This Sunday's Gospel was Luke 24 - The Road to Emmaus Story.
Having travelled in solidarity with the Risen Christ,
having opened themselves to the story,
their hearts were burning and the vision was re-enlivened.
Did not their hearts burn within them!
As we hear the story of our birth, of our childhood,
do not our hearts burn within us!
As we celebrate life with family, friends and community,
do not our hearts burn within us!
As we recall the memories of love lived and experienced in our life,
do not our hearts burn within us!
As we see the child begging in Silom,
do not our hearts burn within us!
As we see the love of a father and a mother for their dying child,
do not our hearts burn within us!
As we see the suffering of children injured by war in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan,
do not our hearts burn within us!
As we hear the cries for justice in the midst of war, poverty and human degradation,
do not our hearts burn within us!
As we hear the pleas for forgiveness from a hurting heart,
do not our hearts burn within us!
As we hear the call for mercy from a troubled soul,
do not our hearts burn within us!
As we hear and know the cry of God's love for me, for us, for all people,
do not our hearts burn within us!
As we feel the passion yet again for the gospel and its message that God is with us,
do not our hearts burn within us!
As we find a reason again to take up life and live it to the full and find there God in our midst,
do not our hearst burn within us!
As we travel the road of solidarity with the Risen Christ in the midst of humanity and our world,
do not our hearts burn within us!
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.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
What is real?
I was eating in the street in my neighbourhood last night and I got talking to this young Thai guy who was also at the same 'street eatery'. He was friendly and we just talked.
I have been in the neighbourhood four and a half years now and know it well. He was saying where he lived and I thought that was just a normal sort of place for Thais. Then he said he had a car and I just thought that he is better off than most. Then he said he was from the north where he had a house. He is only 28 and so I assumed that he came from a wealthy Thai family. But then he said that he sells beds at a department store. I then really wonder - what is going on here? A wealthy Thai selling beds? If not wealthy, how does he have so much?
Then I realised where his house, car and other wealth came from after he then mentioned about living in England for six months with some older UK guy who has three sons with his ex-wife. In the past six years, he has had two foriegn boyfriends - this one and a Japanese guy. Each has invested in him big time. Between the two of them, he has been given a car and much money which has allowed him to establish a family business and to buy a house and many other things. Having spent all his money and now being single, he finds himself selling beds in a department store.
While this may be a typical story in Thailand, it is all still a bit much to piece together at once. I have so many questions which I don't ask. I have much food for thought. Then I return to my basic and originating question for any further thought or reflection - What is real? This is a true story but still - what is real?
I have been in the neighbourhood four and a half years now and know it well. He was saying where he lived and I thought that was just a normal sort of place for Thais. Then he said he had a car and I just thought that he is better off than most. Then he said he was from the north where he had a house. He is only 28 and so I assumed that he came from a wealthy Thai family. But then he said that he sells beds at a department store. I then really wonder - what is going on here? A wealthy Thai selling beds? If not wealthy, how does he have so much?
Then I realised where his house, car and other wealth came from after he then mentioned about living in England for six months with some older UK guy who has three sons with his ex-wife. In the past six years, he has had two foriegn boyfriends - this one and a Japanese guy. Each has invested in him big time. Between the two of them, he has been given a car and much money which has allowed him to establish a family business and to buy a house and many other things. Having spent all his money and now being single, he finds himself selling beds in a department store.
While this may be a typical story in Thailand, it is all still a bit much to piece together at once. I have so many questions which I don't ask. I have much food for thought. Then I return to my basic and originating question for any further thought or reflection - What is real? This is a true story but still - what is real?
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Relationships in Thailand
I just touched on what was the basic, moral question to be asked in a Thailand. My view is that this is it - Is it real or unreal? From there, one can proceed to the right and wrong, the good and bad questions.
The presenting situation for me was a request made within a friendship. Having shared what I did last time, it made me think that, for the sake of clarity, I now needed to share how I perceive relationships operating here. This may be a personal interpretation but it is mine and I can't deny it.
Where I come from, my parents and others that I know love each other and because of that love they live for each other, they then share all that they have. What I see here is the opposite. A relationship is first based on people sharing what they have. They then enter into a relationship where they share and live their love.
This is based on what I observe and know from living here. My experience may be limited. I recognise that it is a generalisation and generalisations are not always helpful. Finally, I want to be clear on what I am not saying. I want to be clear
-that I am not saying that back home is any better;
-that I am not saying that good and genuine relationships do not occur here.
It is just about recognising the differences that I experience. I also see the weaknesses arising in relationships both here and back home. These weaknesses speak of human weakness and fragility, and we all know this so well. Once again, these weaknesses may have different manifestations or cultural interpretations but we all share in them as we all share the same humanity.
While we may recognise our diffferences because of culture, we must more importantly affirm our mutual humanity. That is an important insight arising for me out of my time here. I see that we can too strongly emphasise differences because of culture to the detriment of affirming our shared humanity. Living here I can see how we can even excuse what is not good on the basis of culture but culture is not an excuse for mistreatment or downplaying of others. What is of any culture may be good or sometimes bad. What is good is to be treasured. What is bad in terms of not upholding the goodness and dignity of people is to be challenged. Above culture, there lies the good human ethic as expressed through a gospel ethic.
I am sounding like a priest again.
The presenting situation for me was a request made within a friendship. Having shared what I did last time, it made me think that, for the sake of clarity, I now needed to share how I perceive relationships operating here. This may be a personal interpretation but it is mine and I can't deny it.
Where I come from, my parents and others that I know love each other and because of that love they live for each other, they then share all that they have. What I see here is the opposite. A relationship is first based on people sharing what they have. They then enter into a relationship where they share and live their love.
This is based on what I observe and know from living here. My experience may be limited. I recognise that it is a generalisation and generalisations are not always helpful. Finally, I want to be clear on what I am not saying. I want to be clear
-that I am not saying that back home is any better;
-that I am not saying that good and genuine relationships do not occur here.
It is just about recognising the differences that I experience. I also see the weaknesses arising in relationships both here and back home. These weaknesses speak of human weakness and fragility, and we all know this so well. Once again, these weaknesses may have different manifestations or cultural interpretations but we all share in them as we all share the same humanity.
While we may recognise our diffferences because of culture, we must more importantly affirm our mutual humanity. That is an important insight arising for me out of my time here. I see that we can too strongly emphasise differences because of culture to the detriment of affirming our shared humanity. Living here I can see how we can even excuse what is not good on the basis of culture but culture is not an excuse for mistreatment or downplaying of others. What is of any culture may be good or sometimes bad. What is good is to be treasured. What is bad in terms of not upholding the goodness and dignity of people is to be challenged. Above culture, there lies the good human ethic as expressed through a gospel ethic.
I am sounding like a priest again.
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