Vietnam has left its mark

I have been on Sabbatical 2.0, going on a religious pilgrimage and discovery tour to Vietnam.  I am not here to write a travelogue but, in this case, I am so tempted as I had such great adventures and faced truly exciting and new challenges.  And so, Vietnam has left its mark on me.  

Yes, it is a beautiful country, with vibrant and caring people.  Yes, despite all, or because of all it has suffered, a strong Church exists in this land.  Yes, its people have suffered a long history of war and suffering, but they have never been vanquished.  I heard Vietnamese themselves name their strength, the strength of the people of Vietnam - "Forgive and move on, but do remember".  I experienced it as they shared stories of a tragic and violent past, but then simply finished by saying - "that is history".  Powerful!

Over these past days, I have been opened up to a church that has suffered brutal persecution over the last two centuries, or more, but has been left stronger and richer for this bloodied experience.  I wonder if I could suffer such torture and indignity, and come out the other end with their sense of dignity and humanity.  

I was overcome by the story of just one of countless martyrs, St Agnes Le Thi Thanh, a wife and mother (1781-1841),  She was arrested by the Emperor's soldiers for hiding and looking after priests.  She was subsequently imprisoned, tortured and eventually died.  The recounting of how they put poisonous snakes down here pants just made me squirm uncontrollably.  How did these great saints do it?  This is a rhetorical question, if there ever was one. St Agnes named it well, when she described the blood patches on her clothes, to her children, as "these are my red roses of courage. I am suffering in the name of Jesus. ,,,  I will trust and follow Jesus to the end." 

So the Church in Vietnam today stands strong in faith and vibrant in life.  I met a land and a Church full of young people, friendly, competent, confident, entrepreneurial and caring.  Vietnam did leave its mark on me.  I left there, feeling overwhelmed by the experience. I sit with myself in wonder.  The mystery of life is leading me somewhere, but where?  For now, that does not need an answer, just sit in wonder.