Every year, I do my visa and work permit for being here in Thailand. Yesterday, I started this year's process which included going for a medical. When you get your medical certificate for your permit, it assures you, among other things, that you are menmtally sane and that you don't have tertiary syphillis. That may be comforting but it remains a bureaucratic nightmare.
It makes me think of what my country makes visitors and newcomers do for visas and permits. I believe that Australia is even worse than here with its bureaucratic demands. We should not be naive and there should be processes in place but why do we make it so hard for people searching for a needed, new home or place to work or just wanting to come for a holiday. Maybe we need to stand back a bit and just put ourselves in these other people's shoes and try to understand their motivation and where they are coming from. This could lead to a greater understanding and a more hospitable world.
It strikes me that this is so pertinent when today is World Refugee Day. Why is our world such a hostile place for so many? Or maybe I could ask - why aren't we more hospitable in a hostile environment?
Aung San Suu Kyi put it even better last Saturday in Oslo when she gave her acceptance speech for her Nobel Peace Prize. I quote:
Ultimately our aim should be to create a world free from the displaced, the homeless and the hopeless, a world in which each and every corner is a ture sanctuary where the inhabitants will have the freedom and the capacity to live in peace.
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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