The Biography of Abraham Part 1 or 4

I love to read biographies. In my younger days, I read lots of biographies. I read about the lives of Stalin, Lenin, Mao Tze Dong, and of course Lee Kuan Yew and others.

But none of the biographies or autobiographies I have read can compete with the Biography of Abraham. Between Genesis 11 and Genesis 25, the story is fast-moving, detailed, full of surprises, and never a dull moment.

You should read it. This is one of the best biographies I have read.

In this and next 3 blog postings, I will talk about Abraham.

As you read the biography of Abraham, you will wonder why God is so 'friend' with him. God spoke to him as a friend. Friends some times play prank and hurt each other, but always forgiving and not take heart. Friends sometimes betray one another, but in the end always remain loyal.

In the other chapters of Genesis, we confirmed that the Jews and the Palestinians were all decendants of Jacob and hence decendants of Abraham. Perhaps all Jews and Palestinians can take a DNA test to confirm this. They all should have some traces of Abraham's DNA. Then, perhaps, Jews and Palestinians should stop fighting each other in view of the common heritage.

Look out for the next 3 blog postings.

What is 'Time'?

What is Time?

Our life spans 60 to 100 years. Do we have to plan meticulously to maximise all the time available?

I understand that some insects have a lifespan of less than 10 days. Do they rush through the 10 days to accomplish all they want in their 'short' lifetime?

Will Time Travel be a reality?

Is it true that a thousand years on Earth is but a day in Heaven?

The great Albert Einstein told us that 'Time is relative'. And that is true.

After God created the Heaven and the Earth, the Earth rotates around the Sun, giving us a measure of year, month, day, hour, minute and second.

However God is not subject to the dimension of Time! God created the stars and the planets and hence the concept of Time. But God is not part of what He created. God is above what He has created. God is above Time. God is 'outside' the Time dimension.

God said His name is "I AM WHO I AM". It is in the present tense. There is no past tense or future tense.

To God, there is no past and future. All events happen in the present tense. So the existence of Adam and Eve, of David and Solomon, of Jesus, and of your own self is not over a period of time.

When the Bible provides a perspective of Time and historical events, the writers were simply writing in human perspective, in human language. It is not in God's perspective.

Our Time is from God. So what if we die at 100 year old, or 10 days old? It's only relevant while we are human and finite. It's not relevant when we are no longer human.

But God is infinite.

Don't listen to Good News only

In recent years, more and more people are going for Lasik Treatment to correct their shortsightedness or other eye problems.

There are tons of advertisements and happy stories on Lasik Treatment. The cost is also getting lower, doctors are confident that the risk of complications is getting lower and, the impression is, more and more, and everybody is putting his trust on Lasik.

But Sunday Times, 7 Dec 08, is kind enough to provide the other side of the story -- samples of Bad News.

The article on page 34 "Lasik clinic's hard sell left her confused and fuming" is a good reminder that the risk is not that low.

An accompanying article by Catherine Lee on the same page:

"Is Lasik surgery really safe?
I once intended to go for such a procedure but changed my mind after talking to some friends and colleagues.
One colleague had a friend who went for Lasik surgery 10 years ago.
Everything was fine until about two to three years ago, when she developed problems -first in one eye, then the other. She could not regain her sight totally even after some operations, and ended up blind in one eye and partially blind in the other..."

Please note that when someone wants to earn your money by selling a product or service to you, his job is to tell you one side of the story only, the side that sells, not the side that don't sell.

Go and find out the other side of the story too.

Higher Risk does not mean Higher Return

I watched the program "Cents and Sensibilities" over TV ChannelNewsAsia yesterday, Wednesday 10 Dec 08. It's about investing your money.

It reminded me:

Higher Return must come with Higher Risk.

BUT, BUT, BUT:

Higher Risk does not mean Higher Return!!!

I hope my readers will remember what I have highlighted.

I asked a question, an interesting answer

I emailed to Dr KK Tan, a highly respected expert in meditation;.

Question:

Dear Dr. Tan
May I ask you :
1 whether rocks have souls?
2 whether trees have souls?
3 If yes, than if a tree is cut down and made into 10 chairs, will the tree-soul be 'split up' into 10 chair-souls?
4 Does insects like ants, mosquitoes and wasps have souls?
5 If yes, than since there are trillions of insects, there would be trillions and trillions of souls in the world ?
6 What DOES NOT have a soul then?
Thank you for your time and teaching.

Answer:

Dear Pat,
Almost everything that is natural occurring has a soul. Minerals includung rocks have souls. All
vegetation including all plants have souls. Then come animals and lastly humans. However if a human is killed, his soul leaves him. Similarly this appies to animals and trees. If you chopped a tree down, you kill it. Thence the piesces of wood do not contain any soul. Trillions of insects also possess souls. All natural occurring
things have souls, but when a man is killed or a tree is felled or an animal is killed, all these three will be deprived of souls. I assume when a large rock is pulverised into tiny pieces, it would have lost its soul as well. That means almost everything on earth does possess a soul until it is destroyed or killed.
K.K.Tan

Conclusion:

Haha. It's up to you whether or not to believe in the answer. But I just find it amusing.

Thanks to Dr KK Tan.

Signing the Advance Medical Directive?

I am considering whether or not I should sign the AMD.

2 weeks ago, I visited an aunty who was on wheelchair. Her husband passed away about 7 months ago.

That afternoon, my aunty told me that her late husband's sister had passed away 5 months ago too. Besides, another of her late husband's brother had passed away 2 months ago. Another brother was now in hospital, feeding through a tube and breathing through a hole through the neck. In all, 3 members in that family died within 7 months and another going going soon.

Hospitals are now quite good in prolonging life. A seriously ill person can be forced fed and forced to continue breathing. Life expectancy is getting longer, medical cost is getting higher, and quality of life during the disability period, is getting worse.

All of us want a 'rectangular life'. If we were to die, we hope die quickly, in dignity, not prolonged and die off so slowly that someone has to care for us for years and years. Having a helper to change your diapers, wipe your ass, bathe you and at most trying moments lose their temper on you is most un-dignifying.

I believe that the best way to die is through a massive heart attack. Life is gone within 3 minutes, without prolong suffering. It would be good if heart attach or pneumonia is the top killer disease and not cancer.

Well, how will the AMD help? Does it mean that I am refusing artificial respiratory aids after I sign up AMD? Does it help me to die quickly when there is 'no hope'? Who would decide that there is 'no hope', and give permission to disconnect the life-supporting apparatus?

I will like to know more. Do you know more?

A Lesson In Giving

Goh Sin Tub died 5 to 10 years ago. Before he died, he wrote this inspiring article for us:

SOME PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS BE RICH, NO MATTER HOW LITTLE THEY HAVE

In the early '80s, Brother Kevin Byrne, then principal of Singapore's St Joseph's Institution, and I started raising money from alumni and the other supporters for the school's new campus on Malcolm Road (near Toa Payoh). Our campaign was based on an optimistic premise that we could convince our supporters to give the school the biggest charity donation of their lives -- at least $1000, a generous sum in those days. Our target was to recruit 3000 such supporters, which would raise $3 million.

As the ambitious scheme gathered momentum, we had our low moments -- but we had our high ones too.

I remember when the first replies arrived. Brother Kevin and I were working on our newsletter, which would serve as a reminder of our appeal. We stopped to read the mail.

One of the first envelopes gave promise of good things. The backflap presented the sender's particulars in embossed letters, including a personal logo in color. I recognised the name: a successful and academically accomplished graduate of the school. The address was in the affluent District 10. Though still young, the sender was already a high-income earner, and we thought he was good for at least $10,000, most likely more.

I let Brother Kevin have the pleasure of opening the letter to receive the big donation. He was silent as he scrutinized the contents.

The man did not donate even one cent. "Still," the saintly Brother Kevin said, "at least he took the trouble to write to us - explain his situation and wish us well."

The man wrote that right now things were tight. He had just invested over $500,000 in a condo. He concluded sadly, "So it looks as if for the next few years, until I have paid off my mortgage, I won't be able to give anything to charity. Nevertheless, I shall pray for you. May God bless you."

"And we expected a bonanza from him," I said, expressing my disappointment.

One of the next letters we opened rewards us. But that initial donation to our cause filled me with both awe and misgivings.

"A thousand-dollar cheque!" said Brother Kevin, so delighted he did not at first notice who sent it. I did. It was from Joe Gomes - someone I knew well.

I did not recall including his name on our 'hit' list; someone else on our committee must have added it. Yes, Joe had always been well-disposed toward our school, but in my mind I had him classified as someone who help out in funfairs and charity shows rather than hefty direct donations - he was definitely not in the four-figure league that was our target.

Joe was not your average well-off alumnus (or your average academically successful Josephian, for that matter). Indeed, at the time he sent us his donation, he was working as caretaker of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, for which the church provided him a modest allowance and an equally modest behind-the-church accomodation. You could say he was as poor as the proverbial church mouse.

I expressed my concern to Brother Kevin. "Why, when Joe needed a heart-bypass a few years back, we passed the hat around to help him pay his bills. I'll have to speak with the man. We may have to discreetly hand him back his donation." Brother Kevin agreed.

The next morning, which happened to be Sunday, I caught Joe alone after the last church service.

"Joe, we want to thank you for your generous donation, but..." I began.

"Have to help, what! My duty, you know. You're all doing good work, helping to build our new school, helping so many students in future. How can I just stand by, not do my bit - as far as I can?"

I cleared my throat and lowered my voice. "Please don't be angry, but I have to ask you, Joe. A thousand dollars is a lot of money. Can you really afford to donate such a big sum?"

Joe did not reply at once. His eyes searched mine. Was he insulted by what I said? My question suddenly seemed so offending! I hope he did not think I was looking down on him. I looked back at him anxiously.

I was relieved to see a twinkle in his eyes - and to hear his light-hearted reply:

"Don't worry Mr Goh. I'm not kosong (empty), you know. I still have a few hundred dollars left in my savings account!"

Brother Kevin's eyes also glistened when I told him what happened.

Joe's reply became a spring of encouragement to all of us involved in the fund-raising. Now we knew for sure: our cause had strong support. With people like Joe on our side, we are invincible. In time the school was built.

We had learned much from our close encounters with the rich and poor. Brother Kevin summed it up for us: "Being rich isn't about having money, is it? Some of us will always be poor, some always rich - no matter how much or how little we have."