As I toured through Angkor Wat early Saturday morning, I was
reminded of Buddha’s life and death through the statues and shrine intricately
carved into the sandstone in bas-reliefs and free standing statues. I was also
reminded by the dozen or so active alters where incense and offerings were laid
out before two to three foot tall statutes, most in disrepair due to their age
and the weather and wilderness that has crept in since the very beginning in
the 12th century.
At one point, I had to sit down near one of these alters,
not out of reverence and not out of heat exhaustion, but out of pity and shame.
I felt pity for the countless people who bowed down to the three foot pile of
stones in front of me as if they had value. I also felt shame for judging these
people. How often do I ‘bow down’ to idols in my life that are not much more
than sticks and stones? While I may not
follow Buddha or Vishnu, I still bow down to materialistic possessions and my
thoughts quickly shift from how beautiful God’s creation is to my image before
the shutters close during team photo time. So I cannot judge too quickly, for the plank in my eye seems to grow bigger as the days quickly fly by. What I do know is that while I become more and more aware of my materialistic self, I have a choice to have this become a god. Right now, as I interchange 5 shirts for the year, I know that it is easier to choose a simpler, less material-focused life. When I return to the States in a few months, I plan to choose the same and choose not just a ‘god’, but the God, who is above all and is the provider of all.
