Bhandipur is a little village on top of a hill ridge facing the Himalayan mountains. A four hour bus ride and 30 min jeep drive (by this I mean standing on a tail gate holding on for dear life while the wind splashes your face with reminders you’re alive) away from Kathmandu, this quaint little village remains relatively untouched and unaffected by the tourist culture so rampant in Kathmandu. Here Brooke and I were able to retreat for a day and night away.
The beauty of this little paradise, “where the jungle meets the Himalayas”, is remarkable. Here is the antithesis of the smog filled and noise polluted capital city. Our room boasted a view over the entire valley facing the snow capped mountains.
That evening we climbed up a mountain to a local Buddhist shrine to watch the sunset. While sitting atop the mountain we used our time singing praise and Christmas songs. We were both mesmerized by the beauty before our eyes and by the words of Psalm 95, “He melts the mountains like wax”. Hard to believe when what is in front of you towers 8000+ kilometers. Other passages like “God above all gods” likewise take on new meaning when you are sitting aside a now replaced shrine to another.
The next morning we awoke before sunrise and bundled ourselves out on our patio to watch the mountains change color across a sea of clouds covering the valley. We have indulged in time of contemplation and prayer over who He is and who He has made us to be.
And then … CRASH! and SWISH! in the trees nearby. Our eager eyes soon found that the cause were 3 jumping monkeys, perhaps also out to get a good view of their valley so early in the morning. Brooke spent at least 30 minutes silently willing them back into view. They eventually left and on a whim, Brooke decided to go out the front door for a “just in case they went this way” peak. What met her there brought her running back to get me. Just outside our room, amid tall and thin pine trees, was a true MYRIAD of monkeys (30 or more?) … playing, swinging, chattering to one another … and eventually getting away from us as fast as possible. All ages, looked like a family group. They mesmerized us as their only audience for the rest of the early morning. It was … “totally wicked!” (Incredibles).
We then took a hike from the village down – a steep, nearly vertical down - to the town where we picked up the jeep the day before. The hike took a few hours and led us through all kinds of green plants and trees. Again, stunningly beautiful and spiritually contemplative:
Most of the contemplation has centered on the bold nature by which Christianity has claimed itself as the only path to God. This stands in stark contrast to the many religions that share a “many paths lead to the same place” view. Thus leaving itself in the position of either being totally true or totally false. We have both been reading Ravi Zacharias’ book “Jesus Among Other Gods”. So far, much food for thought.
A second line of thought has focused on the concept of m-work. I think we both have a new conviction about it within our own culture, as well as the importance of strengthening home grown m-work abroad. No one understands a culture better than one born in it. Granted the message of Truth transcends culture but who better to share that message than your family? (family: a concept somewhat lost in the West. This includes but is not limited to brother, sister, cousin, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, neighbor, friend, stranger in need, etc., but I digress.)
After scrambling down the jungle-mountain and contemplating He who made it all, we hailed a bus to Kathmandu and begin the trek back. My spiritually calm world shattered with the blaring bus stereo of the same repeating bad songs for the next few hours. We then got stuck in a traffic jam on the mountain road. Next was the return to the choking smog filling our lungs and permeating our clothes. Finally we drove past 2 motorcyclists lying on the pavement. It was a fresh accident – likely fatal. One of them was probably 18.
Life is loud, it traps you from where you want to go, it clogs your senses, it abruptly ends. But we who know the truth know that our home is on the mountain. It SHOULD shock us to leave our home and make way for the city in the valley. We are called to live there for a time, but to remember from whence we came. Perhaps more shocking is when the city feels as comfortable to us as our own bedroom.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Indigenous-ness
Pretty sure that's not a proper word, but it nonetheless encapsulates a new realization for me. I am reading Steve Saint’s book “The Great Omission”, which presents a challenging and honest re-evaluation of m-work. My response and thoughts are still in progress, but I can say this much – I have never before recognized myself as an indigenous person. Never before pondered that as one who is indigenous to North America, I am thereby the most natural to reach my fellow North Americans. The Father already has my “yes” to anywhere He wants me to be, even with my wider-open eyes of how hard it would be in certain places, so this is not a cop-out that would allow me to stay in my cozy home in America. It’s truly a brand-new thought for me – I am uniquely equipped to reach someone across a Starbucks table … I’d just never seen it that way before.
What follows is nothing more and nothing less than a stream of consciousness that my reading and experiences have recently generated (by the way, I haven’t finished Steve’s book, but do recommend it).
Somehow, our faith has become seen as a “western” religion. But in fact we are among those who were once un-reached and now are, are we not? I wonder if forgetting this has not allowed for a bit of arrogance (did the chicken or the egg come first?) in how the American Ch approaches “reaching the un-reached”. How is “un-reached” even determined? I don’t know the answer to this. Does it mean we have no recorded proof that the Good News was delivered to that region? People? Isn’t even that a bit arrogant to think that if we don’t know whether they’ve ever been reached, then for sure it means they have not? He said His Word WILL be taught to all nations. What is a nation? And does He mean all at the same time period in history? And what about the knowledge that so many will hear and yet reject? Are the places and people I now consider un-reached actually people who have heard and already rejected? For those who truly never have heard the Good News, how best can that be delivered? Is it through the models I’ve been accustomed to? And as a result of Paul’s journeys to the Gentiles (is that not what the American Ch ultimately is?), what advice would he now offer us if he were to pen the book of “Americans”? I expect I will step on a lot of toes with these ramblings, but mine are getting the first bruises. The Father’s heart for the lost is unquestionable, and as His child, there is no question of IF, but HOW to then seek ways to bring His Truth and Relationship to this world. So chime in …
What follows is nothing more and nothing less than a stream of consciousness that my reading and experiences have recently generated (by the way, I haven’t finished Steve’s book, but do recommend it).
Somehow, our faith has become seen as a “western” religion. But in fact we are among those who were once un-reached and now are, are we not? I wonder if forgetting this has not allowed for a bit of arrogance (did the chicken or the egg come first?) in how the American Ch approaches “reaching the un-reached”. How is “un-reached” even determined? I don’t know the answer to this. Does it mean we have no recorded proof that the Good News was delivered to that region? People? Isn’t even that a bit arrogant to think that if we don’t know whether they’ve ever been reached, then for sure it means they have not? He said His Word WILL be taught to all nations. What is a nation? And does He mean all at the same time period in history? And what about the knowledge that so many will hear and yet reject? Are the places and people I now consider un-reached actually people who have heard and already rejected? For those who truly never have heard the Good News, how best can that be delivered? Is it through the models I’ve been accustomed to? And as a result of Paul’s journeys to the Gentiles (is that not what the American Ch ultimately is?), what advice would he now offer us if he were to pen the book of “Americans”? I expect I will step on a lot of toes with these ramblings, but mine are getting the first bruises. The Father’s heart for the lost is unquestionable, and as His child, there is no question of IF, but HOW to then seek ways to bring His Truth and Relationship to this world. So chime in …
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Oh wow
Flew into Kathmandu, Nepal, today. The Himalayas spread out before us in full glory and sharp clarity - something Bea says she's never seen from the plane because the air is usually clouded by pollution. By the time we exited the airport, the setting sun was turning the peaks pink and all I could think was "Oh wow."
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Plans & Steps
“A man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9.
Sovereignty. Freedom. Responsibility. Choice. Will. Desire. How does He lead? Is it through one, another, or all of the above? This year we’ve really been learning that He is either sovereign in everything, or sovereign in nothing. The very term ‘sovereign’ does not leave room for any other option. Yet we decide what time to get up each morning, what activities to invest our time into, and what attitude to bring to it all.
For us this week, we faced a few curveballs in our plans. First, we hit many roadblocks in making our way to Nepal – the frustration turned into comedy as we hit dead end after dead end and finally stopped, wondering if Someone was trying to get our attention and send our steps another direction. Well, it turns out that we ARE still going to Nepal, just a few days later than planned, which “just so happens” to have allowed us to physically rest, take care of visas at embassies here in Delhi, and actually get tickets at a cheaper rate than we first were trying in vain to plan. Second, when we got our visa to China this morning, we discovered it will only be valid for 3 months, not the 6 we had applied for. So, we called our friends in China and it “just so happens” that it is actually far better for them to have us come in that window of time instead of when we were trying to coordinate it.
Are these matters of the Father’s “will”? Would we have been “out of His will” if we had pushed through and forced a way to Nepal earlier, or if we had re-applied for another visa when it fit our time schedule? Not according to His Word. But still time and time again we can all attest to making plans and then having our steps “diverted”, often in ways we can identify as being for good. Tonight Heather Malakar gave a study on understanding what the Word says about the Father’s will in situations where it’s not a matter of moral/immoral … a lesson in the freedom we have to make decisions and choices based on the wisdom He provides and resting in the security of His sovereignty. A worldview that is based on the Word will recognize that the Father’s ultimate will reaches far beyond what physical steps we take (i.e., His eternal plan), and yet He is not far removed from our daily lives. He has not abandoned our physical steps and choices – while often it is not a matter of “right” or “wrong”, nonetheless His hand can often be seen through interruptions or derailments of our plans. This is not an excuse to live as though we’re not responsible for our choices, because clearly scripture teaches we are. But it is a gift in this world where changes can be frustrating, tiring, even disillusioning, to recognize we serve a Father who is detail-oriented.
"God's sovereignty and man’s responsibility are asserted side by side in scripture (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28). Whether or not we can put them together in our minds, we must accept both truths.” - Heather Malakar
Sovereignty. Freedom. Responsibility. Choice. Will. Desire. How does He lead? Is it through one, another, or all of the above? This year we’ve really been learning that He is either sovereign in everything, or sovereign in nothing. The very term ‘sovereign’ does not leave room for any other option. Yet we decide what time to get up each morning, what activities to invest our time into, and what attitude to bring to it all.
For us this week, we faced a few curveballs in our plans. First, we hit many roadblocks in making our way to Nepal – the frustration turned into comedy as we hit dead end after dead end and finally stopped, wondering if Someone was trying to get our attention and send our steps another direction. Well, it turns out that we ARE still going to Nepal, just a few days later than planned, which “just so happens” to have allowed us to physically rest, take care of visas at embassies here in Delhi, and actually get tickets at a cheaper rate than we first were trying in vain to plan. Second, when we got our visa to China this morning, we discovered it will only be valid for 3 months, not the 6 we had applied for. So, we called our friends in China and it “just so happens” that it is actually far better for them to have us come in that window of time instead of when we were trying to coordinate it.
Are these matters of the Father’s “will”? Would we have been “out of His will” if we had pushed through and forced a way to Nepal earlier, or if we had re-applied for another visa when it fit our time schedule? Not according to His Word. But still time and time again we can all attest to making plans and then having our steps “diverted”, often in ways we can identify as being for good. Tonight Heather Malakar gave a study on understanding what the Word says about the Father’s will in situations where it’s not a matter of moral/immoral … a lesson in the freedom we have to make decisions and choices based on the wisdom He provides and resting in the security of His sovereignty. A worldview that is based on the Word will recognize that the Father’s ultimate will reaches far beyond what physical steps we take (i.e., His eternal plan), and yet He is not far removed from our daily lives. He has not abandoned our physical steps and choices – while often it is not a matter of “right” or “wrong”, nonetheless His hand can often be seen through interruptions or derailments of our plans. This is not an excuse to live as though we’re not responsible for our choices, because clearly scripture teaches we are. But it is a gift in this world where changes can be frustrating, tiring, even disillusioning, to recognize we serve a Father who is detail-oriented.
"God's sovereignty and man’s responsibility are asserted side by side in scripture (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28). Whether or not we can put them together in our minds, we must accept both truths.” - Heather Malakar
Forts, Camels, & Rooftops
This week we explored Rajasthan with Rhishi, Hetal, Devsmita & Lata. We started in Rajkot and traveled overnight by bus to Jodphur, where we visited an incredible fort that is about 500 years old. Check out the pictures – we wonder whether people who lived in structures like this realized tourists would someday swarm through with cameras.
We then went to Jasilmer (sp?), which is about 100 km or less from the Pakistan border. It was odd to trade cows, tractors, and motorcycles for military convoys, tanks, etc. as our roadside companions. There another fort, accurately compared to a giant sand castle, dominates the desert town.
In Jasilmer, we celebrated Rhishi & Hetal’s 11th wedding anniversary by taking an overnight camel safari. We were granted special permission to go on the “non-tourist” version … they set up safaris for all the foreigners, but the Indian travelers have their own. So we set out to the sand dunes via camel to catch the sunset before turning into camp where we were treated to Rajasthani music, dancing and dinner. We were even convinced to try a dance or two … Hetal is a good teacher! We had such fun with Rhishi & Hetal, laughing (both at those dancing around us and then at ourselves) and playing & ending the evening gazing up at an incredible display of stars … an entire canopy, stretching from horizon to horizon, teasing you with the impression that if you just went far enough to the “edge”, you could simply reach up and grab a star in your hand.
Perhaps to the surprise of our hosts, some of our favorite times have been late nights out on the rooftops of the hotels … just getting to talk through life and faith. The other night we were privileged to share the good news with our new but already dear friends. We explained to them that it’s been difficult for our hearts to watch man made images receive worship. To see religion swarm around us without the personal relationship we know the Father desires with each one of His children. We’ve been committing Acts 17:22-31 to memory, where Paul lays such a strong connection between ways in which man seeks God, and the Truth by which He has made himself known.
We then went to Jasilmer (sp?), which is about 100 km or less from the Pakistan border. It was odd to trade cows, tractors, and motorcycles for military convoys, tanks, etc. as our roadside companions. There another fort, accurately compared to a giant sand castle, dominates the desert town.
In Jasilmer, we celebrated Rhishi & Hetal’s 11th wedding anniversary by taking an overnight camel safari. We were granted special permission to go on the “non-tourist” version … they set up safaris for all the foreigners, but the Indian travelers have their own. So we set out to the sand dunes via camel to catch the sunset before turning into camp where we were treated to Rajasthani music, dancing and dinner. We were even convinced to try a dance or two … Hetal is a good teacher! We had such fun with Rhishi & Hetal, laughing (both at those dancing around us and then at ourselves) and playing & ending the evening gazing up at an incredible display of stars … an entire canopy, stretching from horizon to horizon, teasing you with the impression that if you just went far enough to the “edge”, you could simply reach up and grab a star in your hand.
Perhaps to the surprise of our hosts, some of our favorite times have been late nights out on the rooftops of the hotels … just getting to talk through life and faith. The other night we were privileged to share the good news with our new but already dear friends. We explained to them that it’s been difficult for our hearts to watch man made images receive worship. To see religion swarm around us without the personal relationship we know the Father desires with each one of His children. We’ve been committing Acts 17:22-31 to memory, where Paul lays such a strong connection between ways in which man seeks God, and the Truth by which He has made himself known.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
