We have had an incredible election result in India 2014! Here are some of my thoughts for your consideration:

Develop Perspective :

Winning and losing is a part of the rhythm of politics. It is apt to remember Joseph Rudyard Kipling who lived for many years in India “…if you can meet with triumph and disaster treat those two imposters just the same;…” At the end of the day don’t fall under their spell and be beguiled by either of them. You can lose your soul!

In my limited experience I have discovered that the true reward for good work is a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment – Job well done! It encourages and enable others to want to celebrate with you. It is foolish to believe that achievement is purely achieved by any one individual. There is a lack of modesty when one discounts the role of so many who have directly or indirectly prepared us and enabled us to realize our dreams. The other interesting paradox seems to be when one does a great job there is no space for rest because the immutable law that inevitably kicks in, is that we are given many more opportunities to do more challenging work. The gratitude of a thankful people is the possibility of new vistas of opportunity to serve the public good. Modi has been given an opportunity by the people of India to do good work. He has the prayers and good wishes of the majority of India’s people. There are others who are fearful and allow their fears to incapacitate them both in the present and the future. Never let the past to hold you back and minimize ones ability to enjoy the present. Instead look forward to the good things that the future has for us. The Best is yet to come.

Repentance Not Introspection:

The congress party in India seems to be bankrupt because of their tragic dependence on the Gandhi family and the Gandhi name. Would any of them be given a serious job in industry based on their education, competence, experience or expertise? I recognize that India desperately lacks a culture of meritocracy. Often it is not the best person for the role and responsibilities. It is not what you know and what value you add that you bring to the table but who you are in terms of birth, caste and family connections.  Sadly Nepotism is a way of life in India. We all need to repent and change for the sake of the common good.

Listening to the endless postmortem’s of the recent elections in India I keep hearing the vanquished using the phrase “we need to introspect and reflect”. This is a form of abdication of roles and responsibilities. No acknowledgement that the electorate have judged the Congress and punished them for poor governance, corruption, a culture of scams and a dismal record of never delivering on their promises. Repentance not Introspection is what is needed. The problem with introspection is that it is an incestuous exercise within the subjunctive mood of grammar. The dominant theme is tinged with regret expressed with phrases such as ” if only or I wish…” never a real acceptance of personal responsibility and an admission that I was wrong and we made many mistakes! The other problem with introspection is that it is a journey within. When the interior is rotten there is very little in terms of resources from within to experience renewal. Renewal requires external scrutiny and resources to help by coming alongside and assisting in the process of deep reflection. An opportunity to critique the assumptions and to evaluate both the choices we make and the effort and investments we have made or not made. I believe for true repentance there must be a preparedness to admit inadequacy and recognize the faults within. Equally there must be a deep sense of what I call the sense of “holy dis quiet” a deep sense of dis satisfaction with the status quo and a profound desire for something better. A teachable and humble spirit that is prepared to do what it takes and start from ground zero.

Failure Is Never Final!:

This is particularly true for those who want to learn from the past and from their own mistakes, only then will they be able to move on. We need to move away from the blame and shame culture. This is a culture where it is always somebody else who is at fault. An inability to recognize corporate culpability. An acknowledgement that I am a part of the mess! We need to chang and change must begin with me. I need to change. As a society we need to move away from this systemic culture of accepting mediocrity in others and in our selves. Value the call to excellence and integrity in the deepest part of our being. let us embrace and recognize the other without the other I have no meaning and therefore because of you I am. This acceptance of mutual interdependence leads to the development of a new perspective on life your success is the cause of my success if you win I win and if you lose I lose. Working consciously for a win win solution. In the bible I read in the writings of Paul “…consider others better than yourself…”

Avoid sweeping mistakes and errors under the carpet instead be prepared to allow the light of corporate scrutiny to expose the defects so that we learn from our mistakes. A defensive mindset stymies growth both within and without. Powerful pedagogies recognize that failure and mistakes are a rich mine for learning and problem solving. A robust and constructive opposition is so vital for democracy and organizational health and growth.

To Err is Human to Forgive is Divine:

As a student of the Lord Jesus Christ I am amazed that while He was on the cross He was able to say “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” How was Jesus able to forgive his enemies the very perpetrators of this gross miscarriage of justice? I learn from this that the victims too need deliverance from the cycle of hatred, bitterness and seeking vengeance they too need to  learn to forgive and move on from bitterness and fault finding to a new season of Hope. This how South Africa under Nelson Mandella and Bishop Desmond Tutu dealt with the terrible realities of apartheid. They instituted the truth commissions that forced the abusers to face their victims and for the victims to ask questions and share their sufferings with their abusers. Facing the truth often breaks down hardened hearts narrow minds and embittered spirits. There is power in truth. Jesus said the truth will set you free. In India all of us were brought up with the phrase “Satyam Jayate” Truth will prevail. We must desire truth, pursue it and live by the truth.

I love India and am hopeful for India. Jai Hind! Let the citizens of India thank God for the privilege of being born and educated in India. The genius of India is its capacity to adapt and adjust to the existential realities of life lived in the raw. I thank God for the gift of life and the experience of facing up to the daily existential challenges, of negotiating complexity and learning the art of survival. The ability to be happy and live purposeful lives with little material resources is the art of living. As a devotee and student of the Lord Jesus I am learning to go beyond the survival instinct and am slowly learning to transcend my natural limitations. There is a wonderful phrase in the Bible reflecting the reality of a life empowered by Jesus Christ, it is the experience of being ” more than conquerors” this is the art of living in God’s grace. We are learning to become an “Over-comer” through the power of God. I am thrilled that in God’s economy nothing is wasted our failures and tragedies can be transformed into blessing and triumphs. The more I know Jesus the more I realize that each one of us has infinite worth.  God does not do duds, nor does He do waste!