One Intriguing Story (1) ...A Woman Called Susanna

There lived a man named Joakim who married to Susanna. Susanna was a beautiful woman and deeply religious. Her parents were devout Jews. Her husband Joakim was very wealthy. Lovely gardens surrounded his house, and the other Jews often gathered there for meetings. Everone who had a legal case to present would also go to Joakim's house, whre 2 judges held court. These 2 leaders of the Jewish community had recently been appointed to office.
Everyday at noon, when all the people left for lunch, Susanna used to take a walk in the gardens. The 2 judges were so attracted to her that they would wait around and watch her. They became so obsessed with their desire for her that they lost interest both in prayer and in their responsibility as judges. They each wanted Susanna, but neither told the other how he felt, for each was ashamed to admit his lust.
One day Susanna went into the garden as usual with her 2 servant girls. No one else was there, except the 2 judges, who had hidden themselves and were watching Susanna. It was very hot and she decided to take a bath. So she said to her servants, "Bring me some bath oil and some perfume, and lock the gates, so that I won't be disturbed." The girls did what Susanna asked, and they did not notice the 2men.
As soon as the servants left, the 2 judges jumped out from their hiding place, ran to Susanna, and said, "The gates are locked and no one will see us. We are burning to have sex with you, so give us what we want. If you don't, we will go to court and swear that we saw you send your servants away, so that you could be alone with a young man.
"There is no way out," Susanna moaned. "If I give in to you, I could be put to death for adultery. If I refuse, you will still have me trapped. But I would rather be your innocent victim than sin against the Lord. So she started screaming as loud as she could and the 2 judges began shouting accusations, while one of them ran and unlocked the gates.
As soon as the servants in the house heard all the noise, they ran into the gardens thru' the side door to find out what happened. The judges told their story, and the servants werre shocked and ashamed.
The next day, in front of all the people assembled at Joakim's house, they said "Send for Joakim's wife Susanna." When she was called, she came in with her parents, cildren and other relatives. Susanna was so graceful and beautiful that the 2 wicked men ordered her veil to be removed, so that they might enjoy looking at her. Her family and everyone else were in tears.
The 2 judges started their accusations against her. She was crying, but she looked up to heaven because she trusted the Lord. "We were walking in the gardens when this woman came in with her 2 servant girls. She locked the main gates and asked the servants to leave. Then a young man who had been hiding in the gardens came to her, and they lay down together. We swear that our testimony is true." Because the 2 men were not only leaders in the community but also judges, the people believed their story and condemned Susanna to death.
Then Susanna cried out in a loud voice, "Eternal God, nothing can be kept secret from you; you know everything before it happens. Here I am about to die, but you know that I am innocent, that these men are lying. Why must I die?"
The Lord heard her prayer and led a yound man named Daniel to speak out, just as Susanna was being taken away to her death.
Daniel stood up before them and said, "People of Israel, how foolish can you be? Are you going to condemn an Israelite woman to death on this kind of evidence? You haven't even tried to find out the truth. Reopen the case...
So all the people hurried back to where the trial had taken place...
Daniel said them, "Separate the 2 judges, and let me question them one at a time. The Daniel called the 1st judge and said "...Now if you really did see this couple making love, tell me, what tree were they under?"
"Under a small gum tree," he answered.
Then the first judge was led away and the 2nd one was brought before Daniel. "...Now tell me what tree you saw them under?"
"Under a large oak tree,"he answered.

Read the Bible to enjoy the rest of the story.

We will always disagree - in many things

We will always disagree in many things. We are made that way. 2 brains are always different.

So there are always differences in thinking and in opinion, even though 2 persons may believe in the same God.

But if we want to live in the same world, or the same country, or the same house, we need to compromise. The alternative is to stay in different world, different country, different house.

On the issue of abortion, there will always be people who are pro-life and people who are pro-choice.

On the issue of religion, there will always be worshippers of God, and gods, and idols. To each his own.

Yes, we are difference. But living in the same world, we just have to interact in the 'common space', and compromise the differences.

Black Sheep Priests

In the newspapers today, there is a front page article about 'Predator Priests'. The scandal is about paedophile catholic priests in some Western countries. I have no doubt that there are many cases of misconduct.

There are black sheep in any group, any organisation. Jesus had 12 apostles at first, yet within the 12 there was one black sheep. Those of us who work in groups will surely agree that even in small groups of 10, you will find a black sheep. It does not matter whether the groups are religious, political, commercial, family, voluntary, social or business in nature.

The church is no difference. There are thousands of priests and bishops and deacons worldwide. If 1 in ten thousand is a black sheep, there are plenty of them.

The church, or any organisation, needs a process to manage its black sheep from influencing the rest of the organisation and destroying its reputation.

Coping with life at 80s

My mother in-law had just done an eye cataract surgery. Both in-laws are now staying in my house.

My father-in-law is on medication for some other illnesses.

So there are 2 80-years-old with me very day.

Their lifestyle is: wake up, take medication. breakfast, lie down, read newspaper, medication, lunch, lie down, dinner, watch TV, sleep.

I tell myself, that is not the lifestyle I want in my 70s and 80s! Where is the meaning of living.

Perhaps I should now squeeze some time to do some volunteer work. I need to think about this.

Many people work very hard

I asked my regular pork seller in the wet market.

He told me that he closes his stall around 12 noon. Go home and sleep by 3 pm. Wakes up at 9 pm and goes to the stall by 12 mid-night to prepare for the next day. Beween 12 midnight to 6 am, he receives delivery, chops the whole carcasses, separate the types of cuts, store them nicely in the fridge, etc etc. Customers buy from 6 am onwards. He closes the stall around 12 noon and starts the cycle again.

You can guess how much time he spends with his wife and children.

And how much he earns? You can guess. But not many customers during weekdays. More customers during weekends.

The reality is, making a living is not a bed of roses if you do not have a high-paying job.

Let's not make life difficult to the poor blue-collar workers and small businessmen. Live and let live.

Coping with the painful 50s

I read in the papers that the govt should look into 'The missing 50s' - people who are in their 50s, but once retrenched, could not get back into the workforce.

I am in my 50s. I realised the pain of being in the 50s:

50 to 60 years old experience the following:

1) Coping with retrenchment. PMETs, once retrenched, can hardly find an equivalent job or something close.
2) Children may get married, or start working overseas, leaving the parents behind, causing a void.
3) Their parents should be about 70 to 90 years old and 'gradually' leaving this world. It is stressful both to look after parents and parents-in-laws during their final life stages, and to see them leaving one by one (4 times within 10 years?).
4) Some friends may start to leave this world.
5) The physical body deteriorates. Health problems set in. Tires more easily.
6) It's the time of menopause and andropause, whatever the effect.

It's time we look towards the Divine again.

From being crude, to being refine, to being best

Monkeys pick up food using their fingers. Early man pick up food using their fingers too.

Then humans realised that they could
use a stick to pick up food. Better still, use 2 sticks. So chopsticks were 'invented'.

As society progresses, people wants to be more 'classy'. Chopsticks are too crude a tool. So westerns started using forks and spoons and knives.

As society progresses further, people attempt to be more artistic. The use of fork and spoon is nothing artistic. So people revert to the use of chopsticks. Holding chopsticks, picking food with chopsticks and chopstick design became an art, as practised in China and Japan.

But really, the best way to eat is to pick up food with the 5 fingers. Nothing beats 'finger-licking'goodness.

The Indians still pick up food using their fingers - They know what is best!.

Magic, Illusions or just Miracles - Dinner for 20,000

We have seen magicians putting an assistant in a box, and then saw him into 2 parts, and then joined the boxes, and that assistant was whole again. Of course the assistant was not cut up! But we marvel at the illusion.

Another magician may gather people together a short distance from the Tower of Liberty, and made the Tower of Liberty disappeared before their eyes. Of course the Tower of Liberty was still there and the people just could not see it. We marvel at the illusion.

But no illusionist or magician can make 'something out of nothing'. Something that you can touch and feel. (When a magician pulls a rabbit out of a hat, the rabbit must be hidden somewhere there in the first place!)

No magician or illusion can change 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes into 8,000 kilograms of bread and fishes, and feed 20,000 people. This is a miracle, not an illusion or magic trick.

Sometimes I asked myself whether I am stupid to believe in miracles. Are all others who believe in Christ's miracles just as foolhardy as I am?

I don't think so.

Can You Believe These Witnesses?

It happened a few months ago. The Romania Charge D'Affair in Singapore, Dr Ionescu, drove his car recklessly in the middle of the night, killing one pedestrian and injuring 2 others. In court, the witnesses told what they saw that night. If you are the judge, would you believe the stories of the witnesses?

It happened 2 thousand years ago. Jesus was with 15,000 to 20,000 people. It was evening time. They needed food to feed these thousands. Jesus was given 5 loafs of bread and 2 fishes. He broke the bread, gave thanks to God, and distributed it to the thousands. Miraculously, the bread and fishes kept multiplying as he handled out the pieces, and there were enough to feed all the thousands, with 12 basketful left. Some witnesses saw the miracle and wrote what happened. Would you believe the stories of these witnesses, as written in the Bible?

I believe these witnesses. What Jesus did, he did in front of so many thousands. The witnesses who wrote about this miracle had no reason to 'collude together' and churn out a false story, which 15,000 can immediately say it was false. (Although the 15,000 were all dead by now.)

If you beleve in the witnesses in the first story which happened a few months ago, you should also believe in the second story although it happened 2 thousand years ago.

Why "Good" Friday

Today is Easter Sunday.

I wonder why the day to commemorate the passion and death of our Saviour Jesus Christ is "Good" Friday?

Why not "Good" Easter or "Good" Christmas. Why only "Good Friday"?

Can I wait for some readers to respond?

The true story of my grandmother

My paternal grandmother died in around 1983. During her last days, she was hospitalised at Kwong Wai Siew Hospital at Serangoon Rd. While in hospital, she still could talk. I remember I had visited her a few times while in hospital before her death. I remember clearly that she had told me that she would not wish to be cremated but to be buried after her death. She was subsequently buried at Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, and about 12 years later, her remains were exhumed and placed at the Kwong Wai Siu Columbarium at Bishan.

These few weeks is the Chinese Qing Ming period. When I was with my father a few days ago, he mentioned something that set me thinking.

My father said that prior to being hospitalised for the last time, my grandmother was sick at home. She saw 2 'persons' at the window beckoning her to take her away. She told my aunt (my father's sister) and my aunt told my father. Now my father told me about this.

It had aways been a belief among Buddhists that during the dying days, some "beings" will appear to the dying. They were supposed to guide or accompany the dying in his journey into the next world.

So it happened to my grandmother as well.

When I read writings about NDE (Near Death Experience), there are always anecdotal stories of dying persons meeting angels, or guides, or spirits, or buddha or 'Jesus' at the end of a tunnel bridging to the other world. There seem to be consistency among the various religions in this aspect of NDE.