Woven together for a common purpose

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Chiang Mai is Thailand’s fifth-largest city and the economic, religious and cultural centre of the northern provinces. Thanks to its air and road connections, the tourism industry is growing.

When I visited the Chiang Mai Bible Centre, I was intrigued by the way God had brought together people from different professional backgrounds – teaching, business and missions – to study his Word. I asked why they were prepared to set aside their secular occupations in favour of studying the Bible.

“The Bible changed my perspective on everything in life,” he said. “My perspective on people changed: I saw that they had eternal souls and that they would spend eternity in one of two places.”

“I am interested in learning about the attributes of God and how he works in the world,” a young man called Jenvit told me. He is a member of the Lahu tribe, whose tradition is one of animism. In general they have no concept of a creator God and this must have been a wholly new idea to him. He told me he hoped to become a Bible translator – “So I feel the need to know the Bible well – to know it and its background in a special way.”

A woman, known simply as Di, who taught statistics at the University of Chiang Mai, was seeking a deep personal knowledge of the Bible, preferring that to relying on what preachers and others might tell her.

“I wanted a first-hand relationship with God, not a second- hand view of him,” she said.

Mr Sumachai was a local businessman. By way of his answer to my question, he quoted me: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4 RSV).

“That verse intrigued me,” he said. “What did Jesus mean by it? I feel that it relates and applies to life. I am very interested in how the Bible has a place in all of your life, family and business – not ‘the religious areas’.”

Since Christians are a tiny minority in Thailand, I was also keen to know how studying the Bible had affected the students’ relationships with friends and others who did not know Christ.

“Small acts take on significance as acts of witness. With every decision I have to make, I ‘filter’ it through the Bible and that gives me an answer that is clear.”

Narinthone had been a Christian for two years.

“The Bible changed my perspective on everything in life,” he said. “My perspective on people changed: I saw that they had eternal souls and that they would spend eternity in one of two places.