India. One third the land mass of the U.S. And four times the population. Horse-drawn carts, cattle-drawn carts, camel and elephant-drawn carts, bicycle taxis and bicycle haulers, and Mercedes trucks share the road to the sound track of shifting gears and honking horns. (I never actually saw the elephants, but one of our traveling companions said he did, having spent time in India before.) Brilliant color, spicy-sweet smells. India, once the crown jewel of the English Empire that also marked the beginning of the end of that Empire, gave us Gandhi and his map for non-violent resistance that became Martin Luther King, Jr.’s playbook and in turn brought us Civil Rights.
India. A pioneer in 20th century Christian unity in much the same way Disciples led out in early 19th century America with our own peculiar brand. Disciples and United Church of Christ leaders are here to meet global partners in mission. Partners in Christian unity. Partners in sharing the love of God. We’ll meet friends and colleagues of the Church of North India and the Church of South India, both the results of 20th century church mergers. Disciples were actively part of the northern union; our Global Ministry twins, the UCC, a part of both.
The prayerbook in our Delhi hotel room (written for people “trapped” in the English language, the introduction explains) says that people long to know God and to experience God’s love through human kindness.
Disciples and UCC have tried share the experience of God’s love through the kindness of medical and educational missions. Much of our history here centers around hospitals. We will visit hospitals as well as schools and churches.
I have long been encouraged by a story from our mission partners in India – as I remember it told by our then Middle East executive,Telfer Mook (with apologies for how my memory may have shifted a detail or two in 30 years of retelling). It seems that our overseas staff, Dr’s Raj and Maybell Arole, had gained the attention of people beyond the church for their work in public health. Their ground-breaking program, teaching illiterate village women to be public health workers, taking the basic information to villages far and wide, was beginning to make a huge difference in the lives of people across an amazingly large stretch of the countryside. The Dr’s Arole were nominated to receive a national Indian humanitarian prize. At the awards ceremony, the emcee introduced Dr Raj Arole with the question: “Dr. Arole – you could practice medicine anyplace in the world – at any prestigious, medical center. Why is it that you spend your life in the poor villages of India?”
Dr. Arole replied (there in India where Christians are a minority,) “I serve God who came to earth to live and work and serve among the poor.
How can I do anything less?” Dr. Arole’s whole life was a witness of works. But he took that moment to turn works into powerful, courageous, witnessing words.
India. The Christians of India bring such gifts to the table. I’m excited to learn the new stories of how God is at work through faithful servants here and through our partnerships.
