We’ve looked at China (the most populated country in the world) and India comes in second with a population of just under 1.4 billion (over 4 times that of the USA).
Amazingly, given the high population density in some of their cities, they have had fewer confirmed cases to date of the virus than the UK and fewer deaths, however it would appear that it is still to peak in India, and who knows how many deaths have occurred without diagnosis?
My reason however for including India in this post was not for the pandemic, but (a) because we support Suvathamma there in Andhra Pradesh and (b) because of the level of persecution against Christians in some parts of the country.
Because of the size and diversity of the country across its States, Operation World dedicates over 40 pages to India, with dedicates sections on each State. So let’s just consider Andrha Pradesh.
It is India’s fifth largest State, with an estimated 89% Hindu, 9% Muslim, and 1.6% Christian (incl nominal Christians). The number of Christians is supposed to have declined more in this State than in any other in India. There are churches throughout the State and missionaries are very active there. In Hyderabad where nearly 40% of the citizens are Muslim, and it is the key city for Islam in southern India, there are also nearly 200 Christian organisations at work. Sadly very little is done to reach out to the Muslims in the city.
Unlike much of the world, the greatest persecution of Christians comes not from the Muslims, but from Hindu extremists who particularly oppose the conversion of Hindus either to Islam or to Christianity.
We read of Jesus: Mar 6:34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
Pray that the same will happen in this massive land where the vast majority (~95% – over 1.3 billion) live and die in darkness without Christ
Please pray for India.