12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let […]

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. ¹³ Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:12 – 15

A few weeks ago, we flew into Phnom Pehn just on dusk. There we were met by one of our kind hosts who bundled us into a van and within moments we were engulfed in a seething mass of traffic. It appeared at first to be the chaotic mess of a Saturday evening traffic jam, however, it didn’t take us long to discover that what appeared to be chaos was nothing more than the day to day experience of road users in the capital city of Cambodia.

Motorbikes, tuk tuks, vehicles of all shapes and sizes ignored the traffic lanes and rapidly filled every available space on the road ahead. Cars even turned across our path and somehow eased their way toward the side streets that were their destination.

And meanwhile, our host quietly and patiently negotiated the way ahead. No blaring horns, no angry altercations, no aggressive driving, just masses of people bearing with one another with no complaints against one another, ready to forgive and, in what seemed chaos, this incredible harmony.

One thing I never imagined was that I would ever ride in a tuk tuk. No way! No seatbelts, little if any protection from any sort of impact and that crazy traffic. But I did ride in a tuk tuk, many times in fact and never felt safer; safer than on the roads in Australia. Why? As one Cambodian explained to me, car drivers have a responsibility to look out for and protect motorbikes and tuk tuks. And they take that seriously. Each time I travelled in a car or van the drivers always slowed for slower vehicles and kept their distant. If a horn did beep it was to warn others of danger. As vehicles entered the flow of traffic, other vehicles would slow down and provide room for them to enter the non-stop stream.

I had the incredible privilege of being with ordinary everyday Cambodians both in Phnom Pehn and in the villages to the north. What I soon discovered was that the traffic was a metaphor for the people I met.

Compassionate, kind, humble, patient, quick to forgive, harmonious, gracious, all of those qualities I saw in people as they negotiated the roads both in and out of Phnom Pehn.

And as I reflected on the way in which Cambodian people daily negotiate traffic, I realised that it was a rich metaphor of the Christian life to which we are called. Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience so beautifully demonstrated and so wonderfully articulated in the practical nature of travelling together.

So, I started to reflect on driving in Australia and my own attitudes and actions. I wondered what this had to say about me as a person and about my day to day interactions. About how I travel with my sisters and brothers as we bump up against one another in the daily journey of life.  I have much to reflect on.

Listen again to Paul’s words in Colossians 3:12-15.

This devotion was shared by Pastor Doug Fitzpatrick for the Immanuel Lutheran College staff devotions following his return from Cambodia.