WHO IS SPECIAL?
Today, as usual, the MRT train arrived and I went straight to my favourite standing area - between the carriages. I saw a girl - a student of those special needs schools - sitting down and cleaning those non water colour paint that I assumed she spilt on the floor. I can smell thinner. Everybody was standing away watching her including those sitting down. I stooped beside her and offered her tissues as I saw her ran out of tissues cleaning up the place. At that moment, she was finishing cleaning up. What impressed me was that she has the integrity to clean the place thoroughly. She is classified "special" by the education system because of being a slow learner. To me, she is "special" because of her attitude. To the commuters in the train whom I believe were classified as "normal" by the education system, need that SPECIAL SOMEONE to educate them to be really special in such situations. I am so glad I that found my "specialness" if not of my walk with that SOMEONE SPECIAL for nearly 24 years. I am so glad that this special relationship is being put to a test again and found to be healthy in this saga.
ONE MINUTE SILENCE
Observing the "One Minute Silence" has become a trend to remember the dead. For a non-bible believer, it ends with oneself remembering the dead which somehow doesn’t mean anything at all. This method tries to promote a personal touch environment which at the end touching no one permanently.
For a bible believer, observing the "One Minute Silence" ends with a personal touch with God. Remembering God in His timing will accomplish His purpose from where death struck. No death event is an end to itself but rather a means to an end. So, observing the "One Minute Silence" is only meaningful to the bible believer. To the non-bible believer, the feeling is "incomplete", "something is still missing".
WHAT TALKING YOU?
Recently, I was standing next to a young couple in their early twenties in the MRT train. They were hugging each other every now and then with all kinds of pattern if you know what. Later on, I heard the girl commented to her boyfriend in Mandarin: "That "chi ko pek" keep on looking at me". In my mind I said: "What talking you? Both of you are doing something so obvious and expect people not to look?" Then the boyfriend switched in such a position that the girl was being blocked from the sight of the "chi ko pek".
Isn’t the same with Christians who do whatever they like in life and when things go wrong, they will say: "Why did God do such a thing to me?" If you were read the Old Testament carefully, every time when the Israelites complained about things that had gone wrong, you will hear the equivalent of God saying "What talking you?"
DECLINING BIRTH RATE
About 38 babies were aborted everyday in Singapore in 2003! That makes up a class in school! 365 classes just disappeared! The best part is that 2/3 of them were from marriages!!! When the root of this abortion problem is dealt with, many good can happen:
· no need to merge and close down schools. In fact, more schools will be built.
· no need to import foreign workforce.
· more potential friends!
· more soldiers in the SAF!!!
· more potential marriage partners and so on …..and becomes a cycle!!!
All the solutions that were given to the declining birth rate did not deal with the root. That is why the problem is always there. Just like dealing with AIDS, it is not condoms but it is about faithfulness to one and within marriage.
SIN is dealt with repentance, not isolation from temptation. A thief can be isolated in prison from stealing and without repentance, the thief will steal again after being released from prison.
INTEGRITY
Our actions speaks of our integrity. When you return a car, make sure the petrol tank is full. After using a place, make sure it is clean and tidy. When borrow money, make sure it is a priority return it in installment or full. Don’t delay just because you are eyeing on that pair of Nike shoes. When you see someone waiting to flag a taxi by the roadside, don’t go farther up to beat the "Q". The list just goes on and on if we ever bother to reflect our daily actions. It will surely clear a lot of blind spots.
