Wisdom of the Sadhu; Teachings of Sundar Singh. Compiled by Kim Comer, published by Plough Publishing House, 2014.
Sundar Singh (1889-1929) was known during his lifetime as India’s most famous convert to Christianity. However, he did not embrace many of the Christian cultural conventions. Instead, he chose to focus on a pure faith in Christ, living his life as a sadhu or wandering holy man. His beggar-like existence, intense devotion, mystical encounters with Christ and parables were legendary, often compared to Saint Francis.
The Wisdom of the Sadhu is a collection of Sundar Singh’s beliefs and teachings including parables, prayers, meditations and sayings. Filled with Christian wisdom presented in a distinctly Indian fashion, the book is thought-provoking and inspiring. Parables, biographical stories and question and answer sections (gleaned from Singh’s writings as if a seeker was interviewing the teacher) are centered around themes still so important today that it is hard to remember that Singh lived over 125 years ago.
I was particularly drawn to the section about service:
Most of us are famliar with the Biblical story of the feeding of the five thousand. The focus is often on the miracle – how were so many fed with just a few fish and loaves? As an example of a new way to look at an old story, here is Singh’s interpretation, focusing more on the service aspect and why a poor boy was selected to share his food:
If you enjoy a book that will prompt you to think differently, read this book. If you find yourself more focused on the routine of religious practice rather than the faithful belief, this book is for you. Singh’s fresh approach to ancient teachings is certainly worthy of the investment. To learn more, click here to check out the book on Amazon.com.
Note: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher at no cost to me. However, in no way did they attempt to influence the content of this review.
