One can hardly explain the impact of visiting a temple where false gods are worshiped and adored…pleaded with and hoped in. I have visited mosques and various other houses of religious worship, but this experience was beyond what my heart could bear. Honestly, in the guidebook it indicated that this was not an active temple so my heart and soul were not prepared to see the many Buddhists praying and honoring their religion. I cannot say that they honored their god because they do not even believe that Buddha was a god…but he was a good person who achieved nirvana. I don’t understand it all…but I do understand the emptiness and heaviness as we entered the courtyard.
As we walked through the entrance there were people paying money for rods of incense. After they paid for this, many waited in line to toss coins into a type of wishing well. This seemed harmless enough. But as soon as we walked through the door and into the courtyard there was an oppressive air that snapped our entire group to serious attention. There were various activities that seemed to be going on…and none of them were simple sightseeing of an inactive temple.
First, in the very center of the courtyard was a large object similar to the one in the picture below…except much taller and much bigger. On each of the overhangs there was a bell that would ring loudly whenever the wind would blow. The harder the wind blew, the louder the bells would ring, and it appeared the more desperately people would throw money to the top most pier of the tower. There seemed to be a need to get their money to the top while the bells rang. I’ve read a bit about Buddhism but I don’t know enough to give you even a short summary. However, I do know that it is empty and leads to destruction.
Secondly, in each of the buildings that surrounded the courtyard there were hoards of people blocking the entryway. I was a bit shy and really tried to stay inconspicuous so I could simply observe and really try to understand what was going on. It was as I was quietly making my way to the doorway that I saw an idol barely visible, though rather large, through the crowd before me. My heart sunk as my brows furrowed to hold back the tears that suddenly fought forth. The building housed a big, golden, fat Buddha with offerings of food lying all around and standing in the door were people praying, offering sacrifices, and honoring this man-made god. It was at this time that a few of our students could not take the oppression any longer and had to leave. One of the students pointed out that we read about idol worship in the Bible but to actually see it as a reality is an entirely different experience. We see people living empty lives all around us, but to see them pour their emotions, hopes, and desires into a god of wood and stone like we would pour our emotions, hopes, and desires into Jesus is quite unsettling…as it should be.
The third activity that seemed to be the most empty were the prayers in the courtyard lifted up to the various idols. As you can see in the pictures, they would hold the incense in their hands and bow towards the idols each in turn and offer some sort of plea. Some appeared to intimately bow in desperation while others just went through the motions of prayer. After watching in the courtyard for a few minutes, I found some stairs and climbed as far as they would take me. There was a second level of the temple that I chose not to explore…but as I stood on the second level looking down, I was struck with the emptiness…the complete rejection of the true God…and the stronghold that the enemy has in China. If this was an inactive temple, I’d hate to enter an active one where people “take their religion seriously.”
In our debriefing time that evening there were various reactions to the temple. Some were struck with curiosity. Others were overwhelmed with the desperation in their faces. One young lady who waited outside the gate was approached by an older lady asking for money…begging for money. Our student noticed the desperation in her eyes and tone, but realized that there was nothing that she could give outside of Christ. No amount of money would help the lady-beggar’s spiritual state. This was such a helpless feeling to have when our hearts were so incredibly eager. Another young lady in our group shared Psalm 4 where David says, “Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him.” She shared that she felt a sort of guilt that God would set her apart and that He would hear her…while those in the temple were lifting empty prayers to an empty sky. They “love delusions and seek false gods.”
I do pray that God would show His mercy upon this country and the people of China. They are stuck in the only tradition they know…and even though all of creation cries the splendor of the Creator the Chinese have placed their hopes in a lie. It’s a lie that condemns them because by accepting the lie, they reject the truth. Oh God, show them your great mercy…and may this truth bring us to our knees in gratitude.
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