Awakening & Witness

(Written on Oct 31)

thank Edith for her discussions, encouragement & initiative in getting this project started. So often, we have various great ideas & plans that never materialise. It's great to have someone who can see the promise in the idea, the faith in the goal, and courage to take the first step!

I thought I would write in my first entry, about the aim for contributing in this blog, in writing down some reflections & thoughts. However, as I thought about it, I soon I realised that it was hard to actually put into words my intentions, visions, and what prompted me to do this. Why is it that I want to share my reflections? What have I to say that would be of value to others? Is this in response to God’s call, or is this in fact because of selfish reasons, in my desire for recognition or praise for possible expressions of wise insight and depth of spirituality?

Reading today's Gospel gave me some insight into maybe what God calls of me.

{Luke 14:1-6
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?” But they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he had healed him, dismissed him. Then he said to them “Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?” But they were unable to answer his question. }

Jesus was in the centre of attention of everyone. Under close scrutiny, every word, every action from Him would be pounced upon, analysed, judged. When He encounters the suffering man in need of healing, the way in which others would view Him, judge Him, admire Him or condemn Him did not matter. What determined His action was His deep compassion for the man – the profound, innate desire to reach out, to heal, to love him.

So, I pray that this space for me, these reflections, will be, above all else, a place where I can encounter God, like the man before Jesus. A place where I can quieten myself away from the clamour of the distractions and demands of daily life, and in this quiet space, hear the gentle whisper of God speaking to me, speaking words of love; a place where God can dwell - and reach out, in nourishment, healing and gentle awakening.

They are, thus, personal reflections, of my own encounter with God. Whilst being in its nature, personal, they are also shared here, since I trust that some of these words may echo our common experiences with the One God. If so, may this give voice to the stirrings in your own hearts, the soft whispers of God in you - and thus we become witnesses in our shared faith, and companions on our journey.