being social in justice.
All these scenes of horrifying injustice, of blatant sin sparks this fire in me that surges and sends me shaking with utmost indignation. I can't help but grit my teeth, hold my tongue, clench my fingers and feel my world spin around me... I feel so helpless. I feel so sinful—just sitting on my chair and listening to stories of murder, rape, exploitation, slavery... You name it. Yet I'm thankful that the Lord knows, is merciful—and He will seek to restore the world in His time.
But I ask myself—isn't there still our responsibility as His people? To become a blessing to all the families of the earth? What am I doing about it? What is the Church (the Body, not building) doing about it?
Then there's comfy cubby hole called Singapore where we live in: Insular, Inward-looking, Insensitive. All the big "I"s. Especially that unholy trinity in "me, myself and I". Here, we are bombarded and indoctrinated with the worldview to work long hours, climb up the ladder, and earn more so that we can have that better life. And by that, I mean seeking to earn enough to be able to eat at restaurants, buy luxurious goods and zip around in swanky cars. We spend little time at home with our families; yet pressure our children to score in school, lest they have "no future". Then we wonder why things (and our children) go wrong and we don't get what we want. And what do we blame? The system. Or worse still, God.
But as dear CF says, there are no "victims"—only "volunteers". We volunteer to be victims simply by the choices we make. (N.B. I know God's sovereignty adds a layer here but this is not the time for that contention.)
So where are we volunteering our time i.e. our lives? There should never be a dichotomy as to whom we are in Christ and what we do with our lives. For those who dichotomise, there seems always to be that catchphrase at the tip of their tongue: "Not enough time". And it is this very time needed to serve alongside the Church that seems to always get first dips—to be compromised. Because we dichotomise our time and our lives; because so few find the time to serve, there are so many needs out there in the world that the Church is unable to meet. The Church is too often failing to fulfill God's role for it in society. And here's the final egg in our face: The world looks like it is doing a better job.
We are living in the utopia of materialism that goes against every single grain of Christianity: Placing our material wants before our spiritual needs. As a result, we cannot meet the spiritual AND material needs of those who—wait for it—need it. Material is not evil in itself. It is the love (philaguria; KJV coveteousness) of it—the moment we place such above our love for God.
Are we living sacrifices, or are we "living to sacrifice"? Are we living our "I" lives first, then thinking about sacrifice later?
As long as we hold on tightly to worldly material, we cannot give it to others.
It is a vicious cycle; a heartbreaking one to boot.
And again, I ask myself—what am I doing about it? What are we, the Church, the body of Christ, children of God, filled with the Holy Spirit—doing about it?
(I know what I will be doing, and this post is but the start of it.)
Lord, open the eyes of your people in Singapore to the needs of the world out there. We earn so much more, but love so much less. How much do we desire for people to be saved? How will our preaching talk unless we walk? Forgive us, Father, for we do not do what we ought. Have mercy on us all.
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? — Micah 6:8
But I ask myself—isn't there still our responsibility as His people? To become a blessing to all the families of the earth? What am I doing about it? What is the Church (the Body, not building) doing about it?
Then there's comfy cubby hole called Singapore where we live in: Insular, Inward-looking, Insensitive. All the big "I"s. Especially that unholy trinity in "me, myself and I". Here, we are bombarded and indoctrinated with the worldview to work long hours, climb up the ladder, and earn more so that we can have that better life. And by that, I mean seeking to earn enough to be able to eat at restaurants, buy luxurious goods and zip around in swanky cars. We spend little time at home with our families; yet pressure our children to score in school, lest they have "no future". Then we wonder why things (and our children) go wrong and we don't get what we want. And what do we blame? The system. Or worse still, God.
But as dear CF says, there are no "victims"—only "volunteers". We volunteer to be victims simply by the choices we make. (N.B. I know God's sovereignty adds a layer here but this is not the time for that contention.)
So where are we volunteering our time i.e. our lives? There should never be a dichotomy as to whom we are in Christ and what we do with our lives. For those who dichotomise, there seems always to be that catchphrase at the tip of their tongue: "Not enough time". And it is this very time needed to serve alongside the Church that seems to always get first dips—to be compromised. Because we dichotomise our time and our lives; because so few find the time to serve, there are so many needs out there in the world that the Church is unable to meet. The Church is too often failing to fulfill God's role for it in society. And here's the final egg in our face: The world looks like it is doing a better job.
We are living in the utopia of materialism that goes against every single grain of Christianity: Placing our material wants before our spiritual needs. As a result, we cannot meet the spiritual AND material needs of those who—wait for it—need it. Material is not evil in itself. It is the love (philaguria; KJV coveteousness) of it—the moment we place such above our love for God.
Are we living sacrifices, or are we "living to sacrifice"? Are we living our "I" lives first, then thinking about sacrifice later?
As long as we hold on tightly to worldly material, we cannot give it to others.
It is a vicious cycle; a heartbreaking one to boot.
And again, I ask myself—what am I doing about it? What are we, the Church, the body of Christ, children of God, filled with the Holy Spirit—doing about it?
(I know what I will be doing, and this post is but the start of it.)
Lord, open the eyes of your people in Singapore to the needs of the world out there. We earn so much more, but love so much less. How much do we desire for people to be saved? How will our preaching talk unless we walk? Forgive us, Father, for we do not do what we ought. Have mercy on us all.
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? — Micah 6:8
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