Tsunami
just a few random thoughts. even as i type this, i don't know what else i'm going to type below... it's just that i want to blog. it's been rather long since i last blogged. hmm, i'm not sure what this feels like. blogging is definitely an outlet for personal expression, yet at the same time, i know there are people reading (few as it is). so i'm not sure if i'm blogging because i want to, or because i think people are expecting me to. it's likely to be the former.
chim right? ya, more than one person have commented that i think alot. it's true, i guess, and i'm not ashamed of it. my mind has the capacity for thinking, and my dear shepherd has helped me developed it. but i think i can still do better.
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tsunami. everyone knows about the killer waves that devastated parts of Asia. 0.1+ million dead. disease expected to kill more in affected regions. you know, i wasn't very moved by the whole episode. wait wait, it's not because i have no heart. it's just that i'm rather calm about it. i'm rational, and i'm a medic taught to stay calm in crises. i find no point being too emotional about the disaster, it doesn't help anyone or anything to talk about how you are so shocked, so sad, etc. kudos to all those who took concrete actions, ordinary people like my friends who volunteer their time to pack boxes, coordinate collection points, etc.
on another note, what struck me during this episode was the article in sunday's paper which showed satellite photos taken of Banda Aceh before and after the tsunami hit. The face of the earth was literally changed. i'm no doomsday prophet, but in the light of what has happened, can anyone doubt the ability of God to visit His wrath upon mankind when so He chooses? the 'scientific' type of people often subtly doubt the possibility of the sort of mega-damage hinted at in the book of Revelations, that, hey, how is it possible to kill so many people in so many places so fast? well, personally i think Dec 26 was a preview.
that much said, i must also add that God is no sadistic grandfather sitting in heaven, having fun squishing lives out of people. God is a good god who has immeasurable love for the people He created (that's you and me and everybody else). how can He not love us? He gave us our very lives! it's S-I-N that He hates. sin separates us from God who is holy. it's the same as oil and water - can't mix. being righteous, God must judge the sins of this world. let's face it: none of us can escape judgment since we have all sinned. i doubt anyone can deny that. so how? God loves us yet is 'forced' to judge us guilty. how? The solution is, He sends Jesus to earth, and having led a sinless life, becomes the perfect sacrifice for all our sins. He died on the cross, and believing in Him is all that's needed for us to be righteous in the sight of God. God gives people this chance out of love, and frankly, if they don't take what is offered, who can they blame when they do not gain admission to heaven for eternity?
the tsunami disaster is a grim reminder of the frailty of life, and the uncertainty of the future. which tourist in Phuket had expected that his holiday would turn into a nightmare in a matter of minutes? which villager in Sri Lanka expected this? many are already on their way to meet God at His Judgement, and i can only hope that as many of them will go to heaven. for those of us left alive, let's not be complacent. put your trust in God if you haven't. if you have, then serve Him all the more.
