Expressing Inexpressible India

India in a word:

Joyful                          Tragic

Colorful                      Dark

Beautiful                    Dirty

Bold                             Invisible

Healing                       Painful

Hopeful                      Hopeless

Crowded                    Alone

Spiritual                     Spirit-less

Organized                   Chaos

Progressive               Archaic

Lifecycle                     Survival

Simple                         Complex

Surrender                   Fight

Dependence               Isolation

Hot                                 Frozen

Memories and Lessons:

• Wrong versus Different
• The varied countryside
• Insane organized chaos of traffic (HA!)
• People EVERYWHERE
• Color!
• Smoke
• Circumstance of women, widows and orphans
• Un-common “common-sense” health care
• The price of Hindu “enlightenment”
• Never-ending naan
• Feeling conspicuous
• Tasting oppression
• Illustrations of loving the culture’s unlovable/AIDs and transgendered
• The plight of the Dalit and Devadasis
• Washing muddy clothes back home
• The brainless balance of Bananagram at the end of the day
• Tata trucks, trash-eating cows, wild barking dogs

 

Blessings:

• Indian children
• Joyful people
• Unmatched time with my own beautiful, growing daughter
• Generosity of heart, prayer and wallet
• Enduring thankfulness for the entire experience
• New friends from an untiring and fun team
• Operation Mobilization Staff
• Witnessing commitment and new meaning of sacrifice
• New meaning of unconditional love
• That “what to do now” feeling…

 

James 1:22-27

²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. ²⁶If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Matthew 25:42-45

⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ ⁴⁴“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ ⁴⁵“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

How should we then live?

~ Francis Schaeffer

 

Not to decide is to decide.

~ Harvey Cox

Want an adventure? Don’t ignore the question. Serve someone, somewhere. Whether it’s half way around the world or next door, commit to go out of your way to make the most out of your life for “the least of these.” Look for where your talents and giftings intersect need. (Note: You’ll know you’ve hit the spot when the anticipation of serving becomes energized – not burdensome). We’re built for it.