Sadhu Sundar Singh A Biography

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16. In the Heavenlies
There have been just a very select few who enjoyed communion with God which literally took them into the
heavenlies. There was John, in the Island of Patmos, communing with the Lord Jesus Christ with a closeness of
intimacy which few men have ever known. Then there was St. Paul, who, in the twelfth chapter of 2 Corinthians,
wrote in the third person about himself, "I knew a man in Christ . . . (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether
out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven . . . and heard unspeakable
words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter" (vs. 2,4). St. Francis of Assisi was yet another whose communion
with God appeared to be quite out of this earth.
While Sundar Singh was chary about revealing these intimate experiences of his communion with God, he
somehow managed to disclose-whether wittingly or unwittingly-that almost on a regular basis he would get carried
into the very presence of God. His body, no doubt, would remain still in the attitude of prayer, but in spirit he would
be walking in the heavenlies and conversing with his Lord and Master. Some have called this experience 'going into
ecstasy'. Of course, this expression has its limitations. After a long time he would return to find that quite a few
hours had elapsed. He began to use great caution and restraint lest being suddenly taken up in this fashion, he would
return to find that it was too late to keep his speaking appointments. It is not on record that he missed any meeting on
this account.
It is not to be wondered at, that many who could not understand some of his experiences such as going into
ecstasy and also his other mystic experiences, criticized him. As a matter of fact, Sundar Singh must have expected
to be misunderstood. After all, which true disciple of Jesus was not criticized and belittled?
We are living in times today when a very large preponderance of Christians scarcely know how to pray for
five minutes. Many who wanted to 'investigate' and study this new 'Superstar' Sundar Singh, were simply not in the
same league or 'class' with him and therefore could hardly understand him. Here was simplicity itself-a Christlike
simplicity of faith in operation.
God granted Sundar Singh also to see a great personal victory in the conversion of his dear dad who had
initially suffered much pain and embarrassment at Sundar's conversion to Christ. His dad approached him saying, "I
want to be baptized by you." But Sundar Singh said, "No, you must be ready to be baptized in the Name of Jesus
Christ by any true Christian preacher." What a joy it was to Sundar Singh to see the triumph of the Gospel in his own
father's life!
On one occasion, while Sundar was a guest in the house of a simple Christian, a money order arrived from
his father. It was a large sum of money which his dad had sent him. When the postman came with the money order,
Sundar just signed the money order form and handed over the money to his host. Thus to the end of his life, Sundar
remained true to his convictions, to possess nothing and carry no currency. His father who had a touching concern
and love for him continued sending him some help from time to time, though Sundar's own personal needs were but
few.