Go Light Your World by David

 

When we visited the temples of the Buddhists in Bhodgaya, I saw the face of spiritual darkness in a powerful way. Their temple complex has a tree where Buddha is said to have gained enlightenment 2,552 years ago (their calendar counts from that year). Beside the tree is a temple that dates to the 3rd or 4th Century A.D. As we walked around praying, we saw people worshiping statues of Buddha and bowing before the Bhodi tree.  I think Buddhists want to make everyone feel that their pathway to truth is valid and that their ways make everyone feel happy. They also say that all religions are good if it makes us better people. There is a big problem with this- where does our belief that Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life fit in?

We also met a man on a train that was asking us why we were in India. When we said we are from North Carolina he said oh- a southern accent. He was also asking if we were missionaries or born again Christians who think everyone is going to hell if they do not accept Jesus. Before we could answer, he was giving us advice on being in India. He told us that we should be doing a “pre-emptive strike” when we meet Hindus and tell them we do not eat the cows in India. He said it is good to show your do not want to kill their mothers (the cow is sacred because of a belief that a cow gives milk like a mother). He went on to tell us there is a place in Delhi where they have social security for cows that cannot give milk anymore. We did have an opportunity to tell him where we worked and Heather said she is a Children’s Minister. He did not attack Christianity anymore after that and even helped us take our luggage of the train.

 

It was interesting to hear what Indians believe about Christians. The opinions seem to vary. In contrast to the man on the train, our host in Gaya, Anjun is a Muslim. She was telling us that she thinks Christians do the most to help others of all the religions. 

 

During our stay in Gaya, we were surrounded by people of other faiths. We ate meals with Hindus and Muslims. We walked and talked with the Buddhists. We stayed in a Muslim home. To be honest, sometimes it felt like a heavy responsibility being only the only Christians around. My prayer is that we have carried our candles well and brought the light of Christ into the darkness.