Of prophets and pagodas

Originally written in July 2013:

Before heading back to the UK I'm doing some travelling.

I spent last night at a Buddhist temple in the Chinese bamboo covered mountains.

They have a simple hotel on site. The monks and guests were wonderfully welcoming. Sharing food and chatting with me in their broken English and my even worse Chinese.

This is a place of peace and tranquility. There are no 'graven images' here, in a temple complex of over 100 religious statues and deities. They are expressions of the God I know too. One God with many names and faces: Moses 7:35 "Behold, I am God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Counsel is my name; and Endless and Eternal is my name, also."

A generous guest this morning invited me on a tour of each building and deity and explained a few principles of their worship.

This temple site dates back over 1000 years. I can feel the positive presence of God.

Yesterday evening I climbed to the top of the pagoda that overlooks the community, watching the sun sleepily set over the horizon. I've returned today and am typing this message from the same place. Last night I prayed and shed a tear as I finally let go. I let go of the church and prophet paradigm I was raised with and established for myself. It hurt but it also felt enriching. I felt 'inner-peace.'

I choose to worship God and work to better myself within the Mormon community. I recognise it as a valid way. They are my friends, my community and where I fit. They are my tribe.

I have loved developing an appreciation for other faiths while living in Asia. It has taught me a simple truth: that God is found in many places. Not as diversions or distortions of the 'one true way' to God and not as partial truths for those more limited than others, but as equally valid faith practices that each help God's creations walk the path to godliness.

I believe in a God who knows us so well that he's able to create a personalised curriculum for each of his children. For some that may be devout, orthodox Mormonism. For others it may Mormonism followed by something else or the same in reverse or something completely different not even touching Christianity.

Whatever your personalised curriculum I look forward to discovering and living mine to the best of my abilities while continuing my association with a diverse group of friends and faiths.

God is good.