The contrast is stark; people striving to live life versus those who think they have very few serious concerns in their lives. One individual’s mandate to wear clothes covering the essentials versus another’s choice in just how to flaunt the latest in Parisian fashions. The blatant statement made by new cars quietly picking their way through the chaos and turmoil with the backdrop of broken down yet still moving rickshaws and rusty old bicycles with patch thumbing tires.
India is, in everyway, a land of contrast and alternatives. For most, the choice comes well before they are born. For a select few, the act of tossing the decision blissfully in the bin occurs without a thought. It is easy to believe that the alternatives are there and that the participants pay little attention to the eternal outcome, but I actually believe that the opposite of this is far more the case.
People in India think about the future, but “what to do?” What are the real alternatives? Do we understand the various views of God and what they mean in our own life? Can we fathom just how clearly our decisions spell out our true priorities and values?
Many believe that all Gods are equal. I can clearly see alternatives. I know this God…on the other hand, “there’s this other woman, Madame Whore – brazen, empty-headed, frivolous.” (Proverbs 9.13)
Ironically, as clearly as I can see this in my own life, I more often chose the brazen, empty-headed and frivolous versus the loving, accepting, and giving.
When you stop and really listen to conversations between those on the street, looking for the dilemmas, puzzles, and desires, you find an echo of yourself. As I listen to serious, open-heart descriptions of the pursuits to know and see God, I find myself sitting in the midst of a fog of words, experiences, and harsh reality of where people live and work.
We have alternatives. God offers to each a home of peace, acceptance, and love. The question is, do I want it? If I do, what does it mean?
