Worshipping Figurines

Singapore is a place full of diversity. We have 4 major ethnic groups and quite a number of religions, mostly dominated by the 'traditional' beliefs. They would include Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism. I call them traditional because they usually run in the family are passed down the generations, largely in terms of what is practised. I grow up in a traditional Chinese family, which more often than not, as with other of such families, are confused between Taoism and Buddhism and lines tend to blur between the 2. Most who believe do not even exactly know what they are believing in. But that is not the main point of this entry.

One very significant characteristic of traditional Chinese religions is the worship of figurines. You would be able to fully understand what I mean when you observe the places of worship, namely the various Chinese temples. Stepping inside, one would immediately be drawn to the huge statues that resemble humans, and are often dressed up in gold. Believers offer up food of all kinds, fruits, incense, joss paper, money, you name it. Lots of money is spent in hope to please and appease these gods. Offerings usually follow after asking the gods for certain favours too, with the most common being wealth. There's no end to what believers would do so that they can earn their way to nirvana, as they would call it. In a way, they are working to get right with their gods, who come in the form of figurines they made with their own hands. It is saddening to see how they try in vain, and not understanding that they are actually not getting anywhere. There is no way that we can earn our salvation.

Let us now look at a different belief, one that is not centered on us but on a God who sent His Son to die for all of us. There is a marked difference between the traditional Chinese religions and Christianity in terms of idol worship. In Christianity, salvation is a gift from God through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. He has to die so that we can be made right with God. We are sinful by nature and are in need of a saviour. God, being full of love, pure and holy, wanted to reconcile us defiled sinners to himself. No matter what we do, there is no way that we can erase our sins and work our way to God. That is how wretched and dirty and undesirable we are, so much that we cannot even rid ourselves of sin no matter how much we offer up to God, or how well we keep the festivities and vegetarian diets. No way at all! Despite our utter undeserving status, God sent his very own son to redeem us from the clutches of death and be in his kingdom. All that is required of us is only to believe.

As believers of Jesus Christ, we seek to live out a life worthy of the death of our Saviour. We know that no matter how much we try, there is no way that we can be right with God except through Jesus. We live in response to this gift we have received, knowing clearly that we are promised eternal life in Christ alone.

There is a choice for all of us. You can choose to continue worshipping figurines in vain, in hope that some miracle would happen one day such that you will get very wealthy. You can continue to burn offerings in hope that you will get a place in heaven and get right with your gods. Or, you can choose Jesus, through whom you will receive eternal life. It will be given to you free of charge, you don't have to burn stacks of paper so that you will be accepted into God's perfect promised Kingdom. 2 ways to live, it's up to you.