Recent Past

If there is a way to escape our past one might just not return to our familiar ways or wish for the good old days. One can hardly escape the memory of recent past where I walked the streets of gold and my eyes and my mind feasted on books to my heart's content. Today I went past and went into my favourite bookstore Kinokuniya at Orchard Road. Only three years ago I would find myself on alternate weekends browsing what I could glean, pick and buy. Three hours could pass quickly if one reads a chapter here and there from politics, history and religion.
Today I could have purchased 4 or 5 books but I settled on one. I already bought about 10 theological books from Indonesia. I even persuaded one book lover to buy Bainton's the Life and Times of Martin Luther a book I read 25 years ago. But I am not staying long just in case the memory of recent past is too strong and cause me to waiver in my present course of action. I saw in Surabaya a Seminary of highest quality in terms of physical infrastructure and the people running the place no less friendly. One is drawn to the beauty of it all and our physical senses quite often could deceive us that the highest good is that which could be seen and that which could be touched. Eve was tempted by sight but the prophet like John the Baptist does not live in palaces or walk on the streets of gold until he passes by this age to the next world.