During the hustle and bustle of the holiday the true meaning of Christmas can sometimes get lost or not receive its proper reverence. For me I have found the celebration of this holiday season difficult to completely enjoy because of my reaction to life’s circumstances. Today a video was shared that truly brought the magnitude and magnificence of Isaiah 9:6 to life, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” As you view the video may it inspire and illuminate the true meaning of Christmas.
Well family, I now have less than 12 days before I will be enjoying familiar and missed scents of savory delights found in the states. Whenever I need a boost I find myself eating at TGIF at the mall but for some reason buffalo meet does not have the same flavor of US grade beef.
While visiting Amritsar I had the pleasure of dining at two recommended restaurants whose ambiance was, well, polar opposites! The video displays behind the scenes film of one of the featured restaurant, Kesar Da Dhaba voted #1 on TripAdvisor.com. You can only imagine my facial expressions as we opened the door to this establishment. All in all the food was good and I will have checked that dining experience off the list.
Pray:
I continue to pray for God’s Will to be done in and around my life and the lives of those I love. It goes without saying that life presents challenges and opportunities for growth should we allow them. It is easy to retract to familiar and comfortable when the circumstance is calling for faith and character growth. In those moments it is important that we seek God through prayer and His Word so those moments are fruitful not only to our faith journey but to those whose paths we cross.
Love:
I absolutely love the hospitality of Indians. Every visit no matter how short is greeted with tea and snacks. In fact the host considers it an insult if you do not partake in one or both. It is because of their hospitality that I feel welcomed, appreciated, and loved.
Teach:
I learned a lot about the city of Amritsar which is located in the state of Punjab. What you are about to read is information gleaned from Wikipedia. This city was founded by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das in 1574 on land bought by him for 700 rupees. It is home to the Golden Temple whose formal name is Harmandir Sahib. The Golden Temple is the spiritual and cultural center of the Sikh religion. There are 5 prominent characteristics of Sikhism known as the 5 K’s:
Kara is a steel or iron bracelet worn on the wrist, in battle they may be used as brass knuckles and larger ones worn on the turban are thrown
Kirpan is a long sharp sword worn to protect innocent and defenseless people in violent clashes and uphold justice and rights.
I remember being a bit taken back during my first cab ride home by a Sikh because of his sword I noticed when he opened my door. The next day when I inquired about this, it was then that I was told about the 5 K’s which have received some additions by modern Sikh’s to include other K’s that you may ask me about should inquiring minds want to know.
My visit to Amritsar which was a six-hour train ride by the way would not have been complete without a visit to the Wagah border which has also been referred to as the “Berlin wall of Asia.” It is here where the Border Security Force (B.S.F.) of India and Pakistan rangers engage in what is now friendlier showing of style and skill as they close the gates every evening. At one time the ceremony was aggressive but due to the soldier’s complaints of hurt feet and knees while performing the “goose steps” daily it has become what my friends and colleagues describe as “The Ministry of Silly Walks” by Michael Palin. To read more about this or see the link to the actual ceremony and sketch for comparison please visit my friend’s blog: http://www.dentsadventure.com/?p=2723. As I viewed the ceremony memories of the “Battle of the Bay” or any HBCU marching band competition for that matter, came to mind.
Also shown in the video are photos from the visit to the home of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre which was the killing of hundreds of unarmed and defenseless Indians by senior British military officer Brigadier-General Dyer. On April 13, 1919, a large number of people, mostly Sikhs, had poured into the city from the surrounding villages. The meeting was to be a peaceful discussion to which two resolutions were successfully passed – one being the Rowlatt Act and other the condemning of the firing that occurred on April 10th. A third resolution was being proposed when Dyer and his men arrived without warning opening fire on the crowd demanding that they disperse. The firing continued for about 20 minutes dispensing 1650 rounds of .303-inch ammunition killing 379 and wounding 1200.
Last but certainly not least my first Indian wedding is displayed in the video. It was an extremely wonderful experience all the way from a private sari showing to the wedding festivities itself. I always thought weddings in the US were expensive but those thoughts changed when learning what goes into a wedding in India that is a 3-4 day experience complete with a wedding dowry and gifts to accompany the invitation to family members to only name a few. It is an experience!