When I leave my apartment for my 8:00 AM class, I hop on a taxi to go to the university. As I pass near a covered walkway on the way to the English Department, I see a sight that never fails to move me: students dressed in pristine white and black uniforms, kneeling on hard, uneven pavement, their hands folded in front of them as several robed monks chant blessings. The morning alms rounds have begun.
I have deep respect for the religion of Buddhism, in part because of the fond memories I have from working at the Buddhist university at Wat Suan Dok when I was a student here. It emphasizes human kindness and goodness. One of my favorite people in the entire world, a Buddhist monk named Phra Tong, used to say, "Do not do anything that would bring another unhappiness." True words to live by. It has been my experience that learning about and appreciating other religions brings me a deeper understanding of my own faith. Seeing the devotion of the Buddhist students convicts me for lacking my own. I long for intimacy with Jesus, yet so often I get complacent and comfortable. Being here in Thailand makes complacency a little harder. I am in a country that, while very tolerant of other faiths, has a Christian population of less than 2%. I am constantly surrounded by people that do not share what I believe. This is hard; I miss healthy Christian community.
However, as my wise parents have reminded me, here in Chiang Mai I can be in the world but not of it. I pray that my presence in Thailand, in Chiang Mai, can break some of the stereotypes of Christians that I have encountered here; that by the grace of God, I could show what being a follower of Jesus means. I have no confidence in my own abilities, but hope that I would be a willing vessel, ready to be poured out in service.
So again, dear friends, I ask for you to pray with me. Like I have written before, I am convinced that God had His hand in bringing me back to Thailand; and the knowledge that people at home are praying is a constant source of comfort and reassurance to me. Thanks.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Devotion.
Posted by Megan Michelle at 5:30 AM
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1 comments:
Megan,
I am coming in contact with a lot of Buddhists here at Portland State University and in my Conflict Resolution program. Here, many of them seem a bit too disconnected with reality. What I mean, is that it seems like the philosophy is drastically more confident in human nature and the goodness of humankind than that of our Christian philosophical beliefs. I too, however, find a lot of Buddhist teaching to be deeply profound and moving.
That said, I too am trying to live out a reflection of following Jesus that somehow counteracts some of the unfortunate (but well-founded) stereotypes that many people here have of Christians. Know that I will try to remember to pray for you as often as I can.
And, by the way, you are a beautiful writer. And you have a pleasant and curious outlook on your surroundings that has made it a delightful experience to read all of these postings.
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