Voodoo Priest Gets the Mercy
In the evening, after a blissful day of book distribution in New Orleans's French Quarter, Raya Nitai Prabhu, Bhakta Steve and I were preparing to go on harinam. After we blew a conchshell to signify the beginning of harinam, a tall skinny man with a goatee, French beret, and long hair walked through a black gate from a dimly lit ally and approached us.
He asked, " Are you Hare Krishnas?"
We replied, "Yes."
He smiled and said, "That's wonderful! Tonight is the anniverssary of our head priest's passing away. Can you do a kirtan in his memory?"
It turns out that he was a voodoo priest and we were invited to his voodoo temple.
The walls were full of religious icons, pictures of saints and tribal statues including a murti of Lord Vishnu on Garuda.
There were several people in the temple, and they really enjoyed the kirtan. They were swaying back and forth. Raya Nitai lead a New Orleans style kirtana that got their emotions moving, and afterward we spoke a little about Krishna consciousness. They even purchased a hardbound Bhagavad-gita As It Is.
Lord Caitanya's movement is spreading to every town and village and hopefully every voodoo temple. Everyone gets the mercy.
Bhakta Vassilios
