Latest on the BBC... Another opportunity to see how visiting India has changed my perspective on the world...
Indians offer a gold covered statue of a monkey god to Barack Obama, because they heard he carried a monkey good luck chain on him.
"We have heard that he carries a small monkey charm in his pocket. So he is a devotee of Hanuman. That's why we want to present him with this idol," he said.
During our time in India we visited a Hindu temple where the monkey god Han
uman was worshipped. The experience cannot be contained in words. From the sticky floors, insane smells from burnt food offerings, bright colored flowers and pushing and shoving all the way through it would be classified into what I would describe as an American : Chaos. Yet each person seemed to know exactly what they needed to do. It was like a check list, ring this bell, kiss this stair, say these words, walk this way...
The two things that stuck with me most were the bells, the pictures of the gods on the walls, ad the faces that were painted onto them.
The bells left an eerie sound... and brought life to the story of 1 Kings, where there is a test between the followers of Baal and the followers of the Lord. The followers of baal shout and dance and try to awaken and appease their gods... with devotion and passion and unceasingly... and yet their efforts are fruitless.
There was a man that a friend say attempting to feed a peeled banana to one of the statues... and every picture of every god on the walls, had food pressed against the location of the mouth.
And on the faces of each of these idols... was the same smug look. It was deeply saddening to simply observe the bondage that has gone on in India for centuries... and greatly angering to see the injustice to the most High God who IS the only One Worthy of Praise and Worship - who desires good for his children!
Throughout Deuteronomy there are words spoken by prophets where the Lord speaks of his anger towards idols, and warns people to turn away from them. In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel leaves his farewell with these last parting words.
"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away."
Oh that the Lord would continue to raise up workers... both national and internationally to speak these words in love and truth to the peoples of South Asia, wherever they are located around the world.
All of this to say, that the one image of Hanuman has much more wrapped up in it than a political statement of support of Barack Obama. The last phrase of the article stated that those who offered him the statue believed:
"India will progress if he comes to power."
While they are entitled to their opinion, I would have to wholeheartedly disagree. My heart is burdened to see that statement. From a humble pair of eyes that observed and studied life in India for a mere three weeks, there is a much deeper change needed in the heartbeat and framework of India if there is ever to be change and progress. What do I think the solution is?
