This past week, our school celebrated Songkran. A water festival in Thailand that is their traditional New Year. The Thai teacher shared at the beginning that it stands for new life and blessings in the year to come, and that the children come, offer a cup of perfumed water to pour over the adults’ palms, and ask for both forgiveness for transgressions in the past year and blessings as the new year begins. And in response, the adult takes their wet palms and puts water on the child’s cheeks or neck as an offering of blessing. This festival is steeped in Thai culture and ritual. 

It had me thinking this morning about how beautiful it is that this is celebrated so soon after the Christian world celebrates Easter. That we get to start fresh with the forgiveness of our Savior. Just as the kids knelt before the adults, we come and kneel before our savior, and though we have nothing to offer him on our own merit, he washes us clean and blesses us. 

Something I have heard a few times since being here in Thailand is that they are afraid that following Jesus will mean giving up their culture and their heritage, but I believe that instead of forgetting it, Jesus will fill it with new life and understanding when they decide to follow him.