Every year...the songs are the same...the decorations are pretty much the same...the discounts are somewhat the same...
Someone asked me if I would go to church on Christmas Eve. I said no and she said...be careful of sinning... Heck, she is not even a Christ believer and dared to warn me about sinning by not going to church on Christmas eve? Anyway, I just smiled and said nothing...
About a week ago I went to a Christmas party at a famous bar in Shanghai. The MC asked us to write down the meaning of Christmas on a card which would be shared among all of us. I paused for a while and wonder...Christmas...hmm...I guess maybe it's a meaningful day...so many people celebrate it...I just don't know what it is to me...
Oh well, I could give standard answers such as...Christmas is the joyous time when the Light of the world was born in a manger that represented our filthy and dark hearts. The news was first given to the shepherds while the world was sleeping and ignorant because The Lord remembered and cared for the lowly ones. Even the so called "not God's people" caught His star and labored through dark and arduous journey to meet and worship Him...while the so called "God's people" only theorized about His birth but never lifted a finger to really seek Him (yeah well, they only lifted their fingers to turn the pages of their sacred book...but that did not equate to seeking Him)...and so on and so forth...
Sigh...all those standard answers that I could find through the books...I feel that I am not satisfied with them. I never mean that those answers are wrong...they are as true as the stars above...Yet my nature compels me to seek something different...something that could bring me to a new level of enlightenment...
Funny thing is...the Bible never commands Christ believers to remember His birth. The Bible only commands them to remember His death until He comes again...Then why would Christmas be celebrated so much more than the Passion and Passover?
You could hear this "interesting" conversation between a mother and her little child in a mall that has a nativity scene: Oh...oh...look at that...that is baby Jesus in a manger...that is Joseph His dad and that is Mary His mother...EXCUSE ME!!! the Bible never teaches Christ believers that Joseph was Jesus' father and Mary was His mother. Even Jesus Himself never called Mary "Mother", He called her "Woman"...They were only slaves of the Most High...earthen vessels like other faithfuls...ready to carry out responsibilities...Who are we to call Joseph His father and Mary His mother???...
I guess...I am sick of Christmas...
It has veiled the Creator as a harmless baby...so cute and innocent...so weak and dependent...
And maybe that is why the world celebrates Christmas more than Passion...since it is so much easier and acceptable to remember Him as a baby...instead of the conquering Warrior...
Sigh...
Maybe I am just being unfair here...After all, there would not be Passion without Christmas...
So still I say to you my friends and my readers...
Merry Christmas...
May you find the Christ of Christmas amidst shopping sale and glittering trees...
...I remember that You died and rose again...
...I remember that You will come again...
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
The Power of Love IV - In Search of the Harmless Apple
I stopped by and read a notice posted on a wall. 'twas an ad for a play entitled: "In Search of the Harmless Apple"...
I did not know what was in the play...yet, I was intrigued by the title...
My imagination was carried far back to the past...when the world was not as crowded, chaotic, violent, polluted and complicated as the present...
...when the world was like...a garden...
In this garden, there were many many kinds of animals, trees, plants...fruits... Everything was so delightful, colorful, beautiful, peaceful...nothing short of being...magnificent...
The garden was tended by two gardeners...a man...and a woman...They lived freely and joyfully, enjoying all the good things that the Owner of the garden had provided...
There was only but one rule...a rule defined by the Owner...a rule that would change the gardeners' lives and their offspring...forever...
The rule said:
...of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat...but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it...for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
I could not help but ask...what was that tree for? I mean, as a father...I would not purposely put a knife in front of my child and tell him not to touch it...cause I knew he would and he would hurt himself as a result...
If only that tree was not there...there would not be birth pangs...wars...diseases...divorces...poverty...
If only that snake was not there...
If only that fruit suddenly disappeared...
If only the Owner stepped forward right in time...
If only...
Some people theorize about tests, free will, faith, etc...which I do not find satisfying...
So what I can only do is trying to find the Owner and ask Him...
Man: Mr Garden Owner?
Garden Owner: Yes?
M: I wonder what that tree was doing there?
GO: Huh??
M: If You did not wish the gardeners to have anything to do with that tree...why did You cause that tree to grow? Why did You not tell Your gardeners to cut it down? Or You could call some worms to wither it...there were so many ways to get rid of that tree...
GO: I see...
M: Also that snake...I mean...was it not very easy for You to grab its neck...twist it and silence it forever...
GO: Hmmm...
M: And...and...one more thing...You could have suddenly stepped in...smack your gardeners a little bit to wake them up...and still I really love the idea of You twisting the snake's neck...
GO: ...
M: Do You not have anything to say?
GO: There is only one answer I could give to you...
M: And that is?
GO: ...so that the greatest story of all could be told...
M: Huh...???
GO: Yes...!!!
(selah)
Mr Garden Owner...aka Master of the Universe...aka Master Designer...aka Master Storyteller...aka Master of Dreams...aka Master of Destinies...
Who has designed a story that would captivate all dreams and influence all destinies. A story about the loving relationship between Father and Son...broken for reasons beyond wildest imaginations...(read my september entry... The Power of Love - For The First Time in Eternity...)
If it were not for that tree...this story would not come to pass...
It began from a tree...it ended on a tree...
And if we would still ask why...it would show our ignorance of the story...
And so the story shall be retold...over and over again...from generations to generations...in ever increasing glory...healing nations by nations...leading peoples by peoples...
to the tree of life...
...I love You because I love You...
I did not know what was in the play...yet, I was intrigued by the title...
My imagination was carried far back to the past...when the world was not as crowded, chaotic, violent, polluted and complicated as the present...
...when the world was like...a garden...
In this garden, there were many many kinds of animals, trees, plants...fruits... Everything was so delightful, colorful, beautiful, peaceful...nothing short of being...magnificent...
The garden was tended by two gardeners...a man...and a woman...They lived freely and joyfully, enjoying all the good things that the Owner of the garden had provided...
There was only but one rule...a rule defined by the Owner...a rule that would change the gardeners' lives and their offspring...forever...
The rule said:
...of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat...but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it...for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
בראשית 2:16-17
Fast forward thousands of years later...the gardeners failed to keep the rule. They were banished from the garden...had to toil for their lives...and likewise...their offspring...I could not help but ask...what was that tree for? I mean, as a father...I would not purposely put a knife in front of my child and tell him not to touch it...cause I knew he would and he would hurt himself as a result...
If only that tree was not there...there would not be birth pangs...wars...diseases...divorces...poverty...
If only that snake was not there...
If only that fruit suddenly disappeared...
If only the Owner stepped forward right in time...
If only...
Some people theorize about tests, free will, faith, etc...which I do not find satisfying...
So what I can only do is trying to find the Owner and ask Him...
Man: Mr Garden Owner?
Garden Owner: Yes?
M: I wonder what that tree was doing there?
GO: Huh??
M: If You did not wish the gardeners to have anything to do with that tree...why did You cause that tree to grow? Why did You not tell Your gardeners to cut it down? Or You could call some worms to wither it...there were so many ways to get rid of that tree...
GO: I see...
M: Also that snake...I mean...was it not very easy for You to grab its neck...twist it and silence it forever...
GO: Hmmm...
M: And...and...one more thing...You could have suddenly stepped in...smack your gardeners a little bit to wake them up...and still I really love the idea of You twisting the snake's neck...
GO: ...
M: Do You not have anything to say?
GO: There is only one answer I could give to you...
M: And that is?
GO: ...so that the greatest story of all could be told...
M: Huh...???
GO: Yes...!!!
(selah)
Mr Garden Owner...aka Master of the Universe...aka Master Designer...aka Master Storyteller...aka Master of Dreams...aka Master of Destinies...
Who has designed a story that would captivate all dreams and influence all destinies. A story about the loving relationship between Father and Son...broken for reasons beyond wildest imaginations...(read my september entry... The Power of Love - For The First Time in Eternity...)
If it were not for that tree...this story would not come to pass...
It began from a tree...it ended on a tree...
And if we would still ask why...it would show our ignorance of the story...
And so the story shall be retold...over and over again...from generations to generations...in ever increasing glory...healing nations by nations...leading peoples by peoples...
to the tree of life...
...I love You because I love You...
The Power of Love III - Is God an Egoist?
...God is love...
ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Α΄ 4:8
You never actually love others...You only love what you think about others...
a buddhism philosophy...
It's kinda true though...value is in the eye of the beholder. Two different persons perceive one same thing differently. Someone could be lovable in the eyes of one while at the same time being irritating in the eyes of another.
Consequently, there is no such thing as "being selfless"...because whatever we do...we do it for ourselves, we only do it for the love of doing it, we take pleasure in doing things for others, we do it because we want to do it, we do it because of...us. The object of the action is ourselves...not the other party...
Let me ask you men...Why do you want women?
Let me ask you women...Why do you want men?
Let me ask you people...Why do you do charitable acts?
Let me ask you soldiers...Why do you lay down your life in war?
Are you sure that you are focusing on others...not on your own desires?
What about hermits? Those who claim that the path to purification and happiness is through isolation and freedom from desires...are they not doing it out of their desire to be free from desires?
Shall I take it further?...What about the supposedly Most Perfect Being in the Universe?...What about God?
This is...
The Being Who stated that He is the jealous One...
The Being Who wanted everything humans are and have...
The Being Who commanded worship towards Him alone...
The Being Who designed everything to culminate in His existence...
Is this Being...an Egoist?...And oh by the way...this is the same Being Who defined Himself as...love...
But...is it fair to say that God is an Egoist?
Look what I've got from dictionary.com
e¡¤go¡¤ist
1. a self-centered or selfish person (opposed to altruist).
2. an arrogantly conceited person; egotist.
3. an adherent of the metaphysical principle of the ego, or self; solipsist.
Conceited...arrogant...selfish...self-centered...are these really the characteristics of God?
Sigh...
Maybe....
Maybe He's conceited...Who insists that no one else could do what He can...
Maybe He's arrogant...Who thinks that He alone is worthy of worship...
Maybe He's selfish...Who wants everything that humans are and have...
Maybe He's self-centered...Who designs everything to culminate in His existence...
But something else in me cries out...
What if indeed no one else could do what He can?
What if indeed no one else is worthy of worship except Him alone?
What if indeed nothing on earth that does not belong to Him?
What if...what if....what if indeed everything that He has created...found fulfillment in Him that could never be found elsewhere?
Therefore even if we call Him an Egoist...is this a blasphemy? Or is this a realization that every faithful must have in order to know Him?
Another question...
By defining Himself as love...does this also mean He never actually love...other than Himself?
Ah...
Maybe we are all designed in this way...
We are all self-lovers...and there is nothing wrong with it...
For the best thing a person could do to love himself is by loving others...for self-love finds its highest fulfillment through loving others...
And thus the virtuous cycle goes on...
Feeding itself...Ever growing...
Attaining perfection...
In Him alone...
...God so loved the world...that He gave...His only Son...
ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Α΄ 4:8
You never actually love others...You only love what you think about others...
a buddhism philosophy...
It's kinda true though...value is in the eye of the beholder. Two different persons perceive one same thing differently. Someone could be lovable in the eyes of one while at the same time being irritating in the eyes of another.
Consequently, there is no such thing as "being selfless"...because whatever we do...we do it for ourselves, we only do it for the love of doing it, we take pleasure in doing things for others, we do it because we want to do it, we do it because of...us. The object of the action is ourselves...not the other party...
Let me ask you men...Why do you want women?
Let me ask you women...Why do you want men?
Let me ask you people...Why do you do charitable acts?
Let me ask you soldiers...Why do you lay down your life in war?
Are you sure that you are focusing on others...not on your own desires?
What about hermits? Those who claim that the path to purification and happiness is through isolation and freedom from desires...are they not doing it out of their desire to be free from desires?
Shall I take it further?...What about the supposedly Most Perfect Being in the Universe?...What about God?
This is...
The Being Who stated that He is the jealous One...
The Being Who wanted everything humans are and have...
The Being Who commanded worship towards Him alone...
The Being Who designed everything to culminate in His existence...
Is this Being...an Egoist?...And oh by the way...this is the same Being Who defined Himself as...love...
But...is it fair to say that God is an Egoist?
Look what I've got from dictionary.com
e¡¤go¡¤ist
1. a self-centered or selfish person (opposed to altruist).
2. an arrogantly conceited person; egotist.
3. an adherent of the metaphysical principle of the ego, or self; solipsist.
Conceited...arrogant...selfish...self-centered...are these really the characteristics of God?
Sigh...
Maybe....
Maybe He's conceited...Who insists that no one else could do what He can...
Maybe He's arrogant...Who thinks that He alone is worthy of worship...
Maybe He's selfish...Who wants everything that humans are and have...
Maybe He's self-centered...Who designs everything to culminate in His existence...
But something else in me cries out...
What if indeed no one else could do what He can?
What if indeed no one else is worthy of worship except Him alone?
What if indeed nothing on earth that does not belong to Him?
What if...what if....what if indeed everything that He has created...found fulfillment in Him that could never be found elsewhere?
Therefore even if we call Him an Egoist...is this a blasphemy? Or is this a realization that every faithful must have in order to know Him?
Another question...
By defining Himself as love...does this also mean He never actually love...other than Himself?
Ah...
Maybe we are all designed in this way...
We are all self-lovers...and there is nothing wrong with it...
For the best thing a person could do to love himself is by loving others...for self-love finds its highest fulfillment through loving others...
And thus the virtuous cycle goes on...
Feeding itself...Ever growing...
Attaining perfection...
In Him alone...
...God so loved the world...that He gave...His only Son...
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Purpose of Life V - Crossroads
Had a small gathering with friends yesterday and we have an unwritten rule...
The rule is...each one of us has to share about our problems and feelings before the others - otherwise he/she would be ostracized...
(nah...not that bad...)
Here is the list of problems...
- Two are quitting their jobs...having a problem with talking to their bosses about this...One is for marriage reason, another is for business reason...
- One is getting bored with work...contemplating on the next move...
- One is...sad...for the others around are getting married and seems lost of what to do next...
- Others are just problems with getting along at work, finding an apartment, office administration and family matters...
Not saying that the other problems are not important...but I'd like to focus on the first three...
Because they depict a situation where everyone must face in his/her life...at some point in time...
And if it is unsuitably handled...my...my...what a regret...that would follow...
Some time back I wrote about Roadmaps of life...
How I wish that I could find out for sure what is next...How I wish that I had the crystal ball in my hands...How I wish that I could invent a time machine to allow me travel back and forth in time...How I wish that I could help my friends to take them out of their confusion...How I wish that I could get MYSELF out of my confusion too...
But I don't have the answers...and that is the only honest answer I have...
I loved the third sharing. She was so frank with herself and with us. At her age she is pushed to get married by her family. She is sad because her cousins are getting married, her sister was married at her age and right now...she is jobless...clueless and "loveless"... No matter what excuses she has made to answer the "nagging and inconsiderate" questions from others...deep down, she knows...she is still unhappy of her condition...
Sigh...
Come to think of it...what is the purpose of life? Is it to experience all these painful emotions? And if I extend it even further to the Middle East or the wars in Africa financed by blood diamonds...what is life about then?
Ashes to ashes...dust to dust...
Thou art born of earth...
To earth shalt thee be gone...
Part of Nature art thou...
One with Nature shalt thee be...
And so the cycle is completed...
With Him in the midst...
...
Still above all...
Be Thou forever...
Glorified...
The rule is...each one of us has to share about our problems and feelings before the others - otherwise he/she would be ostracized...
(nah...not that bad...)
Here is the list of problems...
- Two are quitting their jobs...having a problem with talking to their bosses about this...One is for marriage reason, another is for business reason...
- One is getting bored with work...contemplating on the next move...
- One is...sad...for the others around are getting married and seems lost of what to do next...
- Others are just problems with getting along at work, finding an apartment, office administration and family matters...
Not saying that the other problems are not important...but I'd like to focus on the first three...
Because they depict a situation where everyone must face in his/her life...at some point in time...
And if it is unsuitably handled...my...my...what a regret...that would follow...
Some time back I wrote about Roadmaps of life...
How I wish that I could find out for sure what is next...How I wish that I had the crystal ball in my hands...How I wish that I could invent a time machine to allow me travel back and forth in time...How I wish that I could help my friends to take them out of their confusion...How I wish that I could get MYSELF out of my confusion too...
But I don't have the answers...and that is the only honest answer I have...
I loved the third sharing. She was so frank with herself and with us. At her age she is pushed to get married by her family. She is sad because her cousins are getting married, her sister was married at her age and right now...she is jobless...clueless and "loveless"... No matter what excuses she has made to answer the "nagging and inconsiderate" questions from others...deep down, she knows...she is still unhappy of her condition...
Sigh...
Come to think of it...what is the purpose of life? Is it to experience all these painful emotions? And if I extend it even further to the Middle East or the wars in Africa financed by blood diamonds...what is life about then?
Ashes to ashes...dust to dust...
Thou art born of earth...
To earth shalt thee be gone...
Part of Nature art thou...
One with Nature shalt thee be...
And so the cycle is completed...
With Him in the midst...
...
Still above all...
Be Thou forever...
Glorified...
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Hairy Plaster...The Villain Code...then what???
Never heard of those "movie titles" above?
Hairy Plaster - It is about a young boy named Hairy who happened to be the descendant of a very powerful wizard. He had to work his way up to be one too and joined the battle of "good" vs "evil". Erm...not surprisingly, the boy Hairy is supposedly the "good" one...
How bout the other one?
The Villain Code - It is a story about a renowned renaissance artist who "encoded" many secrets in his infamous painting...telling viewers that the Christian God in the form of flesh - had sex with one of his fans and bore descendant...A middle-aged Harvard professor of religious symbology (Erm...don't even know if that faculty exists) was compelled to investigate the matter but some group was trying to hide this "fact" - even up to the point of carrying out murder plots...and so...another battle of "good" vs "evil"....
And now...the latest movie...The Golden Compass...
I don't know much about this since it has not hit the streets yet. All I know - this is also another movie that the Catholic Church is against of...urging Christians not to "support" it by buying the tickets for themselves or their children.
I wonder why...Why are people looking for opportunities to "disgrace"..."discredit"..."dismantle"..."dis..." Christianity???
I want to know if these cowards could do the same thing to the religion that thrives through the sword...
There is a saying in Chinese that roughly translates to...When the Tiger does not roar...do you think it is a sick cat?...
A friend of mine asked...what do you think about all these movies?...
My answer...Those who believe would still believe and Those who do not believe would use any avenues to strengthen their disbelief - evolution, atheism, agnosticism or these movies...
If you scratch the surface of every attempt to prove or disprove anything...there lies the "pre-conceived" idea of belief or disbelief...Either you want to believe or you want to dis-believe...
Hence it is said: To the faithful - no prove is needed...To the faithless - no prove is valid... There will always be efforts to explain away any events...
Thus the debates go on...they never end...
...till the end comes...
...Maranatha...
Hairy Plaster - It is about a young boy named Hairy who happened to be the descendant of a very powerful wizard. He had to work his way up to be one too and joined the battle of "good" vs "evil". Erm...not surprisingly, the boy Hairy is supposedly the "good" one...
How bout the other one?
The Villain Code - It is a story about a renowned renaissance artist who "encoded" many secrets in his infamous painting...telling viewers that the Christian God in the form of flesh - had sex with one of his fans and bore descendant...A middle-aged Harvard professor of religious symbology (Erm...don't even know if that faculty exists) was compelled to investigate the matter but some group was trying to hide this "fact" - even up to the point of carrying out murder plots...and so...another battle of "good" vs "evil"....
And now...the latest movie...The Golden Compass...
I don't know much about this since it has not hit the streets yet. All I know - this is also another movie that the Catholic Church is against of...urging Christians not to "support" it by buying the tickets for themselves or their children.
I wonder why...Why are people looking for opportunities to "disgrace"..."discredit"..."dismantle"..."dis..." Christianity???
I want to know if these cowards could do the same thing to the religion that thrives through the sword...
There is a saying in Chinese that roughly translates to...When the Tiger does not roar...do you think it is a sick cat?...
A friend of mine asked...what do you think about all these movies?...
My answer...Those who believe would still believe and Those who do not believe would use any avenues to strengthen their disbelief - evolution, atheism, agnosticism or these movies...
If you scratch the surface of every attempt to prove or disprove anything...there lies the "pre-conceived" idea of belief or disbelief...Either you want to believe or you want to dis-believe...
Hence it is said: To the faithful - no prove is needed...To the faithless - no prove is valid... There will always be efforts to explain away any events...
Thus the debates go on...they never end...
...till the end comes...
...Maranatha...
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