Everywhere you look in Bangalore something is happening. Buildings are growing on all sides, traffic is chaos out of control, and everyone is on the buzz. The familiar things from my childhood are beggars and trash; and even they seem more frantic!
When you stop to watch, there is something different from before. People are pursuing something. One may wonder aloud if it is materialism, status, power, and a sense of accomplishment or something unknown; however, the sense of moving towards a goal is palatable. Bookstores are full of the latest business wisdom, almost as a reflection a new religion. Buildings reflect modern designs, causing a mind shift to almost any global city if one shuts out the noise, dust, and smells.
As you talk with anyone, you find a renewed sense of enthusiasm and hope. America has moved from the enemy to the admired, from the but of all bad jokes to the older brother one wants to imitate, and from being a co-source (along with Britain) of all that is evil to the provider of new opportunities. Something has changed.
The irony with all the progress is that I find more than there is a lack of soul. People pursue the immediate. People focus on the next series of steps. Individual success takes place at the cost of compassion, community, and accountability. The world I live in is too similar, familiar, and depressing to India.
Where is the passion for others? Where is the concern for the welfare of all that are in the community? Is there anything going on?
There are amazing examples of people who are taking action; a headmaster, a retired business executive, and a security guard who is always smiling. They cannot solve everything but they can care about those they touch. While life appears overwhelming, they respond to the opportunity present in moment.
I leave wondering; “so how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?” (Proverbs 6.9) I know that I cannot solve everything, but today I can make a difference to at least one person.
