March 30, 2008

In the space of one week I have seen spiritual warfare clear and in the open, seen the bright hope of Christ in the eyes of people who will (and are) risking everything to obey the invitation of Jesus into something less safe and serene but more alive and meaningful.

I've seen gods being worshipped after the fashion we read about in the Old Testament. I've ridden on a local train, I've ridden in a rickshaw, I've been practically mobbed by curious Indians wanting their photos taken. I've learned some interesting new ways to eat rice and on and on I could go.

There are memorable stories that would take to long to write that I will have to save for later but the essence of India has made itself know boldly. I was told that "India will get inside of you." I think that's probably true. The sounds and smells of India are only here. I have never seen anything like it. What excites me most are the Christians I have met. These are not social Christians. They are not believers who have turned God into a prayer answering machine. They are holding on for dear life and rejoicing in it just the same. There are no safety nets, or Plan B's. It's all or nothing and this is the truth of the Gospel. Nothing less than all. Nothing short of everything for Jesus. As much as I've minimized my life and tried to make myself more available I now see that I still yet have work to do.

The layers of life that I am accustomed to and the social hoops that we each jump through in so many ways are not time well spent or life well lived. What I am taking away from India so far is a simpler way of looking at what really matters. So many of the things we do and are addicted to doing really don't matter. They produce little fruit. I am the leader of the pack in this regard because the music business is full of this. That's not who I want to be.

In juxtaposing the Christians I know here and the way they live with their counterparts in the US I see that we spend a lot more time trying to figure out how to trust God rather than just doing it, or reading up on how to live by faith rather than living it. The Bible has shown us over and over that it's all or nothing and I suppose the layers will continue to be peeled away in each of our lives until only what is necesary remains. Then we will find ourselves as lean, strong leaders who bring the fruit of the Spirit and the advancement of the Kingdom in everything we touch. I long for that day.

Onward Comrades,

Brian