Betrayal

In an obscure corner somewhere on this earth, a certain lady sits and stares unseeingly at the horizon. With no more tears to shed, she lets her mind float in the oasis of nothingness. Don't think, don't grieve, don't hurt.

I do not know her. In fact, I would not even have heard of her if not for the scandalous pictures splashed across the tabloids and on the Internet. She is Elizabeth Wong. Young, intelligent and beautiful with an upcoming and promising career in public service. But overnight, she fell from grace - just like that.

No, I am not about to delve into what happened and discuss the moral or political implications of this newsbit. I do not share her values but I have no right to exercise judgement either "let he who is without sin, cast the first stone". From the records, Ms Wong has vehemently defended her private life, her rights to privacy and maintained that she had broken no law. Perhaps so. The pictures were taken in the privacy of her home by someone she trusted then.

Working in an all-women environment, this topic is essentially very close to our hearts and has become the subject of our lunchtime discussions. While my colleagues have different opinions and moral convictions on how the exposure panned out, we all agreed that the saddest truth to emerge from this episode is that of betrayal.

Anyone who has been betrayed can vouch that it is one of the worst feelings in the world. To be betrayed, you must first trust. To trust, you must first share of yourself. To share of yourself, you must first have the courage and humility to put the other person above you so that he can be privy to your deepest thoughts and feelings.

To be eventually betrayed by that person, it is possibly a fate worse than death. The greater the trust, the deeper the hurt. I should know. I've been there. No, not the photo thingy but betrayal in the name of friendship.

With Lent so close, I can't help but think of how Jesus was betrayed by people whom he had served, healed and loved "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!' they chorused at Pilate. And how the ultimate feeling of betrayal sunk in as the cock crowed at Peter's third denial. Although our Lord already knew what was on his plate, did it make the betrayals easier to bear? No, not likely so. His humanity made him feel like we do and hurt like we do.

As long as human interactions abound, no one will be immune to hurt and betrayal. We should not let it stifle our friendships or belief in the essential goodness of mankind. I hope Ms Wong glimpses what's really important in life from this brouhaha and emerges stronger from it.