My First Visit to a Hindu Temple
In July, shortly before my return to Ecuador, I accompanied an Indian friend from work for a day trip to San Antonio, Texas. We had an enjoyable time together that day, visiting the River Walk, the Alamo, the Japanese Tea Garden, and a Hindu temple.
The visit to the Hindu temple was my first time, and it was a very educational and enlightening experience. It was impressive to realize that people from India were now so prevalent in San Antonio that they had built such a nice facility for their faith and community. I had known previously that Muslims had done the same, building several mosques in the San Antonio area. What a great country we have, with such religious freedom because of our Christian roots and our Constitution!
The Hindu temple was actually a large compound, with several buildings and open spaces. The grounds were very clean and well-maintained. People mingled about, and there was a strong sense of belonging and community for people who had migrated to a different country.
Inside the temple, I felt welcomed, even though I was obviously a very out-of-place visitor. The people were friendly, yet reserved, and the atmosphere was one of quiet reverence and reflection. The decor was definitely Indian and Hindu in nature. This included a large open space for the worshipers with no seating, except for a few chairs around the perimeter. The wall art and many statues clearly reflected their beliefs in many different Gods, as well as the Hindu master that this particular temple was built in honor of. During my time there, there was no organized meeting – just a place for people to quietly gather to pray and worship.
From a spiritual perspective, I sensed the deep faith of the people in attendance. Their total acceptance of a polytheistic or pantheistic worldview, however, deeply troubled me at the same time. I realized in a fresh way the delusion and futility of worshiping every facet of nature and human experience through thousands of gods. In one smaller, adjacent room that was dedicated to the guru of this temple, there was actually a sign posted that said “Don’t touch the idols.” The futility of religious practices that are focused on human effort and good deeds stood in stark contrast to my understanding of the Bible and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
As I had learned through my previous studies, these philosophies have existed around the world in different forms or religions that are based on human attempts to interpret our human experience. On every continent there have been examples of this polytheistic belief in multitudes of gods. The problem is that none of these have the transformative power to change people’s lives or solve the deeply ingrained problems of the world.
Only the true gospel of Christ provides these solutions, the forgiveness of our sins, not through our own good deeds, but through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. When we trust in Christ alone for our salvation, He gives us and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to help us change from the inside out. It is only through the resurrection power of the living Christ that we could we ever experience this powerful life transformation. In this way, the world can truly be changed, one person at a time!
Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved. – Acts 4:12