Shan follow their traditions. Their traditions are Buddhist.
How can a Shan Christian follow Shan tradition, which is Buddhist?
How can a Shan become Christian without abandoning their tradition?
Shan-Tai prayer month 2011, day 9
A pagoda on every hill
Shan have an almost 2000 year tradition of Buddhism, to add another ‘god’ to this is not so hard for them but to reject Buddhism for Christianity is very, very hard for a Shan person to do. They are not so much resistant to the Gospel as resistant to rejecting Buddhism and their culture.
Although ‘to be Shan is to be Buddhist’, many do not know much about Buddhism and they believe in many spirits in addition to the fundamental Buddhist beliefs. They have their own way of worshipping gods and spirits, paying homage to elders and parents, celebrating marriages and honouring the dead. The entire Shan culture has a Buddhist ‘flavour’, the religion and the culture are melded together.
Many Shan say, “All religions are good. It doesn’t matter what religion you follow, what God you worship.” Some even worship all kinds of god but it will be difficult to ask them to abandon all their traditions and practices in order to become Christian. Old people say, “I believe but I cannot abandon Buddhism.”(shan-missions.com)
How can the Shan be shown the difference between religion based on tradition and religion based on faith?
When a 65-year-old Shan woman was presented with the Gospel and asked: “Do you agree that you cannot go to heaven by your own effort?” She said, “Yes.”
Then she was asked, “Do you believe that Jesus Christ is God and He can save you to heaven?” She answered, “Yes.”
The final question was, “Do you want to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and become Christian?” She said, “No.”
She explained that she had been worshipping Buddha for 65 years. All her generations were Buddhists. She did not want to leave Buddha and follow new God at this age. She just wanted to be faithful to her religion. She was willing to add another hope for her future (shan-missions.com).
These traditions are holding Shan people captive to their culture, keeping them from eternal life in Christ.
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8 ESV)
Pray for
- Revival among the existing Shan church, that they would seek Christ with their whole lives and teach their children to also seek Christ (Revelation 3:16).
- The Shan to realize the real inheritance they have in Christ when they believe and follow Him alone (1 Corinthians 3).
- Christians reaching out to the Shan to wrestle with the question of how can a Shan become Christian without abandoning their tradition? (1 Corinthians 9:20-21).
Other posts related to this topic:
External Resources:
Download the Shan Prayer Guide:
30 Days of Prayer for the Shan
Image of monastery roof: iStockphoto
