The last palace of the Sultans in the Ottoman Empire, and the one then used by Ataturk, was Dolmabache Palace. It is on the Bosphorous and well worth the visit. You can only visit it as part of a tour.
Well, as my tour was going down one of the corridors of the palace, I was taking note of the pictures along the wall. They all featured wars the Ottamans had fought. I saw that they had fought in their time with Russia, the Balkans, Greece, Austria-Hungary, and maybe there were others. It just struck me there and then that Empires might be powerful and wealthy but there is a price they have to pay - they have to fight to protect and maintain what they have. Eventually, in paying this price, an empire will tire and collapse.
For me, this has a message for all of us. If we simply always be strong and powerful and act against others to protect our own interests in life, we will tire. However, if we show and share our vulnerability with others that may be a key to our becoming more human together.
I am John Murray, an Australian, Catholic priest of the Order of St Augustine. I live and work in Thailand and have been here since October 2005. I have many stories from my life journey and would simply like to share some of them. So hope you enjoy and go away sometime with a smile or a helpful little insight.
We gather
to give thanks for my 25 years.
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