[This is a eulogy
to Ravi Zacharias written by one of my friends, Suanlal. He is a voracious
reader, reading a wide range of books of different genres. You can reach him
through Facebook here.]
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| Suanlal with Ravi-ji, Delhi |
March 2016 @ Delhi, I met you, Uncle
Ravi. You were so humble to respond to my question, a man who came from a small
unknown town. That moment, as I look back I truly understand what you often
said, “behind every question is a questioner.” My tryst with you started
somewhere around 2012/13. I was a new believer then who had silly questions
concerning the Christian Faith. You demonstrate Christianity is intellectually
plausible and existentially satisfying and relevant. In other words, you make
me understand Why the Mind Matters in Christianity and the role of reason in
spiritual transformation.
BACK THEN, to be honest, I didn't
always understand what you said or wrote. Your vocabulary was way beyond my
comprehension. It has been a journey to coming to know you. I still remember me
looking forward to every Friday for your radio program "Let My People
Think." I still remember listening to your testimony "Faith Under
Fire" in my hostel room and weeping! You will continue to minister to my
heart. Uncle Ravi, I will miss your distinct voice. There is something that
ticks with it. You have a way of touching the nerve center of life. You left a
large void in my heart. Tremendous loss. I am still processing the weight of
this loss.
Thank you, Ravi, for your influence on
my formative Christian life. It was you who introduced me to the field of
Apologetics. My life has never been the same knowing you. I am reminded of what
Isaac Newton have said centuries ago "If I have seen further than others,
it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants."
Now that, You have met the one who
speaks to you in your suicide death-bed “Because I live, you will live also,” you
will have all your questions answered personally and hear the word “Well done,
good and faithful slave!” Oh, what a thought!
Ravi is a convincing proof of the
Gospel power to transform lives. Reflecting on how God’s grace is beyond
description over his family, Ravi concluded, “He lifted all of us over the
walls of our own imprisonment.” The same God can free you from your bondage
too. Friends, we should remember Ravi Zacharias, and in remembering him, remember
Jesus Christ, the Savior and Lord he loved and served so faithfully.
“Apologetics is seen before it is
heard,” says Ravi. This is one of the many sayings of Ravi that keeps tugging
in my heart that I will never forget in my Christian Walk. Coming from a not so
good background, I could only cherish what I have heard from him saying, “Jesus
Christ does not only change what you do, he changes what you want to do,” which
is personally evident in my life.
I would like to end with one of his
most inspirational lines that I came across from one of his books, Jesus Among
Other Gods: “From then on, my longings, my hopes, my dreams, and my every
effort has been
to live for Him who rescued me,
to study for Him who gave me this mind,
to serve Him who fashioned my will,
and to speak for Him who gave me a
voice.” – Ravi Zacharias.
#ThankYouRavi