loi krathong.

One of the things that is fun and frustrating about cross-cultural missions is that, the culture. Sometimes I wish I could just pop into a Thai's head for a day and figure out everything that doesn't make apparent sense to my westernized mind. But, it doesn't work like that. It's a slow process, and there is a lot to learn. The good news is, that we foreigners do have opportunities to observe Thai holidays and traditions, which are a big part of Thai culture.

Most recently, that holiday was Loi Krathong. The short version is that it is a festival to thank and pay respects to the water spirits... and to apologize for polluting it throughout the year. It takes place any and everywhere there is water on the first full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar (Nov 28th this year).

I tagged along with Meleah, one of the IMB Journeymen here, and some of her Thai friends to see what it was all about. After short ride on the BTS and a longer ride on the back of a motorcycle taxi, we arrived at Chula University. While there, we bought some "fai yen" (sparklers) and had some fun lighting them up... after all, what is a celebration without a little fire?

Each department (which, they call "faculties") made a decorative krathong for the festival. Here are a couple pictures of the more elaborate ones... made from fresh flowers and plants, so they're all bio-degradeable. That didn't matter as much for these as they didn't make it to the water, but usually it does. No one fishes the krathongs out of the water the next morning, so they need to be able to decompose quickly and naturally. Else polluting the river as an act of apology becomes counter-productive I suppose.

On the one hand, it was a fun and beautiful festival. There was lots of live music, food stands everywhere, people laughing, taking pictures, lighting sparklers and playing games. But on the other hand, it was so sad. The holiday is also a way for Thais to "release" their bad emotions (thoughts, anger, sin) by symbolically putting them on their krathong and let them float away. Their hope is that they can reduce their suffering by placing their sins on these small flower-like boats. So as they pushed the krathongs, lit with candles, out into the water, it clearly illuminated the number of people whose faith was in something other than Christ. 

Please continue to pray for the Thais, that their hope would not be placed in a krathong or a ritual, but in the person of Jesus Christ.

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" John 8:12