LESSONS FROM A LOAF OF BREAD

FROM A QUIET UNDERSTANDING OF GOD

- Pradeep Gaikwad

On a warm summer evening in Surat, my wife and I were on our way to the grocery store, when I noticed a man sitting on the pavement under a street light. Something about him made me stop. He sat motionless on his haunches, his unwavering gaze fixed on an object only he could see. His beard was long and unkempt, much like the matted hair on his head. A discarded advertisement banner draped crudely around his waist was his only protection from the elements. The vacant look in his eyes indicated he was possibly incapable of normal mental function.

We tried asking him a few questions, but he showed no signs of having heard or understood us. He just sat there, staring into the darkness,