at the beach
Maybe we're better when we don't try so hard to be good.
Last week we had holidays on Thursday & Friday so three chicks from Poipet traveled to Phnom Penh to meet another beautiful friend and continue our journey to the beach. (To the beach, to the beach.... three hope-filled words not matter how long it takes to get there... to the beach.) From the moment we left home I was in holiday mode.
We left at sunset and drove until midnight. The 25-year-old taxi driver was keen to talk. His favourite topics of conversation were what I thought about Khmer guys and about the Christian faith. (Easy topics for me!) He asked: Where is God? How many Christians are there in Cambodia? What is truth? Are all religions essentially the same? Do you think that all Cambodians should follow your religion? I don't know if this guy was asking because he was really seeking answers or if it was just something to talk about to pass the time, but I asked enough stuff about God as a flippant thirteen year old to know that even those who seem to have an attitude can listen and hear.
On Saturday night we were sitting by the beach with French fusion food and a glass of house red. Someone had the idea that we could go to church the following day if there was one in town. I asked the waiter then some other staff at the restaurant if there knew of any churches or places where Christian people meet. They laughed. They didn't know any Christian place. As a final thought, I asked our Tuk Tuk driver on the way home. He also said that he did not know of any church. "But you should come and start one!" he said. I was curious as to why a Buddhist guy would invite someone to start a church in his town so we talked about it some more....
Sunday morning started with an easy 8km trail run with views over the ocean. As I ran I thought about church again. Since we couldn't find anywhere to "go to church" I suggested to my friends that we "do church" in our lodge. So we did something like church... whatever church is meant to look like.. with prayers and thanks and Scripture readings and a short sermon and discussion and a blessing at the end. It was good. But I wasn't trying to be good. I'd just relaxed into a place of being drawn to God and found myself delighting in speaking with curious strangers who wanted to know something about me.
Last week we had holidays on Thursday & Friday so three chicks from Poipet traveled to Phnom Penh to meet another beautiful friend and continue our journey to the beach. (To the beach, to the beach.... three hope-filled words not matter how long it takes to get there... to the beach.) From the moment we left home I was in holiday mode.
We left at sunset and drove until midnight. The 25-year-old taxi driver was keen to talk. His favourite topics of conversation were what I thought about Khmer guys and about the Christian faith. (Easy topics for me!) He asked: Where is God? How many Christians are there in Cambodia? What is truth? Are all religions essentially the same? Do you think that all Cambodians should follow your religion? I don't know if this guy was asking because he was really seeking answers or if it was just something to talk about to pass the time, but I asked enough stuff about God as a flippant thirteen year old to know that even those who seem to have an attitude can listen and hear.
On Saturday night we were sitting by the beach with French fusion food and a glass of house red. Someone had the idea that we could go to church the following day if there was one in town. I asked the waiter then some other staff at the restaurant if there knew of any churches or places where Christian people meet. They laughed. They didn't know any Christian place. As a final thought, I asked our Tuk Tuk driver on the way home. He also said that he did not know of any church. "But you should come and start one!" he said. I was curious as to why a Buddhist guy would invite someone to start a church in his town so we talked about it some more....
Sunday morning started with an easy 8km trail run with views over the ocean. As I ran I thought about church again. Since we couldn't find anywhere to "go to church" I suggested to my friends that we "do church" in our lodge. So we did something like church... whatever church is meant to look like.. with prayers and thanks and Scripture readings and a short sermon and discussion and a blessing at the end. It was good. But I wasn't trying to be good. I'd just relaxed into a place of being drawn to God and found myself delighting in speaking with curious strangers who wanted to know something about me.
posted by pip @ 7:59 am
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