Over the past decade, I have noticed a marked improvement in drivers' etiquette in Thailand. Motorists are using their signal lights more. They are making room for merging traffic more. They are less likely to use shoulder lanes for driving. They are even keeping safer distances between cars. Of course, traffic in Bangkok is still heavily congested. Everyday on my way to work, I have to navigate through a rather congested U-Turn. I do this to avoid the extra toll of driving on the Motorway. Everyday I take this U-Tun around 6 am when it seems that traffic is just a tad lighter. Most days of the week, drivers from the oncoming lanes tend to be somewhat obliging, slowing down or even stopping to allow the U-Turn drivers to go through. However, such etiquette seems to disappear on Monday mornings when everyone is
more hurried. In our faith experience it is possible to exercise good Christian etiquette on most days. But there are days when this is harder to do--life under pressure, stress, tragedy and a sense that we are also still human (perhaps). When Jesus said to his disciples that they are to be light and salt (Matt 5), he was implying that faith and life should intersect with the consistency of light and salt. These object are completely consistent; they never have off days.