The ethnic roots of 6 million Americans and 3 million Canadians stretch back to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Some follow Jesus. Others would identify as Muslim, Sikh, or Jain. About 60% would identify as Hindu, as would 1 out of every 7 people in the world, including an overwhelming majority of the 1.46 billion people living in India, the world’s most populous country.
I’m a PCA pastor who lives in a Hindu-majority neighborhood and feel privileged to call many Hindus my friends. They are some of the most kind, generous, respectful and hospitable friends one could hope for.
If you are a follower of Jesus living in the U.S., you probably cross paths with someone who identifies as Hindu. You may want to take steps of genuine friendship toward them but feel unsure how to do so. You may also want to share the good news of Jesus but worry about offending anyone because of what seem to be substantial cultural and religious differences.
How do you navigate these differences to move from crossing paths to experiencing deeper friendship with Hindu neighbors?
Obviously, you will never be equipped to navigate a meaningful relationship with a Hindu unless you first experience Jesus’ love. As you do, you will experience a renewed desire to love and enjoy your neighbor and a willingness to set aside what seems most comfortable so you may humbly live in relationship with others.
Understanding Hindu Beliefs
The diverse range of religious practices and beliefs associated with “being Hindu” mean it’s best not to assume that any preconceptions of “Hinduism” apply to your specific Hindu friend. Your friend may consider themselves to be more or less “practicing,” but it’s likely your friend will retain a connection or affinity to some aspect of an extremely wide and diverse range of religious practices and beliefs that trace back to India and are received through family.
Most Hindus embrace a set of values (dharma) regarding walking the right path through life. Dharma is about respect, loyalty and love: as a son/daughter, a hard-working student or colleague, and a devoted spouse and parent. It’s about doing the right thing and treating others with respect and non-violence. It’s about service (seva) to God, family, community, and society. It’s about hospitality: treating one’s guest as one would treat God.
No one text is normative for all Hindus, but most will assume the existence of God. Devotion to God (bhakti) is valued and expressed in concrete practices which may take place at a home shrine or at a temple (mandir). Orthodox practice might be more foundational than a common set of specific beliefs, but this shouldn’t be interpreted as mere ritual as opposed to sincere devotion. Devotion might be expressed through worship, selfless action, meditative practices, or deepening true knowledge.
Many Hindus express their devotion to what they understand to be a Supreme God who revealed Himself in many forms. Three prominent forms are Vishnu (seen in two primary avatars: Ram and Krishna), Shiva, and the mother goddess (known by differing names: Mata, Durga, Kali). Other forms include Ganesha, who removes obstacles; Hanuman, who protects from illness, adversities, and adversaries; and Lakshmi, who provides wealth and prosperity. Many follow historical or living saints and teachers (gurus) who serve as guides to God.
For Hindus, celebrating regular festivals is important. The prominent festival Diwali takes place between mid-October and mid-November. Diwali is about the return of the righteous king Ram after his victory over the evil demon King Ravana. Light triumphs over darkness. This is followed immediately by the joyous Hindu New Year with all its fireworks.
Though there is a devotional element to these celebrations, many Hindus also experience them more as cultural holidays, a time of togetherness with family and friends similar to how many in the west might experience Thanksgiving or Christmas.
When Hindus pray, they often ask for blessing, well-being, and peace in this life for both loved ones and the wider world. They believe loyally and faithfully doing one’s loving duty results in good karma attaching to the inner soul. Doing wrong results in the attachment of bad karma. One reaps what one sows. Bad karma leads to negative results which must be absorbed in this life or in one to follow. At death, the soul is reincarnated. Moksha is ultimately being liberated from this reincarnation cycle.
Theistic or non-theistic? Is God personal or impersonal? Is Ultimate Reality one (qualified or unqualified) or dual? Is there one God or many? Answers to these questions vary with tradition. Hindus likely will not be dogmatic on these subjects. They are comfortable with mystery and fluidity in both practice and belief.
Most Hindus stress that there are many paths to God among the many Hindu traditions and among other religions, including the path of Jesus. They often say, “It’s all the same,” even if some beliefs appear to conflict. To many Hindus, it is more important to be accepting and tolerant of all practices and beliefs than firmly pinning down one’s understanding of God.
An accepting outlook might mean openness to learn about what Jesus says about his path. But it might mean deeper discussion isn’t desired, as in, “You have your good path. Our family has our good path. It’s all the same. Let’s all be respectful and allow one another to peacefully follow our paths.”
Understanding Hindu Identity
When you say, “I’m a Christian,” you are talking about your faith in Jesus as the only Lord and Savior. What makes you “a Christian” is your belief. What makes you “Irish American” or “Korean American” has to do with family, ethnic, and cultural roots.
It’s important to realize that “being Hindu” for your friend may be more about family and culture than strictly about religious practices or beliefs.
Traditionally, to be Hindu is to be born into an extended biological family which is associated with a specific clan or community with roots in a specific region and language in India. It’s also to inherit the particular religious practices and beliefs of your family. Your Hindu friend’s identity is shaped by all of these layers of identity. Global influences and “third culture” dynamics in the second generation also redefine how identity layers for Hindus.
It is wise to avoid cultural or religious assumptions and instead get to know your friend simply by expressing genuine curiosity about all the layers of his or her life, asking good questions, and being an active listener. Of course, you should reciprocate, seeking to be transparent and honest about all the identity layers of your own life, family, culture, spiritual practices, and beliefs.
Enjoy finding things in common with your Indian American friends: family, food, sports and movies. Consider trading special dishes or desserts you’ve made. If you’re unsure, assume your friend is a vegetarian, or even vegan, at least initially. Think about exchanging cards or spending time together around special occasions. If you are invited to a family or cultural event, it is good to accept and extend a similar invitation.
Get recommendations for a good recent Bollywood film or even watch together. There’s always sports. If you haven’t learned much about cricket, it’s never too late to watch or learn. You could attend an event organized by a local Indian association.
Introducing Your Hindu Neighbor to Jesus
There is a complicated history between all things “Hindu” and all things “Christian.” It is important for followers of Jesus to be sensitive to how this history might impact a Hindu’s assumptions, perceptions, and misperceptions
Jesus was Middle Eastern, and the good news of Jesus arrived in India and was embraced by some long before it arrived in Western Europe or North America. However, Hindus likely perceive Christianity as a non-Indian, Western religion that is neither wrong nor relevant to those with Indian roots. Christianity also might be perceived as the threatening religion of foreign colonial rulers fixated on arrogantly converting people through subversive means, resulting in the breakdown of family and loss of cultural identity.
Extending friendship to a Hindu should stem from a genuine desire to enjoy and serve one another. It’s about mutual authenticity and trust. With integrity, commit to friendship without strings attached. As a Jesus-following friend with Hindu roots shared, “Don’t try to convert. Just try to love well.”
Our calling isn’t to transform a Hindu neighbor. Only God can do that. By God’s grace, your Hindu friend will sense, receive, and reciprocate your genuine love.
This does not mean that you should be reticent to talk about your experience of Jesus’ love or what he offers to all who give their allegiance to him. It is natural for a Hindu friend to be open about his or her spiritual values, practices and beliefs, and to expect a Christian friend to reciprocate about these aspects of who they are.
It is natural to offer to pray for your friend. One of my Jesus-following friends with Hindu roots told me he regularly asks his Hindu friends and family, “Is there something I can pray for you today, or afterwards if now isn’t convenient for you?” Most of the time his friends let him pray for them in the name of Jesus, and it often leads to further conversation.
Open-ended questions further mutual understanding. You might ask:
- Do you pray? What does prayer look like to you?
- Do you do any other religious practices? What do they look like?
- Do you follow a certain teacher or guru?
- Do you read a certain religious text?
- If someone who didn’t know anything about Hinduism asked you what is most important to you about being a Hindu, what would you say?
- Are you more, or less, religious than you used to be? If so, what has changed?
As your friend shares what devotion looks like for him or her, it’s good to be open about what it means for you to love, honor, and serve the Lord Jesus, Prabhu Yeshu. You may tell about how that journey began, but it might be helpful to begin in the present. What are you praying to Jesus about, and how is he answering those prayers? What is Jesus teaching you, and how is he helping you? How is Jesus good news to you today?
Part of your life as a Christian is to gather, worship, and pray with other followers of Jesus, and your Hindu friend may accept an invitation to come experience this with you.
The uniqueness and exclusivity of Jesus is challenging for Hindus to understand and may take time to absorb. It may be first tasted when the Lord Jesus answers a specific prayer. It may first come by learning about and experiencing the unique peace and love and acceptance which Jesus provides: peace in the face of the most difficult circumstances, and love that comes as a gift to the unworthy, not to those who have proved themselves to be worthy.
At some point your friend may ask why Christians believe that the Lord Jesus is the only way to God. You might consider answering, “I’m not the one saying this. My Teacher, or Guru, the Lord Jesus, is the one saying this in his word. I must follow and honor him. Would you be willing to look together at why Jesus said this?”
To learn more about navigating relationships with Hindus, I recommend Robin Thomson’s “Engaging with Hindus,” Rahil Patel’s “Key Concepts of Hinduism” video series, and W. Stephens’ “Connecting with Hindu International Students.”
Every week I get to worship Jesus with brothers and sisters with Hindu roots who, like me, have come to understand and embrace the good news of Jesus. It is our prayer that more followers of Jesus and Hindus will begin to enjoy deeper friendships.
As you take steps of friendship, you may experience times of misunderstanding and confusion. May the grace of the Lord carry you, and may our friendships remain a true blessing and gift of God. May they point to Jesus who says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
C. Matthews is a PCA teaching elder who serves in a Hindu diaspora context. His name has been changed for security reasons.