02 Dec HU Prof’s Passion for India

During a January-term trip, Dr. David Alexander discovered a passion for India and overseas missions. So, when an opportunity arose last summer, he jumped at the chance to return.

Alexander, associate professor of philosophy, spent two months in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, in mid-2013 serving as a visiting professor of philosophy at Madras Christian College. He presented research, gave lectures, and participated in debates pertaining to religion and philosophy.

“India is a fascinating place,” Alexander said. “It is, in a real sense, a land full of tension or contradiction. It is beautiful. And yet, the land and the people are neglected and abused. Food is scarce all over the place. Radical wealth and radical poverty exist side-by-side. Devotion to Jesus and devotion to idols exist side-by-side. Love and hate exist side-by-side. Beauty and ugly, angels and demons, heaven and hell. It is simply shocking. And for that reason it draws me.”

Alexander’s passion for India developed after he took his first mission trip in January 2013 to the Home of Love orphanage. The experience shook him to the core.

“I became vulnerable to others in ways I have never been,” he shared. “Being in India with the girls at the home and the students from Huntington University helped me to see how much I need to love and to be loved. Tears poured down my face as I looked at 100 girls that love so much and so authentically.”