Mother India

One out of six Indians are born into the country's "Untouchable" caste.

"In many towns in India, Dalits are not allowed to draw water from a well. They must go to the well and beg for a higher caste person to share, and often no one does. Hinduism tells them they are worthless, with no hope for change, and the caste system only reinforces these lies. So, when they hear the truth about God - that He loves them, He made them in His image, and that Jesus came to die so they could be with Him - they are overcome. In John 4, Jesus breaks social taboos and drinks after the Samaritan woman at the well and then he offers her the Living Water. A well of water springing up into everlasting life. Af first this may seem like a call for social justice and as followers of Christ we are commanded to look after the poor and weak, but in the end it's a call to evagelism. We are bearers of the well that will never run dry...will we share the well?" -- Caedmon's Call (in the liner notes of their new CD, Share the Well)

When I saw Caedmon's Call about a month and a half ago, Andy Osenga (the Derek replacement) remained on the stage alone and sang this unbelievably, heart-wrenching song, "Mother India." I couldn't wait until the CD was released. I knew that "Mother India" was something special and it would most likely be my favorite track. Can you imagine my surprise when I got the CD yesterday and discovered that Danielle sang it. It's so totally breath-taking, if you heard it, you'd probably be moved to tears. Anyway, the following is a quote from the liner notes about the song:

"After the first few days in India, seeing a couple different cities, and all the poverty but all the beauty there, I wanted to write something that would hopefully sound as huge as thee xperience felt to me. I think that the greatest joy comes from the greatest sadness, and I love how joyful the end of the song became because of the dirt and the tears in the beginning."

-- Andrew Osenga

MOTHER INDIA

Father God, you have shed your tears for Mother India

They have fallen to water ancient seeds

That will grow into hands that touch the untouchable

How blessed are the poor, the sick, the weak.

Father, forgive me, for I have not believed

Like Mother India, I have groaned and grieved.

Father, forgive me, I forgot your grace

Your spirit falls on India and captured me in Your embrace

The serpent spoke and the world believed its venom

Now we're ten to a room or compared to magazines.

There's a land where our shackles turn to diamonds

Where we trade in our rags for a royal crown

In that place, our oppressors hold no power

And the foors of the King are thrown wide.

Andy O., you did write a song as huge as your experience must have been. I love it.