Bhudda

I've been mulling over this post for several days now. Friday of last week we went to three wats (temples) - I think I might've mentioned that before - and then on Sunday we went with our Lao friends to Buddha park. Both places struck my heart and brought to mind lines from Mr. Isaiah about crafting images, honoring them and bowing down before them. That is such a foreign concept in the states - we don't have images we bow down to physically. Of course, our hearts bow down every day to things like reputation, money, success, feart, etc, which is the same in the Father's eyes. But it is so much more vivid to read Isaiah's words when you see a physical representation right in front of your eyes.

One of the thousands of Buddha statues we saw at the first wat. People bring gifts and burn incense by the statues.

A broken Buddha statue. I was struck by the implications of this fragility.

I won't write out all the lines from Mr. I on here, just a few excerpts, but check out chps 44-46 if you have a chance. Here are some of the lines that struck my heart the most:

He cuts down cedars....then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a g-- and honors it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, "Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!" And the rest of it he makes into a g--, his idol, and falls down to it and honors it. He pr. to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my g--!" (42:14-17, Julia's CG version)

To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal, and compare me, that we may be alike? Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a g--; then they fall down and honor it. They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble. (46:5-7)

I love the contrast between the Real Thing and the imitation. The created g--s have to be carried to their place. The lines just before those though (v4) says, "I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save." Such a difference. One has to be carried. The other One carries us. I've always known this, but it feels like it's hitting me in a deeper way by being here and seeing wat after wat and statue after statue and the power such images have over hearts and minds. He formed us, we did not form him. He carries us, we do not have to carry Him. He is altogether separate from any created thing. He existed before we were ever created, we did not bring Him into being. What a comforting thought. I would not want to put my trust in or stake my life on anything or anyone less than that.

Statues in Buddha Park

Being silly with the statues

Climbing the stairway to heaven

Lao friends - Jiam and Mon - we convinced them to do a silly pose by this statue.

As I was finishing this post, I realized that the first part is super serious, and the second is more silly. And I was thinking that to people like us who have tasted of the Real Thing, we can joke around and be free in front of things like this because there is no power in it. But for those who have never tasted or seen, it is a very serious thing and there is power (albeit lesser) in such images and the honoring of them.

They know not, nor do they discern, for He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. (44:18)

Will you join me in asking the Father to open eyes and hearts to understand that there is no such thing as a substitute?  He alone is uncreated by hands of men and therefore worthy of our lives and honor.  It is humbling to reflect on how many times I have bowed my heart to something less tangible or visible, but a substitute nonetheless. I'm asking Him to destroy those things I hope in falsely and to teach me to cling to the Rock...Is there any besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any."