When I tell people I am a Christian from India, especially from Bihar—a land where Hinduism thrives, Buddhism was born, Jainism took root, and Sikhism finds religious ties—the response is often: “Oh, so you converted?”
It’s not just curiosity—it’s suspicion. Sometimes even disdain.
It’s as if becoming a Christian made me less Indian, or worse, a sellout to my own heritage.
But I want to share my story—not to debate, not to convert—but simply to humanize what it means to be Indian and Christian. This is not just about theology. It is about identity, belonging, rejection, and ultimately—redemption.
From Search to Savior
I was raised in a deeply spiritual Hindu household. My mother, the most sincere preacher of Lord Shiva, made our home a sanctuary of respect for all faiths. In one corner, you would see images of Hindu gods, a picture of Jesus on the wall, and even the Kaaba.
That early reverence shaped me.
At one point, I joined her movement—the Shiva Shishya path—but over time, contradictions in theology and practice left me unsettled. I drifted away from religion altogether. I entered the world of modeling (yes, I walked the ramp for many years), nightlife, and indulgence. It was glamorous outside, but empty inside.
Then in 2006, during my mother’s rehabilitation in Vellore, I met a group of Seventh-day Adventist youth who sang and prayed for patients every Saturday.
No preaching. Just presence.
Later, I stumbled upon Doug Batchelor’s video—The Richest Caveman, and something inside me cracked open. I prayed in broken words to stop smoking—and I did. Cold turkey. That moment changed everything. I had found a God who listens.
Through Bible study, prayer, and relentless searching (and several dreams), I accepted Christ and was baptized on October 22, 2007.
Rejected by My Own
But embracing Christ did not mean immediate peace.
In fact, it cost me almost everything.
My friends alienated me, calling me dogla—a “two-faced” man. I was not accused of being a traitor outright, but I was made to feel like one.
My community cut me off.
I became invisible in the very space where I had once belonged.
Even my family, who always loved me, struggled under the pressure of a society where religious identity is deep. It was not hate, it was fear. It was not anger, but shame—not from within, but from the expectations of others.
Received by the Church
If rejection was one part of the story, reception was the other.
The church became my new family. I was welcomed, not watched.
I was embraced, not interrogated.
They didn’t ask what I was, but how I was. For a soul that had been exiled from its roots, this was a new home.
But don’t mistake it for ease.
I had no godfather.
No foreign funds.
No promise of rice or reward.
I went to Spicer Memorial College with Rs. 15,000.
I cleaned toilets.
I worked until 2:00 AM to pay my tuition.
I followed Christ because I found truth, not profit.
Faith Undercover
Even today, I sometimes hide my faith in public. Not out of shame, but to avoid instant rejection or unwelcome eyes. People still think I became Christian for some benefit. I wish they could see my sleepless nights, my silent tears, my long journey of rebuilding life from scratch.
But what keeps me going is Jesus Himself—not the religion, not the denomination, but the person who changed me.
What Christianity Gave Me
- It gave me clarity where confusion once reigned.
- It gave me grace—the one thing I never found in rituals or performance-based religion.
- It gave me hope when rejection left me bitter.
- It gave me purpose—to become a teacher, a mentor, a man of integrity.
It did not just change my behavior; it changed my nature.
Can I Be Indian and Christian?
Yes, Absolutely, yes.
I didn’t stop being Indian when I started following Christ.
I became a better Indian—more honest, more loving, more compassionate.
India doesn’t need uniformity, it needs humanity.
And Christianity taught me how to be a human in the image of God.
To Anyone Secretly Searching
To anyone reading this in silence, with questions you are afraid to ask, I want to say:
You don’t have to abandon your culture to find Christ.
You don’t have to hate your past to embrace your future.
You just need to be willing to search—truly, sincerely—and if you do, I believe you’ll find, like I did, a Savior, not just a system.
Final Thought
Being a Christian in India is not always easy. But it is always worth it.
Because in a world full of gods, I found the God who listens.
And that’s why I follow Him.
Give me Jesus
And you can have all this world
You can have all this world
Give me Jesus
Your friend,
Santosh Kumar