India's prominent Christian "sadhu" of early 20th century, felt called at an early age to renounce home, employment, marriage and family life to obey his Lord and tell others of God's love. His lifestyle was identical with Hindu sadhus of his day including dress, dependence upon others for his daily needs, and in spiritual discipline.

Sundar Singh was born to Sher Singh of Rampur, Punjab in India in 1889. His mother, a deeply religious woman, left an indelible mark on Sundar and nurtured him in traditions of Sikhs. Sundar often spoke of his mother with much love and respect because of good foundation she laid for his life to come. Little did anyone know what God was about to do with this keenly intelligent and disciplined young man.

When Sundar was about fourteen, his beloved mother and elder brother passed away. This left young boy in despair and spiritually restless. Sundar hungered for peace. He sought meaning for his life.

One night, a year or two later, after bathing in cold water in preparation for pooja he asked God, 'the all-pervading, impersonal, unknowable, incomprehensible universal spirit', to appear to him as an avatar. He wanted a divine revelation that would once and for all destroy his doubts and end his despair. His spiritual agitation was such that he made a vow to throw himself in front of early morning passenger train that passed by his village if God did not reveal himself. This vow was not empty words! Shaped by disciplined life of a devout Sikh, this strong willed youth meant to do exactly that.

That night as he prayed he became conscious of a light shining in room. He looked outside to make sure it was not someone shining a light. Gradually light took form of a globe of fire and in it he saw face of Jesus.

Jesus was last person Sundar was looking for. After all, Jesus was 'foreign god' of Christian teachers at his school. A zealous Sikh, Sundar had publicly torn up a portion of Bible to protest its claims. Amazed that his vision had taken unexpected form of Jesus, Sundar was convinced in his heart that Jesus was avatar in whom God reveals Himself.

Did Jesus speak to him? No one knows for sure; however, regardless of nature of 'conversation', Sundar threw himself on ground and surrendered His life to Jesus. At once peace flooded his troubled heart. The weary struggle to seek enlightenment and moksha was over for Sundar, for in Jesus he found shanthi. This divine encounter with Lord Jesus was to Sundar a rebirth into a new life.

The following months proved to be very difficult for Sundar and his family. Becoming a disciple of Christ was not taken lightly by his family nor his community. Misunderstanding his new found revelation to be a betrayal of all loyalty to his community he was excommunicated. Sundar may have been ill advised by some 'Christians' to cut his hair, unnecessarily maligning an honorable Sikh custom. Unfortunately, he followed their advice and cut his hair, a gesture that did not make things any easier with his family. His family was convinced he had renounced his Sikh heritage. However, through this strife and turmoil God cared for Sundar.

A month after he accepted water baptism of Christ in year 1905, he took vow of a sadhu. He gave away his meager possessions, put on a saffron robe and became a barefooted wandering man of God. Among Christians world over, this barefoot Sadhu was later called `apostle of bleeding feet' because soles of his feet were often covered in bloody blisters.

The life of a sadhu is hard and entirely dependent on God. Sadhu Sundar Singh's needs were met entirely through kindness of people he met wherever he went. His life story has been written down for us by several of his friends and admirers. He also, reluctantly, agreed to put his teachings and experiences in writing saying that like His Satguru, he did not want to write a word. Sadhu Sundar Singh reflected character of Christ in word and life; he had found peace in abiding presence of Jesu his brother and Lord.

Sundar also became a great missionary travelling perilously over mountains to Tibet where he was repeatedly persecuted as he attempted to share Christ with them. He suffered much at their hands but each year he would travel back to Tibet to show Jesus conextualised for Indian and Tibetan. He has revealed an Eastern God and taken Christ and made Him accessible to Eastern mind and thinking. Modern missionaries still have a lot to learn from missionary with bleeding feet.

Some of his selected teachings can be found below. More details about amazing life of this contextual Christian can be found in many books, some of which are still in print around world.

The Teachings of Sadhu Sundar Singh (selections from his books)

The Unbridled Tongue It has often been noticed that woodlouse that eats and destroys hard wood and insect that makes holes in rocks in sea are very weak and delicate. even so, they can penetrate hard wood and stone to spoil them completely. The same can be said of germs of evil thoughts and habits. However feeble and negligible they may seem, evil thoughts and habits eat into our lives to make us hollow and useless human beings. Unless, with God's help we are able to eliminate such germs, they can completely destroy us. Poisonous as reptiles, evil thoughts and habits cause death by biting and depositing their poison in wound. Even bugs and flies, though not considered poisonous, are in a way no less dangerous, because they spread germs of various deadly diseases and many are destroyed through them. Many people are like this. They do not outwardly appear dangerous, like murderous dacoits and criminals, but by insidiously spreading dangerous words and poisonous influence to others with their unbridled tongues they are just as much of a menace.

Donna, my wife, and I recently moved into a small flat. We have been married for three years and in all that time we had never had a home of our own. We had lived our whole lives as missionaries with no home and no possessions. We travel a lot, all over world but had been praying for our own space for a long time. God provided a small flat in our little village where we could finally have a two bedroom home and we were overjoyed.

The flat had a little garden in front and at back of house and suited us fine. The house was in varying stages of disrepair and we wondered how much time and money we should spend on fixing it up as we were just renting. In some ways I think it was indicative of how we as Christians are unsure of how involved in world we should be since we are “just passing through”. We relinquish our duty as Christians not willing to engage with world because we don’t think that it is worth it! All while disregarding one verse we all know by heart (For God loved world so much that He gave His one and only begotten son… how much more can you invest, than to die for ones you love?) But that is another story and I could possibly write chapters on it, but we’ll leave that for another day.

On that note, we realised that we had a lot of work to do on little place. We came home from office and spent every evening cleaning until midnight as it was such a mess! As I said before we had no furniture or any worldly possessions so we had an empty house to fill and we would have to, over next six months, trust God to fill it with everything we needed!

We would need appliances, cutlery and plates, a sitting room suite, tables, a bed, cupboards, drawers and wardrobes. We also needed to get into garden which was looking like a jungle! I remember how exhausted I felt coming home from work each day and seeing all work we still had to do.

I also used to borrow garden equipment from a neighbour. I distinctly remember first time I cut hugely overgrown hedge. The neighbours all noticed and commented on change. The elderly neighbour upstairs was very grateful too. It was amazing how encouraged neighbourhood was that someone had moved in and was actually looking after property and taking time to look after garden.

I realised that pruning hedges makes people stand up and take notice. If people in my neighbourhood are touched by fact that I cut my hedge, how much more is world touched by Christ in me on a daily basis through my life. This hedge was a witness in neighbourhood and was in complete contrast to previous tenants way of thinking. People noticed and appreciated effort we made to make our home inviting.