I recently made a trip out to the countryside during one of the tribal festivals. It was pretty low key - there were no big bonfires or large gatherings. In fact, I wouldn't have even noticed it was a festival if I had not passed a number of men with their children along the trail carrying burning incense sticks.
What were they doing?
This is what I understood of the explanation: Every year families will invite the spirits of their ancestors to return to their homes for a few days. After the allotted time, the boys help their fathers lead those spirits back to their tombs for a rest. They bring trays of fruit and candy to leave at the tomb as an offering. The boys carry the burning incense, and the spirits follow the line of smoke. When they arrive at the tomb, they light a string of firecrackers.
I wasn't too clear on the rest. But my understanding was that if they failed to invite their ancestors back to their homes to hang out, the ancestors might get upset enough to do them harm. If they fail to lead them back to their tombs to rest, they'll continue to pester them in various ways.
The longer I live here, the more I see the practices of these people as a very saddening form of slavery.
Those who hold these beliefs in spirits live in fear of them. The spirits they acknowledge are not little Caspers protecting them and blessing them as they go about their days. They are often malevolent, wishing to do people harm at every turn. As a result, people live their lives in fear. Every day is a series of rituals done to appease the spirits, to convince them to leave them alone. They burn incense to household shrines in the morning and at night. They circle stone mounds thought to have some magical power before entering their homes at night. The idea is that the demons who have followed them home will be shaken off and won't follow them into the house. Babies wear charms on their wrists to ward of evil spirits.
We might be tempted to shrug off these beliefs and practices. We might like to think that these rituals and fears serve a purpose within the culture but in reality those demons and spirits do not exist. But let's not forget that the Bible is filled with warnings and commands concerning the unseen forces of darkness. These demons are very real. That's why the witchdoctors and diviners often give remedies and answers that work.
As one who has experienced the life-changing, soul-freeing power of Christ in my life, my heart breaks to see the slavery and fear in which these people live. The oppression is visible and felt.
God has made himself known through what he made, yet people the world over have chosen to worship and serve created things rather than the Creator. And the evil one has manipulated and deceived every culture on earth in special ways. He's a crafty one. These people have lived under his oppression long enough.
Pray with me that the Most High would shine the Light of Truth among the animistic peoples of the world and fulfill his promise to bring people form every nation, tribe, people and language into his Kingdom and around his Throne, "and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." (Hebrews 2:15)
