India – November 2006

Friday, Nov. 17: India, the land of 1.1 billion people and the world’s largest democracy. Home of elephants, snake charmers, Hindus, lots of curry and, as of the last few years, a nuclear bomb. Here we come.

We left O’Hare about 2:30 PM and flew to Frankfurt, arriving at 6:00 AM and trying – in an airport with no carpet and no benches – to find a place to sleep during our four hour layover. We then flew Lufthansa into Chennai (formerly Madras), arriving at 11:40 PM, a half a world away – and either 11 ½ or 12 ½ time zones (I’ve yet to be able to figure it out) – from Chicago.

After clearing customs and gathering our luggage we were met by Varghese and two of his friends outside the airport. Sheri’s first impressions of India are how friendly the people are. Mine has been how many people there are. Even at midnight the streets are crowded. There are more busses, cars, bikes, motorcycles, goats, chickens, cattle, feral dogs and auto-rickshaws (motorized three wheelers that ferry people around) than you can imagine.

BTW, we were quick to learn that, “In India you could sooner drive without brakes than without a horn.” And best I can tell right-of-way is established by the size of your vehicle. (I asked Varghese why there weren’t more traffic lights. He said, “because people would just ignore them.”).

We checked into the international guest house at Hindustan Bible Institute (HBI) – two simple, two-bedroom apartments with air conditioned bedrooms.

It was 25 ½ hours from our door to theirs.

Saturday, Nov. 18th: HBI is a multifaceted ministry started 52 years ago by Dr. Paul Gupta, a high-caste Hindu who was promptly disowned by his Hindu family after he came to faith. He served as an evangelist and then, shortly after India’s independence from Britain (1947), saw the need to train national leaders. There are 250 people living on this 6 acre campus (students, faculty, staff, families and orphans from one of their centers), which is the epicenter of their national ministry.

We are eating in the international cafeteria, which means that the five of us have two cooks to ourselves and less spice in our food.

After B-fast we received an orientation from Mrs. Bobby Gupta, the President’s wife. (He is the son of the founder). She told us that among other things we must drink lots of water and not wander from the campus because: 1) we stand out as rich white Americans; 2) Indians are subject to “mob mentality” which we may be slow to see unfolding; and 3) we are a danger to ourselves because “our instincts are wrong.” Being a former British colony the Indians drive on the left side of the road, so, even crossing the street is something we are likely to do incorrectly.

Most of the day was spent touring HBI and learning about their various ministries.

• Missions Department: They view India as being as diverse as any 200 nations. They (HBI) have planted over 3,600 churches.
  
  
• Bible College: 70 students for three programs (Bible College, M.Div & ThM). Nine of the students are women – they could have more if they had scholarships and housing for women. Ten faculty, six with PhD, another 4 with PhD on campus doing other things. They are starting D.Min soon and considering a PhD in missions. (They believe that India has a good number of PhD in NT but lack them in OT, theology and church history. There are very few in Education). They are also working with SAIACS and Union for a PhD via Fuller. There are another 100 students in extension programs and a third group of 30 in evening college classes. Tuition, room and board for a single student for the M.Div is $800 USD per year. Twice that for a family.
  
  
• Social: They adopted six villages after the Tsunami for long term development. They rolled in the morning after the wave hit to assess, returned 24 hours later with food and shelter. Then came the grief counseling. Most other groups have left the area but they continue to work with them – exclusively Hindus – on long term development. This includes buying – or loaning money – for the older men to buy new fishing boats and setting up computer centers to train the younger people in computers. At the moment they are seeking to translate all of this good will into local churches.
  
  
• They have six orphanages – five in the city and one on campus. The on-campus orphanage is for the older girls. Two hundred children in all. HBI will carry them through 10th grade (the end of their high school) but those who wish to go on (the last two years are “senior high school”) must do one year of Bible College at HBI. One of their faculty – who now has a PhD – came up through this program.
  
  
• Economic Vocational Center: This is open to anyone, and includes all kind of job training, including a farming co-op and sewing classes.
  
  
• They also have a 20 bed hospital in Calcutta that has 2 doctors and sees 60 – 100 people per day, a school (with 76 children) that goes up through 5th grade, but next year will go up through 10th. Classes are in English; a day care, et al.

Varghese and Dr. Bobby are the two lead pastors of the campus church (New Calvary). Two other men preach as well. Varghese also directs their newly formed department of Spiritual Formation and Pastoral Care.

After lunch and a few more departments - BTW, this is a very goal oriented ministry. Every tour begins with their goal for 2020 and how their department ties into it – we then headed to one of the church plants in a slum. Physically it is one small (25’ x 30’) room with a cement floor and no furniture. Thirty families meet here (sitting on the floor) every Sunday. Before and after public school a number of students come to the church for food and tutoring. For the most part they are Hindus and their parents are illiterate. About twenty kids showed up while we were there. They sang for us (including the Hokey Pokey) and repeated some Scripture memory verses, but I couldn’t hear much of anything because there was a wedding next door and the music was blaring.

In some ways this slum was like every other third world slum I’ve been in: dirt streets, open sewer, trash everywhere and little kids in various states of dress running amidst the goats, dogs and chickens. Two things make it different: 1) every little 6’ by 8’ shack has some type of vegetable or rice “stand” with food for sale (occasionally displayed on a dirty blanket); 2) for all of the dirt, there are lots of bright colors. The plastic water pots are very bright and combine with the colors of the women’s clothes to lighten things up. The kids who came in to sing for us were very clean. They also seem well fed and very pleasant.

After the kids sang I was asked to pray for the church, including one boy, older than the rest, who has “a hole in his heart.” Somehow only praying – I hate to write “only praying”, but praying without also trying to get him medical care seems a bit anemic.

We ended the day with a trip to a downtown bustling with more entrepreneurial zeal than Adam Smith might have thought possible. It was Friday night and the streets were packed, but from what I hear they are never really empty. I’ve never seen more advertising in less space. I’ve never seen bigger billboards – and two things are striking about the models in the ads: 1) they are dressed very modestly; 2) they are fair-skinned. (There are ads for “Fair and Lovely” and “Fair and Handsome,” a cream that makes you fairer skinned. In the US we have tanning salons and in India we have lightening creams. The grass is always greener…). The stores range from upper-scale three story shopping centers that are quite Western to hundreds of small shops not more than 6’ wide.

Varghese says that India has changed a lot since he left. There are many more stores and the economy is booming.

We rode in Auto-Rickshaws to get back to the campus, where dinner was waiting and turned in early trying to cope with jet lag.

Some random observations:

• We were told to stay away from chickens because of a fear of the Asian Bird flu. That is harder than I might have thought as more than a few streets have chickens running around.
  
  
• The Muslim call to prayer can be heard several times a day. Islam – just over 11% of the population – has a definite presence.
  
  
• Many of the men wear skirts, called Loongis.
  
  
• Women wear beautiful colored Sarees and other wonderfully colored and very feminine clothes to do things like build bricks at a construction site.
  
  
• There are lots of white boxy cars called The Ambassador on the roads. Varghese says that the model for the car has not changed since it came out over fifty years ago. It’s the typical taxi and the car for politician to drive.

Sunday, Nov. 19th: I’m up early after a long night of short naps. I thought I was over jet lag. I guess I was wrong.

I am preaching at two services later today. I had intended to speak out of Hebrews 1 and keep the focus on Christ but that message didn’t come together. So I am preaching on Acts 17 and repentance. (Last week’s message at Christ Church).

Yesterday we had another big breakfast (we are unlikely to fit in our clothes for the trip home) and then had some down time until about 10:30. We then headed out for some sightseeing, starting with a visit to the mountain where the apostle Thomas was martyred. As you might expect (fear) it’s become a very touristy area (lots of brightly colored plastic statues depicting various saints. And lots and trash as well – the Indians throw litter everywhere. The prize relic on this stop is a piece of bone believed to have been from Thomas. It is housed in a gold cross and sits next to a painting of Jesus and Mary that was reportedly painted by Luke and brought to India by Thomas. (It looked remarkably 16th century. Apparently – and ironically – I am being a doubting Thomas at the shrine of Thomas).

Our second stop was a church built over a cave Thomas reportedly hid in. The cave was dark, small and wet. I can’t imagine spending more than five minutes in there. (It features a large imprint roughly two feet long that is supposedly of Thomas’s hand. “The same hand that touched the wounds of Christ.” Outside the cave is a note explaining that the large hand print, “is not out of keeping with science because it is well known that rock grows – thus the distortion of the size of the print.”

Our final stop related to Thomas was a large, beautiful gothic cathedral built over the body of St. Thomas. An earlier church (circa 16th century) burned down in the late 18th century so a new one was later built. The campus features several buildings with a small museum in one of them. Apparently there are only three churches built over the body of an apostle: 1) James lies in Spain at Santiago de Comp Estela , 2) Peter, of course, lies at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and 3) Thomas here in Chennai at the National Shrine of St. Thomas.

We stopped for a late lunch at the Blue Diamond hotel. Though food is everywhere we can not eat things not specially prepared for us unless it’s at a restaurant that caters to tourists. So far it’s working. No one has been sick.

After lunch we waddled to a Hindu temple, Mylapur. Wow – if this is what Paul saw in Athens I can see why he jumped up and started to proclaim One Lord and One God, “who is not made by human hands or design.” (Varghese says that officially the Hindus view these statues as idols – i.e. they are not gods themselves but a replica of a god to be used as a spiritual aid of some sort. But, he also says that many believe that they are gods). As before, the streets were packed. As we approached there were many small shops selling fruit and other small items (flowers) that you could offer to the gods. There is a huge tower entry way which is riddled with figures of hundreds of gods. We picked up an unofficial tour guide that Varghese tried to discourage and told him at the very beginning we were not going to pay. In the end he demanded money. Varghese gave him 20 Rupees. The guy threatened a fight. So Varghese took off his glasses – he’s had an eye infection that has given him blood shot eyes. He wears sunglasses so he doesn’t scare anyone. So, he took off his sunglasses and said, “OK, let’s see you start something!” Varghese is very large for an Indian and much bigger than our “tour guide,” who took the 20 Rupees and left.

I’ve learned that though India has many cultures – close to 5000 people groups – the big distinction is between the north and south. The southern Indians have darker skin, are more highly educated (as a rule) and eat rice (as opposed to wheat). The church is strongest in the south and east.

I also learned that the Bears won!

Tuesday, Nov. 21: On Sunday I preached at New Calvary Church here on the campus. They have an 8:30 service at which about 300 people, mostly from outside the campus, attend. This is followed by coffee and then a second service – at 11:00 – that about 150 people, mostly from campus, attend. The services are not quite two hours long. They open with 30 minutes of worship, which is followed by 20 plus minutes of announcements and then Varghese introduced me. I preached – on Acts 17 and repentance – and then we had communion.

The worship was similar to the contemporary service at Christ Church. We knew all of the songs.

Hinduism is not growing. There is a bit of a backlash from the fundamentalist end, mostly young men trying to force people back into their caste, but I do not find in Hinduism the global threat Islam presents. Speaking of which, Islam is growing here, but more slowly than in Africa and mostly through Muslim men taking four wives. (Note: the marriage laws are different for different religions. Hindus and Christians can marry one wife, Muslims up to four).

Christianity is growing quickly, and though the government says it’s only about three percent of the population its influence is much higher (especially in education). Many think the true percentage may be as high as eleven. (The problem is if you tell the government you have converted to Christianity you officially change caste. For many that would mean that they lose government benefits and the laws governing their property may also change, so they do not do it).

After lunch and a nap (preaching and jet lag put me under) I read, the boys played cricket with Tejas and Sheri eventually wandered to an evening service. We then joined Dr. Bobby and Lynette Gupta, the President of the school, and the Thomases for dinner at The Taj, a five star hotel in town. The food was wonderful but what we’ll remember was the entertainment: one act consisted of two percussionists – one playing both sides of a two-foot long drum that laid horizontal on his lap, while the other pounded on a large clay pot. (The fingers on his right hand were taped so he could get a loud noise when they struck the side of the pot. He used his left wrist to hit the base beat (ouch) and occasionally cupped his hand over the top of the pot to make a deep echo). The third performer played a flute.

The second act consisted of a father on the drums (identical to the first one in the first act), a mother singing – a haunting voice made more haunting by her failure to smile once all night, a son (about 30) playing a flute and a daughter – heavily made up so it’s hard to guess at her age, perhaps mid 20s – dancing. It was a traditional Indian dance in which, among other things, her head moved sideways on her neck. She had rings of bells around her ankles, and, well, let’s just say you had to be there.

On Monday AM we were up at 5:00 to take a 4.5 hour train ride west to Bangalore. It’s amazing how many people are up at 5:00 AM and how many are sleeping on the streets. There were easily a couple hundred people sleeping on a cold, marble (?) floor inside the train station and others sleeping in the dirt just outside.

I didn’t ask but I’m sure we were in the nicer part of the train. (It was a bit like the “L” in Chicago). We took it instead of a plane because we wanted to see some of the countryside. I got my best view when, about half way through the trip I got up to use the rest room. As I walked to the back of the car I found a man standing there smoking a cigarette with the door to the outside open. (Anyone can open it). I stood there for a while to take in the rice patties, mountains, villages, et al.

Jacob Cherian and Jobi (the school’s driver) met us at the train station in Bangalore and we made our way back to Southern Asia Bible College. Bangalore is much like Chennai – people, markets, auto-rickshaws, dogs, and the like everywhere. Though it is smaller and much cooler (it used to be called “the fanless city”). We drove through several areas of Bangalore – including a Muslim area where many women wear Burkas. We did not make it out to the IT section where Dell and others have huge call centers employing up to 5000 people in a shift, staffing those shifts 24 hours a day. (These call centers are changing India. Not only are many young Indians making more money than their parents thought possible – and well more than a professor at a seminary, even with a PhD – but there is now a real premium placed on speaking English like an American. Which means many kids spend a lot of time watching American TV (Oprah, Dr. Phil and Desperate Housewives were mentioned by name). There are a growing number of studies and novels and TV shows all exploring the new “call center culture.” In an effort to minister to this group SABC is building a gym and coffee shop and launching a program aimed at them called XLR8. HBI is considering offering a midnight service to reach those on the second shift before they go into work).

SABC is a nice campus with a handful of wonderful buildings (including a new library) on just over 20 acres of land. It is larger than I thought – close to 300 students in their residential program and that many again in a correspondence program – and growing. At present they can only accept one in four applicants.

Jacob is the Academic Dean, Vice President of the school and a professor of NT. He and his family have been back in India for five months following his PhD at Princeton. (He has yet to complete it but is very, very close). He remains a delightful and winsome person, and he and his wife, Melody (Melo) treated us to lunch. (Once again they promised that they had specially prepared the food. Which meant, no spices!

They have two children. Their daughter, Prianka, is 13 and is struggling on reintegration. Their son, Ajit, is in second grade and also misses the US, but appears to be doing better.

After lunch and a tour of campus we headed over to SAIACS, a five minute drive away. SAIACS – the South Asian Institute for Advanced Christian Studies – is as nice a campus as I’ve ever seen. It was founded and led by Graham Houghton, a New Zealander who had access to money and wanted to build something in India that would favorably compare to any institution in the world.

SAIACS is a small school with just over 100 students. It offers MA, ThM, DMiss and PhD (no MDiv). The PhD is in theology and missions, and, very soon, will also be in church history. (The PhD is granted both through SAIACS and through a local college. A new PhD program with Fuller is also in the works).

CISF has two scholars here. Dr. Atul Aghamkar is an Urban missions specialist with a focus on Hindu evangelism. The “urban” is important because India now has more people living in big cities than the US does in total. (They have 35 cities with more than 1 million and 200 approaching that). The “Hindu” is important because Hinduism is far and away the biggest religious group in the country.

Atul started as a church planter, planting five churches in the city before he felt like he needed more training. He did a PhD at Fuller under Paul Pierson in the early 90s and then returned to India where he taught at Union. (He had initially planned to return to central India, where he is initially from and which he referred to as the “Hindu Belt,” but now feels called to a training role further south). He moved to SAIACS in ’99 where he heads the missions program. He’s written several books in addition to teaching and consulting.

The second CISF scholar is Dr. Hrangkhuma, their acting principal. He graduated in ’87 as one of the very first CISF scholars we funded. I vaguely remember hearing his name but had no idea he was at SAIACS. (I certainly didn’t know he was president of the school). It’s fun to discover CISF leaders in such strategic roles!

(SAIACS recently lost – or released – their president and also their dean. No one wanted to say much about it, and it seemed indelicate to ask. But my sense is that the school has turned the corner and is moving forward).

After tea with the faculty we drove around Bangalore, making our way to Ghandi Drive and then took in some shopping. The boys and I bought nice India shirts for all of $7 USD. Ben also bought a knife, Austin and Jason bought a chess set (wow, if we are what we buy….). I also bought a pen carved out of ebony and Sheri bought a gift for a woman she works with.

After shopping we drove over to the home of David and Joy Clarence to have dinner with them and their son, Elliot. David has his PhD in OT and is teaching at SABC, but he inherited some land from his father and was able to build a nice home on it, just outside the campus. Unfortunately we were not very gracious guests. (Sheri felt ill and I could not stay awake, despite walking laps around the dinner table). One day it will be comical, but right now we just feel bad. They had fixed a delightful meal (again, no spices?) and had many questions about folks at Christ Church.

Breakfast on Tuesday was with two women on leave from their ministry to child sex workers in Calcutta. The Assemblies of God has a big operation there – 1,500 people divided between a 20,000 member church, hospital and feeding program (which serves over 25,000 people per day). I would love to get to Calcutta and see that in action. But once you see that would it make my life seem even smaller? Should it?

I spoke at Chapel – 300 students / wonderful worship (led by a young Indian named Dilip Kurian, whose sister lives in Glenview, IL and who spends 6 mos here a year). We then had tea with their faculty, where they presented us with several gifts – including a large hand-woven picture of the tree of life that was sold through an anti-dowry ministry. (In Africa men have to pay a dowry for their wives. In India women have to pay a dowry to their husbands. Those who can not often have fewer options. According to Jacob the custom goes on today, even in the church, though in a much more subtle form. The question that gets asked is, “Is the bride’s family able to help the couple get established?” And the practice has some support because inheritances are left to the sons, so this is the only time when a family would pass along money to a daughter).

Two of the faculty I met - Sujay and Rafik (sp?) – are hoping for CISF help. We then had lunch with the principal and his family (again, no spices).

We stopped in the bookstore for something to read before our six hour train ride home. (We rode here on the express but are on the milk run going back). I finished my book by Newbigen, Proper Confidence, on the way here. I picked up a book by Schaeffer on Romans, Austin bought A History of Missions in India and Ben bought a book by Ravi Zachrarias. (Good luck Ben. That will be some steep climbing for a 15 year old).

By the way, the train back from Bangalore is just that – you face forward on the way there and ride the train backwards on the way back.

Nov. 22, 2006

It’s now about 9:00 PM and we’ve just returned from dinner and a two hour car trip back from the ocean. I spoke in chapel in the AM – weaving in the May Day Medley story about Greg Maupin, who I just learned died suddenly at the age of 45 – at the end.

We left the campus shortly after I spoke and headed East to Dakshina Chitra, a “non-profit community service project of the Madras Craft Foundation for the promotion and preservation of the cultures of the diverse people of India with emphasis on Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka (the four southern states).” It was an outdoor museum showcasing the different types of housing, cooking, dress, etc of each of the regions. The highlight was watching Jason, Mahima, Tejas and Ben try to throw pots on a spinning wheel, coached by an old man who spoke no English.

From there we went to Fisherman’s Cove, a five star beachfront hotel associated with The Taj, where we had lunch and then waded in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. And then on to Venpurasham, one of the fishing villages adopted by HBI after the Tsunami. Sixty-five families lost pretty much everything when the wave hit. (It was worse further south, but here it looked like the water destroyed most of the homes – which are made of sticks – and some of the concrete structures as far as ½ mile inland).

In this village they are renting a small two-story concrete building that survived the water and using it for both a computer center – five old Dells – and a location for the kids’ Sunday School programs they hope to transition into a church. A Roman Catholic group is building 65 new concrete homes, one for each family in the village. These homes appear to be about 400 sq feet total. (I think I’m being generous on that).

They have also hired a pastor – a delightful man who rode his bike out to meet us. He had a local boy come by to chop holes in tender coconuts so we could drink the coconut water. He was a dear man working very hard to serve Christ! After a time of prayer we walked out onto the beach and looked at some of the fishing boats HBI bought for them.

On the way to Venpurasham we drove through ½ mile of small shops where masons carved statues out of rock. Some were small and for sale to tourists but many where huge (several tons) and being completed for temples.

The most popular statues appear to be the gods associated with the elephant and the multi-armed woman. The first because the Indians want to celebrate anything that is bigger and stronger than man, and the second because they want to celebrate things that gives life and milk. (I asked Varghese when he last saw an elephant. It was last May – which was actually more recent than I thought).

We also stopped at Pallava, a 1300 year old stone temple carved out of one huge rock. The price to take the walking tour was 10 Rupees for an Indian but 250 – just over $5 USD – for an American, so we stood outside and looked in. The downside was being overwhelmed by men trying to sell us carved statues.

The way home was long, winding and surreal. A two lane road lined with shops, people, busses, rick-shaws, more people – including entire families riding past on motorcycles (the women sitting sideways in the back and holding onto sleeping infants), dogs, cows (Holy cows that are undisturbed because of Hindu beliefs) and goats. But even if you can picture that you still need to add in the smell of cows and curry and the incessant horns. It was like something out of a James Bond movie.

I remain shocked at: 1) how many people walk barefoot; 2) how much stuff you can carry on a bike; 3) how beautifully the women dress.

November 22, 2006 Thanksgiving

After touring a few more of the programs at HBI this AM we had our thanksgiving meal, something called Biriyani, a chicken and egg plant curry served on banana leaves that we ate with our fingers. This is the most memorable T-day meal I’ve had in a long time, and likely the first one not to prominently feature turkey since I was old enough to have teeth.

This afternoon was low key. It included a bit of shopping at Cane and Bamboo, where I bought three pieces of art – two very Indian and very intricate water colors, one of three men on an elephant and one with one man and two women on an elephant with a camel in the foreground. The third piece is a bit larger, also a water color, this one of two of the Indian bull cows pulling a cart.

We then took in the most Western Mall, which included three floors of shops, a food court, book store, etc.

Reflections on India

Here, in no particular order, are some thoughts about this trip, written on Thanksgiving morning in India – where it will likely be about 95 degrees and no one will play football.

• I am not as bothered by the poverty as much as I am by the litter – and that bothers me! The city is full of trash. Why can’t people pick up after themselves? Varghese says that he doesn’t even see it anymore. But the poor are also everywhere. When your van stops in traffic it’s common to have kids – or women with kids – approach and either try to sell you something (Q-Tips seemed to be the item de jour) or just ask for money.
  
  
• How much of a caste system we have in the US. I doubt it should have taken coming to India to see this – and it’s not entirely a new thought – but this trip made it clearer. The caste system here (India) is not only illegal (as it was from the time of their independence from the British) it is also mostly underground. No one uses the word “untouchable” anymore (they are now the Dalits) – but I would be hard pressed to identify one if I saw them. You can not immediately tell what caste someone is from when you meet them. But, you make a few observations and make a good guess. How are they dressed? What do their teeth look like? How well do they speak? What languages do they speak? Then you ask a few questions - Where do you live (neighborhoods are often still segregated by caste)? What is your last name? Where did you go to school? – and you can make an assessment without ever asking. Much of this is the same in the US. Also, most people here say they do not believe in the caste system, but they show less patience to someone who is lower caste than they are and they do not want their children to marry beneath them. Just like in the US.
  
  
• Hinduism is unlikely to play outside India. Os Guiness made this observation (or at least I first heard it from him) but nothing I’ve seen here would suggest otherwise. I am surprised at how cheap idols are. How often they are plastic and gaudy and rather pathetic. Man is clearly religious. We will worship something. In India it’s Hinduism with capitalism gaining ground.
  
  
• I am struck – as I always am when I travel outside of the US – at the presence of the US. 1) Much of the news is about the US. There has been a lot of ink in The Hindu about US and India relations. I could be wrong – this may be big news this week in US papers this week – but I doubt it. 2) How many of the books people own – both Christian and business – are from American authors. 3) How dominant our movies are (which also suggests how big our celebrities are).
  
  
• Most of what I have in the West – much of what makes me an American – I think I could give up. The one exception is personal space. (OK, air conditioning would also be hard). There is little space here. We have a bit of it inside the compound, but even then not as much as at home. But, so many of the creature comforts we have seem a bit shallow once you get away from them and see how little you actually need to get by. What is it that our money buys us? Entertainment, great medical care, the freedom from worry about where tomorrow’s meal will come from and creature comforts. Would I be willing to give those up for the cause of Christ? Paul was. He stated that he had learned how to be content in any and every situation, and that when he assessed what he had given up in order to follow Christ he considered it all rubbish.
  
  
• There are real advantages to the type of community HBI offers. (This seems a bit of a contrast to the last bullet point, but it’s not entirely so. I think it was Nouwen who wrote about the disciplines of solitude and the disciplines of community. You need both. Wanting more space doesn’t negate enjoying the community). Everyone here – students, faculty, staff, et al – lives on campus in very simple homes. They share a number of meals together. At SAIACS everyone (from the President down to the work crew) eats one meal together every day. (A practice they adopted to break down the caste system). BTW, I asked Varghese if loneliness was a problem in India. “Only among the rich,” he said.
  
  
• I could get used to having a few servants around. (Yes, yes, this is also hypocritical given the last bullet point. I’m just being honest). Our driver makes about $50 per month. There is a cook who probably makes the same. Even the Thomases – where Varghese makes about $250 per month – have a bit of hired help so that Suja is freed up to spend more time ministering to others.
  
  
• Globalization creates tribalism. There is clearly a growing westernization of India’s culture: you see it a bit in the fashions of the elite, who watch American TV (Oprah, Dr. Phil and Desperate Housewives are the shows I’ve heard mentioned), and whose kids hang out at malls (and now face a growing problem with obesity). But, at the same time India is doing away with the British names of its cities and roads and moving back to the original Indian names: Bombay becomes Mumbai, Madras becomes Chennai, Bangalore becomes Bangaloru. You also see a growing fundamentalism within Islam and Hinduism. In the midst of rampant change people seek stability, even if it’s an ugly stability.
  
  
• When God scrambled the languages (Tower of Babel) in Genesis 11 He accomplished his intended purpose of limiting the cooperation of men.
  
  
• I mentioned earlier that the ads are everywhere. And they are. What is unique about them is that – with the exception of the resort we were at yesterday and the mall today – they are not sensual at all. Nothing like what has become standard fair in the West.
  
  
• For all the people I saw here, the only hint I picked up that they would want to curb their population was two words on the back of one rickshaw. It said, “One Child.” Apparently, this is a government program. But unlike China it’s not a policy just a suggestion. I saw little to suggest many were buying into it.
  
  
• Finally, for some reason – perhaps it was how shallow Hinduism appeared to me, perhaps it was the vision of Bobby Gupta and all that HBI is doing, perhaps it’s Greg Maupin’s sudden and untimely death at 45 (and Craig Gattly’s at 47) but I feel a sense of urgency about getting the word out. We must be more bold than we are. We are not promised tomorrow and there are lots and lots of people in this world we need to hear about Christ.

Friday, November 24, 2006

After a hard goodbye we’ve begun the long trip home. Austin and Ben both had knives that didn’t make it past security in Chennai. Ben’s hair set off the wand in security coming into Frankfurt. I teased him about it, and he quipped – “Hey, at least I’ve got hair.” Touché.