Pray for India

A policeman gives water to one of the youngest victims.

Man, oh man - the scenes are horrible and the body count keeps growing. Mumbai was attacked by some unknown terrorist group. This hits close to home, because I lived in Mumbai 8 years ago for a year. I know all the places that were hit. I have been to the Taj hotel several times. It is the top hotel in Mumbai - rooms start at $300 American. Visiting dignitaries such as heads of state stay there, often locking the whole hotel down during their stay. I used to go there, because the book store used to fly in the current issue of Rolling Stone magazine from England. I have had dinner at the Leopold Cafe several times - it is THE place to meet up with other westerners. I would go there to meet others like me, trying to make sense of the kaleidiscope of images that is India.

India always seems to be bordering on the edge of chaos, but this thing really tipped it over. To put it in local context - Imagine Hotel Vancouver, the 4 seasons, Granville skytrain station and a Cactus Club Restaurant being stormed by gunmen at the same time, leaving bodies and chaos in their wake. And then, the gunmen take guests hostage in the 2 hotels.

In more personal news, I wrote a book! Ok, its more like a booklet. And I'm trying to print and design it myself. It is an Advent devotional for our church. It is broken up into 4 weeks and each week reflects back on what I preached the previous Sunday.

It's like this:

Week 1: The God of Christmas
Week 3: Prayers of Christmas
Week 3: The Message of Christmas
Week 4: Worship at Christmas

There are scriptures, poems or song lyrics for each day from November 30 - December 25. I am also going to have acitvities that families and individuals can do that will help them reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ during this time when the message is co-opted by buying more stuff. I am almost done - I just need help designing it with imagery and printing.

Pray for India.