A thought from a Temple

So in every province we went to, our sight seeing consisted if visiting the oldest Buddhist temple in the province.

Now I have been in temples that made my flesh crawl. These weren't one of those. In fact it made me want to weep.

These temples were beautiful. The multiple Buddha statues were beautiful. Yet all i could see or think was Biblical warnings. Graven images made of gold. Praying to these dead Buddha's who can't do anything to help.

When walking in one temple they rang a bell every time someone made a wish or prayer. I asked why and was told "to try and get the buddha's attention so that he will hear the wish and maybe grant it."

In the most recent temple i watches as a lady fervently, white knuckled, grasped her prayer beads and prayed. Yet i didn't hear heartfelt words just one phrase over and over making me recall "and when you pray don't pray as the pagan who babels...".

I listened an asked many questions and in each answer I see:
They worship these Buddha's or so called perfect men. They work and strive, and pray an beg hoping to be considered worthy.

The devotion matches that of the most devote catholic and even many misguided protestants. Yet they are missing a single element: GRACE.

We worship a perfect God who used imperfect people to make His name known.

In that Grace we find hope. In prevenient grace we see possibility. In saving grace we find redemption and in sanctifying grace we see our potential in Christ.

I wish I could preach it from the mountain tops. Jesus saves. Jesus saves.