the sociological imagination.
history and autobiography.
for the most intriguing of modern disciplines, the tepid besotment with what is in past tense dismays me!
it is not who we were that matters, but what we make of our future.
and how we make ourselves makes our future!
the lessons of history may still await our proper learning - as always.
but the throbs and pulses of today already begin foretelling our tomorrows!
do we reminisce for the sake of misty eyes?
do we harp on ages-old regrets for the sake of brooding and sulking?
while the exhiliration of taking the next breath can scarcely penetrate our flexing psyches!
the heart beats not for aching has beens - but for the hope of what can be.
so let us march forward.
maju-lah, Singapore!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
how to communicate #1 - accusation
when you want to convince someone else that his POV is erroneous, it may be wise to avoid using accusations. why?
1.
when a person is accused of something - anything - the accused usually becomes defensive immediately. a person who is defensive is also usually closed off to others' POV, since he is more concerned with defending his own POV. this means that a defensive person is almost impossible to convince - he is only convinced of his own convictions. in fact, putting a person on defense may have the opposite effect: he becomes more convicted in his original beliefs.
2.
accusations tend to suggest some form of moral authority. this may instantly nudge the recipient of your accusation to counter-accuse you of something in relation to your statement. assuming nobody is perfect, this may degenerate into a battle of accusations, whereby both parties simply turtle into their POVs and become hopelessly entrenched in their respective defensive positions. hardly anything worthwhile may be communicated in this case!
3.
the accuser tends to exude an aura of arrogance rather than humility. a humble person would not accuse - she would tend to "question gently" or "make an inquiry", lest she herself be proven wrong and fall flat in the face. yes, when you feel someone else is wrong about something, that does not mean you are correct! pointing out an error requires patience and humility, rather than rash smugness. if the accused perceives you to be arrogant, then your cause in pointing out a possible mistake is immediately lost.
4.
the above three points also tend to lead the accused towards an emotional response. while being passionate about your beliefs is not a bad thing, being passionate about an erroneous belief tends to be rather bad. so since you are already presuming that person to be wrong, the better strategy should be to avoid touching off emotions and focus on logic and facts. if someone's POV is erroneous, it should be possible to show that through a frank discussion of logic and facts without ruffling any emotions. this way, the person in the wrong may also find it easier to convert to the correct position without being subjected to humiliation.
5.
lastly, related to point 3, you need to be open to your own position being wrong. the human condition is imperfect, and we are at anytime only availed of imperfect information and knowledge, so it is always possible that we have missed something in our judgement of another's POV. while the ideal is that what you felt to be wrong is wrong, but you do not know the particular circumstance which the other person has to face - i.e. a win-win where both can accept each other as correct, save for the missing information - it is also likely that you were mistaken about someone being wrong. bearing this in mind, know that your approaching someone about his mistake is already taking a risk - since you might be proven wrong in the end - hence it is important to have a good 'exit strategy'. knowing the above four points will allow you to back off easily without worsening the situation.
the act of accusation itself already communicates certain ideas, including but not limited to: "i am right and you are wrong", "i need to correct you", "you need to be corrected", "my position is superior to yours" or even "i will change you". generally, most people would not enjoy hearing such messages - unless some priming is done prior. the feeling of being identified as "wrong" immediately sparks off feelings of vulnerability and invalidity - possibly even an inferior complex - as such, i would say that anyone who is possibly in the wrong needs to be treated delicately rather than harshly. this is especially important if the purpose of identifying the error is to correct the person for the person's own sake, rather than some self-righteous zealotry. if you want to correct someone, are you doing it for the right reasons? that is an equally important question to think about before rashly going ahead: it will drive all your body language and methods of going about it.
here are some relevant passages from the Gospel of Matthew:
Matthew 7:1-5 "Do not judge"
Matthew 12:33-37 "Words betray the heart"
Matthew 18:15-18 "Brotherly correction"
Matthew 23:13-32 "The sevenfold indictment of the scribes and Pharisees"
2 Timothy 2:14-26 is also very instructive!
so there. just some easy to remember points about communication. my theory is, that if such points were remembered, the world would be more peaceful already! and you are welcome to accuse me of being over-idealistic =)
1.
when a person is accused of something - anything - the accused usually becomes defensive immediately. a person who is defensive is also usually closed off to others' POV, since he is more concerned with defending his own POV. this means that a defensive person is almost impossible to convince - he is only convinced of his own convictions. in fact, putting a person on defense may have the opposite effect: he becomes more convicted in his original beliefs.
2.
accusations tend to suggest some form of moral authority. this may instantly nudge the recipient of your accusation to counter-accuse you of something in relation to your statement. assuming nobody is perfect, this may degenerate into a battle of accusations, whereby both parties simply turtle into their POVs and become hopelessly entrenched in their respective defensive positions. hardly anything worthwhile may be communicated in this case!
3.
the accuser tends to exude an aura of arrogance rather than humility. a humble person would not accuse - she would tend to "question gently" or "make an inquiry", lest she herself be proven wrong and fall flat in the face. yes, when you feel someone else is wrong about something, that does not mean you are correct! pointing out an error requires patience and humility, rather than rash smugness. if the accused perceives you to be arrogant, then your cause in pointing out a possible mistake is immediately lost.
4.
the above three points also tend to lead the accused towards an emotional response. while being passionate about your beliefs is not a bad thing, being passionate about an erroneous belief tends to be rather bad. so since you are already presuming that person to be wrong, the better strategy should be to avoid touching off emotions and focus on logic and facts. if someone's POV is erroneous, it should be possible to show that through a frank discussion of logic and facts without ruffling any emotions. this way, the person in the wrong may also find it easier to convert to the correct position without being subjected to humiliation.
5.
lastly, related to point 3, you need to be open to your own position being wrong. the human condition is imperfect, and we are at anytime only availed of imperfect information and knowledge, so it is always possible that we have missed something in our judgement of another's POV. while the ideal is that what you felt to be wrong is wrong, but you do not know the particular circumstance which the other person has to face - i.e. a win-win where both can accept each other as correct, save for the missing information - it is also likely that you were mistaken about someone being wrong. bearing this in mind, know that your approaching someone about his mistake is already taking a risk - since you might be proven wrong in the end - hence it is important to have a good 'exit strategy'. knowing the above four points will allow you to back off easily without worsening the situation.
the act of accusation itself already communicates certain ideas, including but not limited to: "i am right and you are wrong", "i need to correct you", "you need to be corrected", "my position is superior to yours" or even "i will change you". generally, most people would not enjoy hearing such messages - unless some priming is done prior. the feeling of being identified as "wrong" immediately sparks off feelings of vulnerability and invalidity - possibly even an inferior complex - as such, i would say that anyone who is possibly in the wrong needs to be treated delicately rather than harshly. this is especially important if the purpose of identifying the error is to correct the person for the person's own sake, rather than some self-righteous zealotry. if you want to correct someone, are you doing it for the right reasons? that is an equally important question to think about before rashly going ahead: it will drive all your body language and methods of going about it.
here are some relevant passages from the Gospel of Matthew:
Matthew 7:1-5 "Do not judge"
Matthew 12:33-37 "Words betray the heart"
Matthew 18:15-18 "Brotherly correction"
Matthew 23:13-32 "The sevenfold indictment of the scribes and Pharisees"
2 Timothy 2:14-26 is also very instructive!
so there. just some easy to remember points about communication. my theory is, that if such points were remembered, the world would be more peaceful already! and you are welcome to accuse me of being over-idealistic =)
Friday, July 18, 2008
out, damn sloth!
sloth really eats at the soul... it becomes progressively easier to neglect what is worth doing, and progressively harder to neglect the phantom need to rest or indulge in pointless activities.
as i return to this old blog, let me share a quote i found. this hit me hard, as a slacker...
"Never be hurried by anything whatever - nothing can be more pressing than the necessity for your peace before God. You will help others more by the peace and tranquility of your heart than by any eagerness or care you can bestow on them." Saint Elizabeth Seton
sometimes, what is worth doing is simply being still and knowing that the Lord is near.
other powderful quotes here: http://hometown.aol.com/fatherpius/quotes7.html
and who says priests do not change the world? their own little worlds, maybe.
as i return to this old blog, let me share a quote i found. this hit me hard, as a slacker...
"Never be hurried by anything whatever - nothing can be more pressing than the necessity for your peace before God. You will help others more by the peace and tranquility of your heart than by any eagerness or care you can bestow on them." Saint Elizabeth Seton
sometimes, what is worth doing is simply being still and knowing that the Lord is near.
other powderful quotes here: http://hometown.aol.com/fatherpius/quotes7.html
and who says priests do not change the world? their own little worlds, maybe.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
epiphany #7
about 3 hours after waking up, i suddenly remembered this awful dream i was having.
i was queueing up for some strange photo-taking session - i think it was for some admin stuff, like for some club or something - and i was getting quite bored. talking to the others in line only amplified that desolate sense of boredom. i was rapidly getting vapid and drowsy (yes, it was weird), and i imagined myself to be dreaming. or daydreaming.
next, i was in this swimming pool with the people i was queueing with. ostensibly, i had daydreamed myself through the queueing process, or i was actually dreaming this - while dreaming of queueing up. yes, it felt like a dream in a dream. i was getting even more repulsed by the people around me... they were insipid and merely lazing around in the pool. realising that this was a dream in a dream, i suddenly felt this awkward sense of power. i conjured a weapon - it was a knife, i think - and began surrealistically stabbing everyone in the pool. as the water turned a slightly more delightful shade of red, i could imagine the facial impressions of each victim - many were nonchalantly surprised.
and suddenly i had a doubt. what if i hadan't been dreaming? a tinge of horror pinched my throat, which halted the imminent nausea. i started running, and found myself dressed in military fatigues, escaping from some kind of SWAT team (even tho i was doubting the dream in the dream, i was still dreaming overall). i dreamily realised that i had killed some 30 people in that odd oneiric stupor while queueing up for something that didn't seem to matter. but this realisation was drowned out by the megaphone-commands from the cops - "FREEZE OR WE'LL SHOOT" - i began ducking bullets like in a Die Hard movie.
last thing i remember, i was confessing. to who? i had thought it was to some policeman who had poofed beside me, but that didn't seem too plausible - it would've deformed the action sequence. so i thought/dreamt that it was like a flashback thing.
"i thought i was dreaming! it was all so unreal... the sun's rays frolicking on the scarlet pool, the floating faces with their accusing upturned lips, the knife's handle didn't even evoke a feeling in my dreamy hand. how could i have killed anyone? i was queueing... indoors... in some quaint cinema... or was it a waiting room? it was simultaneously dark and bright. i couldn't remember. isn't that a hallmark of dreamdom? a delusional illusion hatched in the back of a brain which was registering alpha-wave activity? the indeterminate nonplussed scene-change - boy, that had to be imagined! it was REM! i'm guilty of REM!"
and then i woke up. or so i believed.
what if i had lost my suspension of belief? what if i had doubted the overarching dream itself? would i awake in the dream? or would i awake in this so-called "real world"? was that even a dream in a dream, or just one single-layered dream? would there be any difference at all?
so i made this conclusion. the suspension of belief keeps reality intact. faith keeps one sane. even if faith proves to be unbelievable.
i was queueing up for some strange photo-taking session - i think it was for some admin stuff, like for some club or something - and i was getting quite bored. talking to the others in line only amplified that desolate sense of boredom. i was rapidly getting vapid and drowsy (yes, it was weird), and i imagined myself to be dreaming. or daydreaming.
next, i was in this swimming pool with the people i was queueing with. ostensibly, i had daydreamed myself through the queueing process, or i was actually dreaming this - while dreaming of queueing up. yes, it felt like a dream in a dream. i was getting even more repulsed by the people around me... they were insipid and merely lazing around in the pool. realising that this was a dream in a dream, i suddenly felt this awkward sense of power. i conjured a weapon - it was a knife, i think - and began surrealistically stabbing everyone in the pool. as the water turned a slightly more delightful shade of red, i could imagine the facial impressions of each victim - many were nonchalantly surprised.
and suddenly i had a doubt. what if i hadan't been dreaming? a tinge of horror pinched my throat, which halted the imminent nausea. i started running, and found myself dressed in military fatigues, escaping from some kind of SWAT team (even tho i was doubting the dream in the dream, i was still dreaming overall). i dreamily realised that i had killed some 30 people in that odd oneiric stupor while queueing up for something that didn't seem to matter. but this realisation was drowned out by the megaphone-commands from the cops - "FREEZE OR WE'LL SHOOT" - i began ducking bullets like in a Die Hard movie.
last thing i remember, i was confessing. to who? i had thought it was to some policeman who had poofed beside me, but that didn't seem too plausible - it would've deformed the action sequence. so i thought/dreamt that it was like a flashback thing.
"i thought i was dreaming! it was all so unreal... the sun's rays frolicking on the scarlet pool, the floating faces with their accusing upturned lips, the knife's handle didn't even evoke a feeling in my dreamy hand. how could i have killed anyone? i was queueing... indoors... in some quaint cinema... or was it a waiting room? it was simultaneously dark and bright. i couldn't remember. isn't that a hallmark of dreamdom? a delusional illusion hatched in the back of a brain which was registering alpha-wave activity? the indeterminate nonplussed scene-change - boy, that had to be imagined! it was REM! i'm guilty of REM!"
and then i woke up. or so i believed.
what if i had lost my suspension of belief? what if i had doubted the overarching dream itself? would i awake in the dream? or would i awake in this so-called "real world"? was that even a dream in a dream, or just one single-layered dream? would there be any difference at all?
so i made this conclusion. the suspension of belief keeps reality intact. faith keeps one sane. even if faith proves to be unbelievable.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
4 days late...
...but a lifetime early.
there is nothing too late until death comes for you. there is no regret so final you cannot act on until you breathe your last. there is no final judgement until you finally face the Judge. you can choose to move on because you are still alive - so treasure it!
the thesis was a harrowing experience. for the last week or so, i slept on average 4 hours a day (still pretty good, but considering i usually sleep 7-8 hours...) and for the final 4 days, i practically didn't sleep. i learnt the ironic side of life for us middle-class folk: living off coke and coffee and self-imposed sleep-deprivation is our version of starvation. and on Friday, 18 April 2008, my thesis: The Class Experience of Migrant Workers in Singapore, was finally submitted to the NUS Dept. of Sociology (estd. 1965).
but unlike the bourgeois loners, i had my middle-class friends! jon (with carol) and alexis sensed that i was going to bail on the thesis - 12 MCs, 7.5% of my flat 4.0 in-between 2nd upper and lower CAP - at this final stage. honestly, their instincts were spot on: i had nearly wanted to give it all up. i'm that crazy - or un-middle-class - sometimes. they baby-sitted me during the day, taking turns when necessary... it was John 15:13 in real life.
then there was the parents. my mom dumped all the herbal teas, bird's nests, and chicken essence she could find down my throat. my dad (who's usually non-interventionist) called me up one night i was thonning in sch to check on me, and he took a huge detour to send me to school on my submission day (his camp is in Yishun).
well, we saw a rainbow on the way! God was showing off again =) if anything, He was the most constant person throughout this learning process: everytime i got sick of the work, He nagged at me; everytime i got paranoid and depressed, He affirmed me; everytime i went existential and thought it was pointless, He gave me reason. so when i look back at the footsteps in the sand, i know that truly, "it was then that He carried me."
so what did i learn?
better late than never. it is better to be late so you can learn a lesson forever.
there is nothing too late until death comes for you. there is no regret so final you cannot act on until you breathe your last. there is no final judgement until you finally face the Judge. you can choose to move on because you are still alive - so treasure it!
the thesis was a harrowing experience. for the last week or so, i slept on average 4 hours a day (still pretty good, but considering i usually sleep 7-8 hours...) and for the final 4 days, i practically didn't sleep. i learnt the ironic side of life for us middle-class folk: living off coke and coffee and self-imposed sleep-deprivation is our version of starvation. and on Friday, 18 April 2008, my thesis: The Class Experience of Migrant Workers in Singapore, was finally submitted to the NUS Dept. of Sociology (estd. 1965).
but unlike the bourgeois loners, i had my middle-class friends! jon (with carol) and alexis sensed that i was going to bail on the thesis - 12 MCs, 7.5% of my flat 4.0 in-between 2nd upper and lower CAP - at this final stage. honestly, their instincts were spot on: i had nearly wanted to give it all up. i'm that crazy - or un-middle-class - sometimes. they baby-sitted me during the day, taking turns when necessary... it was John 15:13 in real life.
then there was the parents. my mom dumped all the herbal teas, bird's nests, and chicken essence she could find down my throat. my dad (who's usually non-interventionist) called me up one night i was thonning in sch to check on me, and he took a huge detour to send me to school on my submission day (his camp is in Yishun).
well, we saw a rainbow on the way! God was showing off again =) if anything, He was the most constant person throughout this learning process: everytime i got sick of the work, He nagged at me; everytime i got paranoid and depressed, He affirmed me; everytime i went existential and thought it was pointless, He gave me reason. so when i look back at the footsteps in the sand, i know that truly, "it was then that He carried me."
so what did i learn?
- a thesis is no ordinary essay. it demands extraordinary clarity and precision - or your 12,000 words will look like a trashy magazine rant. no minced words, no fudged data, no self-righteous claims. a good outline is not enough - one must start with extensive literature review. and i mean REALLY EXTENSIVE: every book/journal article on the topic for the last 6 months at least, plus influential (note: often cited) works. a biblio of under 30 books is simply unconvincing.
- get help. a thesis being the first real academic work most students would be doing, many pitfalls await such amateurs. use your supervisor extensively - s/he owes you that. bug them until they give you the help you need - especially tips on how to start off. use your friends too - they know how you think and when you might deflate. they can keep you from going under.
- start early. i know i've "learnt" this many many times... but this time it's different. i've seen the other side - those who have to suffer with you when you drag your feet. it is not for myself that i start early... no, it's for those who i may end up imposing upon. also, if you're early, you can help others who are late! i love helping others =)
- begin with the end in mind (S. Covey, 1989:95-144); the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step: and that step is to plan ahead - you'd try not to take the first step in the wrong direction. know what is going on, which stage you're at, what your mental state is in, and whether you REALLY need an extension of deadline.
- keep praying. even a rosary would at most take 15min. no earthly pursuit should steal away your time with God - who is the ultimate reason for all your exertions. when things seem tough, the devil has an easier job of tempting us - and all the more do we need divine intervention.
better late than never. it is better to be late so you can learn a lesson forever.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
the problem of suffering
the problem of suffering is the lack of theodicy. According to Wikipedia:
if there were more theodiceans, we would know how to reconcile these seemingly clashing notions of a benevolent God and a world full of human suffering.Theodicy (IPA: /θiːˈɒdɪsi/) (adjectival form theodicean) is a specific branch of theology and philosophy that attempts to reconcile the existence of evil or suffering in the world with the belief in an omniscient, omnipotent, and benevolent God, i.e., the problem of evil. Theodiceans are those who seek to reconcile the co-existence of evil and God; a group of theodiceans may thus be called "a theodicy".
at this stage, i am still very much a slave chained to this world, thinking of suffering as a direct result of man's sinful ways. this thinking is probably not very wrong, especially when adjusted to deal with specifically "unnecessary evil" - that sinfulness leads to surplus, unnecessary suffering. however, the trick here is determining between evil that is "unnecessary" and evil that can actually be called "necessary". are worthless, corrupt politicians necessary?
anyway, check out what Thomas a Kempis' contribution to theodicy:
The Twenty-First Chapter
Sorrow of Heart
IF YOU wish to make progress in virtue, live in the fear of the Lord, do not look for too much freedom, discipline your senses, and shun inane silliness. Sorrow opens the door to many a blessing which dissoluteness usually destroys.
It is a wonder that any man who considers and meditates on his exiled state and the many dangers to his soul, can ever be perfectly happy in this life. Lighthearted and heedless of our defects, we do not feel the real sorrows of our souls, but often indulge in empty laughter when we have good reason to weep. No liberty is true and no joy is genuine unless it is founded in the fear of the Lord and a good conscience.
Happy is the man who can throw off the weight of every care and recollect himself in holy contrition. Happy is the man who casts from him all that can stain or burden his conscience.
Fight like a man. Habit is overcome by habit. If you leave men alone, they will leave you alone to do what you have to do. Do not busy yourself about the affairs of others and do not become entangled in the business of your superiors. Keep an eye primarily on yourself and admonish yourself instead of your friends.
If you do not enjoy the favor of men, do not let it sadden you; but consider it a serious matter if you do not conduct yourself as well or as carefully as is becoming for a servant of God and a devout religious.
It is often better and safer for us to have few consolations in this life, especially comforts of the body. Yet if we do not have divine consolation or experience it rarely, it is our own fault because we seek no sorrow of heart and do not forsake vain outward satisfaction.
Consider yourself unworthy of divine solace and deserving rather of much tribulation. When a man is perfectly contrite, the whole world is bitter and wearisome to him.
A good man always finds enough over which to mourn and weep; whether he thinks of himself or of his neighbor he knows that no one lives here without suffering, and the closer he examines himself the more he grieves.
The sins and vices in which we are so entangled that we can rarely apply ourselves to the contemplation of heaven are matters for just sorrow and inner remorse.
I do not doubt that you would correct yourself more earnestly if you would think more of an early death than of a long life. And if you pondered in your heart the future pains of hell or of purgatory, I believe you would willingly endure labor and trouble and would fear no hardship. But since these thoughts never pierce the heart and since we are enamored of flattering pleasure, we remain very cold and indifferent. Our wretched body complains so easily because our soul is altogether too lifeless.
Pray humbly to the Lord, therefore, that He may give you the spirit of contrition and say with the Prophet: “Feed me, Lord, with the bread of mourning and give me to drink of tears in full measure.” (Ps 79:6)Sunday, March 23, 2008
The Happy Easter
i had wanted to post this right after mass, but email already kept me up till 4am (!) so anyway...
"Happy Easter!"
it's a joyous refrain you might hear from many of your friends and family throughout the day (and hopefully for the next few weeks as well) simply because it was infectious enough to last in their psyche. what else lies behind this innocuous sounding greeting?
well, for one, we remember, we celebrate, and we believe that Christ our Lord is risen. it didn't happen today, but as part of the yearlong liturgical practice of the Roman Catholic Church (and also within many other orthodox and protestant churches), this week is dubbed the Holy Week when we specially commemorate our Saviour's heroic crucifixion and ressurection - the most central belief of all Christian faiths.
roman catholic liturgy differs in some fundamental aspects as compared to (especially) the protestant commemorations: various iconoclastic churches have such a developed phobia of "according worship to material figures" that they may steer clear of all symbolism as well. roman catholics on the other hand, revel in symbols and imagery - and the holy week liturgy follows that same tradition. we have the washing of feet on maundy thursday (a direct analogue of Christ's actions as at John 13:1-15), the (sometimes overnight) adoration of the blessed sacrament (a direct analogue of Christ's request to his apostles in Gethsamane as at Matthew 26:36-46), the symbolic absence of musical instruments in church until easter, the stripping of altar adornments and suppression of sacraments to accentuate the feeling of Christ's death and departure from earth, all the way until the lighting of candles during easter vigil (and re-adornment of the altar) to symbolise Christ's rising from the dead - the Morning Star that never sets!
these liturgically significant symbols are "enacted" with the priest in persona Christi, a concept that must be profoundly unfamiliar to protestants (perhaps to the point of blasphemy). but what it means is that the priest, as an ordained minister tracing his lineage back to the apostles (and also having received at least 8 years of training prior to ordination), is in service in the person of Christ during a Catholic service - he not only "role-plays" but is an actual symbol of Christ's real presence with us, especially during the Eucharist. now i will not pretend to be familiar with the theological technicalities, but as i understand it, God the Father knows us so well - He knows we need actual physical symbols and signs (which is a translation of 'sacrament') for us to perform our faith and truly feel His presence. of course, these symbols are not merely soulless 'representations' since Christ's very spirit is infused with them. a common analogy is that of a nation's flag - it is such a strong symbol of a nation that it is treated with respect - but the priest in persona Christi and the consecrated Host are not mere political symbols: they are spiritual.
hence, for me the holy week services have helped me to get a sense of what happened 2,000 years ago at Calvary through the Passion reading (John 18:1-19:42) - the fifteen minutes spent standing in rapt attention, listening to every detail as though it were unfolding in front of us - and the veneration of the cross has helped me feel so much closer to Christ's agony of that moment which changed history. while i did not spend the rest of Good Friday and Holy Saturday in deep meditative contemplation, it helped me tide through my schoolwork (lotsa catching up!) as i considered all my labours to be part of an earnest wait to see God's glory unvieled. and what an unveiling! during Easter Vigil last night, i heard, once again, that glorious proclamation in the Easter Exsultet... "O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so marvelous a redeemer!" and the Easter readings which very much summarised salvation history up till the new testament... it all reaffirmed my faith, that there indeed IS something more to life than the average humdrum... the people dying unjust deaths, the wanton destruction of the planet by unrepentent consumer capitalism, the untold swathes of human and animal populations in unspeakable suffering, all the cycles of violence and evil in our history... for that one second, it all made sense - because God has a plan beneath it all. God knows each person He has created for His very breath is in everyone. God has blessed every inch of creation when He breathed on the waters in Genesis. God has saved all of us in spite of all the sins we have committed, are committing, and will commit in future by sending us His Son, who died the Messiah's death as foretold by the prophets so we may have life to the full.
and all of that... taking half an hour to type... is to me, what a 'Happy Easter' is about! the gleeful partying, hugs all around, end of Lenten abstinences aside... Easter is happy because i have found my Saviour once again, in my heart where He knocks ever so gently, and now i can live with meaning.
and for a sociologist assigned to read post-modernist consumer culture writings... it truly is a breath of fresh air. something i sorely need as i head into the 21st day before my Thesis deadline. but even if i fall short of this standard, i already know where i can go next... for Jesus is there with me along the way.
Happy Easter, my fellow siblings! live for Christ, for He has risen!
"Happy Easter!"
it's a joyous refrain you might hear from many of your friends and family throughout the day (and hopefully for the next few weeks as well) simply because it was infectious enough to last in their psyche. what else lies behind this innocuous sounding greeting?
well, for one, we remember, we celebrate, and we believe that Christ our Lord is risen. it didn't happen today, but as part of the yearlong liturgical practice of the Roman Catholic Church (and also within many other orthodox and protestant churches), this week is dubbed the Holy Week when we specially commemorate our Saviour's heroic crucifixion and ressurection - the most central belief of all Christian faiths.
roman catholic liturgy differs in some fundamental aspects as compared to (especially) the protestant commemorations: various iconoclastic churches have such a developed phobia of "according worship to material figures" that they may steer clear of all symbolism as well. roman catholics on the other hand, revel in symbols and imagery - and the holy week liturgy follows that same tradition. we have the washing of feet on maundy thursday (a direct analogue of Christ's actions as at John 13:1-15), the (sometimes overnight) adoration of the blessed sacrament (a direct analogue of Christ's request to his apostles in Gethsamane as at Matthew 26:36-46), the symbolic absence of musical instruments in church until easter, the stripping of altar adornments and suppression of sacraments to accentuate the feeling of Christ's death and departure from earth, all the way until the lighting of candles during easter vigil (and re-adornment of the altar) to symbolise Christ's rising from the dead - the Morning Star that never sets!
these liturgically significant symbols are "enacted" with the priest in persona Christi, a concept that must be profoundly unfamiliar to protestants (perhaps to the point of blasphemy). but what it means is that the priest, as an ordained minister tracing his lineage back to the apostles (and also having received at least 8 years of training prior to ordination), is in service in the person of Christ during a Catholic service - he not only "role-plays" but is an actual symbol of Christ's real presence with us, especially during the Eucharist. now i will not pretend to be familiar with the theological technicalities, but as i understand it, God the Father knows us so well - He knows we need actual physical symbols and signs (which is a translation of 'sacrament') for us to perform our faith and truly feel His presence. of course, these symbols are not merely soulless 'representations' since Christ's very spirit is infused with them. a common analogy is that of a nation's flag - it is such a strong symbol of a nation that it is treated with respect - but the priest in persona Christi and the consecrated Host are not mere political symbols: they are spiritual.
hence, for me the holy week services have helped me to get a sense of what happened 2,000 years ago at Calvary through the Passion reading (John 18:1-19:42) - the fifteen minutes spent standing in rapt attention, listening to every detail as though it were unfolding in front of us - and the veneration of the cross has helped me feel so much closer to Christ's agony of that moment which changed history. while i did not spend the rest of Good Friday and Holy Saturday in deep meditative contemplation, it helped me tide through my schoolwork (lotsa catching up!) as i considered all my labours to be part of an earnest wait to see God's glory unvieled. and what an unveiling! during Easter Vigil last night, i heard, once again, that glorious proclamation in the Easter Exsultet... "O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so marvelous a redeemer!" and the Easter readings which very much summarised salvation history up till the new testament... it all reaffirmed my faith, that there indeed IS something more to life than the average humdrum... the people dying unjust deaths, the wanton destruction of the planet by unrepentent consumer capitalism, the untold swathes of human and animal populations in unspeakable suffering, all the cycles of violence and evil in our history... for that one second, it all made sense - because God has a plan beneath it all. God knows each person He has created for His very breath is in everyone. God has blessed every inch of creation when He breathed on the waters in Genesis. God has saved all of us in spite of all the sins we have committed, are committing, and will commit in future by sending us His Son, who died the Messiah's death as foretold by the prophets so we may have life to the full.
and all of that... taking half an hour to type... is to me, what a 'Happy Easter' is about! the gleeful partying, hugs all around, end of Lenten abstinences aside... Easter is happy because i have found my Saviour once again, in my heart where He knocks ever so gently, and now i can live with meaning.
and for a sociologist assigned to read post-modernist consumer culture writings... it truly is a breath of fresh air. something i sorely need as i head into the 21st day before my Thesis deadline. but even if i fall short of this standard, i already know where i can go next... for Jesus is there with me along the way.
Happy Easter, my fellow siblings! live for Christ, for He has risen!
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