This is a blog I have put off writing for a while, and I’m not sure exactly why. I don’t have a rational explanation, I don’t have accurate words to describe my experience, but I have felt God tugging at my heart to write about it, so write I shall.
When I was in Nepal (4 months ago), we went on many prayer walks. It was a time of saying “God, please come;” come to this area, meet these people where they are, and be undeniable in their lives and hearts. On one such prayer walk, we went to a very famous Hindhu temple in Kathmandu, the Pashupatinath Temple, which is primarily dedicated to worshipping Shiva (one of the 3 Hindu gods, often associated with death/destruction). I was walking around the temple area, and I immediately felt it impressed upon me that I needed to talk to someone. Yes, I was there to pray and intercede for the area as a whole, but I felt the Holy Spirit tugging me towards someone specific.
I asked God to make it obvious with whom I was to talk, and He did just that. As soon as I finished asking, a man came up to me and started to ask me where I was from. He had a young son with him, and he was curious what my fellow “white girls” and me were doing in Nepal. I explained that we were from the United States, and we were traveling to serve people worldwide in 11 different countries. Typically, I mention that we are traveling to share the love of Jesus with everyone we encounter, but something inside of me was telling me to wait. So, I asked Holy Spirit to make the conversation veer towards religion and God. Again, as soon as I finished asking, the man asked me what I thought of Shiva and the temple.
I explained that, while aesthetically beautiful, I did not understand a god who was fine sharing his glory with 1,000’s of other gods yet still demanding sacrifices (both physically, emotionally, and monetarily) from people- a god who demanded so much yet gave so little. He asked me what I believed, and I explained the gospel in a nutshell: we are sinners and do deserve death, but almighty God, who created everything, LOVES us so much that He wants to spend eternity with us in heaven. So, He sent His son to die for us, and if we but believe in Him and obey Him, we are saved and washed clean forever of our sins; we are forgiven. I explained how God was someone I wanted to follow, not someone I felt I had to follow. He was someone I longed to serve- a God who came to serve His creation and give the unfathomable, illogical sacrifice: the life of His only begotten son.
We got into a full discussion about Christianity and Shiva, and as I told him more, he asked more questions. As he explained more about Shiva, I asked more questions. I asked how Shiva wants glory and yet is not jealous for the attention and adoration of everyone- how can he be okay with being one of many? He said that he did not understand why he would be jealous. I used the example of his son: if his son were to go up to another man and call him “father,” would he be upset? He claimed that he would not, but I said that I highly doubted that. I described how our God is a jealous God- one craving our love and worship. He doesn’t just want part of us or a section of our heart; He wants us all.
Then, I asked if Shiva loved him. He said that he did, and I asked how he has seen the love of Shiva in his life. He said that he didn’t know, but he knew that Shiva loved him. I asked if he talked to Shiva and could ask him for things, and he responded by talking about Shiva’s need for sacrifice. After we had been talking for about an hour, I learned that he actually worked at the temple! I was surprised that he was so interested in continuing our conversation, especially after he’d learned that I was not a Shiva worshiper and should not technically be where I was in the temple. But, even as my friends tried to pull me away a few times, he wanted to keep talking. We had different people listening in throughout our conversation, and eventually 3 women joined in because they were curious what we were talking about. No one converted to Christianity and no one fell in love with Jesus; but we had a conversation that they initiated. We had a conversation that they didn’t want to end. Eventually, once I was 30 minutes late and after my host had called me 2 times, I said that I really did have to leave. The Hindu man wanted to take a picture and exchange contact info, which we did (and sometimes still talk).
But before I left, I gave him a challenge: try to talk to Jesus. Just ask Him if He’s real and ask Him if He loves him. Something I’ve realized upon talking to so many people about Jesus is that God is perfectly capable of revealing Himself to His creation. They just have to want to engage with Him; they have to open that door and give God an inch (so He can go a mile). God meets us exactly where we are, but if we continually shut Him out and refuse to engage with Him, how can He work or speak into our lives? I said that, in return, I would talk to Shiva and ask him if he is real. Since both of us were so convinced that we were right, I suggested that we let our gods do the talking. He agreed, and I went home with a daunting task.
I prayed about the situation my entire way home, and upon getting back to my host’s house, I spent some time in prayer for my new friend and for his heart. I also asked the Lord to give me His FULL armor (Ephesians 6:10-18), and I asked him to please stay with me as I began a conversation with the Hindu god.
Then, I went outside, and said aloud (at the risk of many thinking I was crazy): “Shiva, if you are real, reveal yourself to me.”
Immediately, I started shaking from head to toe. I was filled with such a sense of absolute dread and fear I could barely stand it. I called out to God, and I was filled with His peace once more. Again, I said, “Shiva, if you are god, then show me that your power is mightier than the power of my God (who I have seen with my own eyes heal and display His power visibly on this earth).” Once more, I was filled with dread and left to shaking as I prompted a conversation with this god of destruction, and I soon called to God who again overcame all fear and covered me in His peace and assurance. Yes, I do believe Shiva is real. But no, I do not believe that he is god.
God, the one and only, is the only one who can defeat the grave and can provide salvation for His beloved creation who believes and trusts in Him. I think that Shiva is evil, an idol that Satan uses to divert the worship of the one true God. I believe that both Shiva and God are both real, but God is the only one I would WANT to follow– One who loves me and sacrifices Himself for me. But after my conversation with Shiva, I realize that peace comes from the one true God alone, and though Satan brings fear and lies, His power cannot overcome the Loving Almighty who shields us in His peace.
