Our Role is Vital

At the invitation of Caritas International, I spent three days last week at a high-level, regional consultancy of the United Nations.  It was a first for me, a real opportunity to observe close-up the workings of the UN.  

It was a UNODC consultancy, focused on crime prevention and sustainable development in a digital age.  It was beyond my normal scope of competency, but I was there and made the most of it.  In doing so, I learnt so much.  I saw how the world deals with the big issues, purposefully coming up with global agreements, which are more than just glossy, motherhood statements.  I could see they serve a real purpose, giving the world benchmarks for acceptable, social behaviour.  

As I returned to my normal routine, a simple question struck me.  Without giving any thought, I will just name it.    

As we look at online, criminal behaviour, why aren't mums and dads simply asking Mary or Johnny the big questions?  Asking, "Where were you the last six hours, when you should have been here doing your homework?"  

Cannot the big questions and challenges of life be dealt with by good, basic care and concern at the grassroots level?  

What happens in our good world to make it so crazy and even bad for some?  Our human challenge is to be in the marketplace, making a difference, making a contribution in creating a better world.  We are always needed, even more so when so much is going topsy-turvy. 

Dear God, I am a little guy in a big world, may I never lose sight of how vital is my role in your design for your realm, not mine.  

Running on Empty

"Running on Empty" was a great, Jackson Browne song from 1977.  It reflects upon what happens to us when we just run forever on our own steam - performing day in, day out, without a break, without a real purpose.  Eventually, we will run out of energy and become empty.  Reality is we need more than our own selves in life.  Truth is much more is available to keep us going.  

Life is not defined by continuous work; nor by mere survival and coping.  Life takes us much further than what we just experience on the surface.  Life goes beyond the boundaries of its everyday craziness.  Do we appreciate who we are and what we belong to?  The human narrative, within the overall divine scheme.  Or do we just stay on empty?  

God is so good to me, sustaining me, nourishing me and so much more, no matter what I do. I may ask - Why me?  Maybe any rightful hesitation on my part is not about stopping still and doubting, but meeting the challenge of continuing the search for true life and meaning.  

Jackson Browne takse us beyond staying on empty.  There is no point to staying there.  Find then what fills us and keep on moving.  If what is in our life is empty, look to turn it around, throw it out and transform life into what it is meant to be, running on full.  Siempre avanti!      

We are connected

My Bangkok is a huge city, but such a small world.  

Last week, this lovely American family, new to Bangkok, invited me to their home. I found my visit to be just a delightful experience, being so impressed by their three beautiful children.  

Later in the week, I attended a dinner celebrating 50 years of marriage of a couple from church.  I just know them as two dear and simple people who come to church every Sunday.  Being at their dinner, I got a fuller picture of who they were and realized, to my great surprise, how well connected they are in Bangkok.    

Their connections went as far as their touching the life of that same lovely family, I had visited earlier in the week.  I was gobsmacked.   Both families lived in the same neighbourhood, each travelling so far every Sunday to come to the same church.  It was now my mission to connect them. 

On Sunday, I could see that they already knew each other, but how well?  My litmus test and aim was to get the three lovely children onto an elephant.  Huh?  

Yes, that is right.  You see, the wedding couple was having three elephants come to their local park as part of the party they were hosting on Sunday, for their 50th.  By chance, this same park is shared by the family, with the three children, who could then go ride an elephant in the afternoon.  They would love it.  Is that what happened?  

Bangkok is a small world.  One of my jobs is to connect its lovely people.       

Meeting God

I met God on the weekend.  He had a kind face, a smile and a great outlook on life and his future, in the face of personal tragedy.  Artur was his name.  He came my way through Caritas.  His mother had sent us an email, reaching out for help in her desperation.  Her son, a young  Ukrainian, had come to Thailand.  A year ago, in Phuket, where he was living, he met near death after a taxi wiped him out on his motor bike, at a roundabout.  Seemingly, his life was at an end.   

On hearing of her son's accident, his mother raced from Germany, where she was living as a refugee from war.  There pursued much medical care and, a year later, Artur has been left paralysed from the chest down. So I can only imagine his rising plight - uncertainties aurrounding income and support, surviving in a foreign country from which he presently has no escape, his daily suffering, the list goes on.   

After being with Artur for 30 minutes, I realised that I had just met God.  Despite having faced death and all that has arisen since his fateful accident, or because of it, he now sat before me, smiling, strong and hopeful.  What a hero!  He talked about starting a new job online.  He spoke realisitically and with hope about what can be for him and where he can go in life.  Much promise!  Much life to be lived!  He has not become a victim of his plight.  Rather, he has risen above it.  He is a sign of hope in our world, hope unfailing.  Hope does not disappoint.  I truly did meet God.  

Do we miss out on the many opportunities that come our way to meet God?  Do we too easily deny ourselves this privilehge, wiping it away, thinking it is only for others much greater, holier or more special?  If we do, we miss out on so much in life which can too easily become routine and hopeless, and fall away before we know it.  .  

In case you may think I am losing the plot or becoming overcome with pride, I would like to share someone else's story. It is a story from Russia on the coming of Jesus. 

At the beginning of Advent, Pyotr said to his children, “On Christmas Eve, Jesus will visit us.”

They asked, “What does he look like?” 

And the reply came, “I do not know.  But you might be blind and not recognize him.  So pray without ceasing: Jesus, Son of David; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.  Don’t let me be blind.” 

On Christmas Eve, someone knocked at the door.  Pyotr ran and opened it.  A nasty smell poured into the room.  There was a beggar in rags and full of sores.  Pyotr welcomed him with reverence, washed him and bound up his wounds and sores, and gave him a new suit of clothes.  He set him down at the table and served him supper. 

Then his children came and asked, “Papa, when is Jesus coming?”

Papa started crying, “Children, are you still blind?  Didn’t you pray rightly?” 

May I, a sinner, be ever humble enough to meet God.

 

Happy New Year!

Well, 2025 has begun and guess what?  The wars are still raging and world leaders are still overheating.  So what does that make of the Pope's plea for peace in the New Year?  

One could simply say that this was to be expected, but good try anyway.  Try again! One could become purely cynical and so why waste your time?  One could explain it away by appealing to the banality of humanity.  None of this sits well with me as it all serves to reduce human existence to its lowest common denominator.  Aren't we worth much more than that?  

I honestly believe that the Pope believes in peace.  I cannot say the same, however, about our world.  I share this on the basis that belief is evidenced in action.  So the rule of thumb is - what we believe determines what we do.  I just then look at my world and what do I see? 

-Hatred and bullying too often prevail over forgiveness. 

-We too easily believe the worst about others over their good. 

-We so often see the other as a threat, rather than accepting them.  

-We use others for what we can get out of them, instead of affirming them.  

In our world, hope is in short supply as the overriding trend is to rely on the wrong assurances for life.  Hand in hand, cynicism abounds due to the errant ways of humankind having their way far too often.  

So what to believe in? What gives us a firmer stand in life, a deeper appreciation of the true worth of life?  Why not believe in a God, shown by the poor and humble Christ?  Why not believe in the God revealed who embraces the life of the poor?  Aren't we all poor at heart?  Aren't we a poor humanity, knowing our true treasure when we stand together in solidarity, with the humble God, the God with us?  When we make this truly human stance in life, then the Pope's plea for peace in the world makes sense and is achievable.  

Happy New Year!