Sunday is our day off from ministry, so we decided to do a little sight seeing. Our plan was to go to a floating market outside of Bangkok. We tried to hire a van, but it was too expensive.
One of the girls we are living with said she had seen signs for the floating market when we went to see the temples. So, we decided to hop on the sky train and ride it to the end where the temples are. When we got off, we did see signs for the floating market, but it was a different one and it was closed for the day.
No worries, we just decided to explore Bangkok some more. We heard about the flower market from some of the other racers that had been there. They said it was cool and the flowers were really cheap. Since our other plan didn’t work, we decided to go check it out.
We took the express boat down the river to where the market is. When we got off the boat, we didn’t know where the market was, so we got in some tuk-tuks (motor bike with a back seat that fits three people) and asked how much to take us to the market. At first he said 100 Baht each, but we knew that was way too high. Then he said 100 Baht for both. We hesitated a little, but said okay.
We got into the tuk-tuks and they drove us around the corner and dropped us off. It wasn’t even two blocks away. They totally ripped us off because we didn’t know. Oh well, what can you do, right.
The flower market is one of the main places where they sell the flowers that become offerings to Buddha. There are tables and bins full of little flowers on ice. The flowers are strung together to make wreaths or long strings and other arrangements. You can buy the flowers loose, or already made into ornaments.
The smell was fantastic. It filled your nose with the lingering sweetness that reminded me of Easter with all of the Lilys and Hiacynth. But these flowers are not here to celebrate Easter and the ressurected Christ, they are being sold as offerings to a false god. Along with them are many gold statues and figures of Buddha. The entire market is there for the sole purpose of worshipping this idol.
If was hard not to think about all of the people we saw trying to buy favor with their god. All around the city, you see people making these offerings. Some people do it once a month, some once a week, and some do it every day. They offer food, flowers, coins and prayers at altars set up all over the country.
There are even altars at the bars. I see so many of the girls stop to place their offerings to Buddha on the altars as they are on their way in to work where they offer their bodies to men for money. The irony of it catches my attention every time.
There are so many ways that religion is used to make a profit here. And the real irony is that most of the Thais are not even devout Buddhists. Most will use the title, but not really practice it. Some combine Buddhism with Hindu and other religions. But almost all of them are caught up in the rituals and business of the religion. A lot of money is made off of their need to earn favor or merit with a god that may be in a bad mood anyhow when they die.
Of course, we do big business with Christianity too. We sell books and book marks, CDs and T-shirts, stickers and magnets, cards and coffee mugs. You name it, and you can probably find it with a Christian slogon or picture on it. Why do we buy and sell so much in the name of Jesus. How are we trying to impress? I wonder what God thinks about that.
