A Clean House

Today, the festival begins. Some call it the eve of Day 1, so to keep parallel with local numbering, we’ll call it Opening Day and maintain tomorrow as Day 1. 🙂

The bamboo Ko Teng pole (ยกเสาโกเต้ง) is raised, and the deities are carried through communities for Koi Cheng Iu (โก้ยเฉ่งอิ๋ว), a ritual intended to cleanse homes from harmful or inauspicious spiritual influences.

Families prepare their homes and set out tables to receive the procession. Around midnight, the spirits of the Nine Emperor Gods and Jade Emperor are invited to come, marking the beginning of the festival.

For this week, people are asking for their homes to be cleansed.

Read — Luke 11:21–26

Jesus told a story of an unclean spirit that left a house. The house was cleaned and put in order, but Jesus warned that a clean house wasn’t enough. It needs a new master.

As homes around us are ritually cleansed today, pray they will find more than they’re looking for!

Pray that homes would be filled with the presence and peace of Jesus. Pray for families living in fear of spirits or misfortune. Pray especially that whole households—not just individuals—would encounter Jesus together.

Jesus, make Your home among the families of Southern Thailand.