Batu Angkek
You push your way back outside into the light again. Your friends look at you anxiously and ask what is wrong. You reply that you are uncomfortable being in there because you feel that it is maybe a place where people put their faith in something other than the true God which is something you, as a follower of Jesus, must not do.
You walk a little down the road and find a shady verandah shop to sit in while you wait for the others and ponder on the reasons people here find mystical practices so attractive despite Islam's insistence on the oneness of God. You wonder if one reason may be the distance people feel between themselves and God. If God is seen as untouched by everyday human struggles, it is natural for people to find ways to connect with spiritual powers that are more intimately involved with the world - like this stone that can predict the future.
- Pray that Minangkabau people will meet the divine human being who is able to empathize with our weaknesses because he has been tempted in every way, just as we are.
- Pray that Minangkabau people will become aware that the spiritual powers consulted at this place are evil and discover that Jesus can help.
Followers of Jesus who want to be salt and light in this province face similar dilemmas to the one you faced in the house as they try to live close to the people they serve.- Ask that they would be given wisdom to know when it is right to be present at a religious or mystical ritual and when they should keep their distance.
- Ask for followers of Jesus to learn to claim victory over such powers.
Visit the palace at Pagaruyung after all, it's just a short bus trip away
Visit Pariangan [and explore a very old Minangkabau settlement]