My editor, Billy Dale :P, suggested that I do exposés on the people we come in contact with. I agreed that this was an incredible idea, and something that I've wanted to do, but our current translator is a little too timid to ask the sort of questions I would want to. With that being said, I wanted to share what I've seen and hopefully they will evince certain things.
Today, Chiang Rai celebrated its 750th anniversary. More than 500 years older than the United States, the foundations on which society has been built -idol worship, Buddhism- have been solidified and their influence fully exerted.
Thailand, in the words of Brandon Boyd, is inhabited by a spirit of fear. Behind the smiles, even-temper, and underneath the well-manacured nails and flawless complexion, fear resides.
Fear of disappointing their idols.
Fear of disappointing their families.
Fear of insulting a guest.
Fear of saying the wrong thing.
Fear of where their next meal will come from.
Fear of who their next client will be.
Fear of reprisal.
Fear of speaking up.
Fear of speaking out.
We spent the day going around Chiang Rai and praying at various places in the city. Our contact, a man full of conviction in the church wouldn't let us pray outloud. "Internal prayer," he said. "Don't say 'God,' or 'Jesus,'" he warned. While Buddhism has a solid foothold in Thailand, Thailand is an open country.
Fear of persecution.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." – Matthew 5:11-12
"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." – 2 Timothy 3:12
I started the day humming a song by Sara Bareilles (I could lie and say it was Blue Scholars), but I found that as soon as we were surrounded by idols, Buddhism, monks and praying to the wrong God I could do nothing but sing internally Christian song after Christian song. I wanted so badly to release the clamp upon my lips and let the voice I've been given -and all of us have- to proclaim the truth. I've been lukewarm for 23 years, yet I could not help but feel the awesome influence of a higher power urging me to cry out.
We take it for granted.
What fears do we have? April 15th? Failing a test? Her saying no about Friday night?
What about being terrified to raise your hands in worship instead of falling to your knees, your face pressed to the ground in supplication and fear of the meditating, golden idol in front of you?
This statue was roughly 120 feet tall.
"There is power in the name of Jesus. To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain."
"There's an army rising up. To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain."
