Returning to Singapore

Returning to Singapore after years abroad should feel like a homecoming. For many, it’s a chance to reconnect with familiar roots, shared language, and cultural belonging. But for some returnees, the experience is far from comforting. Instead of warmth, they are met with cold efficiency. Instead of community, they find themselves thrust into a relentless rat race.

Singapore’s pace is undeniably fast. The streets are crowded, the schedules tight, and the expectations high. Even in moments meant for connection—family dinners, walks with friends, shared commutes—people are often glued to their phones, more present in digital spaces than with one another. The city may be physically familiar, but emotionally, it can feel distant.

This raises a deeper question: What does it mean to come home, if home no longer feels human? When shared spaces become transactional and social interactions feel performative, the sense of belonging begins to erode.

Singapore’s success story is remarkable, but true progress must include compassion. A nation is not only built on infrastructure and innovation—it is built on how people treat one another.

A Prayer

Lord,

For those returning with hope but finding only hurry,

Bring comfort and clarity.

Teach us to slow down, to look up,

And to value people over performance.

May we not be swept away by the race,

But anchored in Your peace.

Let Singapore be a place not only of success,

But of soul.

Amen.