India: Exotic World or Call Center

   Hello all...I apologize for not blogging after the first class, but I have no good excuse.  Last week, during the first Sunday of our five week series on India, we focused on the historical background of India up to independence from their colonial master, Great Britain.  This involved looking at the larger India of the British Empire...now broken up into Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and India.  Much of this was just a history lesson, but the most important component to me was the discussion of the role of Mohandus Karamchand Gandhi, known to most of us at Mahatma Gandhi.  His name is Mohandus Karamchand, but because of the role he filled within his culture, he was given the informal title of Mahatma which means (Great Soul).  From all I can find about this man, he was truly the soul of his country and would formally be given the title of "Father of the Nation) upon independence from the British.  Gandhi was a great Indian, but his impact has extended far beyond the borders of his homeland.  His brand of non-violent resistance to oppression has influenced many great leaders throughout the world, notably in our country he was a primarly influence on the ideas of one of our greatest leaders...Reverend Martin Luther King Jr..
    Today we focused on the geography and demography of India and looked at what a unique and diverse country it is.  In the end, after our analysis and observations, what makes this country so unique to study is the sheer size of its population and how that affects its people and culture.  While India is the second largest country in the world, with 1.156 Billion people, it is only 1/3 the size of the United States.  Imagine packing that many people into the space East of the Mississippi River.  The overcrowding would be beyond anything we could every imagine.  This problem colors everything that goes on in India, from housing to pollution to the caste system to economics and politics.  In the weeks to come we will focus in on India's economy and politics...finishing up the last week with a look at what was originally East Pakistan but is now known at Bangladesh.  I thought this was fitting, as this is the last large piece of British India that we will not have studied in our trip through this region.  I look forward to talking with everyone again next week and thank you for your attendance.

First Light – Week 5: The Lake as the World

Jesus’ ministry is conducted almost exclusively in the small towns and hamlets around the Sea of Galilee. In the years of Herod the Great, prior to the birth of Jesus, the lake world was only minimally impacted by the empire of Rome. Herod focused on construction activities primarily in Judea and Samaria. His largest project was the great port of Sebastos in the new city of Caesarea. Herod also built a large, elaborate plaza around the Temple in Jerusalem.

Change came to the lake when Herod Antipus arrived as tetrarch. Antipus badly wanted to impress Rome and, like Herod the Great before him, become monarch over all the Jewish territories. Antipus first rebuilt Sephoris and encouraged the commercialization of agriculture to provide a growing tax base. Eventually, Antipus focused on the world of the lake. On the Sea of Galilee, Anitpus built Tiberias as the new capital city of Galilee. Commercialization of the fishing trade followed naturally. The disruption in the long-standing economy of the lake forced many peasants into poverty. Like the peasant farmers in the country, the fishermen of Galilee suddenly found their world turned upside down.

First Light – Week 4: Collaborative Eschaton

Crossan takes us into the heart of Jesus’ program this week. Crossan’s sees the program built around a repetitive set of actions taken by Jesus and his followers: heal the sick, eat with the healed, announce the arrival of God’s kingdom.

We had a lively discussion around Crossan’s view of Jesus’ healings. Rather than miracle cures, Crossan argued that Jesus was both symbolically and literally healing the ill by bringing them back into the larger community. Crossan held a skeptical view that the healings involved any actual reversal of physical ailment.

Much of Jesus’ ministry was centered on shared meals. The story of the loaves and fishes and the last supper are just two examples. These meals served as a reminder of the God’s abundance.

Finally, Jesus formalized his message in announcing the kingdom of God was present in these collaborative acts of community.

First Light – Week 3: God’s Great Clean-Up

This week we focused on the differences between the baptismal movement of John and the kingdom movement of Jesus.

Summarized, John had an eschatological vision of an imminent coming of God which would include a great “clean-up” of the man-made empire of Rome. John envisioned a punitive God punishing those who oppressed. John’s program of baptism was a re-enactment of the Exodus. Purification was achieved by a baptism/crossing of the Jordan. Each baptism was a step toward purifying Israel and a call for God to intervene. When Antipas beheads John, the movement is beheaded as well.

In contrast, Jesus argues that kingdom is not just imminent, it is present. Jesus insists we don’t need to wait for God; we need only to join in. Crossan calls this “collaborative eschatology.” Jesus views God as non-violent. There are consequences to sin and mistreatment of others, but the consequences are not punitive. Finally, the Jesus movement is collaborative unto itself. The movement will survive Jesus’ death.