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In June 2000 the author went by air to visit his brother in Australia. There was a short stop for re-fuelling and replenishment at Singapore (Changi) Airport.
There is a loneliness in crowds. The Boeing 747-400 long-bodied airliner had disgorged its vast human contents into the secure area of Changi Airport, leaving them to engage in shopping, or sleeping, or reading or otherwise whiling away their time until bidden to re-embark. I paid a short visit outside to the cactus garden where the hot humid air hit me like a wall. With an hour to use up I went exploring. Crowds were thronged round the shopping malls which were replete with latest gadgets and technological wizardry. High priced and vulgar jewellery was also prominent on display. There were refreshment bars and areas of artistic and architectural merit, including an indoor waterfall. Alone I trekked from one spectacle to another while others, like ants scurried by on their errands, or paused for rest, reflection or sleep. In ascending an escalator I noticed a small sign which read: PRAYER ROOM ... and indicated where this was to be found. Upon later inquiry, I found that such rooms are common in the South-East Asian tectonic plate, though rare elsewhere. Intrigued, I followed the sign and in a discreet and quiet corridor came to a door which proclaimed that this was a multi-faith area and that there were certain rules to be followed by users: 1. That entrants should not disquiet others inside. 2. That footwear should be removed before entry. 3. That any articles and symbols used should be taken away by the participants and the place left in a tidy condition. I decided to go inside. In the ante-chamber were pairs of shoes. A Sikh who was just leaving raised his hand gently in greeting. I removed my shoes and went inside the prayer room. It was devoid of any symbols and furniture apart from three small chairs at the back. I sat down next to a Hindu who was reading silently from his holy book. Two Moslems were facing the wall in another corner, reciting in barely audible tones passages from the Koran. They stood initially, made obeisances and then knelt low in prayer. There was isolation, yet unity with all those who have faith, in whatever form the deity is perceived by them. So I set to pray, speaking privately the Paternoster, slowly and carefully, dwelling upon each phrase. This then led me to consider the justifications and reasons for this prayer, which are set out in the old catechism. I recited them to myself: Q "What desirest thou of God in this prayer?" A - I could not remember the exact words but the understanding was - * That God would send his grace unto me to worship him, serve and obey him. * That God would provide all things needful for both our souls and bodies. * That God would be merciful unto us and forgive us our sins. * That it would please him to save and defend us in all dangers ghostly and bodily. * That he would keep us from sin and wickedness. Then I haltingly engaged in individual prayer, failing properly to articulate my desires so that, having no book or prompts, I delivered those I had learned by heart when young. Among these was that most exquisitely wrought set of phrases anywhere to be found in the English Language, the General Thanksgiving. I started off well: "Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants to give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving kindness to us and to all men...." - so far so good. I may not have got it word perfect but seemed nearly to be there: "We bless thee for our creation, preservation and for all the blessings of this life, but above all for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace and for the hope of glory..." - and in being uplifted by the graceful phraseology, I forgot the next bit. Then I rallied a little and went on, perhaps paraphrasing: "We beseech thee to give us that due sense of all thy mercies that our hearts may be unfeignedly (le mot juste!) thankful..." "That we may show forth thy praise not only with our lips but in our lives (now I know where the Choristers' Prayer comes from!), by giving up ourselves to thy service and walking from henceforth in holiness and righteousness all our days..." - I marvelled at the economy and elegance of these words, which were then followed by a superbly written Coda. Thus, spiritually refreshed, I fell back on other thoughts of wishing, blessing, hoping, praising and beseeching. After about ten minutes, I left the room, others of different religious persuasions having joined it, and I went to Gate C13 to continue my flight on to Melbourne. In reflecting upon this profound experience, some words came into my mind which summarised exactly my condition, a state in which the pitiful human being is confronted, stripped of all adornments, with the Majesty of God. It is part of my early learning and states exactly what every person at some time in life has to come to terms with. The quotation is from Canto 76 of the Gitanjali (Love Offerings) by Ramandranath Tagore, and is translated from the Bengali: Day after day 0 Lord of my life shall I stand before thee face to face. With folded hands 0 Lord of all worlds shall I stand before thee face to face. Under thy great sky in solitude and silence, with humble heart shall I stand before thee face to face. In this laborious world of thine, tumultuous with toil and with struggle, among hurrying crowds, shall I stand before thee face to face. And when my work shall be done in this world 0 King of Kings, alone and speechless shall I stand before thee face to face. Amen (Let it be so). Rod Dawson |
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page last updated 27 AUGUST 2000 |
