Spotlight Person of the Week Lakshimi Narayan Gowda

Lakshimi Narayan Gowda

This weeks spotlight person is the first person of seven people mentioned in Voice of the Martyrs book, Saul to Paul. It is a book about seven men who at one time persecuted God's Church, but now are born again preachers spreading the Gospel.

Lakshimi was born in India to a prominent Hindu family and ran into hard times growing up. He became involved in crime and other things every parent hopes their children do not get involved in. While in jail for various crimes Lakshimi was beaten badly and many of his bones were broken in his arms and legs. He withstood this pain and didn't just die. From this experience he was recruited by the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) movement because they thought he was 'strong'. This organization felt they could use someone who could 'endure' so much torture. 

The RSS is an organization with 'selfless service to the motherland'. If that sounds creepily familiar, yes, that is the kind of organization they are. Lakshimi excelled in his new home with the RSS. So much so after planning and participating in attacks on Christians he was promoted within the group. This life took its toll on Lakshimi and he drank  heavily and injected drugs. His mother, in the hospital for poor health was crying out for someone to help her save her son. She was introduced to the Bible and though skeptical, she kept the Bible and starting praying because she was told that Jesus could heal and save her son.

After coming very close to successfully planning and executing an attack on a church and a pastor's family; providentially only the church was damaged but the pastor and  his family were not there the night of the attack. After this incident one night coming home in a drunken mess, he found his mothers Bible she had been hiding. He attacked his mother and hit her repeatedly while she told him that Jesus could help him. He had never hit is mother before calming down he convinced his mother to give him the bible and he read from John that night. He cried out to God and he was saved that night. 

He was later nurtured in his young Christian faith by the very pastor he tried to kill one night. He grew in faith and became his own pastor over a church he started and has now suffered by the same people he once served. Quoting from the book Saul to Paul, 'Gowda soon returned to preaching the gospel. And whenever he saw a saffron-clad former brother (of the RSS) he would smile. Another opportunity, he thought, to save the lost'.