There’s something deeply restorative about stepping away from the familiar for a time. As most of you will know, we came back last Tuesday having had the joy of spending two weeks in Sri Lanka, a teardrop-shaped island in the Indian Ocean that overflows with beauty, culture, and kindness. We came home not just with sun-kissed skin and happy memories, but with a renewed sense of gratitude for the human spirit and the ways God’s grace shows up in unexpected places.
From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warm smiles. Not the polite smiles we so often exchange in passing, but full, open, genuine smiles that come from the heart. Whether it was hotel staff, market stallholders, tuk-tuk drivers or children playing in the streets, everyone seemed to carry joy lightly and share it freely. And this despite the fact that, for many, daily life is hard. Sri Lanka has faced political unrest, economic difficulties, and natural disasters. The average monthly income is in the region of $200. Yet the people remain remarkably open-hearted and generous.
There’s a humility in the way the Sri Lankan people live. Many have little in terms of material wealth, but they are rich in spirit. Hospitality is not seen as an obligation, but a privilege. A cup of tea is always offered. Shoes are removed at the door. Time is made for conversation. There is an attentiveness to others that is both humbling and inspiring.
We saw this generosity most vividly when straight after landing in Columbo airport we spent some time with a family we had never met before but we had connections with them through a Sunbury link. They hosted a wonderful meal for us and then plied us with plates of fruit and boxes of sweets for us to take away with us. It was an unspoken theology of welcome, reminding me of Jesus’ words: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
The landscapes of Sri Lanka are stunning—lush hills of tea plantations, golden beaches, ancient temples and wildlife roaming freely in national parks; seeing wild elephants in their own environment is something we will never forget. But it was the people who left the greatest impression. Their resilience, their laughter, their gentle manner. There’s a rhythm to life there that feels less rushed, more rooted. It reminded me that kindness doesn’t have to be hurried. It can be woven into the everyday, offered like bread.
Returning to Sunbury-on-Thames, I found myself wondering: what can we learn from this? Perhaps it’s that humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less. That joy can be found in small things—a shared meal, a word of welcome, a smile freely given. And that true generosity often comes not from abundance, but from the heart.
May we be inspired by the Sri Lankan way—not just their hospitality, but their courage and contentment. In a world that can sometimes feel tense or divided, what a witness it is to be people who greet one another with open hands and smiling faces.
So here’s to holidays that refresh the soul, to people who teach us more than guidebooks ever could, and to the God who travels with us—whether we are far from home or right here in the village.
With every blessing,
Fr Andrew
