Traveling Christmas

Unusual for us, we found ourselves on the road this time on Christmas eve and Christmas day. For me personally, I did not look forward to it. Brought up in the tradition of Christmas eve carols services, (which has been given up many years back when we moved out of our home state) Christmas morning services, meetings with friends etc., a Christmas on the move was not something I was happy with. So to motivate myself, I reflected  on the Christmas story and took comfort in the fact that Mary and Joseph travelled 90 kms on foot (in full term pregnancy), Shepherds travelled from far outside town, into town, late in the night or may be early hours of the morning, the wise men set out on a tedious long journey…..Till someone pointed out that these people travelled out of dreams visions and political compulsions, and I was left wondering what vision dream or political compulsion drove me this Christmas….

I took a book to read during the journey and the back cover caught my attention. Majesty in the midst of mundane…. the meaning of Christmas. So, I took it to heart that in the middle of the mundane train and flight journeys we are taking, there is the “Majesty” and it is for me to recognize that…But little did I expect it to be revealed the way it was revealed to me….

At the Raxaul railway station, as we were waiting for the train to be cleaned and made ready for the journey, I saw a well-dressed middle aged woman in a wheel chair. And I saw a man walking up and down the old foot over bridge multiple times, going back and forth. I did not realize what the issue was, till I saw him struggling to wheel the chair, up the 30 or 40 narrow steps of the foot over bridge. After taking the chair up about half way he stopped. There were another 20 to go up, then the bridge and then similar stairs to go down. There were many others walking up and down on the bridge, but no one was stopping, rather were giving “staring looks”. I suppose this sight was unusual for this part of the country.  I walked up to him and asked him “do you need help”? He said he can manage but if one more person is there, he can be confident that the chair will not slip. I walked aside till they reached the other platform, holding on to the wheel chair, making sure that it did not slip. They were returning home to the border town of Nepal. The systems of the station were not made for people and families like her, it was made for those in the majority, the abled who can walk up and down the bridge. Broken systems the world offers to those in the margins…. Systems that need the touch of the Majesty?

In the train, we had to be on the upper berths. The lower berth was occupied by a young family with 2 children. Children 6 and 3 perhaps. They were on a holiday, all paid for by their company, to Bangalore. The younger one – 3-year-old boy, was irritatingly vociferous. The father was getting angry with him for consistently talking and screaming…But his talk did not reduce nor did he respond to any scolding’s…. But after a few hours there was a perceptible silence. Kids had become quiet, but there was animated conversation between parents. Over hearing, we could recognize that there was a clear disagreement and angry words were being spoken by each other. I was a bit judgmental internally, about parents fighting like this openly in front of kids and public. Soon the husband refused dinner and went off to sleep. The mother fed kids and put them to sleep. 12.30 AM I got up to drop off a friend who was getting down at Durgapur. And I saw the mother sitting up – not sure since when, crying perhaps? The husband was snoring away. How would their holiday go, if the start was with broken relationships? Broken relationships that need the touch of the Majesty?

We reached our interim destination and guest house facility on Christmas day morning. Uncomfortable about not being in church on a Christmas day (habits and traditions) I went in search of church early in the morning. As I went out of the guest house, I saw a completely covered human being. Man, or woman I am not sure, surrounded by multiple plastic covers, all his/her possessions perhaps. Sleeping on the road side completely covered. As I moved ahead I found a few others, some already up others slowly getting up, waiting for the church to start perhaps? To get some money from the church goers? Broken lives that wait for a few crumbs from the hands of those who have made it…. Broken lives that need the touch of the Majesty?

I saw the church, well decorated church more than 250 years old, ready for the morning service. I went back to the room, took the bible, as usual for any morning and read – the passage was a bit challenging. James spoke succinctly and clearly “faith without works is dead”. I reflected on it, it did strike a disturbing chord internally, I put it aside for some time, and got ready and went to church. The church was as any other upper middle class urban church would be. I felt a bit out of place, not because I am not of that group – I had gone in my traveling clothes and there they were in their best. I had totally forgotten that Christmas you had to be dressed up. But there were couple of others who were travelers and visitors like me. The message was from a New Testament professor and was very powerful. But one statement stood out a bit discomforting – a slip of the tongue perhaps. “The angels announced the arrival to the shepherds, the outcast and weak of the society, like many of us are….”   It did not make sense. I did not think that anyone in the church or I could be clubbed with those in the margins like shepherds. We were the privileged in all senses.

I came out, the road side destitute were still there waiting for some money or food from those of us who were coming out. Most of us passed on like the Levite and priest in the Good Samaritan story. But near one man I saw 2 ladies in white saris and blue striped borders, in animated conversation with one of them. People of faith who should be in their churches on a Christmas morning but engaging those broken lives instead. Was that their Christmas morning service – engaging with those in the margins….?

As I came back to the place I was staying, there was another Hindi service happening in the grounds. People from the lower middle class, and a charismatic Pentecostal service, with much dancing and swinging happening. Powerful message of Christmas from the pastor again, on how Christ will and can change their lives….

I am still traveling – and on the way to the airport saw, hundreds of people celebrating the Commercial version of Christmas with “Santa Caps” on heads, Tiaras on heads and kathi rolls in their hands…..halfway through this trip, I am left with a few questions …….

Where was Majesty today – If the Majesty made trip down this Christmas, where would he be found….

Among those who struggle with the broken systems, broken relationships and or lives completely broken? Among those who are trying to engage with such systems and people, like the nuns I saw? Or among the people celebrating Christmas? Or among us the privileged church goers?

What does it mean when James says, faith without works is dead in the context of seeing majesty amid the mundane and the marginalized?

I am also assured now, that traveling is a good way to celebrate Christmas, to see Christmas differently, maybe I will do it again…. till my faith and work starts meeting or worship and work merge….