In early October 1984 I found myself footloose in New Delhi. My nine month Gap Year project in rural Bihar researching leprosy numbers in isolated villages had been cancelled due to radical changes in Indian Government visa policy. I felt adrift and very uncertain as to what would happen next. I made my way that Sunday at the invitation of a friend to a small Christian group of different nationalities that met in a school. About 30 of us sat on plastic chairs in a bare and functional room, with the unique vibes that only an empty school gives.
In that most mundane of settings, 5 young university students from Africa, stood up and began singing verse 12 from chapter 7 of the Book of Revelation:
Amen! Blessing and glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honour and power, be unto our God, forever and ever! Amen Amen Amen
They repeated this again and again, the single guitar blending with these wonderful voices, lifted in praise and hope and trust, smiles getting broader and broader. Soon all of us were on our feet, plastic chairs and an empty school forgotten. For a young 18 year old Scot an unforgettable lesson in how heartfelt praise and worship can transcend the circumstances we find ourselves in.
This verse is central to the reading for All Saints tomorrow sung by an Angel Host in the company of a 'great multitude that no one could count from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages'.
Over the years I have been at many large services and very moving occasions but nothing has ever affected me as deeply as the honest and unadorned simplicity and joy of those five young African men. Life for them would be hard, far from home for many years, subject to racist attitudes and living in poverty and with much uncertainty in an atmosphere slowly growing hostile to Christians.
A few short weeks later, on this October 31st, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated and Delhi descended into chaos and violence against the Sikh community, which spread across N India. By this time I was temporarily filling in for someone in a small rural hospital administrative office and many victims were brought into our wards. The hospital had been established half a century before by Christians motivated by this vision of Revelation of 'a great multitude' to serve the poor and needy in an area where medical care was minimal.
A young child once said ( thinking of her church windows) that 'Saints are the ones who let the light in'. Those young African men did that for me as did the founders of that rural hospital for thousands of patients as do the countless unknown and ordinary people who light up where they are with the faith of Jesus.
May we be inspired this All Saints to look beyond our circumstances to God and his love for the human race and become the very light we long to see.
Comments
Post a Comment