The final aspect of India, and what I believe to be the most noteworthy, is the sense of love, hospitality, and compassion shown. In Hinduism there is a sense of all in creation belonging to one Self and that ideology is expressed in the culture. Regardless of gender, love and intimacy is expressed openly between companions, whether they be married or mere acquaintances. Males will be holding hands, women will be embracing one another, and no one stops to think about what others may be thinking about the affectionate interactions. Indians simply know that expressing emotion is essential for healthy living, and do not shy away from acting upon that fact. In terms of hospitality, our team were foreigners and strangers, and while we got a lot of unwanted attention, we also received an obscene amount of willingness to serve from those we met. We showed up unannounced at a party and were given food and cake they had reserved for the event. We went to assist the orphanage at the Home of Love and were overwhelmed with the amount of love and selflessness expressed by the children. There was hardly ever a feeling of being unwelcomed. The sheer selflessness and love that Indian culture thrives on is absolutely mind blowing to see. It is something that I wish I, and America, had a lot more of in life.
Love has always been a huge struggle in my life. I have a hard time expressing it in some instances, and I have always struggled with truly experiencing the love of God. While in India I felt like I was able to finally hold onto a part of the love expressed by God. It may be only a glimmer of it, but it was unparalleled by anything else in my life. The love I experience was so sincere that it broke me down and made me realize just how much this was needed in our country. This is another one of those aspects of my faith that India really shook.
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