Sometimes I feel that it is hard for us to grasp the size of our planet these days. It used to be when you traveled to a faraway place, it took a significant amount of time to make the journey because you had to get there by means of a boat (or camel or whatever). But with the advent of modern technology and trains and planes, you can be half a world away in less than one day, a fact which I have struggled with since I arrived here. And with internet and the extent of global communication, the world shrinks even smaller and the distance is more difficult to believe. But yesterday, it finally sunk 
in that I am in INDIA. I feel like I've been to the edge of the world. And back. I had the incredible opportunity to see how Indians truly live. Swapna, one of the girls at the center where I work, invited me to accompany them to her eldest brother's house in her village outside the city. So at 7:30, I met the girls at our bus stop and we set out on our journey. First we went to Sealdah Station, where we caught a train out of the city. After about an hour, we arrived in a small town. Then we caught an auto-rickshaw and traveled further out into the countryside, past rice paddys and lagoons and tiny huts. Then we proceeded to walk down a small brick/beaten mud track for at least 20 minutes more until, after
many twists and turns and I was
in that I am in INDIA. I feel like I've been to the edge of the world. And back. I had the incredible opportunity to see how Indians truly live. Swapna, one of the girls at the center where I work, invited me to accompany them to her eldest brother's house in her village outside the city. So at 7:30, I met the girls at our bus stop and we set out on our journey. First we went to Sealdah Station, where we caught a train out of the city. After about an hour, we arrived in a small town. Then we caught an auto-rickshaw and traveled further out into the countryside, past rice paddys and lagoons and tiny huts. Then we proceeded to walk down a small brick/beaten mud track for at least 20 minutes more until, after
many twists and turns and I was completely lost and hadn't the faintest idea where we were, we arrived in Swapna's village. It was, literally, the middle of nowhere. And it was also the heartbeat of India. Finally I got a chance to see what daily life is like for millions of people who live in this country. And it was amazing. Everything was so green and beautiful and
peaceful, and so different from the city- and yet, you could see men by the side of the road at chai stands and certain aspects of village life that have been carefully reconstructed in Kolkata. As we walked, there was still the random incongruity of being in the midst of such a small village and then passing a pandel with huge speakers blaring some
American hip hop song into the stillness of the rice paddys. (What?!?!?!) There was electricity (and even a tiny black and white television set and DVD player so we could watch Hindi films,) and yet it was obviously a poor village. Sitting on the single bed in a packed mud house looking around me, I saw a shelf overhead with pots and bags of odds and ends, and then I realized that I was looking at all of the possesions of the entire household. And while some would visit a place like this and feel sorry for them, appalled that people live like this and think that something must be done so that they don't have to anymore, I, admittedly being a bit shocked that people live 
like this, was infinitely more impressed by the fact that people LIVE like this- and how they live! They were not miserable or living in squalor- they were clean and beautiful and happy. I didn't feel a bit sorry for them- I would say that perhaps I was even a tad bit jealous because life here is so simple. I saw the smiles and shared the laughter of the ordinary people in this place- and they cared for me and welcomed me (and wouldn't stop feeding me) and were so excited that I had come- even though no one spoke a word of English. It was such a different atmosphere than anywhere I have been so far- very relaxed and simple- and I finally felt that I
was half a world away. And in saying that, I have also begun to realize that it is going to be more difficult than I thought for me to come back. Because I finally feel like I have been far away, home suddenly seems further away as well.
peaceful, and so different from the city- and yet, you could see men by the side of the road at chai stands and certain aspects of village life that have been carefully reconstructed in Kolkata. As we walked, there was still the random incongruity of being in the midst of such a small village and then passing a pandel with huge speakers blaring some
American hip hop song into the stillness of the rice paddys. (What?!?!?!) There was electricity (and even a tiny black and white television set and DVD player so we could watch Hindi films,) and yet it was obviously a poor village. Sitting on the single bed in a packed mud house looking around me, I saw a shelf overhead with pots and bags of odds and ends, and then I realized that I was looking at all of the possesions of the entire household. And while some would visit a place like this and feel sorry for them, appalled that people live like this and think that something must be done so that they don't have to anymore, I, admittedly being a bit shocked that people live 
like this, was infinitely more impressed by the fact that people LIVE like this- and how they live! They were not miserable or living in squalor- they were clean and beautiful and happy. I didn't feel a bit sorry for them- I would say that perhaps I was even a tad bit jealous because life here is so simple. I saw the smiles and shared the laughter of the ordinary people in this place- and they cared for me and welcomed me (and wouldn't stop feeding me) and were so excited that I had come- even though no one spoke a word of English. It was such a different atmosphere than anywhere I have been so far- very relaxed and simple- and I finally felt that I
was half a world away. And in saying that, I have also begun to realize that it is going to be more difficult than I thought for me to come back. Because I finally feel like I have been far away, home suddenly seems further away as well. The vastness of the world and the realization that there are really millions of people in this country tucked away in villages like this one made me feel so tiny and insignificant- while at the same time making me aware of how big God really is, because He knows the intimate details of each life and loves each one of these precious people, some of whom have never been out of their 
village, much less traveled to a different country. Today my horizons were expanded, and the world seems so much bigger to me now. It is one thing to say that Jesus died for the whole world; it is completely different to feel like you have been there. And it just makes me think- how dare I ever believe that I am the center of anything? How can I be selfish enough to imagine that my needs and my problems are of any importance whatsoever? There is so much more to life than what is in front of us, and sometimes we need to get a staggering glimpse of the immensity of things, so we understand what is truly important. My visit to this village was a very touching and humbling experience that I will not soon forget.
Magnificent Holy Father/ I stand in awe of all I see/ Of all the things You have created/ And still You choose to think of me...
Please feel free to leave comments...
No comments:
Post a Comment