Rituals and revival.

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn form their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place." (2 Chronicles 7:14-15 ESV)


Last Sunday, I took a hiatus from my blog because I had guests in town! My pastor and my boyfriend were in Kathmandu for one week visiting. My roommate and I were able to play tour guide to them for a few days and give them a good idea of what Nepal is like, and what it has to offer.

I love this place so much and I was thrilled to have the chance to show them around! We walked around some local market areas and also made a few trips a bit farther away. We visited Boudha Stuppa, The Monkey Temple at Swayambu, and Pashupatinath.

While the other things were interesting and slightly touristy, visiting Pashupatinath (known around KTM as Pashupati) will forever change my walk with Christ.

Pashupati is the place where Hindus bring their deceased family members to cremate them, and to help them pass into their next life. It's so ritualistic, so empty. So dark, distressing, and, honestly, revolting.

We sat on a ledge and watched as a family brought their deceased, father, husband, brother to be cremated. We looked on as the men prepared the body; placing him on a concrete slab that let into the Bhagmati river and washed his body with the river water. Then they poured milk over his head and walked around him in a circle three times with incense sticks in their hands. The dead man's two sons covered him in a white linen sheet, struggling against his rigor mortis.

The women, who aren't allowed to be a part of the preparation process, came and placed marigold flowers around his head, and anointed him with blessing water. Then sprinkled tikka dye over him.

My heart was torn as I watched the newly widowed women fall to her knees, wailing in grief for her husband. I choked up at the men tore her away from her love and forced her to sit back with the other women. And I almost lost it when his daughter threw herself on top of his limp body, sobbing and hitting him, trying to wake him.

Then the men moved the man on to a metal bed, and covered him with a yellow sheet decorated with religious writing. The women placed more flowers on him, and his widow broke her red bangles on top of him. Then they carried him to a wooden alter, leaving the women behind. His sons removed their shirts and walked three more circles around the alter with a flame, before lighting a bundle of kindling on their father's mouth.

Then they stepped away as a priest came and finished constructing the alter on top oft he dead man's body, completely covering him in wood and kindling before lighting several more places on the man's body. We sat and watched for several minutes as the wood burned, and the air filled with smoke and the scent of burnt flesh.

I wish that I could better describe the desolation of seeing this family throw themselves into these rituals, believing that if they mess up just one part of the proceedings, their father will not make it to his next life, and his spirit won't find rest.

I wish that I could describe the complete peace I felt knowing that I will never have to worry about that. I will never have to ritualize the death of someone I love. I can rest in the comfort of knowing that God alone is sovereign over death. That he is sovereign over our judgment day.

And I can endeavor to love these people to Christ.

I know that I can't change the world, that's not the task that God has given me. But I can share the hope that I have in Christ. The peace. The freedom.

And I can pray.

And so can you.

This country is full of people just like that family. People who try and appease their gods through rituals and good deeds. It's full of people who don't know or understand the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

And as Christians, we are called to pray. So I would ask that you join me in prayer. Prayer for the Hindus and Buddhists all across Nepal. God can start a revival here, and you can be a part of it.