The Besaki Temple Complex in Bali. The Mother Temple of Hinduism in this Island
While on a business trip to Bali, Indonesia and despite of the hectic schedule I found some little time to explore the beauty of this Island famed for its culture and for its tourism value. I decided to visit one of the most renowned temple in Bali. According to my tour guide there are 17 temples in this complex. Every temple is dedicated to a particular use. One section of the temple was dedicated for all members of other religions where they can also pray. This reminded me of the passage in the Bible where St. Paul commended the religiosity of the Athenians and that a shrine was even dedicated to the "unknown god". This conversation became the starting point for St. Paul to proclaim the message of the gospel. St. Paul did not dare to insult the gods of the Athenians but focused his discussions on the Unknown God, which according to him was the One God who created the heavens and earth and all living creature and in this One God we derive all our being. One impression I got is that even in places where the gospel of Christ is not known, the light of God's knowledge is not fully extinguished. The various forms of religiousity can be a starting point for our search for God. Thus for us Christians it is incumbent that our lives, deeds and words should reflect the values of the gospel in order to draw other people to the light of Christ's message of salvation.
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