In recapping the last six weeks of life in
India I realized how very much God desires us to love one another, not
just the unlovable but everyone we encounter daily. I should already be
doing that, right?
Landing in Mumbai in the middle of the night after a 24 hour
day of flying, I was assaulted instantly with the total confusion and
mass of people as we walked out to wait on our ground transportation to
the city of Pune, India and our home for the next five weeks.
A man held up a sign with our name and flight number on it but
it took an hour of haggling over price and contact information to find
out if he really knew where we were to go. Turned out he didn’t but he
did get us there and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride had nothing on what we
experienced.
The
uphill drive for four hours coupled with the constant honking, passing
on both sides of the vehicle ahead of us that we had just tailgated,
the loud Indian music blaring and the smells of exhaust mixed with the
heat from the open windows and pollution was enough to make a girl
swoon! I prayed for super sized angels to cover the too small vehicle
we were in and closed my eyes knowing God did not bring us that far to
die in the middle of the night.
I didn’t know there were so many people who just like to hang
on the streets at night. Bunches of men, gathered around little fires
built on the side of the street seemed to be everywhere as well as the
endless barrage of rickshaws, scooters and dogs. It’s 2:00 AM in the
morning! Where’s the party? These guys make L.A. look sane.
Safely arrived at the Nav Sadhana in Pune and squared
away, we were ready for the early morning welcome. There we met the
personalities behind the sixteen nationalities we would be living with
for the next few weeks.
There is nothing quite as comforting or refreshing as worshipping with
old YWAM buddies. You may not know them personally – yet, but the
common thread runs deep and straight to the heart. One mind and one
purpose unite as we come together from our different worlds to center
on one thing: Knowing the Fatherheart of God and sharing that with
others.
Here in these settings, purity and simplicity rule. No amount
of glitzy music can accomplish what plain, unadulterated worship and
spontaneous prayer can do when everyone is there for the same purpose.
The kids were ready to explore our very safe surroundings and
we were grateful for the compound feel to the facility. One of the
great things about YWAM has always been the family. Ten kids rounded
out our group, so we were never lacking for reality checks. Our mix
included another full family like ours, singles of all ages, some
couples, priests and teachers coming in and out and even grandparents.
It doesn’t take long to get cozy with a mix of YWAMers.
From the start we were there to learn and school it was. We
were able to ask questions and get plenty of feedback from teachers and
students alike. The depth and range of teaching was excellent as we
learned to minister to different cultures and be sensitive as well as
to contextualize the gospel. As Protestants and Catholics working
together, we should be about learning
to grow into unity as we grow into Jesus.
As different nationalities expressed preconceived ideas of
others who were not like them, we began to minister to one another,
pray together and seek forgiveness for differences – real or perceived,
that might separate us from all that God would call us to be. There
were no denominational lines there. We were brothers and sisters in the
Lord who were thirsty for more of God. It is good to be with those who
are as thirsty as you are. Thirsty and hungry people want relationship
with each other and Jesus.
We learned how very reverent many of the Hindus and Muslims
are. They have prayer rooms in their homes. These sweet and gentle
people put many Christians to shame with their reverence and devoted
prayer time. They are looking for God. They need a savior, and so do a
lot of our friends. Is what we do and live making them thirsty? That is
a good question to ask ourselves anytime we have unsaved loved ones or
neighbors. If we aren’t making them thirsty, then we are not letting
Jesus really use us. I don’t think that I am salt and light to enough
people, are you?
Bishop Valerian D’Souza of the Diocese of Poona, shared
with us that ecumenism based on love and prayer between believers
should be happening now. The division among Christians is seen as
confusion to the unbeliever. They will know we are Christians by our
love but not if we don’t have any! Christians have fallen prey to the
enemy’s lies and chosen to divide themselves instead of love one
another. Pope Paul VI states in his encyclical Announcing the Good
News (
http://tinyurl.com/aw3q) that true evangelization must spring from true holiness and the Christian must be evangelized before they can evangelize.
Our times on the streets showed us people in every situation of
life, much more intensified and out in the open because of the millions
that were there living an urban life. It is so easy, even in five weeks
to become numb and lack compassion on the masses but Jesus looked on
them as sheep without a shepherd. Everyone needs a savior. We cannot
save ourselves. How easy we forget those simple words!
If the normal Christian life is defined by scripture, then
most people are satisfied being sub-normal Christians. Personally, I
like to put Jesus in a safe and acceptable box that everyone can relate
to. Who wants to be the weirdo that does everything different from
other Christians around them?
Our encounters on the testing ground of Poona, reminded us that
Christianity comes with a price for many. A Hindu convert shared her
conversion experience with us. Jesus came to her in a dream. She
finally saw the same picture of the Jesus of her dream in a church. She
began to find out who Jesus was. She was willing to make the supreme
sacrifice for a single, Indian, Hindu girl from a good family to make,
she was willing to give up her family if she must. She went through
many trials and beatings by them but eventually they relinquished and
she was baptized. She had to go before the city magistrate and register
as a Christian. Her signature had to be notarized by a witness as well
as a statement from her that she was not forced to become a Christian
against her will.
