“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” John 13:14-16
My name is Dana B., and I am the Program and Grants Manager at Harvest Bridge. I previously lived and served in South Asia for 3 years, but this summer was my first time in Bangladesh. This trip to Bangladesh was a time of witnessing God’s Spirit at work in humble places. In a primarily Muslim country, where Christians face persecution and opposition from government leaders, neighbors, and even family – it was clear that amidst these challenges, our Bangladeshi coordinators and missionaries’ service is impacting new communities with the hope of Jesus.
The Long Journey to a Jungle Village
On June 2nd Bangladeshi National Coordinator Pastor Darpan* took me on a 14 hour trip from Dhaka, Banglesh’s capital, into the villages of a Northern region near the Bangladesh and West Bengal India border. We traveled into the jungle for a pitstop at a village where tribal and Hindu people groups live and conduct their agricultural work. It was there, that a group of 20 villagers gathered to meet Pastor Darpan, myself, and their local pastor and HB missionary Pastor Sudip*. Pastor Darpan explained that the villagers in this jungle had given their lives to Christ within the past 4 years and had left Hindu practices behind.
Pastor Sudip travels weekly over 60 kilometers one way by bicycle to share the Good News of Jesus and encourage the young believers in this village. By the end of our fellowship, one elderly woman, Banu* asked the pastors if they could have a pastor live in their village to encourage them in daily evangelism and outreach efforts to their neighbors.
Banu and others expressed their deep need for leadership in sharing the Good News, as their neighbors often oppose their witnessing efforts. But the challenge of these remote areas of Bangladesh, is that each pastor often leads multiple church fellowships, and they travel long distances by bicycle or motorbike to new villages as well.
We continued our journey and rested at a homestay surrounded by palm trees and small clusters of homes.
As Jesus Washed His Disciples’ Feet
Late that night, I prepared a short introduction for myself, and the passage in which Jesus washed his disciples feet kept coming to mind. In John 13, when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he demonstrated one of the most beautiful acts of service, humility, and love. The Creator of the universe put himself in a position of lowliness, akin to His incarnation: having left Heaven to serve humanity and ultimately die on a cross for the sins of the world. His powerful actions serve as an example to all Christians. We are all called to serve the people around us humbly as Jesus did.
The next day, Pastor Darpan, and a group of Santhali pastors, including HB missionaries Bikas* and Sekhar*, led the way into one Santhali village where new followers of Jesus gathered to meet our group. Santhalis are tribal peoples who practice nature and spirit worship of Marang Buru (the God of the forest). Santhali villages are often overlooked by the Bangladeshi government and the majority Muslim population. There is a long history of Santal’s grievances being ignored by mainstream society; international nongovernmental and governmental programs often leave out Santhali people.
As we walked through this Santhali village, we were met by a crowd of 200 people leading the way with tribal dances, smiling faces, and small children throwing freshly picked flowers.
But what happened next caught me off guard. As everyone sat down, young Santhali girls came with water basins and mustard oil to wash our feet. In that moment, Jesus washing his disciple’s feet came alive for me. The tears flowed down my cheeks as the honor bestowed on myself and all the leaders filled my heart and mind. I tried to hide my tears, but as Pastor Darpan looked at me, my weeping could not be hidden. I told him, “I am amazed at the people washing my feet, because this is what God was speaking to me about.”
He replied, “I know the tears are coming, because you can feel all of their love.” Our group came as leaders for these new believers, but they served us in humility as Jesus did. Although many overlook the Santhali peoples, God has never forgotten them.
The Kingdom of God Among Bangladeshi Peoples
Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Revelation 7:9 is clear that there will be peoples from every nation, tribe, and language standing before the throne of God and before the Lamb. Among the tribal and Santhali peoples of Bangladesh, I experienced the beauty of God through their cultural practices of welcome and honor, collective service and love for one another. God’s Kingdom (reign) is reflected in every culture, although no culture or person is perfect. Pastor Darpan’s statement stays with me until this day, “you can feel all of their love.” Jesus taught his disciples to love one another, and expressed that, “everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Through the humility and service of Harvest Bridge leaders and missionaries, people who once did not know Christ have come into His family. These leaders often travel 60 kilometers by bicycle, or 14 hours by car, ferry, and foot to take the Good News to far off places. Bangladeshi missionaries and new believers embody the truth that, “no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”