The recent trouble in Bali, Indonesia has shocked the rest of the world, but in Indonesia itself, the reaction has been casual. An opinion piece in today's New York Times adds some interesting insight.

i have always wondered how to best understand this passage from Matthew 5: 38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'[7] 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

It seems to me that we are called to resist evil, elsewhere in scripture and Jesus Himself does so. i see Christ cleansing the temple. i think also of the involvement of a man such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer in plots against evil men such as Hitler.

i am puzzled by Christ's words.

Nick Park, the creator of the brilliant short films Wallace and Gromit and the creator of Chicken Run is creating more Wallace and Gromit short films. If you have never seen them, they are a must. My thanks go to Lively Writer for drawing my attention to them.

Station No. 9

The knock on Charles' door the next day came late in the morning, actually quite close to noon, but based on the restless night which preceded it, it felt dreadfully early to Charles. He approached the front door grogily, and was in the process of opening it when he realized it was Rosa. It was too late to avoid her; if only he had taken a moment to gather himself, he thought, there would have been a way to put her off.

In a flash, Rosa as standing in the kitchen cutting Charles a slice of banana bread — her specialty. Rosa seemed emboldened, more confident than in previous encounters, Charles thought. But then he was quick to remind himself that he was still getting his wits about him and it may have been nothing more than his misperception. Charles began telling himself, in a prideful voice which had become a close friend, that no matter how Rosa was acting, she was no match for him when it came to reason. But what Charles was oblivious to, in fact what all men like Charles are oblivious to, is the fact that the heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.

Rosa began, entirely unsolicited, to tell her story; a story of what it was like for her when she lost her son. Rosa talked for a long time, and Charles simply listened. He found himself oddly comforted as she told the tale of tragedy. It was a relief for Charles to stop thinking about his own pain for once. While the details of Rosa's story were different from the specifics of Charles', one thing they shared: They each had lost someone very dear in circumstances which were unexpected. Yet, there was also a tension for Charles. he was conflicted as to whether or not he wanted to hear Rosa's story. Inevitably, she would want to hear his, and Charles was not interested in that sort of openness.

In the course of time, the banana bread was gone, Rosa wiped her tears, and Charles sat staring off into the distance. Out the window was a tree in its autumnal beauty, an explosion of brilliant yellow. The clock in the living room chimed and Rosa realized she had spoken long enough. She touched him gently on the shoulder and, without a word, let herself out.