Sunday and Monday

These two days have been much less hectic and more relaxing than any others on the trip thus far. Sunday we opened our day with morning prayer, led by David and Danny, two members of our group. This has been our practice each morning we’ve been in Kottayam, and we all have felt a great nourishment from this time of communal worship. After that, we were given freedom to do what we wished in the morning. There were worship services here and in town, but none were in English, so I must admit I stayed at SEERI and rested and caught up on some things. After lunch, we had a discussion with Father Jacob, who is the director of SEERI, and a professor at the local university who has accompanied us during our time here. We talked about what it’s like to be Christian in such a predominant Hindu country, as well as to live in Kerala, where the Christians are in a greater number but not a majority. It was interesting, although it felt more like a lecture from their end. But I took away from this discussion the comparison of how we in the United States are now the church in a minority. Too often I hear the phrase “Christian nation”, but in reality the church is now a minority presence in American society. And it’s not so much a minority to another religion, like India, but rather to secularism. How will we seek to be the Body of Christ without presuming we have certain inherent advantages as the American church?

That evening, our group had another excellent debriefing, which reminds me of why I feel so blessed to be a part of this fellowship. We reflected more deeply on how this trip has shaped us as leaders, what we have learned about this place, and what we have learned about ourselves. Through the disorientation we all felt, we have not only grown closer together as colleagues and friends, we have grown deeper in our appreciation for our Christian faith and practices. We have discovered the importance of seeking interfaith and ecumenical dialogue, as we have witnessed in India. And I have discovered the importance for me finding space in the chaos of daily living (not unlike the traffic here) to find someone/something to lean on and find peace and strength in the midst of the journey. That can be closer and deeper relationships with family or friends. That can be spiritual practices and disciplines, which deepen our faith and relationship with God. But to only try and live this life “on your own” will only leave you lost and unfulfilled. Sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone to realize what that really feels like.

Today has been completely free, but that doesn’t mean it was without activity. After breakfast this morning, our group met by ourselves – without our leaders. And the purpose was to talk more fully about what happens after our last session at the end of this month. Once again, we are realizing the value we place in this group of pastors from at least nine different denominations, and how that has given us a forum to engage in the kinds of conversations we normally would not be able to have. We will see where it leads – I believe we have some purpose ideas laid out, and now it’s a matter of hammering out the details. After our meeting, it was time to shop. Oh joy. No, it was fun, and after both a morning trip and afternoon trip into town, I got all things on my list. And thankfully, they all fit in the suitcases I brought! We are waiting to have dinner here at SEERI, and then we will take our last cold shower of the trip (won’t miss that, BTW), and then it’s on the bus to Cochin for a flight that leaves in the middle of the night. I’ll probably do some more reflecting on the plane and try to post something when we’re in Abu Dhabi.