July 22 Monday we started the safari (journey of wild life experience), heading to Masai Mara National Park. Our tour guide cum driver Michael brought us to see various kinds of animals through game drive.
Before the journey, a friend from Africa called me and sent me greetings. Since he lived in Nairobi for several years, he was familiar with the places. He tried to make contact for me before the journey. I was glad to chat with him and shared with him my coming itinerary.
The most impressive moment on the first day of safari is a particular moment when watchig a lion. During the two-hour game drive, either sitting or standing in the car, we tried to take pictures whenever we saw animals, near or far. Until I found that the battery in the camera was almost used up, I stopped taking pictures and just look at the animals with my eyes. At that time, suddenly I discovered that looking at something with my eyes attentively was so different from looking through the camera. Through my own eyes, the lion look more clear, real, beautiful and attractive! From this, I think about our attitudes of seeing things. We often want to use the hi-tech equipments to catch the beautiful memories. However, using our eyes and heart to look at people and things so as to keep the image in our mind would keep the memory more real and better. Do I use my own eyes and heart to see things all the time? Do I use the vision of God to look at the reality? This awareness reminds me to open my eyes and heart to see and listen what I would experience in the rest of my journey, especially the many people we would meet in the exposure trip.
We continued the safari on the second day. We set off early in the morning, at 6:30am and saw many animals enjoying their breakfast-- eating grass. The more impressive scene for me is the beautiful golden ray shining on the grassland in the morning. Just one day before, we saw various kinds of animals on grassland throughout the journey. The grass look dull and nothing special. But just one day after, looking at the grassland at a different time gave me a total different impression. It looks so awesome and beautiful! From this, I reflect that looking at the same thing at different time with different perspective and attitudes may have different impression and brought out different meanings too. Both subjective factors (such as subjective )feelings, observation and insight) and objective factors (environmental factors) may affect one's judgement and perception.
In the evening during bible sharing time, we read the story of Jesus appeared before Mary Magdalene. This story has special meanings for me. I was deeply touched by this story in a retreat some years ago. Moreover, some years ago when I experienced the death of a schoolmate, another schoolmate used this story to encourage me, reminding me Jesus was besides me during the difficult time. Now when I read this story again, it reminds me again I have to be sensitive to the surrounding environment and people around us. Maybe God is sending us some messages through them. Our vision may be blurred by our confusion and saddness and cannot discern clearly.
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