Of Curry & Customs: THE RISING SUN, THE RISEN SON

This was my Easter in India. Every year on Easter, CMC conducts a sunrise worship service. This chapel service is not held in an ornately decorated cathedral, or even in a modest chapel topped with steeple and spire. It is held on the natural amphitheater halfway up College Hill.

Shortly after five in the morning, I met Paul and Divya at the foot of the hill to attend the service. Together we scrambled our way up the rocky hillside to find a place to sit. No seating is provided, so finding a comfortable place to sit is up to you and your definition of comfortable. It is best to look for a place close to the speaker and a good view. The “amphitheater” is east facing, so as long as you keep your eyes open your view of the sunrise should be magnificent. We managed to find the perfect place to sit: flat-ish- check, close to speaker- check, awesome view-check.

The sun had not yet risen when we found our seats. It had not yet risen when the service began. It began to rise up over the distant hills as the speaker brought before our attention the reason we all chose to rise early to meet there in the first place: to worship a risen Son-- my risen Savior. It was an Easter service like I have never attended before and the age-old story of my Savior’s death, burial, and resurrection was recounted to me again. The service was new, but the story was not. The story that is so dear to my heart and so instrumental in shaping who I am. It is a story that defines me. I am who I am because He is risen.

Seeing CMC students, doctors, staff, etc. at the service served to remind me of the powerful Christian influence that permeates the CMC community. I feel blessed to have served here, and I am thankful to have experienced an Easter here.