Sunny Side Up, August 24, 2005 �2005, Kathleen Gibson Could you be a spiritual giant? Dinakaran's not a big man, about five foot three, but he's a spiritual giant; his sword, shield, and armor the Bible and his God. The Preacher and I recently hosted him in our home. We couldn't help but notice: he rose every morning several hours before dawn to pray. It's a habit that's strengthened him to face foul-intentioned mobs and would-be murderers. Remember the fairy tales? Giants are always more of something - bigger, meaner, kinder, richer, louder, quieter, dumber, smarter. More everything. Giants stride head and shoulders above the rest of us. Hanging around with a giant means we'll have frequent reminders that we're not one! Even the good ones intimidate us a little. When Dinakaran rose to pray (around four a.m.) and those rising prayers and morning songs woke me, I lay there and felt guilty. All I wanted to do was pull the covers up over my head and go back to sleep. When he calmly - humorously - recounted stories of plots to kill him, I was pretty sure I'd have shut up instead of opening my shirt, pointing to my heart, and telling the thugs, "Go ahead, if Jesus gives you permission." When a discussion rose about making wills, it amused him tremendously. Dinakaran and his wife own nothing. They have no material goods to leave anybody. I looked around at our stuff and realized something: Not a twig of it matters, in the end. Yes�we who are less than giants feel our small statures keenly when they're in the neighbourhood. There's a funny thing about spiritual giants though. They never think of themselves as giants. Despite the fact that Dinakaran is in demand as a speaker worldwide, and several times has had camera crews and media come from half way around the world to interview him for his remarkable work in India, he remains humble. On July 29th, two Asian Christian workers were murdered as they slept. Humble giants, like Dinakaran. Doing the same things in a neighbouring country that he does in India. Travelling to rural villages, showing a film about Jesus Christ, and physically caring for villagers. High-caste religious zealots in that part of the world hate the message of Christianity. Of course - Jesus Christ was a social reformer. He proclaimed that under God all people are equal. Christianity imparts worth to Untouchables, and upper castes don't like it. I have a feeling I'm not the only one a little intimidated by Dinakaran-type giants. But when God took this prairie chicken to India last year, I learned something: Spiritual giants aren't born, they're made. They've learned, leaned, trusted, and obeyed - year after year. For them, following Jesus is priority number one: above comfort, security, family, and society. Spiritual giants are just midgets like us - all grown up. Respond Home |