He came and he went

Well, Obama did come to town last Sunday and stayed the night.  I never saw him but knew he was here because I saw him on the news.  By now, he is back in the US for Thanksgiving.  Life does move at a pace and we keep going on. 

Bon Jovi has had to deal with his daughter's recent drug overdose and I am impressed by his approach to this time of distress and worry.  He just said:
"It's human.  What I do for a living seems glitzy and glamorous but if you don't take it too seriously it's a great way to make a living.  And then life goes on.  Things happen.  This tragedy was something that I had to face too.  So we'll get through it." 

All this so fits in with this upcoming Sunday as it is the last Sunday in the Church year.  It is the end of one year and the start of another for the Church.  It is a time to look back, reflect, learn and move on in faith. 

Next week sees the Thai festival of Loy Krathong which comes at the end of rainy season.  It is a lovely festival with a wonderful ritual in which all participate.  The ritual involves making your own symbolic float which features a lit candle and incense sticks, a piece of your hair, a finger nail and a coin, all placed on a banana leaf or similar environmentally friendly base that you can let go into the water - a lake, a river, a pond.  The symbolism is about asking forgiveness of the water goddess for having polluted the waterways and showing gratitude to the same goddess for her gracious gifts.  As well, it is about asking for forgiveness generally and seeking good luck and good wishes for the year ahead.  It is a colourful and moving ritual joined by all in Thailand, telling us that we do do wrong but we can move on in gratitude. 

It is all very human, as Bon Jovi says.