The Holy Bible. Photo: Joshimer Biñas, pexels.com
A young man left his rural Thai village, attracted to Bangkok’s ‘bright lights’. Instead he encountered dark depravity there, and quickly went astray. Soon after arriving, Sawat visited a hotel unlike anything he’d ever seen.
Murray Smith
Each room had a window facing into the hallway, and in every room sat a girl. The older ones smiled and laughed. Others, just 12 or 13 years old or younger, looked frightened.
That visit initiated Sawat into Bangkok’s world of prostitution. Things escalated and soon he was selling opium to customers and propositioning tourists in hotels. Sawat’s reputation as an up-and-coming young “businessman” grew.
Amidst such corruption his downfall was inevitable.
Fearful and broke, living on a rubbish dump, Sawat thought of home, especially his father, whose parting words echoed within. “I am waiting for you.”
Accounts of Sawat’s lifestyle had long ago filtered back to the village, and Sawat wrestled over whether his father could still be waiting for him after everything he’d done. He wrote a letter anyway.
“Dear father, I don’t know if you can still receive me as I have sinned greatly. Please forgive me. I want to come home. On Saturday night I will be on the train that goes through our village. If you are still waiting for me, will you tie a piece of cloth on the po tree in front of our house?”
He spent the train ride reflecting on his dreadful choices. Nearing the village, Sawat agonised over what to do if there was no white cloth on the po tree.
Sitting opposite him, a stranger had noticed the increasing agitation of his fellow passenger.
Sawat told his story in a torrent of words, following the stranger’s gentle prompting. As the train entered the village, Sawat buried his face between his knees blurting out, “Oh, sir, I cannot bear to look. Can you watch for me?
“Young man,” the stranger replied. “Your father did not hang just one piece of cloth. The whole tree is covered!”
White cloths were on every branch. An old man jumped up and down joyfully waving a cloth, then running alongside the halting train coming to a stop at the station. As Sawat emerged, this father embraced his son with tears of joy. “I’ve been waiting for you!” he exclaimed.
This life-story reminds me of one of Jesus’ parables. He used stories to illustrate important lessons. ‘The parable of the prodigal son,’ is found in the Bible. (Luke’s Gospel Chapter 15.)
After insisting his father hand over his inheritance, a son left for a far country to foolishly squander everything on riotous living.
Deserted and at rock-bottom, the destitute son came to his senses, resolving to return home to seek his father’s forgiveness. The waiting father saw his wayward son coming and ran to receive him. This message is beautifully clear- God our Father, patiently awaits our ‘return’.
Upon acknowledging our need of forgiveness, He welcomes us prodigal children home with extravagant love and tender mercy.
