whatever. Just to hang out. Just to be a presence. We’ve been to the lake many
times before. We’ve had prayer walks there. We’ve worshipped there. Some of our
team goes running.
I had been the only one who went back to the hostel so I’d
brought the guitar, strapped to my back like a rifle. My weapon of choice for
this new war of ours in Vietnam. The war to show love. The war to be light.
While Garrett started strumming and singing I pulled out of
my bag the paints, our makeshift craft paper (a free magazine), and my nalgene
with water for cleaning out the brushes. Before Kris and I have even finished
setting up, we have drawn a crowd. Kids. Teens. There is a group of older men
with professional looking cameras. They are obsessed with taking pictures of
us.
People stop and stay for a few minutes just watching. Most
of our onlookers are not tourists. They are people that come here often. To the
park. Maybe to the temple. But today they find us fascinating.
I am focused on painting, but there are things going on all
around. I hear Casey talking to some teen girls. ‘No, we are just here for a
few more days.’ ‘No, I do not know what they are painting.’ Tyler is talking to
a tourist who has been jamming along with us for a while. Angela sounds like an
angel as her voice mixes with Garrett’s.
Garrett starts to interceed. He starts to call out for the
freedom of these people. He isn’t messing around with his lyrics. A girl from
behind me who speaks English says to her friends ‘Let’s get out of here.’
The thought passes through my mind that she might have gone
to tell a guard- an official. Nothing happens, however. We been at the park
multiple times now doing all sorts of things, including prayer walking, playing
worship music over speakers, playing songs to Jesus on guitars, reading Bibles,
planting stones with scriptures written on them… and the only thing we’ve
gotten reprimanded for was once when I laid down on a park bench with my eyes
closed to pray. No lying down on the benches. No sleeping, the guard had
motioned.
No problem.
My painting is coming to an end. It’s of the temple and all
of the Tet decorations and flags. I try to think of a way to put Jesus into it…
some allusion using the sun, or hiding a symbol of a cross or a fish. But I
can’t think of anything that wouldn’t be awkward and unnatural. I love Jesus
and I created it. That will have to be enough of a connection. I give it to the
twenty something standing behind me. He’s been watching for a long time. He
grins ear to ear when I hand it to him.
There are no strangers at this park. Every time we go I can
see Your hand before and behind us. I can see You loving people through us. I
can see You bringing light. I see You glorified.
