Orissa Burning

Once again, the email inboxes are bringing messages that we just do not want to hear.

The mobs are out in Orissa. A Christian woman was burned yesterday. A priest badly injured in the flames.

Lord, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing!

CANA consultation

I am about to leave for Delhi on an evening flight.

I'll spend the night with Stefan and Neeru and Ashish and probably pop in at Victor and Sarah and Joanna's in the morning.

Then I get down to business. I get to share at a consultation that the Christian National AIDS Alliance has called to develop a curriculum for teaching about HIV issues and responses in seminaries across our country. We are expecting about 30 professors and teachers for 20 odd seminaries. Amazing.

It is really exciting to be part of this effort and to think of the great potential as young leaders are being groomed in these bible colleges and seminaries. Would that this programme will not just be another course to be completed as a quick formality, but a real opportunity for men and women of God to understand what can be done - and especially to provide visionary leadership to the local church to reach out and touch people with HIV - like our Lord Jesus did - and does!

Would that our experiences that we get from the privilege of sharing in the lives of people with HIV be translated into saving and caring for the lives of many across our country.... I wish we could be worked out of this job! There will come a day, of course...

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Back to Thane courtesy GoAir tomorrow night.

Heaven on Earth

It all seems a bit of a dream now – but it really happened. We were together for 3 days in an urban retreat centre run by the Carmelite Fathers in Mira Road.

“We” means our JSK team and 45 of our dear friends – most of them HIV positive.

Which really made most of us HIV positive. Seeing that our JSK team also has members who are living with the disease.

And there were lots of kids too.

Theme of the whole time was "Blessed to be a Blessing."

It spoke to us all. We are being blessed - but for a purpose - not just to get out of the difficulties (or boredom) that we face - but for the benefit of others too.

John Forbes - who was our main facilitator - lead us through a series of explorations of God's word. And did God ever speak.

A small example. Jacob used a rock for a pillow. How often do we do that? Use something for our own comfort - which gives very little comfort in the first place? But after an encounter with God - he gives it back to God as a memorial to who God is. Can we do the same?

Sheba took a session on being useful vessels in God's hands. Powerful sharing.

Bro Oliver led us through the life of David.

And then there were times of personal ministry and prayer - focussed times of private sharing and intense prayer for healing inside and out!

During all of this, Seema and Lata worked hard at child-care - looking after all the kids so that the mothers could have time to reflect and be blessed.

And did they ever. There were games too - and time to just relax. We tried not to fill our time just with session after session.
Trevor and Hoofriz were on hand to lead us in some superb times of worship and adoration. We have been so blessed by their involvement with us over the years now!

An 'art attack' meant that everyone got creative - and came away with their own posters.

Giri and Akshay organised a series of hilarious games too.

The good folks at the Anubhav Retreat Centre served excellent food - and lots of it. There was not a hungry person in sight!

But most of all - it was precious to be together. Many of our friends face such broken situations. One man - a silent brooding type - who we have just made contact with - said "there is no discrimination here - everyone loves each other."

A small taste of heaven.

As we gathered round the table on the final day - we could only thank God for His goodness to us all.

There was a real presence of peace and joy throughout our time.

John urged us in his last session to bloom where we are planted - while always remaining in the vine. Without a direct link to Jesus we are doomed to dryness and unfruitfulness. But when we abide in Him and He in us --- then we can bear much fruit - fruit that lasts!

Mrs. Laila is a case in point. She shared about how when she goes to sell her dried fish in the bazaar - she prays for people she meets. The other day a young man told her to push off, since he was selling pants and did not want her nearby. She sweet talked him into letting her stay for some time. All the while she prayed for him. The next time she came he called out to her and told her to sell her dried fish near his place - the last time his business had been so good.

We are all blessed. So abudantly. And we all have so many opportunities to bless others. Lets keep doing it!

Plastic

A well-known shopping chain in Mumbai (with a yellow and green logo) recently plastered its store with pictures of open garbage heaps full of plastic (something like the picture below).

"Lets Get Rid of Plastic" said the signs.

The irony of it all.

This is a store where every vegetable item is wrapped in plastic and then weighed and then the price sticker is stuck on it.

"Join us as we fight plastic" said the sign. And how do we join this noble cause? "We will not provide plastic bags for any purchase under Rs. 10."

How utterly laughable. I have never seen anyone come into the store and purchase something for so little. What could you? A packet of glucose biscuits? A roll of "poppins"? What I normally see are well-to-do folks pushing huge trolleys just brimming with products. The average customer pays in the 100s (sometimes in the 1000s), not the 10s, let alone under Rs. 10.

Another sign says "1 cloth bag = 1000 plastic bags". Problem is that cloth bags are not allowed in the store - you check them in with security at the entrance.

Its going to take more to take care of the good earth that God has given us - than making a few signs which signify nothing.

Rocket man

National hero time again! A year ago Enoch dressed up as Dr. Ambedkar. Who to dress him up this year? Sadly to say, the list of inspiring leaders we have is a very small one.

After some thought we finally came up with one - though he is not in office these days - the unbeatable Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

Installed by the BJP government - my first impressions of Abdul Kalam were definitely coloured by the feelings about the party in power at the time.

But during his tenure as our President - the man changed the way we saw what a head of state can do. A bachelor with an amazing string of interests Kalam had a pedigree in science of being in charge of the rocket development programme for both the civilian and military sides of rocketry.

What really shook people up was his cheerful way of making the Presidency a place for reaching out to young people, for encouraging science and arts, for inviting school children to visit him. Most of our Presidents have been of the starched and distant mode - somewhat dignified but clearly at home at being a figure head of state. APJ decided to be different - and was booted out by the politicians who couldn't stand a person who thinks.

Though the provenance is dodgy - click here for a speech of his that has done the email rounds.

So there we have it - a man who was a leader - but who after confounding the folks who put him in the Presidency - was clearly too independent and real for the lot who followed - and so "the People's President" was not given the chance for a second term.

Musical art

Stefan and a bunch of others who love to sing and write music have just put in 3 days of intense work in song-writing.

Read more about it here or at http://artnet.in/

There is a lot of good stuff out there. Lets see what we can do to listen in some more.

All I have is a red guitar, three chords, and the truth
All I have is a red guitar, the rest is up to you!
- All Along the Watchtower - by Bob Dylan (personally heard through the lens of U2 on the Rattle and Hum album)

Positive Friends Retreat

Life - lived in fast-forward - has reached August 14th.

We head over to the other side of town for a 3 day retreat with our Positive Friends who have faith in Jesus. John Forbes has just arrived from the US to help lead us through this special time. We expect a turnout of about 60 all told!

Our theme this time is: Blessed to be a Blessing - how despite all the setbacks each one has faced - we have and are being blessed - and how that is not just for ourselves - but also for each one of us to touch others through.

We are doing this over the long-weekend that kicks off with our nation's 61st Independence day (15th August - also my brother Stefan's birthday!). Instead of only getting pity (which even that is is short supply) we would like to see people with HIV/AIDS - who are living through the challenges each day - we would like to see them bless the nation.

Deep breath. Over and out. See you on the other side of this retreat!