The Yilan Temple

"Just a couple more hours..." Robert told me, as we hiked up the Caoling Historic Trail...(actually, it's a mountain...you know, like you see people climbing over in the movies?) "Hours?" I groaned with everyone else... we and our eighteen students were being initiated into Camp Yilan...the first thing on our camp schedule after picking up the kids at 8:00 in the morning was this hike...and we were only one hour into it. Two of the girls latched onto me and I pulled them up the never-ending stone stairs that led upward to
somewhere we couldn't see. Four hours and a third-degree sunburn later (well, not quite :) we arrived at the peak of the trail. We could see the ocean behind us and in front of us, spread out in a vast expanse of blue and green majesty. Down below was one of the temples that are so easily found here, and then the trail descended to a little fishing village. We had to walk through the temple grounds to get to the village, and I lowered my head, walking quietly down the main steps of the temple - trying to show respect for the religious ceremonies taking place. People carrying handfuls of incense wands slowly passed me with sober looks on their faces. This was my first experience with worship to other gods besides my own true God. I was struck by how the people came with offerings - like I do - and came reverently...humbly. They came with requests - like I do - and with praise to their gods - like I come with praise to my God. The difference is...my God is real. In Isaiah 46,:5 God asks "To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?" There is no comparision to God...in verse 9 he tells us "...for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me," In Isaiah 43:11 God reminds us "I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour." I never really understood why God's plea for us to come to him was so strong, but now I can see a little of how He must feel when we reject him, and turn to other idols who cannot protect us or provide for us like he can. Here, the people worship their gods out of bondage, but we can worship God out of love and thankfulness for everything he has done. Their gods cannot see them or hear them, or appreciate the sweet sacrifices they bring, but our God knows us, and delights in even the small sacrifices that we make for him.

Isaiah 45:20-21 "Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath toldit from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me."