A man surnamed Wang, who was carrying Matsu — goddess of the sea — on a pious nine-day pilgrimage, grew fatigued and his feet were hurting, so he decided to steal a bicycle instead of continuing on foot. He placed the goddess in the bike’s basket and continued the procession, but Matsu, riding a stolen bike, may have decided not to bless Wang, who was arrested 6 hours after the bike was stolen.
The 47-year-old Wang has been convalescing at home for several years due to declining health, which has kept him from working as a mechanic at a body shop, so he was in charge of the household affairs and taking care of the kids, while his wife worked to put food on the table. Wang’s father had procured a Matsu goddess from a local temple, which was used for worship at home. Wang himself is also a devout Matsu follower.
Wang believes that if Matsu blesses him it will alleviate his ailments and return him to good health, so that is why he always goes on the Matsu pilgrimage. Every year he carries a pillow and blanket, with Matsu and her banner on his back, following the procession from Singang Township’s Fengtien Temple to visit temples along the way. For four years now, Wang has participated in every one of the Singang pilgrimages around Chiayi.
Photo: Wu Wei-kung, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者吳為恭
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
王姓男子捧著媽祖神像，虔誠步行遶境九天，卻因腳痠疲累，偷單車代步，他將媽祖像放進置物籃內，繼續遶境，但媽祖也因而上了贓車，不知是否因而得不到神明保佑，王某只騎六小時就被逮！
四十七歲王男原在修車廠當修車師傅，近年因健康因素而在家休養，遂和妻子互換角色，由他操持家務養小孩，太太出外賺錢養家，王男父親從宮廟迎了一尊媽祖神像回家供奉，王男也虔誠信仰。
Photo: Fang Chih-hsien, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者方志賢
王某相信若受媽祖保佑，將得以使病痛減緩，維持健康，故每逢媽祖遶境，他都帶枕頭、被子，背著媽祖及令旗，隨新港奉天宮媽祖步行遶境，到各會香宮廟參拜；四年來，新港媽祖遶境嘉義市他都不缺席。
（自由時報記者王善嬿）
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