Narayan Gowda was the leader of a gang in India. His gang had 14 members. Narayan’s gang drank, smoked, used drugs, and attacked people, especially Christians.

The gang was part of a larger group of radical Hindus. The radicals wanted Hindus to have more power in India. They encouraged their members to use violence to reach their goals.

The radical Hindus praised them when they caused trouble, but Narayan wasn’t happy. “I struggled with guilt because of the terrible things I was doing,” he said.

The Forgiving Pastor

Many Christians in India are poor. One group of poor Indian Christians saved money for years to build a tiny church. Finally the little brick building was completed.

One night, Narayan and his gang took hammers, axes, and other tools to the church. Piece by piece, they tore the building apart and destroyed it.

The pastor rushed to the ruins of his church. He met a policeman who was investigating the crime.

“Do you know who did this?” the officer asked the pastor. The pastor knew. Narayan’s gang was well-known. But the pastor gave a statement to the police that said he did not want to charge anyone with the crime. Instead, he was praying for their forgiveness.

The church members gathered to fast and pray for the gang members’ salvation. They sent the names of the troublemakers to Christians all over the city so others could pray, too.

“The actions of these Christians showed me God’s grace and forgiveness in an entirely new way,” said Narayan.

The Book

Narayan’s family was fed up with him. His relatives were Hindus, but they did not approve of the evil ways of the gang.

Narayan’s mother followed Hindu rituals to try to bring about change in her son. But he didn’t change. She was so upset by his behavior that she became ill and had to be taken to the hospital.

A pastor who visited the sick people at the hospital gave Narayan’s mother a New Testament. She told him she was concerned about her son. The pastor asked her son’s name, and she told him. He recognized the name. The pastor was one of the Christians praying for Narayan’s salvation.

Narayan’s mother took the New Testament home. She put it on a shelf and didn’t read it. Narayan saw it and started reading it. Then he began attending church services at the hospital where his mother had gotten the book. Like the Apostle Paul, he became a follower of Jesus, he quit persecuting Christians, and his life changed.

From Persecutor to Persecuted

Narayan’s mother and the rest of his family were upset by his faith in Christ. They said he had “lost his mind.” His neighbors insulted him for not worshipping the gods of his ancestors.

But the police were happy! A police officer told him, “Your Jesus Christ has done what the entire police force and the laws of this country could not do. He changed you into a law-abiding citizen.”

Narayan is now a pastor. Recently, radical Hindus attacked him because they said he had been telling other Hindus about Jesus.

Pastor Narayan and his congregation did not press charges. They have forgiven the attackers.

The Christians will pray for the gang that attacked the pastor.

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16, NIV).