Don't lose sight of the vision

Allow me to introduce Boy Phongsathon, from Isan.  I have never personally met him, but I have been introduced to him, through his eloquent writing.   For me, he is naturally an inspired and inspiring, young man, who will show a way for years to come.   

There is obviously a reason he came to my attention.  Simply, he appeared on my radar as a local prisoner of conscience. On reading his story, it stayed with me.  I felt so sad, while remaining captivated by him, for he, a young, Thai Buddhist, had found hope and light in the Christian message.  That is an amazing story.  

Specifically, he had found his way in my way, that of following the path of the Catholic Church.  Even more so, he found passion in the same source where I find passion - the social justice vision of the Church.  This nourished me and my own sense of vision.  The vision is real, but what a price he is willing to pay for it.  I truly understand it and am enthused by it.  He gives me food for the journey.  

I will let Boy speak for himself. 

I was not raised as a Christian from birth but turned to God four years ago (in 2022) while I was a third-year student. At that time, I was caught in a spiral of despair amid my political struggles. I saw many friends imprisoned, while some decided to seek political asylum abroad. 

Feeling isolated and hopeless as the number of friends who once fought alongside me dwindled, I found myself in the village of Song Khon, in the Pong Kham sub-district of Wan Yai District, Mukdahan Province. There, I had the opportunity to live with Roman Catholic Christians for three days and two nights.

During my stay, I took time to walk in the sacred forest of Song Khon, which houses the remains of the seven martyrs of Song Khon. They have now been beatified, leading the Song Khon community to grow and become known worldwide. 

When I first heard the courageous tales of the martyrs from the villagers, I learned that “they did not abandon their faith even in the face of death.” This piqued my interest, and I wanted to learn more about the lives of the seven blessed individuals. I aspired to have the courage to confront my fears as they did.

After returning from Song Khon, I began to seek the meaning and value of life more deeply. This journey led me to discover that God exists above all things. He does not confine Himself solely to Christians but is present by the side of everyone, including the poor, those of different faiths, sex workers, and thieves.

Drawing closer to God became a driving force that restored my hope. I felt that Christ was with me every day, and thus, my struggles with my political case did not cause me to feel hopeless.

I spent nearly two years studying Catholic teachings and reflecting on my life until March 30, 2024, the eve of Easter Sunday. That day, I was received into the Catholic Church through baptism, confirmation, and my first Holy Communion. 

Since starting this new life of faith, my perspective on social change has broadened significantly. Rooted in my Catholic faith, I have learned to adhere to the principle of love, particularly agape love, which is unconditional love that seeks the happiness of others and is ready to sacrifice to help fellow humans.  

There is a vision worth living.  Boy knows that.  I keep talking about it and trying to live it, even struggle with it. It gives value and purpose to life.  In real life, Boy Phongsathon stands for it, in his flesh and blood, showing me a way in my reality.  That enlivens me, captivates me, energises me.  It renews my own sense of purpose. Don't lose sight of the vision.  Never!  

Broken windows make headlines. Robbing the poor does not.

"Broken wiindows make headlines. Robbing the poor does not."

This is the lead into an interview, with the Archbishop of Milan, who was commenting on recent, violent riots in his city.  I did see these riots, reported on the news, noting that the violence was even occurring in the Cathedral square, in the city centre.  I was astonished to see this.  I will give the context.    

Milan is a great city, a wealthy city.  It was once the seat of the Roman Emperor.  St Ambrose, a Doctor of the Church, was its archbishop in the late 4th century.  He was a noted preacher, a brilliant theologian, a courageous leader of the Church, who stood up to the Emperor Theodosius, on matters of moral leadership.  Ambrose was surely no whimp.  

The present archbishop, Archbishop Mario Delpini, stands in this noble line of archbishops, of this historical See, in the universal Church.  Its present day cathedral is just magnificent.  Its importance is highlighted by having been the site of St Augustine's baptism, by Ambrose, in 386 CE. 

So violence seen at the very doors, of this world renowned cathedral, could not be simply dismissed.  Well, Archbishop Mario did not dismiss it, offering a superb, public response.  In doing so, he neither made scapegoats nor laid blame.  He just noted that all violence is wrong, and all violence is to be named, not just that which was seen on the news.  

His response was brilliant, being a purely pastoral response.  As their bishop, he asked to meet all his flock, getting to know their problems and their life, so as to be their companion and guide.  These were his actual words:

I would like to risk building relationships, sharing hours of school, soccer games, walks in the mountains.  There, to understand, or at least to hold out a hand."

This is true leadership, both moral and pastoral.  I see the same in Pope Leo.  His openness and ability to being human with people is just humbling, showing us the way for leading our world into harmony and fellowship.  

Broken windows highlight where our world is going wrong.  They call us to mend our ways of robbing others, not to play blame games.  The Pope does not take sides.  How true!  We simply stand up and look after each other, working for what is good and right for all.   

But how about everybody else?

I am standing in a shopping mall store and I cannot believe what I see - a woman pushing a double pram, holding four dogs.  I had to take a photo or people would not believe it.  Is this what our world has come to, taking our doggie family shopping?    Is this where our humanity is leading us?

Where have all the flowers gone?  Are they not lost in the midst of our arrogance, alienation and comfortableness.  How does pushing dogs around in prams, treating them like babies, nourish our sense of humanity?  Leo got it in one.  

Our shared human fragility speaks loudest to us, for it is our fragility that remind us of our need for each other and invites us to reach out to others.  So we reach out in decent ways, in ways to build friendship and connection.  Otherwise, we just use each other and live isolated lives, only looking after self.  What then becomes the point of life?  

As St Augustine so aptly expressed it - 

People are renewed by love.  As sinful desire ages them, so love rejuvenates them.  Pursue charity without which the rich man is poor, and with which the poor man is rich."

Now I get it!

It takes me time but I eventually do get it, or else I am hit in the face by reality.  This week, I was hit in the face by stark reality.  Yes, where have all the flowers gone, a long time ago?   It took a "toilet epiphany", no less, to shock me into a new level of consciousness.  What is this all about? 

When I was at the cathedral this week for mass, I was greeeted by a new toilet in the sacristy.  Marble!  I look, I stand back, I am simply amazed!  What is going on?  Within the eyes of the local culture, I see how such extravagant use of church funds is justified.  I can see what is happening within the context of the local culture, but I am still left speechless.  .  

As I continually face issues, and ever the same issues, in working here, this image could become the symbol of my lot in Thailand.  No matter what I do or how hard I work for the common good, for good practice, ultimately the same forces are at play and the show continues as it always has and, as they say here, always will.  Where is the Kongdom of God in all of this?  

As I shared from my heart, at the end of mass, "As I saw photos of Pope Leo, this week, from his hospital bed, I saw how human he is.  With his 'thumbs up' signal to the world, he looked like a boy.  I was so happy.  I think you see how human I am.  It is in our humanity that we see the sacred. "  Do they get it?  I do.  

Where have all the flowers gone?   Seen only through the eyes of my pride, my fragility weighs me down and I can never see the flowers.  They are there to be enjoyed as my fragility lifting me up, allowing me to approach life with a lighter heart, a heart that consoles me as I see convictions ignored, values misplaced and expectations unmet.  We just keep moving on.  .  

Where have all the flowers gone?

Late Sunday afternoon, I heard from more than one friend about Pope Leo's need for an operation.  That is how I leant the news that Leo had shared himself, during his Sunday Angelus address.  He was right to share the news himself, whivh he did so simply, so humbly and in such a matter of fact style.  

I do not minimalise the Pope's personal health struggles, but I do reflect upon the sincere reactions of people around me.  In part, I hold that the combined strength of their reaction to this news is more about them than him.  Why do I say this?  

I think I can safely say that we live in a "bonkers world". a world that knows its more than fair share of distress, thanks to the unpredictable actions and decisions of greedy and misdirected leaders.  In this world, Pope Leo shines as as a light, as a great leader, needed by our troubled world.  Then this news comes on his health which brings its own level of shared stress or anxiety amongst the searching peoples of the world, who are looking for a light, a sign of hope, within a world that is becomeing more unsure and more unsafe.  

I do not believe that Pope Leo planned for the rise of his own leadership, but it has happened because of who he is, his living out his role and the touch of God in his life.  So our present concern for Pope Leo is associated with our concerns for our world.  

When opening the meeting last week, on Amoris Laetitia, Pope Leo himself named this shared insecurity in our world and reflected glowingly upon it.  .  In his address, he focused on the fragility belonging to our common human condition and how our shared fragility shapes us, our relationships and our world.  he went further to claim this human fragility in the name of the Church.  

We know the fragility, the wounds, the failures of our life.  But can we encounter love in the midst of our shared reality and its fragility?  That is the big challenge for the Church, for humanity, for our fragility can empower us to help those excluded, to show our world the mercy and closeness of God's love, to offer the tenderness of a God of love who walks with his people. 

I hear Leo's message, I read it and I am just overcome, overwhelmed, mesmerised by it.  Where have all the flowers gone?  So sung Peter, Paul and Mary over 60 years ago.  When will we ever learn?  Thank God for the Pope Leos in our life and world.  

The Journey Together is Surer

In recent days, there has been serious flooding in Bangkok.  This has attracted international news attention, leading to ones back home kindly enquiring about my welfare.  One even asked for a full report of what I faced at that time, which I happily gave, while remembering that many are still suffering terribly.  So I shared with my friend.

"Yes, there has been an unusual amount of consistent rain, over three to four days, at the end of last week.  This came to a fever pitch Friday afternoon and night, when the rains caused major flooding throughour Bangkok, leading to gridlock traffic and public transport chaos.  I got caught in the latter, while trying to get home after a week of Caritas meetings.  

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This led to my adventures, endured in tackling a community challenge, of facing a flood disaster in Bangkok.  It all began at 3.30pm. when my Caritas meetings finished.  Friday peak hour was fast approaching and it was pouring rain.  How then to get home?  I tried for a taxi, but no taxi to be found.  I thought of a motorbike taxi, but they were not going anywhere.  Anyway, I eventually got to the skytrain and then got out to get a bus.  So far, so good.  

I decided to go to my friend's place, just outside Bangkok, as I figured there would be too much traffic in central Bangkok, where I live.  Well, that led to the real adventure as there were crowds at the bus stop, waitnig for buses that never came, in the pouring rain.  

I eventually got a bus to a major mall on the way to my firend's, discovering that, even away from central Bangkok, traffic was at a standstill, literally going nowhere.  So I decided on a dinner break at the mall, as it might get better later in the evening.  It didn't.  

How then to get to my friend's condo, my chosen safe haven in the midst of city chaos?  I followed my friend's advice and the only way to go was for him to pick me up, at the mall.  He, however, was caught in huge traffic. So that meant over two hours of my waiting, but nothing else to do.  Then on the way home with him, I saw the problem - lines of standstill traffic, going back for kilometres.  If there was any taxi or bus, they were going nowhere.  The whole journey home was chaos, taking 8 hours.  Amazing!

I wondered along the way what to do and how to do it.  I was alone and had to trust my own judgement.  Then I looked around and saw I was not alone, as there were crowds around me, all facing the same chaos.  So I just joined the citizens of Bangkok and followed their lead - wait and be patient - and it worked. Well, eventually!  Floodwaters, traffic and the lack of public transport - all at once - were the challenge.  Go with the people.  Follow their shared wisdom.   

Many people are suffering with their neighbourhoods under water, with maybe no electricity, no water, and maybe with the odd croc or snake.  OMG!!!  I so feel for them, but I can say my area, like much of Bangkok is back to normal - whatever that means." 

But above it all, whatever one faces in such chaos, the journey is surer, when taken together.