A blind man in the eastern Indian state of Odisha has an incredible mission of praise and worship in Christian hymns at a market inspiring hundreds of people.
“Due to Covid-19, many churches are closed for public worship, off and on for the last two years. But God is present everywhere,” says the 45-year-old bachelor Subas Nayak, a Baptist Christian.
He tries to evangelize people through his hymns.
“I try to bring God to people in the marketplaces through my hymns,” he said. “I am physically blind, but spiritually I see God’s utmost care and concern for all, even amid Covid-19.”
He has been doing this incredible mission as a Christian for the last 35 years.
Nayak was born on October 5, 1977, at Kakadabadi, Kandhamal district, some 250 kilometers away from Bhubaneswar, the capital of the eastern Indian state of Odisha.
“Most of the time, people of other religions criticize and insult, telling me that my God is not reviving my eyesight. Disregarding their criticism and insult, I sing and praise the name of Jesus unceasingly in every marketing day at Raikia, Daringbadi, Balliguda, and Udayagiri of Kandhamal,” affirms Nayak.
Faith in Jesus inspires him to praise the compassion and love of God in his life from childhood onwards.
“I never regret being born blind. I consider my blindness as the glorification of God,” he says.
He is the third of five siblings of parents Udeswar and Sreemoti Nayak.
When inquired about his source of survival, it was known that he does not worry about his daily provisions.
Thanks to the government that provides Indian rupees 700 (US$ 9.38) as an allowance and 35-kilogram rice every month for Nayak, says Krushna Chandra Pradhan, a government official.
Seema Pradhan, a mother from his village, says people are worried about a job to survive, especially in the backdrop of Covid-19 in Odisha. Still, Nayak patiently praises God in front of Our Lady of Charity Catholic Church, Raikia, every Monday, the marketing day from morning to evening.
His physical impediment (blindness) does not restrict him from praising and thank God.
“He has no eyesight yet glorifies God with different Christian hymns through a musical instrument. Often people have eyes but fail to praise God for His wonderful creation and love for the world,” says Simporosa Parichha, a Catholic lady from Padunbadi, close to the native place of Nayak.
It is God who is being glorified through this blind man amid Covid-19. Jesus truly is the answer to his need as he “evangelizes,” even if it is in a subtle way of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus to others.
“Nayak’s story opens our eyes to our need for Christ and the dangers of being spiritually blind,” states Parichha.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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