rippling reflections

Warming God, as the fruit and grain ripen 

in your sunshine and showers,

so may I grow in love and compassion.

Ripen my sense of justice for all people, 

especially the poor.

Deepen my gratitude for friends and family

who teach me to delight in each day.

Fill me with the joy of being fully awake

to your miracles all around me and within me.  Amen.

- from Openings, by Larry James Peacock

I have been back in the United States for nearly a week now since leaving Delhi.  It was a pretty flawless flight back, including plane food, 3.5 movies (though I didn't follow through with my plan to watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy), and a nice, wide open seat next to me (I'm three for four of open seats on overseas planes - quite a record I think).  After a few days of sleeping either way too much or not enough, I'm evening out into a new schedule - one cannot call it regular, as my 'regular' life of being a graduate student ended shortly before my trip.  But rather I'm in a transition phase now as I unwind after two years of graduate school and my recent trip, and enjoy the relaxed schedule of, well, relaxation, time with my parents and kitty, TV, and just a slower pace.  It's nice.

It's important to come to conclusions from such a cross-cultural experience as I've had this summer.  I feel I've had more observations than conclusions, ones that can transfer into my life now as I research and pay more attention to issues in India relevant to me, my context, and perhaps more importantly, the body of brothers and sisters in Christ I have over there.  Now, though, I will express my conclusions.

You may have heard, and it's true.  There is a lot of trash in India.  I shouldn't say it's dirty, as I often see women on the streets, early in the morning or late in the evening, sweeping their stoops and streets. But there is a general mindset, or lackthereof I suppose, of disposing of trash properly.  I would burn a little inside for the apparent disregard whenever I would see someone simply throw a wrapper on the ground.  Perhaps this has to do with the larger lack of infrastructure for dealing with waste, but with such a large, dense population, as in Delhi, the shedding waste to the curb, wrapper by wrapper, quickly adds up to a mound tempting enough for, example, a dog to urinate in.  It was amongst such a level of rubbish that a friend wisely reminded me that while we may be repulsed among such disgusting smells and seeming disorder on a larger societal level, God is still there - He doesn't react to the sights and smells as our human senses do, but rather can look and love beyond this - just as He can and does with our 'American' (or female, or personal, or socio-economical, etc.) problems that others may react against as 'disgusting.'

Not only is God still there amidst societal and industrially-scaled problems I encountered, He was there before these problems, and He will endure past them.  There is nothing - nothing - worth hoping in more than the salvation of the LORD.  His mercy, His forgiveness, salvation, and, importantly, restoration.  These problems are so much larger than I am, more than I can understand the root, functioning, or solution, but the Lord is so very much larger than this.  It emphasizes the importance of being part of His story, in order to play the appropriate and privileged part of restoring His glory amongst such filth, sin, and darkness - whether in the U.S., India, Africa, Europe, or anywhere.  

view of Old Delhi

I'm humbled to write of the goodness that will prevail, as my body and spirit is not the one unjustly forced into sex trafficking or slave labor, yet some beloved brothers and sisters in Christ are - these are the battles, the people worth fighting for.  One of EMI's wise staff members who is interested in the battle against sex trafficking and in fact was able to visit an agency and recount the stories and experiences, told me that, amongst all of the work being done to help these victims, we can at least pray that they know they are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).  Indeed, we are reminded in the Psalms that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), so much so that Christ has died on our behalf, on their behalf (Philippians 2:5-12, Ephesians 2:8-10).  

She also pointed out that we need pragmatic solutions to the world's problems.  We do.  We need sewage treatment, medicine, rules, regulations and a court system to promote justice, schooling to ensure literacy, and design to allow livable, healthy spaces.  We are an interwoven society with limits and opportunities, talents and shortcomings.  We need individuals, professionals who can care for these different sectors, so we can indeed be a society - one that is healthy enough to allow for activities of the spirit - art, singing, poetry, recreation, reflection.  These are all such beautiful things that it pains me to think some are without the opportunity to experience the artistic and meaningful exercises of culture and individuality.

And yet, all of these things are meaningless without the love of Christ.  Utterly meaningless (I Corinthians 13).  What good is it to 'free' a woman from prostitution without the hope of a loving community, a solid rock on which to place her trust, and a source of cleanliness and purity beyond our understanding?  I find this issue at odds with what I've learned of the current socio-economic situation in India, specifically Delhi.  There are many poor, very poor people around.  One Delhi-native individual pointed out the tragedy of lack of social security for the poorest of the population - he wasn't certain they would receive emergency medical treatment if it were necessary, for example.  These people needed to live day-to-day, trying simply to survive.  When I would ask multiple people about this situation, the common response was contradictory, that the poor accepted their lot in life, with hopes that their suffering now would guarantee a better fortune in the next life. And yet, when I asked if they would take a better opportunity if it came along in this life, the thought was yes, yes they probably would.  Perhaps not enough receive that chance that it'd be easy to predict as an outsider.

This preceding conclusion brings many other issues to light concerning society, pragmatic ministry, and evangelism, but through this experience I have learned that I am thankful for my education and opportunities, and need to cling even moreso onto the hope I have in Christ - His promise to stay with me, His forgiveness, His mercy, His patience with my shortcomings and stubbornness in life, and His hope of doing "immeasurable more than we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21)."  Not only does this connect me most intimately with the One who has and will love me most, but also to the brothers and sisters in Christ I've met in India, to those whom I have always had a stronghold in my life, and to those I will meet in the future.  There is a strong connection in this that provides much encouragement to me, that the Lord is working in those so different to me other than the one thing that matters most - centering their lives and purposes on Christ.

I've experienced many blessings on my trip to India, mostly through relationships, individuals' testimonies, spiritual lessons and edification, as well as challenges, such as my own shortcomings and need for grace, and the satisfying of which is through Christ, as well as the endurance needed to live against the forces of darkness in the world.  I see the end of my geographic positioning in India as a certain end, but also another link in spurring me on to seeking to learn more about the politics and history of the country's current state, as well as my own prioritization and goals as I will, Lord willing, soon start a new chapter in life as a young professional architect.

If you have any responses, resources, or similar experiences to share, please do!

Defend the cause of the fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.  Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Psalm 82:3-4

amongst beautiful mountains and hills in the lush Manali, north of Delhi

many people awaiting the Dalai Lama one early afternoon in Leh, Ladakh, northern India.