First, Pchum Ben (Chum Ben) is a Buddhist holiday in Cambodia in which followers visit their local temple (wat) and give food and money offerings to their dead ancestors. These offerings are given in order to keep the spirits of their dead ancestors at peace as their spirits walk through this world. The Khmer believe in waking the dead and their spirits and hoping that as the roam the earth they will find their family's offerings and be pleased, thus blessing the living relatives that left the offering. There is a certain darkness that is felt throughout this 15 day holiday as spirits are called, offerings are made and according to the Khmer, spirits meander the streets. There is also an interesting dynamic at play because there is little separation between the culture of Cambodia and Buddhism. In the west there is a certain distance between religion and culture, meaning people can avoid religion and still celebrate their culture. In Cambodia, that divide is much smaller with culture and religion being one in the same. This time is undoubtedly a very difficult time for our Khmer Christian friends.
We spent the days of Pchum Ben watching the Cambodian families around us dress in their white mourning clothes and travel with food to the wat. While there was a certain emptiness we felt in this time there was also a certain awe for us as we can now speak with our landlord, his family and other Cambodians about their beliefs, rituals and practices. The weeks of Pchum Ben were interesting as well as disheartening as we see the emptiness and darknes in many of these practices.
During this holiday, the nation as a whole also suffered the lost of their beloved King, Norodom Sihanouk. From my studies of this man, I am left with questions and cynicism because he led the nation during the rise and conquest of the Khmer Rouge. As an unknowing westerner, I judge him as I judge my own leaders and any failure seems to mean they let down their nation. However, Cambodians have a certain and understandable reverence for the King. He created independence for Cambodia from the French, he led the nation in its golden years of innovation and technological growth, he made Cambodia and Phnom Penh the one-time "Pearl of Asia."
Our coworkers and friends mourned his death and so many Cambodians that I love and respect have nothing but love and respect for this man and I believe that I must as well. His resume to an outsider is marred by questionable relationships with some of history's most dubious leaders but I am not Cambodian, I do not know how much he did for the people and both Leanne and I watched with great admiration as the nation mourned a national hero and a father to many Cambodians.
We have lived in Cambodia for nearly two and a half years and we are able to see and learn more about the culture, history and practices of the nation through each passing month. It has been a wonderful and blessed opportunity to learn about and contrast our own beliefs and nations with Cambodia and we both appreciate the opportunity to do so. However, we also ask you join us in prayer for this country as the need for knowing a loving and alive God is of utmost need.
If anyone has been to Cambodia, you might appreciate this video taken in Phnom Penh in 1965. It displays a nation that is far more advanced, orderly and polished than the city is today. I always find these films outrageously interesting.
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