Joke it

Here's a stupid joke which I suddenly thought of when I was at the bus after my house visits to school today:

There was this very pious guy who faithfully believed in God for his life. Then one day, he was on a yacht and the yacht knocked onto an iceberg and began to sink. He dun have a lifeboat or a life jacket on the yacht and he dun know how to swim. But deep down inside him, he believed that God will come and save him. A few minutes later, a guy, rowing a boat, approached him and offered to save him. He said, 'no need, God will save me.' And the guy left.

Then a few minutes later, another guy came with speedboat and offered to save him. Again, the pious guy refused the offer with the same reason. A few more minutes later, someone drove a helicopter down to save him, but again he refused the offer. Then he drowned and died.

So, this guy went up to heaven and met God. He was very angry and questioned Him, 'I have placed so much faith on You. Why didn't You come and save me when I need You the most?'

God calmly told him, 'my dear son, it's not that I never help. I have sent three guys and you have refused the help. What else you want me to do?'

More than often, we ask God for help and assistance when we are in need. And sometimes, or rather, most of the time, we expect some miracles or unexplainable to happen. Sometimes, we even expect to see God's hand directly. But most of the time, we miss the point. More than often or not, God works in our life through other things or people. God made David recognise his sins through Nathan, Jesus made sure His gospels are spread through His disciples and followers, God saved the Jews from Egypt through Moses. Although God's power is upon these people, He works His way and plan through these people. Of course, knowing God, we can expect Him to work directly in our life, but sometimes, it's the people around us, it's the environment.

I just saw this verse (not exactly just saw but more exactly took notice):

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
- Ecclesiastes 2:11-12

Then I saw this:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
-Matthew 6:19-21

Hmm... come to think about it, what are we working so hard for in the end? Earthly treasures? Earthly success? Then what if we die? Then certainly all these things will go into smoke (hua wei yun yan 化为云烟). We dun bring anything into this earth (we come into this world bare naked) and we can bring anything away from this earth. Then certainly, there is something more than earthly wealth and materials. I already got my answer in God. I dun know what's your answer but I pray that someday, your answer will be the same as mine.

Then during my quiet time just now, this verse caught my eyes:

To the pures, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
- Titus 1:15

Certainly, this reminds me of all the cynicism that have arose in the recent elections, regarding whether Singapore needs an opposition or not. I'm not going to argue that right now, but I just want to question some people's mentality that everything the candidates (esp those from PAP) do are just pure wayang. Firstly, I would say that, true enough, we must first admit a fact, whatever they do, they want to win our votes. This is an election, you cannot go around claiming that people are wayang, acting to concern and yet you yourself support another guy who is doing the same thing. Secondly, I would ask that most of the times, is it because one cannot match up to the actions of the candidates that they start crying 'wayang lah'. Is it that they just cannot accept that there are someone out there who will really go the extra miles to do all these sorts of things?

Well, enough of questioning. I ought to start looking through my European history. I think I'm going to take a break from European history from now. Seems that Asian history is beginning to attract me... but then I'm also currently interested in the power politics in pre modern Europe, especially the religious conflicts that occurred as a result of oppositions to Christianity.

Hmm....