Backpacks Full of Fruit and Bushels Full of Tears, By Heather

Greetings from Benaras or Varanasi (new name) in Northern India. This city is a pilgrimage site for Hindus because it is along the Ganges River. Hindus come from all over India to wash in the Ganges, as they believe it cleanses them from all sin and ignorance. Benaras is also a place where many Hindus are cremated along the riverbanks. After cremation, the ashes of the dead are thrown into the water in the hopes that the soul of the deceased will obtain freedom.

 

The last two day we have been prayer walking and handing out fruit throughout Benaras. Over the last two days, we gave out over 15 pounds of apples and mangos to children, elderly people, disabled individuals, and the genuinely poor of the city. Despite all the fruit we gave out, we encountered more people in need than we could ever have imagined possible. Thus, we were constantly wishing for many bushels of apples and mangoes as we walked around the city and along the banks of the Ganges River. One particularly meaningful moment occurred yesterday as we realized that the Hindu taxi driver (Nathu) that we hired to help transport us around the city was watching us give out fruit outside of a Hindu temple. He was smiling and observing us with great interest as he had taken us to buy the fruit at two local markets earlier that day. Before we saw him watching us, we never considered that we might be witnessing to him too by giving fruit to the poor. 

 

To be honest, our time here has been hard on us emotionally and spiritually. While we have enjoyed watching for monkeys, chuckling at the antics of the cows, and finding hidden dogs sleeping everywhere, observing the people in the midst of their religious practices has been hard. We have witnessed hopelessness, sickness, extreme poverty, and many blind rituals that are difficult to describe. To stand as a Christian presence and boldly pray to the Living God for people participating in idol worship and purification rituals has been an unforgettable experience. However, it has really broken my heart into more than a million pieces all over again. I have quietly cried bushels of tears in the quietness of our room. Nevertheless, I am glad we came here as I believe God has allowed me to shed a mere fragment of the tears he has cried for the lost of India; as well as for all the lost of world. I believe there is a purpose in my tears that God will allow me to understand in His time. 

 

This morning as I watched the sunrise over the Ganges, I realized that the light of Christ breaks through even the darkest clouds and into the darkest places. While most of the people in Benaras walk in darkness, the presence of Christ is already here! Christ is here in this culture waiting to be translated and proclaimed! He is embodied here in the actions of local Christians and others like us who come here to serve. Yes, the very presence of Christ is walking among those who walk in darkness. Directly below is a photo I took this morning while reflecting on the way in which the light of Christ penetrates the darkness here in such a beautiful and powerful way!