Self-control

Everyone wants to be close to the centre of power.

If we can't be there ourselves we can do so vicariously by "knowing" someone - who does.

I don't know how many degrees of separation are between Barack and us.

Probably a lot fewer than we think.

Though the link was not a strong one - I found out that I was only one relationship away from Bill and Hillary Clinton.

While studying in New Haven, I had the blessing of being given a studio apartment in the attic of a grand old mansion in exchange for a certain numbers of hours of work a week. My hosts were the venerable Boris and Anne Bittker - fine, genteel folks.

Prof. Bittker was an esteemed emeritus professor of the Yale Law School and had made a name for himself in tax law. I was their gardener and odd jobs man. Probably odder than they were used to, but they tolerated me kindly and I spent happy hours listening to National Public Radio and doing the tasks they set for me.

We were in the Clinton era and I asked Prof. Bittker if he had any contact with them. Yes, he said wryly. He had taught them both. They were both very noticeable even in those days - but he remembered Hillary more. She had a real mind and was in the middle of everything (exact quote being a bit muddled but something to that effect). Prof. Bittker remembered Bill - but also remembered that he was busy out pressing the flesh - doing lots of extra-curricular (read political) things even then, while Hillary was grounded and flourished in the Law School.

I don't know Bill Clinton personally, but what I gather about him is the extraordinary effect he has on individuals. He seems to want the love - to have personal approval of everyone he meet - and works hard at giving it too - apparently just being with him is a remarkable experience.

Here is where the amazing phenomena of Barack Obama seems so different. Both Bill and Barack are driven (and have more in common than the same first initial). But it seems to me that Barack has something that I have not seen in a long time. He seems to exude self-control. It was his calm unflappable nature - almost bordering on the cold that is so enigmatic. So much so that the travelling hacks that reported on everything he did (including breathless discriptions of him eating sandwiches and flies forcing him to move somewhere else) seem mystified at who he really is. More than one mused: Is there another Barack below the Barack they see on the surface?

I will not go any more than that - but to say this: self-control is perhaps one of the great missing dimensions in most of our lives. We know that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. A character linked with the very nature of God himself. Something that I so often do not have. Something impossible to duplicate or fabricate. You have it or you don't. Pressure brings it out - or tears any pretense of it to shreds.

Here's to you Barack! I don't know much about you - everything that I do has come through the eyes and ears of others. And I don't know yet how closely we are linked, but among many other things to admire, I deeply admire your self-control.

Dengue

One small mosquito bite.

Enough to put a mother in the hospital.

And her daughter at the same time.

By God's grace Jemima was out of the ICU yesterday - and today showed up with her grand-parents at our door - discharged and ready to play with Asha and Enoch.

We are hoping that Priscilla (her mummy) will be discharged tomorrow.

In the meantime we have been enjoying Ammachi and Appachan a lot! Having Jemima join them in our place is icing on the cake.

It is a tremendous honour to have Uncle and Auntie Selvanayagam with us over these days. Their love and care for their families and for us is remarkable - as is their deep love for the Lord and kind and quiet ways.

Over the years this family has been a second family to Sheba - especially during her basic medical studies in Cuttack, Orissa. Since marriage, Uncle and Auntie have become adopted grandparents to our kids as well!

Having been through the Orissa troubles - Uncle told me that he has talked to people who have lost everything - but gained the greatest joy of knowing the reality of God. Uncle and Auntie model that in their lives.
Though we would always want to be together - this time it was dengue fever that brought us together over these days.

Camp thoughts

Mix 250 plus people from all sorts of backgrounds and languages.

Transport them out of the city to the edge of a beautiful plateau. House them in a large, spartan boarding school.

Mix in food and fellowship, prayer and worship, the Word and its application to our lives.

Despite being in a season where there are considerable interpersonal strains in our set of house-fellowships - God was so gracious to us at the annual Family Camp in Khandala. Many prayers were answered.

Bro Vijay Thangiah shared about the Bible - and about being joyful in chaotic situations (a study of the book of Phillipians). Phil and Lorraine Taylor were on hand to continue their frank sharing about marriage and parenting. Yours truly helped lead two short application / case study sessions. There were times of praising God and times of personal ministry. Time to be with old friends and time to make new ones. The 'invisible' church made visible - taking a flesh and blood form.

As has almost become a tradition - we had our beds next to Arvind and Putul and family. Early in the morning Arvind and his daughter Urvashi read their Bibles.

The kids had a gala time with so many friends. I have to remember back to the OM conferences - but we never had so many kids of our own age-group. Asha and Enoch just enjoyed!

Too soon it was time to come back. We had gone up a day late because Sheba did not have someone to cover her at the JSK clinic - but it was lovely to come down with the folks from the Thane fellowships.

And also to have Oma and Opa Eicher meet us there and come down with us.

Looking back on the camp we have so many warm feelings.

But I want to just mention one thing.

This time we had at least 10 people with HIV as part of the camp. And that too after 2 of our friends were not feeling well and so did not attend. I think that we have crossed a significant barrier in our fellowships. Some of the members are really trying to bless and accomodate people with HIV - and even for those who are generally more indifferent - people with HIV themselves are working their way into fellowship with us.

We would of course like so many more - but it was beautiful anyway to see people with HIV participating in all the camp activities and being accepted for who they are. A small picture of the soon-to-come Kingdom.

40

Sachin did it today.

Got his 40th century in test cricket. Against the Aussies no less.

Growing up it seemed no one would ever get more than Sunil Gavaskar's 34.

Well, that was 6 centuries from Sachin's bat ago.

40 is a pretty solid number.

Going by the Bible - its a number often used to show completeness.

It rained 40 days and nights at the time of Noah. Moses spent 40 years in the Egyptian Palace, 40 more as a shepherd in Midian, then a further 40 in leading the Israelites in the desert. Jesus fasted for 40 days without food or water - and then was tempted.

40 years can be seen as a lifetime.

It has been for us. As Sheba and I are in our 40th year (it ends next April) we have a wonderful opportunity to look back with a lot of gratitude - and look ahead with a lot of hope.

Join us as we pray, and listen for a fresh word - a new direction - a confirmation - or a course correction in our lives together.

Its a great life. And it keeps getting better.

Hopes for cure

You see them pasted on the sides of the local trains in Mumbai. Dirty frayed pieces of paper stuck to dirty walls. But on them are words of hope.

Drinking addiction? Take these pills. Unlucky with life, love, marriage, property? Call Baba at this number - within 24 hours your problem solved. Guaranteed. Tired after day? Need stamina for her? Hero-XS tablets - with gold powder.

Add to this the picture above. HAKH foundation (Hootone AIDS Kidney Heart) is one of the many outfits that lives off the hopes people have for a miracle cure. They claim their unnani meds do it. They use PCR tests to 'prove' it and their website says that they have FDA testing stating their medications are safe.

The sheer audacity of such charlatans is galling. But then again our 'traditional medical systems' can make almost any claim without having to prove it. And to top it off they sprinkle enough words that come from what they call 'allopathic medicine' to make their point - PCR tests, CD4 counts, Immune Reconstitution etc. All totally alien to their body of healing knowledge that they claim to come from - but used to flog their drugs.

Sadly these companies seem to be laughing all the way to the bank.

One day they will stand before the judgement throne. And give account for all the thousands of rupees that they fleeced from the poor (and not-so-poor) who were desperate for some cure for HIV. Who hoped against hope that the HAKH meds (and you can name others like the notorious 'Fair Pharma' etc) will take them out of their HIV status and into total healing.

Meanwhile the families see their already precarious funds sucked off by what can only be called vultures.

But with one distinct difference.

Real vultures gather around the dead body. These false merchants of hope fly far away.

Abuse

The last few weeks have opened my eyes to the amount of abuse that goes on.

Some of it is so blatant and open. Next door to the JSK office is a small flour mill. The miller seems to specialise in beating his sons. Sometimes it is with a stick. Sometimes with some plastic piping. It seems every 3rd day we have to walk over and try and stop the man from hitting his kids. Then sometimes we see that it is his wife who is doing it. Yesterday some other young man was there. The boys have internalised the wailing to such an extent that I have even seen them do it when playing. So much brokeness.

Some of the abuse is hidden. A touch here. A grope there. A young girl on holiday with relatives. Touched and violated. A young boy at a marriage party - people sleeping cheek by jowl - at night men touching him and feeling him out. The shame and secrecy keeping everything under wraps.

Sort of. What gets pushed under the carpet shows up over and over again. Unhealthy patterns of behaviour. Strange disease patterns. Broken relationships.

Its not that we are a slave to the past, but what went on certainly does affect who we are today.

As sickening as abuse is, there is hope. Truth, love, care and compassion - all part of God's love for us - are available. We see that the very worst experiences can be dealt with. No easy solutions or quick fixes - but they can be changed. Forgiveness - that unimaginable act - made possible by a loving, caring Father - lays the foundation for change.

Very few of us are able to open up. Very few can look long at the horrors that lurk beneath the veneer of much of our lives. One man stretched out his arms willingly. He allowed the nails to rip through flesh and sinew as he took on both the pain of the victim - and the punishment of the aggressor. I may not have the ability to help a victim of abuse. But He can. And He does. We have seen it - and want to see more and more healing take place.

"Daughter. Go in peace"

Full house

We were at our church camp this weekend. One of the suggestions we got in the parenting session about leaving a legacy for our kids is to have an open house.

We seem to be putting that advice into practice with a vengeance.

As I tap this Dad is sleeping on the floor of the living room - where I will be joining him shortly. Asha, Enoch, Sheba and Mum are in one of our bedrooms - and Ammachi and Appachan (Bro Selvanayagam and his dear wife) are in the other. I am awake because I am waiting for Matt Scott to arrive.

Dad and Mum had just had their farewell and blessing time for completing 5 years of leadership with Ellel India - and had handed over the reigns to the next leader. They were in Lonavala for the big day on the 2nd of Nov. - while the merry 250 plus of us from our house churches and others were in Khandala. We were able to travel down to Thane town in the bus.

We had hardly arrived here when the mobile rang and Appachan was on the phone. His daughter Prisci had been admitted at Lok Hospital. They were coming over for the night. Today the situation took another turn. Her daughter Jemima, who was also unwell was admitted too. Mother with what seems to be dengue - daughter in ICU with dysentry. When troubles come they do not come singly. We are really blessed to be able to help out in a small way by being their for this family.

Tonight Matt Scott - a wonderful friend from University days is here. He is a advisor for World Vision in their Peace Making programme and has just done a seminar for WV staff on how to respond to conflict situations. The programme was Shillong and sadly ended with one of their 'worst case scenarios' - multiple bomb blasts in Guwahati and other places in Assam. Matt and his wife Sandra have been praying for us for years - and after a good 12 circles around the sun we are meeting up again. A short 24 hour visit that started at 12 AM.


God is good. This house is full. How much more His big family!