Artsy Fartsy Gospel Times

It was Ines's last day on Saturday so we stuffed our day full of good-for-you culture and church. First up a trip to Delhi's National Gallery of Modern Art. Not too many photos inside cause it wasn't allowed. There was a lot of good art there (and a bit of pretty dreadful offerings also) but I struggled to gain a complete picture of what Indian art is about. Maybe too much history of art makes me search for a narrative when there doesn't need to be one or perhaps I just saw too narrow a range in this museum but it exposed my ignorance about Indian modern art and culture. I don't know what has inspired this art or where it's going in the context of all the other Indian culture I have read about and experienced. But some of it was funny and at the end of the day I often go to the modern art gallery for a chuckle.

There was lots of good sculpture sitting on the lawn outside.

Don't you just have those days when you feel like a disembodied head engaged in a pulley system of weights atop an unseaworthy boat? No, neither do I.

Ines decided that this painting meant India.

Finally I couldn't resist posting this. In the corner of one busy colourful painting, Ines spotted: are those monkeys...?

We went to an Indian Gospel church where the Guy was playing bass in a band called Simple Truth consisting of Sahara friend and soundman Stanley and his three sons Ashley, Ashton and Avalon. At the end of the show, the Pastor got up to say the closing prayer. The flow was the familiar 'when I say Praise Be, You say Hallelujah' charismatic style, but it was all in Hindi. I found it pretty fascinating though that's not my style of worship. Being from good Puritan tradition I prefer the more reflective common worship we have at Sahara daily devotion. There we sing from our own Sahara songbook, have a short lesson that members take in turns, say a prayer and go back to work. Best lines from Sahara songbook classic 'The joy of the Lord is my strength': 'There are no grumpy faces in Sahara House,' and 'The Devil doesn't like it when we laugh, Ha Ha Ha.'

Here's a couple photos from the show. Avalon is an amazing drummer beside having my new favorite name.







































Ashton rocks out.

God bless the state of Kerala. God bless Tamil Nadu too.

God bless Karnatika. And the Goans in Goa too.

God bless the people. God bless the nation.
God bless the whole world too. And you.

God bless the Maharastran State. God bless the state of
Andra Pradesh. God bless the Gujaratis too.
God bless the people of Orissa too.

God bless the people. God bless the nation.
God bless the whole world too. And you.

God bless the place of Madya Pradesh.
God bless the place of Uttar Pradesh.
God bless the West Bengalis too.
He'll bless Haryana and Punjabis too.

God bless the place of Rajasthan and the people of Mizoram.
God bless Manipur and Nagaland.

God bless the people of the other states.
And God bless New Delhi too. And you.

God bless the people. God bless the nation.
God bless the whole world too. And you.

Simple Truth