This place is tormented (great way
to start a blog, right?). It stinks. Sure, you smell curry and garlic and all
the other spices used in the ordinary Indian dish. But that’s not the stink I’m
talking about. I speak of the stench of death- not that we walk down the street
and see dead bodies along the street (at least I don’t think they’re dead…).
There just seems to be something that sneaks around, stealing the life from the
place, from the people here in Kolkotta. We’ve met some nice folks, don’t get me
wrong, and there are a number of people in the area trying desperately to give
a helping hand to the destitute (Missionaries of Charity for example). I’m not
sure I can even put my finger on it, especially in writing. There’s noise all
around- car horns, bicycle bells, shouts, vendors, muslim call-to-worship- The
place bustles with movement. But it doesn’t seem to have any true LIFE…
Last week
we experienced a national Hindu holiday named (ironically?) “Holi Day” (Happy
Holi!). This is a holiday rooted in some wild stuff. There are stories of a
great demon king being jealous of his son, asking a demoness to carry his son
into a fire, but then things don’t work out and the demoness burns up while the
son escapes unharmed. Another story, giving way to the act throwing paint at
each other, is the telling of a demon who enjoyed playing tricks on people and
threw paint at them. This holiday is deeply rooted in Hinduism. Though the
mythology and stories could be considered poetic and beautiful, there are
millions of people (mostly in India)
who are devoting their lives to these stories consisting of (literally)
millions of gods and demons. And there is no real relationship between the gods
and the one worshipping them. If one says the right prayers, offers the right
sacrifices, performs the right ceremonies and rituals, its possible this or
that god will have some mercy on you and allow you to have a somewhat “better”
life when you die and are reincarnated. There’s no love. There is not One True
God, who created life, who loves unconditionally and eternally. There is no
relationship or intimacy. It’s just performance and empty hope. There is no
Jesus Christ, no saving grace. There is no life.
Someone
told me recently there is a tree somewhere in Kolkotta that parents bring their
sick children to, or mentally handicapped people come to be healed of their
sickness. For the mentally ill, one is to place a large nail into the tree and,
using your forehead, bang the nail as far into the tree as possible. After a
while that person passes out, knocked unconscious by the incessant blows to the
head. When the person awakes from their “sleep” they are supposedly healed of
their mental illness… Is there love? Is there life? Is this beautiful poetry? I
see nothing of the sort… And I weep.
If there is no life, then there is,
consequently, death. Death looks like poverty, without justice for the poor.
Death looks like caste systems based on religious practices, and the neglect of
sick, hungry, homeless by the healthy, rich, and wealthy. It looks like charity
not only being abused by the organizations themselves being poorly run by
selfish and corrupt people, but even perverted by the very people (sick,
hungry, homeless, etc.) that need help.
We hear
that there is a “homeless underground” organized in this area of town, known
for the many tourists and volunteers that frequent it. The poor know these
people want to help the poor, so they capitalize on it. They borrow children
from other sick women, walking around the street asking people for food or
milk. You go and buy powdered milk for the woman, but once you leave she sells
that milk back and gets the money herself. You guy cookies or biscuits for the
children and they take it ‘round the corner and sell it to a vendor. This is
not the fault of the poor.
As I said
before, these people are serving gods who could not give (forgive my American) two
*craps* for their followers. And though we, as Christians, know those spirits
do not have power over us because of the Holy Spirit, these people have allowed
Satan to manifest these spirits so that they may wreak havoc on the foolish
followers. This is not an empty rant by an immature Christian boy who has only
seen things on National Geographic or learned about “the scourge” of other
religions in Sunday School. I have seen the work of these wicked spirits in the
people of Philippines,
China, Africa,
and especially here in Kolkotta. I have experienced the schemes of them in my
own life, in my own physical and mental health. Folks, there’s a lot more to
our surroundings than just culture and fancy lights. There’s so much more in
your own lives than just T.V. and your job. There are things in this world that
affect you in big ways everyday that you’re not even aware of. I want to
challenge you to seek life and do not let death creep in and make you stagnant.
Bring life to the world around you. And here is the basis to that life, the
root of the Tree of Life (Lord, give me boldness):
Life is
only given through Jesus Christ. He says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the
LIFE. No comes to the Father except through Me.” So get off your couches, walk
away from your desks, and seek Life. Seek the heart and teachings of Jesus
Christ. Maybe He will teach you that in order to get life, and to keep LIVING
that Life, you must get rid of your T.V., or that you must change jobs, or you
must travel the world, or you must sit in your yard for three hours a day.
Don’t get
me wrong. I’m not saying you must do these things to receive the Life of Jesus Christ. But in order to truly Live in that Life, Christ may call you
to some crazy things. But there’s too much death in this place, too much death
in this world. Let’s start bringing life into the places we live and inhabit. I
want to see Life overcome death. I want to see Christ glorified and Life
fulfilled. You have life in you. Take it into the world and live it, showing
others the Life of Jesus Christ.
Thanks for
reading.
