Thursday, May 31, 2012
And I thought last sem was bad enough
I remember thinking that last sem was unsustainable.
This semester, my lifestyle is even more unsustainable.
Next semester must change.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Blessed with discomfort and anger and tears and foolishness
Today, I was going through Psalms 4 with a friend. One thing I remember from it was the author's call for the people around him to 'be angry, and do not sin'. The author was surrounded by people who were sinning, namely with lies, such as the lies about how the world is no good. He tells them to be angry and yet do not sin.
I have a great tendency to just ignore when people treat life as independent of God's presence. - When they say that life is about taking care of relationships that matter, I agree. However, the most important relationship that matters is the one with the author of life. Yet, this is the one which is most neglected because we "cannot" 'see' or 'hear' Him. It is also because a relationship with God is different kind from a relationship with a human being. But this difference is unavoidable, given that hellooo, God is a wayyy higher being than us. What do you expect? A dog-human relationship is definitely different from a human-human relationship, what more a human-God relationship.
Ok. I'm just to fulfil my blogging challenge quota. Hence the very short paragraph. Haha.
One group meeting and one lecture to understand!
Psalms 4 also reminded me of benediction below.
A Franciscan Benediction
May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and to the poor.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Bomb Flower Whatever
There are three people. And there is a box.
The Bomb-believer believes that there is a bomb in the box that will explode when the box opens. So he finds a place of protection.
The Flower-believer believes that there is a flower in the box. So this believer goes near the box.
The Whatever-believer doesn't care about what's in the box. So this believer ignores the box.
Concerned, the bomb-believer calls the other believers to come into the place of protection. They did not want to go over. He explains to the other believers why it is very likely that there is a bomb in the box to the other two. The flower-believer doesn't want to listen. Saying that the bomb-believer is terrible, for saying everyone will die, except the bomb-believer. The flower-believer asserts that everyone can go on believing whatever they want. As for the Whatever-believer, he just shuts his ears, because he doesn't want to bother with what's in the box.
The bomb-believer could not get the rest to listen.
Finally, the flower-believer opens the box.
If there is a flower in the box, the flower-believer gets the flower! All is good!
But
If there is a bomb in the box, both the flower-believer and the whatever-believer dies.
Only the bomb-believer, who is in the place of protection, lives.
---
The truth is the truth, whether you believe it or not.
The choice is yours.
When the possible consequences are so great, do you want to risk ignoring the box?
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)
The Bomb-believer believes that there is a bomb in the box that will explode when the box opens. So he finds a place of protection.
The Flower-believer believes that there is a flower in the box. So this believer goes near the box.
The Whatever-believer doesn't care about what's in the box. So this believer ignores the box.
Concerned, the bomb-believer calls the other believers to come into the place of protection. They did not want to go over. He explains to the other believers why it is very likely that there is a bomb in the box to the other two. The flower-believer doesn't want to listen. Saying that the bomb-believer is terrible, for saying everyone will die, except the bomb-believer. The flower-believer asserts that everyone can go on believing whatever they want. As for the Whatever-believer, he just shuts his ears, because he doesn't want to bother with what's in the box.
The bomb-believer could not get the rest to listen.
Finally, the flower-believer opens the box.
If there is a flower in the box, the flower-believer gets the flower! All is good!
But
If there is a bomb in the box, both the flower-believer and the whatever-believer dies.
Only the bomb-believer, who is in the place of protection, lives.
---
The truth is the truth, whether you believe it or not.
The choice is yours.
When the possible consequences are so great, do you want to risk ignoring the box?
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)
7-day blogging challenge
I shall attempt to blog something everyday for 7 days. At least something short.
Until the end of my corporate valuation assignment.
Work sometimes make me feel robotic. It makes me feel like I have no time to be human.
Reading good books, games, and movies, and definitely even facebook won't help as much.
Hopefully this forced reflection / blogging time will help to guard against that this week, as the final assignment deadline rolls around.
Until the end of my corporate valuation assignment.
Work sometimes make me feel robotic. It makes me feel like I have no time to be human.
Reading good books, games, and movies, and definitely even facebook won't help as much.
Hopefully this forced reflection / blogging time will help to guard against that this week, as the final assignment deadline rolls around.
So much easier to ignore
It's so much easier to just ignore, and not bother, when someone does something wrong.
It's a lot easier to let it be, focus on something else, and not risk the camaraderie.
But that is superficial.
When deep down, I know that it isn't right,
When deep down, I'm cowardly to not try changing it.
Hate isn't the opposite of love.
Ignorance is.
Acting like how that person is doesn't matter is the opposite of love.
Of course, there are important matters, and less important matters.
But are you sure that this issue isn't important?
A relationship is only as deep as the level of honesty.
**
It's so much easier to ignore God and all that spiritual 'fluff' too.
But I find myself being very dishonest and superficial with myself whenever I do that, when my thoughts are focused on people and things around. All of which, will eventually die.
"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8
It's a lot easier to let it be, focus on something else, and not risk the camaraderie.
But that is superficial.
When deep down, I know that it isn't right,
When deep down, I'm cowardly to not try changing it.
Hate isn't the opposite of love.
Ignorance is.
Acting like how that person is doesn't matter is the opposite of love.
Of course, there are important matters, and less important matters.
But are you sure that this issue isn't important?
A relationship is only as deep as the level of honesty.
**
It's so much easier to ignore God and all that spiritual 'fluff' too.
But I find myself being very dishonest and superficial with myself whenever I do that, when my thoughts are focused on people and things around. All of which, will eventually die.
"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8
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