• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
Meditations on Lent
ByAlwyn Lau
 
 
TIME OUT. LOG-OFF. LISTEN.
“Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom...”(1 Corinthians 1:22) No space. No space for breathing, not much for silence, not at all for praying. And if Nike,Sony, Nokia and all the other buy Buy BUY giants have their way, there won’t be any spacefor free choice anymore i.e. we just
 gotta
have it, right?Maybe Lent is a good time to dedicate our spaces to God. The spaces in our wallets, thespaces at home, the space between our ears. Jews seek abracadabra miracles, which they think are acts of God. Greeks want smart-alec philosophers, whom they think embody wisdom.Modern Malaysians? Ah, we don’t want much. All we need is money, good looks, clothes,high grades and second-helpings of the expensive food on the table.But it’s the same thing. In the end we want to feel
more capable
than our peers. We want tofeel more. Lent could be God’s way of saying: It’s okay to have less. It’s alright to
do
less. It’sfine to
be
less in the eyes of other people.Remember, WHO is the focus of our message? Some Rambo who can blow up Russian tankssingle-handedly? Some young hotshot who can fly and turn his enemies into frogs? Somesexy lass who can kungfu-kick her way past a dozen nasty monsters? No,
we preach about aman nailed naked to a piece of wood 
. Yeah, that’s it. Really awesome, huh? Oh, but it is. It istruly out of this world.“…but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling block to Jews andfoolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called…
Christ thepower of God and the wisdom of God
” (1 Corinthians 1:23-25)Listen to the story of Jesus. In His last few days, His last few hours. Turn off the mobile. Log-off. Give some space in your heart to listen and learn. All power and all wisdom were‘crammed’ into this heart-breaking story. Let’s allow it to wash over us.
Faith-Steps
1.
Map out your daily routine. From the time you awake till the time you sleep. How canyou
create more space
for God in your life?
2.
Read 1Corinthians 1:22-25 and write down a) what immediately strikes you and b) twoquestions you want to ask God about the passage. Go online to see if the questions youasked have been answered already. Share this experience with someone close to you.
 
UNFINISHED
Any time I think I’m ‘spiritual’ enough, I only need to open the psalms.“My soul
thirsts for God
, for the living God. When can I go and meetwith God?” (Psalms 42:2)
 Aiyoh
(!), I can’t compete with the psalmist. He actually asks, “
When
can I go and meet withGod?” Un-believable. The closest kind of thing I normally say is, “
When
can we go and seeBatman Begins?”He
misses
God’s presence; I miss my Web connection when I go out of town. He
craves
for God’s arms; I long for the arms of a comfortable chair at the end of a working day. He
longs
to hear God’s voice; I long to listen to my favourite CD.“
My tears have been my food day and night
, whilst men say to me allday long, ‘Where is your God’?” (Psalms 42:3)“Send forth
your light and your truth
, let them guide me…” (Psalms43:3)I am nowhere near the psalmist. The psalmist
weeps
when people mock God; I just look downor try to change the subject. He asks God for more light and truth; I tell myself my “dailyreadings” once a day (sometimes less)
dah cukup
 
la
.“…let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where youdwell
” (Psalms 43:3)See there? Still can’t enough of God’s presence. Gotta be where He is. God is an addiction the psalmist can’t seem to get enough of. Me? I’ve got enough trouble trying to out-smart myegoistic indulgent self and
its
addictions.“Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. (Psalms 43:4)What was the psalmist aiming at? What is his ‘goal in life’? It looks like his whole being is pointed towards praising God – 
that’s
his purpose for getting up every morning,
that’s
themagnet which pulls him on every day. For me, if it’s not my examinations it’s usually my Nama, my Gaya, my Duit, my Badan, whatever boosts Aku the Great. I’ve got lots to learn.May God teach me well.If you find you’re more like the psalmist, praise be to God! If you find you’re more like yourstruly, then praise Him too.
For God loves His unfinished works of love
. Just ask Him to keepmolding you. Always.
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...