(Editor’s Note: This article highlights fresh, thoughtful ways to introduce Jesus to Hindu families. Our 2026 conference theme, “Speaking of Jesus with Hindus,” will foster a rich time of gathering with other Alongsiders to discuss how we can be witnesses in ways that are understandable, relatable, and compelling. You will find community and be encouraged at the 2026 Rethinking Forum.

We hope you will join us on July 16-18, either in-person or online! Register now to lock in the early registration discount before prices rise after Friday, May 15th.) 

“Does Easter have anything to do with Jesus?”

It took me a moment to process my friend Sanjeev’s question. My first thought was “Of course! Doesn’t everybody know that Easter is ALL about Jesus??” But after another second of processing, my response was “Why don’t you and your family come over on Easter Sunday for lunch, and we can share about the Easter story together after our meal?”

 Sanjeev grew up in West Bengal, India and had only been in the United States for about a year. I had known Sanjeev for about six months by the time of our Easter conversation, and our families had developed a growing friendship. Our children enjoyed played together, and we had already shared many conversations at this point, including about Jesus and our different spiritual beliefs. All he had seen about Easter up to this point had been the Easter bunny, painted eggs, chocolates, and jellybeans. So, he was justified in his question, “Does Easter have anything to do with Jesus?”

He was excited to accept the invitation and asked if he could invite a few more people. More than 40 people showed up for lunch, and although we had met many of them before, was more than we expected! Like great neighbors, Sanjeev and his crew brought many dishes to contribute to the meal, and our lunch became a beautiful blend of traditional Easter staples and Bengali favorites (tandoori ham anyone?). After the meal, we all gathered in our living room and spilled into the adjoining spaces to share the Easter story.

Most of the guests in our home were Bengali Hindu – either from Kolkata or Bangladesh. It was our first time doing anything like this, and we had no idea what we were doing. But we did understand a few important things:

• We loved our friends and were excited to share with them something meaningful to us.
• We understood enough about Bengali culture to know that the arts and storytelling matter deeply.
• We wanted to share this story in a way that built bridges rather than barriers.

So, our family (my wife and I and our children) and a few close friends shared the story in a way that we never had before. Instead of simply sitting and reading it out loud, we acted out scenes from the biblical account of Passion Week, starting from Jesus’ time of prayer in the garden to his resurrection and the days that followed. Now, it is important to understand, none of us are actors, but we wanted to share these stories in a way that connected with people we cared about. We took turns narrating different parts of the stories while kids and adults alike acted out the scenes. We had some kids assigned to light switches and others to curtains to darken the room as we spoke about the crucifixion and brighten it suddenly as we pronounced “HE IS RISEN!”.

The production value was 3 out of 10 at best, but the impact was off the charts! Sanjeev approached me afterwards with tears running down his cheeks and said, “this is the first time I have ever heard this story, and it didn’t stay right here [pointing to his head], but it went deep into my soul. India will hear these stories because we will bring them home.” 

Sanjeev approached me afterwards with tears running down his cheeks and said, “this is the first time I have ever heard this story, and it didn’t stay right here [pointing to his head], but it went deep into my soul. India will hear these stories because we will bring them home.” 

Common Ground & Building Bridges

Sharing the Easter story in the way we did opened avenues of deeper connection and increased opportunity to talk about Jesus with some of the people we love the most in this world! This got us thinking in a couple of specific ways:

• Common Ground – where do our lives naturally overlap, creating opportunities for intentional and organic connection?
• Bridges – what are things we can do to help bridge the gap of cultural differences in thoughtful and creative ways?

With this simple mindset we were easily able to think of areas of common ground. Here are a few examples:

• Food – everyone eats, right?!
• Celebrations – birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, personal and family milestones…
• Holidays – religious and cultural holidays and festivals.

Once we realized how much common ground we had, we began thinking of creative ways to create cultural bridges in these shared spaces. Here are a few examples our family has enjoyed with friends:

• Every Easter, we find a different and unique way to share the Easter story with our friends. One year, we had one person share a part of the story and then we would take some time for a meaningful poem or song that tied in with that portion. Another year, we had all the kids present act out the story as different people spoke it out. This past Easter, I shared the story from the first-person perspective of the disciple John (I left the room to dress the part as my wife introduced a “special guest”. When I walked back into the room as “John” it got a lot of smiles and laughs).
• For Holi each year, we have a party outside on the street where we dance, sing, and of course throw colors! After we play, we eat food that everyone brought and talk about the beautiful significance of the holiday as we discuss topics like new beginnings, forgiveness, and new life.
• Each Christmas, we invite many of our closest Hindu friends into some of our own family traditions because we know they love to experience the holidays we celebrate through our traditions. Part of what we have added as a tradition is that each person will light a small tea light and place it in front of a nativity scene as the story of Jesus coming as the light of the world is shared.

These examples have created meaningful opportunities for deeper connection in our community. These ideas may not work in every context. The principles of finding common ground and building bridges, though, always lead to new and interesting idea to build community!

Principle, Not Practice

Why do I share these stories? I want to illustrate what’s possible when relationships are built with care and intentionality. These are simply ways our family has been able to walk alongside our Hindu friends based on the relationships that had been created and established over time. What connected my family with this community of Hindu people will not be the same as others’ stories, and that is great! What are some things you could do to strengthen and deepen your relationships with Hindu families from a place of love, understanding, and intentionality? Here are a few ideas:

• Get to know your friends more deeply. What makes them tick? What are their likes and dislikes? If they have moved away from their home and culture, what do they miss and what do they like about where they are now? The questions are endless, and the opportunities for understanding are priceless.
• Be a good friend. Whether it’s a neighbor or a classmate or a co-worker, look for ways to genuinely care for them. And on the flip side, allow yourself to be cared for by them.
• Genuinely love. Treat people like people, not projects. We’ve found that our times of deepest connection are when conversations of faith and spirituality spring out of times when we are laughing and simply enjoying each other’s company. The root of a deep and honest relationship is love – and that love must be genuine and not attached to any agenda.
• Have fun! Play, laugh, share stories, be silly, let your guard down, and enjoy your lives together.

One of the greatest gifts and deepest joys our family has experienced has been getting to know and connect with the beautiful Hindu community God has placed us in. May you have a similar experience of love and camaraderie to what my family has received from our Hindu friendships.