The earthquake on 12 May 08 in China, and the Cyclone Nargis disaster in Myanmar may be viewed as 2 natural disasters.
But natural disasters always have a spiritual dimension in the Bible. There are 2 protagonists that 'control' natural disasters: God and Nature. (I spell both in Capital letters.)
Natural disasters may occur at the command of Nature. But God has the authority to stop Nature from launching a natural disaster.
Also, sometimes God initiates natural disasters by commanding Nature to show its fury. Nature simply obeys God.
Natural disasters always result in mass destruction. Sadly from our perspective, the ignorant and the innocent always perish and suffer with the sinful in natural disasters.
If we read the 'natural disasters' in the Bible, we will always see the spiritual dimension and the reasons behind natural disasters. It may be the great Flood during Noah's time, or it may be the collapse of the Tower of Babel, or it may be any of the 10 plaques Egypt suffered during the time of Moses. There are reasons for each of them.
One of the most vivid description of earthquakes is captured in Numbers 16: 28-33. "Then it came about as Moses finished speaking all these words, ...the ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah, with their possessions. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol..."
Now back to the natural disasters in Myanmar and China. In China, close to 100,000 lost their lives. For every one who died, another 10 were injured and another 20 suffered pain due to the lost of their loved ones. So as many as 3 million had suffered directly in the disaster.
What are the spiritual messages of the natural disasters in Myanmar and China? What is God trying to warn us? Unless we understand the messages, and heed the warnings, our people in Myanmar and China had died or suffered in vain.
Is it really so difficult to realise the spiritual dimensions of these 2 recent natural disasters?
Sunday 25 May 2008
A tribute to my grandfather
So far, I have avoided discussing personal matters about myself in my blog.
But tonight, while watching the TV programme "Chinese Restaurants' it struck me that I should tell the story of my grandfather's chinese restaurant too.
It was around the year 1940. China was in turmoil as communism swept across every nooks and villages. Unable to withstand the hardship, my grandfather, Choe Lan, left Guangdong province for 'Nanyang' translated as "the place in the Southern Ocean".
I do not know how many months he took to travel south. By and by, he settled in an area south of Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. There, together with 2 or 3 partners, he started a chinese restaurant.
In those days, there was really not much a unskilled migrant could do to earn a living. Either you worked in the tin mines, became a farmer, became a hawker, set up a provision shop, or set up a restaurant. If not, you would need to join a street gang, or, for a female, worked as a maid or offered prostitution. There were no 'factories' to work in.
My father worked in my grandfather's restaurant.
After a few years, business did not do very well, the restaurant partners bickered against one another, and the restaurant was sold off.
My grandfather and father packed their bags and ventured further south - they came to Singapore. After they found a place to stay, my mother, my grandmother and all her children, took a train out of Ipoh and joined my father and grandfather in Singapore.
I was born in Singapore.
My grandfather died in 1966 after being paralyzed and bedridden for 2 years due to stroke.
This must be a typical poignant migrant's story. (Actually I left out the poignant parts.) As I pieced together the roots of my earlier 2 generations, I was deeply humbled that my grandfather, perhaps compelled by painful circumstances, had greater drive, took greater risk, and achieved much more than I. In that sense, I have failed to do better, to achieved more, in life than my grandfather. I do hope I have inherited more of his survival instinct, ability and courage.
Let this blog entry be a Tribute to my grandfather.
But tonight, while watching the TV programme "Chinese Restaurants' it struck me that I should tell the story of my grandfather's chinese restaurant too.
It was around the year 1940. China was in turmoil as communism swept across every nooks and villages. Unable to withstand the hardship, my grandfather, Choe Lan, left Guangdong province for 'Nanyang' translated as "the place in the Southern Ocean".
I do not know how many months he took to travel south. By and by, he settled in an area south of Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. There, together with 2 or 3 partners, he started a chinese restaurant.
In those days, there was really not much a unskilled migrant could do to earn a living. Either you worked in the tin mines, became a farmer, became a hawker, set up a provision shop, or set up a restaurant. If not, you would need to join a street gang, or, for a female, worked as a maid or offered prostitution. There were no 'factories' to work in.
My father worked in my grandfather's restaurant.
After a few years, business did not do very well, the restaurant partners bickered against one another, and the restaurant was sold off.
My grandfather and father packed their bags and ventured further south - they came to Singapore. After they found a place to stay, my mother, my grandmother and all her children, took a train out of Ipoh and joined my father and grandfather in Singapore.
I was born in Singapore.
My grandfather died in 1966 after being paralyzed and bedridden for 2 years due to stroke.
This must be a typical poignant migrant's story. (Actually I left out the poignant parts.) As I pieced together the roots of my earlier 2 generations, I was deeply humbled that my grandfather, perhaps compelled by painful circumstances, had greater drive, took greater risk, and achieved much more than I. In that sense, I have failed to do better, to achieved more, in life than my grandfather. I do hope I have inherited more of his survival instinct, ability and courage.
Let this blog entry be a Tribute to my grandfather.
Tuesday 20 May 2008
Ellen Degeneres to Marry Her Girlfriend
I heard that the 'Ellen Degeneres Show' is popular in USA.
In Singapore, Ellen's show is broadcast on Mediacorp Channel 5 too. Sometimes I tuned to Channel 5 and happened to glimpse at the show.
It was well known that Ellen is a lebian.
And just a few days ago, Straits Times reported that Ellen Degeneres is going to marry her longtime girlfriend in a few months time. It is something expected to happen.
It sets me thinking. In a few years time, several countries will accept same-sex marriages. Once the number of early adopters pass a certain 'critical number', most other countries will have no choice but to adopt the same practice. Then same-sex marriages will be a worldwide norm .
Then the next phase of moral degeneration will commence. 'Why can't I marry my pet monkey?' Human being is basically an animal too. So why can't I marry an animal? My animal companion (dog, Ah Meng-type gorilla, parrot) offers me love, shares my joy and sadness. My parrot even talks to me! I want to marry him!!!
And so it will happen! It's a matter of time!
Morality is always relative, never absolute. Morality is always coloured grey.
What is immoral about same-sex marriage?
Does it harm me? No.
Does it harm anybody? No.
Does it make me happy? Yes.
Then don't deny me. Let me do it. It's my free will!
In the end, when no harm is done, or when there's less harm than good, there is no need to consider the issue of morality.
Morality will be a vague and obsolete concept in the coming decades. Perhaps in a hundred years time, this concept will vanish from the face of the earth. Just some thoughts ...
In Singapore, Ellen's show is broadcast on Mediacorp Channel 5 too. Sometimes I tuned to Channel 5 and happened to glimpse at the show.
It was well known that Ellen is a lebian.
And just a few days ago, Straits Times reported that Ellen Degeneres is going to marry her longtime girlfriend in a few months time. It is something expected to happen.
It sets me thinking. In a few years time, several countries will accept same-sex marriages. Once the number of early adopters pass a certain 'critical number', most other countries will have no choice but to adopt the same practice. Then same-sex marriages will be a worldwide norm .
Then the next phase of moral degeneration will commence. 'Why can't I marry my pet monkey?' Human being is basically an animal too. So why can't I marry an animal? My animal companion (dog, Ah Meng-type gorilla, parrot) offers me love, shares my joy and sadness. My parrot even talks to me! I want to marry him!!!
And so it will happen! It's a matter of time!
Morality is always relative, never absolute. Morality is always coloured grey.
What is immoral about same-sex marriage?
Does it harm me? No.
Does it harm anybody? No.
Does it make me happy? Yes.
Then don't deny me. Let me do it. It's my free will!
In the end, when no harm is done, or when there's less harm than good, there is no need to consider the issue of morality.
Morality will be a vague and obsolete concept in the coming decades. Perhaps in a hundred years time, this concept will vanish from the face of the earth. Just some thoughts ...
How Much Do We Know God ? Progressive Revelation?
How much do you know about your best friend? 10% ? 20%?
How much do you know your spouse? 30%? 40%?
How much do you know God? 0.01%? 0.1%? 0.5%?
If God is infinite, then as finite beings, our knowledge of God must be very small.
So it is logical that God will reveal Himself to us, His created beings, more and more over time. God's revelation must be on-going and progressive. It cannot stop with the death of a certain prophet or even with the first resurrection of Jesus Christ.
So who are God's prophets after Christ? In the last 2000 years, perhaps there are a few. Perhaps there are none. But I am sure there are many false prophets in our midst.
I believe there are new things about God that we can learn or experience in our lifetime. We should be open to God's revelations through godly people. Surrender our heart to God, and let our heart guide us in discerning who are God's messengers and who are not.
May God guide us in knowing Him better.
How much do you know your spouse? 30%? 40%?
How much do you know God? 0.01%? 0.1%? 0.5%?
If God is infinite, then as finite beings, our knowledge of God must be very small.
So it is logical that God will reveal Himself to us, His created beings, more and more over time. God's revelation must be on-going and progressive. It cannot stop with the death of a certain prophet or even with the first resurrection of Jesus Christ.
So who are God's prophets after Christ? In the last 2000 years, perhaps there are a few. Perhaps there are none. But I am sure there are many false prophets in our midst.
I believe there are new things about God that we can learn or experience in our lifetime. We should be open to God's revelations through godly people. Surrender our heart to God, and let our heart guide us in discerning who are God's messengers and who are not.
May God guide us in knowing Him better.
We are like Ants
Lately, the newspapers are splashed with aerial pictures of disaster areas in China Sichuan (12 May) and Myanmar's cyclone Nargis-hit areas.
Amidst backdrops of crumbled-buildings and rubbles, you can see struggling human beings in extreme angish.
The pictures reminded me again that human beings are like ants, with absolutely no power against Nature and against God.
The psalmists had again and again dwelled on this point. Who am I, Lord? We are mere dust.
It's not humiliating. We are nothing in the first place, so there is nothing to feel humiliating. It's just humbling that, though we think so highly of ourselves, we are nothing.
Thank you Lord that Singapore is spared of these natural disasters.
Amidst backdrops of crumbled-buildings and rubbles, you can see struggling human beings in extreme angish.
The pictures reminded me again that human beings are like ants, with absolutely no power against Nature and against God.
The psalmists had again and again dwelled on this point. Who am I, Lord? We are mere dust.
It's not humiliating. We are nothing in the first place, so there is nothing to feel humiliating. It's just humbling that, though we think so highly of ourselves, we are nothing.
Thank you Lord that Singapore is spared of these natural disasters.
Obama - the next President of USA
Sometime ago, I commented in this blog that junior senator Obama is likely to be the next President of USA.
Indeed the time is near that he will be nominated as the Democrat candidate for the next presidential election. He is gifted with eloquence and rhetoric, and this is what the USA voters are impressed about.
He will win the vote for Presidency. His opponents, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican McCain will not stand a chance because USA voters are impressed more impressed with fresh youngish faces, not with any wrinkled faces or someone trying to be the oldest-first-time-president of the USA. Experiences, credentials and age are not highly valued in the society anymore.
So senator Obama, all the best as you take on the heavy responsibilities. Lead USA, and lead the world, to be a better place for humankind.
Indeed the time is near that he will be nominated as the Democrat candidate for the next presidential election. He is gifted with eloquence and rhetoric, and this is what the USA voters are impressed about.
He will win the vote for Presidency. His opponents, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican McCain will not stand a chance because USA voters are impressed more impressed with fresh youngish faces, not with any wrinkled faces or someone trying to be the oldest-first-time-president of the USA. Experiences, credentials and age are not highly valued in the society anymore.
So senator Obama, all the best as you take on the heavy responsibilities. Lead USA, and lead the world, to be a better place for humankind.
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