I had been sitting in a taxi, on my way to my favorite coffee shop on Park Street (yes, the one in which I fainted), when I saw familiar faces from the Baptist Missionary Society. 'The Christians' were standing on the corner of the road, and I began to yell 'Oyje! Oyje! Daane! Baz!' ('There! There! To the Right! Stop!') while waving frantically in the direction of my friends. I tossed a 50 rupee note at the driver for a 30 rupee ride and sprinted across the street. We all exchanged hugs and they began telling me of their many adventures over the past two weeks. Their stories were mostly about praying over Hindu converts to Christianity, and I realized that I wasn't merely pretending to be interested in their adventures, I was actually moved! I remembered how freaked out I was (but obligated to allow it) when they asked to lay hands on me and pray during our first weeks in Kolkata. By the end of the 30 minutes of Bethany-focused prayer (which included chanting, singing, and what I believe may have been speaking in tongues), I have to admit that I felt more willing to let go (partially) of my obsessive compulsive tendencies and to trust God during this time in India. If there is one thing that India is teaching me, it is a new kind of pluralism and religious tolerance. So they like to pray over people, does that really threaten my more pristine (and less charismatic) version of Protestant Christianity? Maybe a little bit at home, but not in this place. In India, religion is everywhere.
This is not a land of the cherry/B.O. scented rearview mirror air freshener; rather, each taxi and autorickshaw is decorated with various pictures of Ganesh, Mahadevi (the great goddess), or Shiva and Vishnu, whoever is the driver's Hindu god of choice. Some even sport freshly burning incense and recently purchased garlands of flowers along the dashboards. For the terrifying 20-minute drive, you find yourself praying that there may just be something in their makeshift, dashboard temple that will guarantee your safe arrival at your specified destination.
The Hindu religion, if one can every really claim there is ONE Hinduism, is a religion of tolerance. There are so many choices of divine manifestations of the One Divine Absolute, how could Hinduism then claim a single Truth to God? Instead, Hindu ritual takes this opportunity to get personal, to mold itself to the worshiper while that person is also following a long-standing religious tradition. Shiva, often known as the god of outsiders, may find a strong following with those excluded from the Brahmanical mainstream, whereas a popular myth associated with Vishnu depicts the moment when Brahma gains the ability to create (both very important stories for the caste system). Each of these deities have multiple incarnations -- to increase the divine buffet -- with additional wives and offspring as well. The options are endless, and the faith is devout... all for this trinity -- Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma -- the divine Absolute. (Plus, there are numerous forms of Yoga, countless ashrams associated with Gurus, and a plethora of religions which derive from Hinduism... Buddhism and Sikhism, for example.)
I wonder if the Roman Catholic Saints provide some of the same relationship of intimacy with the divine as the Hindu gods seem to. I think, perhaps, Saint Joan d'Arc could be a helpful ally as I make my way through the male-dominated Div School. Maybe I should have spent an evening in conversation with Saint Christopher before leaving on this ten-week journey (I don't care if he's been officially ousted by the Vatican or not! Woot for the Saint of travelers!) Certainly the gentle face of Mother Teresa (okay, not a Saint yet, but I'm sure its only a matter of time) reassures me as I walk through the impoverished streets of Kolkata.
It must be difficult at times to be a Christian in India. Everywhere you go, you are bombarded by religious relics and rituals that (according to the European missionaries who brought you Reformed Protestantism) are no more than superstition or dark magic. The Hindu religion and Hindi culture are so often intertwined. That must be more exasperating than being a Democrat in Washington County, Oklahoma (and that ain't easy, my friends!). Still, it often seems that perhaps the Hindi culture is exactly the kind of place that a Christian minority could thrive. A divine creator known through the life and message of the Messiah and the works of the Holy Spirit is not incredibly far fetched in comparison. Our Absolute is also known by a plethora of names: YHWH, Jahova, Lord, Emmanuel, Jesus, the Christ, the Dove, Tongues of Fire, the Holy Spirit... maybe it's not that different than Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma.
Next time I am nearing death by taxi ride, as the driver lays on his horn and thanks Nandi (Shiva's vehicle, the white bull), I'll grasp my Jerusalem rosary and pray to my (Christian) God.
This is not a land of the cherry/B.O. scented rearview mirror air freshener; rather, each taxi and autorickshaw is decorated with various pictures of Ganesh, Mahadevi (the great goddess), or Shiva and Vishnu, whoever is the driver's Hindu god of choice. Some even sport freshly burning incense and recently purchased garlands of flowers along the dashboards. For the terrifying 20-minute drive, you find yourself praying that there may just be something in their makeshift, dashboard temple that will guarantee your safe arrival at your specified destination.
The Hindu religion, if one can every really claim there is ONE Hinduism, is a religion of tolerance. There are so many choices of divine manifestations of the One Divine Absolute, how could Hinduism then claim a single Truth to God? Instead, Hindu ritual takes this opportunity to get personal, to mold itself to the worshiper while that person is also following a long-standing religious tradition. Shiva, often known as the god of outsiders, may find a strong following with those excluded from the Brahmanical mainstream, whereas a popular myth associated with Vishnu depicts the moment when Brahma gains the ability to create (both very important stories for the caste system). Each of these deities have multiple incarnations -- to increase the divine buffet -- with additional wives and offspring as well. The options are endless, and the faith is devout... all for this trinity -- Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma -- the divine Absolute. (Plus, there are numerous forms of Yoga, countless ashrams associated with Gurus, and a plethora of religions which derive from Hinduism... Buddhism and Sikhism, for example.)
I wonder if the Roman Catholic Saints provide some of the same relationship of intimacy with the divine as the Hindu gods seem to. I think, perhaps, Saint Joan d'Arc could be a helpful ally as I make my way through the male-dominated Div School. Maybe I should have spent an evening in conversation with Saint Christopher before leaving on this ten-week journey (I don't care if he's been officially ousted by the Vatican or not! Woot for the Saint of travelers!) Certainly the gentle face of Mother Teresa (okay, not a Saint yet, but I'm sure its only a matter of time) reassures me as I walk through the impoverished streets of Kolkata.
It must be difficult at times to be a Christian in India. Everywhere you go, you are bombarded by religious relics and rituals that (according to the European missionaries who brought you Reformed Protestantism) are no more than superstition or dark magic. The Hindu religion and Hindi culture are so often intertwined. That must be more exasperating than being a Democrat in Washington County, Oklahoma (and that ain't easy, my friends!). Still, it often seems that perhaps the Hindi culture is exactly the kind of place that a Christian minority could thrive. A divine creator known through the life and message of the Messiah and the works of the Holy Spirit is not incredibly far fetched in comparison. Our Absolute is also known by a plethora of names: YHWH, Jahova, Lord, Emmanuel, Jesus, the Christ, the Dove, Tongues of Fire, the Holy Spirit... maybe it's not that different than Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma.
Next time I am nearing death by taxi ride, as the driver lays on his horn and thanks Nandi (Shiva's vehicle, the white bull), I'll grasp my Jerusalem rosary and pray to my (Christian) God.
4 comments:
Not to downplay the seriousness of your entry, but I, too, have nearly met death by taxi. I think it must be an Asian driver thing ;)
You should check out this Temple dedicated to Shiva
Bethany...I'm just catching up with your posts since the 4th...Oh my gosh, you've been having a time of it! Seeking medical attention overseas is always something of an adventure! It sounds like you're doing great, despite everything. I look forward to hearing more when you get home!
Have you encountered Mar Thoma or other forms of indigenous Indian Christianity?
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