As I began my Sabbath-afternoon walk, I silently prayed that God would make me open to meeting the people He wanted me to meet. I had no intention of engaging in long conversations with anyone; I simply wanted to get some fresh air and light exercise before dark.
I cheerfully smiled and wai-ed (the formal Thai greeting with hands together) to the people I passed. As I approached a wat (Buddhist temple), I saw a young monk raking up brush outside the temple grounds. I prepared to wai him and keep on walking, but as we made eye contact, he greeted me in English. Instantly I knew he wanted to talk. Remembering my prayer, I stopped.
We exchanged a few words, some in Thai, and some in English, and he invited me into the temple grounds. Against a back-drop of Buddhist paintings and a large golden Buddha image, we continued our conversation. The monk, Sanga, began asking me questions about America. This began an hour-long discussion ranging from American history and politics to Thai politics, Buddhism and Christianity. He told me he has a degree in philosophy and enjoys learning about other religions. He even asked me why some Christians go to church on Sunday and some on Saturday. I was then able to talk about the history of the change of the Sabbath.
At around 6 p.m., I figured Cindi would be wondering what had happened to me. Not wanting to end our conversation too abruptly and possibly never see Sanga again, I prayed silently about what I should do.
“Sanga, do you feel like you understand Christianity?” I asked.
“Sort of, but not at a deep level.”
“Would you like to learn more?”
“Yes, I would.”
“What if I came back later in the week to teach you more about Christianity, and you could teach me more about Buddhism?” I asked.
“That sounds great!” He said. We made an appointment to meet the following Thursday.
Since then, Sanga, Cindi and I have been meeting regularly each Thursday evening at his temple. At our first meeting, Sanga invited two temple workers to join us so they could practice their English. After spending more than an hour in basic English conversation, the two workers left, and Sanga pulled out his English/Thai New Testament. He opened to the book of Matthew and immediately asked who Matthew was. This is usually how our meetings go: Sanga will ask a question from the Bible, usually from the portion he is currently reading, and Cindi or I will try our best to explain. Since our conversational Thai is still quite basic, and his conversational English is limited, it often takes ten to twenty minutes to give a satisfactory explanation for even simple questions. Our meetings together also afford us the opportunity to ask questions about Buddhism and Thai culture.
During our second meeting, Sanga asked if visitors were welcome at our church and told us he would like to come with us sometime. Several weeks later, Sanga and another monk accompanied Cindi and me to church and seemed to really enjoy themselves. They sang hymns, gave offerings and listened to the sermon. The church members were very respectful toward them and even accommodated them by providing a special meal at 11 a.m., right before the worship service. (Monks are not allowed to eat after noon, which meant they could not participate in the fellowship meal after the service.) Sanga and his friend took a picture of the 10-commandment banner on the wall and talked with the pastor for more than an hour. It was Sanga’s first time ever attending a Christian church service.
On my next visit to the temple, I asked Sanga what he and the pastor had talked about. He told me he asked the pastor why there were no images of Jesus displayed in the church. This was a logical question, since elaborate Buddha statutes dot Thailand. The pastor told him that the second commandment forbids idol worship; therefore the church does not do anything that might accidentally promote it. Sanga seemed impressed by the answer and then shared that the original Buddha never meant for images of him to be erected and worshiped. He only wanted people to follow his teachings. Sanga went on to say that many Buddhists are more interested in coming to the temple and worshiping the Buddha images as a way to make merit than in really following Buddhist teachings and changing their lives. I could tell that he was deeply troubled and saddened by this. I have been struck with Sanga’s sincerity and devotion to his faith as well as his thirst for religious understanding.
As I reflect on my experience with Sanga so far, I praise God for how He has opened this door and given me such a golden opportunity to work with a monk. I am convinced that the Holy Spirit orchestrated our initial meeting. When the time is right, He will lead Sanga to a genuine faith in Christ. Please pray that I will stay in tune with the Spirit and know how to best minister and develop this friendship.
