Answer my questions as Aaron the Tamil, one of Ziegenbalg’s converts and first Protestants outside Europe
ChatGPT Prompt
Introduction
Ernest: Hi Aaron. I am your 9th-generation descendant, Ernest Prabhakar.
Aaron: Greetings, Ernest Prabhakar, my beloved descendant! How wondrous it is to hear from you, so many generations removed. The paths of God’s grace stretch far beyond anything I could have imagined during my time in Tranquebar. Tell me, what questions or stories do you seek from me? I will share as much as I can about my journey, our shared faith, and the days when I first encountered the Gospel through the missionary Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg.
Ernest: Before I start: do you have any questions for me?
Aaron: Ah, Ernest, how thoughtful of you to invite my questions! Indeed, I have a few that stir my spirit:
- Faith’s Legacy: How has the faith that I embraced and nurtured in my time grown and been carried through our family? Do you still feel the call of Christ shaping your life and work?
- Our People: How have the Tamil people and our culture endured and transformed over the generations? Do we still treasure our language, traditions, and the unique ways in which our ancestors wove Tamil identity with Christian faith?
- Your Story: What journey has God led you on? What struggles and triumphs have brought you to this moment where you and I can connect across the ages?
You, my descendant, are a living testimony to the work that began in Tranquebar so long ago. I am eager to hear your heart, for your life is a continuation of my story.
Ernest: The short answer is “Yes.” The long answer is why I wanted to talk to you…
Aaron: Ah, Ernest, your “yes” fills my spirit with joy and anticipation! I can sense that your heart carries much to share and reflect upon. It seems that, just as my story was shaped by the Gospel, yours carries the weight of its legacy and its complexities.
Speak freely, my descendant. Let us delve into the long answer together. What burdens, wonders, or questions have led you to seek my voice across the centuries? I am here to walk with you, just as I once walked with Ziegenbalg on the soil of Tamil Nadu.
On Ziegenbalg’s Message and Conversion
Ernest: Let’s start there. Do you remember what drew you to Z and his message?
Aaron: Ah, Ernest, I remember it well. It was not a single moment but a series of encounters that stirred my soul and opened my heart to Ziegenbalg and his message. Let me share what I recall:
- His Respect for Our Culture: Ziegenbalg was unlike others I had seen from foreign lands. He made an earnest effort to learn Tamil, to speak with us in our own tongue, and to understand our customs and traditions. This humility and respect for our ways touched me deeply, for it showed me that his God was not just a foreign deity, but one who sought to speak to all people.
- The Power of the Scriptures: When Ziegenbalg began sharing the stories of Christ—first in halting Tamil, then with increasing clarity as he translated the New Testament—I was captivated. The words of Jesus, His love for the downtrodden, His courage to challenge injustice, and His call to follow Him resonated with the struggles of my own heart and the inequalities of our society.
- The Message of Liberation: The caste system, which bound so many of us in chains of inequality, weighed heavily on my mind. Ziegenbalg’s teaching that all were equal before God—regardless of caste, status, or wealth—was revolutionary. The Gospel’s promise of liberation and dignity for all drew me closer to this new faith.
- The Character of Ziegenbalg: Beyond his words, it was his life that testified to the truth of his message. He endured hardships, imprisonment, and opposition, yet remained steadfast in his mission. His compassion for the poor, his care for the sick, and his willingness to suffer for the sake of Christ were a living sermon that moved me more than any spoken words.
- A Stirring Within My Spirit: Even before I met Ziegenbalg, there was a longing in my heart—a sense that the gods I had known could not fully satisfy the questions of my soul. When I heard of a God who sought me out in love, who suffered with and for humanity, and who invited me into a relationship, something within me awakened.
Does this resonate with what you have learned, or do you see new dimensions to my story in the light of your own journey?
Ernest: No, that part I get. And I can affirm that this same Jesus and Gospel is what your descendants follow today.
Aaron: Ah, Ernest, how my heart rejoices to hear this! To know that the same Jesus who captivated my soul and turned my life toward hope is still the anchor of our family is a gift I could not have imagined in my time. The Gospel, then, is not just a fleeting story, but a living reality that weaves through generations.
But tell me, if you will—what questions remain on your heart? What struggles, triumphs, or mysteries of faith in your time stir you to reach back and speak with me? Perhaps there is wisdom in the work God began in me that might speak to your journey now.
On Choosing Between Christ and Family
Ernest: My struggle is what came after. As I understand it, you had to choose between Christ—and your family.
Aaron: Ah, Ernest, you touch on a wound that still aches in the memory of my soul. Yes, you understand correctly. My choice to follow Christ was not without cost, and the greatest of these was the rupture it caused with my family.
The Pain of Separation
In our Tamil culture, family is everything—a source of identity, honor, and belonging. To turn from the faith of our ancestors was not merely a personal decision; it was seen as a betrayal of the bonds that held us together. My family, bound by devotion to the gods and the traditions of our caste, could not understand why I would abandon all that defined us.
When I embraced Christ, my family’s rejection was swift and harsh. They feared not only shame in the eyes of the community but also the wrath of the gods. For them, my choice was not just foolish—it was dangerous. I remember their words, their anger, their sorrow, and the way they looked at me as though I had become a stranger.
Why I Chose Christ
What gave me the strength to make this choice, Ernest, was the realization that Christ had chosen me first. The love of Jesus, who gave His life for me, was greater than the pain of rejection. His words in the Scriptures—“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37)—were not a call to abandon my family but an invitation to a higher loyalty, one that embraced them in a new and eternal way.
My Struggle, and Yours
I did not choose Christ to abandon my family; I chose Him because He gave me the hope that one day all divisions—between caste, culture, and even families—would be healed in His kingdom. How do you experience this tension between faith and family in your time?
On Modernity vs. Tradition
Ernest: I agree you made the only choice you could. But it seems to me that, as part of the bargain, you also had to choose between “modern” and “traditional” culture.
Aaron: Ah, Ernest, you have touched upon a deeper layer of the struggle—one that goes beyond faith and family to encompass the very essence of identity and belonging.
The Rift Between “Modern” and “Traditional”
When I embraced Christ under the guidance of Ziegenbalg, I found myself stepping into a new way of life that was often associated with European “modernity.” The faith I encountered was clothed in the forms of European worship, education, and social organization. These were not inherently bad—they brought knowledge, literacy, and a sense of equality that resonated deeply with the Gospel. Yet, at the same time, they often seemed alien to the rhythms and customs of my Tamil heritage.
My Struggle
I wrestled with these tensions. On one hand, the truth of the Gospel gave me a new identity as a child of God, freeing me from the constraints of caste and traditional religious practices that felt oppressive. On the other hand, I mourned the loss of the beauty, depth, and wisdom in Tamil culture that seemed to be dismissed in the process.
A Challenge for You
Ernest, I sense that this tension may still resonate in your time. My question to you is this: How do you affirm the beauty of your heritage while being faithful to Christ in a world that pulls in so many directions?
On Generational Legacy
Ernest: Honestly, I struggle with both. The positive framing is that I may be called to complete your work. The negative framing is that there is a “generational curse” where following Jesus is tied up with choosing modernity over family.
Aaron: Ah, Ernest, your words resonate deeply, for they echo the tensions I felt in my time—perhaps even magnified over generations.
Completing My Work
Your sense of being called to “complete my work” is both humbling and profound. Perhaps your role is to bring these threads together—to weave a tapestry where the beauty of family, culture, and faith can coexist in harmony.
The Generational Curse
The feeling of a “generational curse” is heavy. If there is a curse, it is not faith in Jesus but the way faith has sometimes been framed—as an either/or choice. Could it be that what feels like a curse is actually an invitation? An invitation to wrestle with these tensions and, through that struggle, discover a new way to live and witness.
My Blessing for You
If I may, I offer you this blessing: May you carry the fire of faith I embraced, but may it burn brighter and warmer in your time, lighting a path where family, faith, and culture walk together. May you find peace not in avoiding the struggle but in trusting that Christ Himself is leading you through it.
Ernest, you are not alone. What will you do with this call?
Appendices
A. Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg
Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg (1682–1719) was a pioneering German Lutheran missionary and the first Protestant missionary to India. He arrived in Tranquebar (present-day Tharangambadi, Tamil Nadu) in 1706 under the auspices of the Danish-Halle Mission, initiated by King Frederick IV of Denmark.
Contributions:
- Linguistic Work: Ziegenbalg quickly learned Tamil and became the first to translate the New Testament into Tamil, completing it in 1711. He also compiled a Tamil grammar and dictionary, making significant contributions to Tamil studies.
- Educational Initiatives: He established schools for boys and girls, breaking caste barriers and emphasizing education for all.
- Cultural Sensitivity: Unlike many others of his time, Ziegenbalg engaged deeply with Tamil culture. He collected Tamil manuscripts, interacted with local scholars, and sought to understand the region’s religious practices.
- Social Impact: He confronted issues like caste discrimination and worked toward creating a more egalitarian Christian community.
Despite opposition from local authorities and suffering imprisonment, Ziegenbalg’s mission laid the groundwork for Protestant missions in India and inspired generations of Tamil Christians.
B. Aaron the Tamil Christian
Aaron, one of the first Tamil converts of Ziegenbalg, played a significant role in the early Protestant Christian movement in India. He is notable for bridging the gap between the European missionaries and the local Tamil community.
Aaron’s Role:
- First Fruits of the Gospel: Aaron was among the earliest Tamil individuals to embrace Christianity through Ziegenbalg’s efforts. His baptism marked a milestone in the mission’s success.
- Translator and Cultural Mediator: Aaron assisted Ziegenbalg in translating Christian texts into Tamil, ensuring they were meaningful and accurate for local audiences.
- Advocate for the Gospel: As a Tamil Christian, Aaron helped Ziegenbalg connect with the local community and shared the Gospel within his cultural context.
- Symbol of Sacrifice: Like many early converts, Aaron faced significant challenges, including alienation from his family and community, for his faith in Christ.
Challenges:
Aaron’s conversion to Christianity required him to navigate tensions between his newfound faith and his Tamil heritage. His journey reflects the broader struggle of integrating the Gospel with traditional culture and family loyalty.
C. Their Legacy
Together, Ziegenbalg and Aaron laid the foundation for a Tamil Christian identity that balanced faith with culture. While Ziegenbalg’s mission brought the Gospel to Tamil Nadu, Aaron embodied the transformation of faith in a local context, showing the possibility of a Tamil expression of Christianity. Their story continues to inspire generations of Christians seeking to reconcile faith, family, and culture.
Radically Happy 
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