India travel seminar: Joyful unpredictability
BY DR. JAMES TANETI
India disrupts teaching plans. With its unpredictability, it surprises a teacher/student with new possibilities (and difficulties). To an educator who likes fixed plans, it can be a nightmare. It is a joy for an open, flexible and improvising teacher. My co-leader Dr. Sam Adams and I designed a series of learning opportunities for the day. With the announcement of a two-day long bandh (a state of standstill as a mark of protest) in the city of Bengaluru (Bangalore), we wondered if our teaching plans would fall apart in the last phase of the travel seminar. In our frantic altering of plans, our hosts at United Theological College (UTC) and Visthar demonstrated grace and flexibility. Our team members have been very cooperative.
We are grateful for the eleventh-hour invitation of Rev. Dr. Vasanth Rao Chilkuri (the Principal/President of UTC, the largest seminary in India) to his residence to talk about the partnership between the UTC and Union Presbyterian Seminary. We renewed our shared commitment to serve the church at large by equipping ministers and theological educators. We left UTC hopeful of the possibilities of serving the church in South Asia.
Left, Dr. James Taneti and, right, Dr. Sam Adams with the Rev. Dr. Vasanth Rao Chilkuri, the Principal (President) of United Theological College, our partner institution and the largest seminary in India.
Rev. Dr. Mathews Emmanuel Tathapudi of the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College (University) graciously changed his schedule to host us. We learned not only about the state of theological education in South Asia but also about extending and receiving hospitality.
The gracious hospitality at the home of Dr. Krupa Prathipati and her husband Rev. Victor Paul pleasantly punctuated our anxious day. The moving arathi (welcome) at Visthar, a retreat center and advocacy organization focused on gender justice, sustainability, and peace, where we will spend the next two and a half days, further enlivened our souls. A fabulous concert with Persian and Hindustani melodies to end the day taught us to appreciate life as it unfolds, receive grace and insight where available, and not be held captive by the clock.
Persian and Hindustani fusion concert at Visthar.
Top photo: David Selvaraj the executive director at Visthar with our India travel seminar.
Dr. James Taneti is Director of the Syngman Rhee Global Mission Center for Christian Education and Assistant Professor of World Christianity at Union Presbyterian Seminary.
