devotions and reflections

I was reading this week’s Sabbath School lesson and the title alone hit me like a knockout punch.

It was my last day in the language school in Ubon Ratchatani, Thailand. I was going back to Bangkok. But I had to teach until 8 pm and my bus departs at 9 pm. (It was 9 hour bus ride so it’s best to take the night trip and arrive in Bangkok early in the morning when traffic is still light.)

There were no taxis in the provinces and public transportation was not very accessible. Luckily one of my students offered me lift.

I got to the bus station 10 minutes before 9. I hurried to checked in my luggage and headed to the bus that was waiting for me. As I looked through the window I could see that all seats had been occupied and I was probably the last one to hop in. But I was not worried. I knew exactly where I was going to sit because I picked it from the computer screen when I bought the ticket the day before. But I was taken aback. Someone in orange robe was sitting on the seat I had booked and paid!

In Thailand, the monks are the most respected people in the society. They don’t need to reserve a seat. They just get on the bus and take the front seat. VIP eh? and they don’t pay!

I was a little bit bothered but went on anyway. I was pretty sure there was no other empty seat but I had to fight for my right to get on the bus. I didn’t wanna stay one more day in Ubon. I told myself, “If there’s no more seat, it’s not my problem. It’s the bus’ company’s.

I got on and pretended to be looking for an empty seat. The bus conductor came and I showed her my ticket. When she saw the seat number she scratched her head as if it didn’t have a hat. Without saying a word, she got off and disappeared. When she came back she started to speak incomprehensible words. I just got to Thailand less than a year and I haven’t learned the vernacular yet. Somehow I knew how to say “I don’t understand” in Thai. Hearing this, she went to disappear again.

Meanwhile, I went to sit in the passengers’ waiting area, drank from my water bottle while looking at the monk who had seized my seat. I muttered silently, “What a nerve, he still finds time to call on his mobile phone looking and feeling important ignorant of the fact that he is causing a little dilemma which is why the bus is not leaving on time as it should have.

I was still in this thought when a man in his mid 20’s wearing jeans and a white shirt appeared in front of me. He apologized–to my surprise and relief he was speaking perfect English. He came to tell me that I could seat at the back instead. At this I adamantly refused arguing that I bought the ticket one day in advance so I could get a place far from the back where the toilet was situated because it really stink, you know?

The man then explained to me that “It’s the law in this country to prioritize the monk.” I knew that, didn’t I?

Well, I said I understood that part but I still refused to seat at the back. There was no way they could persuade me. Imagine I would be sitting in the bus for nine hours unless someone gets off midway to Bangkok which was unlikely. Really the smell of the toilet was more than I could even think of.

Sensing our argument was going nowhere, he excused himself and when he came back he was full of smiles while he told me this. “All right, Ma’am, you can now go to your seat!” I could jump for joy but when I realized that the monk had agreed to sit at the back instead I started to feel guilty. I just said to myself, “There goes my light. I’m a Christian in a Buddhist country but I failed to shine.”

Verse to ponder on:

“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven, Matthew 5:16″