Bobby Jindal, a thirty-six year old brown-skinned, super intelligent young man born to immigrant Hindu parents, has won a landslide victory in the election for the governor of Louisiana. When he takes oath in January, he will become one of the youngest governors as well as the first Indian-American governor in the history of this great nation.

When Matt Blunt was elected governor of Missouri in November 2004, he was 33 years and eleven months old. Earlier, when Kit Bond was elected governor of the same state in November 1972, he was 33 years and eight months old, thus making him the youngest governor ever in U. S. history.

Kris Kolluri, an immigrant from India, became the acting governor of New Jersey in 2006, only for twenty-four hours, when the governor, senate president, assembly speaker, and attorney general were all out of state; thereby following the line of succession, the transportation commissioner, Kolluri, accepted the temporary position. Since Kolluri was not elected to the position, we do not expect historians to give him the distinction of being the first Indian-American governor.

About one hundred years ago, a black politician, P.B.S. Pinchback, served as the governor of Louisiana for thirty-five days. As a matter of fact, he was not elected, but appointed temporarily. Douglas Wilder (Virginia) and Deval Patrik (Massachusetts) were two black governors who were elected by popular vote. Bobby Jindal thus becomes the third elected nonwhite governor in the history of America. The term “nonwhite” is a subject of much debate in Louisiana in recent days due to the fact that anthropologists and ethnologists classify Indians as Caucasians.

What happened in Louisiana is an inspiring reminder that the American dream is still viable, vibrant, and achievable. What is meant by the “American Dream”? It means that a person is free to pursue whatever goals he or she may have, regardless of racial, national or ethnic backgrounds. Jindal’s success proves that America continues to be a land in which dedication, hard work, and loyalty can transform dreams into reality.

I thank God for the thousands of Keralite Pentecostal youths who have pursued the American dream and have achieved not only in the academic and professional fields, but also in the spiritual arena. In most cities and villages, our youths have become role models for the larger student and professional population in their capacity for hard work as well as in their attitude and character.

As many in our community climb the ladder of success in the academic, professional, and spiritual realms, it is our responsibility to wear the mantle of humility and pray for others who are struggling or limping or bleeding by reason of being attacked by the powers of darkness or by their own wrong choices. We cannot afford to leave behind any of our young precious boys and girls to be trampled by the devil. Our dream is never fully realized until we help them climb the ladder with us. We must always keep in mind that where we stand spiritually is much more important than any worldly accomplishments. Our dreams must also include others outside of our community who need a helping hand.

Several of Bobby Jindal’s friends cared enough to share the way of salvation to him. Jindal was not amused when one childhood friend warned him that he and his parents were going to hell. He was certainly not appreciative when another friend, a Southern Baptist, asserted that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. However, Jindal admits that such friends provoked or challenged him to search for the truth. It was a Chinese-American schoolmate who gave him his first Bible.

Bobby Jindal started searching by reading the New Testament carefully. Before he graduated from high school, Jindal accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Of course, this caused much displeasure in the hearts of his loving parents.

I admire those teenagers who cared enough to share the gospel with Jindal in their own ways, however undiplomatic the approaches of some of his friends might have been. May we pray that Jindal will continue to search the New Testament and find deeper truths regarding the church, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ, the only mediator between man and God. This country is in dire need of honest politicians like Jindal who will not waver in their moral convictions.