God-centered resources from the ministry of John Piper

This is a guest post from a friend of ours who is a missionary doctor working with Muslims. It is a part of his guest series, "Day-to-day Observations from Asia."

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Recently there was a political agitation in our city. The exact details escape me, and indeed, when you ask local people why it happened, they get glassy-eyed themselves, as if they also do not fully understand it. I think one political party was upset about something that happened somewhere, and wanted the government to do something about it.

Or maybe they just want to make a scene. They succeeded.

Around 9 AM, just as rush hour was starting, a whole bunch of Sadhus (Hindu holy guys) sat down in the middle of the one of the busiest roads in this part of the world. Horns blared, people shouted, brakes screeched, dogs barked, goats jumped, and traffic came to a standstill.

The Sadhus said they would sit there until the district magistrate came and listened to their complaint.

I got into the traffic jam about a half hour after it began. By the time I realized what was going on, it was too late—I couldn't move. For a few minutes foot traffic was able to get through, and then even pedestrians came to a halt. Every square inch within a quarter mile was full of someone or something.

What space the cars didn't take up, auto rickshaws filled. What they didn't take, bicycle rickshaws filled. What they didn't take, scooters and motorcycles filled. What they didn't take, the bicycles filled. What space they didn't take, pedestrians filled. Until there was no space left. No one could move.

Throw a few cows and curious goats into the mix and it was a first-rate state of affairs. 

I am constantly amazed that there are not more fights in situations like that. But everyone remained calm and talkative as the two hours passed before the protesters finally packed up and left.

At one point, several schoolboys were walking on roofs and stepping on the backs of other schoolboys, to try and get through. A couple of them stopped and chatted with me for a couple of minutes because they wanted to practice their English. I said their mode of transportation was like a mosh pit, and one replied, "I do not know what a mosh pit is, sir, but these agitators are causing a fine stir."

Eventually the traffic began to move, and life got back to "normal," as we know it in our fair city.