Gaze

The longer I'm in Cambodia, the more important I'm finding it is to steady my gaze on beauty. Not to ignore the ugly and the appalling and the downright evil. But to look at it through a long lens, always keeping it in view but trying to see beyond it too.

Yesterday, a friend who's leaving Cambodia tomorrow, gave me a present. It's a mobile (ie something you hang from the ceiling rather than text with) made of stars made of rubbish. I imagine it didn't cost much but it sums up the generosity of grace for me. Grace that transforms something from nothing. Grace that gives when there's no real reason to. And grace that keeps hanging around, reminding me to look up and steady my gaze.

A U2 song's been buzzing through my head today and I think it sums up much of this feeling. So I'll finish with this.......

Grace...
She takes the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name

Grace...
It's a name for a girl
It's also a thought that, changed the world
And when she walks on the street
You can hear the strings
Grace finds goodness in everything

Grace...
What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings...
Because Grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things

Grace finds beauty in everything

"Grace" as written by Dave Evans Adam Clayton