Yuan. I could tell he was a real artist by the exhibition of wares he had for sale - painting on silk, glass globes delicately painted on from the inside, painted perfume flasks, and personalized stamps set into carved statuettes. Richard's nephew asked what my name was, but also held a Chinese to English book for translators. I looked up two words, and asked if Richard could engrave them - Peaceful House. Richard was surprised by my request. Well, he got down to his work, and in a short time produced the final product and tested it. During that time, I took lots of pictures and asked questions about Richard's work that his nephew and he were glad to answer. As Richard put the stamp and the small piece of paper in a paper bag - I asked him to sign his name on the test paper, and he obliged - he asked if I wanted to buy a red stamp pad. I said no, and handed him 200 Yuan and thanked him for his work - an artist is worth his commission. As my companion and I walked away, Richard's nephew ran to catch up with us and gave the stamp pad as a gift. I looked back at Richard and thanked him - xièxiè (谢谢). We both smiled and nodded as I walked on. (1)
Peaceful House (和平的房子). A peaceful house is filled with peaceful people (爱好和平的人民) - the peaceful-house-kind-of-people who are deserving of you leaving them with a blessing (给你的祝福). Those were the kinds of people that Jesus' followers were supposed to seek out when they looked for a place to spend the night as they went about spreading the news of a peaceful message (2) - heaven on earth. I have been struck for some time by the concept of peacefulness-house-kind-of-people. Those who encourage, who are hospitable by showing kindness to strangers, who are generous, who look for the good in people: peaceful-house-kind-of-people (一种对人民的和平房子). What is interesting is that if the disciples went out and looked for these kind of people, were the disciples those kind of people themselves: peaceful-house-kind-of-people? When they were home, were their houses the kinds of homes that were deserving of a blessing, as well? I would assume so, especially if a little bit of their teacher was able to be rubbed off on them.There is a proverb that says the student is never greater than the teacher. (3) It was sometime this past year that it struck me that this proverb isn't meant to be a lesson for students to stay in their place and not try to excel, but rather as a matter of fact, the students will never be able to achieve being greater than those they learn from. So the blessing-givers - leavers of peace on others' houses - are the teacher they could learn from, or not.
For more than a short period of time, I hope there is a new mood for peace among people in our country. In the public arena, there has not been a great deal of peaceful-house-kind-of-people teaching: on television, in freedom of discourse, in written words as well as spoken ones. But in the last few days there have been editorials and speeches asking for kinder talk than what we have been exposed to as of late.
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(1) The photographs Richard and the tools of his trade were taken during my second visit to China this past September. I lost all of my images from the first trip when the hard drive on my computer crashed. I had not backed up the photographs after returning before the crash a month later. When I returned to the Wall during my second trip, I was pleased to find Richard at his shop in the same place at the market. I was able to re-take photographs of Richard crafting a stamp with the prosaic translation of my traveling partner's name. (2) From the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 10, Verses 11-13.
(3) From the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 10, Verse 24.
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