Alumni Dinner at the Grand Hyatt

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail to attend an alumni dinner in Taipei on a Monday evening. I figured it was a great excuse to skip out on class, visit Taipei, and I couldn't turn down the prospect of a free dinner in one of the ritziest hotels in the capital. The Grand Hyatt sits next to Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world. I sent the day strolling the street markets, visiting Longshan temple, and perusing the extravagant mall in Taipei 101. The was action packed to say the least, and I neither have the time nor energy to write about my experience in full. My visit to Longshan Temple on the west side of Taipei was very intriguing. Arriving early afternoon, the temple was crowded. The entrance was full of people with incense sticks bowing toward the alters. And people threw red crescent pieces of wood on the ground. They are used as a means to communicate with the spirits. Based on how they land, the answer is either yes or no. To the side of the main foyer, were shops selling various merchandise to offer to the spirits such as bags of fruit, candy, or flowers. There was one main alter and three or four supplementary alters in the back, each with people burning incense and bowing to the alters. Every alter had tables filled with offerings in front of them. Outside of the temple stood Buddhist monks asking for donations and flower peddlers selling flowers to offer to the spirits.

From my experiences, I felt like the temple was essentially a business. People were willing to pay homage and shell out money for blessings. They honored the gods so they could be blessed by them. Ultimately, the ends to their devotion and worship was to bring prosperity to themselves. Give a little now so I can get a little more later. However, as these observations were going through my mind, I thought, wait-a-minute, this is no different then the state of the church in America. Millions of dollars run through this temple just like millions of dollars run through the American church. Basically, we have become a business. Go to church on Sunday, give a little money, read some Bible, sing some songs, donate some time, and maybe we can get some blessing from God somehow. Isn't that what religion is after all? A bargain, an exchange, a trade? We give something in order to get something else. Sometimes we haphazardly fling open the Bible looking for answers just like the people casting the red chips in the temple. Sometimes we bargain with God. If I do this, will you bless me? Sometimes we go to church simply because we've been going to church our entire lives. Sometimes we slap a Christian label on some merchandise and start peddling our goods in the pews.

In a lot of ways, we love to worship ourselves. We like to bargain with God. But the question is: do we think we can bargain with God? Can we cut him a deal and have him sign on the dotted line? I don't think the answer is that easy. Abraham bargains with God, and God constantly promises to bless the faithful and invoke wrath on disobedience many times in the Bible. However, God can't be like the gods worshiped at the temple. When we are worshiping God through this foggy window, are we actually unknowingly worshiping the reflected image of ourselves?

The way we interact, the way we know, and the way we understand God goes so much further than mental reasoning. I'm talking about something which stretches to the soul. There's a difference between the way we think we know who God is and the actual way we act when we are around him -- which is 24-7. People can claim all these theological truths about Christ and Christianity, but do they actually live them out? You may know the five points of Calvinism and all these fancy words, but do you still come before God and before your brothers and sisters in Christ filled with pride, selfishness, greed, and arrogance -- and I'm talking about the pride which is so subtle that you barely even notice? I can honestly say that God is still working on that in me. I have to stop writing... Sometimes the prideful arrogance and greed which permeates humankind -- myself included -- leaves me tired and a little bit angry. I know that I shouldn't be so critical and judgmental. However, whenever I do think of Christ, I find hope. Blessed be God; He my light and strength.

So anyways, the Vice President of Taiwan, Anette Lu (Lu Hsiu-lien) was at the banquet! I was - at one point - like five feet away from her. Apparently, she is an alumni of the University of Illinois.

(I'll post some pictures of my trip to Taipei later.)