Participants: Jon Wood
Series Code: IFF
Program Code: IFF000010
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00:18 I'm trying to get in shape for my trip to India.
00:20 Christ said to go into all the world and preach the gospel 00:25 to every creature. 00:26 The problem is we have no idea who they are. 00:32 How are we supposed to effectively communicate 00:34 the gospel to a people we know nothing about; how they think, 00:38 what kind of pressures they have in their daily lives. 00:41 Come with me and let's meet India Face to Face. 01:02 So now we're heading out of the big city of Madras, 01:05 and going cross country to see what India is all about. 01:09 First we travel to Pattukotai by night train. 01:12 Sorry, I was sleeping and I didn't get any video of that 01:14 part of the trip. 01:16 Here's a shrine of the god that resides in this tree. 01:21 After Pattukotai we get on a bus and head west to the small city 01:25 of Palani. 01:26 I'm excited about coming to Palani, but I'm detecting a 01:30 dread in it for Pastor Samuel. 01:33 It's known as a temple city. 01:35 I thought every city in India had a temple. 01:37 Most of them have a lot of temples. 01:39 Why is this city any different? 01:42 Then up ahead I began to see the temple mount. 01:46 I wonder if I'll be able to go up there. 01:48 I wonder if they allow cameras. 01:49 I'd be really surprised. 01:51 A lot of cultures don't like cameras. 01:52 They think it steals the soul. 01:54 It takes power away from their gods. 01:58 I wonder if I'll get Delhi Belly here. 02:14 Here's the view of Palani from the roof of our hotel. 02:20 There are actually two mountains here: a little one, 02:23 and a large one, the temple on top of each one, and the stairs 02:26 leading up to them, and there's the entrance. 02:36 So, are you nervous about being here? 02:38 Ah, just for the moment, but tomorrow morning we will have 02:42 a fresh day. 03:41 So the people that are going to be taking me on a tour tomorrow 03:44 are they going to be in danger? 03:47 Yes, they will take a chance, and they will come with you 03:51 and me to go around to this town because they are Jesus 03:56 followers to welcome us in this town. 05:02 Samskallas? 05:04 Samskallas. 05:05 What's that mean? 05:46 So their mind is so filled with that that they can't think 05:48 of anything else. 05:49 Yes, they can't think of anything. 05:53 So they do like this. 05:56 What's that mean? 05:57 They're holding their ears? 05:58 Yeah, because they're humbling themselves before the lord. 06:01 It's looks like they've got the light on up there. 06:02 Yes, they have it there. 06:11 It's almost sundown and there's still a lot of people. 06:15 Yes, it's the time for them to worship. 06:17 So every day it's round the clock, not only this time. 06:21 But if you want we can take a short walk around and come back. 06:41 It's pretty creepy being here. 06:43 We're not going to be able to go into the temple itself with 06:47 the video camera because they don't like that. 06:50 Samuel was saying they went in once with their Swedish friends, 06:54 and the guy had a still camera, a little tiny still camera, 06:57 and they confiscated his camera. 07:00 So I'm not sure whether we're going to be able to see here 07:03 in Palani, but we're going to go out and give it a shot. 07:07 Well, I can't believe they have such good balance. 07:10 I mean I could never do that. 07:36 How are you guys doing? 07:41 Okay, here's a standard act of worship. 07:52 The bell is to let the god know that there is a worshipper here 07:55 who would like a blessing. 07:56 So god then, supposedly, blesses this white powder 07:59 for a little offering. 08:01 The man then puts the white powder on his forehead, 08:04 sometimes on his chest. 08:05 That's supposed to transfer that blessing upon them. 08:14 This is Kanesh, the god with the elephant head, 08:17 and the human body. 08:18 His father cut off his human head, and they found this 08:22 elephant head for a replacement. 08:28 What are these things? 08:41 What is this again? 08:42 This is the symbol of Hindu, like how we have it in 08:45 Christianity, with the cross as a symbol. 08:57 Okay, I see that's a human face. 09:00 Yes. 09:01 Very good. 09:03 Who is that? 09:04 Who's that face? 09:06 Can you ask him who that is? 09:14 Kind of a holy man. 09:17 I see, okay. 09:18 Very good. 09:20 I think we will have to move away from this place. 09:22 Thank you. 09:23 What happened to his hair? 09:30 In there? 09:31 Ah, okay. 09:33 My name is John. 09:35 Glad to meet you. 09:37 Alright, good. 09:39 God bless. 09:40 Is he like a really holy man? 09:43 Has he given up all of his family and all of that 09:45 kind of stuff? 09:56 Given up showering and all that? 09:57 Yes. 10:06 Like a rosary! 10:07 Yeah, a rosary. 10:08 Um, I don't have much. 10:10 Is that enough? 10:11 So Samuel, how are you feeling right now? 10:25 So being in this kind of place... 10:30 We see those things, you know the masks and stuff like that. 10:37 We see those as kind of idle curiosities. 10:40 Kind of like artwork and stuff like that. 10:43 What does it mean to you? 10:44 What do you think of when you see that? 11:04 How long does it take them to get here? 11:11 Wow! 11:12 Are there places all through India that they have to go? 11:14 Yes. 11:34 And how many gods are there? 12:07 This must be tourist season? 12:10 Yeah, it is not at all a tourist season. 12:22 Is it pretty crowded here? 12:23 Very much so. 12:24 There's no space to walk on this road here. 12:31 This is the god. 12:32 This is the god that's up there? 12:34 I see. 12:38 Okay, is that god up there? 12:39 He's up there? 12:49 Uh, this one? 12:50 Which one is up there? 12:52 Okay. 13:32 Well, I'm definitely feeling the spiritual oppression 13:34 of this place. 13:35 I think I'll call some family and friends and ask them 13:38 to pray for me. 13:39 They'll be praying to the strongest God in the universe. 13:44 Yeah, the One that loves me. |
Revised 2014-12-17