When people think about India, they often reflect on the poverty. However, there is another side to India - some of the world's richest people live here. In fact, the Forbes top 10 richest people includes several Indian billionaires. So you have this great disparity, with the mega-rich living right alongside the extremely poor.
We had to stop overnight in Delhi on our way here, as we couldn't get a flight to Nagpur on the same day. We stayed in a beautiful hotel for the night - you can see some pictures below of the pool. So nice and clean and luxurious.
But, then we walked to the edge and looked over the wall......you can see the pics below of people working - women carrying bags of sand on the heads; children walking amongst the rubble in bare feet; men digging and carting sand, children picking through the rubbish - all in the extreme humidity of India.
Look one way, and you see the lifestyle of the rich and famous.
Look the other way, and you see the poor eking out an existence.
The challenge for us is to make sure we keep looking 'over the wall' - the poverty is so confronting, but at the same time, it is part of the landscape and it is easy to begin to not really see it anymore. The rich who live here don't even notice anymore. Is that how we have become?
Whether here, or living in Australia - we know poverty exists, we know people are suffering, we know that a child dies from preventable diseases and hunger every 22 seconds.....but do we just not notice anymore? Do we choose to only look at our side of the wall and not care enough to look over and see what is happening right next to us? How people are living?
I have been reading Genesis, and right at the beginning of the Bible, in the first chapters, it talks about how God created men and women, and that He created them in His own image. All of us as humans carry and bare the image of God - we reflect Him. We are the only creature in all creation that has this honour. How can we allow our own kind, our brothers and sisters to live in such poverty, suffering and with such indignity?
The poor are the same as us. Those faces we see on the TV, they too are created in the image of God. They too are human. They too are loved by God. They too have value.
How much would we pay to take one of our pets to the vet if it was sick? Are not these people, these children worth so much more than a dog or a cat?
How much do we spend on medical research for diseases and medical problems that affect a small percentage of the population? What of the thousands of children dying every day from lack of basic medical treatment like vaccinations? Why is our money and our funding not going to these families?
We could of course go on......the question then hangs over us - how are we to live in the midst of this? What is our response? How should we choose to use our resources?
There are no easy answers to all of these things.......but the very important first step is to ask the questions.
Right now, we have no idea. But we take on the challenge not to close our eyes. To not remain ignorant, but to look over the wall - to see, to hear, to experience, to feel. To let our hearts be moved.
Today, as you go about your daily life, whatever that entails, BE THANKFUL. Let that be our first response - thank God for what we have - for food, shelter, education, clean water, sanitary facilities, medical care, jobs, children who have lived past their fifth birthday. Give thanks for all we have received.
We had to stop overnight in Delhi on our way here, as we couldn't get a flight to Nagpur on the same day. We stayed in a beautiful hotel for the night - you can see some pictures below of the pool. So nice and clean and luxurious.
But, then we walked to the edge and looked over the wall......you can see the pics below of people working - women carrying bags of sand on the heads; children walking amongst the rubble in bare feet; men digging and carting sand, children picking through the rubbish - all in the extreme humidity of India.
Look one way, and you see the lifestyle of the rich and famous.
Look the other way, and you see the poor eking out an existence.
The challenge for us is to make sure we keep looking 'over the wall' - the poverty is so confronting, but at the same time, it is part of the landscape and it is easy to begin to not really see it anymore. The rich who live here don't even notice anymore. Is that how we have become?
Whether here, or living in Australia - we know poverty exists, we know people are suffering, we know that a child dies from preventable diseases and hunger every 22 seconds.....but do we just not notice anymore? Do we choose to only look at our side of the wall and not care enough to look over and see what is happening right next to us? How people are living?
I have been reading Genesis, and right at the beginning of the Bible, in the first chapters, it talks about how God created men and women, and that He created them in His own image. All of us as humans carry and bare the image of God - we reflect Him. We are the only creature in all creation that has this honour. How can we allow our own kind, our brothers and sisters to live in such poverty, suffering and with such indignity?
The poor are the same as us. Those faces we see on the TV, they too are created in the image of God. They too are human. They too are loved by God. They too have value.
How much would we pay to take one of our pets to the vet if it was sick? Are not these people, these children worth so much more than a dog or a cat?
How much do we spend on medical research for diseases and medical problems that affect a small percentage of the population? What of the thousands of children dying every day from lack of basic medical treatment like vaccinations? Why is our money and our funding not going to these families?
We could of course go on......the question then hangs over us - how are we to live in the midst of this? What is our response? How should we choose to use our resources?
There are no easy answers to all of these things.......but the very important first step is to ask the questions.
Right now, we have no idea. But we take on the challenge not to close our eyes. To not remain ignorant, but to look over the wall - to see, to hear, to experience, to feel. To let our hearts be moved.
Today, as you go about your daily life, whatever that entails, BE THANKFUL. Let that be our first response - thank God for what we have - for food, shelter, education, clean water, sanitary facilities, medical care, jobs, children who have lived past their fifth birthday. Give thanks for all we have received.
5 comments:
So true MArty and Kaz - and in so many parts of the world. May God use you mightily in this one place - to Him be all the glory............lots and lots....mum
a good reminder Marty and Kaz. I know I would rather not look over the wall sometimes. Keep reminding us why it's important.
hi marten & Karen
this is a test email i wrote u a long one and it did not reach you.
a. cheryne x
Thanks for the updates Marty and Karen it is good to keep asking the questions and to keep asking God to keep working His solution - you are part of this solution and so is His church and each one of us. We need to keep praying for a sensitizing of His people towards the brokenness in the world... to break the cycle of poverty we need to break the cycle of wealth.. blessings The Popps
Love u guys and so excited for te difference you can be over there as God uses u in a mighty way. Prayin for you xxx Jacs
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