The fact that I came back from India feeling impressed by the spirituality and that I’d received more than I’d given doesn’t make me at all original. After all I only spent a total of six days in India getting to know one city a little bit and a small group of people slightly more.
I visited Jaipur almost two years ago with two other teachers. We were going to meet, spend time with and encourage teachers in a school that we support, a school that educates children from a slum community called Kathputli. I had seen photos and corresponded with the Australian man who runs quite a few programs to support Kathputli.
We were going there to share alongside the teachers there to have a spiritual / professional retreat. I shared with my friend there a few weeks earlier that it could be worthwhile to pray and even fast as a way to prepare for the time we would share there. I think I ended up fasting a few meals or Facebook or something incredibly radical like that. I was shocked and a little embarrassed when we arrived to share a meal which would break their week-long fast. The whole staff, full of faith and looking forward to the retreat had gone without food for a whole week!
God is truly gracious and we spent a wonderful few days together. I was impressed by how quickly we could form a bond as a group and trust in each other as we pursued a common goal. I was moved often by my new friends’ dedication to their students and to God.
I came home feeling that my city is a spiritual slum, that while we are rich in material things that we certainly have a lack spiritual riches. We have so much stuff and yet we are discontent and that drives us to gather more stuff. We seem to ignore or be unaware of what we truly need. We think we're okay but we have no idea.
I came home from Jaipur, after spending time in the slum, knowing that it is possible to be content, even happy, with little; and yet to be humble enough to know that you need something more.
What do you really need?
No comments:
Post a Comment