A little over a year ago, while we were in Kolkata, Paul and I decided to peruse some Indian children's books at a bookstore. It's interesting to read children's books from different cultures because they reflect something about the culture, its values, and worldview.
As we began looking at the books, both Paul and I found ourselves with our jaws dropped in sheer shock. Most of the books told stories of deception, lying, and cheating. But, what was even more shocking was that they glorified it. If at the end, if you got what you wanted, then you are considered clever. It doesn't matter that you deceived and cheated. It wasn't just, "The end justifies the means," it actually glorified using deception to exploit others' weaknesses.
Because we were so shocked, we decided to purchase two books as examples to show to our friends. One of the books is called, "Dinky the Spider." Dinky is hungry and wants something to eat. He can't seem to catch any food, so he comes up with a plan. He tells some flies that it is his birthday and that he has a yummy birthday cake inside a cave. An old fly tells the younger flies that he is lying and they stay away. But Dinky waits, and then then says, that there is cake in the cave, and that half of them can go in while the others wait safely outside. The flies go in. After some time none of them comes out. The remaining flies outside ask Dinky why they are not out yet. He tells them that it's because they are being greedy and are eating the cake all for themselves. He tells the remaining flies that they are welcome to go in the cave to take a bite of the cake too. So, the remaining flies go inside the dark cave and get caught by the web. It ends by saying, "There was no cake in the cave. Dinky had tricked the flied. 'Ha, ha ha." he laughed and ate them."
India is changing and economically it is starting to become an important world player. However, it has a long ways to go in terms of getting rid of corruption, doing justice, and having integrity. In the newspaper here, there is not a day that some form of government corruption is not mentioned. In the States, it happens, but it is an exception. Here, at a most basic level, people don't trust each other. For the most part, people assume that the other person is trying to cheat them. It is a sad reality of life here.
This story sadly reflects a value of this culture which is taught from childhood by some.....that is "Be clever and get your way, even if it means that you trample on the trust that has been shown to you." This story helped me to understand the general observation that I have had for some time--people just don't trust each other. Only the power of the HS and the blood of Jesus can change this culture of distrust, deception, and greed one person at a time....
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Monday, July 18, 2011
Dinky the Spider Lived Out
I (Paul) recently took a shared taxi up to Sikkim for a training workshop. It is 3+ hours on windy, bumpy roads, with a driver who is going as fast as he can. There are 10 passengers, with four people. crammed across the middle and back seats. It is uncomfortable at best, and nauseating (literally!) at worst. The front seats with the driver are prized. There are only three people across, and it is less nauseating. People often buy their tickets hours in advance to guarantee the good seats. I sent our driver three hours in advance to get the seat for me. I get car sick fairly easily, so it is important to me. He came back with seat number three. I was too late for the front, but I still had a window seat in the middle row - doable.
As the car was loading up, a better dressed young man addressed me in good English. "What seat number are you?... Are you going to sit there? Will you switch with my friend?" He motioned to his friend, standing next to him with his arm in a sling. "In the back [in on of the middle seats] will be very uncomfortable for him." He gave a look of concern, as if to say, "Have compassion on my poor injured brother." I explained to him that I need the seat by the window or I would be sick - and everyone would then be uncomfortable. He yielded and helped his friend into the back. I felt a little guilt for saying "No."
I was then shocked to watch him go and sit in seat number one - in the front by the window. He had enough heart and compassion for his friend to try and manipulate me out of my seat, but not enough to give up his own. I think he targeted me because he thought that as a foreigner might be easier to fool. What really amazed me was not just that he tried to manipulate me out of my sea, but that he would be willing to ride in the same vehicle with me for three hours, knowing that as soon as he took his seat, I would know that he had taken me. It seemed that he felt no shame in cheating me. It occurred to me that this was Dinky the Spider lived out is a very real way. It's okay to cheat, and you feel no shame. In fact, if you succeed, then you feel good about yourself.
That week I had read an article on a local news website. A prostitution ring had been busted in south India. The kingpin was a woman living in our neighborhood here in Siliguri. She and her son lured girls from our region with promises of jobs in beauty parlors. When they got them away from home they sold them to brothels. This to me was Dinky the Spider taken to a new level. Deceive people to further your own ends, and the ethic is, "If you succeed, you are clever."
I was saddened when I read the children's book, much more saddened when I learned of the human traffickers living in our neighborhood, and frustrated by my own little experience with that ethic. I repeated these things to some of our Indian Christian friends. They gave a knowing shake of their heads, "This is just in our culture, it is everywhere."
Pray for India. In the midst of all this cheating and exploitation, it is the poor who get exploited the most, but everybody gets held back. Most of all it corrupts the soul, as it encourages everyone to deny the image of God within us and turn to the enemy instead. There is a desperate need here that only Jesus can meet.
As the car was loading up, a better dressed young man addressed me in good English. "What seat number are you?... Are you going to sit there? Will you switch with my friend?" He motioned to his friend, standing next to him with his arm in a sling. "In the back [in on of the middle seats] will be very uncomfortable for him." He gave a look of concern, as if to say, "Have compassion on my poor injured brother." I explained to him that I need the seat by the window or I would be sick - and everyone would then be uncomfortable. He yielded and helped his friend into the back. I felt a little guilt for saying "No."
I was then shocked to watch him go and sit in seat number one - in the front by the window. He had enough heart and compassion for his friend to try and manipulate me out of my seat, but not enough to give up his own. I think he targeted me because he thought that as a foreigner might be easier to fool. What really amazed me was not just that he tried to manipulate me out of my sea, but that he would be willing to ride in the same vehicle with me for three hours, knowing that as soon as he took his seat, I would know that he had taken me. It seemed that he felt no shame in cheating me. It occurred to me that this was Dinky the Spider lived out is a very real way. It's okay to cheat, and you feel no shame. In fact, if you succeed, then you feel good about yourself.
That week I had read an article on a local news website. A prostitution ring had been busted in south India. The kingpin was a woman living in our neighborhood here in Siliguri. She and her son lured girls from our region with promises of jobs in beauty parlors. When they got them away from home they sold them to brothels. This to me was Dinky the Spider taken to a new level. Deceive people to further your own ends, and the ethic is, "If you succeed, you are clever."
I was saddened when I read the children's book, much more saddened when I learned of the human traffickers living in our neighborhood, and frustrated by my own little experience with that ethic. I repeated these things to some of our Indian Christian friends. They gave a knowing shake of their heads, "This is just in our culture, it is everywhere."
Pray for India. In the midst of all this cheating and exploitation, it is the poor who get exploited the most, but everybody gets held back. Most of all it corrupts the soul, as it encourages everyone to deny the image of God within us and turn to the enemy instead. There is a desperate need here that only Jesus can meet.
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