When westerners arrive as guests in the East they need to be prepared for a number of differences in the culture. One important difference is the whole area of hygiene. One should always remember that the left hand is seen as the toilet hand this means that you should never shake hands or eat with this hand. Talking about toilets, you will notice that beside each toilet is often a little water spray. This is used instead of toilet paper. Once you get used to it, it becomes obvious that it is a much more ecological friendly system, not nearly so many drains would be polluted with toilet paper if we were to adopt such a practice.

We were wakened up the next morning with Alfred’s knock on the door. It was 11.00 am and we had overslept. Most people in India had completed a day’s work by the time we had surfaced for breakfast. The street outside was bustling with traders and people going about their daily work. We on the other had spent a long time travelling the day before and we had hours of sleep with which to catch up, so we didn’t feel too embarrassed by our sleeping pattern. Alfred is an interesting man. It was obvious that his skills as a leader of men had not been lost and he was a man who likes to keep to time and he was intent on keeping our programme on track a talent we were to be glad of in the days to come. The day was to include a visit to a local Hotel to make arrangements for the next day’s travelling arrangements. We are going to be visiting an area renowned for its Hindu temples and standing stones. Hiruvanmiyur is a south-end place in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Once unknown, this area is now an upcoming destination with Tidel Park being located nearby. The legendary Marundeeswarar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva is located here. Thiruvanmiyur also houses Kalakshetra, famous world over for the preservation, teaching and development of Indian culture, tradition, dance and art forms.

Breakfast was served by Sulu who speaks four languages, India is a land of so many differences. I think there are literally hundreds of local languages and dialects spoken, hence many of the Indian’s use English as a common language. Like most Scots abroad faced with the ability of other nationalities to speak English, you do feel a little inferior knowing that you have made little attempt to learn their language.

Breakfast turned out to be a typical continental breakfast, although I thought the cornflake package looked a little odd having the face of a white blonde kid on it promoting child health care. The packaging looked a bit American. The tradition in India is that the lady of the house stands and serves her guests and looks to their every need. Sulu did exactly this with great dignity and grace. However we also found that there was also a servant in the kitchen, giving the backup support to the lady of the house, I’m sure this a custom of which many a lady in Scotland would be glad to adopt. Here again the opportunity for employment has to be maximised in a country of over 1 billion people. Working in service is how millions of people all over the world earn their living. India is an example.

We got ready for our visit to the travel agent. We were keen to get some of the following days travel arrangements confirmed and we needed to confirm that we would hire a car to take us to the famous Tamil Nadu standing stones. Alfred explained that his driver would be at our disposal if we thought the hotel package was too expensive.

Oh yes you will soon discover that many middle class families in India employ a driver to be available to drive their car whenever required. The driver also acts as general support to the family. This is really quite a good idea as an elderly fit couple like Alfred and Sulu will be able to remain pretty independent for many years because of the additional support. We came to an agreement with the Hotel for a driver for the day and duly paid up for the service. On leaving the Hotel we had a quick tour around the city, Alfred taking us to At Andrew’s Scots Kirk. I wondered what kind of people attended this church now that the colonial period was over.

We returned home in the late afternoon to take some rest and to prepare for our first meeting with a group of pastors that Alfred had brought together to talk about World Without Wall. It was an interesting evening meeting Raj Ignatious Sunderaj and Abraham. Each of these men have fascinating ministries and we were to find out a lot more about them as the weeks went on.

Sunderaji was a part-time pastor who worked in a bank in the City of Chennai. He needed little prompting to get talking about his life as a Christian leader. Sunderaji told the group assembled how he has always been asking difficult questions. Questions that were to earn him many a clip round the ear from the local parish priest. He once asked why Jesus was still on the cross if we truly believe that he has risen from the dead. He smiled and used this as an illustration why he had left the Catholic Church as a child. While still a small boy he had made 15 of his friends disciples of Jesus. You can now imagine how we were feeling in the presence of such humble and godly people. Little did we know that within a few months he would be killed in a road accident

Christianity isn’t really taught it is caught, and I for one was being reminded of my own childhood and my earnest desire to serve the Lord as a young boy. I think there is a great deal of faith in our children and we as adults get a little afraid of that kind of spirituality in our children. When he pastors left it was time to retire for the night and reflect upon our full first day in India.

In a few months time a group of us from St Andrew’s Bo’ness will be heading out on a fact finding trip to India. It is all part of or World without Walls project. It is our aim to strengthen the ties between our community here in Bo’ness and the work that is being carried out with our partners in India. Have a look at the WwW web page under partnerships and you’ll get a hint of the kind of things we’re looking to support. i hope to post two or three pieces about my last visit to India. i hope these will be of interest, to those who will be making the trip in July and also to others who are interested in building friendships around the world.

On Monday 25 July 2005 Martha and i arrived in Chennai after a long tiring flight from Frankfurt. I always find it interesting when I travel around the world. I am amazed at the number of vibrant and colourful people that you can’t help noticing as you move around an airport. I often wonder what they are all doing. Each one has his or her own personal life story touching the other in passing. If we wanted we could connect these stories by becoming part of each other’s experience. Each one with its dramas of sorrow and pain anxiety and hope all colliding, silently together, no one speaking aloud the things that are holding them all in a common humanity – their need to be loved and to love.

London had just been bombed a few weeks before and an additional bombing had just taken place again that weekend. Everyone seemed to be in a state of vigilance. Policemen with machine guns certainly make a statement at the airport

At Chennai airport we found ourselves in a line for the foreigners to pass through immigration. I quite liked the idea that I was a foreigner and I chuckled within myself thinking that at least the authorities in Chennai were not prisoners to the politically correct brigade. I can imagine the furory that would be kicked up if Edinburgh Airport was to erect such signs. Like everyone in the line we expect to get through but we all watch our ps and qs, so easy to make a joke that might backfire. These days everyone approaches the official at the immigration desk with the greatest of respect. The passports are duly stamped and Martha and myself head towards the baggage reclaim. The airport is tired looking and the toilets have that well used look about them. Not the best of places to go to freshen up before meeting our Indian hosts. Later on I discover that the airport like so many has outgrown its facilities and a multimillion pound refit has started.

We were both a bit apprehensive about going to stay with complete strangers for a few days before going on our five days vocation at the Kumarakom Lake Resort.

Our fears were soon put to rest when we were met by a delegation of four very excited and helpful Indian faces welcoming us to Madras. We were taken aback to receive garlands from our host to be Captain Alfred Thacker. Alfred was to prove quite an amazing 72 year old retired sea captain. His organisational ability and willingness to make this mission as he calls it work was quite exceptional.

Chennai is a city of some 8 million people. It is a busy buzzing mass of humanity. The first thing that any traveller to India will notice is the amount of bicycles and motor cycles and buses on the road and of course the legendary white Morris Cowley the enduring symbol of a Britain that once was the workshop of the world. Today even the great Rover car that once was a symbol of British reliability and value is now being touted around the Industrialts of the world to see if one will take pity on the car workers of Longbridge . Its ironic that it now looks as though China will end up coming to the rescue of the workers of Birmingham. Talking about cars and cities, it seems as though every driver in the Medras is anxious to peep his horn. How they know whose who I will never know. For the next week however we will have no need to drive we will hand our lives and decision making powers over to Alfred who has already put together our every move for the next week.

We arrived at the Thacker’s flat a spacious apartment in one of the better districts of the city. Sulu Alfred’s wife welcomed us and had a light supper she had prepared. We were glad that our hostess could see we were tired and didn’t insist that we stay up to get further acquainted, by this time it was into the small hours of the morning we more than happy to go to sleep in an air-conditioned room. Next morning Alfred explained to me that his neighbours across the street were rich gold dealers from Arabia. Outside their house on the pavement I could see a man at a table ironing clothes. Further down the same street you can come across a tailor crossed legged working his sewing machine. India has an economy built on small time services. You can even get your washing picked up from the door by the dobbie women, however if you have any delicate clothing it might be best not to pass it on. It will come back clean but perhaps a bit more thread bare. The women wash the clothes the traditional way beating them against the huge flat stones at the side of the river that have been used for centuries to clean clothes.

One of the greatest challenges as a minister of the Gospel in today’s culture is to make worship relevant for all those who attend on a Sunday.Doing it without being gimmicky or trendy is essential because very quickly people see through shallow presentation and begin to search for substance. Equally people need to be stimulated by the whole experience of going to church. What they see with their eyes, what they hear with their ears, and what they encounter from the body language of the congregation will without doubt influence them. I think it was Eddie Gibbs that said people make their mind up with in the first ten minutes of a service whether they’re going to like it or not. Gibb’s research seems to show that initially people return not because of the preacher but because of the initial ethos and welcome they receive in church.

Let me tell you it is not an easy task getting the balance right each Sunday. What seems to be meaningful and helpful to one person may well have the exact opposite affect on another. Bridging the gap between opposites calls for a unique kind of construction. Some try to construct worship to suit a homogenous group of people. Parish churches by definition are about serving the whole community, sometimes I envy those churches that have set themselves up to appeal to a particular kind of person. Some have gone down the route of market research. Checking out what will appeal to a specific age group or interest group.

Its facinating reading the books written by so called successful pastors of independant churches as they seek to roll out their formula for success. The truth is that it is almost impossible to copy someone else’s ministry blue print. Anyway the challenge that faces those of us called to serve a parish is to be faithful but i also think fruitful. This means that we must always be exploring how we engage all of the people of God and not just one group.

Today I’ve been struggling with the content and feel of our multi-media service for Sunday evening. We’ve been running these monthly services for the past ten years. Yeah, I think we must have been one of the first congregations in the Church of Scotland to buy a video projector and start showing clips from movies as part of a worship experience. You know something, sometimes the less you have the more you can do. The more you have the less you do, because you know the variety of options open to you. Anyway I’ve had to make a choice about Sunday evening worship this week. The theme ” back on the Street” is part of an eight part series entitled “On the Street” We’ve created this idea from scratch. What we’re doing is piloting this series with the option of sharing it with a much wider group of churches. So I’ve got to write something that can be used in a variety of churches. After a long discussion this afternoon with a few members of the church staff I’ve decided to go for the “less means more service”. Instead of pre-recording a labyrinth to put on to a number of MP3 players I’ve decided to go for a more reflective service using the idea that the street is a parable for life. The reality is that you meet all kinds on the street. “Back on the Street” will be about people on the street who have no options – these are the people who find themselves living on the streets. They could be policemen,homeless people,street traders. the fact is they are all on the street to earn a living and each one has a perspective about life and its meaning. The interesting thing is that we have Parishes Churches on almost every street corner in Scotland yet most of them are closed. i think i might trough out the challenge to the churches. Think about it – what does your closed doors say to a generation that is looking to go through open doors. Maybe its time we all got back on the streets again. telling the good news simply and honestly without gimmicks.

I was in the Peruvian capital of Lima last week. Did you know the city celebrated its 472nd anniversary a couple of weeks ago. There was still a bit of a celebration going on in down town Miraflores, as i walked across Park Kennedy, looking at the art and searching for my favourite Peruvian artist Nestor Lopez. Nestor wasn’t in sight and i guess Martha was glad because I think another Peruvian classic painting hanging in the lounge would just about “do her heed in” Anyway I was there showing a few folk around the projects we have been supporting as the chair of the Vine Trust. Our partners Union Biblica are delivering an amazing programme working with street boys and also delivering a free health service to over 100,000 people in the Amazon basin.

Late one night I walked the streets of down town Lima and saw young girls prostituting themselves, children who were high on glue and drugs.

The staff of Union Biblica handed out bread and porridge and the kids lapped it up. These were the abandoned children of Lima. In some quarters of peruvian society they are regarded as street vermin. Often they hide in sewers during the day and come out at night to see what they can find to eat or steal.

Got me thinking. We too have abandoned children in Scotland, immotionally abandoned by parents who give them everything except love. The amazing thing is that when these children encounter love they become different people. The photographs below show the difference a year or two can make in a child’s life given the proper care. These pictures were taken at Kusi near Yungay, one of the seven sites where the Vine Trust is partnering Union Biblica in rehabilitating street children

This is a magical place high in the Andes away from the dry and dusty streets of the capital.