Sitting at the Erawan shrine in the midst of Bangkok, I observe for quite a while the people coming and going: old and young, male and female, school kids, families – it is a constant stream of visitors in the midst of a hectic street crossing at Ploenchit Road – but sitting here you forget after a while the noise of the traffic, and peace and quietness coming to heart. It is amazing and indeed a holy place. Holy, because one can connect with the higher spirits, whatever that means for each of the arriving persons.
I think, we have lost in our church this sense for creating such places in the midst of our living. Most churches are closed and protected – and except for some places of pilgrimage, the church somehow lost the connection to the daily life of many people.
Watching the people, it seems to be so natural coming here, stopping for a while, praying, offering and going again along their path for the day.
For me, this place is a reminder what religion should be in the life of the faithful: a station to come to peace for a while, to connect to our origin and destiny and then, encouraged leaving again this place until the next time.
Filed under: Reflection, Church Matters, faith, life, prayer
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