In India we are the minority. So whenever people see us their faces change as if it’s so strange for us to be in their country, but some become excited. Granted we are in a village in the depths of India so that makes complete sense to me. But before we got to the village we’re in we were told that Indians like to take selfies. Yesterday we went for a run as a team and we got to a certain point to stop and wait for each other and a crowd began to form. Many of them children and some even had cell phones (which is rare here). They began to ask to take selfies and to ask where we are from. We don’t ever try to attract crowds, but somehow it just happens. Everywhere we go we are a spectacle and we definitely stand out. We also are treated so well and every home we have entered we have been given chai or Thumbs up(India’s version of Pepsi) or even snacks. The people will get chairs out specifically for us to sit in while they sit on the floor.
Why do they think we are so special? Do they know that the Lord called us here to serve them?
Kim, my teammate said, ” I want to be seen as a missionary not a celebrity.” We aren’t here to take selfies with people, but we are here to spread the truth of the Gospel. We are here to be light in the darkness. We are here to pray over this nation and it’s beautiful people so that they would know how great our God is, so one day we can see each of them again in heaven.
As I was taking my bucket shower this morning I began to think that Jesus experienced this whole crowd thing too. I began to think He must have gotten irritated with all of the attention brought towards him. However, I don’t think he got irritated with the crowds, but I know he got irritated with their lack of faith in him.
He was a spectacle. A celebrity of sorts. He was constantly surrounded by people and at one point He took his disciples and got in a boat and went to the middle of the water and preached so everyone could hear him. In Matthew 9:36-38 it says, “When he saw the crowds he felt compassion for them, because hey were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd. Then she said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant but the workers are few. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.'” In American culture we take pride in having people follow us and want to take selfies with us, but Jesus was so humble and used the situation the spread the Fathers love.
He stood out because of the stories of all of the miracles he performed. Many people followed him because of the reputation he had of loving and healing others. Jesus acknowledged the crowds but he also took time to himself to withdraw and pray. “Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” ??Luke? ?5:15-16? ?NIV??
How could you not love Him? So humble, so gracious.
