They bow with hands pressed together, knees grinding tile, face grazing floor.
They press coins into putty and tap their merchandise with cash, all for luck. Luck of a sale, luck of wealth, luck of success.
And they sacrifice. Burn incense and offer food and leave flowers at shrines, sometimes in the neighborhood or at the local temple or even the corner of their backyards.
And they make beautiful places and things to please. Golden statues. Ornate carvings in wood. Mosaics of the finest stones.
And it’s easy to respectfully observe this religion that surrounds me and walk away feeling different from them, or maybe even somehow {don’t think too much less of me} better. {Well, no, go ahead and think less.} But, I am learning that in many ways, I act like a Buddhist.
I bow to idols unseen. Relationships. Appearances. My own self- preseveration.
I pursue luck, my own desire for things to “work out” successfully for me. I act insincerely. I use too many words. I flatter.
I make sacrifices and create beauty to please. Talk-big to please pride. Lie {small} to please people. Hold money too tightly to please wealth. Write to please self-worth.
And as I am surrounded for the first time in my life with a religion {seemingly} so vastly different from my own faith, I am struck in-the-flesh with what it means to worship idols.
And, sadly, I am learning that I have quite I few I’m bowing down before.
Pride and Self.
Opinions of Others.
Personal Dreams. To name just a few.
Over the next few days {or weeks?}, my focus will be mainly {but not exclusively, of course} writing about what I am learning in relation to present-day idols, world religions and
what it really means to love Jesus first.
I hope you’ll visit lots and comment often.
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Destined Traveler.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
God has really been trying to rid me of pride. I like how you relate pride and the worship of idols. I can’t wait to read more.
Ugh, I agree. Pride is so nasty and so creeps into most everything I say or do or think. Such an idol for me that manifests itself in a million different forms. Thanks for stopping by, Prudence. Looking forward to the discussion.
Great insights.
Really an encouragement actually, in how the father loves us so much that he shows us these things!
There is a good book on Animism practiced by most tribals called “Without a gate” by Jean Nightingale
The fear aspect of most religions is ‘frightening’, mostly because we also relate! Thank God for grace.
Fear. Definitely a topic to explore in regards to what we choose to worship–seen or unseen. There must be something at the core of our humanity that longs to worship something and that is afraid of not pleasing the “something bigger”. Good food for thought.
The concept of world religions takes on a whole new meaning when you are living among a different one than the faith that surrounded you growing up. Looking forward to learning . . .
Yup. Glad to be learning it with YOU. Thanks for leading us here. And leading so well.
matt, that last comment was for you, of course.
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