Ethel Raddon - It happened in Nasik
It happened in Nasik. Nasik, Western India’s Hindu pilgrimage city to which thousands of pilgrims come each year to bathe in the river Godavari, to worship, to seek cleansing and to find solace. Nasik, a city with a three thousand year history and dozens of Hindu shrines.
It happened on a Sunday afternoon when I was in my room writing letters. The campus of our Kristya Lekhan Sanstha, the Christian Writing Center, was still and empty as our graduate students from all over India had completed their course and gone home. As I wrote I heard footsteps on the steps of our bungalow and went out to see who was there. Before me stood an elderly Hindu gentleman dressed in immaculate white who greeted me with the words, "I saw the sign Christya Lekhan Sanstha and I would like to know more about your Jesus."
As we sat and talked in the sitting room he used good English and said something I shall never forget–"I am weary of my Hinduism. Tell me about your Jesus." Weary of his Hinduism! Knowing that the best way for him to learn of Jesus was the Scripture, I asked if I might read him a portion of our Christian Holy Scriptures. He said "yes," so I decided to read him part of St. John’s Gospel from Phillips’ translation.
Never, before or since, have I seen someone listen to the Word of God with such intense concentration. As I began to read he folded his hands, closed his eyes and bowed his head in worship. I read slowly and carefully, quietly asking God to speak to this devout Hindu. When I finished reading he opened his eyes and asked a very strange question. He asked if I would give him water and something to eat. This I did gladly. He saw my bewilderment and explained that he believed he would be blessed if he had something to eat and drink in the presence of something holy – the Scriptures.
Before he left, I asked if he would like to have the New Testament from which I had read. He was pleased to take it. Since then I have wondered how many thousands of other Hindus are "Weary of their Hinduism."
–Ethel M. Raddon