One of our pastors from India shared this:
“One day my wife and I travelled by jeep to a tribal area. The people live basically on roots and vegetables most of the time. They live in the jungle and collect honey and eatables and they come back to the village. That day all of the people were in the area and I saw people were worshipping a tree. They were doing many rituals. I asked one man, ‘What are you doing?’ ‘Our forefathers planted these trees,’ he said. ‘We believe that our forefathers are living in the tree. When the elders die we bring them to the tree and we bury them. So we believe all of our elders are living in this tree.’ It really grieved my heart when I heard this story. I asked the elder to come to me so that he can bring all the people to me. He brought everybody and I started to share about Jesus with everyone. I told them, ‘A tree cannot be God, even this tree. Jesus created it. When someone dies without God, their spirit goes to Hell. If they die as a child of God they will go to heaven.’
In the beginning many people opposed me but God helped me to share about Jesus with all of them. In the end all of them accepted Jesus! Now we have a Bible study in that tribal group.”