This verse spoke to me today because of a surprise I had this morning.
I thought nothing of letting my daughter borrow her brothers hiking boots because she had our grown hers for this weekend.
Coming from a poor family we borrowed each other's things all the time.
My husband was upset with me for doing it and also not asking my son if it was okay because he would have been mad if anyone messed with his boots growing up.
I have to admit being shocked and then angry that my son did mind. I left the house to do some errands and volunteer work for the church.
Also to pray and cool down.
I am asking God what kind of messed up middle class American values is being continued in our house? I was pretty mad, mostly are myself for not paying more attention.
When did material things, things he wasn't even going to use this weekend matter more than helping another human being? Not even a stranger but his own sister?
I wonder is my family and upbringing so strange that is basic value is not universal common morality?
I became Christian when I was seventeen. Before that my mother taught us good Buddhist values of right action and right thought. Compassion being the key and the fact that all material possessions are temporary and easily taken away so don't place value on things, place value on people.
We survived the Khmer Rouge. My father was a educated school teacher but pretended to be a farmer because they were kill all the educated folks, all the religious folks, all the monks.
I heard they buried landmines around all the temples and killed anyone who tried to get food to the monks living there. The ones they found in the open, they rounded up and killed by bashing them on the back of their heads and pushing them into mass Graves....bullets to rare and expensive.
So as these thought circled my head, I heard a small whisper and it reminded me of the verse I posted.
My mother though she never heard of Jesus until a few years ago always secretly believed in God and Dharma and good and bad angels/spirits....my mother taught me not to value things of this world but do good and receive the treasure from God in heaven.
Mom told me that all the true Cambodian Buddhist monks are all dead. The ones there now immigrated from Thailand or other places. None truly practice the Dharma (true spiritual laws) anymore. Too many who claim to be monks seek material possessions or power or fame.
I wonder how true that statement is about Christian priests, pastors, ministers, etc?
How many people truly seek God?
And how many just seek a better advantange in this world or the next?
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