Watched a most beautiful sunset today. Second one in a week. Clouds were in the west as the sun was setting. Towering giants, standing and saluting the sun as it went past. An array of colors filled the sky around the clouds as though the sun was giving them one last hug before saying goodbye.
I watched the sun come up the other day, as it rose the hills and city around were covered in low hanging clouds that seem to have them tucked in like you would an infant in bed. Then as sun rose they started to reseed as though to say; “we have done our job and keep you warm overnight, now it is the sun’s turn.”
That same evening as the sun was setting I watch them roll back in on the west. Slowly drifting down the hills, like a slow motion ocean coming to wash over them. Gently gobbling up the hills and moving into the valleys to keep them all guarded throughout the night.
As I watched these I marveled at God’s great creation. It is amazing the design and beauty here in India (and for that matter everywhere I have visited).
There is a symmetry to the “seeming chaos” here, which is amazing and beautiful. With over 1 billion people in a fairly small land area they have worked out an unspoken system that defies the logic and rules of the west. From the free flowing traffic to crowed stores to the craziness of clearing the streets of vendors.
Last week the government came though and cleared the streets of any booth, sign or building extension that was encroaching on the sidewalks or streets. It was completely weird to Jeanine and myself. We were trying to get to the store but all the streets were jammed or closed. We ended up on foot, only to walk by all these smashed buildings. Then by the police officers that were directing the backhoes and bull dozers that were smashing them. Everyone stood around and watched while some shop keeper dug stuff out of the broken building. Still other shop keeper were ripping out their signs, all moving all their goods out, or trying to remove the part of the building encroaching on the side walk.
As it turns out the city had been telling them this would happen for months but no one moved. Then the city tore them all out, which has helped amazingly for us that walk places and eliminated some traffic congestion. It was funny talking to people that live here, pretty much everyone said “it happens, then in a few weeks all the shops will be back”, kind of like it is a big game. And sure enough they are starting to reappear. Just as a card table right now, with a “we take PayTM sign next to it”. I am sure soon they will be full on carts and fixed sheds. For those not in the know PayTM is a form of payment that goes via your phone. It’s one of the major forms of payment in India.
