"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

Today is a Hindu festival day that is the culmination of 10 days of observances.Every night for the last week the idol from one of the temples in the town of Munjugal, (located just below our town of Kodaikanal in the Palani mountains) is loaded onto a cart decorated with lights and flowers and taken to visit various other temples in the area.The idol is accompanied by drummers and dancers and its movement is announced by firecrackers along the way.The chanting over the loudspeakers was a confusion of noise that David described as, "the sounds of lost people".A few of the nights the procession has passed on the road just below our house.

This morning we saw groups of people heading for the temple at the top of the town with large baskets of flowers, fruit and clay pots.After preparations at the temple they have been processing in groups through the town to the temple down in Munjugal.We happened to be at the gate to our compound when one of these processions came by. It was led by a group of drummers.Behind them were a number of people carrying clay pots of fire with their bare hands.They were dressed in bright garments and their faces covered with powders and pastes.Some chanted and danced trance-like as they held the pot before them.Each of these people were attended by several others who fed the fire with kindling and coals, coaxed and encouraged and cleared the way.After these came others with the pots of fire but who had, in addition, pierced their mouths and lips with small spears.Following them was a crowd surrounding two carts, each with an arch covered with flowers and pulled by men with heavy ropes.As the procession moved closer we could see that on each cart there was a man suspended from the arch by thin ropes to hooks that went through the flesh at his shoulder blades and the back of his upper and lower legs.From these hooks each man hung in a prone position and was being swung back and forth.People circled the carts chanting and shouting and throwing flowers and powders and incense.The Indian woman standing next to me remarked, "They have put nails in their bodies."

Oh Lord, have mercy on these lost people who believe that their god requires payment in pain and suffering for a favor granted.These people who believe they must pierce themselves to give honor to their god.We pray that they would come to know the God of Love, Jesus, who was pierced so that they would not need to be.We pray for the people of Kodaikanal, particularly the Christian community, that they would have the courage and boldness to share the Good News with their neighbors.

Betsy Perkins