One of the more pleasant observations thus far has been the amount of kindness that seems to permeate society here. We’ve seen it both first and second hand. Kindness at the kid’s school from the head teacher to the cooks. At restaurants, on the street, public transportation, the same. Even taxi drivers have been so in a bit more brusque manner.
Back home, try to signal you want to change lanes on a busy highway, and chances are a car will speed up to prevent you from getting in front of them (I admit unfortunately I’ve been on both sides of this). While my time on the highways here has been limited, I’m amazed at how considerate and yielding the drivers are (at least for other cars).
Even if someone does something less than kind, they seem so quick to apologize such as when bumping into each other or getting in each other’s way. And, as others have pointed out, where else can you find signs warning you which way to look when crossing the street.
I wonder from where this comes. Is it cultural remnants of past Victorian days or values still in place from Christian influences? Regardless, it certainly is an area that reveals to me the presence of God in their culture, and an opportunity to receive a gift of God from them. And, in so doing, as Henri Nouwen elaborated, in turn can point them to the presence of God at work among them as well. May it be so.
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