Nothing would ever be the same, and Purnima knew that.
Because she lived in Bhutan, an unreached and religiously hostile country, Purnima knew that her life would forever be at risk if she confessed faith in Jesus Christ. But how could she resist the drawing of the Spirit of God? How could she ignore the Shepherd’s call to the flock? At 12 years old, Purnima’s experience of God’s grace and love were too real to ignore. She laid down her life to follow Jesus.
Purnima endure more trials over the following three years than most of us will in a lifetime. She was rejected and abandoned by her parents, arrested and exiled from her country, and robbed and beaten by bandits. Even after seeking safety in a refugee camp, she was arrested, tortured, and imprisoned for her unwavering faith. Through it all her song remained the same: Christ is worth it!
I read the story of Purnima and wonder if I’d have such commitment to Christ in similar circumstance. I want to believe that I would. If I’m honest I must admit that it’s hard to find commonality in devotion when my faith is mostly untested because I live in a culture where my religious freedom is protected. Nonetheless, I’m encouraged by this teenager’s story. She has taught me 4 lessons that transcend culture, context, and country.
1. Family is relative
Although Purnima’s biological parents expelled her from the family, Purnima found a kindred spirit that runs thicker than blood. As she was wandering through India, a local pastor took her in to care for her. She experienced love and nurture from this pastor and his wife, not despite her faith, but because of her faith. Similarly, when Purnima was running to escape the government, she was taken in by a small group of believers who were also displaced and on the run. What Purnima experienced was true family. This calls to mind Jesus’ words in Mark: Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother (Mk 3: 35)!
2. You don’t need to know a ton to risk it all
Sometimes we fall prey to the lie that we need to know more about our faith before we can be radical in faith. We just assume the people who risk the most are the people who have the most robust understanding of who God is. That’s a load of garbage. Purnima didn’t go to seminary. She didn’t even have Sunday school. Purnima was a 12-year-old kid who knew only one thing: God loved her and died for her sins. Our willingness to risk it all will come from the depth that we allow the gospel to descend into our hearts, not from our understanding of peripheral theological nuance.
3. The Gospel cannot be separated from generosity
When Purnima was imprisoned in India she was resolved to show and tell the love of Jesus to her fellow inmates. She found a way to accomplish this through generosity. Occasionally, the prisoners were given a small allotment of money to buy personal items. Purnima never spent hers because she sensed that God wanted her to save the money for something. On Christmas Day, He revealed what that something was. Purnima gave all the money she had saved to a prison guard who went to the nearest village, bought as much food as possible, and brought it back for her. She cooked a Christmas feast for all of her cellmates! They were completely astonished that this little girl would spend all her personal money on them to celebrate the birth of Jesus—a man they didn’t even believe in...yet.
4. Never count anyone out
One prisoner was particularly hard on Purnima. Tulasa was a hardened woman - imprisoned on the accusation of murder. She verbally and physically abused Purnima because of her faith. Despite the abuse, Purnima never stopped sharing the gospel with her. After the Christmas feast, Tulasa was so flabbergasted by the extravagant act of kindness that she and Purnima struck up a friendship, and Purnima began to disciple her. Tulasa became a Christian through Purnima’s persistent discipleship over the course of 14 months, and after being released from prison, she became an active leader in the persecuted church.
Other people’s stories get me jazzed up - Purnima’s especially! Honest question for you: Do you think God wants to use your story to inspire other believers? Do you think your faith is radical enough to incite in others a deeper commitment to the gospel? If you don’t, start now! Learning from Purnima and others like her is a great place to begin. You can read Purnima's faith story along with the story of 7 other remarkable women in Gracia Burnham's book 'Hearts of Fire.'
