Love & Eschatology

Mitch Albom, author of the Five People You Meet in Heaven wrote about Eschatology in such simple yet profound manner. What would heaven be like if it is a place where some of the people we impact on earth explain our life when we meet them in heaven? Is it likely that we will be proud of what we have accomplished in life or regret for the many things that we have done that have a domino heartbreaking effect on others whom we do not know?

Albom’s book gives an insight to how we may unintentionally affect others’ lives during our lifetime and those encounters will also include accountability for the life we live on earth. We won’t know who will be the first five people we meet in Heaven. Hence, it is imperative that our existence touches lives… love we freely impart, gratitude we always remember and understanding we cheerfully tender. We must always remember that the measure of our love is what we are willing to give it up for… the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect others than the needs of self. If we cannot sacrifice simple pleasure, don’t EVER or EVEN talk about LOVE for we have fail miserably as Christian for St John said “Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”. John 15:13

What did Jesus say?

Did Jesus say feed my sheep or slaughter my sheep?
Did Jesus say love your neighbour or persecute your neighbour?
Did Jesus say when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing or to parade your uprightness in public?
Did Jesus say not to observe the splinter in your brother's eye or to notice the great log in his eye but not your own?
Did Jesus say treat others as you would like them to treat you or to treat others like trash?
Did Jesus say not to forgive or to bear every grudges?
Did Jesus say to gossip and make false accusation or to speak the truth?
Did Jesus say to condemn and throw the first stone or not to judge?
Did Jesus say eye for eye and tooth for tooth or go two miles even if anyone requires you to go one mile?
Did Jesus say love only those who love you or that love know no boundary?
Did Jesus say to give someone a snake when he asks for a fish or to give like the poor widow?
Did Jesus say to break and harm others or to save and heal them?
No wonder He says many prophets and upright people longed to see what we see but never saw it ; to hear what we hear and never heard it. How pathetic that will be...

Didn't Jesus say we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul,with all our mind and with all our strength?
Didn't Jesus say we must love our neighbour and enemy as ourselves?
Didn't Jesus say be compassionate just as our Heavenly Father is compassionate?
Didn't Jesus say those who honour Him with lip service while their hearts are far, their reverence is worthless and their teaching are nothing?
Didn't Jesus say the ones who love money and pass themselves off as upright in people's sight is loathsome in the sight of God?
Didn't Jesus say make a tree sound and its fruit will be sound, make a tree rotten and its fruit will be rotten?
Didn't Jesus say good people draw good things from their store of goodness, bad people draw bad things from their store of badness?
Didn't Jesus say do not judge and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven?
Didn't Jesus say mercy is what pleases Him not sacrifice?
Didn't Jesus say have pity on your fellow-servant just as He had pity on us?
Didn't Jesus say the words of the mouth flow out of what fills the heart?
Didn't Jesus say if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be in darkness?
Oh.... how awful to have a wicked heart and what darkness that will be!

Love it was...

Love it was that made us and it was love that saved us
Love was God's plan when He made man God's divine nature is love
Born of God's love we must love Him
That's why He made us to love Him
But only when we love all men can we partake of God's love (2)
Love is a wonderful thing joy in hearts it will bring
where there is love there is God and where there is God there is love
Christ said love must be the sign
By which men will know You for mine
A new commandment to You I give
Each other love as I did.

All that Jesus accomplished during His earthly life is because of God’s infinite love for man. God is love and man, being created in His image should reflect that divine love. Love unites and secures everything and when all else dissipates; only love will truly remain. But it is love that is so regretfully lacking in our times especially in our church. Consciousness, if there is any left has desensitize our spiritual needs leading to “spiritual paralysis”. Hatred, misconceptions and prejudices have impeded the revelation of love between people, probably more so among the clergy.

Pastors who have faith and hope but no love are but nothing. Even if they faithfully perform all pastoral responsibilities, serve long vigils, pray day and night, keep fasts and observe days of obligation… alas, without love but somewhat embracing hatred, resentment, pride, egotism etc, their efforts are for nothing. They may even profess to the one true faith, the Nicene Creed but if love is lacking, any efforts to propagate that faith sound like the ravings of fanatics and perhaps psychotic as well. Love does not openly flaunt itself in the church, shopping mall, offices as does vice. Love is recognized only by the fruit it bears. It is reveal in patience and tolerance towards others. Love cannot be deceived for it is from within and it is certainly not hypocritical.

Jesus tells us, "Freely you have received, freely give." All of us have received love freely and abundantly from God. Real, unconditional, faithful love! But did we freely give? If we are willing to love others only when it will be given back to us, what merit is there? If we are willing to love others only when they treat us well, we are not capable of loving unconditionally. In fact, if love is conditional, it is not love at all! Worst still is when one’s excessive love for self suppresses the love for others.

The church is more than any building or a piece of property. The church is more than just preaching and sacraments. The church is more than traditions and hierarchy. Essentially at its core, the church is about love. If love is lacking, the church is lacking. If love is not the heart of the church, then it is not a church per se. It is just a building with its entire fake beautiful liturgy because if Christians proclaim a gospel that they don’t bother to live out, if they do not show any more love than the rest of society, then why should anyone bother to take the church or the clergy seriously? I wonder when will be the time for the church to give love freely and fulfill the law of Christ…. maybe until the cow comes home! Sigh…………

Putting God to the test

Scripture said do not put our God to the test and that God will not push us or let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. We have heard this quote from time to time and probably said it many times as well. However, life has shown that God has allowed us to go through experiences that are more than what we can bear or handle on our own.

In the book of Job, he endured a great deal of suffering and grief so much so that his wife told him to curse God and die. Although as Christian, we may with the sovereignty of God, go through difficult and painful circumstances, but what if we are face with such enormous pain that even the grace of God is not sufficient for us? What happen to the promise of God that “Never will I forsake you” (Heb 13:5-6) and “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28). Can we truly lean on Him and let Him carry our burdens with complete trust and faith?

When we are push to the end of the world, what hope is there for us? Since God is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, He is well above all scientific theories and surely He is still able to allow my heart to continue beating even when my potassium level drops to a dangerous 2.2 mg/dl.

I do not doubt in the greatness of God but I simply cannot carry my cross anymore. Since I suffers from hypokalmia, perhaps it’s time God affirms His supremacy that even if my current potassium level at 2.7mg/dl drops to 2.2mg/dl while I go without medication, supplement and food, He is able to keep me alive! God, I surrender my life to you… It’s all yours now.

1 Corinthians 10:13

How true is it when scripture (1 Corinthians 10:13) says God will not put you to test beyond what you can bear. Some believe that if it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger but that may not be applicable to everyone. Some are driven to take the plunge! Well, one may conclude that those who choose to die did not pray hard and trust God enough. Take the analogy of a toothache. If you are experiencing severe toothache, can you be bother with what is happening beyond you. You will be in such intense pain that you cannot think logically.

I do not agreed with 1 Corinthians 10:13 because life does take us painfully to the threshold of extreme unbearable pain where we fall broken and dejected. Of course there is no dispute that some will manage to pass agonizingly through that wall of fire emerging stronger and more capable but then again how many? Oh God, please know that not everyone of us is called Job.

The day Patsy died

Patsy went missing after lunch on 3rd August 2009. Yesterday morning, I was told she was found dead in a drain in the neighbourhood and the authority came, put her in a black garbage bag and took her away. I went round the neighbourhood (all dressed up as there was a funeral mass to attend in the afternoon) checking through every black garbage bag hoping to find my dead dog until I came to a house and the owner came out and wondered what I was looking for in his trash. He told me the dog has been taken away…

I called up AVA, incineration plants and by the time I contacted NEA, I was already in tears. Thanks God they managed to locate Patsy and even arranged to deliver her back even though I offered to go and pick her up. I went from tearing to weeping to crying and it must have shock the seminarians to see my expression of grief. Many asked why I did not cry when the two priests died but was absolutely distraught over a dog. Perhaps I took the opportunity to cry my heart out after months of emotional scuffle. Someone offered to give me his German Shepherd, his name is King. I like German Shepherd (man and dog alike, I like only intelligent ones) but no other dogs can replace Patsy, my Queen.

Patsy is not just a dog, she is my companion. She stayed with me in my office all day, walked with me to lunch; hide under my table when it rained. In her younger days, she ran after my car when I come and go. She never barks, never get angry, always loving always there for me.

I came back in the evening to see her before burial. No one dare open the bag, blood was oozing out. I tore it open but there were many layers and I have no strength to lift it up. I told the guys to do it as I wanted to see her for a last time. I could see how frightened they were… of a dead dog, blood, whatever! We said a prayer and buried her. I stayed behind to tidy her grave… the Archbishop came to the garden and asked if I am grieving over the dog… yes I am grieving not just over Patsy but many, many other issues as well.

This morning, no one dare to come into the office. They knew I am in a foul mood. When Patsy went missing, I told the staff and seminarians to go to the four corners of the earth to find her… every room, drains, neighbourhood even the jungle out there… must find her as she was very old and sickly of late but they did not . Yes, it hurts to see her suffering but it’s certainly unimaginable that she died in a dreadful way… alone in a drain or worst still end up in the incineration plant like a piece of trash!