Greetings from UK!
It has been a wonderful to spend time with Sarah and Deborah in London, along with our sons-in-law, both whom are Joels. We also drove up to Wales and her countryside for a few days. While in London, we also hosted some of their Singaporean and Malaysian friends to some home-cooked dishes.
We also spent some time in Bath, which is famous for their Roman Baths. I think the hot spring lake in Ipoh is even larger. Yet Bath's is famous (and an Unesco site) because the Romans made good use of it, using their engineering prowess to create a recreational area which included a swimming pool, gym and a temple next to it, where they worshipped their goddess, Sulis Minerva. To have naturally heated water which flowed perpetually, was seen as a gift of the gods. (We can assume that Ipoh do not have the kind of weather to evoke this heightened appreciation of heated waters.) Some regarded these waters as having healing properties and those who are sick will bathe in it. True to the nature of their goddess-worship, written curses were also casted into the springs.
This gives a bit of context to St Paul's words in Romans 1:21-23:
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Today, we may not set up temples on such sites. However, other forms of idolatries continue where we worship other things, people, movements or objects of popular culture. A form of passive idolatry also persist, we fail to acknowledge the gifts and presence of our Creator God. Following on from Paul's words, one can claim to be wise and exalted but time will prove one to be "fools", as indeed many who claim to be gods in themselves.
Christianity has thrive and spread all over the world, almost purely through the life-witness of Christians. Every child of God is a "temple" to the glory of God, lighting the corners which they inhabit, study or work in. In John 7:38, Jesus spoke of "living waters" which flows from our hearts. Indeed, we can each bring warmth, healing and life to others.
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