Last weekend, a couple people from my team and I traveled to a must-see on the traveler’s checklist of wondrous sights in Malaysia: BATU CAVES. In case you are as unaware of what that is as I was, Batu Caves is a HUGE Hindu shrine that’s inside limestone caves on a beautiful hillside. Towering statues of Hindu gods can be seen from the highway and once on site, visitors can explore around to learn about different aspects of Hinduism. As a tourist and someone who thoroughly enjoys learning about different religions, I was beyond excited to be there. What I didn’t anticipate, however, was what was going to happen to my heart.
I exited our train and found myself transfixed. I couldn’t stop watching these beautiful Hindu women pour into the station as they rushed off to worship the different shrines located just outside. We were surrounded by colorful saris, jingling ankle bracelets, and the intoxicating scent of incense. Just google it, y’all. Batu Caves is beautiful, there’s no arguing that.
We walked in to the market at the base of the cave and everywhere there were vendors. You could find absolutely anything there, straight from India. We sampled food, heard different types of music, and fingered beautiful clothing. But the most intimidating and beautiful part had yet to be seen. We soon found ourselves standing at the bottom of a 140-foot-tall statue of Murugan, a Hindu deity, and the 272 steps that would get us in to the cave. This golden statue is the tallest of its kind in the world and he doesn’t look like the friendliest of guys. As I looked around, watching the people, I immediately began to pray. I don’t think I truly stopped that entire day.
You see, something changed in me. This sounds kind of dumb but on Saturday, the Great Commission that is so plainly laid out in Matthew 28 became a stark reality. It was no longer this piece of scripture that I felt maybe sort of gave me permission to spread the Gospel. It’s a command from the Lord and more than that, it’s one to be followed with urgency.
Not when it’s convenient.
Not when it’s easy.
Not when it’s unoffending.
The Lord created us to be loving and He created us to SPREAD that love. We’re COMMANDED to go out and tell people that there’s a God who loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us. He wants to be in communion with us. He wants to lavish His blessings on us. He wants us to know Him for the gracious and marvelous God He is.
But the opposite of those truths also became crystal clear to me. I sat with my teammates and looked around the market with a heavy heart. If Jesus came back right at that moment, how many of the people in the market would be joining us in heaven? How many had ever even heard the name of Jesus? How many more in the world would maybe never know the glory of God because the only Christian they ever met was too afraid to admit to who they were?
Just like that, my heart shattered.
I was that scared, complacent, unoffending Christian. I was the one who cared more about what people thought than their eternal salvation. I was the one living in darkness.
I don’t want to be that person anymore. That’s not fully reflecting the light of Christ in my life and glorifying God for the good He’s done in, to, and through me.
This doesn’t mean I’m going to walk around and shove the Gospel down people’s throats, that’s not what I believe in and that’s not what the Bible asks for. But I do know there won’t be a single person in my life that can say I didn’t tell them about Jesus.
Because if Jesus came back tomorrow, how hurt would those people in your life be when they found out you knew Him all along and didn’t share Him with them?
Would you be able to answer their questions of “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Love from Malaysia,
Katie Mere
