The worst blackout to hit India in more than a decade has left 680 million-plus people in the dark. And it came in the midst of a “Power to Change” gospel campaign in the predominantly Hindu nation.
The power grid crash halted trains, forced hospitals and airports onto backup power and provided a dark reminder of the nation’s ongoing struggle to produce constant energy as it attempts to become an economic power.
As the power supply begins to be restored, Don Shenk, director of the Tide, a 65-year-old global gospel ministry that produces radio programs in several heart languages throughout the world, hopes that even in this dark time the people of India can look to God to be the light they need in their daily lives.
“This power outage has affected more people than the population of the United States and Canada combined,” Shenk says. “This country needs hope and we pray that the people of India can find that hope through Jesus Christ. His Word says, ‘My word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path’.”
Perhaps ironically, just weeks ago, a media campaign launched with a “Power to Change” theme in the wake of the flooding in Hyderabad, India’s third-largest city. The ads featured Indians who had received the power to change by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord.
“They are depressed. They are oppressed. So many people are in so many difficult situations, and they are thinking, ‘My life can never change. It will be the same,'” Sushruth Pradhan, leader of Refreshing International Ministries, told CBN. “But this message, this campaign would bring them a hope. To show them) yes, there is a power that can change your life.”
