Accept, Modify or Reject - Thailand

Wednesday 05 Jun

The Ethnic Thai faith communities are developing their own ways of following Jesus.

"Unlike for most Australians, a short piece of white string holds significant meaning for the majority of Ethnic Thai people. String tying is one of the most common spiritual practices amongst Thai Buddhists. For the Ethnic Thai followers of Jesus, remaining deeply connected to their culture and community is vitally important to the spreading of the Gospel. This, however, poses a problem. While there is much about the Thai culture that is admirable and even Godly there is also much that is far from it.  

For an Ethnic Thai person seeking to be faithful to a new Lord but remain a part of their local community there is a need to accept, modify or reject aspects of their own culture. String tying is a great example of how the Ethnic Thai believers have modified a cultural practice to fit within their new faith. Whenever they tie string together they explain, for the benefit of anyone present who may not know Jesus, that the string has no power to protect or bring luck, but is a representation of God’s love and their prayers for one another."

This is a condensed excerpt from Intercultural Worker Luke's article in Resonate magazine. You can read the full article on page 5-6 of edition 33 here (view online) or here (printable PDF).  Photo taken by C.Ziegenhardt​ « Back to News