One of the main reasons for misunderstanding is when people actually don't make the effort to go and reach out -- most of the time, they are not understood clearly because they do not speak at all, or at least, speak in a way that is so ambiguous that the person on the receiving end will be left in a state of confusion so as not to understand what is being told him/her at all.
I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Up to now, I still get fascinated by how God uses circumstances to change it for His good. Some are downright relieving (especially when we are brought out of sticky situations in the nick of time), some bringing a person on the brink of tears, and some are just downright funny. Seriously. The way I was brought to Christ is a testament of that (or maybe I just have a twisted sense of humor -- I only see it as such even if it wasn't the least bit amusing). Not every moment of my spiritual walk brings me rolling on the floor, gasping for breath because of laughter, however. A lot of times, I would come to Him angry, depressed, and just have a see-saw of emotions just about everytime I go to Him. Yet, looking back, I have to admit that they really are amusing (I guess it might just be my twisted sense of humor after all). One of the quotes I love the most came from Prince Kheldar of Drasnia, one of the many characters of David Eddings' Belgariad and Malloreon series. When accused of never taking things seriously and just laughing at any and every situation, his reply was something like, "Because if I don't laugh at the world, I'll end up crying because of everything that is happening in it." I guess tha just about summarizes the reason why I appear to be happy-go-lucky and everything when people see me. Anyway, this is such a huge direction from what I want to talk about, so before this entry gets skewed any further, I will go back to the original trail of thought.
Looking back, I see now just how many opportunities God has been giving me to know Him, but until my sophomore year in college, I never took my faith seriously. Sure, I could honestly say that there was never a time that I doubted God's existence. Sure, I could go and say that I never did anything blatantly going against His Word. Sure, I always attended Sunday Mass and all the other Masses of obligation. For all intents and purposes, at least where appearance is considered anyway, I was the stereotypical good Catholic girl -- something that would work for those who can be called the "outsiders" of my life, but not to everyone else's. At that time, faith for me was just something necessary, an obligation I have to fulfill without even looking at the ratio for my beliefs. It's just something that had to be done, an item of a checklist of activities that need to be fulfilled -- or else. I went through all the motions and activities of a typical Catholic without understanding why I was doing it (I am not pointing fingers, put honestly, I think most Catholics have gone through the same experience as I do - seeing Church, prayer, God, and whatever else related to that as an obligation more of something done out of love).
As I mentioned earlier, there were a lot of moments when God would really seek me, but I was too stubborn, too idiotic (for lack of a better term) to listen to Him. When I was in sixth grade, I became involved in a Church choir with my classmates. I sang the psalms and all these other Church songs without understanding what they meant. It was just something for school, not for the Church, not for the service.
Enter high school. In my second year, some teachers invited us to some event in a classroom of one of the buildings where the college students held their classes. Having nothing better to do, my best friends and I went to the event, which turned out to be the Youth of Fire movement of the Victory Christian Fellowship (VCF) Church. Pretty soon, we were attending their events regularly, at least those that were held within the campus. We'd invite some of our other friends to go with us. However, the reason for attending was far from noble, at least for me (it would be unfair if I spoke for the other people who I went with). I went there so that I would have an activity, and of course, it didn't hurt that I was labelled as one of the "good girls." Another reason for attendance and for inviting other people is that we were given free food (we were in high school! Cut us some slack.) Given a short time, we became part of a cell group, us as disciples, and someone from the Guidance Office who is part of VCF as our discipler. To be fair with my actions then, I wasn't superficial with her (for the record, I hate superficiality) or to the other people who we became quite close to. Au contraire. In fact, we knew of her marriage, as we know the guy anyway, we'd occasionally drop by their house to play with their babies, and they'd even go and celebrate our birthdays for us, cooking up food to share with each other during discipleship. The problem lay in the fact that I didn't take the discipleship sessions seriously. They were just lectures that I had to listen to, but it didn't really significantly change my life (oh, the stupidity of youth).
Time brought us apart from each other, and I was again left with nothing to disturb my so-called spirituality.
Enter college, where I began actively searching for something that I initially did not know what it was for. Early part of it, I joined a Catholic youth organization. I was turned off with them after just a few meetings, however, because instead of talking about God, spirituality, and faith (the reason why I joined them, although I may or may not have known it at that time), they were more concerned about holding parties and other social events.
Then in my second year college, just when I really was down and everything, something came in my life that changed it forever, and the change initally came in the form of basketball. Yes, you read correctly, your eyesight is not deceiving you. I did indeed say basketball, you know, where two teams of five players each try to go and chase after a rubber ball and try to shoot it with precision into a metal hoop that is just above their heads. I am a basketball person: even though I can't play it for long without contracting asthma, I can understand the nuances and the twists and turns of the game. I could go and analyze a basketball game and predict with a fair degree of accuracy on what would happen during the game. Why is basketball suddenly of great import, you ask. Could it be that I am digressing again? For once, I am not, because basketball plays a very important role in the story. It was that time that my school emerged as the winner in the inter-collegiate league. Basketball fever was at an all-time high. A friend mentioned that the players attend this Bible study. Because Lani is an idiot (which turns out to be a good thing), she attends the Bible study to check out whether the story is true, which was proven. Along with some friends, I eventually attended regularly these Bible studies (sounds ominously familiar, doesn't it?), which turned out to be facilitated by another Evangelical Church, Christ's Commission Fellowship (CCF). As in my (disastrous) experience in high school, I was eventually part of a cell group, with two disciplers. Instead of reverting to what happened before, however, there was a change. I took the teachings seriously, learned of God's loving sacrifice and Grace. February 2003, I truly accepted Christ as my King and Savior. Up to the present, the cell group that was formed at that time is still existing up to the present, although schedule and other things keep us from meeting as a whole group now.
Senior year, both of our disciplers have graduated already. Just when we (of the cell group, or D12, as the group is called) were beginning to feel lost, God again granted another opportunity, this time to a Catholic youth group -- a sort of going back to the roots, if you will. From there, we attended their prayer meetings, Bible studies, other events not only of the youth group, but eventually some of the other activities of the actual community itself.
19 March 2005: We graduated from college. Where are we now, you might ask, aside from our academic/professional standing. Well, let's just say that the story hasn't ended yet, and I am as eager to see the next page as you.
Looking back, I see now just how many opportunities God has been giving me to know Him, but until my sophomore year in college, I never took my faith seriously. Sure, I could honestly say that there was never a time that I doubted God's existence. Sure, I could go and say that I never did anything blatantly going against His Word. Sure, I always attended Sunday Mass and all the other Masses of obligation. For all intents and purposes, at least where appearance is considered anyway, I was the stereotypical good Catholic girl -- something that would work for those who can be called the "outsiders" of my life, but not to everyone else's. At that time, faith for me was just something necessary, an obligation I have to fulfill without even looking at the ratio for my beliefs. It's just something that had to be done, an item of a checklist of activities that need to be fulfilled -- or else. I went through all the motions and activities of a typical Catholic without understanding why I was doing it (I am not pointing fingers, put honestly, I think most Catholics have gone through the same experience as I do - seeing Church, prayer, God, and whatever else related to that as an obligation more of something done out of love).
As I mentioned earlier, there were a lot of moments when God would really seek me, but I was too stubborn, too idiotic (for lack of a better term) to listen to Him. When I was in sixth grade, I became involved in a Church choir with my classmates. I sang the psalms and all these other Church songs without understanding what they meant. It was just something for school, not for the Church, not for the service.
Enter high school. In my second year, some teachers invited us to some event in a classroom of one of the buildings where the college students held their classes. Having nothing better to do, my best friends and I went to the event, which turned out to be the Youth of Fire movement of the Victory Christian Fellowship (VCF) Church. Pretty soon, we were attending their events regularly, at least those that were held within the campus. We'd invite some of our other friends to go with us. However, the reason for attending was far from noble, at least for me (it would be unfair if I spoke for the other people who I went with). I went there so that I would have an activity, and of course, it didn't hurt that I was labelled as one of the "good girls." Another reason for attendance and for inviting other people is that we were given free food (we were in high school! Cut us some slack.) Given a short time, we became part of a cell group, us as disciples, and someone from the Guidance Office who is part of VCF as our discipler. To be fair with my actions then, I wasn't superficial with her (for the record, I hate superficiality) or to the other people who we became quite close to. Au contraire. In fact, we knew of her marriage, as we know the guy anyway, we'd occasionally drop by their house to play with their babies, and they'd even go and celebrate our birthdays for us, cooking up food to share with each other during discipleship. The problem lay in the fact that I didn't take the discipleship sessions seriously. They were just lectures that I had to listen to, but it didn't really significantly change my life (oh, the stupidity of youth).
Time brought us apart from each other, and I was again left with nothing to disturb my so-called spirituality.
Enter college, where I began actively searching for something that I initially did not know what it was for. Early part of it, I joined a Catholic youth organization. I was turned off with them after just a few meetings, however, because instead of talking about God, spirituality, and faith (the reason why I joined them, although I may or may not have known it at that time), they were more concerned about holding parties and other social events.
Then in my second year college, just when I really was down and everything, something came in my life that changed it forever, and the change initally came in the form of basketball. Yes, you read correctly, your eyesight is not deceiving you. I did indeed say basketball, you know, where two teams of five players each try to go and chase after a rubber ball and try to shoot it with precision into a metal hoop that is just above their heads. I am a basketball person: even though I can't play it for long without contracting asthma, I can understand the nuances and the twists and turns of the game. I could go and analyze a basketball game and predict with a fair degree of accuracy on what would happen during the game. Why is basketball suddenly of great import, you ask. Could it be that I am digressing again? For once, I am not, because basketball plays a very important role in the story. It was that time that my school emerged as the winner in the inter-collegiate league. Basketball fever was at an all-time high. A friend mentioned that the players attend this Bible study. Because Lani is an idiot (which turns out to be a good thing), she attends the Bible study to check out whether the story is true, which was proven. Along with some friends, I eventually attended regularly these Bible studies (sounds ominously familiar, doesn't it?), which turned out to be facilitated by another Evangelical Church, Christ's Commission Fellowship (CCF). As in my (disastrous) experience in high school, I was eventually part of a cell group, with two disciplers. Instead of reverting to what happened before, however, there was a change. I took the teachings seriously, learned of God's loving sacrifice and Grace. February 2003, I truly accepted Christ as my King and Savior. Up to the present, the cell group that was formed at that time is still existing up to the present, although schedule and other things keep us from meeting as a whole group now.
Senior year, both of our disciplers have graduated already. Just when we (of the cell group, or D12, as the group is called) were beginning to feel lost, God again granted another opportunity, this time to a Catholic youth group -- a sort of going back to the roots, if you will. From there, we attended their prayer meetings, Bible studies, other events not only of the youth group, but eventually some of the other activities of the actual community itself.
19 March 2005: We graduated from college. Where are we now, you might ask, aside from our academic/professional standing. Well, let's just say that the story hasn't ended yet, and I am as eager to see the next page as you.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Hodge-Podge Again!
First off, some words of warning: this has the danger of turning into quite a long entry, so if you're not up to reading at this moment, check out some other sites instead (ex. enter your name as a search word for Google. You never know what might come up). Another is that this entry is kind of hodge-podge in nature, so if you don't want to go and fill your mind with stuff coming from anywhere and everywhere, answer a crossword puzzle or solve some math problems instead of reading this.
Okay, now that you have been sufficiently warned, I'll forge on ahead with the stuff that has been in my mind these past few days (and in case you're wondering, I do have other stuff in my brain aside from doughnuts, bagels, dogs, hamsters, carpets, the color black, etc.) To make things a bit simpler, I'll separate these into sections again (the OC in me compels me to do it that way).
Happiness is Bliss
As I'm typing this, I am experiencing happiness for the first time after quite some time. Not the run-of-the-mill happiness that I get playing with my dog (hey, I said I have other things in my mind, but it doesn't mean that I've forgotten about all of those mentioned above!), or eating ice cream, or seeing goofy stuff happening. It's something deep-seated, and it started Wednesday last week, ironically before my midterms orals exam for one of the classes I dread the most. I was completely petrified to take the exam, especially since I haven't been doing that well. Yet on that day, God gave me peace. At the exact time when I was about to recite, He calmed my thoughts that I was actually coherent while I was giving my answer. Instead of relying on my own strength and intelligence, and I lifted it up to Him, and it's amazing. That night after the exams, I had my Quiet Time after a long period, and His Word was very powerful: every verse that I read speaks of confidence in Him, and that we can claim His strength, for He will provide. My life verse is in Psalm 27:1: "The Lord is my strength and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is my stronghold, my Redeemer, who shall I be afraid of?" yet sometimes, I don't take that to heart. What a difference it makes to actually claim it, and to live it. We had our written midterms exam yesterday for Criminal Law. I'll be honest: I didn't read all of the cases. Heck, I probably read only a tenth of them (entirety of which would probably make the Leaning Tower of Pisa proud), and I didn't memorize all of the provisions. Yet strangely (at least for me), I wasn't panicking. More strangely, I was calm and collected the entire time through, a completely different experience for me. His peace is amazing, and all He wants is for us to surrender things completely to Him. What's more is that He reinforces what He tells us. The day before the exams, I got a verse from House of Praise (for some reason, I became part of their SMS list), and it says
Set your faith and trust in God and watch to see how He will turn it around for your good (Gen 50:20).
No need to explain. What just blessed me is that I was able to share the verse to other people who also need God's Word in their lives. I shared it with a few blockmates of mine and to a Soul Sister. The thing is that ever since Wednesday last week, I truly now believe that I am a Christian before a student, and it's my path to go and share Him to people's lives, especially those who need Him the most. My inner peace is back, and I would like to call this happiness by its proper name - joy. Mt 6:33 couldn't have explained it better.
A Purist - Not!
I find it so cool that I found someone who shares almost the same perspective that I do - Marxism meeting postmodernism, yet a firm Christian. Essentially, we have agreed upon the main principle followed by postmodernism that life - as well as other things - cannot be viewed, explained, and interpreted in one exact perspective. The important thing is that you won't be so locked up in set concepts and constructs in your head that you fail to see that that's not the only way you can look at things. That's probably the main reason why I love philosophy so much, because it offers an endless supply of perspectives, and all of these are equally valid. We can't go and say that one viewpoint is superior to the other and stick to that alone. Sooner or later, we'll see a gaping hole in that perspective which will eventually grow into indescribable proportions (at least in our minds) and we'll end up disliking our former beliefs so much that we'll junk it and go for its other extreme, which we'll probably barf out also. Just about all views are valid. we can't go and hammer our ideas into the minds of people just because we have this megalomaniac thought that we alone are correct, that we alone can bring about enlightenment in the minds of people. I'm sorry, but that's simply not true. There is no single theory that can completely encompass everything. The only thing we can be sure of in this world is God's love for us. If someone goes and says that his view is correct and that all others should be junked, don't even believe in that person. There is no sure way except His way (Jn 14:6).
What connects postmodernism and Marxism for me is that about social structures. Granted, not all organizations/institutions are oppressive. Some actually bring about good to society. What makes me squeamish about structures is the fact that they go and teach you that you only have to follow this direction, you have to think only this way, you have to act only in this way, and nothing else. That's complete usurpation of freedom of choice. As you've probably noticed by now, I don't tire in saying that everyone has the right to choose, and everyone was given brains for a reason - for it to be used. If people go and impose their beliefs on you and expect you to live it to the letter without even thinking about what the ratio decidendi of it is, then you might as well go and take out your brain and replace it with a pair of batteries, because you have become a robot that is incapable of choosing for your own self.
The world may live in black and white, but I don't.
These structures should be changed, along with people's tendency to label people as they see fit. Yes, I can understand that it helps a person remember more easily and everything, since labelling involves putting people in tiny little boxes in our minds and stereotyping them as such, but come on. That just limits a person's humanity. If a person labels someone as something, ex. "nerd,""loser," ""jock," "ditz", or whatever, the tendency is for that label to stick to the mind of the person attaching the label to the point that s/he will not be able to see the other person as anything else. It would take a very major event for the other person to transcend the label that was foisted on him/her, and even then, a stigma will still remain. S/he's a (insert description here), and that's it. That's all that counts in a person's existence - a single, usually derogatory word. That's all s/he will be worth his/her entire life, unless s/he has managed to collect a lot of stereotypes. A person can't be explained by just a word or phrase. If that were the case, psychology and psychiatry wouldn't even be needed. Other schools of thought that I lean towards are in the humanities - especially psychology, philosophy, social sciences, and history. The reason behind all these is also what compelled me to enter law school. All of these point out to the same thing - that you can't go and look at things in only one perspective, no more, no less. Interpretation is relative. A person's being can't be explained by a mere word or phrase, because it's infinitely richer than that. It would be an insult not only to the person, but also to the entire human race and to the Maker, if we do that.
A verse in the Bible, I forget which exactly, says not to rely not on man's understanding, for it is worthless. Instead, rely on His Word, for it is there that we find security. It's true. Existentialism says that man can come up with so many different little boxes to help him in his daily goings-on, but in the end, that's just passing. Look at things not only from one perspective, because that won't hold for long. All of these structures that we make are temporal. It is worthless in the end. Purism is all well and good in theory, but real life is something else. The only thing that you shouldn't compromise with is your faith. One thing why I'm also not a purist Marxist and a purist postmodernist is that it also talks about atheism, of which I definitely do not follow. Put it this way: can you really rely on something that came from someone who will not last anyway (Ecclesiastes)? No. We have a Sure Foundation. Are we really going to rely on man's inventions when we can have the genuine thing?
Okay, now that you have been sufficiently warned, I'll forge on ahead with the stuff that has been in my mind these past few days (and in case you're wondering, I do have other stuff in my brain aside from doughnuts, bagels, dogs, hamsters, carpets, the color black, etc.) To make things a bit simpler, I'll separate these into sections again (the OC in me compels me to do it that way).
Happiness is Bliss
As I'm typing this, I am experiencing happiness for the first time after quite some time. Not the run-of-the-mill happiness that I get playing with my dog (hey, I said I have other things in my mind, but it doesn't mean that I've forgotten about all of those mentioned above!), or eating ice cream, or seeing goofy stuff happening. It's something deep-seated, and it started Wednesday last week, ironically before my midterms orals exam for one of the classes I dread the most. I was completely petrified to take the exam, especially since I haven't been doing that well. Yet on that day, God gave me peace. At the exact time when I was about to recite, He calmed my thoughts that I was actually coherent while I was giving my answer. Instead of relying on my own strength and intelligence, and I lifted it up to Him, and it's amazing. That night after the exams, I had my Quiet Time after a long period, and His Word was very powerful: every verse that I read speaks of confidence in Him, and that we can claim His strength, for He will provide. My life verse is in Psalm 27:1: "The Lord is my strength and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is my stronghold, my Redeemer, who shall I be afraid of?" yet sometimes, I don't take that to heart. What a difference it makes to actually claim it, and to live it. We had our written midterms exam yesterday for Criminal Law. I'll be honest: I didn't read all of the cases. Heck, I probably read only a tenth of them (entirety of which would probably make the Leaning Tower of Pisa proud), and I didn't memorize all of the provisions. Yet strangely (at least for me), I wasn't panicking. More strangely, I was calm and collected the entire time through, a completely different experience for me. His peace is amazing, and all He wants is for us to surrender things completely to Him. What's more is that He reinforces what He tells us. The day before the exams, I got a verse from House of Praise (for some reason, I became part of their SMS list), and it says
Set your faith and trust in God and watch to see how He will turn it around for your good (Gen 50:20).
No need to explain. What just blessed me is that I was able to share the verse to other people who also need God's Word in their lives. I shared it with a few blockmates of mine and to a Soul Sister. The thing is that ever since Wednesday last week, I truly now believe that I am a Christian before a student, and it's my path to go and share Him to people's lives, especially those who need Him the most. My inner peace is back, and I would like to call this happiness by its proper name - joy. Mt 6:33 couldn't have explained it better.
A Purist - Not!
I find it so cool that I found someone who shares almost the same perspective that I do - Marxism meeting postmodernism, yet a firm Christian. Essentially, we have agreed upon the main principle followed by postmodernism that life - as well as other things - cannot be viewed, explained, and interpreted in one exact perspective. The important thing is that you won't be so locked up in set concepts and constructs in your head that you fail to see that that's not the only way you can look at things. That's probably the main reason why I love philosophy so much, because it offers an endless supply of perspectives, and all of these are equally valid. We can't go and say that one viewpoint is superior to the other and stick to that alone. Sooner or later, we'll see a gaping hole in that perspective which will eventually grow into indescribable proportions (at least in our minds) and we'll end up disliking our former beliefs so much that we'll junk it and go for its other extreme, which we'll probably barf out also. Just about all views are valid. we can't go and hammer our ideas into the minds of people just because we have this megalomaniac thought that we alone are correct, that we alone can bring about enlightenment in the minds of people. I'm sorry, but that's simply not true. There is no single theory that can completely encompass everything. The only thing we can be sure of in this world is God's love for us. If someone goes and says that his view is correct and that all others should be junked, don't even believe in that person. There is no sure way except His way (Jn 14:6).
What connects postmodernism and Marxism for me is that about social structures. Granted, not all organizations/institutions are oppressive. Some actually bring about good to society. What makes me squeamish about structures is the fact that they go and teach you that you only have to follow this direction, you have to think only this way, you have to act only in this way, and nothing else. That's complete usurpation of freedom of choice. As you've probably noticed by now, I don't tire in saying that everyone has the right to choose, and everyone was given brains for a reason - for it to be used. If people go and impose their beliefs on you and expect you to live it to the letter without even thinking about what the ratio decidendi of it is, then you might as well go and take out your brain and replace it with a pair of batteries, because you have become a robot that is incapable of choosing for your own self.
The world may live in black and white, but I don't.
These structures should be changed, along with people's tendency to label people as they see fit. Yes, I can understand that it helps a person remember more easily and everything, since labelling involves putting people in tiny little boxes in our minds and stereotyping them as such, but come on. That just limits a person's humanity. If a person labels someone as something, ex. "nerd,""loser," ""jock," "ditz", or whatever, the tendency is for that label to stick to the mind of the person attaching the label to the point that s/he will not be able to see the other person as anything else. It would take a very major event for the other person to transcend the label that was foisted on him/her, and even then, a stigma will still remain. S/he's a (insert description here), and that's it. That's all that counts in a person's existence - a single, usually derogatory word. That's all s/he will be worth his/her entire life, unless s/he has managed to collect a lot of stereotypes. A person can't be explained by just a word or phrase. If that were the case, psychology and psychiatry wouldn't even be needed. Other schools of thought that I lean towards are in the humanities - especially psychology, philosophy, social sciences, and history. The reason behind all these is also what compelled me to enter law school. All of these point out to the same thing - that you can't go and look at things in only one perspective, no more, no less. Interpretation is relative. A person's being can't be explained by a mere word or phrase, because it's infinitely richer than that. It would be an insult not only to the person, but also to the entire human race and to the Maker, if we do that.
A verse in the Bible, I forget which exactly, says not to rely not on man's understanding, for it is worthless. Instead, rely on His Word, for it is there that we find security. It's true. Existentialism says that man can come up with so many different little boxes to help him in his daily goings-on, but in the end, that's just passing. Look at things not only from one perspective, because that won't hold for long. All of these structures that we make are temporal. It is worthless in the end. Purism is all well and good in theory, but real life is something else. The only thing that you shouldn't compromise with is your faith. One thing why I'm also not a purist Marxist and a purist postmodernist is that it also talks about atheism, of which I definitely do not follow. Put it this way: can you really rely on something that came from someone who will not last anyway (Ecclesiastes)? No. We have a Sure Foundation. Are we really going to rely on man's inventions when we can have the genuine thing?
Monday, August 22, 2005
GenRev Night!
Great music, great company, great message. Know more about life and about God. Invite your friends! Hope you can make it.:) God bless.:)
Hurray to Absurdity
No, I'm not celebrating the geniuses of absurdist writers like Samuel Beckett and his lot. I'm talking about having nonsensical conversations just for the sake of having them: not to decrease brain cells (well, maybe just a bit) but just to have a bit of fun talking about the silliest stuff without worrying if you're saying the wrong thing, because in absurd conversations, everything you say is right (or wrong, it's a matter of perspective). It relaxes one's mind from everyday concerns that would otherwise fill up one's thought. Seriously. Instead of making a person a bit stupider because of the sheer idiocy of the topics, it would just help one to focus on a different thing, for a change. If one is lucky, a person can actually learn trivia that could be asked in game shows, if one decides to enter one someday (you never know).
I spent last night in the company of twenty-plus-old people, and by the end of the evening, our conversation was reduced to discussing the merits of cabbages. I did learn a bunch of other stuff though, an assortment of stuff that would make one think or wince, like the following:
(1) That to call a person an insect would be an insult, but if s/he is called a bug, it's simply cute
(2) That there is a good reason why cabbages are planted in furrows
(3) That elephants were not given wings simply because it would be disastrous if it decided to land on a person (whether the ears are supported by bones or cartilage is a different question, though)
(4) That TVs shouldn't be displayed in establishments unless they have cable TV, and that the cable should be connected from the outside. To display them with the rabbit antennas would be stupid; to display them just for the sake of showing them off is just pa-cool and will not accomplish anything. Better to have them replaced by steel windows instead
(5) That "doughnut" spelled as "donut" is just jologs. Besides, to spell it like that would be teleologically incorrect, as it would mean "do nut", such that the "o" should be replaced by a "u" to make it correct
(6) That the word "carpet" does not have anything to do with automobiles or household critters, but is actually derived from a foreign word
(7) That snails don't actually make the "shluck" sound while crawling (or whatever it is that you call the movement of snails)
(8) That "abundant" can be translated in a different way: "many-many" (complete with a rolling hand gesture)
(9) That promotion in a tree-measuring company might actually just be a conspiracy, because you only get to measure bigger trees, but it doesn't mean a better job
(10) That straight circles actually exist, as long as they lie on a flat surface
Some questions were left unanswered though, like:
(1) Why doughnuts are called doughnuts, and bagels bagels; alternatively, what is the doughnut-ness of a doughnut and the bagel-ness of a bagel?
(2) Whether black plants are actually proven to exist
(3) Why pretzels have that shape that make them hard to fit in the oven (I'm not sure about this one)
(4) Why doughnuts and bagels (at least some of them) have to have holes in the middle, which is just a waste of production effort
Doughnut conversation, anyone?:D
I spent last night in the company of twenty-plus-old people, and by the end of the evening, our conversation was reduced to discussing the merits of cabbages. I did learn a bunch of other stuff though, an assortment of stuff that would make one think or wince, like the following:
(1) That to call a person an insect would be an insult, but if s/he is called a bug, it's simply cute
(2) That there is a good reason why cabbages are planted in furrows
(3) That elephants were not given wings simply because it would be disastrous if it decided to land on a person (whether the ears are supported by bones or cartilage is a different question, though)
(4) That TVs shouldn't be displayed in establishments unless they have cable TV, and that the cable should be connected from the outside. To display them with the rabbit antennas would be stupid; to display them just for the sake of showing them off is just pa-cool and will not accomplish anything. Better to have them replaced by steel windows instead
(5) That "doughnut" spelled as "donut" is just jologs. Besides, to spell it like that would be teleologically incorrect, as it would mean "do nut", such that the "o" should be replaced by a "u" to make it correct
(6) That the word "carpet" does not have anything to do with automobiles or household critters, but is actually derived from a foreign word
(7) That snails don't actually make the "shluck" sound while crawling (or whatever it is that you call the movement of snails)
(8) That "abundant" can be translated in a different way: "many-many" (complete with a rolling hand gesture)
(9) That promotion in a tree-measuring company might actually just be a conspiracy, because you only get to measure bigger trees, but it doesn't mean a better job
(10) That straight circles actually exist, as long as they lie on a flat surface
Some questions were left unanswered though, like:
(1) Why doughnuts are called doughnuts, and bagels bagels; alternatively, what is the doughnut-ness of a doughnut and the bagel-ness of a bagel?
(2) Whether black plants are actually proven to exist
(3) Why pretzels have that shape that make them hard to fit in the oven (I'm not sure about this one)
(4) Why doughnuts and bagels (at least some of them) have to have holes in the middle, which is just a waste of production effort
Doughnut conversation, anyone?:D
Friday, August 12, 2005
A Vicious Cycle
It's interesting that even if this has been the busiest I've been this semester, it's the most time I've spent online, especially in updating my blog.
Anyhow, these last couple of weeks, I've been thinking about why my professors are mean to us. From the interview orientation we had before we got accepted, to the actual orientation program for Freshmen, they have said the exact same thing: they're doing it because they want to prepare us for "the real world," which they say is infinitely tougher than they are. That statement just made me think of a question that has been nagging at me until now: is the training for the "real world," or is the "real world" a result of all the training? Yes, it is a bit like the chicken-and-egg question, and I admit that maybe I might just be trivializing over things. However, I can't help but think that maybe the real world won't be as tough as it is right now if the students haven't been trained as such. It's turning into a vicious cycle, because students right now (at least in my college) are being taught to be as tough as nails, and as sharp and deadly to boot (especially if these are rusty nails, what with tetanus and everything).
I've been thinking of the age-old jokes about all lawyers going to hell, and I thought before that that was a bit harsh, because I only took into account the stereotypical image: that of the lying lawyer. Actually encountering lawyers almost everyday of the week is an eye-opener, because the lying part will be thrown out of your minds (besides, decent lawyers actually follow the oath they take before entering the profession). What will replace that is the thought of who they actually are - or at least, what they appear to be - and their image is also not pleasant. They're not as tough as nails - they appear to chew nails for breakfast, and then grab nuts and bolts for lunch! I'm courting a libel case as I say this (but since I'm not giving names, I think I'm relatively safe), but these people seem to be so hardened that they seem to be almost heartless. These are the same people who can go and discuss a case of rape or murder without blinking an eyelash. Some of the more unscrupulous ones are those who can lie between their teeth, even if evidence contradicting the very things they are saying are right under their noses in court. I have professors right now who scare me out of my wits. Whenever they call me for recitation, I end up being petrified, not only because I don't want to give the wrong answers to them, but also because I am just frightened of them, especially since they can turn really nasty to students.
Yet it amazes me just how God's Grace works. When before I would go and curse my professors into oblivion (in my mind anyway), I haven't done that. Instead, I end up praying for them, as well as for others in the profession, to not be so hardened so as to be blind about good things in the world, especially of God's love. To ward off any misunderstandings, I'll make one thing clear: I am definitely not saying that my professors are un-Christian and/or atheists or agnostics. It's just that to a certain degree, lawyers really do need to be tough to stay in the profession, but it doesn't mean that they don't need God and that they are sufficient by themselves. No. Everyone needs God.
Dear God, I pray for the people in the profession. May they not be so hardened as to stop being compassionate and sensitive, especially of Your Love. May their hearts be softened, Father, and might they see You as their goal, and may their actions be done for Your Glory.
Anyhow, these last couple of weeks, I've been thinking about why my professors are mean to us. From the interview orientation we had before we got accepted, to the actual orientation program for Freshmen, they have said the exact same thing: they're doing it because they want to prepare us for "the real world," which they say is infinitely tougher than they are. That statement just made me think of a question that has been nagging at me until now: is the training for the "real world," or is the "real world" a result of all the training? Yes, it is a bit like the chicken-and-egg question, and I admit that maybe I might just be trivializing over things. However, I can't help but think that maybe the real world won't be as tough as it is right now if the students haven't been trained as such. It's turning into a vicious cycle, because students right now (at least in my college) are being taught to be as tough as nails, and as sharp and deadly to boot (especially if these are rusty nails, what with tetanus and everything).
I've been thinking of the age-old jokes about all lawyers going to hell, and I thought before that that was a bit harsh, because I only took into account the stereotypical image: that of the lying lawyer. Actually encountering lawyers almost everyday of the week is an eye-opener, because the lying part will be thrown out of your minds (besides, decent lawyers actually follow the oath they take before entering the profession). What will replace that is the thought of who they actually are - or at least, what they appear to be - and their image is also not pleasant. They're not as tough as nails - they appear to chew nails for breakfast, and then grab nuts and bolts for lunch! I'm courting a libel case as I say this (but since I'm not giving names, I think I'm relatively safe), but these people seem to be so hardened that they seem to be almost heartless. These are the same people who can go and discuss a case of rape or murder without blinking an eyelash. Some of the more unscrupulous ones are those who can lie between their teeth, even if evidence contradicting the very things they are saying are right under their noses in court. I have professors right now who scare me out of my wits. Whenever they call me for recitation, I end up being petrified, not only because I don't want to give the wrong answers to them, but also because I am just frightened of them, especially since they can turn really nasty to students.
Yet it amazes me just how God's Grace works. When before I would go and curse my professors into oblivion (in my mind anyway), I haven't done that. Instead, I end up praying for them, as well as for others in the profession, to not be so hardened so as to be blind about good things in the world, especially of God's love. To ward off any misunderstandings, I'll make one thing clear: I am definitely not saying that my professors are un-Christian and/or atheists or agnostics. It's just that to a certain degree, lawyers really do need to be tough to stay in the profession, but it doesn't mean that they don't need God and that they are sufficient by themselves. No. Everyone needs God.
Dear God, I pray for the people in the profession. May they not be so hardened as to stop being compassionate and sensitive, especially of Your Love. May their hearts be softened, Father, and might they see You as their goal, and may their actions be done for Your Glory.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
The Value of Discernment
It’s funny how this word can be used and abused so many times, and yet people have no idea what it actually means. On a second thought, mayhap the fact that it is currently being used practically all the time is the reason why the meaning has been smothered by its common use. No, I’m not talking about the word “Salvage,” but of “discernment/discerning” (as the title says).
“Discernment” as a word has entered our common vocabulary nowadays that you can hear it being mentioned anytime and anywhere you go. The most common ab-use of it is to turn it into a smarter-sounding replacement for “think.”
Ex. “Are you going to the party this weekend?”
“I have to discern about it first.”
Urm, right. To avoid this, let’s first go to the basics: the definition of the word.
Discern /dI’sэ:n/ verb Perceive clearly with mind and senses; make out [Oxford Dictionary]
Discerning adjective having good judgment or insight [Oxford Dictionary]
In addition to that, US Criminal Law defines discernment as “the capability to distinguish right from wrong.”
Although these definitions shed some light into what I want to talk about, these are insufficient to explain what I want to get into, so I turned to the most reliable source I could think of: the Internet. Here are the definitions dear, old reliable Google came up with:
Discernment
§ Discernment is a process of prayerful reflection which leads a person or community to understanding of God's call at a given time or in particular circumstances of life. It involves listening to God in all the ways God communicates with us: in prayer, in the scriptures, through the Church and the world, in personal experience, and in other people
§ Prayerful reflection and discussion before taking a major decision
§ The formal prayerful process by which a group discovers God's will in a particularly significant situation or decision
§ Discernment is “where prayer and action meet”. It is a sifting of spiritual movements within oneself in order to be able to choose the good from the better choice. Some methods of discernment are outlined in the Spiritual Exercises. Discernment usually involves a consideration of spiritual consolation or desolation. Discernment may be individual (for personal decisions) or communal (where a community wishes to make an important corporate decision prayerfully)
From what I got based on these definitions, discernment is not just plain “thinking” as it is commonly used. Rather, it is reflecting upon one’s situation and more importantly, praying about it, before making a decision, especially one that is particularly significant for us. It means, as a saying goes, “Letting go and letting God,” letting Him lead us to the right way. However, this does not mean sitting in a corner, proclaiming, “Alright God, take control!” and then staying there, grinning to self, waiting for divine light to come along with a deep, rumbling voice that will go, “Ok, here’s what you have to do. Step one…” No. First of, we were given brains for a reason: to use it. It’s not there just to fill up an otherwise empty space in our skulls. I don’t want to sound like a ditz, but, hello? We have been given the capacity to think. It’s what differentiates us from other creatures, as Thomas Aquinas has said in his ladder of matter theory. Secondly, the last definition given is that discernment is “where prayer and action meet” (in case anyone wants to know, this is a Jesuit definition), operative word being action. We have to actively choose to live and serve God. Discernment is letting God teach us His Way that we might walk in His truth (Ps 86:11). He will teach us, but it is up to us to decide whether or not to follow Him. As our discipler told us, “Faith is a daily decision.” We actively choose God’s plan for us. How do we do that? As one of our Bible study teachers said, a person who encounters a can opener for the first time will not know how to use it unless he refers to its manufacturer or to the user manual. The same goes with us. We will not be able to know what our purpose would be unless we go back to the Maker and to His Word, the Bible. One thing that I would like to point out is the importance of our choices. As I’ve said, it’s a daily decision. We actively choose to live our lives according to His Will. A problem with not actively choosing to do that is that we might end up serving God not because we want to, but because we have to – it becomes more of a responsibility than a desire to accomplish. That should not be the case, and that’s why everything we do should consciously be offered for Him. What’s important is that we always choose for Him. Our faith should be active, and this should be exemplified in the decisions that we make in our lives. I’m not saying that we should second-guess God, because that would mean that we are choosing for what we think is best for us, and not what He actually wants. That’s why prayer is also important. We turn to Him to show us where He wants us to go to. Mt 7:7 says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Make no mistake about it: He will teach and lead us to where we’re supposed to be going, if we only take the time to listen to Him.
We might ask ourselves, “Do I have to do all of these alone?” Good news: up to a point, no, you don’t have to be alone. We can turn to the Church, not the structure, building, or institution, but the Body of Christ, because the members will help us in our spiritual walk. However, we make the choice of following God alone. No one else can do it for us except ourselves. Besides, each one of us has a unique personal relationship with God, as all of us are different from each other. I’m not saying individuality is bad. On the contrary, I’m all for it, because God created us all differently for a reason: because He loves each and every one of us in a very unique way. 1 Corinthians 12:18 says, “God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as He intended.” We are not an assembly line of the exact same creature (I’m thinking Star Wars’ “Attack of the Clones” here). If God wanted worshippers, He could have created us like robots, incapable of doing anything save for adoring Him. But He didn’t do that, precisely because He wants us to choose to have a personal relationship with Him. He didn’t impose it; it has to be of our own volition. We are created differently for a reason. Each one of us is special, and it follows that our relationship with Him is unique as well. Chapter 14 of Romans actually has a lot to say on the matter. “The one who eats must not despise the one who abstains, and the one who abstains must not pass judgment on the one who eats; for God has welcomed him [v.3] Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to the Lord; while whoever abstains, abstains for the Lord and gives thanks to God [v.6] For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s [v.8] For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit [v. 17]” We shouldn’t go and condemn other Christians if their beliefs do not necessarily follow ours to the letter. Why should we go and point out that someone is different from us even if we know that the other person is growing in faith? We can’t go around brainwashing people just because we think our way is the only correct path. But Jesus says, “I am THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life” [Jn 14:6]. It’s Him and not our own mindsets. As long as we choose to live for Him, as long as we know we are following Him, we can continue walking that path.
“Discernment” as a word has entered our common vocabulary nowadays that you can hear it being mentioned anytime and anywhere you go. The most common ab-use of it is to turn it into a smarter-sounding replacement for “think.”
Ex. “Are you going to the party this weekend?”
“I have to discern about it first.”
Urm, right. To avoid this, let’s first go to the basics: the definition of the word.
Discern /dI’sэ:n/ verb Perceive clearly with mind and senses; make out [Oxford Dictionary]
Discerning adjective having good judgment or insight [Oxford Dictionary]
In addition to that, US Criminal Law defines discernment as “the capability to distinguish right from wrong.”
Although these definitions shed some light into what I want to talk about, these are insufficient to explain what I want to get into, so I turned to the most reliable source I could think of: the Internet. Here are the definitions dear, old reliable Google came up with:
Discernment
§ Discernment is a process of prayerful reflection which leads a person or community to understanding of God's call at a given time or in particular circumstances of life. It involves listening to God in all the ways God communicates with us: in prayer, in the scriptures, through the Church and the world, in personal experience, and in other people
§ Prayerful reflection and discussion before taking a major decision
§ The formal prayerful process by which a group discovers God's will in a particularly significant situation or decision
§ Discernment is “where prayer and action meet”. It is a sifting of spiritual movements within oneself in order to be able to choose the good from the better choice. Some methods of discernment are outlined in the Spiritual Exercises. Discernment usually involves a consideration of spiritual consolation or desolation. Discernment may be individual (for personal decisions) or communal (where a community wishes to make an important corporate decision prayerfully)
From what I got based on these definitions, discernment is not just plain “thinking” as it is commonly used. Rather, it is reflecting upon one’s situation and more importantly, praying about it, before making a decision, especially one that is particularly significant for us. It means, as a saying goes, “Letting go and letting God,” letting Him lead us to the right way. However, this does not mean sitting in a corner, proclaiming, “Alright God, take control!” and then staying there, grinning to self, waiting for divine light to come along with a deep, rumbling voice that will go, “Ok, here’s what you have to do. Step one…” No. First of, we were given brains for a reason: to use it. It’s not there just to fill up an otherwise empty space in our skulls. I don’t want to sound like a ditz, but, hello? We have been given the capacity to think. It’s what differentiates us from other creatures, as Thomas Aquinas has said in his ladder of matter theory. Secondly, the last definition given is that discernment is “where prayer and action meet” (in case anyone wants to know, this is a Jesuit definition), operative word being action. We have to actively choose to live and serve God. Discernment is letting God teach us His Way that we might walk in His truth (Ps 86:11). He will teach us, but it is up to us to decide whether or not to follow Him. As our discipler told us, “Faith is a daily decision.” We actively choose God’s plan for us. How do we do that? As one of our Bible study teachers said, a person who encounters a can opener for the first time will not know how to use it unless he refers to its manufacturer or to the user manual. The same goes with us. We will not be able to know what our purpose would be unless we go back to the Maker and to His Word, the Bible. One thing that I would like to point out is the importance of our choices. As I’ve said, it’s a daily decision. We actively choose to live our lives according to His Will. A problem with not actively choosing to do that is that we might end up serving God not because we want to, but because we have to – it becomes more of a responsibility than a desire to accomplish. That should not be the case, and that’s why everything we do should consciously be offered for Him. What’s important is that we always choose for Him. Our faith should be active, and this should be exemplified in the decisions that we make in our lives. I’m not saying that we should second-guess God, because that would mean that we are choosing for what we think is best for us, and not what He actually wants. That’s why prayer is also important. We turn to Him to show us where He wants us to go to. Mt 7:7 says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Make no mistake about it: He will teach and lead us to where we’re supposed to be going, if we only take the time to listen to Him.
We might ask ourselves, “Do I have to do all of these alone?” Good news: up to a point, no, you don’t have to be alone. We can turn to the Church, not the structure, building, or institution, but the Body of Christ, because the members will help us in our spiritual walk. However, we make the choice of following God alone. No one else can do it for us except ourselves. Besides, each one of us has a unique personal relationship with God, as all of us are different from each other. I’m not saying individuality is bad. On the contrary, I’m all for it, because God created us all differently for a reason: because He loves each and every one of us in a very unique way. 1 Corinthians 12:18 says, “God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as He intended.” We are not an assembly line of the exact same creature (I’m thinking Star Wars’ “Attack of the Clones” here). If God wanted worshippers, He could have created us like robots, incapable of doing anything save for adoring Him. But He didn’t do that, precisely because He wants us to choose to have a personal relationship with Him. He didn’t impose it; it has to be of our own volition. We are created differently for a reason. Each one of us is special, and it follows that our relationship with Him is unique as well. Chapter 14 of Romans actually has a lot to say on the matter. “The one who eats must not despise the one who abstains, and the one who abstains must not pass judgment on the one who eats; for God has welcomed him [v.3] Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to the Lord; while whoever abstains, abstains for the Lord and gives thanks to God [v.6] For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s [v.8] For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit [v. 17]” We shouldn’t go and condemn other Christians if their beliefs do not necessarily follow ours to the letter. Why should we go and point out that someone is different from us even if we know that the other person is growing in faith? We can’t go around brainwashing people just because we think our way is the only correct path. But Jesus says, “I am THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life” [Jn 14:6]. It’s Him and not our own mindsets. As long as we choose to live for Him, as long as we know we are following Him, we can continue walking that path.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
W.W.J.D.
WWJD
We see it almost everywhere: printed on bracelets, bumper stickers, rings, and just about any merchandise it can be printed on. But do we really know the full meaning of WWJD: What Would Jesus Do? More importantly, do we actually know WJD – What Jesus Did for us? Do you know just how much He went through for us, to save us from our sins? Allow me to tell you the medical account of what happened (A doctor told of his findings. I’m not sure who the doctor is, but if you want, I could ask around for you J). [Disclaimer: if you thought “The Passion of the Christ” was violent, the real thing is a million times worse]
After Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane by Pilate’s soldiers, He was led to the High Priest to be tortured. We all know that He was scourged at the Pillar, but what we did not know is that the whip, although made of leather, has several implements. At the end of it were attached thorns, animals’ bones, spikes, and metal balls half the size of the circle made by your thumb and forefinger. Jesus was whipped from the bottom of the back upward to ensure that they haven’t missed an inch of flesh, because if they did it from top to bottom, the blood would have flown downwards and they wouldn’t have whipped the entire back. The thorns, when it catches on the skin, will pull it up when the whip is dragged away from the body. In fact, there were already recorded findings that whipping disemboweled (read: the flesh of the stomach is torn apart and the innards spill out of the body) people. There also are accounts that people have died on the whipping alone, because after it, your back will not resemble its original condition anymore: my friend compares it to raw hamburger, the soft, pink bloody meat that has no shape at all. After whipping Him 39 times (they believed that at the 40th scourging, the person dies, although some could die earlier than that), they draped a cloak on His back. In the depiction of the crowning of thorns, illustrations show that the crown as a woven ring made of vines with thorns. What it didn’t show was the size of the spikes, which were about an inch long each, and they jammed it on Jesus’ head. Since the scalp is made up of thin skin and a lot of blood vessels, the wounds inflicted by the thorns will bleed profusely almost immediately. Not contented, they tore off the cloak of His back. Since the blood on His back has already started to clot and dry up on the cloak, the tearing of it from His back immediately opened up the wounds again, and removing the clotted blood. And don’t forget: He was continually speared at His side by a soldier. Amidst all that, He was jeered, mocked and insulted by His people, the very people He was trying to save.
After that, He was made to carry the crosspiece of His cross toward Mount Calvary. Granted, it was only the crosspiece and not the entire cross, but it in itself already weighed around or more than 200 lbs., and it is made up of rough wood, whose splinters caught in Jesus’ mauled back. That is a really horrible task, because He was already weakened from His scourging and His mock crowning, He was made to carry a cross probably more than half of His weight, and it’s worth mentioning that He has already been stressed and fatigued as He was praying in Gethsemaine because He already knew what was going to happen to Him.
The crucifixion itself is even more horrible than what happened to Him as He was being tortured. As He was laid out on the Cross, the soldiers took with them the nails that they were going to use. These nails are not the carpentry-type or anything like it; rather, they are as thick as the ring made by your thumb and forefinger, and about 7 inches long, and (arguably) are square-shaped, so as not to allow too much movement. They forced Him to the Cross and nailed His wrists there, finding the vein (I can’t remember what it is called) which was connected to what we call the “funny bone.” Imagine yourself continually feeling that “electric current” running through your arms, and ends up in pain to your wrists, only to begin all over again. In the same way, the intersection between the feet and the legs were nailed to the Cross, and it was lifted up along with the other two criminals. Because of the pull of gravity, the arms will slowly go down, tearing the flesh of His hands. The only alternative that the crucified person can do is to pull himself up, but that would then transfer the pressure to his feet, but he does not have any choice. As he pulls himself up, he takes shallow swallows of air, not being able to take long gulps because of his condition and position on the cross. But remember, Jesus’ back is already mauled, so as He drags Himself up, more splinters catch in His skin, making the crucifixion more painful enough as it is. As the person starts to lose energy, He takes his breaths more shallowly as time progresses, and since the heart cannot handle the pressure, the person eventually dies. That is how painful it is to be crucified. In fact, the word excruciating was actually coined in the letter of Paul to the Romans, because there is no other way for the pain to be described. But that’s not the end of Jesus’ suffering, because He underwent through spiritual suffering as well.
In Mark 15:34, At three o’clock Jesus cried out in a large voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Let us remember that Christ died for us to be saved from our sins, which means that at the time of His crucifixion, our sins were transferred from us to Him. Because God, the Father, hates sin so much, He turned away from the Son who served as a receptacle of our sins. He turned away from Jesus the exact time that He needed His Father, and Jesus found Himself completely alone for the first time in His life, and it was also the most crucial one. In John 1:1, In the beginning there was God, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and then skip to the first part of v. 14: And the Word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us. From the beginning of time (and beyond that), there was the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They were together in all aspects. But at the exact moment when Jesus needed His Father, the Trinity was broken because Jesus carried our sins for us. Think about that: Jesus, who is pure and holy, carried all of our sins, which was torment for Him, and He was left by the Father at that exact moment. Yet at His death came a blessing for us, because as said in Mark 15:38, Immediately, the curtain which enclosed the Temple sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When Jesus died for us, the curtain separating the Father from us was torn in two, thus bridging the distance that tore us when we were sinners.
To complete this, Jesus rose again from the dead on the third day, to show that we are indeed freed from our sins, for we died with Him, and we lived again in Him, living a new life for God. He has done so much for us, He gave us everything in our lives, hey, He gave us our lives, and He gave us the way to escape from sins that we ourselves created. It’s not because we deserve it, because we don’t. He did it out of love for us. He did it as an act of Grace, a gift He gave to us freely, and it is up to us to accept it, to accept Him in our lives.
We see it almost everywhere: printed on bracelets, bumper stickers, rings, and just about any merchandise it can be printed on. But do we really know the full meaning of WWJD: What Would Jesus Do? More importantly, do we actually know WJD – What Jesus Did for us? Do you know just how much He went through for us, to save us from our sins? Allow me to tell you the medical account of what happened (A doctor told of his findings. I’m not sure who the doctor is, but if you want, I could ask around for you J). [Disclaimer: if you thought “The Passion of the Christ” was violent, the real thing is a million times worse]
After Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane by Pilate’s soldiers, He was led to the High Priest to be tortured. We all know that He was scourged at the Pillar, but what we did not know is that the whip, although made of leather, has several implements. At the end of it were attached thorns, animals’ bones, spikes, and metal balls half the size of the circle made by your thumb and forefinger. Jesus was whipped from the bottom of the back upward to ensure that they haven’t missed an inch of flesh, because if they did it from top to bottom, the blood would have flown downwards and they wouldn’t have whipped the entire back. The thorns, when it catches on the skin, will pull it up when the whip is dragged away from the body. In fact, there were already recorded findings that whipping disemboweled (read: the flesh of the stomach is torn apart and the innards spill out of the body) people. There also are accounts that people have died on the whipping alone, because after it, your back will not resemble its original condition anymore: my friend compares it to raw hamburger, the soft, pink bloody meat that has no shape at all. After whipping Him 39 times (they believed that at the 40th scourging, the person dies, although some could die earlier than that), they draped a cloak on His back. In the depiction of the crowning of thorns, illustrations show that the crown as a woven ring made of vines with thorns. What it didn’t show was the size of the spikes, which were about an inch long each, and they jammed it on Jesus’ head. Since the scalp is made up of thin skin and a lot of blood vessels, the wounds inflicted by the thorns will bleed profusely almost immediately. Not contented, they tore off the cloak of His back. Since the blood on His back has already started to clot and dry up on the cloak, the tearing of it from His back immediately opened up the wounds again, and removing the clotted blood. And don’t forget: He was continually speared at His side by a soldier. Amidst all that, He was jeered, mocked and insulted by His people, the very people He was trying to save.
After that, He was made to carry the crosspiece of His cross toward Mount Calvary. Granted, it was only the crosspiece and not the entire cross, but it in itself already weighed around or more than 200 lbs., and it is made up of rough wood, whose splinters caught in Jesus’ mauled back. That is a really horrible task, because He was already weakened from His scourging and His mock crowning, He was made to carry a cross probably more than half of His weight, and it’s worth mentioning that He has already been stressed and fatigued as He was praying in Gethsemaine because He already knew what was going to happen to Him.
The crucifixion itself is even more horrible than what happened to Him as He was being tortured. As He was laid out on the Cross, the soldiers took with them the nails that they were going to use. These nails are not the carpentry-type or anything like it; rather, they are as thick as the ring made by your thumb and forefinger, and about 7 inches long, and (arguably) are square-shaped, so as not to allow too much movement. They forced Him to the Cross and nailed His wrists there, finding the vein (I can’t remember what it is called) which was connected to what we call the “funny bone.” Imagine yourself continually feeling that “electric current” running through your arms, and ends up in pain to your wrists, only to begin all over again. In the same way, the intersection between the feet and the legs were nailed to the Cross, and it was lifted up along with the other two criminals. Because of the pull of gravity, the arms will slowly go down, tearing the flesh of His hands. The only alternative that the crucified person can do is to pull himself up, but that would then transfer the pressure to his feet, but he does not have any choice. As he pulls himself up, he takes shallow swallows of air, not being able to take long gulps because of his condition and position on the cross. But remember, Jesus’ back is already mauled, so as He drags Himself up, more splinters catch in His skin, making the crucifixion more painful enough as it is. As the person starts to lose energy, He takes his breaths more shallowly as time progresses, and since the heart cannot handle the pressure, the person eventually dies. That is how painful it is to be crucified. In fact, the word excruciating was actually coined in the letter of Paul to the Romans, because there is no other way for the pain to be described. But that’s not the end of Jesus’ suffering, because He underwent through spiritual suffering as well.
In Mark 15:34, At three o’clock Jesus cried out in a large voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Let us remember that Christ died for us to be saved from our sins, which means that at the time of His crucifixion, our sins were transferred from us to Him. Because God, the Father, hates sin so much, He turned away from the Son who served as a receptacle of our sins. He turned away from Jesus the exact time that He needed His Father, and Jesus found Himself completely alone for the first time in His life, and it was also the most crucial one. In John 1:1, In the beginning there was God, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and then skip to the first part of v. 14: And the Word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us. From the beginning of time (and beyond that), there was the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They were together in all aspects. But at the exact moment when Jesus needed His Father, the Trinity was broken because Jesus carried our sins for us. Think about that: Jesus, who is pure and holy, carried all of our sins, which was torment for Him, and He was left by the Father at that exact moment. Yet at His death came a blessing for us, because as said in Mark 15:38, Immediately, the curtain which enclosed the Temple sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When Jesus died for us, the curtain separating the Father from us was torn in two, thus bridging the distance that tore us when we were sinners.
To complete this, Jesus rose again from the dead on the third day, to show that we are indeed freed from our sins, for we died with Him, and we lived again in Him, living a new life for God. He has done so much for us, He gave us everything in our lives, hey, He gave us our lives, and He gave us the way to escape from sins that we ourselves created. It’s not because we deserve it, because we don’t. He did it out of love for us. He did it as an act of Grace, a gift He gave to us freely, and it is up to us to accept it, to accept Him in our lives.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Pain Revisited
It's so easy to tell other people to let go, but when it happens to you, it seems that nothing could be harder. I'm not talking about a romantic relationship or whatever. It's just that having my cousins visit us just recently brought to my mind again that their brother only recently passed away.
It's so easy to go and pretend that everything's alright. I even admit that I haven't thought about him as much as I did a few months ago, but at the back of my mind, there's always the niggling thought of him, and I guess it came back in full force when his siblings and his mom visited us. Everytime one of them enters the door, I'd half-expect Ondong to follow after his brother or sister, carrying his Gameboy and grinning widely. It really doesn't seem right that not all of them came back here, when they promised only a little over a year ago that they'd come back. Heck, Ondong promised that he'll be back with tons of money to go shopping, because he didn't bring enough cash that time since he couldn't work yet. That promise, as well as others made, didn't come into fruition. He didn't come back, and it hurts knowing that I will not see his grin again, or at least, not in this lifetime.
Their visit last April was bittersweet. I was happy because I saw him again, but I was also terrified that that might be the last time that it would happen, and sadly, it did come true. I was with him almost the entire time when we were in the Visayas (one of his last requests was to visit our moms' province), and it hurt so much to see him in pain, especially because I couldn't do anything about it. It hurts also to his mom and his brother hurting, and way much more than what I was feeling. I thought before that cancer would be a disease solely on the inside, and there would be no external manifestation of it - in effect, I believed that a person with cancer would look perfectly fine outside. I was wrong big time. It hurt to see someone who was perfectly fine (or seemed to be) become almost completely bedridden, to see someone who was into track suddenly find walking completely excruciating.
It's a full three months today since his passing. The pain is still fresh for me, and I'm guessing the same would hold for the other family members, to a greater or lesser degree. Honestly, I'm a bit grateful for the feeling, not because I'm masochistic, but I don't want to put his passing away aside and just plain forget about it. Yes, some people might argue that that's not a good way of dealing with grief, but then again, I'm never one to delve in normalcy.
Ondong (Raymund Abelon Jr. to other people outside the family) will always be someone I will love, and his presence will always be missed.
You'll Be Safe Here
Rivermaya (Words and Music by Rico Blanco)
Nobody knows just why we're here
Could it be fate or random circumstance
At the right place, at the right time
Two roads intertwine
And if the universe conspired
To meld our lives
To make us fuel and fire
Then know where ever you will be
So too shall I be
Close your eyes
Dry your tears
'Cause when nothing seems clear
You'll be safe here
From the sheer weight
Of your doubts and fears
Weary heart
You'll be safe here
Remember how we laughed until we cried
At the most stupid things like we were so high
But love was all that we were on
We belong and though the world would never understand
This unlikely union and why it still stands
Someday we will be set free
Pray and believe
When the light disappears
And when this world's insincere
You'll be safe here
When nobody hears you scream
I'll scream with you
You'll be safe here
Save your eyes
From your tears
When everything's
unclear
You'll be safe here
From the sheer weight
Of your doubts and fears
Wounded heart
When the light disappears
And when this world's insincere
You'll be safe here
When nobody hears you scream
I'll scream with you
You'll be safe here
In my arms
Through the long cold night
Sleep tight
You'll be safe here
When no one understands
I'll believe
You'll be safe,You'll be safe
You'll be safe here
Put your heart in my hands
You'll be safe here
Raymund Abelon Jr. (13 July 1988 - 07 May 2005)
Friday, August 05, 2005
Vacation that is not a vacation
My cousins and aunt from San Diego visited here, but alas, they left last night already. *sniff*sniff*sniffle* It's quite sad, really, because unlike the previous times they visited (or we visited, whichever) when we spent almost all of our time together, this time was different, because I was in school and wasn't able to go to almost all of their trips. Seriously. The first week they were here, I didn't see them at all (along with the rest of my family) because they went to the Visayas. I only snuck to the Batangas-Taal trip with them, even though I had tons of readings (bad, I know, but my realization that family comes first can be read in an earlier entry -- shameless plug :p). I truly thank God I wasn't called for recit this week. Otherwise, I'm dead.:p
The trip was actually quite funny. We were originally supposed to go to Puerto Galera, but the owner called us and said that we wouldn't have any guarantee of coming back to Manila by Sunday because the waves were huge. So fine. We went to Batangas instead. However, the only experience that we have had with the sea was the boat ride, because the waves were also pretty big. So, bottom line was...
we went to the beach to go swimming in the pool.
Another funny thing that happened during their stay here was that my finger almost got torn off from my hand. Okay, that was an exaggeration, but something did happen to it: my brother shut the car door HARD without realizing that my hand was in the way. Squish! Finger suddenly turns from pink to purple in a few nanoseconds. Didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Mark consoled me by saying, "Don't worry, that happened to me too. That's why I don't lean on the side of the car doors anymore." Right. Thanks. My only consolation was that we weren't using the van then, otherwise I would have had my entire arm amputated by now.
Still sad, though. Didn't get to spend as much time with them as I wanted to. Wish I went and had decent conversations with them when I had the chance.
Oh well. There's always next time.
The trip was actually quite funny. We were originally supposed to go to Puerto Galera, but the owner called us and said that we wouldn't have any guarantee of coming back to Manila by Sunday because the waves were huge. So fine. We went to Batangas instead. However, the only experience that we have had with the sea was the boat ride, because the waves were also pretty big. So, bottom line was...
we went to the beach to go swimming in the pool.
Another funny thing that happened during their stay here was that my finger almost got torn off from my hand. Okay, that was an exaggeration, but something did happen to it: my brother shut the car door HARD without realizing that my hand was in the way. Squish! Finger suddenly turns from pink to purple in a few nanoseconds. Didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Mark consoled me by saying, "Don't worry, that happened to me too. That's why I don't lean on the side of the car doors anymore." Right. Thanks. My only consolation was that we weren't using the van then, otherwise I would have had my entire arm amputated by now.
Still sad, though. Didn't get to spend as much time with them as I wanted to. Wish I went and had decent conversations with them when I had the chance.
Oh well. There's always next time.
Some nature shots
Ma cousins
My brother (in green) and Kuya John Mark (another cousin) in an aerial shot :p
Stolen shot: Aiza and Ate Chie (both are my cousins, btw :p)
Me and Mark 
This is Jeffrey, the 15-year old wonder kid with an incredibly long tongue. Lovely family, eh?:D Haha! Nah. I adore them all.:D
Taal Church pics
(The girl looks anointed, doesn't she? Amazing what a missing tile on the roof can do.)
Good shot taken by Jeff.:p
Taken from my kuya's camera. I love knowing about the history of places, and this Church definitely has loads. It is said that this has a connecting tunnel to another church too, and I really want to explore that.:p
Taal Pics
So I got kinda carried away.:p Nice shots pa rin.:D I've still got some more pics of Taal if you want some.:D
Me and my sister
Me and Ate Mic during the crazy boat ride in Batangas. We look kinda weird because of all the sea spray.
Funny, we don't have any similar features, but put all together, we kinda look alike. Some dude in LA actually thought we were twins (but then again, he was kind of deranged, so I don't know if his judgment's reliable :p) It's not obvious that she's older than I am by ten years, is it? (haha! I can make these comments since she doesn't check my blog anyhow.:p) What do YOU think?:p
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