April 20, 2013 | Reflections

Walking, Praying, and Mountains

Today I am prayer walking at a Buddhist temple near where I live. Here I see where people worship a giant reclining Buddha. There are flowers to offer Buddha everywhere. The sense of incense is intoxicating. Everything is colored in gold. Donation boxes surround the place.

Yet, I stand here reminded of God’s majesty. You see, every time I look out on of the windows I see His creation. I see what He breathed into life. His ocean. His land. His villages. His trees. His flowers. His children. And His mountain that I am standing on.

I am so thankful that I don’t have to climb a mountain to worship my Savior. I can talk to Him whenever I want and wherever I want. Whether that’s in the shower or running for exercise or in an organized worship service. It doesn’t matter where or when. God always hears me and always loves me.

Being here reminds me of a passage I read in David Platt’s book, Radical. He’s talking about a conversation he had with a Buddhist leader and a Muslim leader about religion – a conversation I’ve had with people since being here. These leaders were expressing how they believe we all have different views about small issues but when it comes down to the essential issues, each of our religions are the same. Listen to his response…

“I said, ‘It sounds as though you both picture God (or whatever you call god) at the top of a mountain. It seems if you believe that we are all at the bottom of the mountain, and I may take one route up the mountain, you may take another, and in the end we will all end up in the same place.’

They smiled as I spoke. Happily they replied, ‘Exactly! You understand!’

Then I leaned in and said, ‘Now let me ask you a question. What would you think if I told you that god at the top of the mountain actually came down to where we are? What would you think if I told you that God doesn’t want for people to find their way to him, but instead he comes to us?’

They thought for a moment and then responded, ‘That would be great.’

I replied, ‘Let me introduce you to Jesus.’”

Amen to that.

And as I stand here at the top of, yet another, temple I am thankful that my God chose, still chooses, and will continue to choose to come down that mountain to reach me. And you for that matter.