Great brand! poor brand ambassadors!!

Some time back me & my wife, chinni went to a town in Tamil naadu to attend a friend's wedding. The next day after wedding we went to see a hill station near by. It was not a great place. not much of a greenery, nothing really exciting except few scenic views. But we didn't want to be disappointed so we started enjoying whatever the place offered. We hired cycles & had a ride around the lake sweating in the scorching sun. People were looking at us strangely but that didn't let our spirits down.

Then not knowing what to else do...chinni & her friend started climbing the trees around the lake & I started clicking like mad. But that was not enough, as we still had lot of time to kill. So we got into our cab & started exploring. As we were going in one of those narrow lanes we found a shop selling what generally sold in every hill station. Herbal shampoos, Neelgiri eucalyptus oil, dry fruits etc.

But what grabbed my attention was something else. There were four chairs made up of solid bamboo in the shop. They were simple in design but something made them unique. It's the construction. Looking a them I could make out that they are very carefully& meticulously constructed that gave them strength to withstand weight. I got so excited looking at them. I asked the shop owner where he got it from. He said that one of his friends made for him who make these as a hobby . I took his number from the shop owner & went in the search of the artist who works with bamboo. He stays in a town around 50 km away. It was not easy finding his house, but when we finally did, I was really surprised & glad. The walls of his house had posters about denied justice for Bhopal gas tragedy. Some news paper clippings talking about the poisonous industrial wastage that's dumped everyday in the waters in Indian metropolitans like Mumbai. His small office room had grass mat flooring& bamboo furniture. He showed us around his work shop & fell in love with his work. He is not one of those for whom talking about Eco- friendly products is a "in thing". He's an environmentalist with a conviction. He means business when it comes to injustice towards earth& humanity. We ordered for some bamboo furniture& left that place inspired. As our friendship grew with time I came to know more about him. when ever I talk to him, he leaves me thinking. Few days back when I called him, he was telling me about his visit to Chattisgarh & the atrocities of the government against innocent tribes in the name of "operation Green hunt". He sounded really disturbed& agonized. He asked me "Arvind...can you please ask your director Shekhar kammula to go through this information & if possible make a movie about this unjust war of this government in the name of fight against terrorism? The world need to know about this oppression& there's nobody to stand for them. The government gave the license to to corporates to do mining of natural resources & threatening the tribes to leave their homes."

I asked him..."Piyush..why are you getting into all this trouble? what about your family?". he smiled & said something which I'll remember for a lifetime. " it's one life arvind."

It gives me great joy to call him my friend. But how did I meet him? Through a bamboo chair. Through a product. A lifeless thing, a product that spoke about it's maker. Creation that testified about it's creator. What an awesome fact!

Want to share one more experience with you.

Last time when I went to my in-laws place in Anakapalli, I had one day to visit my parents. As chinni should not travel, I went alone, spent a day & wanted to return by the first train next day morning. I got into Ratnachal express in Tadepalli gudem. The compartment was crowded. I was assuming that the train would be free& as it's only a few hours journey, didn't get my seat reserved. I looked around for somebody who can spare some space for me to sit down. But you know about general compartments & people who "own""seats. They would accommodate all kinds of bags, suitcases, samosas & tea cups but a fellow human being. I stood for sometime seeing through the window. In the next few seats were sitting a group of people who looked like Christians. (It got affirmed after seeing the way they drank the sambar after eating good number of idlis). It was a three seater & only two guys were sitting in it. I got elated thinking I got a seat. After all, they are Christians. After patiently waiting till they finished eating, I politely asked them, saying "excuse me sir, can I sit here?" that guy looked at me & said" how can you think there's a seat vacant? no station came & nobody got down right?" I was shocked at his logic. Still said"there are only two guys right?" . He said "all our guys are setting in the next block" saying that he called "hey hepsi come here". Two girls from next adjacent bunch of seats came & sat there. I felt embarrassed for my desperation. Few minutes passed & a station came. one middle aged woman got in. in the search of seat she came to the adjacent seats & asked our christian sisters. "ammaa..looks like it's vacant. can I sit here?" Oho...you thought somebody got down coz there was a station?" shouted our man. All our guys are sitting here. Hepsi..go & sit there" he said. this girl went back& occupied the place there. Now this brother, to save his seat from me, sits in the seat with his legs folded. I didn't want to lower my dignity by asking him again. There was a guy standing beside me looking at the whole thing. He said "Is this what the Lord preached?" He continued saying..."there were days when we used to think that Christians are different people. They doesn't long after earthly things like money. But now....everyone are the same. everybody is selfish, everybody is after money". I didn't want to tell him that I'm a christian too. We went on talking about various things like Telangana, YSR's death etc. In the background our christian brother is shouting in his cell" Esther..you woke up? good. Did you pray? Pray & get something to eat...." I wanted to tell him "brother ...no need to shout. your actions are much louder than your words".

I got down the train. But I kept thinking. How a lifeless bamboo chair testified about it's maker. Led me to it's creator.& How we Christians are becoming a wrong witnesses of our God. I looked into my life. how many times I misrepresented my King. Showed Him in poor light. Gave a wrong testimony about Him with my filthy deeds. & instead of leading them to the creator, I misled many people away from God with my talk, with my actions.

The Bible says": "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." Romans 2:24[a]

I read in the news paper recently, that some of the international brands are thinking of firing Tiger woods as their brand ambassador, as the sales of their products dropped considerably after his scandoullous sex life came into light. I remember how "Thums up" fired Salman khan because of his violent& anti social behaviour, like hit& run & wild animal hunt.

The brands can disown their brand ambassadors& move on, if they damage their brand's image. They can fire them & find a new ambassador.

It's not the same case with God. How patient & long suffering is our God with us. How steadfast is His love for us. that He doesn't disown us despite the damage we cause to His name. That He doesn't just fire us& move on. From day one of His creation, out of all the creation, human beings are the only ones who failed him & pained Him.

(And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. Genesis 6:5,6)

The oceans, seas, colorful fishes& corals, The great mountains & hills& all the great& small animals , The trees , the creepers& beautiful flowers, birds, caterpillars & butterflies, The awesome sun, moon & all the great stars.....The universe diclares His majesty. It declares His beauty. They testify though they can not speak. They represent Him by obeying Him & standing for Him. We are the best of His creation. We are made in His image. We are blessed with wisdom, free will & ability to speak. What are we doing with it?

It came into my thought again. A lifeless bamboo chair lead me to it's maker. It showed the the quality of it's creator. When will I, with all this He gave, will show Him, through my talk, through my action to a fellow human being?

when will they see Jesus when they see me?