In my last entry, I left off wondering if I was really such a pathetic, worthless creature. And that Christmas wasn't really about goodwill to all man, peace of earth, etc. Rather, the picture I was left with was one of gloom and sorrow, of hopelessness.
Because to me, this Christmas period (and the post-Christmas period too) has indeed been a season clouded with negativity. It wasn't a time of festive cheer or jubilant singing. To add on to that, the huge earthquake which triggered off towering tsunamis only added pain and loss to thousands. Many will be spending their new year ploughing through what's left of their belongings, looking for glimpses of hope where there might be none, grieving over the death of loved ones and wondering how life can go on... All of this brings a gloom to a traditionally "festive" period. Also, one's left humbled at the power of nature, of God's creation, of God's wrath.
Yes, Christmas doesn't begin with joy. It begins with recognising the pitiful state of humanity and knowing that hope doesn't lie in humanity itself. How can Man produce hope when everything in this world is subjetive? Heard of the phrase, "one man's meat is another man's poison"? Subjectivity has left us with grasping thin air, leaving us with nothing concrete, nothing trustworthy.
That's possibly one reason why new year resolutions seldom work. The hope of keeping at these resolutions just fades away with time. So what's left? What's absolute in this world?
Jesus Christ. His power, His righteousness, His love. His Birth, His Death, His Resurrection.
Therefore, in these closing days of 2004, should I look to the future or should I look to the past? Or should I just concentrate on the present? The answer to my questions, I have learnt, lie not in the time frame itself, but on the One who put me through those joys and hardships in those time frames.
So, yes I will look to the future--to the various oppurtunites God has placed in my path to glorify Him. And yes, I will look to the past--only to ask for forgiveness of my stupidity and to pray that I'll learn from them. And yes, I'll look at the present--taking each day at a time, worshiping Him and proclaiming the gospel in speech and in lifestyle.
Come 2005, come. A new year, new challenges but the same faithful God.
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2 comments:
Yup, we all do yong chieh... may God have mercy. However, as we learnt in Jonah, with wrath and judgement comes redemption and reconciliation. May real hope, the gospel, be presented to these people... as well as efforts made to help them cope with their grief of loved ones lost and material loss.
The Tsunami is NOT from God. Our heavenly father is not someone who takes aways life, especially those of young children and leave them as orphans. U have to understand God's heart. We are of this world, but we are NOT of this world. It all boils down to man's fall and the consequences of sins. If u notice, there has never been so much ministry work being done in these nations be4, but these few weeks many christian organisations are there. Lets pray tat the gospel be made known to these pple..and may they experience the love of God thru' these volunteers :)
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