Religion

In a country that is 95% + Buddhist, religion is constantly in front of us. And with the type of Buddhism that is practiced here, we also experience religion in our noses, ears...etc. In Cambodia, the majority of those who are Buddhist practice extensive ancestor spirit worship and Animism more than traditional Buddhism. To appease the spirits of their deceased ancestors, most every morning our neighbors will place a variety of food and drinks inside the spirit house which sits right outside of their front door. Along with these offerings, they light an incense stick (or several). Many times this aroma makes its way through our windows and into our noses. The actual aroma isn't so objectionable as much as it is what it represents. We know that they are engaging in spirit worship. Religion also fills our ears when the monks at the large pagoda near our house begin loud chanting before 5am, or the eerie sounds of indigenous instruments being played from early until late at a funeral to give the spirit an adequate final departure. We experience many, if not all of these things, on a weekly basis.

A large Spirit House just outside of a Wat (Buddhist Temple)

A nicer Spirit House outside of a store near our house

All walks of life have Spirit Houses, even if they have to make their own out of playing cards. This one hangs on a tree just outside of a shop where we get our moto repaired.

Not only because of what we experience here, but in general I am not a huge fan of religion. While I am follower of Christ and we moved to Southeast Asia to in response to the Great Commission, I don't love all of the "requirements" of religion. As Christians, we inject a lot of our own ideas into what religion should look like. Many of them are ideas that are not found anywhere in the Bible (i.e. Dress up nice for church, do the right thing, say the right thing, say "I'm fine. How about you?" When someone asks how you are doing at church...etc). Those might be oversimplifications but I am sure you understand the generalizations. I love Christ and His people that make up His church but its the religious static that I can do without.

So when I read James 1:27, it made me stop and think. "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." Finally a simple explanation of religion. I like simple. Are you making religion too complicated?