Destiny

"LORD, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them” (Psalms 39:4-8)

 

Through reading a Christian book recently, I came to know the songs of Rich Mullins, a popular and talented Christian musician. When I read that he died at the age of 41 in a fatal car accident in a most unexpected way, it just kind of remind me that we are not in control of our days on this earth. Rich and Mitch McVicker, were on their way to a benefit concert when the jeep they were in lost control and overturned. Both were ejected from the vehicle. When a passing semi-trailer truck swerved to avoid the overturned Jeep, Mullins, who was too injured to move out of the path of the oncoming truck, was hit and died instantly at the scene. McVicker was seriously injured but survived.

 

Every day we are bound to come across unfortunate stories of such nature. I read some time ago how Mr Lim Guang Chin, at the age of 34, was killed in a motorcycle accident, leaving behind four children age 3 to 13. He had just lost his wife who died of colon cancer 2 months ago. Then there is the 28-year old professional footballer who woke up one morning, felt a lump in his neck, and was later diagnosed as having Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

 

Such stories can stir up fear of death in us. Someone once said that anything that caused you to fear is your ‘God’. How true it is if we do not have correct perspective on death. We can end up being under the bondage of that fear, in this case, death. If we fear cancer, cancer becomes our ‘God’. It opens the way to dark and negative forces filling up our mind, and they begin to take us over. As I entered four-and-a half year after I finished my chemotherapy treatment, I am very thankful to God for extended my life. I know He does it for His purpose and will. It is a miracle that I am still alive, given the bad prognosis of my sickness by my doctor.

 

Storms of life always strengthen one’s character if one responses positively. My life now is on a higher plane- moving from the phase of been preoccupied with anything to do with cancer, to living out a more meaningful and fruitful life, always with a thankful heart to my God, for whatever number of days He wants to add on to my lifespan.

Xenophobia

“When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien.” (Leviticus 19:33)
”You shall have one law for the alien and for the citizen: for I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 24:22)

 

 My daughter related an incident on the train that she witnessed recently. A young lady was standing alone. Upon seeing a foreign worker got into the train and stood beside her, she intuitively moving far away. It was a Sunday and this guy was neatly dressed, and not exhibiting any unbecoming behaviour. I tell myself, are more and more Singaporeans behaving this way (Xenophobia)? I think we have to strike a balance in our views especially when one reads news like these:

 

“A worker who worked as a painter at a link-way was reported to have fallen on October 6. It was believed that he was put on a truck few days later, and dumped in a back alley at another location where he was found by a passer-by. It appeared that his clothes had been changed.”

“A foreign worker suspected of dying from rat-transmitted disease. The worker together with others, were housed in a makeshift zinc-roof structure.”

The sheer size of foreign workers has reached a level that we need a strong legal framework and more staff strength to protect their interest too. Much has been done to the domestic workers (about 200,000) but more need to be done for those especially in the construction sectors (about 250,000). I don’t see how we can become a more compassionate and just society if we do not treat aliens with human dignity.