Tag Archives: death

Run your faith

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There were so many horrifying images about the bombing of the Boston Marathon yesterday and I checked around to see if my runner friends are okay, and one told me that this is the only time she felt lucky that her team is not qualified for the Boston Marathon in her life. It’s a terrifying blow to people’s trust and faith about the chance of living a peaceful life. Can you imagine how many people would be traumatized from now onwards for the rest of their lives? I was reading the press and realize there were a few bombing attack in the States before which could be randomly just caused by some psycho, anti-abortion fanatics and not necessarily be terrorists’ plot such as Al Qaeda’s! In 3 days, on 21st April, the London Marathon is about to start and one of the founding principles of the London Marathon was to show that at least on one day humanity can be united, and this event will stand and not change irregardless the tragedy happened in Boston. Some reigning athletes are interviewed and asked if they would participate this London race, they answered firmly said their faith would not move and they would let their family watch them reach the finishing line without reservation. This attack is done by people who want to threaten people and take their freedom away from believing in different human race could be connected together for a good cause and cheer for the sportsmanship where love is the bond and nothing can divide them. I truly admire how people could still give their trust to the security and submit their lives to the law enforcement team and law makers in London. It’s a lot of trust that is needed and it’s now a matter of life and death, but people still believe and act. Boston is a place where I lived and studied before and I really love the city for its spirit and character, and it’s a very very diverse city where it’s a melting pot of different races and cultures. For this reason, the flip side could be a lot of tension also, just like New York. Peace is so needed at this moment where the situation between North and South Korea is super unstable, and the bird flu in China is not cleared yet. These uncertainties and trauma are causing people to fear and panic, and that is the best thing ever happened for Satan to savor, and we should not give in but to stand firm in believing what we believe is righteous, but also immerse ourselves in believing God will take care of the mess. He will clean it up and cleanse our souls – He says: Be still and know that I am God.

Quote of the Day
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  
1 John 4:18
I pray to God that we will not be threatened or intimidated but only feel assured further that He is there. Be still.

Postscript Quote 
Too If you want to control someone, all you have to do is to make them feel afraid.  
Paul Coelho 

Afterlife

By Posted in after thought, family, society Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Recently a few things I saw in the media gotten me to think about how that relates and affects me. Firstly, Google has been approached by many people in asking how they can retrieve their deceased family members’ email account. Secondly, I saw in Hong Kong some government promotional TV advertisement encouraging people to sprinkle their cremated bodies into the sea. Thirdly, the tragic bombing of the Boston Marathon yesterday. Hmm…when I connect the dots, that intriques me to think how can I tell the right people to know that I want to get my body burial at sea when I die? I could die of accident any moment and I have my Gmail account but how can my will be shared? Of course I can start writing my will any time now but where should I put that if I don’t want to seek a lawyer to do it (yet)? LOL. It’s actually interesting that all of us should think about what we want to say to let the people know when they discover that we are dead. And maybe a lot of things you would like to tell them now, and not needing to wait till you are dead except the way you want to be treated when you are gone. But one more interesting thing is that my Buddhist colleague is against the idea of cremating the body and spread those to the sea, I asked her why but she just said she strongly suggests me not to consider that approach .. To me, my earthly body is just an object and when it expires – it expires. I wish not that any one else need to do any maintenance work on earth while I have joined my heavenly Father above. If they miss me, they could just pray or do whatever way they feel that comfort them, but definitely not needing to visit my tomb on a designated date of the year to show respect and pay tribute?! Not that I think what I am doing nowadays to my grandparents is a waste of energy, as that is the ritual of the ancestors and we just have to respect those practices and culture, but when I have a choice on how I could be treated, I really want to keep things simple and minimal, as what matters is my relationship with God and not how I am being remembered. The time we spend on our lives here on this earth is a short journey or even a quick transit and it’s not the ultimate destination at all, we are all waiting to go to somewhere else. Lets prepare our hearts for the bigger stop. But I couldn’t find out from the Bible the perspective it has about burial, let me go dig deeper.

Quote of the Day
My father made me swear an oath and said, “I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’”
Genesis 50:5
I pray to God that we don’t focus too much about our life here but looking beyond this life from a bigger picture point of view. Let not things happen here distract us from focusing on something more important and crucial.

Postscript Quote 
Elaborate burial customs are a sure sign of decadence.  
J. G. Ballard 

Palm Sunday

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It was Palm Sunday – a day which we welcome Jesus’ triumphal entry into the Jerusalem, yesterday and several things seem to intertwine lately about this period of our Christian life – Easter. Easter is very much about understanding the rebirth of Jesus after his earthly death. Best friend in Kolkata shared her conversation with Jesus – He asked: Why do you focus on My Suffering rather than My Resurrection? The book I just finished Jesus, A Biography from a Believer has a whole chapter on The Resurrection and the Birth of Christianity; I just watched a movie Olympus has fallen – a movie about how some terrorist has almost eradicated the whole White House, but at the end, the White House with the faintest energy managed to sustain and not being completely wiped out. All these seemingly random things I see in my life all knits however quite nicely. They all talk about the power of regenerating, reliving and reviving. Everyone of us need a second chance, no matter what we have done – Judas hung himself because he was too shameful about his betrayal of Jesus. I always find this an extremely sorrowful incident within the Bible history – if Judas could just let go and let God and accepted his wrong doing, he could repent and relive. Only if we choose to admit our wrongs and repent to God, Jesus would forgive us and just like how he could overcome death and resurrect. He would forgive us as we don’t know what we have done and He would shed the light of grace. It’s just one week away and it’s Easter. Take this chance to review and rethink and let God’s death cleanse your sins and give you new life.

Quote of the Day
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 6:23
I pray to God that we will take this chance to review, rethink and relive. 

Postscript Quote 
But Palm Sunday tells us that … it is the cross that is the true tree of life. 
Pope Benedict XVI

Death penalty

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I am watching closely the news about the Indian girl who was murdered and died of gang raped like more than 2 weeks ago. The trial against the 5 men will be held tomorrow 5 January (because the 6th man is a juvenile who claimed to be 17 years old and he would be testified to confirm his true age). These suspects are at the risk of facing death sentencing. As usual, everything has supporters and non-supporters and so is this case, albeit the obvious nature of this case – rape and brutal bodily injury reflects the evilness of the wrong-doers. What is the stance of Christians and Christianity in situations like this? I personally would vote for death penalty for this trial as I believe there is a price to everything, and I don’t mean this as a revenge but a tool to make a halt to similar things from happening again. But if these murderers admit their wrongs and due to the punishment were terrified and submit themselves, are these true repentance and should they be forgiven? I read last night from the Bible Acts 5 that a couple sold a piece of property and turned in a portion of the returns and lied to God that they are all they get and they surrender to God. Peter tried to give them a chance to tell the truth and ask them what they get, the couple lied. Then they fell and died. The immediate feeling I have after reading this scripture was that God could punish us by taking away our lives if we are not truthful. And the punishment involves death too. Then I think of the Indian case again, should these men be sentenced to death? If that is going to transform India with better human equality, societal justice of the country, then enforcing death sentencing could be practical and effective? I wonder what other Christians feel about this and feel free to leave me a comment of your opinions. But everything happens for a purpose and the deceased girl has sacrificed for the bigger change of India and she would be rewarded in the heavenly kingdom. God give peace to her family and remove their sorrows and emptiness.

Quote of the Day
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
Titus 2:11-12
I pray to God that I will not let my personal judgement be in the way to understand the true teachings of Jesus.

Postscript Quote 
I believe people would be alive today if there were a death penalty.
Nancy Reagan

When Han was trapped and crushed in the subway track

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Colleague told me a news she read that disturbs her a lot, it’s about New York Post publishing an image of a man being pushed at the train rail track and a train running towards him in maybe less than a minute’s distance. A few things about the incident which probably is challenging our moral and principles. This poor man, Ki Suk Han, got into a fight with this man who might be drunk, called Davis, as Davis was seemingly to be disturbing other passengers at the station and thus Han was helpful hoping Davis could stop the harrass. And after some kind of shoveling around, Davis pushed Kan to the track and he fell inside. And Davis admitted that the just witnessed Han being crushed and wedged by the train at the platform. This situation leaves us a lot of puzzling part: Why aren’t there someone at a NY subway pulling Kan out of the track? If you read this, you can see it would not be even difficult for 2 men or just 1 man to pull Kan who is a normal built Asian out? Kan is just helping out and it’s not even about 2 gangsters fighting over drugs or money, and even so, anyone being thrown down involuntarily should be helped? At least couldn’t someone show the sign or effort to help him? People are blaming the photographer who caught the image and not rescuing the Han, but where are the rest of the people as well? Why would New York Post display this image, where is their ethics of journalism? Read this to see how sorrowful the family is seeing the core family member in pain seconds before he was run over? Kan who is Christian has done his best to be helpful and would he and his family be in doubt of God’s action and faith for the tragedy that happened to them or this would just make them stronger? It’s a series of questions about people’s moral standard of ethics, principle and conscience we have to review and reflect. This is not the first time a public issue happened and people in the city is not showing any compassion and care. If this apathy continues, our world could very much end in pain in our own hands.

Quote of the Day
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.
Matthew 21:21
I pray to God that I will not stop seeking Him in view of negative things happening around us and blessings to all the misfortune people and may peace be with them in their hearts and souls.

Postscript Quote 
Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.
From a Headstone in Ireland

Frankenweenie

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I watched Frankenweenie last night and was super impressed as I have always been fans of Tim Burton and I thought lining him up with Disney will not be a very good idea coz I perceive Pixar and Dreamworks as better animation partners. I am delighted to find my perception wrong. Victor has a dog called Sparky and their love for each other is extremely deep, but poor sparky died and Edward was depressed and learned from a bizarre science teacher at school that electricity could bring life back from dead. And here they go: Victor resurrected Sparky! But the key to this resurrection is that when we repeat the process without adding our love, passion and heart, we produce something monstrous. This is one of the biggest thing I got to learn from the movie that we cannot robotically do things as the end result will be bad. We could relate this to our daily lives: at work, at home and at whatever place you go all the time. If you don’t have love for these things you do, you are not going to do it well. If I don’t read my Bible with my heart and simply just read it without thinking or believing, I am not going to learn and I will not be able to act them out. And one more thing about the movie…is our relationship with something or someone we love, they would die sooner or later – how do we handle that? Victor’s mom teaches Victor how to face death and that is so tough for a small kid, but that is the very first lesson for them to learn about the cycle of nature – where there is birth, there is death.

Quote of the Day
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die
John 11:25
I pray to God that we would understand and remember that our life here on earth, is only a section of our journey. There is a lot more He has prepared for us ahead.

Postscript Quote 
Only after disaster can we be resurrected. 
Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club

All you can eat

By Posted in after thought, food, social-economic, Uncategorized Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Was chatting with colleagues over lunch casually and buffet is one of the topic as we were introducing to our French intern colleague about Hong Kong’s love. Hong Kong people just love buffet as the thought of ‘all you can eat’ is mesmerizing to them. There is this hotel’s restaurant which specializes in doing buffet all day long: breakfast buffet, lunch buffet, afternoon tea buffet, dinner buffet and the last round supper buffet. Looking at the case in a superficial level, there is actually nothing wrong about it and it’s just a value-for-money way of dining. But I feel that deep down it’s really our desire of losing control and indulge in something without a limit that is not quite right. Of course we are indulging ourselves with just food, not that they are like drugs or something evil so it’s fine and I should try not to be too critical about the case. But it’s really our attitude on how we treat food I think that matters. I saw a short clips about how a retired Hong Kong farmer still growing aubergine, papaya and other vegetables at his backyard and selling those at cost to neighborhood elderlies and the way he gardens his crops, the way he fertilizes them and harvesting those precious food and bringing them to the morning market of Tin Shui Wai is very touching. It’s our respect for the living things including plantations that is important. When food comes so easily, we completely forget to appreciate them, and even complain they are not tasty and we are too full etc. Recently, there is this person in Florida who passed away after he won the cockroaches-eating contest – I think that is such a total waste of a person’s life and the idea is extremely dump and wasteful. Why would you want to spend the time to enter into a contest like that? Why would people organize such gross event and why would anyone want to spend a second using their time like that? God will be sad as we do not really use our creativity well and we just wasted our lives and time like that.

Quote of the Day
Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails
Proverbs 19:20-21
I pray to God that I will learn to discipline and will appreciate whatever He has given me – good times and bad times!

Postscript Quote 
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. 
Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.

eggs

By Posted in politics, social-economic, society Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
Taiwan during this weekend has more than 120,000 people protesting against the presidential inaugural of Ma Ying Geou. The Democratic Progressive Party who is the key force behind such act has prepared 10,000 eggs for their protesters to throw at the huge image of Ma Ying Geou. I remember there was once I watched a documentary filming the malnourished children in Africa and was told that so many of them has never tasted proper meal not to mention food like meat or eggs have never been part of their diet even when they are a few years old, so often they just appear like kids at 1 year old or less in our societies’ definition. I have huge disgust and disappointment at how some people treat the resources of the earth and they only seek the grumpy ways to voice their minds and wants. My pastor this Sunday preaches about patience: one of the most widely preached topics ever, the reason we are being taught about this topic so super often is that we are still lacking it. Do not grumble but stay calm even when things don’t turn the way we want it to be. Pastor said planting is probably the easiest way to see patience as the key thing to see a harvest. We never know how soon a seed would bloom and blossom. We just have to wait – waiting with hope in joy is the Godly way to live our lives. We city people just have been disconnected with the nature for too long and we forget how to wait – and understand everything has its cycle.
Daily Quote
Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
James 5:9
I pray to God that I would not only find fault of the others but pray for power and always stay hopeful in God – who is the creator of all.

Postscript Quote 
Grumbling is the death of love. 
Marlene Dietrich

parting with the parts

By Posted in after thought, culture, donation Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
The news headline yesterday in HK reported a mother chooses to donate the useable organs of her deceased daughter to 6 people who all are not far from dying if they still couldn’t replace their worn body parts. What have been shared include a heart, liver (2 people benefited), retina and her kidneys. The mom was interviewed and shared with all her dilemma earlier about how torn she feels between wanting to preserve her daughter’s body and the sense to helping others. At the same time we got to know how those people who benefit from her generosity thank the donor because that means rebirth to them and not just feeling hopeful, but they actually face regeneration through the mother’s decision. This decision has given hope to not only 6 individuals but 6 families and the people around them, including me and you and countless others. I couldn’t really relate why people is so concerned about having the body in ‘one piece’ when they die, many years ago I have already completed the organ donation form agreeing on giving away all my useable organs to the others when I die and I believe my family would not object to this wish should that day happen. I feel that this is something quite Asian that the westerners wouldn’t understand too well. Is this conservatism, I don’t know. The values of sharing or giving is quite different between the East and the West. And that is why something like open-source community in the internet such as Wikipedia, and monastery or preaching also started from the West! Adoption of kids and handicap children also are more popular in the western society…This is just a very limited view of the situation and not meant to be comprehensive or fair at all, but it’s just a top-of-mind association. I truly believe with more understanding and education, the sense of giving or donation could be achieved so much better in the Asian cultures.
Daily Quote
Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
Matthew 21:43
I pray to God that we are willing to give continuously what we have!

Postscript Quote 
The measure of life is not its duration, but its donation. 
Peter Marshall 

crisis

By Posted in after thought, Christianity, faith, religion Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment
It’s in last week’s Newsweek cover which says “Forget the Church. Follow Jesus.” written by British political commentator Andrew Sullivan. One paragraph which struck me I am quoting here “All of which is to say something so obvious it is almost taboo: Christianity itself is in crisis. It seems no accident to me that so many Christians now embrace materialist self-help rather than ascetic self-denial—or that most Catholics, even regular churchgoers, have tuned out the hierarchy in embarrassment or disgust. Given this crisis, it is no surprise that the fastest-growing segment of belief among the young is atheism, which has leapt in popularity in the new millennium. Nor is it a shock that so many have turned away from organized Christianity and toward “spirituality,” co-opting or adapting the practices of meditation or yoga, or wandering as lapsed Catholics in an inquisitive spiritual desert. The thirst for God is still there. How could it not be, when the profoundest human questions—Why does the universe exist rather than nothing? How did humanity come to be on this remote blue speck of a planet? What happens to us after death?—remain as pressing and mysterious as they’ve always been.” Click here to read full article. It’s quite true what this paragraph is describing about the current situation of many believers nowadays. Easter is about belief, trust and faith. Jesus’ disciples after going around with Him for so long before his death, after the crucifixion could not even believe He has risen from the dead and Thomas claimed he would not believe Jesus is alive till he put his fingers on his palm where the nails has broken Him. From generations to generations, we are all filled with unbelief and lack of trust in our hearts, when would we surrender our heart whole-heartedly to God?

Daily Quote
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible foryou.”
Matthew 17:20
I pray to God that we take Easter as the concrete fact about His promise to us as He has sacrificed His life and resurrect. 
Postscript Quote 
I find your lack of faith disturbing. 
Darth Vader, Star Wars Episode IV, A New Hope