Plain Brown Box

Some months ago, a visiting Priest from India told us a story about a woman having conflicts with her faith; Hinduism, and had called him to ask if he could answer some questions about Christianity. “It was the first of several long phone conversations about the faith we’d have,” he said.

She had explained that as a Hindu, living in Orissa, she had few opportunities to encounter faithful Christians. Instead she had marinated for several decades in the strongly anti-Christian attitudes of her family, friends and other members of the Hindu temple she attends.

He had told her there’s no problem answering the common questions people ask about Christianity, and will do his best to give her good answers. After several discussions – the Birth of Jesus, Miracles, Death, Resurrection, Ascension, Salvation, Born-again, Life hereafter etc – he offered to send her books and audio tapes to help her study these issues in depth.

“That will be good,” she had replied, but explained earnestly, that they need to be really careful how she goes about ‘investigating’ Christianity, because her husband – who has a strong lineage of Hinduism in his family – is adamantly convinced that Christians are lost. As she had once hinted him about her curiosity, but he had flared up that she was even talking about Christianity in his home and wouldn’t hesitate to divorce her and take their four kids, if this was more than just a passing curiosity.

“That’s why, whatever you do, it’s crucial that we keep our conservations about Christianity absolutely confidential,” she had told him, “and any material you send me, please be sure to send them in a plain, unmarked package because, if my husband finds it, I really think he will make good on his promise to divorce me.”

He had assured her, that he’d use the utmost discretion. But unknown to both of them, God’s providence is a funny thing. Even though, she was a stay home mom, and even though she was expecting to take delivery out in the driveway before her husband knew of it, the delivery man happened to arrive early that day, about five minutes after she had darted out of the house to drop off the kids at school.

Her husband answered the door and signed for the package, a plain, nondescript brown box addressed to his wife. His curiosity lit like a match and, as he closed the door behind him, he shook the box trying to discern its mysterious contents. He opened the box and, to his horror, discovered a passel of Christian books and CDs, and he instantly understood what it meant.

She got back home five minutes later to find her husband in their bedroom enraged. “I can’t believe you’re actually going through with your insane interest in Christianity, even when I asked you not to!” he shouted at her. “It’s a false religion! I’m not going to have a divided house, let alone with a Christian! I’m leaving with my kids,” he rounded off.

The woman was completely distraught by this horrifying turn of events and, locked out of her bedroom. She spent the whole day in the kitchen crying, about the looming breakup with her husband and their kids, and was torn between the love of her family and the growing attraction to Christianity.

At about 3.30 pm that afternoon, her husband, who decided not to go to work, walked into the kitchen, pulled her up from here she lay sobbing and said “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I’ve been thinking about it, and if you want to explore the Christian faith I won’t fight you. I’m sorry. I understand now what you’re going through.”

Incredulous, she rubbed her eyes and asked him what on earth had happened to cause this change in him.

“Well,” he said, with a hint of smile, “When I opened the box I became furious at you because you were secretly thinking of becoming a Christian. But then I realized I had locked myself in the room with that box. After a while I got bored. So I started reading the books in it. I’ve been reading all day and was amazed at everything I discovered. I understand a little better now, and won’t oppose you.”

The happy ending? Yes, the Orissa woman did convert to Christianity not long after that. And so did her husband. And so did their children. Proof that God does indeed work in mysterious (and seemingly unpredicted) ways.