Religious Thoughts...

Mauritius is a place of many religions. In fact, almost everywhere you look or listen, you are likely to see the influence of religion. Maybe you can see a small red dot on the forehead of the woman next to you, it might be a full burqa worn by the lady down the street. Perhaps it's the indication that meat is halal in the supermarket, or possibly you can hear the Muslim call to prayer coming through the window. Chances are many of the things you observe here are somehow wrapped up in some kind of religion.

Recently a fellow American, who is living in Mauritius, wrote a blog concerning legislation that is being considered in France, making the wearing of a burqa illegal. If you are not familiar, a burqa is a black dress, including full headdress that covers a woman completely from head to toe only exposing her eyes. (Think nun without the collar, and then add a face covering that exposes only a small slit for the eyes.) This type of dress can be representative of some of the more conservative and fundamentalist Muslims. When women wear a burqa, they are meant to only be recognized by their husbands and families, making them anonymous to all others. It is partially intended to keep other men from lusting after your wife... On one hand, I feel very sorry for these women who are in bondage. They are not able to express themselves to the outside world. Not to mention, that must be incredibly hot. Especially on those hot, and humid days here in Mauritius. On the other hand, I admire their submission to their husbands and to their religion. If my husband asked me to wear a burqa, would I submit to that? Chances are, I'd tell him he needed to go see a counselor to deal with his issues...

In addition to this thought, I was reminded in church yesterday that this coming Saturday is a Tamil festival called Thaipusam Cavadee. This is a Hindu festival celebrated primarily by Tamil Hindus. The largest celebrations take place in India, Singapore, Malaysia, and Mauritius. You may want to Wikipedia Thaipusam to get more information. In short, people often make a pilgrimage along a pre-determined path. While they make this pilgrimage, they carry a "burden" or make some gesture to please the god being honored on this day. In some cases they simply carry a jug of milk, but in other cases people will pierce their cheeks and tongues with small spears. They may even put a hook through the skin on their back and pull a cart... (The reason this was brought up in church is that they cancelled children's meetings on Saturday because of this festival. They didn't want to encourage children to be out on the streets while this festival was taking place.)

When I heard about this festival it broke my heart... These people are mutilating themselves to appease a god. Wow... On one hand, I am absolutely heartbroken by the religious bondage that exists here. On the other hand, I ask myself, what would I be willing to do if God asked me?

Yet another religious practice that exists on the island is the practice of voodoo. Some of you may think of voodoo as myth or fairy tale, but it is actively practiced in many places. These practices range from placing curses to human sacrifice. I myself was naive in thinking that voodoo was an antiquated idea... more folk lore than anything else, but this is not the case. Many people here live in fear because of it...

Although Mauritius is a very spiritual place, it is also a very dark place. If you are reading this blog, please take a moment to pray for the people of Mauritius. Pray that true light will shine here brightly. Pray also for the "light" that your brothers and sisters here carry each day. Pray that we will be a sweet fragrance, lingering everywhere we go.