Source: www.battlecreekenquirer.com
USA, October 3, 2010 (by Linda Jo Scott): During my year of teaching English in South Korea back in the mid 70s, I was able to visit various other countries, including Singapore.
While walking downtown in that city, I came upon the ancient outdoor Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple. Though this holy building is now located in the midst of traffic, as I entered through the lavishly decorated gate and stepped into the colorful, lively courtyard, I immediately sensed a serene and sacred atmosphere, with many priests ministering to the assembled believers.
The hour was fairly late, and many Hindus were visiting the temple, the women in saris and some of the men dressed in long skirts and loosely fitting shirts. Most of them were clustered near the back altar, praying and receiving ashes, fruit and flowers.
[For the rest of Linda’s tale, click at “source” above. Below is how she ends it.]
Unaffected by technology’s glories and hazards, uncommitted to political ideologies, hte temple priest was a simple man living a circumscribed life, partly because he had been born into it, but partly because he had chosen it. There was no zealous missionary in him, trying to persuade me of the superiority of his faith, and there were no theological tangles to be unraveled. As evening settled into the richly-scented courtyard, I was humbled and grateful to receive his blessing before going back out into the crowded, noisy, secular streets of Singapore.