Let's celebrate

Two events took place last week in India. The first was an international event - INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY - which occurred on March 8. There were celebrations all over India marked by special seminars and conferences and even sports programmes. But one significant event was the flying of a modern AIR INDIA Boeing plane from Chennai to Colombo by an all women crew. The pilot and navigator, and cabin crew and others were all of the female gender and they did a magnificent job, flying very skillfully to Colombo and then turning around and returning to Chennai.

India has had women pilots for years and a gal in our congregation was a trainee pilot at one time. But this was an ALL women crew and that was significant. Thus a third world country like India leads in the bid for women to be treated equally with men.

The other celebration was on February 13. This was a local, Chennai phenomenon known commonly as BUS DAY. Local colleges choose a particular day and a particular bus route that passes by their college, and then identify its driver and conductor and for a full day treat them as VIPs. They are given gifts and refreshments while the students take over the bus, decorating (rather overdecorating it) with cheap colored streamers and balloons an what not. They then board and overload the bus, sitting on its roof or hanging from the windows. The crew, despite the celebrations in their honor, are often overwhelmed and appear as prisoners of the overly exuberant students. They are made to drive down Chennai's crowded avenues with the students bellowing out common film songs to the accompaniment of rather dubious drumming. The whole scenario is a conglomeration of chaos, cacophony, confusion, as well as expressions of goodwill, charity and love. Bus days are welcomed by students but dreaded by the bus crews and others. Bus days are fun filled for some while creating headaches for others.

Celebrations are good and the Bible does call for and validates a lot of celebration. In heaven there is rejoicing over the sinner who repents. Let's keep that a constant celebration as we work for the conversion of those whose lives need to connect to the Savior. May we continue in this faithfully while the celebrations in Heaven keep going on!