Exothermic

     I had a great “chat-versation” with a friend of mine now living somewhere in the snow-covered landscape of Boston, Massachusetts. He is a good guy with a great mind, though not commensurate to his size (LOL! Peace brotha). Somewhere along the conversation we discussed about the frailty of man and the genius of satan. I said “…know what, satan is really clever”. He replied, “But God is wiser…” My reply was, “Sure He is, but we aren’t”.

Later, it dawn on me the things that are happening around that big country my friend is now calling home. Looking back at history, America was founded with strong foundation on Christian faith and the best example to that is printed on their money: In God we trust. Anyone familiar with the history of the United States would attest that this country was founded with God in mind. But look how things have changed. Being the leader of the democratic world, there strength is the freedom of its citizen. This is also where satan puts his penny in. Isn’t that freedom causes the fist man to sin against God? The freedom to choose what you want can be a double-edged sword. Satan is the master of deception and by encouraging us to take advantage of this free will has been his effective and most clandestine strategy to trap us once again. Notice what is happening to the US right now, there has been an increasing number of lawsuits just to get rid of anything that resembles Christianity may it be murals, monument, or even that word printed on their money. Parents have been suing schools because according to them their children were forced to say prayers or that something in the school has got to do with Christianity or God which is against the constitution. We’ve heard people protesting so that a very old monument of the 10 Commandments will be removed from a federal building because it is against their constitutional rights of religious freedom. Consequently, they won the legal battle, nothing can prevent them anyway, they are constitutionally right. Now, almost everything in the Government that can be related to Christianity and God is being challenged not just in the US but also in other free countries.

Man has really made his God given intelligence and freedom far beyond what is required of him and satan can’t be more ready to exploit it. We have achieved great intelligence and desired for utmost freedom and then declared this as our strength. Foolishness! Our greatest human strength is our perfect weakness; a total opposite to what was declared by Jesus in II Cor. 12:9 9 …, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Of course we need to use this strengths because after all God gave it to us at our disposal. But when can we say enough is enough? I guess some of us will never know when to stop and will never know that they have been used by satan against his battle with God. Satan has been patiently waiting on the roadside watching as we follow Christ along the narrow and difficult road. But when we fall on the curb he is very quick and clever to lead us to a broader road that leads to destruction. Mind you he is a good leader and many follows him.

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 1:16-18 “ I thought to myself, “Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge. Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.” If this was what the great King had concluded, what can we expect is for us?

The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.  ~Louis D. Brandeis

Humility is the greatest fallacy of all the worlds’ religions. I have not known a religion that  preaches humility and  heartily  practices it - Christianity is no exemption. Just when you hear religions preaching humility; think of the wars that have been fought for the sake of it. Countless hours have been consumed trying to prove each other wrong. A lot of words were crafted just to give the other side a name.

To have a concrete example, we don’t have to look beyond the corridors of the Christian faith to see shining examples of this ineptitude. Big Churches were built merely to flaunt the numbers. Popular gospel preachers travel in private jets and live in grossly expensive mansions. Priests and bishops dress elegantly and love the praises of men and the glare of the spotlight. If that doesn’t appear ridiculous enough, take a look at this perceived leader of the Roman Catholic faith- the pope always ride in a bullet-proofed car crowded by security men. I guess this is just in preparation in case God fails to protect him from harm, isn’t it? I believed it’s so easy to preach humility when you are not practicing it. I think it is difficult to be humble where you’re the most popular or the VIP.

This is probably the reason why Agur said this request to God before he dies in Proverbs 30:8-9 – “Keep falsehood and lies from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘”Who is the LORD?”, or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Indeed, it is so easy for me to criticize and judge the people I have mentioned above because I am not the one on the pedestal of power and fame. Ultimately, I have judged these people according to their appearance and practices. By doing so I have done something the Bible prohibited me to do: judging others. Oh I pity my soul. But on the second thought, how do you think we should react to the actions of these people without being haunted by our conscience for judging them? Who is going to be stopped: the one doing it or the one criticizing?

Now, the whole Christian community is celebrating the birth of Christ who albeit being God: was born, have lived, was persecuted, and died like a man. For him was the perfect example of humility.

“None are so empty as those who are full of themselves.” ~Benjamin Whichcote

 Where have all the classic Christian songs gone? This is a question that is like a tuning fork in my mind that always hum whenever I hear pop-culture Christian music being played or sung. Lately, gospel songs are so light or may I say shallow in meaning. Although I have nothing against it and to be fair the melodies are good. But that’s all that there is to these songs; the melody. Meaning wise, it lacks the depth and passion compared to the powerful songs of yesteryears. Songs compose by today’s pop-culture musicians seems to be cursorily made even those from popular groups like that from Hill songs.

I have yet to listen a pop-culture Christian music that has the same burning passion like the songs：What a friend we have in Jesus；And can it be; I need thee every hour; Blessed Assurance; and a whole lot more. Even the very old ones like; The Old Rugged Cross；How great thou Art; Onward Christian soldiers; All the way my savior leads me; have meanings that can melt even the hardest of hearts. Of course we can say that music is preferential and largely dependent of the generation. But still I believe that the art of making meaningful Christian music is slowly fading away. In my opinion today’s gospel music is more commercially driven than being a product of the heart. The classic Christian hymns are largely based from the scripture and blended with the experiences of the composer. Take the example of the classic hymn “Rock of Ages”, an overwhelming song from long ago. Do I have to mention the heart-crunching “Amazing Grace”? The classics reveal not just the jubilation of a changed heart but also manifest the challenges of following Christ. In comparison, today’s gospel music often only dwells on the lighter side of the Christian faith. There is nothing wrong with it but somehow it just lack the passion and or the solemnity that had once been the fundamentals of Christian hymns.

Indeed, a song reflects the culture of the generation that made it. I hope that the lack of profoundness of these pop-culture gospel songs does not reflect our relationship with God. Hopefully these cursorily made songs do not represent this generation’s superficial relationship with Christ. Ours is a time where being a Christian is as easy as taking a bath whereas before they were persecuted. It seems we want everything today to be fast and easy, including the powerful Christian hymns that have been lost in translation.

“Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for, because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything. (Peter Marshall)