trainings and talk about what human trafficking is, we hear two specific reactions from people. The first is that they have seen or been aware of trafficking in their communities or cultures but didn’t have a name for what they were seeing. The second is that they feel too helpless or ill-equipped to do anything about it. Friends, our God is so much bigger than the evil that exists in our world today. But if we are being honest, it can be easy for us, even in the church, to become overwhelmed. Evils like human trafficking can seem too enormous to overcome. The truth is that the problem of human trafficking, like every other evil, IS too big for any of us to change alone. But God … He is powerful and has a plan for his church to work together as the body of Christ to impact, and eventually END, the problem of human trafficking.

God is moving in India. I look forward to how God will continue to use the ministry of HOPE61 to motivate and encourage the church in India to care for the weak and vulnerable. Stay tuned!

By Darren Sweeney, HOPE61 Global Training Manager