It has been nearly ten years since this book was published in England and as far as I can recollect there has not been one Sikh response. May I ask why? For all essential purposes this is a cookbook on how to convert Sikhs into Christianity and perhaps first of its kind. At the time of the book’s publication, Ram Gidoomal was Chairman of South Asian Concern, an activist Christian group in UK. Ram was raised in a Hindu family of Kenya, brought up in the “practice and traditions of Sikhism,” and educated in a Muslim school before migrating to UK in 1967, where he converted to Christianity. Margaret Wardell, the second author, is described as a former member of “Interservice missionary.”

South Asian Concern comprises followers of Jesus Christ with a particular interest in South Asia and South Asians around the world. Their aim is to “encourage, equip and enable Asian and other followers of Christ to be more effective in leadership, world mission and outreach, especially among South Asians.” Satya Bhavan (House of Truth) is a ministry of South Asian Concern, which provides resources for reaching friends and neighbors “for Christ … training material and books on understanding Hindus, Sikhs and others from Asian backgrounds.” South Asian Concern has published a number of such books aimed for such purposes. The following books should interest us:

    i.  Chapatis For Tea: Reaching Your Hindu Neighbour by Margaret Wardell & Ram Gidoomal.

    ii.  Lions, Princesses and Gurus: Reaching Your Sikh Neighbour by Ram Gidoomal & Margaret          Wardell.

    iii.  Good News For Asians in Britain by Sally J Sutcliffe (Editor). This is a small booklet explaining          how Jesus is Good News for Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims with contributions from Ram Gidoomal,          Steven Masood, Suneel Shivdasani, Pall Singh and Margaret Wardel.

    iv.  Karma N' Chips: The New Age of Asian Spirituality by Ram Gidoomal and Mike Fearon.

    v.  Sari N' Chips: Asian Culture + Western Culture = ? by Ram Gidoomal with Mike Fearon.

    vi.  A Way of Life: Introducing Hinduism Communities of Faith Series by Ram Gidoomal & Robin          Thomson.

Today we are witnessing a tremendous rise in the number of missionaries being dispatched to Asia and Africa. The soft targets are chalked out and resources channeled in those directions, and non-Christian communities living in Christian dominated countries are being targeted as potential converts. Sikhs living both inside and outside India are considered soft targets. You may wonder why Christian missionaries are frantically seeking converts? What’s going on? Should we believe that a large number of Christians are worried in spite of having the largest membership of any religious groups?

Perhaps the answer lies in the preface of Lions, Princesses and Gurus: Reaching Your Sikh Neighbour where the authors bring to our attention private comments of Rev. Gordon Fyles of the Emmanuel Church in Wimbledon:

In what biblical sense do we conceive of God as Lord of history at this moment? He is the God who motivated white British missionaries to take the Good News of Jesus to the Indian subcontinent from the 18th century onwards. Local people heard and believed the Gospel and churches were established.

Now, at the end of the era of imperial British rule, considerable numbers of Asian people—through political and commercial considerations which seem to have no religious strand within them—have arrived and will achieve significant numerical growth. We clearly see God’s sovereignty in sending out missionaries and are comfortable with that, and even feel we should send more.

But when God, the Lord of all history, acts sovereignly—and who else could arrange such a convoluted turn of history such as brought Asians and, indeed, West Indians here? – we are uncomfortable and feel threatened. Yet what if God, as the decline of Western Christianity accelerates, proposes to switch the focus to Black and Asian Christian groups? When Christ first came, the star rose in the East to announce His arrival.

Lions, Princesses and Gurus: Reaching Your Sikh Neighbour comprises a total of 22 chapters. The book begins with some history that covers both Punjab and England and lays out pointers on making Sikh friends, what to do and what not to do, and some biographical information on each of the Sikh Gurus.

Chapter 5 is titled The Sikh Scriptures with a commentary on Ad or Adi Granth, Guru Granth Sahib, and Dasam Granth. The poetical content of Guru Granth “resembles that of the Psalms and Proverbs, and the Song of Solomon.” While making a point of distinction that there is no historical narrative or logical prose teaching in Guru Granth, in contrast to the New Testament, it lays out correctly that there are also no mythological stories as in the Hindu holy books. With respect to naming of God, while acknowledging the names used in Hinduism and Islam, it goes on to say: “There is even a reference to Jesus. And it is more than a mention of his name. His message and purpose are made clear.” Here it is:

God has destroyed the head of the Devil through
Jesus of the world
There was a light in the heaven;
All came to congratulate Him,
Blessed be the king of all people
The destroyer of the wicked
And Saviour of the poor;
The creator of the Universe
Save me, I am your servant.
God is one; may victory belong to Him.
       ~Padshahi 10 Chaupai, Rahiras Sahib,
       Quoted in Sundar Ghutka pp. 299-300

Chapters 6 through 12 address mundane issues with an attempt to understanding the Sikhs from many angles. Much of the points raised in describing Sikhism are strictly an interpretation of Hindu beliefs adapted on the Sikhs. The real emphasis of the book starts with chapter 13 and onwards in which similarities between the Sikh and Christian religions are laid out. For example on “The True Guru”--this is stated on pages 140-41:

The Granth teaches that the True Guru:

.  has a divine nature
..  is creator of the world
.  is called by God
.  reveals the truth about God through his Word
.  is the giver of peace
.  is the only hope of purification from sin
.  is the breath of life

The Bible tells us similar things about Jesus. He:

.  has a diviner nature
.  is the creator of the world
.  was sent into the world by God to save men and women from their sins (John 3:16)
.  is the truth and provides the way to God(John 14:6)
.  gives us peach with God
.  is the one through whom salvation can be received(Acts 4:12)
.  reveals God to men
.  gives us spiritual life

The purpose of highlighting these two sets of alleged similarities is to hone in on the point that it is Jesus Christ who is being mentioned in the Guru Granth and the Sikhs must be told of this. In other words: Waheguru is none other than Jesus Christ. The Sikh neighbors need to be informed that despite some similarities, Sikhism is “powerless to save men and women.”

This book recognizes one major point of contention, however: “This is the area of greatest disagreement between Sikhs and Christians. Sikhs reject the uniqueness of Christ as the only way to God.”

While witnessing to the Sikhs, a missionary needs to “demonstrate Jesus in your daily life.” Why? Because: “Sikhs are attracted to Christ by his life of unselfish love and sacrifice.” Besides, a missionary is asked to “focus on the reality of Jesus.” Why focus on Jesus? Because of one simple factor: We are told that the orthodox Sikhs revere God but their image of him is distorted and worshipping Jesus Christ will remove that distortion.

A missionary is also expected to tell the Sikhs, “Many statements in the Granth, the expectations of its authors, and the evidence of their longing for God are fulfilled in Jesus.” In other words we are told that Jesus Christ is the “fulfillment of the Granth Sahib.”

In conclusion there are many errors in this book including the one reference to “Padshahi 10 Chaupai, Rahiras Sahib” mentioned earlier, and it will take greater effort to discuss them in detail. I do not agree with many of the theological points (both of Christianity and Sikhism) mentioned in this book. While a Christian can believe in anything he chooses from the Bible, I am at no compulsion to agree with his interpretations.

Often my reading of the Bible draws me to a varied set of conclusions entirely different from what evangelical branch of Christianity preaches. While I respect their beliefs (as long as they keep it to themselves), I reject the notion that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of Guru Granth Sahib. In the past some famous Christians have also laid out similar claims on the Hindu scriptures hoping to convert Hindus. And of course let’s not forget their claims on the Hebrew Bible, the results of which have been devastating to the Jewish people.

I categorically reject these “Christian claims” as they are nothing but wishful thinking on their part. Many of them are bent upon the notion of spreading their ranks through whatever means possible. As far as the personality of Jesus Christ is concerned, as presented in the New Testament portion of the Bible, we find that in recent decades questions have been raised whether he is worthy of adoration. My own impressions of Jesus are at odds with many of the believing Christians. However, there is a silver lining here: I acknowledge that the image of Jesus Christ that comes out from reading the four gospel accounts is better compared to his father, the Biblical God, and if you wonder why I feel that way, I request you to wait till Reverend Zekveld and I start the discussion on Jesus Christ.


Copyright©2006 G.B. Singh. About the author