I have been in Nepal for a little over a week now, and I am still soaking in as much as I can about this culture as a whole. So much of what we see when walking through the streets screams Buddhism, and it is interesting how that trickles into other facets of Nepalese life. There are countless idols that the Buddhists worship all along the streets, little and big stones where the people do their morning worshiping rituals with flowers and red powder, posters of idols in any business, and a charisma that saturates the air.
My team was taken to a very large Buddhist temple in Kathmandu a few days ago. It is referred to as Swayambhunath by the locals, but tourists come because it is called “The Monkey Temple” and monkeys have congregated there. The grounds hold multiple buildings with different significance, numerous idols that claim meaning, trays of flowers, wheels for prayer, rooms for worship, bells for ringing, and prayer flags that were hung everywhere to wick away the pollution and evil spirits in the air. This was a very interesting experience for many reasons.
1. I was literally less than a foot away from monkeys numerous times (so weird/creepy/cool). There was even a herd at one point, with a furry head count of around 200ish monkeys!! Needless to say, “baby monkey, baby monkey” was the song we sang all day, fitting in different lines for what the baby monkeys were doing… very entertaining.
2. It was overwhelming to see all of the different idols of the Buddhist religion (most looked scary), and all of the different rituals that are necessary for success in their understanding.
– You have to pray while spinning these wheels that say each prayer required for the gods
– you have to worship your god every morning and signify that you have done so by putting red powder on your forehead
– there are multiple levels of resurrection life forms, while you are constantly hoping for a way to get to the top
– there are eyes of a certain god that watch you making sure that you are doing right and not wrong in the god’s eyes.
None of this sounds welcoming or grace filled, and my heart broke for the people that go through their lives hoping that they are doing everything good enough for their gods, in hopes to be taken to a higher life form after death. These people are so disciplined in their religion, and I respect that deeply. They also carry a charisma and joy with them that is contagious, making it endlessly rewarding when I bow to passerby’s saying, “Namaste”. These two characteristics are carried into how these Nepalese people as a whole live their lives and I cannot help but to wear a smile all the time.
3. I was reminded of how incredibly grateful I am for the fact that my God loves me just the way I am. As non-simple as Jesus’ story is, it is so simple. I don’t have to worry about worshiping God ritually every day, in fear that I will not be preferred or resurrected into a higher life form. I don’t have to pray a certain way for my God to love me anymore. I know that I sin every day, yet Jesus loves me regardless and gives me grace and forgiveness. He is the author of salvation and I am free to be Amanda. I am free to love as He loves me. Because he was sent to die on the cross for all of humanity’s sins, we are no longer bound by the law, but we are free to live as God has created us to live. The law defines what sin is, but we are no longer bound to the law, but to Christ. We are alive with the Spirit, and not dead due to the gnawing of our flesh’s desires.
But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new ways of the Spirit, and not in the old ways of the written code. Romans 7:6
I am not belittled by my God, and none of my deeds will earn me a place in Heaven. For it is by grace I have been saved, through faith… nothing of myself, but as a gift from the Lord (Ephesians 2:8). He does not count any of my sins, and how could he?! Yet, I am a conqueror and a co-heir with Christ because I have accepted his gift to me. I am filled with joy daily because I know that my Creator is smiling down at me. He is so please to see me spreading his kingdom here in Nepal, and to know that I love others because I have accepted the love he promises me.
Nepal is filled with beauty, and God’s presence here is heavy. I picture the Spirit laying over Kathmandu like the smog that is stagnant in the air. It is thick, and noticeable… just like God is here in these people. There is a hunger for more than their ritual, and I pray that RADIANT will show the Nepalese what they are striving for.
