From the January-March 2010 Issue
Ups and Downs in TOMAR
Joao and Celeste Nunes
Tomar, right in the centre of Portugal is a beautiful little town that, as such, is nearly as old as the country. Of course the Romans were here, then the Arabs and, when Tomar was founded, in 1160, it was done under the auspices of a Catholic Military Order, the Temple Order. Thus, from its very beginning, Tomar has been in the hands of Catholicism and its indoctrination, with all the poor spiritual consequences that came from that. Tomar is but 33km (20 miles) away from Fátima, the big and now modern Catholic sanctuary of Portugal, where pilgrims flock in their thousands, praying to and worshipping Mary. In Tomar we have numerous Catholic feasts in honour of certain saints that attract lots and lots of people who live under fear and superstition, and they come to accomplish their extravagant devotion and promises. The Festival of the Trays, for example, is a very colourful festival in honour of the Holy Spirit, but all that goes on during that week is well-rooted in gross paganism. It ends with a procession that lasts for hours on end and a huge offering of bread, meat and wine to the Holy Spirit. It takes place every four years and, for a week, our town is packed with people coming from everywhere in the country and from abroad. Normally, those festivals end in drunkenness and similar vices and that, for many, is done in honour of the saints they come to adore and worship. We know that Paul in his journeys encountered this type of thing and denounced it, presenting the Gospel of Jesus (Rom. 1:16) as the only powerful way to deliver people from their superstitious error (Acts 13:6-12; 16:16-22; 19:24-34; 28:1-10).
Salt and light
When we first arrived in Tomar, we were puzzled at so many habits and ways of behaviour the people had, that we used to say we were in another world. It took us some time before we became a little accustomed to the habits here. In spite of all that, in the manner of the churches in the New Testament, a church was planted here as well and, against all probabilities, it stands to this day, witnessing for our Lord and His Gospel that “is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes”. Even in the midst of all the idolatry and occultism, as well as other superstitions and now, the new evil, the materialism of our age, the local Baptist Church continues to be salt and light in an “unsavoury” and “darkened” place, and that in spite of our failures and shortcomings, our doubts and perplexities many a time.