My people-
Today we had the opportunity to visit the biggest Buddha statue in Thailand and this is what I took from it.
It sits above the city. As if it had power. As if it had control.
The strongholds are there. The spiritual battle is real.
It is made of stone. It is influenced by the elements. The scaffolding speaks of its weakness.
The tourist comes. The curiosity is obvious. Pictures are taken. Architecture is admired.
But we know it is more. We feel it. We see it.
If only they knew. There is something else.
Something real. Something alive. Something that is higher than any statue.
A power that could crush this stone. God.
But even if this were so, people’s hearts would not be changed.
No, only our God can truly answer. Truly hears. Truly cares.
Today, I was thankful for my God that I serve.
I did not see the statue, only the beautiful nature that surrounded it.
Creation outdid this statue. God’s art was appreciated this day.
My God was praised this day.
Thailand is 96% Buddhist and throughout our time here it is clear these people are unaware of a God that exists outside of a statue.
In the book Radical, David Platte is having a discussion with a Muslim and a Buddhist and this is how it went…
I listened for a while, and then they asked me what I thought. I said, “It sounds as though you both picture God (or whatever you call god) on top of a mountain. It seems you believe that we are all at the bottom of the mountain, and I may take one route up the mountain, you may take another, and in the end we will all end up in the same place.
They smiled as I spoke. Happily they replied, “Exactly! You understand!”
Then I leaned in and said, “Now let me ask you a question. What would you think if I told you that God at the top of the mountain actually came down to where we are? What would you think if I told you that God doesn’t wait for people to find their way to him, but instead he comes to us?”
They thought for a moment and then responded, “That would be great.”
I replied, “Let me introduce you to Jesus.”
This is the awesomeness of our God. He is alive. He is real. He is here today.
Sending love from Thailand on this holiday season!
Ellie
