Feeding and Eating the Birds: A prayer walk in Ulaanbaatar

On a recent cold Saturday morning, we went with some of the students from our church on a prayer walk through the city.  There were four groups who went in four different directions to pray over Ulaanbaatar and to ask the that God would shine his light in the hearts of people.

This was a first for many of these students.  Many had not been on a prayer walk before.  However, when it was over, there was excitement on their faces and they were very happy - it was something they really enjoyed and would like to do again.  It was a great joy for me to watch the two young people who went with me pray over the large monastery that is a mere stones throw from where our church meets. This is probably the most important monastery in Mongolia.  Last summer the Dalai Lama himself stayed here. 

People feed all of these birds as an act of worship.  They believe they are feeding them for Buddha himself.  My fledgling ability in Mongolian may have been a factor here, but I thought I understand one of folks who prayer walked with me to say that these birds are for Buddha to eat - which if that's true, strikes me a as a little strange.  I thought Buddha didn't kill anything and was indeed a vegetarian?  I may have misunderstood; or perhaps when he's in Mongolia, Buddha eats meat like all of the other Mongolians. 

So we pray for light, love, freedom and grace.  May the Gospel do it's work in hearts.  I am okay with Buddha going hungry.