Temples

So, in Taiwan, temples are a common part of the landscape. The folk religion is so pervasive here that store fronts, back alleys, and even people's homes have temples and alters in them. This week, another of the missionary's parents is visiting. We love when people come to visit because it gives us an excuse to be tourists again. On Saturday, we went to Beigang, a nearby city that is well-known for its temple.

The temple in Baigang is one of the oldest in Taiwan. People from all over the country to give offerings to the gods for good grades on tests, new business ventures, and approval of marriages. Other gods from the country also come to "visit" the temple. When this happens large, long, loud parades occur. We were lucky enough to get to see one of these on our visit.

First, people dressed as "unnamed gods" come through and do a dance. These gods protect the big gods and light fireworks to ward off evil spirits. Then, the big gods come. For this particular parade there were five big gods. The big gods were terrifying. They looked just like demons. They had red, gold, green, and black faces. They wore ornate robes of gold and red. They danced in circles. They come dancing down the street and into the temple flanked by people waving incense sticks and throwing ghost money at them.

The worst part of the experience was when a woman came out of the crowd. She was screaming and chanting in Chinese and she had her hands thrown into the air. There were people all around her, listening to what she was saying with rapt attention. After she carried on for some time, she passed out into the arms of some of the temple attendants and was carried into the temple. When I asked our guide (a Taiwanese friend from the area) what was going on, she said the woman had the spirit of one of the gods in her and she was being used as a voice. Anna, a missionary, said, "so she is possessed?!" and our friend said yes!

Baigang is known by the Christian community as the dark pit of Taiwan. The people there focus thier entire lives on the temple and worshipping their gods. They rely fully on burning offerings or giving food gifts. They have no hope in life or an afterlife.

Please pray for the people who flock to these temples looking for something to hope for. They are so lost, confussed, and straning to find truth while looking for it in the wrong places. Help us to reach out to them and see the truth of God's richest salvation and grace.