This is a picture taken of Alistair and I after a recent festival called Holi (Hindu festival of colour).
Most Christians here choose to seperate themselves from such occasions, and stay indoors. Of course, many of them are from a Hindu background, and so it is important for them to have closure on the old way of life.
I understand this view, and I feel it is important for Christians to be set-apart, and willing to stand for their faith. However I decided that it was a good way to make friendships and build bridges to take part. It reminded me of paul in athens. He first found out about the local ways, and then told the story of their "unknown God".
I asked some friends what Holi was about. Apparently there was a boy who did something and the people wanted him destroyed, so they put him in the arms of a woman who was impervious to fire and tried to burn him. However, because his heart was pure, and he had been wrongly accused or something (sorry the details are a bit sketchy) he was spared but the lady was burned. On the eve of the "festival of colour" people burn bonfires. I was able to share with a few people the story of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego.
The next day is when lots of people go out with coloured powder and water-pistols, and get rather messy!
As we are white we were everyone's target, although we were only outside for 1/2 an hour, we were messier than most!
Most Christians here choose to seperate themselves from such occasions, and stay indoors. Of course, many of them are from a Hindu background, and so it is important for them to have closure on the old way of life.
I understand this view, and I feel it is important for Christians to be set-apart, and willing to stand for their faith. However I decided that it was a good way to make friendships and build bridges to take part. It reminded me of paul in athens. He first found out about the local ways, and then told the story of their "unknown God".
I asked some friends what Holi was about. Apparently there was a boy who did something and the people wanted him destroyed, so they put him in the arms of a woman who was impervious to fire and tried to burn him. However, because his heart was pure, and he had been wrongly accused or something (sorry the details are a bit sketchy) he was spared but the lady was burned. On the eve of the "festival of colour" people burn bonfires. I was able to share with a few people the story of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego.
The next day is when lots of people go out with coloured powder and water-pistols, and get rather messy!
As we are white we were everyone's target, although we were only outside for 1/2 an hour, we were messier than most!
No comments:
Post a Comment