Dear...
'Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.'
1 Corinthians 12:1
The Word of God did say that the wisdom of men is a pale shadow of the 'foolishness' of our Lord. Prayerfully I have not paraphrased this incorrectly, but clearly, much as there are giants of great intellect amongst us homo sapiens( the Latin word for wise and knowing humans), men in reality are but finite and all will wilt away.
Today, encased in the middle pages of our local Sunday newspaper, is an article that highlighted the differing responses to a recent, but not new view put forward by some legal minds on the possibility of amending the law to allow for patient assisted suicides. The difference between this and euthanasia, is that for the latter, the snuffing out of one's life is administered by trained medical professionals, while the former is a D..I.Y, no doubt with some guidance.
From Adam's first bite of the apple, men have till death take their last breath away, will always have an opinion, framed by their own understanding, molded by life's experiences, and driven by their own core selfish needs, no matter how one try to couch it on higher moral grounds. To those who cherish the sanctity of life, and stands firmly on the grounds of moral and ethical as well as one's religious orientation, no one should exercise the right to take the life of another or even one's own. But from a practical consideration, especially where one is not coming from a detached 3rd party perspective, but is either the despairing sick person, or the loved ones of the dying person, the burden can be overwhelming, both emotionally, physically and financially to continue to sustain what by medical definition is a dying person.
So who is right?
It is a function of one's beliefs. If life on Earth is it, and one should live it to the fullest, much as the secular man do not subscribe to the thereafter and even less to entertaining the possibility of "gods' or God, then it is a correct thought that one should self terminate, if one no longer can live life fruitfully. Like the widgets in a factory, one should be discarded when one outlive one's usefulness. Cruel but necessary in our not just increasingly crowded and overburdened Mother Earth, but with the blossoming expectations of the once repressed populations of the two most populous countries n the world, ie India and China, there is simply not enough for everyone.
'And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us.'
Acts 15:8
Being a Christian does not mean that I will live not just forever on Earth, but healthily. In fact, as age begin to take its toll, I do feel my bodily parts showing its wear. Having just returned from Nagoya and Kyoto, I not just carried memories of a lovely time, but also the scars of subjecting the body to a short but intense trip. My last trip to the States two years back, I brought home a painful left wrist, and now from Japan, I bring home not just vivid images of the rudimentary stages of the blossoming Sakuras, but also an unwelcome painful left heel and aching shoulders.
In Church today, the pastor talked about miracles. And indeed God has healed me in so many ways, both physically but more importantly in the Spirit. Man looks at the temporal, God is concerned about our eternity. A doctor who in his suicide note despaired about how life has become meaningless and since he only believes in the present and not in God, the 'right' thing to do was to snuff himself out for at least that was within his control.
Today, there are similar other controversies about abortion, especially of foetus scanned with birth defects. The same legalistic and medical contentions about one's sexual orientations and desires and other addictions be it gambling or drugs.
In all instances, are we making the erroneous assumptions that we should be the arbiter and worse, that we are god?
'That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom My name is called, saith the Lord, Who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all His works form the beginning of the world.'
Acts 15:17-18
If God is real, and He is, He has placed in us that innate desire to seek a relationship with Him. Sadly, that desire or connection is often submerged and lost amongst the clutter of the delusions of Satan's world and the selfish and self-serving misguided thoughts and actions of us, the sinful men.
Illnesses are often the manifestations of a life lived not right, or even that of past generations. Hereditary does take on a deeper meaning here. God wants to heal all of us, but not necessarily in the physical but definitely in our spiritual, for eternity is what truly matters.
Having walked closely with friends who have since left this temporal world, one common experience learned is that God will truly draw near to those who draw near to Him. My friends are no longer with me, but I know that they are with the Lord our God. For God indeed in each of the last 6 months of their life, through the clearly hopeless medical conditions, brought about healing both within the individual and without, amongst their once estranged loved ones.
To by our own understanding, assist some to end his temporal pain, is to not to just leave him or her in eternal damnation, and I am sure that person will not be very thankful for your misguided good intentions in facilitating his mercy killing when you next meet in the hot-tub of eternal damnation with the devil. But there are greater ramifications, for God do use the down and out to reach out to many others. So in one's singular desire to play 'god', you could also be committing mass genocide, think about it or rather do pray about it, and here is an interesting prayer fresh from my church's sermon this morning to give you a perspective.
'O Lord,
Open our eyes to Your Presence
Open our minds to Your grace
Open our lips to Your praises
Open our hearts to Your love
Open our lives to Your healing
And be found among us.
In Christ's name, Amen
(David Adam)
When does God transform one's sexual orientation to align to that of His will. where science deem it not possible? When does a mass rapist break free of his bondage of uncontrolled lust? When does the bitter learn to swallow the repulsive pill of his pride and begin to taste the sweetness of forgiveness.? Or even simply when does God transform us from the man of the world to a man who seeks after Him? And when does one depart in joy and peace, much as the body is wasting away, knowing that eternity with God is what matters?
No one knows when the Spirit of God will fall upon us. But no one has the right to play god and cause a fellow man to lose his chance to accept the salvation that God has freely given to all who believe?
But can we afford to wait for God, especially with so many burdens associated with medical care and life in general? The Germans come to the warmer and cheaper climes of Thailand, and we in Singapore might soon go to nearby Johore for not just water, but for that less costly medical care, but these are plans of men.
God will provide, but will we remain faithful and be obedient and trust in our Provider, rather than in our provisions. Miracle is the witnessing of the impossible. It is the affirmation of the omnipresence and Sovereignty of our Abba Father. With God all things are possible and there is no expiry date for those who trust in Him.
'And the world passeth away, and the lust therof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.'
1 John 1:17
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(21st Mar 2010)
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