It's Communio

I am surrounded in church by eternal talk of community, by people who espouse great ideas of love and concern.  Then I have an experience with them of our shared reality and think - are we looking at the same reality?  Such nearly unreal thinking and talk seem to be what make church tick but so much of it is talk as when the crunch comes - where is community?  When you really need someone - where are they?  When there is an issue - where is the compassion, the rational thought?  Love and community can be used as one's smoke screen or front for something else sought.  The question can be - What is one's real agenda?

I am expected to listen to everyone else, and I try my best, but at times I find myself asking - Who listens to me?  I am expected to give and do for the other, and I try my best, but I find at times asking - When will it all just take a break?  Then, no matter how hard you try, when you do not deliver as others may want or like, they become difficult, complaining, confronting but of course remaining ever loving and acting as good members of the community.  Fascinating.  What to make of it? 

When someone does not get the listening ear they want or the style of service they expect, why don't they just stand back and think for a moment - no one means anyone any harm and everyone is doing their best with who they are.  Then the old adage from scripture studies comes to the fore - unity within diversity.  What a great motto for love and community.  I would propose that what we are really searching for is not community but communio, a coming together of hearts and minds.  .

Another Year Begins

Rambo John

Another year has begun.  Watch out!  In some ways, it has started quietly with light traffic on Bangkok roads as we await the return of all our residents gone away for the holidays and with cooler weather due to a storm or two.

The New Year was fun.  If you can't beat them, join them.  So I got my weapon of choice and went out dressed in shorts and t-shirt ready to play water with everyone else.  It was fun but I just wish that they would not use such cold water.

Water is the key symbol for the season and it is used in both dignified ways and outrageous ways to give a blessing and to have fun.  Sometimes it is over the top in the water throwing field but generally people just enjoy.

A person I know through my work with Caritas made her comment from Italy.  Wouldn't it would be good if we had out our fights using water pistols instead of lethal weapons?  That may seem simplistic but I thought that a rather smart insight.  In this innocent comment shared may lie a message for the new year - act in simple ways for peace.  There may be another message that tells us wisdom is found in the simplest of ways.  Wisdom is not rocket science and is not confined to the realm of some assigned elite.  Wisdom is ours.  Get in touch with our wisdom and follow it.     

Happy New Year!

Water pistol of your choice 

Yes, it is New Year in Thailand this week.  No, I am not going mad.

At this time each year, Buddhist countries in this region celebrate their local New Year.  I do have to say that this is the only country I have lived in where they celebrate three New Years - 1st January, Chinese New Year and now Songkran which is on 13, 14 and 15 April.  Each New Year gets better with the third one being the biggest and best with its being major holiday time and its real sense of Thai fun at play, namely the country becomes the stage for huge water fights.  It is water pistols everywhere. 

Beware!  There is a cost to be paid.  You have to be prepared to go colourful and you have to be prepared to get wet as well as wet others. So one is armed at all times with their water pistol for both fun and protection.  If you don't like it, there is nothing you can do about it.  Just join in or stay at home. 

Happy New Year!

The Songkran look.   

It is Easter, you know.

 Let there be light.  Light is the central symbol for Easter which became clear to me as I celebrated the Easter vigil last Saturday evening in the French church in my Bangkok. The celebration began with lighting and blessing the Easter fire outside.  The Easter candle was lit from it and then taken inside to light up a dark church.  So all could see.   Then I heard the story of creation.  On the first day, God created light.

Still we live in a world that cannot see.  That was so clear to me on my first day back at the office after Easter, seeing the pollution that darkened the sky in my Bangkok from the vantage point of my desk. No blue sky and sunshine here.  Yet what do we do about it?  Nothing?  Just put on the face masks? 




We have eyes but can we see?  It is Easter and I live in a Buddhist country where hardly anyone has any idea of such a Christian feast or western holiday.  It just means nothing to them.  That is okay but I mention it as it is so strange for me living where Christmas and Easter - both major feasts and times in the calendar - mean nothing to those living around you.  For all the others, they are just days in everyday life.  After over 12 years here, I have never got used to that. 

Do we know what we celebrate this week?  Do we appreciate the fullness of life and all its greatness?  Do we treat life as a banquet or as just a daily snack?  As I learn that a cousin has just died, it makes me realize yet again how short life is and how I need to enjoy it and relish it while I have it.  I keep saying this but do I?