Dancing and Dirty Kids
Last night, we watched a classic temple dance from Northern India. It was beautiful. An eleven year old girl danced the beautiful poses where each hand gesture is a movement in honor of the god, guru, or audience. The custom was elaborate and accentuated the dance. I was struck by the fact that dance was used to honor the god. In the old testament, they talk about dancing for God in the Jerusalem temple...David often talked about it. It is such a beautiful way of honoring someone....I wish we did that more as an honor than as a club thing....although, I do like club dancing..I wish I had better rythme. We get to learn some steps tonight at 6.
The kids at the day care today were so disguisting...they don't have diapers and aren't potty trained so they just pee on the porch and then the lady just dumps a bucket of water on it to clean it up...and then some cried non stop for their mom (it doesn't change even in India)...I find myself thinking I should have more compassion but mostly I can not understand them, they can't understand me nor listen to me, and it is gross. I wonder when God will enstill the compassion b/c I can not make it come...yet, I still give them hugs and play with them...is that it an obedience to love in spite of really not wanting too. They can't help the situation they are in yet I don't really want to be there...
We are trying to figure out what to do on our weekend off...we are thinking of this nice little resort place with a pool....I would really like a pool but their definition might be entirely different than mine.
posted by Brook Avey | 12:02 AM
1 Comments:
Brook,
It's interesting reading your stories. You are writing about things they engage in daily, and then you are looking forward to going to a pool somewhere where you can get back into your comfort zone. Yet, all the while these people are living their lives without diversion or interruption, and doing so day in and day out in the manner you describe. That kind of life is their comfort zone.
It makes one think about how much we have here in America. For all of our grumbling over this and that, this fact remains: we are absolute kings. If we need more food, we go to the grocery store and buy it. If we don't have money for food, we can go to one of the food pantries and get it for free. We may find it embarrassing and the food we get may not be what we would choose to eat (though it is regular food), but it is exactly this: free food, and readily available for the asking.
So many other people do not have that comfort. If they don't provide for it themselves, they starve. In addition, so many of their customs, while seemingly unbelievable to us, are absolutely customary and routine to them. It's amazing, the dichotomy there. And, I am enjoying reading your writings.
Your stories make me wish you would completely forego your trips "back to civilization" and, instead, stay there day-in, day-out with the people and bring back the full weight of the experience, having spent the entire time living with them the way they do.
That probably didn't come across to you the way I intended, but know this: I believe the impact of *that trip* would have a far more significant chance of producing a true life-altering expeience than a trip of occasional exposure to the "interesting" aspects of their culture would.
That is just my opinion, and I could be wrong. I continue to pray for you, Brook.
- Rick C. Hodgin
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