India is the land of extremes – extreme poverty, extreme beauty, extreme congestion, extreme love. Delhi, itself, is the land of heart. The smiles of the children, especially the contrast of the street kids’ teeth against their dark skin, remind you that in the worst of situations, joy can be found in the simplicity of a kind hello.
My purpose in coming here? Still not entirely sure. I think Bob and I work well together. To be with Richard and Abhishek with Catalyst draws me here. Meeting Sam and Shoba inspires me. My story needs to be told. But where? How to tell it?
Standing at the top of the Garden of the Five Senses, we can see the whole of Delhi. Smoke, flowers, singing voices, cars honking, miles and miles of city life. At this time of day, families start to fill the homes, some legally built, others make-shift, and some under tents. We pray. We pray to God, asking for the Spirit to move among the city. As Jesus wept for Jerusalem, we weep for Delhi. Tears of joy in knowing God is already at work. Tears of sadness for the pain and suffering of the marginalized and hurting. Tears of despair at the enormity of work to be done. Tears of hope that undergirds that task.
Pintu, tall and good-looking, smiles across the counter at the bakery. He works the entire day in anticipation of earning enough for his own bike. It’s quite a significant feat to have his own mode of transportation at the age of 19. The bike is symbol of independence; his training in the bakery is his ticket. After growing up in the “flyover” slum near New Friends Colony, his future now seems limitless.
The young couple, she is 15 and he 19, they sit next to each other sharing a meal with the rest of us. She smiles beneath her scarf, wrapped in her sari. “Thank you, Mister Bob,” she ends our meal. They now have the potential of getting out of the poverty of their youth. He works various jobs through connections of Catalyst supporters.
We walk up the steps to the shopping mall. Karjol gets up quickly onto her one leg to run to us, giving hugs and warm hellos. Behind us, from where she was sitting, a torn blanket and bowl sit out for her begging enterprise. She is the sole bread winner of her family. Mom is an alcoholic, dad has left. At the age of 11, she has very little time for school or playing. Fortunately, the relationships with those in Catalyst provide her with opportunities of being a kid.
Is the answer more programs? Yes, in a way. No, in another. Something more is required – “but to love justice, mercy and to walk humbly with our Lord.” The name of Jesus asks us for our heart, lifting up the power of the Kingdom through relationships.
How can we build relationships when we live on the other side of this world?
That is the question.
Investment.
I have seen a side of Delhi that most do not see. I have seen the dark underbelly, and as a result, fallen in love with the city.
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