We are part of something BIG

My working week began with my everyday, public bus ride, which surprisingly turned out to be a refreshing life experience, thanks to meeting up yet again with a most friendly bus conductor, whom I know from my traveling on the buses here for many years.  

She was immediately excited to see me again, welcoming me aboard her bus.  Yes, she asks me all the usual questions - You live alone? You have a daughter?  The list goes on, but I see through it, as the list does not define her conversation with me.  I think she is truly fascinated by me, an older farang, who goes to work and lives alone.  What I experience with her is friendliness and a chance to connect with the real Thailand.  

She may be the working class woman, the simple bus conductor, but she is not to be underestimated.  The bottom line is she is real and readily friendly, something I seldom experience in My Bangkok. 

So she opens up the door to something much bigger than she or I, while she doesn't even realize it, for she gives me entry to life in the raw, in daily Bangkok.  She reminds me that, no matter who we are, we are part of something much bigger than ourselves, for we are part of the shared Human Project of Life, within which we each have our place and a role to play, a role that is indispensible to the overall theatre of humanity.  

The truth is that our seemingly little role in the scheme of life makes its contribution to the running of the world, which would be less without us.  We are all needed to make the world what it is.  So let no one be put to the side or devalued.  

Within God's narrative of creation, we all have a place, we each enjoy a dignity shared by all humanity and we all play a part in God's plan.  While we are small players, we are part of something big, to which we all make our own, unique contribution.  

Transformation is Possible

We are in the midst of the Season of Creation, an annual ecumenical time for focusing on our relationship with Creation.  In his message for this season, Pope Leo acknowledges that we have caused tremendous destruction to creation, but he does not leave it at that, for he also affirms that it is never too late to turn away from our harmful ways.  He thus calls us to a renewal of our hearts and much more -  "profound conversion".  The call issued is clear.  We are called to "transform harm into life".   . 

Sound too daunting?  Well, no, it is possible.  Transformation is possible.  I know through personal experience.  Let me recount a recent and simple story that speaks so strongly to me on this.  

Due to a misunderstanding in language, a rift opened up between a member of the community and me.  I could not do anything about it, except assure the person that my few words meant no harm and only spoke of my sense of humour.  This rift has carried on for sometime, with my thinking how silly and choosing to stand back and let things be.  

Well, yesterday's Gospel reading focused on church order and the role of church in righting wrongs and forgiveness.  This gave me the opportunity to publily apologise during my homily for any wrong I may have caused anyone in the community.  Well, lo and behold, to my great surprise, this had a real impact as this same person acted afterwards, towards me, in a way, that showed all is now forgiven.  

I was pleasantly shocked.  Someone actually listens to me and does something to show they did listen.  Amazing!  In this case, transformation happened at the micro level, which showed me that transformation can truly happen at the macro level.  Say no more!  

Keep Walking

The Catholic Church in Thailand may be small in number, but I ever find its history rich and fascinating.  Last week, I had recourse to delve further into its history, discovering new pearls in its over 450 year history.  I read about Bishop Florens, an MEP missionary, who was Vicar Apostolic of the Siam mission, in the 1820s.  By 1824, he was alone in Bangkok, being the only priest missionary in Bangkok.  Just imagine that.  He was naturally concerned for the future of the mission, fearing it may die.  So he petitioned his MEP superiors to send him more men.  

One appeal in support of his cause, from his superiors, was that he did not share any great stories of the mission, to which he replied that nothing of much colour happened in the mission.  Despite his expressed and felt sense of despair, he did continue, doing his bit to build up the mission and thus, he left his mark.  

There is a simple lesson in this little bit of history - no matter what befalls us, we keep moving.  If one speaks from a sense of resignation, it is simply put as, "What else can we do?"  Beyond that simple lesson, I saw how the contradictions of life, that befall us all, may easily hold us back, but the challenge is to rise above them and keep going.  Any of us, even in one day, can rise to the very heights of our existence and then fall into the depths of our weakness.  The challengeg then is not to stay at the highest point, but to simply keep going.  That, I believe, is the greatest challenge of life.  

In Sermon 169, St Augustine expresses it clearly and precisely.  Just keep walking.  He was speaking in the midst of the chaos of his own world, which was watching the decay of the Roman Empire, in quie spectacular ways.  He succinctly sums up the human spirit's strength and drive to overcome all for the sake of both, human survival and human betterment.  We can do it.  

Take a risk

Looking down from a safe distance, all looks small and safe.  Being here in Brisbane, I am reminded of the rich beauty of this land and the true friendliness of its peoples.  Everywhere I have been over my two weeks home, I have experienced how friendly people are.  They say, "Hi!", as they pass you.  They share a sense of humour with a simple smile and a one-line comment.  They say thanks to the driver as they leave the bus.  

All may seem mundane and tame here but, for me, its refreshing reality is a timely reminder and challenge for a world caught up in chaos and self-indulgence.  This is my experience of Australia. a land that I have christened as "The Land of Friends".  

Even from the Skywalk at Queens Wharf, by the Brisbane River, the traffic below looked a tame and friendly scene.  Standing there, it reminded me that life is a risk, not in jumping to be suicidal, but by approaching what is before us in the sure knowledge that we are surrounded by friendship and beauty. 

20th August, my last full day back home, is the feast of one of my great heroes, St Bernard of Clairvaux.  He lived God's love spoke with such passion.  It was so real that he spoke about God's love in such erotic terms, that his writings make your whole body shake with a sense of God's love, as it is felt as being so intimate.  

His words ring home today.  

"The measure of love is love without measure."

"What we love we shall grow to resemble." 

"The three most important virtues are humility, humility and humility."  

We don't take risks that often, if ever, as we are held back by fear or comfort, or both.  On the other side of the equation, love frees us; beauty inspires us; friendship lifts us up, so to reach out and take those risks we need to take along the way of life.  Otherwise, we remain small and safe, becoming mundane and tame, not becoming the life-giving friends. the bearers of beauty mor the passionate lovers our alienating world needs.  

God bless the Land of Friends.   

In the midst of the darkness, there is a bright light

Here I am in Brisbane, blue skies and sunshine, visiting my family.  On going to mass with my sister, I read this in her parish newsletter:

"During the homily, Archbishop Shane explained how we should shine brightly during dark times, shining to others, not keeping the light to ourselves.  ...   God said, 'Let there be light', and the whole world shone brightly.  God didn't make the light for Him.  He made it for us and the beautiful world we live in."  

This is based on the homily, given during the mass for Catholic Education Week, which had as its theme - Share your light, inspire others.  Personally, it strikes me how our world is shrouded in darkness and now I wonder if this may be a universal theme, not just mine. 

At the beginning of my stay with my family, a little bit of light was shone my way by a few words of welcome and love, offered by my niece, at a family dinner.     

"Hey JM, our favourite uncle, uncle-in-law and brother.  It's always great to have you back in Oz.  We love it when you come over to visit.  ...  We turned on the winter sunshine for you.  Maybe it was mum who had s direct line to the big man upstairs and organized the great weather for your visit.  We look forward to hanging out with you, while you are in Brissie.  Here's to you, JM, and big love."

Simple and sincere words can make a difference and let the light shine amidst the darkness. 

Where has our sense of decency gone?

 

During the past week, I watched a short news clip that left me troubled and disturbed.  It was a report from the US Congress where they were holding a Senate hearing on Covid and Dr Fauci.  I was watching some US politician letting forth a most brutal attack against Dr Fauci, with the US Senator being foul mouthed and ever so angry.  

I thought two things.  One, this was not acceptable behaviour for a respected politician in the public forum of exercising his duty.  The other, this was a public humiliation of a public servant who led his country in the fight against Covid.  He deserves better.  I was left wondering - what was going on here?  

Even with not knowing all the facts, this scene was so extreme that it took me to the level of asking myself, "Whatever happened to our sense of decency?"  Yes, things go wrong in life.  Yes, people oppose us or just don't like us.  Yes, we all do bad.  But, in whatever situation, the challenge is to keep our sense of decency so that we can walk away, being assured of our own worth and dignity.  

At the same time, in my own little world, I faced a moral challenge.  In my leadership role at Caritas, I had to deal with a personnel issue.  Whatever the outcome, I wanted to be fair and just.  Yes, someone in my watch had failed in performing their duty, but this did not mean that decency went out the door.  In dealing with the person, I was told something about myself that I did not like.  I do not know why but I did not become angry and defensive.  Rather, I naturally apologised for what may be and moved on.  I look back and think - "Thank God I did not attack.  Decency can't go out the door."   

In our restless world, we get stuck in a rut

    

There is a way out

    TS Eliot poetically wrote thus.

        "All our knowledge brings us nearer to our ignorance.  

        All our ignorance brings us nearer to death,

        But nearness to death no nearer to God. 

        Where is the Life we have lost in living?"

We keep blowing up our world, in more ways than one.  As we approach another anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, we may ask - Do we ever learn?  Is aggression the only way we know, when facing problems?  We seem ever stuck in a rut.  

Worse yet, our world's state of affairs may simply reflect a world that no longer cares or has just given up, for what can we do?  Such indifference is deadening of the human spirit.  How did we get here?  How did I get to this life theme?  Am I simply being dark?   

I ma here based on reflecting how we do not ask the big questions, how we just become too comfortable, too accepting, too boring.  Life challenges us to rise up, to search, to seek.  When did we last ask ourselves - What does it mean to be truly human?  Pope Leo recently asked us this same question, when he was in Spain.  What was his answer?  

Be virtuous.  Be justice seekers.  Be at the service of others.  .  

So we move out of humanity's shared rut, discovering that our world's restless heart can lead us somewhere positive.