Easter Morning around the World

I already posed an Easter message. Actually three. I wrote one and I reposted one from Alan Brough the Executive Director of the Canada Health Alliance since it was so timely. Last Sunday I wrote one about faith and the ability to trust one's self so I guess that's enough theological reflection for now. I really like the image of three circles overlapping.

I used it to symbolize finding common ground between three different groups of people. We all have things we agree on and we all have things we disagree one. Kind of like a minority government. If we focus on things we agree on, we will be able to get things done. If we focus on things we don't agree on then we'll get nothing accomplished.

I also like the geometry of the diagram. Some refer to God as the Great Architect of the Universe or the Grand Geometrician so to speak. You can see the triangle in the middle but look at the common ground within the triangle. It kind of looks like the all seeing eye from the American dollar bill. Curtis used that symbol for the Guardian Angels logo. He took the all seeing eye of God from the dollar bill and put wings on it meaning God sees everything and the Guardian Angels will go anywhere. Even where angels fear to tread.

One time a born again comes up at me and points to the logo on my shirt. Then he says that's the illuminati. I laughed and said everything I know about the illuminati I learned from the movie Tomb Raider.... and that was fiction. He kept going on and on about it so I said you have no idea what you're talking about. Curtis Sliwa is Catholic. He was raised by Jesuits. He has nothing to do with the illuminati. He wouldn't shut up so I just walked away. It was obvious talking to him was a complete waste of time.

For me Easter morning is kind of like New Years day. I like to get a picture of the sunrise but this weekend Metro Vancouver is once again engulfed with rain. I was riding my motorcycle yesterday and an older man rolls down his window and says to me you need better weather. I just shrugged and said we'll take what we get. My daughter sent me the top picture of the moon from a couple of nights ago. Last night she said it was red. It was actually orange. I'm not sure what causes that. Here in BC we now know that a red sun means smoke from the forest fires.

My son has recently returned to University from a wonderful trip to Vietnam. He was considering coming back to Canada for a week but he also had a friend getting married in Vietnam. I said that's a lot of money for a week. If you were going to stay 6 months to make some money it would be worth it but not for just a week. I said Canada will still be here when you get back but to visit Vietnam, that would be the chance of a lifetime. Indeed it was. He also ran a marathon there.



I'm somewhat intrigued by Vietnam. It seems like a beautiful place with wonderful people. We don't hear much about Vietnam very often. They're not threatening to blow up the world or invade our ideals like China and North Korea. My friends from CUPW kept saying Cuba was the best model of Socialism that we have. I'd say no it's not but now that I think about it, maybe Vietnam is. Either way I think it would be a nice place to visit.

Obviously when you visit a foreign country you're not there to make them look bad or tell them their way of doing things is wrong. You're simply there to experience a different culture and make some new friends. I really liked a travel show on Netflix called Departures.

Two Canadian guys would visit other countries and go off the beaten track. They would see things the tourists wouldn't normally see. I remember when I was in Egypt. A lot of the tourists would just go to the nightclubs and I thought that's not why I'm here. I can see that anywhere. I want to see something different while I'm here. I want to see what the locals see and do.

One time the Departures series went to North Korea and I was like I've got to see that. It was fascinating. Again they weren't there to make the country look bad or tell them their way of doing things is wrong. They were just there to see what it was like because we really have no idea.

North Korea was a little bit concerned about how they would portray their country to the world. That's a valid concern given that the CIA often poses as journalists. That shows the CIA has no regard for anyone else including journalists. As a result the North Korean tourists were assigned chaparones. I'm fine with that. I don't want to break any rules when I'm there. The chaperones can explain to me what the rules are so I know what I can and can't do during my visit.

The Departures segment on North Korea is worth seeing. It's kind of like that song From a distance. Everyone has common ground. There will always be things we agree on and things we disagree one. When we visit a foreign country we are a guest in their home. We're there to see how they do things and make some new friends.

Last weekend I bought an Easter lily and took it to my parents grave. My brother is buried there now as well. At Easter my brother would always bring our mother a cut easter lily in bloom so I continued the tradition on his behalf. I'm not doing much this weekend because of the rain. I had my turkey yesterday so today I'm fasting. I sometimes do a glazed ham but the hams were way too expensive so I got a turkey on sale instead. Shalom / Salam.