Reflections from Dare: Yes to community, No to consumerism

I have just returned from a weekend retreat at Dare, a town in the hills overlooking Dili. It is just over 10 kilometres away, but bad roads mean the journey takes about an hour! The bumpy drive was one main deterrent, when I was deciding where to go for a short break. Should I brave the drive to Dare, or just go to a hotel nearer the city?

In the end, the lure of Dare was too strong. Arriving at the retreat centre was like going home. Having been there five times, the place, the people and even the animals were familiar to me. I wandered into the kitchen just before lunchtime and saw a young woman making fruit juice from papaya and soursop the traditional way, without a blender. She was mashing up the ripe fruit on a strainer, set above a jug. This is one of the reasons why I love the place. Instead of relying on modern kitchen gadgets, good, wholesome food is prepared with effort, patience and care.

Lunch consisted of an omelette, fruit juice, stir-fried cassava leaves (a traditional favourite), vegetable broth and of course, a steaming plate of rice.

 

I had the privilege to share my meals with the founder of the retreat centre, fondly known as Mana Lu. It is hard to describe her. She is a true patriot, a faithful follower of Jesus, a charismatic social activist and a champion for the poor and needy. By renting rooms at the retreat centre, she makes some money to finance her many social-educational-health projects in the districts. 

Over a leisurely lunch, we talked candidly about the challenges within Timorese society. She told me about the criticisms that some have levelled against her, like the fact that she should be more contemplative, less active, as befitting the traditional picture of a Catholic nun. Her reply? "I told them I will rest in Heaven, once-and-for-all!" She giggled spontaneously while I couldn't resist adding, "Yes, that will be for eternity, but we've got lots of work to do in this lifetime!"

I spent the whole of Saturday soaking up the peace and quiet of Dare. Dili city lay below the hills, and beyond that was the island of Atauro. By the late afternoon, a thick fog had completely obliterated Dili. It was quite a surreal experience to see a whole city disappear from view within minutes. 

In that safe and familiar place, surrounded by the sound of birds chirping, crickets singing and roosters crowing, I understood why I finally decided to come to Dare despite the inconvenience, instead of choosing a resort nearer to Dili.

I had instinctively shunned the option of going to a commercial establishment in the city because I did not want to choose the more convenient but mindless way of consumerism. I did not want to be one of many anonymous customers paying money to create a particular experience to meet an emotional and spiritual need for rest. My heart was drawn to be part of a quiet and welcoming community instead, and that led me off the beaten track, quite literally, for the second half of the drive to the retreat centre was off-road.

As Dili develops with more shopping, food and recreation options, the seductive powers of consumerism has also grown stronger. There is nothing wrong with paying to enjoy modern amenities or recreation of course, but I have found that there is a thin line between paying for needed goods and services, and the soulless, even cowardly way to meet an emotional or spiritual need wrongly through spending money. It really is true that some of the best things in life are free. In Dare, that includes bonding with like-minded people working hard for social justice, playing with animals, and taking in the beauty of nature, like this view of Dili as the sun rises on a new day.

I left Dare shortly after lunch. Mana Lu went into her garden and plucked some roses for me. Two young women asked if they could catch a ride back to Dili. The bumpy drive down the hills felt a little less threatening as I got to know my new friends better, both of whom were university students supported by Mana Lu.

Tomorrow, as I walk to work, I will be able to see Dare in the hills. I will return again.