[Vision2020] Christmas in India

[Nick Gier]

Greetings of the Season:

Warren Hayman's post reminded me of two Christmases I spent in India.  I 
was in Bangalore both times and the shops were all decorated and Christmas 
cards were for sale.

My daugher and I spent one Christmas eve at a Christian ashram in Tamil 
Nadu where religious syncretism had gone completely wild.  The name of the 
ashram was "Satcitananda," making a parallel between the Hindu and 
Christian Trinities.  (For more see my essay "Wondrous Trinities 
Everywhere" at www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/trinity.htm.) The apostles were 
sculpted in the style of Hindu gods at the top of small Hindu-like 
temple.  But the ultimate sock-blower-offer was a statue of Christ seated 
in the lotus position with a protective serpent hood over his head instead 
of the standard halo.  I remember myself saying to Christina: "Does the 
Pope know about all of this?!"

For some Hindus Jesus is yet another incarnation of the great god 
Vishnu.  Krishna and Buddha are other major Vishnu incarnations and they 
had a royal genealogy, had miraculous births, were threatened in infancy by 
demon princes, worked miracles, were part of a divine Trinity, etc.  It's 
the wonderful Savior Archetype that you can read about at 
www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/archetype.htm.  Redeeming myths everywhere!

Our favorite restaurant in Bangalore was the one at the West End Hotel near 
the race track.  There was an Indian band there whose specialty was Country 
Western.  My partner Gail would always request the song "Help Me Make It 
Through the Night," which has just been rated #1 in "Heartaches by the 
Number: Country Music's 500 Greatest Singles" (Vanderbilt University 
Press/Country Music Foundation Press) by David Cantwell and Bill 
Friskics.  One night we tried to run up the bill by ordering starters, 
drinks, main dishes (of course), and desserts but, as much as we tried, the 
bill came to only $17.  That was 1995.  In the new India of today it would 
be at least $50.

Nick Gier