Active Faith Moves Mountains

We often think it takes massive power, resources, or a public platform to change anything in our world. But Scripture and history tell a different story. Sometimes it starts with a simple yes. A decision to stay. A prayer in secret. A life lived with conviction.

In the Bible, Hebrews reminds us that these stories are written down as examples for us. Today, we are going to look at some of those examples—not from the pages of Scripture, but from our own soil and our own recent history. Some of them came to India. Some were born here. But all of them lived their faith in such a way that they moved mountains.

# People Who Lived Their Faith

The Bible says in Hebrews that all these things were written as examples for us. Today, I want to share stories of people, not from the Bible, but from our own recent history. Some were missionaries who came to India. Some were Indians who embraced Christ and lived out that faith with boldness.

Why are we talking about them?

Because just like in the book of Exodus, where it says "a Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph," we now live in a time where many don’t know the good that Christians have done in India. Some even oppose Christians, attacking churches, arresting pastors, and spreading lies.

Even inside the Church, many of us don’t know how deeply Christian work has shaped India, not just spiritually, but in education, medicine, and social reform. But the Bible says, "My people perish for lack of knowledge." So today, we look back, to learn and be stirred up.

# Raja Harnam Singh & Rajkumari Amrit Kaur

Raja Harnam Singh was a royal from Kapurthala. He accepted Christ, not for any gain, but because he truly believed. In fact, he gave up his claim to the throne because of that faith. But he didn't abandon responsibility. He continued to serve and raised his daughter Amrit Kaur in the faith.

Amrit Kaur joined the freedom movement, became India’s first Health Minister, and helped start AIIMS Delhi. She fought for the health and dignity of women and the poor. This was not a conversion for convenience. What could you offer a Raja to convert?

Even now, people accept Christ not for any material gains, but for what they find in Him: love, peace, and a sense of meaning.

Let’s move from royal courts to mission fields.

# William Carey

William Carey came to India during the East India Company’s time. The Company didn’t want missionaries, so he had to settle in Serampore, a Danish territory. He lost his wife and child, but he stayed. He believed God had called him to India.

He translated the Bible into many Indian languages. But his impact went far beyond just translation or conversion. Carey sowed the seeds for a broader, holistic growth of people. He believed that faith should uplift every part of life—education, health, social justice, and even science.

He established one of the first printing presses in India, which didn’t just print Bibles but also educational materials in local languages. He contributed to the development of Indian languages through grammar books and dictionaries. He also had a deep interest in botany and supported the cataloging of Indian plant life.

Carey helped set up Serampore College, which trained not only pastors but also teachers, translators, and reformers. His influence reached leaders like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, especially in efforts to eliminate the practice of Sati. Carey’s work touched both the soul and the structure of India.

And just as Carey used printing and education, Ida Scudder saw suffering and stepped into it.

# Ida Scudder

Ida Scudder was born into a missionary family in India. She had no intention of following in their footsteps at first. But during a visit to Vellore, she saw three women die in childbirth, all because there were no female doctors to attend to them. That moment changed her life.

She returned to the United States, studied medicine, and came back to India with a clear sense of purpose. She founded what is now CMC Vellore, one of the most respected medical institutions in India. She trained women to be doctors and opened access to medical care for those who were often ignored.

CMC Vellore, the medical college Ida Scudder started, has changed the face of healthcare in India since 1900. It was one of the first places to open medical education to women, and today it continues to train doctors and nurses who serve across the world. But it wasn’t just about hospitals and degrees. CMC made healthcare available for the poor, especially in rural areas

They’ve also done significant research in tropical diseases, serving people most affected by them. What stands out is how inclusive it is—admitting students based on merit, not background or belief. And even though it’s rooted in Christian values, CMC doesn’t convert people. They serve people of all faiths and backgrounds with compassion. The focus remains on healing, education, and love that reflects Christ’s heart.

And now, we come to a man whose story still stirs hearts across India.

# Graham Staines

Graham Staines came from Australia to serve leprosy patients in Odisha. These were people everyone else had pushed away. But he didn’t. He loved them, lived among them, and cared for them like family.

He started serving in India in 1965, and by 1983, he was managing the Mayurbhanj Leprosy Home in Baripada. It wasn’t just medical treatment—he helped with rehabilitation, livelihood, and long-term care for the poorest of the poor, especially among tribal communities in Odisha, West Bengal, and Jharkhand.

He also translated the Bible into the Ho language, so tribal communities could hear the Word in their own tongue. He organised jungle camps to build local community and faith. His love and work earned respect from many, but it also drew false accusations of forced conversions. That tension eventually led to his brutal murder in 1999.

One night, while he and his two young sons were sleeping in a jeep, a mob set it on fire. All three of them were burned alive.

The whole country was shaken. But what shook people even more was what his wife, Gladys Staines, said: “We came here because of the love of Christ. And with that same love, I forgive the people who did this.”

She didn’t leave. She stayed and continued the work. She even helped establish the Graham Staines Memorial Hospital to carry on the mission.

That is what faith looks like when it becomes action. Quiet. Strong. Sacrificial. It keeps loving, even when hated. It keeps serving, even when it costs everything.

# Three Things We Learn From Them

# 1. Be Clear About Your Calling

All these people had a strong sense of calling. That’s what helped them endure. They didn’t treat India as a project. They made it their home.

Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth." They lived that. They added value, they preserved dignity, they improved the world around them.

Whether it was Moses, Gideon, or Paul, when God called them, they were gripped by it. That’s how these people lived. What is yours? If you know your calling and gripped by it, you can't help but move the mountains to fulfill that calling.

# 2. Be Salt Where You Are

They didn’t just preach Christianity. They improved the place they were in.

Carey saw the evil of Sati and acted. Scudder saw women without care and acted. Staines saw the rejected and embraced them. They changed their world, not for applause, but out of obedience.

Wherever you are, your office, your neighborhood, be the salt there. Do something about the problems you see.

# 3. What Will You Do With Your Faith?

They didn’t hide their faith. It wasn’t a side dish. It was central.

Faith moved them to sacrifice. Faith pushed them beyond what they could do on their own. Faith moved them to action.

Hebrews 11 says again and again: "By faith…" And then in verse 33: "Through faith they conquered kingdoms… gained what was promised…" But it also says some were flogged, imprisoned, killed, and wandered in deserts.

Same faith. Different outcomes. But they all acted by faith.

That’s why I shared these names, not from 2000 years ago, but from just a few generations ago. These are people we can relate to. People whose small steps of faith moved mountains.

So, what are you going to do with your faith?

• For your society?
• For your workplace?
• For the hurting?
• For the marginalized?

Will your faith move mountains?

It may start with something small. A decision to stay where God has placed you. A decision to serve quietly. A willingness to stand firm when others step back.

Like Carey, Scudder, Staines, and so many others, your faith might not be loud—but it can be strong. It might not start big but it can end with a lasting impact.

Jesus said in Matthew 17:20:

“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

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