ON THE ROAD TO TAIPEI I

Here I am at McCarran Airport waiting for a delayed flight from Chicago so I can go to San Francisco where I will miss my connection to Taipei. I will stay the night in a SF hotel and fly out tomorrow afternoon. To say the obvious, the 2nd leg of the flight will be a long one commencing over a day after the end of the first leg.

I love House of Bishops gatherings. They knit the Church together. They have inspired, encouraged, and sustained me through the years. But I have begrudged the time and expense of this one. Still, I have faith there will be something of worth in it.

My mulish resistance to this trip reminds me of St. Thomas (my patron). He was living in Jerusalem promoting the faith there, when the Risen Lord appeared to him and told him to go to India. Thomas said "no." Later the Risen Lord appeared to him again and said "go to India." Thomas said, "Hell, no."

Later Thomas saw the Risen Lord across the street talking to a slave trader. The slave trader gave Jesus some money, then crossed the street and approached Thomas. He said, "That man says you belong to him." Thomas said, "I guess I do." The slave trader said, "Well, he just sold you to me. Pack up. We're going to India."

There the slave trader sold Thomas to the Raja to work as an architect. Thomas was assigned to build a grand new palace and was entrusted with construction costs, which he gave to the poor. Months later the Raja asked how the project was coming. Thomas said it was fine but he needed more money for construction costs, which he then gave to the poor. This happened several times. Eventually the Raja demanded to see  his palace. The game clearly being up, Thomas said, "Well Raja, it's like this. There was no where on earth worthy of your palace. So I have built for you a palace in heaven." And the Raja said, "Ok, that is fine."

I find some wisdom in all the characters in this legend, wisdom that might inform my sojourn on the road to Taipei.