A holiday in the Maldives

Good morning and welcome to today’s thought for the day. This week hundreds of local kids are wearing their new school shoes, their school bags are packed with exciting new stationary, and tears are being shed (mainly by the parents) as pupils head off to school for a new academic year. Some of them will have had a holiday out of the Huntingdon area, perhaps if they were lucky, with a sunshine destination… though we didn’t see much of the sun around here before this week.

Well a couple of weeks ago on BBC’s 2 “Amazing hotels” programme, I learned about a holiday destination with a difference. Joali Being Resort, is a luxury island paradise in the Maldives centred around “harnessing the natural flow of energy from coast to coast”.

This island is not only a luxury hotel, but it also bills itself as an immersive wellness experience where you can awaken your inner light with the healing wisdom of nature through biophilic design, ceremonial rituals and pure cuisine. On arrival through the gate of infinity, you leave your negativity behind as you settle in for aromatherapy, herbology, and bio-energy. You can experience a gong bath, where the sound from different eastern cymbals is supposed to cleanse you and restore your energies.

How much does a week in Joali Being cost- well in October 2023 depending on which option you take, around USD12,000, before taxes, though you can add the private jet option to round it up to a cool $30,000 if you want to splash out, that’s £24,000.

Well, I doubt any of us will be booking ourself into Joali Being resort any time soon. But it does strike me that there are all sorts of ideas out there for finding peace, rest and inner tranquillity, some of which are extremely expensive, though who wouldn’t want a week on a desert island in the sun.

Jesus Christ had a far simpler message. He just said “come to me and I will give you rest”. Rather than finding surface peace, Jesus gives us a deep inner peace even in the bustle of normal life that is so much more than can be found through crystals, meditation or even mindfulness, because he alone brings us into perfect harmony with our maker, the God who through him becomes our perfect heavenly Father.

Few of us will ever experience a luxury holiday in the Maldives, but all of us can find peace, and true wellness through Jesus Christ, and he is only a prayer away. Thanks for listening.

Charlie Newcombe 05SEP23