Readings: Isaiah 40:21-31; Mark 1:29-39
We continue this morning, the theme we explored last week, of how we might become more aware of the presence of God in our community and in our daily lives.
Come and see[1]:
Come and see the one who offers hospitality to the world
Turning a picnic into a feast.
A basket of bread and a couple of fish
and it seems there’s enough for everyone
Come and see the one
who takes the generosity of a child
and shames those who have forgotten how to share
into creating a feast
where wealth is discovered in the generosity
of just taking what they had
and offering it to their neighbours
Imagine what is possible in a world that can do that
and we’ve met the one who invites us to make that possible
Come and see
Come and see the one who offers wholeness to the world
Turning a meal into a healing
Accepting hospitality from his friends
And responding with generous compassionate giving
The healing of his friend’s mother in law escalating into healing for the whole community
Come and see the one
who was found in the house on the back street
and provides a model for living
where the economics are based
not on dollars but generous hospitality,
compassion, justice and fullness of life for all
compassion, justice and fullness of life for all
Imagine what is possible in a world that can do that
and we’ve met the one who invites us to make that possible
Come and see
Last year, Knox Church Council invited us, as a congregation, to participate in a global partnership with the Presbyterian Church in Myanmar. We have been invited to Come and See – joining as we are able in the generosity of hospitality, healing and hope that we have seen in Jesus and which we are committed to emulating. Nicholas Haslam and Clare Thomson accepted the invitation to go to Myanmar – to go and see – Nick returned just before Christmas; Clare has just recently left Myanmar and is now in the United Kingdom. I’ve invited Nicholas to share a little of his experience.
“Before I begin, I’d just like so say a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone here who has donated time and money to supporting this project, and funding my trip. Your generosity has given me the experience of a lifetime in an opportunity to learn and grow. So thank you.
My experience in Myanmar was an extremely valuable insight into a culture totally different our own, and in so many ways. Yangon, to me, was a congested and noisy city, where you were always having to jump out of someone's way or avoid one of the numerous piles of potholes or rubble that littered the streets. However, the lasting impression there was not a negative one, as the city provided an insight into Burmese culture and day-to-day life, which revolves around Buddhism and the massive gold-covered Shwedagon pagoda in the centre of the city.
Everywhere I went from then on, I was surrounded by welcoming and friendly people. As soon as we stepped off the plane in Kalaymyo, we were greeted by The Rev. Ring Lian Thang, other leaders and elders from the Presbyterian Church of Myanmar and Pek and Joelle from Tahan Theological College. We were then taken to our guesthouse, which like most businesses in Myanmar is family-run, and we got to know the friendly staff there well.
Adjusting to our surroundings, we wandered off exploring dusty streets, passing by people’s homes where reactions to our presence ranged from friendly waves and laughing kids to stares of uncertainty or a shy smile. Several times, however, people approached us to practice their English and welcome us to Kalaymyo.
This interaction also gave us an opportunity to practice phrases in Burmese and the Mizo dialect. Again, reactions were mixed, but the odd enthusiastic reply helped a lot with the confidence! Even so, there was always a communication barrier, as English is not as well or widely spoken in Myanmar as in neighbouring nations, particularly amongst the older generation. This was frustrating, as there is always so much to see and question, however, people were often too shy or confused as to what we meant, leaving us disappointed.
That afternoon, a taxi (which was an old converted pick-up) took us to the theological college for the first time. After chatting and introducing ourselves to the staff, we headed outside and joined the students in games of volleyball and soccer, which was great fun, and an opportunity to get to know some of the students.
We joined several of the students the next day, in what was a highlight for me during my time in Kalaymyo. Our taxi dropped us off at the rural village of Taungphila, where we met a woman who invited us inside her home. Most of the space of her ground floor was occupied by a large loom, on which she’d just finished an intricately woven shawl. She’d spent 12 days, every day, all day, weaving the pattern, and without any hesitation, gave it to Angela.
This incredible act of generosity touched us all, and was typical of what we saw everywhere: that even though people were so poor and destitute, they were willing to give what little they could out of the kindness of their hearts. This was another reminder of how much Burmese society is a polar opposite in some ways to the Western world; so many of us get trapped in the competition of consumerism; always striving to have the better product.
After that, we walked through the breathtaking countryside; bamboo and teak rural dwellings on one side; rice paddies, wheat fields and the distant Chin Hills on the other. We were on our way to climb the low-lying hill of Taungphila, where each peak was marked with an enshrined Buddha image, apparently as a constant reminder to the people below of their devotion to meditation and the ideals of the Buddhist faith. I talked to a few of the students and then raced several young kids to the top, who had joined us as our unofficial guides.
I learnt heaps that day from the kids, students and much older staff, and was left with the impression that everyone seems to share a familial relationship with one another, even with complete strangers.
The Sunday morning service at Immanuel Presbyterian Church was a very formal occasion, where men traditionally sit on one side, women on the other. “Sunday school” is run during the service, which is aimed at educating adults, not children, to help people’s theological education and learning. The sermon was admittedly difficult to sit through, being entirely in Falam language and nearly 30 minutes long, but everyone was very eager to shake our hands and talk briefly afterwards. Strangely enough, no one wanted to stay around after the service, so there was nothing like the coffee and gatherings we have here at Knox.
That evening, we visited one of the staff, Puii, and her husband Maroa in their tranquil village near Tahan. I admired the strength and happiness of the orphaned children they shelter, most from families who could no longer provide a good standard of care for them. We played soccer in the “common area” on the edge of the village, being cheered on by hoards of English football-obsessed kids, and then returned to have dinner back at Puii’s modest home. We sat on the floor, and ate with fingers on a low table, with a single electric light above. Despite having to fold ourselves around a table obviously made for much smaller and more flexible people, the conversations we shared around the meal were memorable to me; in fact some of the most unforgettable moments were centered around food.
When I met the PCM representatives on the first day, we shared over Myanmar tea and dumplings, we often had lunch with Theological College staff and friends, and particularly the lunches we had with students at the College’s dining hall.
One evening, we shared the evening meal with Pana, manager of the Agape Clinic (which we’d visited the day before), and one of his friends, who was none other than the regional army captain. Sharing food with someone of such high rank would never have happened a couple of years ago, which shows just how much the country is opening up to political reforms. One day, I visited Pana’s newly-built three-storied house; a rare sight in Tahan. This gave an interesting insight into the massive dissimilarity between the comfortable lives of the rich and the often desperate lives of the poor, but the seamless blending within society outside of their homes.
From the youngest child to the much older adult, I was touched not only by people’s great generosity, love and kindness towards us, but by people’s care for one another. Walking through the market places and absorbing the sounds, the smells and the interesting (and sometimes disgusting – such as fried whole rat) food and items for sale, I discovered that peoples’ livelihood depends not only on what they sell and how much money they make in a day, but equally the interaction and the joy they get out of being with one another. I did understand that most people live under the poverty threshold, and many are desperate for a way out, largely thanks to decades of grinding, constant political oppression, but I couldn’t help but feel that no matter how oppressed someone may be; there will always be an unescapable love and care people have for one another.”[2]
[1] Adapted from “I have found” in Mucky Paws by Roddy Hamilton, 13th January, 2012 rghamilton@ntlworld.com
[2] Nicholas Haslam: Reflection on Myanmar Visit, December 2011
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