I woke up a few days ago craving Mountain Dew, which is strange because I haven’t had a carbonated beverage since 2002. But when offered the choice between a cold Dew after drinking warm water in the 110 degree sun of Dehli, I wasn’t about to refuse. Back in the day I had an addiction, I would drink 200-300 oz. of the yellow stuff. I gave it up one summer and lost 15 pounds.
It is impossible to boil down the visceral experience that is India, but I will say this:
- India is dirty. The streets are covered in trash. Everywhere you look are poor, dirty street children. Water buffalo, and a renewal energy source-their patties-cover the muddy streets. There is little to infrastructure to provide clean running water, constant electricity or dispose trash.
- India is poor. In America, I am poor. This means I have five pairs of shoes (mostly worn out), a few jeans (some of them are “holy”), drive an old car, and seldom eat out (weekly trip to Red Robin.) Being poor here means you are homeless, you eat rice a few times a day if you are lucky, and bathing is a luxury.
- India is a musical. The constant polyrhythmic dance beat of Bollywood movies and music videos, the singing of Christian children, the Imam’s at the mosques and morning prayers to Krishna, Vishnu and Shiva constantly fill the air with music. It is not strange to see adults break in to broad, full body dance movements in public places.
- Many Indians are very, very lost. When Dr. Monte Cox, in his Living World Religion’s class at Harding University taught us about the Hindu caste system, he closed by describing the way in which religious classism forced people in to abject poverty. He said that this alone was all the reason he needed to believe that different religions ARE NOT the same. Jesus loves the little children. Although there are good ideas in all faiths, none have the power to save and heal people and nations the way that Jesus does.
In America, I have many bad habits, like my Mountain Dew addiction. India shows me how great my blessings are, and how trivial some of my pains are. Most of all it reminds me of the blessings I have in Jesus Christ.
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