Servants in the Slums (by Bob Massey)
Part seven in a series of posts by Bob Massey, a Los Angeles screenwriter who is currently traveling to India with a team from Ecclesia Hollywood hosted by a faith-based human rights organization whose work in Mumbai concentrates on rescuing girls from sexual slavery. + Click here to read previous posts
You haven't lived until you've scudded through Dehradun traffic in an autorickshaw. You haven't died either - but you probably haven't come so close before. The autorickshaw is a tiny three-wheeled gumdrop taxi powered by a hair dryer, feels like. No doors or seatbelts. I joined Dr. Reeta, the co-founder of the SNEHA school, for an autorickshaw ride to her facility. The ensuing dozen mini-brushes with mortality set just the right tone for meeting schoolkids recruited from Dehradun's grim slums.
SNEHA schools unschooled kids, offers cheap health care to slum dwellers, and trains impoverished women in fancy sewing and such - dazzling embroidery being a better living than collecting plastic from the dump.
There are two kinds of kids who attend SNEHA, though both live in the slums nearby. The first kind are unwashed, underfed, and as one staffer quite seriously said, they have to be "civilized" for weeks or months before they can enter the school. So that's what happens. We brought sidewalk chalk, those twisty balloons that you make animals from, and colorful beads for bracelets. I drew big shapes - flowers, stars, airplanes, cars - on the courtyard pavement to be colored in by the kids. It never occurred to any of us that there were kids in the world who don't know how to color. I guess if you can't afford coloring books, that's the deal. Happily, they took to it with gusto once their teachers demonstrated the concept. But on the whole, these kids seemed kind of shellshocked in comparison to...
...the kids who've been in school for a while. These kids have been taught hygiene, they wear uniforms, they're super happy and polite. Basically they're kids who've benefitted from a lot of extra love. Dr. Reeta and her husband Hari have built this gorgeous facility up from swampland over about nine years (I think). Basically, they felt called to it. And what might happen is that about 800 kids per year might graduate from living conditions that do dishonor to the word "slum."
We brought jump ropes and kind of massacred the notion of double-dutching in front of them. Hopscotch was the surprise hit of the day. And their version of Duck Duck Goose. There was a lot of English practice ("Hello, my name is Shiva. How are you? I am fine.") Also about a hundred of them made us autograph their balloon animals. It was hilarious. Usually they leave at 2 p.m. The staff had to kick them out at 4 p.m., and us as well. We didn't want to leave.
We visited the neighborhood these kids live in. Over time you start to mentally filter out the ankle-deep trash everywhere, the pigs, mange-scarred dogs, mud, excretions of all flavors, even the smell. You focus on the positives: the families who manage to carve out a relatively clean corner for their family photos, sleeping mats, and shrines to Ganesh. Then you see a little girl with open sores on her head. And not to get too reductivist, but Ganesh, Vishnu, Shiva, and the whole lot are part of a system that tells these slum dwellers (along with like 700 million other Hindus) that some unknown past-life choice has caused them to deserve these living conditions. And there is no remedy within their grasp. Certainly no one bears any obligation to help them out. One can infer this is the semiofficial stance of the Hindu-flavored government as well.
(One might also observe that this is the semiofficial stance of the Christian-flavored government in the U.S., but then one might have to contend with Christian-flavored performance artists like Anne Coulter, etc., who conveniently gloss over the whole feeding the hungry / clothing the naked part of the not-so-New-anymore Testament, and, really, one doesn't want to contribute to the divisiveness industry any more than one can help. But it's SO TEMPTING.)
And then we visited a big fancy gold Buddhist temple hand painted in gorgeously rendered murals of mutilation and disembowelment because, um, life is suffering? Like we needed a reminder.
Insert some joke here about needing a drink...
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Comments
I'm glad Bob is bringing attention to the work of Christ's followers in India. They serve as an example to us all. We need more people like this here in the U.S. Just of think of the wealth we have here and if people used that to do good rather than spend it on their own lavish lifestyles.
I didn't know we had a Christian-flavored government here in the USA. It's actually a secular government. I also didn't think the underlying philosophy of the U.S. government was that "some unknown past-life choice has caused [the poor] to deserve these living conditions." Hmmmm...
Posted by: Eric | November 13, 2007 3:20 PM
I think by 'Christian flavored' Bob meant that the U.S. government is founded on Christian principles.
Posted by: | November 13, 2007 3:41 PM
That was a pretty cheap shot. If this really were the underlying philosphy of our government, Massey wouldn't likely even be in India, nor would he have that much to really write about.
But I guess when you are inculcated by a society wherein most Christians are all seen to be hypocritical, cold-hearted idiots (as seems to be a prequisite to post on this blog), such petty comments must indeed become tempting, even when you know better.
If he doesn't want to contribute to the divisiveness industry, then he shouldn't do so, with or without parenthesis.
Posted by: kevin s. | November 13, 2007 4:50 PM
Mr. Massey was pointing out the present US administration's opposition to birth control strategies in these poor countries and then neglects the poor and the hungry in those countries. I agree that this is not Christian flavored in any way. But then maybe it depends on your definition of Christianity.
Peace
Posted by: NIckerson | November 13, 2007 5:07 PM
"But I guess when you are inculcated by a society wherein most Christians are all seen to be hypocritical, cold-hearted idiots (as seems to be a prequisite to post on this blog), such petty comments must indeed become tempting, even when you know better."
Then why do you bother? Do us all a favor and quit participating on here. Your snarky, mean-spirited postings never display Christ's love.
Posted by: davedee tich | November 13, 2007 6:57 PM
Davedee...
AMEN!!
Posted by: marialynn | November 13, 2007 7:00 PM
Sorry 'bout the repost -- first time got lost in the ether:
I think what Massey means by "Christian flavored" is "I'd like to blame the situation in the slums of India on Christian conservatives in the US. I know that's not entirely fair, but I can't help myself, so I'll do it in such a way that I can claim to be saying something else, and then I'll add in a pre-emptive snark about Ann Coulter so maybe they won't call me on it."
It's a pity, I really liked his earlier posts on India.
Wolverine
Posted by: Wolverine | November 13, 2007 7:32 PM
Davedee...
AMEN!!
Posted by: marialynn
Really Marialyn, You believe the coldness of allowing those In India to starve in comaprable to Conservative Christians view of many such as myself of less government fostering greater chance of opportu8nity ?
On another blog you speak of hatred based on bigotry ? Whats the difference here ? Your bigotry is based on facts of other people's motives based on your politics .
Kevin's post took a shot at a basic impoverished situation we all could speak to as being needed to stop , but the author tried to connect a terrible religious view that those in poverty are being punished for a past life to Conservative Christians in our culture . Interesting we also give more to charities then our liberal superiors .
I know my church spends resources of our Congregation to do so , and in India .
Interetsing your Amen also speaks to the bigotry in this country that puts us in our place from those in your highly regarded humanists and pagans of our culture , and of course of your superior understanding of the Love of Christ .
Pray for our weak understand and relationships with Christ , and His teaching that we should Reach out to the World with our own Hearts and resources , sorry if we don't want to use the pagans and those in your political camp to do it.
It so often occurs when you take Christ out of the giving , you take out more then some of want to .
For us without any love of Christ involved , obviously from your post there is none, this person's post sounded like clanging cymbals as his post offered no love , just blame .
Posted by: Mick Sheldon | November 13, 2007 8:25 PM
How would you like people from India coming over here and pointing out our societal deficiencies - and I happen to know that libertarians and many conservatives believe that people as the authors of their own misfortunes, even if it's not a past-life bad decision that caused their misery.
No doubt it would provoke some righteous flag-waving and immediate pointing out of the deficiencies of their country.
So why not cut this guy some slack, for not simply bad-mouthing another nation's foibles which he's visiting, but being fair and not self-righteous for observing that his own nation is not completely without sin?
Methinks conservatives here may have a guilty conscience, they are so hypersensitive to any admission that there might possibly be something wrong with anything in America - other than liberals, of course!
Posted by: N.M. Rod | November 13, 2007 8:55 PM
Mr. Massey's disparagement of Hinduism wasn't very helpful. Especially when it is understood that God created all of the major compassion religions.
With its thousands of years of civilization, there
are many things we do not know or understand of India's ways, politics, hardships, aspirations, or of the saintly people who have passed through India.
Posted by: linda | November 13, 2007 9:16 PM
Massey's argument re slum dwellers is simple.
1. Hindu's believe that you are born to a set place.
2. Therefore you should not seek to change your station.
3. Therefore you should not seek to help anyone else change their station (it's what they deserve, right).
4. Therefore it is totally consistent to do little or nothing to help the poor.
5. Therefore the Indian Government does little or nothing to help the slum dwellers.
Now take the same five steps and run them backwards for the US. Use the word 'because' instead of 'therefore.'
5. The US Government does little or nothing to help the slum dwellers (or global poor).
4. Because this is totally consistent with their beliefs about the poor.
3. Because you should not help anyone change their station.
2. Because ...
I think the point he was making is that disregard for the poor could be logically consistent for Hindu's. However it is not logically consistent for Christians. So why is the end outcome so often the same?
Be Blessed,
Posted by: Trent | November 13, 2007 9:39 PM
The GOP?
Posted by: linda | November 13, 2007 10:18 PM
NM Rod wrote:
So why not cut this guy some slack, for not simply bad-mouthing another nation's foibles which he's visiting, but being fair and not self-righteous for observing that his own nation is not completely without sin?
So its okay to make broad generalizations about other cultures and religions if you follow it up with a smart-aleck comment about conservatives back home. Thanks for explaining that.
Methinks conservatives here may have a guilty conscience...
And of course, blaming your domestic political opponents for a tragic situation on the other side of the world, without any indication of what they should be doing differently, all the while pretending that you aren't accusing anybody of anything because if you did Ann Coulter would be all over you -- that is the unmistakable mark of a man with a clear conscience.
they are so hypersensitive to any admission that there might possibly be something wrong with anything in America - other than liberals, of course!
I would say that its remarkable that Mr. Massey had to go all the way to India to find something wrong with America that wasn't the liberals fault. But that would be a cheap shot. (But it's SO TEMPTING!)
Hey, at least I'm willing to admit that there's something wrong with America, so why don't you cut me some slack?
Wolverine
Posted by: Wolverine | November 13, 2007 10:22 PM
None of us knows what Bob Massey meant when he referred to Christian-flavored government, so perhaps my guess is as good as yours.
If I used the phrase 'Christian-flavored government' to describe the U.S. government, I would use it to mean a government that clothes itself--VERY LIGHTLY--in Christian talk, e.g., President Bush's statements that he gets his instructions from God. If God does indeed instruct Mr. Bush to go to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, even though the men responsible for 9/11 came from Saudi Arabia, I am tempted to believe--and indeed DO believe--that President Bush uses this God-talk to find favor with conservatives. I do not believe that the President's actions are, in fact, based on Christ's example. God will be the judge of that.
Posted by: bren | November 14, 2007 1:46 AM
"Then why do you bother?"
Because this blog is entitled "God's Politics", as opposed to "conservatives are bastards".
"Do us all a favor and quit participating on here. Your snarky, mean-spirited postings never display Christ's love."
Translation: I disagree with the things you say and I would like not to have to read them anymore.
"I think the point he was making is that disregard for the poor could be logically consistent for Hindu's. However it is not logically consistent for Christians. So why is the end outcome so often the same?"
Yeah, I got that. That's what I'm arguing with. Conservative Christians in this country give a greater portion of their income to charities both domestic and international.
His comment was cheap and unsupportable.
Posted by: kevin s. | November 14, 2007 12:10 PM
Wow.
It is so crazy how people can get so upset at certain comments and loose sight of the big picture.
As far as the whole upset over the 'Christian flavor' thing. I guess if even Christians view Christians in that way, we need to start representing and making a change in the world.
Tam
Posted by: Tam | November 14, 2007 4:29 PM
I guess if even Christians view Christians in that way, we need to start representing and making a change in the world.
Tam
The Good News is so many do .
Posted by: Mick Sheldon | November 14, 2007 7:49 PM
"It is so crazy how people can get so upset at certain comments and loose sight of the big picture."
I'm not upset. I'm just disappointed because Massey's posts have generally been interesting and thoughtful.
Posted by: kevin s. | November 14, 2007 8:27 PM
I would like to just highlight one part of this post that touched my heart:
These kids have been taught hygiene, they wear uniforms, they're super happy and polite. Basically they're kids who've benefitted from a lot of extra love.
May we all benefit from a lot of extra love, God's love for each one of us, despite our sins and pride and seek to share that love with eachother as best we can.
In peace,
Shakur
Posted by: Shakur | November 14, 2007 11:02 PM
Nice post, Bob.
And since when is taking a wee shot at Ann Coulter off limits? C'mon, people. That's why the DNC hired her in the first place.
Posted by: David Williams | November 15, 2007 3:49 PM
"Translation: I disagree with the things you say and I would like not to have to read them anymore."
Translation: I can't take any correction.
I meant what i said; your postings are snarky and never display Jesus's love. You may very well be full of his love, but it doesn't show on this blog.
Posted by: davedee | November 15, 2007 6:03 PM
WOW! I'd never been to this sight before. I thought it was a Christian sight. But after reading all the comments you all wrote, I was amazed at all the anger and hatred pouring out. I will not come back here. I would rather spend my time reading about people that are being productive and doing something positive for the world with their precious time instead of arguing and belittling others. Is that Christian?. There are way to many good things going on to waste time on haters.
Posted by: sue | November 15, 2007 9:51 PM
Y'all need to take that stuff outside.
Speaking of slavery, though not quite of the sexual variety, I just saw that Jerry Seinfeld Bee Movie, the main thrust of which ends up bee-ing that the production of a tasty item like honey, as well as the maintenance of the natural order of all things, requires the exploitation of a demeaned, for-all-intents-and-purposes enslaved, population of workers. And a happy time is had by all.
Posted by: Halverson | November 22, 2007 10:24 PM
Post a Comment
Are you aware of our Rules of Conduct?