Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu, India

February 9, 2012

As our microbus left the hectic, crowded street and neared the gates of St. John’s Matriculation School; the varied sounds of hand clapping, drums and singing filled our ears.  The seven of us cast bewildering looks around, and in discordant voices asked one other, “What’s going on?” and other similar queries.  Our microbus lurched to a halt just inside the gates of the school and we all filed out the side door.  A lady in a red sari bid us to follow her, and soon all our questions were answered.  Lining the path into the school grounds, eight hundred students of all ages had come out to greet us with fanfare, song, bouquets of flowers and gifts.  Needless to say, we were all somewhat flabbergasted with the attention showered on us by the staff and students of the school.  After some introductions, Shanti- the lady in the red sari and the Principal of the school- ushered us into her office so we could plan the day’s activities.  So began our whirlwind ministry in southern India.  How did we get here?

Mission- Seeking Opportunities to Serve

For the last couple of years, our Fellowship has prayed and sought for opportunities in which we could be of help and service in other areas of the world.  Last year we were able to bring a van load of wheel chairs to an orphanage in Mexico.   As we sought God about what we could do this year, St. John’s Matriculation School came to our attention.   Awhile back we had learned about the work of Dr. Thirumalai and St. John’s school through Alec Brooks and Charis International.  At that time we heard of Dr. Thirumalai’s desire to set up a sewing school at St. John’s and we gave towards that project.  Late last fall we learned that Dr. Thirumalai has been wanting a team to come to the school and teach conversational English, basic computer and possibly help out with some new construction.  After much prayer and conference, we decided to send five of us from the Fellowship to meet up with Alec and Joni Brooks in Delhi, India. From there we would proceed to Tenkasi where the school is located.

St. John’s Matriculation School

St. John’s Matriculation School began as the vision of Dr. Madasamy Thirumalai and his wife Swarna.  Their desire was to see a school established that could provide an education for those too poor to afford what was currently offered at the average school in India.   Sixteen years ago, the school began in some rented rooms in downtown Tenkasi- the town where Dr. Thirumalai grew up. The school first served Lower Kindergarten and Kindergarten students. Over the years, through Dr. Thirumalai’s and Swarna’s, perseverance and hard work as well as the Lord’s provision- the school has expanded to provide schooling for all the elementary grade levels as well as the first couple of upper level grades- up to 10^th standard. The school is now on its own property (through the sacrificial giving of Dr. Thirumalai and his wife and others), has three buildings housing the classrooms for 850 students and employs approximately 20 teachers. The students are all receiving an excellent education in math, history, reading, Tamil, science, social studies and English. Students also receive training in living a disciplined life, relating respectfully to others and how to work diligently and with excellence. For a majority of the students, none of this would be possible if it were not for the low tuition at which the schooling is offered. I learned that as well as providing a very good education for far below the average rate in India- 250 students are receiving scholarships which allows them to attend even though their families could not afford the tuition.

What we saw

On a typical day our team broke up in teams of two and cover three classes in the morning. Matthew and I worked with the computer classes, Tim and Jordan conversational English, and Betty and Joni would teach English songs. The caliber of the students we taught thoroughly impressed us. They had an enthusiasm for learning, were always excited and ready to get to work. Their respect, discipline and warmth towards one another and us will always be remembered. I had to remind myself that the majority of these students came from some of the poorest situations in Tenkasi. Their behavior never let on that this was so. These children were flourishing at St. John’s school. That is what we saw- children flourishing in the love of God that has come to them through the dedication and care that began with Dr. Thirumalai and Swarna sixteen years ago.

In my last post, I discussed Larry Crabb’s vision of the Church as a community in which it is safe to be human. 

This is one of the characteristics of “spiritual community” that Dr. Crabb sketches out in his book The Safest Place on Earth.  The other hallmark of this community is the way in which conflict is handled in relationships. 

Conflict will occur in human relationships.  It is inevitable among broken human beings that are following their own selfish agendas.  Paul warns us of the result if this egotism remains unchecked in his letter to the Galatians. (see Galatians 5:14 & 15) Conflict will also come about simply because we are unique individuals and have different ways of seeing and understanding life.  Like Dr. Crabb said, “Conflict is latent in every human relationship at every moment. It simply awaits a trigger to get it going.” (pg. 40)

The problem is not that conflict exists. Rather, the problem is our attitude regarding conflict.  In unspiritual community conflict is avoided, and consequently the life giving power of truth is suppressed in our relationships.

Dr. Crabb lists some of the ways avoiding conflict is practiced unspiritual community. We may “hide conflict behind congeniality”, or we will focus the energy of conflict “into cooperation on worthy projects where ugly drives become commendable zeal.” Others of us will “sooth the pain  we feel because of conflict, using consolation.” If the conflict is of  a severe nature we  may use counseling.  Lastly, there are those of us who will “let conforming pressures try to contain our ugliness within renewed efforts to do better.” (pp. 40-41)  In other words, we will do everything but honestly work through conflict in a way that is mutually satisfying to all involved.  When we give in to the  afore mentioned methods of avoidance, our relationships will lack intimacy and true mutuality.

In spiritual community, conflict is seen as a chance to experience a greater intimacy and sharing in our relationships.  The manifestation of conflict is our call that we now have an opportunity to trust God in a new way, and at the same time see something new about ourselves and one another.  Often what we see we will not like as our brokenness and ungodly passions are brought into the light.  If we faithfully refuse to hide in the ways Dr. Crabb mentioned, the conflict now becomes a conduit of God’s healing grace into our broken humanity.

What Christian community is and should look like has been the subject of countless blogs, books, small group discussions and sermons.   As a member of a fellowship living in intentional Christian community, I have often found the input from the wider conversation on community beneficial for the growth and development of our group. 

One book that I have found to be particularly helpful is Larry Crabb’s The Safest Place on Earth.  In his book, Larry presents a vision of the church as a safe community wherein we are able to own our brokenness. In doing so, we will provide the safety others need to own their brokenness also.  If this is not our experience he observes, “Community will be a competitive, demanding place where we feel the pressure to demonstrate that God has done more work in our lives than He has.” He goes on to say that also, “We might put a pseudo-brokenness on display and seize every opportunity to reveal our emotional struggles, demanding,…that others see our pain and take care of us (pg.37).”   Larry concludes that if we are not able to own our brokenness, we become a community that is unable to reflect the giving life of the Trinity because we are too caught up with either hiding or parading our problems.  This is one key difference between what he calls spiritual community and unspiritual community.

When I have attempted to hide or parade my problems,  my relationships became either distant or strained.  The pressure to be perfect, or the demand that others feel my pain and comfort me, carry the seeds of destruction for any mutual relationship.  On the other hand, embracing my humanity (brokenness) has proved to be the springboard to authenticity and intimacy in my relationships. Living in the light of who I really am before God and my fellow man is the ground from which trust, and mutual sharing thrives.

Larry makes a second important distinction between spiritual and unspiritual community, and that is in the way conflict is handled.  More on that in another post.