Only One Savior
Hi Faith Family,
I can almost still smell the incense. The scene in the painting above was serene—a painting of a mountain with a lake below, generic enough so as not to offend any person of any faith. Most funeral homes employ a similar style. Yet the scene around was anything but quiet.
In contrast to the serenity of the painting on the wall, a constant beat of wooden mallet against a hollow wooden instrument filled the large room. Bustling Buddhist followers in grey robes rushed around. The local Buddhist nun’s chanting voice echoed through the hall, aided by a raspy microphone. Every few minutes she pushed her glasses up on her nose, never halting her lilting and ominous chant. The repetitious chant was repeated by one, then the group of robed devotees. The speed picked up and the volume grew, sounding like a train gaining speed as it comes around the bend.
Each minute or so, the Buddhist nun would strike the metal bell, provoking the now widowed husband to bow deeply to the ground. He wore a white linen headband, the traditional symbol for mourning. He was active and busy, moving from his position in front of the casket to his position in front of the make-shift altar, with the tri-paneled pictures of the Buddhist faith. He alternated from kneeling and sitting position, with deep bows about each minute. At key points, he poured a libation offering from teapot to a cup, three times, holing the cup up above his head. He was deeply impacted, yet very busy carrying out all the required duties, actions, bows, and lighting of incense.
His name is Quyen Do, but he also goes by Henry. His Vietnamese noodle soup restaurant will be closed this month as he deals with the loss of Huong—his wife and mother of his two young daughters, Cindy (age 6) and Wendy (age 3). You can see her picture here:
Huong Dang
She was a wonderful woman, by all accounts. Her family and friends, her nurse who spoke of her will to live in her fight against breast cancer, the pediatric nurse who dearly loved Huong and her two girls, the sponsor who helped to bring her to the U.S.—all spoke well of her.
So do I. Huong was generous and kind, a loving mother and independent spirit. I spoke to her several times of her Savior, and the God who made us all. She had attended services at our church on occasion, and I had helped the family various times with paperwork of one kind or another. Yet I got the impression that her dedication to work and family prohibited her from taking steps to develop and deepen her relationship with her Savior.
Perhaps that is why this three-day funeral rite was such a heavy burden for me to bear. Seeing yet another Buddhist funeral was a stark reminder of the forces we are up against. At moments such as these, what comfort am I able to share?
As I sat with such heavy thoughts, a former employee of Henry and Huong’s restaurant sat next to me and asked if I was going to be involved with the funeral. She inquired because Huong had shown her a picture of her Christian baptism in Korea, and Huong had identified herself as Christian to her. Perhaps due to family and cultural factors, Huong had not shared this with me. But this revelation allowed me to see the event in a new light, bathed with at least a little more light of hope than the day before. My hope is based upon God’s grace, who knows those who are his, and no one knows the full extent and reach of God’s powerful grace, also shared with my friend Huong. I hope the Lord kept the faith in her heart alive. I hope that the times she heard the gospel at our church and through our witness, it was a strength and blessing to her. I hope I’ll see her again when we see all things clearly in heavenly light. I don’t know, but I can hope.
But when I’m done writing this devotion, I’m going to make a call on another friend who still draws breath on this earth yet doesn’t trust Jesus for his soul’s salvation. I encourage you to take action today in the life of someone you care about, who doesn’t yet know Jesus, or whose faith is weak or troubled. We have today, dear faith family. God has given us today. Use it well and wisely to God’s glory and for the sake of his kingdom which will have no end.
The Word of God I ask you to consider carefully is Isaiah 45:21-22:
“And there is no God apart from me, a
righteous God and a Savior; there is
none but me. Turn to me and be
saved, all you ends of the earth; for I
am God, and there is no other.”