Disney may have told you that they have created the happiest place on earth but if they have convinced you that their clever combination of thrilling rides, classic characters, and life-changing attractions provides the most joy one could know, then you are surely brainwashed. I say this because there is a community of about 50 disabled people between the ages of 16 and 20 who have received a manifestation of the joy of the Lord in a most pure way. The fellowship they take part in is located in Dharavi, Mumbai which is the largest slum in Asia and is where Slumdog Millionaire was filmed. To paint a better picture: this slum is home to 10 million of the 18 million people who live in the city of Mumbai. And amongst the very tangible darkness in that place, these people are carriers of the undeniable light of Jesus. Some of them cannot hear a thing, but can move to the best silent beat i’ve ever heard and those who have limp limbs are possibly the most entertaining actors i have ever seen. I spent most of my time with little Vivek who won’t talk and is too weak to take part in normal childish fun, but has the most beautiful gift of laughter. All the kids are loved the same and no person is left out. Not one was lurking in a corner alone and there was no trace of exclusion anywhere because love was truely in abundance. The older kids look after the younger and genuinely care for them. There is never an awkward moment or any vibes of discomfort in their fellowship. In a split second they could make the loneiest and most unloved person feel on top of the world. But spending time with them would never clue you in on the amount of persecution they face daily. Somehow all of these good and wholesome things can be so true regardless of the underlying reality of their hardship. Most of them have been rejected by their families because they are shameful and have proven to hold no worth. To be born a healthy girl is a curse, so the disabled females are on the same level as garbage. Education for them is near impossible. They are a liability and a curse, definately not a gift. But they have something more precious and more powerful than i do. They take part in something more wholesome and more genuine than i ever have because they’ve already been set apart from the rest of the world. They are already outcaste and that is why they can have such a beautiful fellowship with the Lord. This is the beauty that god has called us to when he commands that we crucify the world. He doesn’t merely tell us to give up worldliness for the sake of surrender–he has something greater for us. But God cannot give us anything wholesome and and pure when we are clenching the world between our fists. We must loosen our grip on what is known and comfortable in order for God to gift us with himself. That is why these kids know the secret to true life more than any of us do. Because their world has already crucified them. They are already thrown out of the city gates. And so with nothing to lose, they can enter in to true life, true fellowship with the father–unstained from the world.
