My aim in this article is to help fellow believers relate to the Sikh people. Much of what we see or hear about the Sikh people tends to frighten us. We, therefore, distance ourselves from this seemingly ‘warrior’ strain of people, the most unreached people in our Canadian homeland.

But I submit to you that much of our discomfort, fears and prejudices with respect to the Sikh people arise from a lack of understanding of who these people are. Who are these people? What do they believe and why do they believe what they believe? How do we communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their particular context? How do we go about developing relationships with them so that we can begin to understand who they are, what they believe and how to communicate Christ to them?

After six years of ministry among the Sikh people, I am still a student of the Sikh culture, of their customs and mores and I find that I still grapple with how to communicate Christ to them in their particular context. What I want to share with you are some of the insights I have learned in our ministry among the Sikhs. I trust that, for the sake of Christ and for the expansion of His kingdom, these insights may be of benefit to you and to the church of Jesus Christ as a whole.

Who are the Sikhs?⤒🔗

The word ‘Sikh’ comes from the Punjabi word ‘sikhna’ translated ‘to learn’ in English. A Sikh, therefore, is one who is a learner, a disciple. Perhaps T. Sher Singh, a columnist with the Toronto Star, expresses the meaning of Sikh most eloquently when he says, “to be a Sikh is to keep on seeking. The day that you think you have found the answer you are lost.”

The term ‘Sikh’ is applied to a people originating from the north-west state of the ancient land of India, the Punjab. In this region, a religion called Sikhism developed over a 200 year period (AD.1469-1708) under the guidance of ten successive gurus (enlightened). I’d like to limit my discussion here to their first guru (Nanak) and the last guru (Gobindh Singh). I refer you to the bibliography appended at the end of this series, if you are interesting in reading a more detailed history of the ten gurus of the Sikhs.

Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh are the two most prominent gurus in Sikh history. If you enter into the home of a Sikh, you will often see a portrait of each of the two ‘soldier-saint’ gurus placed on the wall, usually in their living room.

Guru Nanak (AD 1469-1539) is known as the first guru or the founder of their path. During this formative period of history, the Mughals (Muslims) had invaded North India. There were frequent skirmishes and battles between the Mughals and the Hindus. In this socio-political context, Nanak, who wanted to see an end to the religious warfare and create unity from this division, claimed to be ‘blessed’ with a vision of the Almighty. In this vision, he was told to proclaim one singular message: “there is no Hindu, there is no Muslim ... so whose path should I follow? I should follow God’s path. God is neither Hindu nor Muslim and the path which I follow is God’s path.” The primary aim, said he, is the worship of the one God. He called all to share in the same creed whether Muslim, Hindu or non-Hindu. His message was simple (translated into today’s terms): ‘the oneness of God and the brotherhood of all men.’ This explains why Sikhs are egalitarian in principle today. There are no essential differences between the religions, no essential difference between clergy and the congregation or between men and women.

Because Nanak was Hindu in his background, the Sikh religion is essentially Hindu (not Islamic) in its world view. But in trying to bring together Islam and Hinduism, he also preached against ritualism (with its images and gods), the system of priests and clergy, polytheism and the caste system. In this sense, Sikhism is regarded as a reform movement within Hinduism. In the place of Hindu ritualism, Nanak stressed what is now called the three pillars of Sikhism: worship, work and sharing (service).

For fifteen years, Nanak travelled across India preaching the ‘oneness’ of all peoples and religions. His writings, along with the writings of the gurus who followed, were preserved in what would later become Sikh scripture: the Guru Granth Sahib Jee which is considered the 11^th guru. Of each of the ten gurus who followed, it is said, “the divine light is the same, the life form is the same. The king has merely changed his body (reincarnated).” This is why the ten gurus are at times called Nanak 1, Nanak 2, etc. Through these human gurus, it is taught, the Word of God was made manifest to mankind.

During this period of the ten gurus, the Sikh religion was consolidated, a new language and script arose (Gurmukhãi), a distinct philosophy was established and a code of conduct was defined. With the arrival of Guru Gobindh Singh (AD 1666-1708), we see the official beginnings of Sikhism as we see it today. During his guruship, the religious name ‘Singh’ (translated ‘lion’) was given to the male followers and the religious name ‘Kaur’ (translated ‘princess’) was given to the female followers. All Sikhs today, by the way, adhere to this custom.

What was his purpose? His purpose was to show their equal standing (regardless from which caste system they came) within this one community called the Sikh panth. To strengthen this struggling panth, due to the many wars, and to mark their identity as a panth, Gobindh Singh ordered the wearing of the five K’s:

1. the kirpan (sword, as a mechanism for self-defence and fighting injustice),
2. the kara (bracelet, a reminder not to do wrong),
3. the kanga ( a small wooden comb worn in their hair at all times, signifying tidiness and surrender to God),
4. the kes (unshorn hair, signifying saintliness) and finally,
5. the kach (long under shorts, as the outer garments were often cumbersome in times they needed to run).

These 5 K’s identify them with the Khalsa community, the community of ‘the pure ones’ or the ‘saint-soldier.’ Notice, for the Christian, our armour is internal and spiritual, not external and physical (cf. Ephesians 6:10-20)!

Shortly, before his death in 1708, Guru Gobindh Singh, claimed that he received a vision and was commissioned to bestow the status of Guru upon the collective writings of the ten gurus. This is known today as their 11^th and permanent guru – the Guru Granth Sahib Jee. Their scripture today is seen as the continuing, living and eternal guru and also as the visible body of the guru. There is a divine presence, they claim, in this book. The Granth is the shabad, translated ‘word.’ And this word is even considered God Himself. Their third guru, Amar Das, said, “The exalted guru’s word is God Himself and it is through the word that man obtains union with God.” This explains why the Granth Sahib is always placed on a high platform in their temple (called the gurdwara, ‘the doorway to the guru’).

In the gurdwara, you will not see the images or idols as seen in the Hindu temple or in the Roman Catholic church. You will see, however, a different kind of image. The Granth is placed on a manji (bed) with a canopy over it. Worshippers offer food offerings before it. At night, the granthi (the one who reads the granth) places the granth in a rumala (linen sheet) and puts it to sleep in the chamber. In the early morning he wakes it up. Daily, behind the Granth, the granthi recites the Granth and three ragis (liturgists) play the instruments as the Granth is recited. All worshippers bow down before the book. The Granth is known as their spiritual guru, the pure and perfect guru, through which one can find the God within.

So, What do Sikhs Believe?←⤒🔗

About God: The most basic, fundamental principle in Sikh belief is that ‘God is One.’ On the surface, it appears that we as Christians agree. After all, the Holy Bible says, ‘Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD’ (Deuteronomy 6:4).

But the question is: ‘Which One?’ The similarity is only formal because there is no common agreement as to who this one God is.

As you probe a Sikh’s understanding of God, you soon begin to understand that Sikhism is not a monotheistic religion but a monistic religion. The Sikhs, with whom I have spoken, deny the Creator-creature distinction. In other words, all is one. According to Sikhs, everything exist within the God or is a part of the God.

Perhaps, the illustration of the spider will help illustrate the Sikh concept of God. Just as a spider emits the thread from itself and draws the thread back into itself, so the universe is created (emitted) by God and will be reabsorbed into God one day. When the Sikh speaks of God having ‘created’, what he really means is ‘emanated’. And why God created, ‘No, one really knows.’ I hear from time to time, “Don’t waste your time on such ridiculous questions about where do I come from? Where am I going? And why am I here? History is not important; neither is the future. What is the most important is the moment, the here and now, and that is to serve humanity.”

About Revelation: Many Sikhs with whom I have spoken say that God is unknowable. You cannot know Him. You can only experience or feel Him from within. In my class on Sikhism at the University of Toronto, T. Sher Singh put it this way:

We have hundreds of names for God and that just gives us a minuscule idea of who God is. Now add all the understanding of God of all the other religions – there is a greater degree of understanding – maybe 2%?

The names and attributes of God, according to the Sikhs, do not belong to the essence of His Being. They are only man’s way of describing Him, not who God is in Himself. This is why Sikhs often call God ‘Sat Naam’ translated ‘True Name.’ Naam is the summary expression or covers all His names and attributes.

In light of the above, one can see that the Sikh understanding of revelation is fundamentally different from the Christian. According to the Sikh, God has not objectively unveiled Himself or made Himself known to us. This would presuppose the Creator-creature distinction. Rather, God, according to the Sikh, is one who subjectively reveals Himself and can be experienced by us and in us. The soul which is part of the Great Soul is inside every human. All you need to do is ‘get in touch’ with the God ‘inside you.’ Meditate on the Naam. Nanak himself writes, “Looking around in four directions, I searched my inner self. There I saw the invisible true Lord, the Creator.”

About the Human Situation: Human birth, according to the Sikh, is especially valuable. Now opportunity is given to remember the Naam, an opportunity you did not receive when you were, perhaps, an animal in your former existence. Now you have opportunity to gain liberation from the cycle of (up to!!) 8.3 million rebirths or reincarnations. And yet, they say, many do not seize the opportunity within their lifetime to gain liberation.

Why Don’t they See it?←⤒🔗

First of all, because of past karma. In one’s birth he brings with him the results of previous lives known as karma. If you have done something 35 times before, the 36^th time is hard to break a bad habit. Your karma tends to push you in a certain way.

Second, because of ignorance. Man’s problem is not his sin which has separated him from a holy God (remember, Sikhs do not believe in the Creator-creature distinction!). Man’s root problem, according to the Sikh, is his spiritual ignorance. He is deluded into thinking that this present world is all that there is. His problem is self-reliance – that is following the will of the self rather than the will of the God.

This begs the question, of course. If there is no objective revelation of God, how can they speak of the will of God, of self-reliance, of 8.4 million lives, etc.?

About Salvation: Sikhs have no eschatology or teaching about the future. In general, I find that, because of this, Sikhs have a great interest in what the Bible says about the future, questions about the coming of Jesus, about heaven and about hell. This is one way to call their attention to the difference between the Christian faith and Sikhism.

For the Sikh, the final aim of human life is to attain salvation. Salvation from what? Not from sin but from the continuous cycle of rebirths. To attain salvation means for them to emerge into the divine.

But the question is ‘how?’

Sikhs teach that they must get ‘in touch’ with the God within. Here the guru (the Granth) comes into the picture. The guru is their guide. The guru dispels the darkness of delusion and self-reliance through:

1. remembering the Naam (Name) via
   a) corporately, by hearing the gurbani (the granth) in the gurdwara (the gurdwara is open daily for this purpose) and also
   b) personally, by their daily prayers (call nitnem) five times a day.
    
2. service (sewa). Service teaches a Sikh to be humble, tolerant, and genuine as this brings an end to the ego. Both of these, remembering the Naam and service, are said to contribute to the release from the cycle of rebirths.

In time, as our relationships develop with the Sikhs, we need to show them that in their condemnation of self-reliance they condemn themselves. They themselves rely on remembering the Naam and sewa (service) to obtain salvation.

An Internal Critique of the Sikh World View←⤒🔗

1. The Problem of Religious Language←↰⤒🔗

The Sikhs, as Hindus and Muslims, are very religious people. The religious language of Sikh religion and the Christian faith is similar. Take, for example, the Mool Mantra, the basic creed of Sikhism. On the surface, except for a couple of articles, who could argue against it. Who could argue against, for example, that ‘God is One.’ The Bible teaches the same in Deuteronomy 6:4. Some Christians may argue that they are already halfway in the kingdom. They simply need to add Jesus!

But there is a problem. When Sikhs, for example, say ‘God is one,’ what do they mean by ‘God?’ What do they mean by ‘one?’ Or ‘is?’ Something entirely different. This is because they have a different world view, a different grid or circle by which they interpret reality. The similarities are only formal but in reality there is no common agreement. In fact, in principle there is an absolute antithesis between the Sikh world view and the Christian world view. It’s not that Sikhism has some of their facts straight. For even those facts that appear ‘straight’ are interpreted in light of an anti­-Christian world view. This leads us to a second consideration...

2. The Problem of an Inherently Arbitrary and Contradictory World View←↰⤒🔗

All religious and secular world views outside of the Christian faith are inherently arbitrary and contradictory, including Sikhism.

Let me explain. According to the Bible, all men know in their heart of hearts the true and living God, the God of the Bible, as their Creator (Romans 1:18-25). They know Him by virtue of His witness in the creation, His power and His majesty. (Sikhs are aware of the Creator-creature distinction despite their apparent denial of this distinction!). What may be known about God is clear to them (v.19). They know Him by virtue of the fact they are created in God’s image, the moral law is written on their hearts and they know they are responsible to Him. The problem is that they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. What the natural man does is take the truth and twist it to his own way of thinking. Consequently, they have no apologetic for their religion (v.20). Indeed the existence of false religion presupposes the truth of Christianity in order to falsify it.

Therefore, what they know deep down and what they profess are two different things. We call this self-deception. And this is what we want to point out. Their self-deception expresses itself in contradictions and arbitrariness. In so doing, our aim is to silence their mouths and show the glory of Christ, the way, the truth and the life! Always, we must have in mind the apostolic strategy in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5!!

We want to expose the contradictions and arbitrariness within their own system of thought with the view of tearing down their house. We consider, now, several of their many contradictions:

1. The Sikh has no objective basis to claim what he claims. How can the Sikh answer: what is real? How can he know what he knows? How he can live his life? He has no objective basis to claim what he claims. He does not believe in a Personal God who objectively reveals Himself in His Word (inscripturated or incarnated). If God and truth are mystically experienced, how can truth be articulated in rational ways and put in words? By what authority does he say that the soul wanders through 8.4 million lives? Why 8.4 million? Or the creation is the emanation from God? Not only is his religion wholly arbitrary but contradictory. In the Sikh world view, there is no objective basis why he should not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie or cheat. Yet in his heart of hearts, he knows he is accountable to the God of the Bible, that he is created in His image and living in His world. Therefore, he behaves and acts on the basis of God’s revelation. This is what we want to point out with gentleness and respect.
    
2. Sikhism, in spite of its claims to the contrary, is an exclusive and intolerant religion. How can Sikhism claim to be a common creed for all men and claim to adopt Jesus too? Yet, they exclude the Jesus of the Scriptures! They must, for Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). This, they do not tolerate!
   
   Moreover, they claim to respect all other holy books, even the Bible, but how do they account for the contradictions between their holy book and the Christian’s Bible? If they are tolerant of other religions, why then did their guru Arjan write in their book, “may the mouth burn which it is said that the Lord became incarnate.”
   
   One begins to see that all must unify under Nanak’s terms rather than under Christ’s terms.
    
3. Despite claims to the contrary, their guru is not living. If their guru is the ‘living’ guru as they say, then why does he not eat their offerings which are placed before him? Why does he need to be put to sleep every night? Why does he need to be dressed? Why does he not talk to them? How those words of Habakkuk 2:18-20 ring so true! We testify to the Living Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God (Sat Naam) who became Man, died and arose again from the dead as our Living Lord! Therefore, only Christ is able to cleanse us from our sins (1 John 1:9). In Sikhism, there is no cleansing.
    
4. Despite the intent of their founding Guru, Sikhs are chained by rigorous ceremonies and rituals. Consider their hukam namas (their Code of Discipline/Ethics).
   ​
5. Self-reliance is condemned yet self-reliance is the means to achieve liberation. In their scripture, the Granth Sahib, the grace of Waheguru (God) is exalted again and again. By the grace of the Guru He is known. Self-reliance is condemned, yet in time, as our relationships develop with the Sikhs, we need to show them that in their condemnation of self-reliance, they condemn themselves. They themselves rely on remembering the Naam and sewa (service) to obtain release from the cycle of rebirth and oneness with God.

3. Using familiar Sikh Concepts to Accent the Differences←↰⤒🔗

In bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Sikh, keep in mind two key concepts in the Sikh religion: Shabad (word) and Sat Naam (True Name). One place to begin with Sikhs is the Gospel of John, especially John 1:1-18. Here Christ is proclaimed in light of eternity and in the history of redemption.

1. Consider the use of the word ‘Shabad’ (pronounced as shbd) to declare the truth that JESUS is the living Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-2). A version of John 1:1 is found in the Granth Sahib but they use ‘shbd’ to refer to the Granth Sahib, what they call their ‘eternal, living guru.’ But the Word is identified with Jesus in John 1. John 1:14 tells us that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (cf. also 1 John 1:1-4). The incarnation is one of the chief stumbling blocks to the Sikh. At this point, we must stress the difference between Sikhism and the Christian faith. Their denial of the incarnation is the very reason why Sikhs do not know this one God. However, we point out the glorious truth from John 1:18 that, “No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” He, the eternal Word of God, Jesus, has made this one God known to us! One gentleman whom we have been discipling stumbled across this truth in his reading of the Gospel of John when Jesus says to Philip: “he who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, Show us the Father” (14:9)?
    
2. Moreover, point out that the Sat Naam is Jesus Sat Naam (or True Name). is another one of their ten summary statements of their religion in the Mool Mantra. This one God is the True Name but what is His Name? Another helpful passage from Scripture to show them is Acts 4:12: “nor is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (see also Philippians 2:4-11). The Lord Jesus Christ is the true Name, the only Name who has revealed the Father to us.

4. Accenting Three Key Differences between Sikhism and Christianity←↰⤒🔗

First of all, we must press the Creator – creature distinction. We must bring to them, with all clarity, sincerity and love, the Biblical doctrine of God. The true and living God, the God of heaven and earth, is distinct from all His creation, including man. One’s view of God determines one’s view of sin and salvation. It all hangs together. In our aim to dismantle their world view (re: view of revelation, man, sin and salvation), we must aim to dismantle their view of God. This is what the apostle Paul did in Acts 17. 22-34. He proclaimed God and His glory to Athenians – beginning with creation and concluding with a call to repentance toward God and faith in the living Lord Jesus Christ who will come again as Judge at the end of history.

Second, we press the exclusivity of Jesus. In response to their challenge that Jesus is the same as the gurus, I will gently counter their position by asking: “Is Jesus the same as the gurus?” How do you know? Let’s investigate who Jesus is and find out. I will then give them one of the Gospels. Victories are achieved when I hear “Jesus is different from our gurus. Jesus has a lot of power!”

In distinguishing Christ from the gurus, we must make clear that He was and is divine, unlike the gurus and prophets of all other religions. And while a few of their gurus died as martyrs Christ did not die as a martyr. He died as the Saviour, the Substitute and the Sacrifice for sinners. Therefore, He is the only way for all people for all times. In response to the claims of Sikhs that all roads lead to God, Leslie Newbegin writes, “All roads lead to the precipice but in Christ, He shows us the way.”

Third, we press the reality of heaven and hell. Another example of a difference between the Sikh religion and the Christian faith is the concept of heaven and hell. Sikhs have no eschatology. There is no such thing as heaven or hell in Sikh thought. The reality of hell, as well as heaven, must be emphasized. Hell is a dreadful, fiery place with no exit. Likewise, we must communicate John’s glorious description of heaven in Revelation 21:1-5. Heaven must also be proclaimed in all its beauty and glory. Indeed, we are dependent on the grace of God. We offer the proofs, only His Spirit persuades.

Concerns Confronting the North American (and Australasian) Church←⤒🔗

1. Apologetical: the Western church is facing a new kind of war. The war, to be sure, continues to be fought against liberal and heretical fronts within Protestantism and the Roman Catholic Church (within Christendom). But now our war is also being fought on an additional front – the war against the major world religions – Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. In our teaching and preaching, we must not only expose and be able to refute false teachings within Christianity but also the major world religions which are at our doorstep.
   
   We must be able to defend the Christian faith lest we are intellectually ambushed. Titus exhorts elders in the churches to hold fast to the faithful word as has been taught and that they may encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. Note: encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it (1:9). How shall we refute unless we know something about the stratagems of our enemy? Also Peter says to the believer, “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” Believers, as well, must be ready with a defense, an articulation.
   
   How do we do that? I tried to illustrate from above that every world view outside of the Christian faith is either contradictory/arbitrary. By exposing and refuting we indirectly prove the truth and certainty of the Christian faith. To use computer language, knowing how to defend the Christian faith is our fire-wall, our line of defense. It detects all the bugs and immunizes us from invasion. Moreover, we are always ready to extend the stakes of our tent and broaden our tent as God uses our reasoning for the salvation of many.
    
2. Doctrinal: Another concern confronting the NA church is that with the rise and expansion of the major world religions in the West, the tendency is then to minimize the doctrinal differences within Christendom. After all, the various branches in Christendom in NA are now joining hands in our apostolic confession. The danger is doctrinal indifference and a lowest common denominator type of Christianity. The true Biblical faith may end up being abandoned all together. We must continue to the fight on both fronts – seeking to propagate the Biblical faith and acknowledging that the Calvinistic/Biblical faith alone can truly handle and refute the gainsayers.
    
3. Liturgical: What I want to say here is that the NA church needs to recover the simple, plain Jesus in worship – basic dialogical worship. Nothing glitzy. This is when His glory is seen. Candles, pictures of Jesus, manger scenes, thanksgiving displays do more to hide Jesus than to reveal Him. Paganism and false religion (for e.g. Sikhism) is ritualistic and ceremonial. By their rituals and ceremonies, they try to placate their gods and bring them near. But our God is a covenant God. He is near us in the living Lord Jesus Christ. We don’t want to communicate the message that we need candles to feel Jesus’ presence. We don’t put food up in front of the pulpit (for e.g. Thanksgiving displays) because we don’t feed our God. And if we do, He won’t eat it anyway. Our God has no need. Rather, He feeds us. Moreover, Sikhs display the pictures of their gurus. They are Punjabi. But we do not want to give the message that Jesus is a white man and is only for North Americans. God has given us a word-ruled picture of Jesus in His Word and He is the Saviour of ALL who believe on Him.
    
4. Practical: The Sikhs cremate their dead. Cremation is a pagan practice, historically. The pagan nations surrounding Israel burned their dead. And all throughout history, cremation has been a pagan practice. It’s now a practice which is confronting our churches and it needs to be discussed and addressed. Over 70% of the people in Toronto now cremate their dead. Certainly, we recognize situations in the world where cremation is the only legal option. The motives and reasons for cremation also vary. Yet, the example given us in Scripture is burial for believers.

Appendix: How to go about Developing Relationships←⤒🔗

Developing relationships with Sikhs is relatively easy. Generally, they are a warm and hospitable people. Many will respond very warmly to your love especially as many of them feel ostracized because of the way they look. It is important to remember, however, that the women often talk with the women and the men with the men. Get to know them as you meet them on the street, or at work or as you see that they need a helping hand. Ask them questions about their religion and culture. Ask them how they are doing.. They too face many problems and sorrows within their own families!

Sikhs take great interest in talking about religion. The challenge, however, is to guide the conversation so that you end up with Jesus: who is He? So many times we talk about karma, life after death, and doing good. Avoid getting trapped in philosophical arguments and debates. I make a point to preach the Lord Jesus theistically and illustrate through the stories from Scripture the abundant mercy and forgiveness found in Christ. Don’t attack their religion or their gods. Let them draw their own conclusions. Over time, once you have conversed a lot with them, you may then call them to abandon their false gods and to serve the Living and True God.

When you come to know one person, you may in time be introduced to his/her household. They think in terms of family units so that if you are a friend of one in the family you often become a family friend. Be sensitive towards their customs and culture. We don’t want to be an unnecessary stumbling block to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sikhs do not eat beef (including beef fats). Some are vegetarian. Do not serve alcohol or desserts with alcohol in it. At the same time, if they offer you food, do eat the food even if it is too spicy or too sweet. You may ask them if you can have a little taste first. To reject their food is to reject them. The way to the heart is often through the stomach. In this regard we do well to remember the words of the apostle Paul, “I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more” (1 Corinthians 9:19).

With respect to the Holy Bible: Do not place it on the floor or anywhere below your waist. They may never listen to you again. They respect the Holy Bible as they do all the scriptures of all the religions. And because Sikhs believe all ways are valid and all roads lead to God, many are also very open to reading the Holy Bible. Many will receive a copy of the Holy Bible and other Christian literature, especially if it is in their language (Punjabi ­ Gurmukhi script). Be advised when reading the Bible after you eat, that you feel out the situation whether or not they expect you to wash your hands. Again, in the beginning, we want to avoid any unnecessary controversy so that we will gain a hearing from them. Ask them if there is any particular need or problem for which you can pray. Usually, they respond very positively to your prayers for them. Make specific mention, as well, that you pray in the name of the Lord Jesus. Many do receive answers to their prayers and begin to pay attention to the Word of Jesus!

Hospitality is very important. Sikhs do not only want to meet you but also your family. 90% of what they hear of the Gospel is what they see. They are very observant people. They observe family relations. They observe what we wear: is it modest or immodest? They observe that we open and close with prayer and read Scripture at the dinner table. They observe how we discipline our children.

Generally, we are more skilled at reaching the adherents of cults, not those of the world religions. Those from world religions are more difficult to reach because they come from ancient civilizations. Remember the key is ­ LONG TERM.

Reaching the Sikhs take much patience, prayer and perseverance. Many of them are a ‘hearing’ people but only the Lord can grant them the spiritual ears to hear. May the Lord continue to bless His church as she seeks to gather in all the nations!