January 20, 2010
We left our hotel at 6:45 in the morning for the airport and lifted off the runway at 8:40. We picked Grayson up at the hotel when we got back-he was feeling much better-and then drove to Madras Christian College. It was amazing getting to talk to some of the professors and students there about what it's like to be a Christian in a country where the party in power, the BDP, actively persecutes and oppresses Christians...the faith that was evident in these believers was inspiring and encouraging.
After going to MCC we visited two sites that are associated with the Apostle Thomas, who is supposed to have come to India in about 52 A.D. and ministered for twenty years before dying in 72 A.D.
There he is: Thomas himself. The first site was where Thomas died, fleeing those who wished and ultimately did him harm.
It was cool to see scripture prominently displayed on signs on the road up to the mountain. The other language aside from English is Tamil.
One thing i forgot to say: all the parks and historical sites that we visited were really popular places for couples to go on dates. This sign is proof that it had become a bit of a problem or something at this particular spot.
The inside of the church itself. It was really neat to sit here and pray where so many others had prayed before...that sense of history and generations upon generations of people following Christ isn't something we get a lot of exposure to in America, so it was great to experience some of it. As I was praying I found myself repeatedly praying, "God, give me faith like Thomas"...I'm still kinda wrestling with WHY I was praying that, but I think it's not so much "give me a weak faith" but more of "give me faith because without you ALL of us are like Thomas was before you showed yourself to him: unable to believe. so give me the faith that I could never have on my own"
The story goes that when his attackers came for him, Thomas prayed to God and God opened an escape route through the back of the cave-this is that little crack he crawled out of.
The indents on the rock are where Thomas' elbows and arms rested while he prayed while he lived here.
Out back they had these huge, life-size stations of the cross that were at once kinda cool and also a bit creepy.
This spring is said to have sprung up to satisfy Thomas' thirst and is believed to have magic curative powers. Norbert drank some haha
It was really comforting to be surrounded by believers and Christian sites the whole first day we were back in Chennai. Before we had lunch at MCC the provost prayed and blessed the meal-I hadn't realized just how much public/group prayer had been a regular occurrence in my life before missing it for over two weeks. But it was definitely encouraging to see believers in this part of the world and get to see some sites associated with someone who knew Jesus pretty intimately for three years and whose life was changed by him. I mean, you don't just go to India to tell people about some dead guy you knew...
Anyways, definitely another highlight of the trip: seeing the faith of these brothers and sisters halfway around the world!
Tomorrow: Our second-to-last day in India! A few last sights and sounds! More of Chennai!
