Pages

Backdrops

Currently transiting: Loch Lomond, Scotland | Previous destination: Kernavė Archaeological Site, Lithuania

Sunday 20 May 2012

Stupidity: Things Above and Not Things Here on Earth

The things of God are stupidity to many. Nobody, of his or her own volition, seeks after God or things that please Him. If you’re that person, you can stop reading now. After all, if you’re looking for a cogent argument this isn’t the place. If any, only a simple faith exists. Many who argue against what I'm going to say (or type, for that matter) have already made up their mind, not in the least concerned about cogency and rigour, and I won’t bring the roof down doing that.

Think about it for a moment. If our value system is not shaped by the Bible (Matt. 6:19-24), the things we value or treasure consistently let us down when we seek our significance, or satisfaction, or security in those things. The energy spent in pursuing what we think those things will provide—happiness, security, satisfaction—consistently lead to failure. The pleasures we think will satisfy us never really do—at least not for long. In fact, they typically just increase our thirst for more. What futile irony!! Such irony is plainly the very fabric of life when it is lived independently of God.
J. Hampton Keathley, III
Resting in God’s Sovereignty

Christians or not, people stock up (rightly) to the point that these material riches become their only goal (wrongly). The “attainable” goal of a comfortable life. Nothing wrong, right? I put “attainable” because everyone thinks that once it’s achieved, we’d step back, sit down, and enjoy. But the fact is, will it ever be enough?

Now God and the Bible aside, I’ve heard on more than one occasion people who proclaimed: “there’s more to life than {insert your goals here}”. Sure thing. There’s more to doing research than to lose sleep over whether the neighbouring lab’s going to outdo and out-publish in a month’s time.

There’s God.

If only people would align their goals to God’s. Instead of asking, “What should I eat, wear, or the type of property to own?” asks, “What do I do with my gifts?” or “How can I bring glory to God?”

I’m perhaps the biggest hypocrite to be saying all these and echoing Paul, “the least and the most unworthy”. Somehow, the toiling and the sustained rush over the past months; plus the little eye-opening chitchats with driven folks did put into perspective the futility of it all when done to satisfy humanity’s benchmark.

What’s prosperity without a purpose? Self-glory is for the here and now. Said Solomon: Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
    and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
    nothing was gained under the sun
Ecclesiastes 2:11

I’m not going to change anyone. But I don’t wish to waste my time achieving everything, rely on my [self-perceived] great understanding + knowledge, giving in to the physical pleasures and contemporaneously bankrupting my spiritual life.

No, no. I’m not entering monkhood nor am I shunning the good things in life [that God has created]. All I’m saying is that I need to have my own convictions and not do as everyone else does.

It’s not easy to close my eyes and walk. It’s not too difficult not to peek either, or remove the blindfold and say, “Fine, I’ll do what I know best.”

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 

If only the Bible hasn’t been relegated in favour of modern, up-to-date societal demands, or verses cherry-picked to fit [our goals and justify our actions] into the world (oh, we see this often among religionists, don’t we?).

I only hope and ask from God that more people will be like-minded when it comes to goals in life — pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. To serve God and not the gods of this world.

Saturday 5 May 2012

See You Again, Buddy!

We walked hand in hand – actually a small fist clasped around an index finger – without a care in the world. On a 2-minute journey to the nearest kiosk. One moment I carry him and we attempted to hit Mach 1. The next, we're in a make-believe toboggan; shrills of delight permeated the living room with each gold coin we collected.

When school's over I'll rush to get your favourite mash potatoes, with extra gravy of course. On your bedside, we attend to your toys in the makeshift playground. Nothing seems to bother you; definitely not the housemen on patrol.

Lil' bro, you could've outgrown Mario and prefers french fries now but it means a lot knowing that you still remember me.

Rest now, we'll meet again some day.

Love, 
'Koko' Julian.

This one's for Darius Low Wei Han. At 14 years and a little over 3 months, some might say untimely but I know that God's timing is perfect. Yes, we grieve. We shed tears. But deep down, we're convinced "that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him... [and] we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." This particular section of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is a great comfort.

Being the youngest in the family, the feeling that came over me when you have little [or younger] ones looking up to you as an older brother was priceless. It was a crash course in responsibility. That my words and actions were observed and being emulated. But it was fun. It was enriching. It's special. Looking back, could I have done better? Yes!

Digitized: Eight years ago in January. One of two treasured photos in my album.

The funeral's in a few hours time and I'm wide awake. Time really flies. Till we meet again, little bro.
 
/*note to JC: javascript below added 19Aug2012*/