There and Back Again: India and Beyond

Photo by  John Noonan  on  Unsplash We all know someone who has a compulsive judging disorder (not a medically diagnosed condition, as far as I know). You know, the person whose sole purpose in life seems to be looking for something wrong with what everyone else is doing? If you’re like me, you have fallen victim to the graceless and vicious condemnation of some such person, perhaps even many times. Or, maybe you have even realized that you, like me, often have that same tendency (isn’t it weird that we often take on the very traits we dislike the most?). Regardless of which side you’ve been on, this post is for you. In this third installment of the “War” series, I am focusing on Romans 2:1-11. If you have been following along on my journey thus far, you may remember that Paul begins to set up his argument in Romans 1, and has started out by giving a little bit of a history of humankind’s rebellion against God, describing some of the specific sins we gravita...

The beautiful scenery of Kalahandi district, Odisha, India (After another length of silence, I am back! But, I am interrupting the 'War' series to share about a wonderful opportunity which has opened up! I am hoping to get back into the study on Romans soon). Four years ago, I was in my junior year of college, contemplating what I might like to do for the summer I internship credit I wanted to obtain. I had decided that I might as well take advantage of the chance to go overseas - a desire that had been growing in my heart for a long time. Little did I know that my decision to search internships in India before looking at Thailand would lead to a wonderful experience that changed my life and imprinted the beautiful country and people of India on my heart forever. Now, here I am, preparing to spend another summer in India! Yes, friends, even I can hardly believe it, but it is true!  1) Why am I going back to India? Many of you know that my first trip to Indi...

Photo by  Angelo Pantazis  on  Unsplash Do you remember the parable of the Prodigal Son? You know, the story Jesus told of a son who demanded his share of the inheritance, left home, and squandered all of it? As I sit here pondering the text of Romans 1:26-32, I am reminded of the fact that just as the father in the parable allowed his son to go away and live his life the way he wanted to, so God allows us to make our own choices about how we live our lives. Even if that means we reject Him, dishonor Him, and utterly ruin our lives. In the verses leading up to this point, Paul says that humankind rejected the truth of God for a lie – the lie that says that the creature, rather than the Creator, is worthy of worship. Here, Paul explains that in response to this rejection, God allowed them to do what they desired. “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and t...

Photo by  Kristina Flour  on  Unsplash War. That word brings to mind all sorts of images, from the impressive appearance of military units lined up in perfect precision to the disturbing images of soldiers lying wounded or even dead on the battleground. War and death are the unfortunate realities of a world where sinful hearts lusting for power wreak devastation on anyone who gets in their way. For some of us, war seems like just a distant thing, only seen on our television screens during the news hour or heard about on the radio as we zip from one place to another. For others of us, war has become real, affecting us more directly either through our own experiences or those of friends and family members. But more subtle and sinister than the all too real images of physical war is the darker and more powerful reality of the war between our will (which is influenced by the devil) and God’s will. This war, my friends, affects every single one of us. And, it is a...

Photo by  Joanna Kosinska  on  Unsplash The past year has been an interesting journey filled with many ups and downs. It is sometimes hard for me to believe that just a year ago, I was about to face one of the most emotionally tumultuous times of my life. But, the Lord is good and His faithfulness will never cease to amaze me. Through all the weeks of pain, He remained constant, and He has brought healing to a heart that felt as if it were lifeless. Praise be to the Lord who breathes life into the dead parts of our souls! With that amazement and joy, I wanted to share the following passage from Isaiah, which is considered to be a prophetic statement concerning the coming Messiah, and one which I believe is fitting, not just for the season, but for my life and perhaps even for yours. “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or ...

Photo by  Dawid Zawiła  on  Unsplash Suffering. From the news reports of people around the world who are going without food to the phone call that informs us that a loved one has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, we are constantly faced with the reality of pain and suffering. It can be almost overwhelming, and for some of us, we just cannot face it. When I think of suffering in my observations and experiences, those are moments I would rather not recall. Suffering, in my view, looks like my Grammy, slipping away in the ICU while the family gathers around to say their goodbyes. It looks like my family being torn apart at the seams in the midst of depression, anger, and feelings of failure in the wake of leaving our first place of pastoral ministry. It looks like the advanced stages of cancer, raging inside my aunt’s body, completing its destructive mission of death. These are the images that come to mind now, as I sit here writing, knowing that just thi...

Photo by  Jacob Meyer  on  Unsplash While in India, it came to my attention that just five years earlier, there had been a massacre of Christians in the state in which I was staying. It was sobering to realize that not too long before my appearance, many of my brothers and sisters had been murdered simply because they chose to follow Christ rather than practice the Hindu religion. Since that time, I have become increasingly aware of the atrocities being committed against my Christian brothers and sisters. And with all the news concerning the spreading of ISIS, the school shooting in Oregon which targeted Christians, as well as the emails I receive each morning recounting the struggles and sufferings of believers around the world, I have become more and more concerned lately about my brothers and sisters who are being persecuted for their faith. As a twenty-something citizen of the United States, I have rarely (read: never) experienced persecution for my belief...