Nuclear Nations and the Nazarene who can Unite them
I turned as white as a sheet or a ghost, you could say. This was alarming enough, but it became even more concerning when, out of the corner of my eye, our driver in India turned just as pale. That’s when I realized things had gotten really bad—out of control.
A Theological Freakshow
Every day at 6 am, without exception, rain or shine, Northeast India wakes to a theological freakshow, but in a good way, if I can use that expression. While I discovered that I could sleep through the rooster’s shrilling crows five feet outside my bedroom window, I certainly couldn’t ignore the multitude of religious rites, ceremonies, and incantations that drowned out the sounds of cows mooing, lambs bleating, and horses neighing outside. Any one of those noises could easily awaken even the sleepiest of giants.
Just below the hill south of where I was staying, a group of Christians sang a cappella in unison. Due north, the steady pounding of drums echoed—not just heard but felt like they were beating inside my chest. Off to my right, chimes and bells rang out—Hindus, I supposed. Overhead, Muslim sirens blared, calling Muhammad’s followers to prayer.
Who could have guessed that religious rioting simmered just beneath the surface of all those sights and sounds? Like molten lava, hidden from view, it ran just underneath my experience throughout my travels in Northeast India in 2012. The occasion was an opportunity to guest preach at the General Assembly of the Independent Presbyterian Church of India. Only after I returned home did I learn that the region where I stayed was an officially designated “belligerent state”—a term that meant religious tensions ran so high that a constant military presence was required just to keep the peace.
There were Signs
After deplaning, I was given step-by-step instructions:
“Walk directly to the far-left table at the end of the customs line.”
At the table, the customs agent began questioning me in quick succession:
“Your name?”
“What country are you from?”
“What is the purpose of your visit?”
I answered confidently, “I’m here to visit my friends and fulfill preaching engagements.”
The agent looked up, tilting his eyeglasses down the bridge of his nose.
“I am pleased you are here to visit friends,” he said. “And nothing else. Do you understand what I am telling you?”
I wasn’t sure what he was getting at—naively so, at least for the moment.
Lighter. Kerosene. Eruption.
The day before my departure, a man from one religious sect tragically murdered a pregnant, married woman from a rival sect. That’s when the wheels fell off. That’s when you could physically feel an ominous storm cloud pressing down on the whole situation.
Tires burned. The power was cut. Roads were blocked. Rioters roamed with sticks and clubs.
But the eeriest part for me was driving through the Muslim quarters. It was painfully uncomfortable—deafeningly silent, utterly still. Not a single person in sight. The streets were empty for the first time since arriving in a country of 1.2 billion—except for a few hidden faces peering sheepishly from behind window glass.
All of which paled in comparison to what unfolded when we came upon the unruliest mob yet. They demanded we stop at the edge of their makeshift roadblock. At first, their sticks and clubs tapped against the van’s roof, hood, and doors. Then the taps turned into hard thuds and sharp cracks, leaving bangs and dents behind. They rocked the van so violently that it nearly toppled to one side, their seething chants bursting through clenched teeth, spitting anger with every shout.
It was one of only two moments when I truly feared for my life.
Current Tensions Between Pakistan and India
What scares me most about the current tensions between Pakistan and India isn’t just the political unrest—it’s the combustible mix of political rivalry and religious hostility. Street violence is one thing. But when faith is weaponized, the environment becomes truly explosive. And looming above it all are the nuclear arsenals pointed at one another. That’s not just conflict—it’s a catastrophe waiting for a spark.
I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I do know this: Jesus of Nazareth alone can de-escalate the most volatile situations on earth. I’ve seen it—not just globally, but up close, in individuals, time and time again.
At the micro-level, when a man or woman lays down their life and sprints to Christ, a calming glimmer begins. Similar to the serenity that sets in once a nasty rain storm subsides. The person casts off what once entangled them and begin running the race with endurance, eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. (Hebrews 12)
How else do you explain it? We’ve all witnessed it. The meanest, maddest, foulest person you can think of—suddenly made gentle, compassionate, meek—after asserting, “Yes” to Jesus, “I’m 100% in.”
What transpires on the micro level, we can project onto the macro level. In other words, the “healing of the nations” promised in Revelation 22 has happened, is happening, and can still happen—if hearts get turned. The Gospel of Christ has the power to obliterate the most heavily enforced battle lines of demarcation, including the one that currently separates India and Pakistan.
So, What’s the Call to Action?
Pray. Pray heavily for hearts transformed and minds renewed. (Romans 12:1-2) Not just changed policies, but renewed people, what the Word of God deems “New creations in Christ Jesus.” (2nd Cor. 5:17) Not tomorrow, but today. Set a timer right now, so you don’t forget, for five minutes. Pray any verse you can think of back to God. Especially if you’re in public, theological freakshows tend to get people’s attention, but in a good way, if I can use that expression.
For those who have ears to hear, let them hear.
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