Going Home

LANDED blinked on the announcement board. While waiting for Fr Daniel at the arrival gate, a host of foreign tourists walked out. Japanese aunties with their golf bags, smartly dressed executives, middle eastern arabs recognisable by their attire and veiling, and of course Singaporeans by the way of speech and their tilted nose. Standing there, one could hardly stay undistracted. My heads followed these peculiar homosapien and at times forgetting my main purpose being there, to fetch Fr Daniel.

A man, simple in dress with only a hand luggage walked out the exit gate, and I heard a voice calling from behind, "Daddy". It was his little girl calling for her dad's attention and followed closely behind, her mother. He let the luggage down and bent down to hug the ladies. I lost count of the "daddys" the little girl uttered. The father held her hands and said, "Let's go home". That moment of time and spot where the scene took place was sanctified. Home sweet home.

One would easily notice the sharp contrast between this particular family and the rest of the tourists be them executives, rich & famous, pretty women, the sheikhs & their entourage, our snobby neighbours (ok ok, soli ok),.. etc.

I guess what separate them was the purpose of their journey. Many embarked from their motherland seeking pleasures here. Value for money trip (read cheap). Good for our economy anyway. But the man was travelling home, to his family.

Almost forgotten, Fr Daniel arrived at the exit gate.

My family (aka the 5 Js) will be celebrating our 1st Pascha as Orthodox Christians this year, having being received into the Church on last Merdeka Day. We will be embarking on our very 1st Great Lent, with the ascetical disciplines of fasting, prostrations, prayers and less audio-visuals of course. Fr Schmemann wrote :

"Easter is our return every year to our own Baptism, whereas Lent is our preparation for that return - the slow and sustained effort to perform, at the end, our own "passage" or "pascha" into the new life in Christ"

My preconceived journey Home, to attain my heavenly visa and meet St Peter on the pearly gate was way off tangent. All the lenten disciplines was supposed to make me holier and get me wings to soar to heaven or at least to obtain the feeling that I am on the way to heaven, safe and secure, right ?? Oops, am I on the right plane ? Where's my destination ? Am I on a pleasure trip ? Nostalgic, down the memory lane ?

During the Divine Liturgy, Fr Daniel reminded us that though we may be insignificant and small in stature as Zacchaeus, we could still be little Zacchaeuses, climbing up the sycamore (or seek-some-more) tree. The Lord noticed and went home with him.

May this Lent brings us Home to our Lord Jesus Christ who resides with/in us. At least, He is waiting for us at the exit gate. "Let's Go Home"