Restaurant
There is something to be said about visibility. I’m not a huge fan of using people’s money to build gigantic cathedrals when a congregation could literally be saving people’s lives with the money instead. But with that said, there is still something very powerful about the church being a visible presence in our communities. And that’s where John 3:16 Malaysian Delights enters the picture. Apparently they have had a restaurant in Richmond, B.C., for a few years and plan to open a new one there this summer. Currently residing in North Vancouver, this place is making the gospel very visible. I love it! According to owner and head chef Daniel Chew, he and his family (the staff) are Christians. But they aren’t there to evangelize. They are just there to provide authentic Malaysian food. But at the same time, if people do want to know about the scripture verse they are named for… they’ll tell you.
Find it @ facebook.com
Hindu Temple
The Kaal Bhairav Temple—named for the guardian-god Kaal Bhairav—in Ujjain, India, is unique. There are several stories about how this all came about but it’s not really the origin that’s interesting. It’s the offering. See Kaal Bhairav Temple is also known by another name: the Whiskey Temple.
Each day hundreds of worshippers and various others come to offer alcohol at the Kaal Bhairav shrine. Vendors surround the place. So do a lot of others. People hand their alcohol over to the priest who then prays over it and finally pours two thirds of it down a small slit in the statue’s mouth and it disappears forever. No one is allowed to examine Kaal Bhairav of course but the miracle happens hundreds of times each day. The remaining third of the offering is given back to the worshippers who often share the remainder with the crowd outside the temple.
Television
Twenty-three year old photographer Kelly Hofer has taken some beautiful pictures of colony life. It’s obvious from his photos that he deeply cares for his subjects. Hofer is from rural Manitoba and grew up living communally with a colony of Hutterite Brethren. He has only kind words. But he doesn’t live there anymore. Kelly is the subject of a short 15-minute documentary by Calgary filmmaker Laura O’Grady. It is well worth the time if only to see his photographs. The documentary is called Queer Hutterite.
