When Life deals you a bad hand

Edward and Ranil have much in common.  Both are bachelors.

Both visited us last week.  Edward – a Christian came on the 24^th before going to his village for the holidays.  He is not married, has no immediate family and no fixed dwelling. He stays wherever he is offered a bed ‘free’ or at low cost.

Ranil – a Buddhist – visited after Christmas.  He lives nearby with his mother and brother.

One World, One love, One heart …

In a reflective poem titled Passport Privilege (response to the Daily Post prompt – Passport,) Ginger has drawn our hearts to the terrible plight of refugees who do not have passports :

Yet some people will never have one
invaded by a super power
they are only issued a flimsy piece of paper
that cannot be used for travel

Exiled from their homelands
their invaders ensure that nobody recognises them
unless they acquiesce to their demands!
Can you even begin to imagine life without yours?

and to the plight also of citizens from troubled lands – and  developing countries like ours  – who are always viewed with suspicion.

Others may have a passport from a troubled country
Suspicion aroused wherever they go
checked too often and regarded with fear

and continues with a clarion call

“Only global citizenship will allow free travel!

So no more flag and no more borders!
Recognise that there is only one human race
with many different tribes  …”

echoing words spoken by my father so many many years ago to which alas I paid no heed, blind to his dream of no flags, no borders …. and there definitely can be no walls if  we ‘‘open to each other with warm embrace? ”   Is this not the Kingdom of God on earth that our Saviour spoke of?

Let us resolve to actively live, and work and pray for that day, when the dream of One World, One  Love, One Heart is realised.   A Video of another enlightened human – Bob Marley singing prophetically ‘One Love’ attached for listening pleasure and inspiration.

 

In the face of terror …

“Our response to a world at war has a name: its name is fraternity, its name is brotherhood, its name is communion, its name is family. ..”

Indeed a powerful response to the terror we face and a wise message to all youth:”Let our best word, our best argument, be our unity in prayer. ”   Pope Francis at World Youth Day in Poland 

Asylum Roads

Andy Mersdon has penned some inspiring words – Asylum Roads – to be sung to the tune of what he calls the annoyingly catchy tune ‘Country Roads’ by John Denver .

It really highlights the plight of refugees risking their lives to a place they long to be …

Almost made it, across this ocean,

One more hardship, here comes the monsoon season.

Children die here, in their mothers arms

Will we find a nation, to stop this awful harm?

If we can’t help in any other way, let’s at least whisper a prayer daily for those on the high seas today leaving everything behind in search of asylum  …  refuge, … freedom.

Ocean breeze, take me there 
To the place, I long to be 
Safe asylum, distant refuge

Take me there
On pure blue seas.

Poetry is my aeroplane

Written in response to a Stanford University prompt to write new words (politically motivated) to an easily recognisable tune.  I have chosen John Denver’s annoyingly catchy tune “Country Roads” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vrEljMfXYo).

Almost made it, across this ocean,

One more hardship, here comes the monsoon season.

Children die here, in their mothers arms

Will we find a nation, to stop this awful harm?

 

Ocean breeze, take me there,

To the place, I long to be.

Safe asylum

Distant refuge, take me there

On pure blue seas.

 

One more shoreline, shines before our eyes

The Christian people will surely grant our lives.

But dark ships stop us and point us back to sea,

Reject our arrival and more horrors we will see.

 

Ocean breeze, take me there,

To the place, I long to be.

Safe asylum

Distant refuge, take me there

On pure blue seas.

 

You surely hear our…

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