2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!"
says the Teacher.
"Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 1:2) Solomon was so right.
I have the X-Factor to thank for this post.
I am humble enough to admit that yes, I have been chasing X-factor for the last few weeks, since they started the live shows with the final 12 contestants. But aside from the 1-hour-per-week of entertainment I get from the show, I managed to come away from it with something more.
Just type in X Factor or any of the contestants' names into google news search and you'll find a myriad of stuff about the shows and people. "CONSPIRACY" "FANS FRENZY" "FIX ROW" blah blah blah.
I can imagine such news splashed across the Sun or Daily Mirror's front pages on Monday mornings and sad lonely people clinging to every word and milking everything from it all.
But its so utterly meaningless. I can understand that some people may have up to a certain degree of interest in the lives of these not-even-popstars wannabes. But to make SUCH a big deal out of it, and how detailed these tabloids fabricate things, is nonsense. Who cares if a contestant was voted off because it was all scheming/fixed etc, or how some of them can't sing, or whatever romance is going on backstage.
And this is just a tiny tiny tip of a big big meaningless iceberg. And I don't just mean that the entire X Factor frenzy is meaningless. I mean there's SO MUCH meaninglessness in this world its ridiculous. It just really dawned on me somehow.
I apologise for my somewhat depressing rant.
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Saturday, 14 November 2009
Stinkin' Hell
Last Saturday I went to hell, which is about 1.5 hrs drive from Tokyo (although it took us 3 because it seemed like everyone was going there last weekend).
Hiroshi, Hezza, Jeimusu and I made a day-road-trip from Tokyo to Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture to see the glorious colours of autumn leaves (check), Ashinoko Lake (check), a glimpse of Fuji-san (check), and the highlight, "The Big Hell", or "Great Boiling Valley", a volcanic valley with hot springs and active sulphur vents (check).
Hakone was PACKED that day. Lots of cars, and lots of people walking around. It was a wonderful day weather-wise, though; and not far from Tokyo, and just the right time for looking at the beautiful autumn leaves. So chances are the entire Tokyo population probably did decend upon it at that same weekend. Despite the traffic, driving through the town and the Hakone area was very nice with different coloured leaves along the roadside.After having tempura soba for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the lake, we took the cable car (or ropeway as they call it here) up the hill to hell, anticipation rising with altitude, and seeing smoke and steam spouting from the slopes added to the excitement. But anticipation didn't foresee the big shock that came crashing down as we stepped off the cable car - THE STINK. It can only be described as 'rotten eggs and vomit'. Awful. But awesome.
No photo can rightly capture the awesomeness of The Big Hell, no matter how good or big your camera (and mine wasn't small). It was a combination of all the factors - the smell, the dead trees, the black rocks, the yellow rocks, the steam, the patches of red sand, the streams of warm milky spring water, the faint view of the top of of Fuji looking like its floating in mid-air, and later on the sun at dusk. It may be called Hell, but it was no less than an amazingly awesome experience.As you can see from the photos,
there wasn't much vegetation on the hill, due to a big volcanic eruption N years ago that wiped off most of the life on that hill (N being an increasing number that I couldn't be bothered to research). It was only afterwards (like now - during the course of writing this post) that it dawned on me that I was standing on a VERY active volcanic site. WHAT IF IT HAD ERUPTED AGAIN?! Count yourself lucky, my dear readers, 'cause if it had, you wouldn't have been able to read this very informative post.
Oh and the eggs - they sold these black eggs that were boiled in the spring water. The shell was all black, but the inside was the same, tasted the same, and were sold for 100 yen each.In conclusion - HELL WAS AWESOME.
(Click: google images of Big Hell)
Monday, 9 November 2009
Sustaining Grace = ?
Not grace to bar what is not bliss,
Nor flight from all distress, but this:
The grace that orders our trouble and pain,
And then, in the darkness, is there to sustain.
- John Piper (Perhaps one of the best theologians of our time)
I definitely think we sometimes use the word 'grace' too loosely. We hear it all the time. "By God's grace we have a child without any physical or mental defects." or "By God's grace we avoided any accidents on that dangerous stretch of road" or even "By God's grace I had just enough money to pay for my groceries at the check-out"...
The Bible-in-a-year guide is taking me through Jeremiah these few weeks. Living in the 21st century, it is not always easy to be able to relate to events in Israel back in 500 something BC, especially Jeremiah's prophecies of constant threats of death and destruction and invasion and disaster etc facing Israel. That's why I listen to (good) sermons. And so I was reminded by John Piper that amidst all the threats of doom in Jeremiah, God's promise is lodged in there somewhere...
God might not stop that car accident, or might not let you have a superficially perfect child, or probably won't stop a church building from burning down. But grace is the light and relief amidst darkness and pain.
Not grace to bar what is not bliss,
Nor flight from all distress, but this:
The grace that orders our trouble and pain,
And then, in the darkness, is there to sustain.
Nor flight from all distress, but this:
The grace that orders our trouble and pain,
And then, in the darkness, is there to sustain.
- John Piper (Perhaps one of the best theologians of our time)
I definitely think we sometimes use the word 'grace' too loosely. We hear it all the time. "By God's grace we have a child without any physical or mental defects." or "By God's grace we avoided any accidents on that dangerous stretch of road" or even "By God's grace I had just enough money to pay for my groceries at the check-out"...
The Bible-in-a-year guide is taking me through Jeremiah these few weeks. Living in the 21st century, it is not always easy to be able to relate to events in Israel back in 500 something BC, especially Jeremiah's prophecies of constant threats of death and destruction and invasion and disaster etc facing Israel. That's why I listen to (good) sermons. And so I was reminded by John Piper that amidst all the threats of doom in Jeremiah, God's promise is lodged in there somewhere...
Jeremiah 32:36-41
Now therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning this city of which you say, "It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence," 37 "Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath, and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. 38 And they shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good, and for the good of their children after them. 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. 41 And I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul." 42 For thus says the Lord, "Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to bring on them all the good that I am promising them."Evidently, grace didn't spare calamity upon the Israelites. They had it tough - "by sword, by famine, and by pestilence", as the Israelites themselves described it. These are God's chosen people. Nor will grace spare us from calamity. But that's not the end of it. It is God who has the last word - his promise to save and restore.
God might not stop that car accident, or might not let you have a superficially perfect child, or probably won't stop a church building from burning down. But grace is the light and relief amidst darkness and pain.
Not grace to bar what is not bliss,
Nor flight from all distress, but this:
The grace that orders our trouble and pain,
And then, in the darkness, is there to sustain.
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Samukunatta
..which means, it's gotten cold! Yes the winter is roaring in like a hungry caterpillar.
Winter in this part of the world means:
Hiding under the kotatsu (is a table with heating element underneath)
Higher electricity bills
Longer showers
Higher gas bills
Higher water bills
Ever more reluctance to get out of bed
...and thus more rushing through the morning routine
Freezing bicycle rides to and from school. Gale force winds + half frozen rain = NATURE'S FORM OF TERRORISM
Toilet-seat-warmer setting goes up
HOTPOT PARTIES!
Me ta bo - ie getting FAT
Trips to snowy places
Trips to warm places
Apples and oranges
Less insects
Hot water bottles
Winter doesn't sound too bad afterall! (except for the cold part)
Winter in this part of the world means:
Hiding under the kotatsu (is a table with heating element underneath)
Higher electricity bills
Longer showers
Higher gas bills
Higher water bills
Ever more reluctance to get out of bed
...and thus more rushing through the morning routine
Freezing bicycle rides to and from school. Gale force winds + half frozen rain = NATURE'S FORM OF TERRORISM
Toilet-seat-warmer setting goes up
HOTPOT PARTIES!
Me ta bo - ie getting FAT
Trips to snowy places
Trips to warm places
Apples and oranges
Less insects
Hot water bottles
Winter doesn't sound too bad afterall! (except for the cold part)
Saturday, 31 October 2009
31 October 2009
I read a few chapters of Jeremiah.
I bought lots of vegetables. And lots of chocolatey snacks...
I swept and vacuumed the apartment.
I cooked.
I ate a lot.
I watched two romcoms and one episode of House while eating the lot.
I managed to book a cheap-ish flight to HK in December on a Japanese website and am quite proud of being able to do that.
I chatted to mum and to grandpa.
I lightroom-ed some photos.
It's been a pretty good day.
I bought lots of vegetables. And lots of chocolatey snacks...
I swept and vacuumed the apartment.
I cooked.
I ate a lot.
I watched two romcoms and one episode of House while eating the lot.
I managed to book a cheap-ish flight to HK in December on a Japanese website and am quite proud of being able to do that.
I chatted to mum and to grandpa.
I lightroom-ed some photos.
It's been a pretty good day.
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Flu fever
I sneezed the other day.
Uhh so?
The thing is....I sneezed in front of the vice principal. A vice principal whose face I haven't seen for quite sometime as it is always hiding behind a massive medical mask.
AAH CHOOOOOO! The staffroom went quiet for about a second. Then the commotion started - the VP yelling "mask!", some teachers laughing, some teachers grumbling disapproving sounds...
Yes. Everyone here is in pandemic mode. There are bottles of alcoholic handwash on every corner. ALL students are ordered to wear masks. Students are told off for not wearing their masks. (Even during PE lesson..!). There's a box of masks for staff to take freely. Every break time students are reminded over the broadcast system to open windows and wash their hands. When one student caught swine flu last week, everything has been thrown into uncertainty - do we still go on with the singing contest?? (They did) And do we continue with our annual bazaar/community exchange event on the 7th November??? (Undecided)
Conversations in the staffroom have reduced to which teacher's kids or spouse have caught the flu or how many more kids in School X and Y have caught the flu and how School Z have had the entire 1st grade off for x number of days.
All this is getting quite tiring. I still haven't worn a mask in school yet (except for the school singing contest when the whole school spent 6 hours in the town community hall or else I would've been refused entry). I don't intend to wear one unless I absolutely have to.
Uhh so?
The thing is....I sneezed in front of the vice principal. A vice principal whose face I haven't seen for quite sometime as it is always hiding behind a massive medical mask.
AAH CHOOOOOO! The staffroom went quiet for about a second. Then the commotion started - the VP yelling "mask!", some teachers laughing, some teachers grumbling disapproving sounds...
Yes. Everyone here is in pandemic mode. There are bottles of alcoholic handwash on every corner. ALL students are ordered to wear masks. Students are told off for not wearing their masks. (Even during PE lesson..!). There's a box of masks for staff to take freely. Every break time students are reminded over the broadcast system to open windows and wash their hands. When one student caught swine flu last week, everything has been thrown into uncertainty - do we still go on with the singing contest?? (They did) And do we continue with our annual bazaar/community exchange event on the 7th November??? (Undecided)
Conversations in the staffroom have reduced to which teacher's kids or spouse have caught the flu or how many more kids in School X and Y have caught the flu and how School Z have had the entire 1st grade off for x number of days.
All this is getting quite tiring. I still haven't worn a mask in school yet (except for the school singing contest when the whole school spent 6 hours in the town community hall or else I would've been refused entry). I don't intend to wear one unless I absolutely have to.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
What would you scare Lazarus with?
Ravi Zacharias never fails to disappoint the listener in his talks, be it on theology, humor, wit or relevance.
“Have you ever wondered what you would do to frighten Lazarus after he’d been raised from the dead? What would you do to threaten him? Lazarus, I’m gonna’ kill you?
Caligula says, ‘I’m going to kill you.’
He says, ‘Ha, ha, ha.’
He says ‘stop ha, ha, ha-ing. I’m going to kill you as I’m killing all the Christians.’
He doubles over in uncontrollable laughter, comes up for air and says, ‘Caligula haven’t you heard? Death is dead! Death is dead!’
How do you frighten somebody who's already been there and knows the one who's going to let him out? "
I really haven't given as much credit to The Daily Bread on my blogs as I should considering how much thought it provokes in my small head almost everytime I read it which is almost everyday. A few weeks ago, one of the 'bread' titles, Worth Dying For, revived a memory of a church service that I attended not too long ago (in fact only 2 months ago) back in Hong Kong. The pastor was talking about a Chinese Christian who wrote how she witnessed many Christians denying their belief in Jesus Christ when they were threatened with persecution for their faith.
What would we do if we were put in that position? Isn't it easy to say "Ah I would never renounce my faith like that!", whilst perhaps others might say "What good would I be dead? Is it not better to lie now, stay alive, and speak the gospel later?"
The only response I can think of right now is what Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians "TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN"(Philippians 1:21). Yet he goes on... "If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." (1:22-24)
As Christians we actually do have a bit of a dilemma don't we? We know that an unimaginably wonderful place is waiting for us after life on earth, where we'll walk in streets of gold and be with Jesus Himself as well as all the legendary followers of Christ that have gone before us. Yet we also ought to believe that God can still use us as ambassadors to more people to Christ, to witness to light amidst suffering, to bring joy to the hopeless.
Thoughts?
“Have you ever wondered what you would do to frighten Lazarus after he’d been raised from the dead? What would you do to threaten him? Lazarus, I’m gonna’ kill you?
Caligula says, ‘I’m going to kill you.’
He says, ‘Ha, ha, ha.’
He says ‘stop ha, ha, ha-ing. I’m going to kill you as I’m killing all the Christians.’
He doubles over in uncontrollable laughter, comes up for air and says, ‘Caligula haven’t you heard? Death is dead! Death is dead!’
How do you frighten somebody who's already been there and knows the one who's going to let him out? "
I really haven't given as much credit to The Daily Bread on my blogs as I should considering how much thought it provokes in my small head almost everytime I read it which is almost everyday. A few weeks ago, one of the 'bread' titles, Worth Dying For, revived a memory of a church service that I attended not too long ago (in fact only 2 months ago) back in Hong Kong. The pastor was talking about a Chinese Christian who wrote how she witnessed many Christians denying their belief in Jesus Christ when they were threatened with persecution for their faith.
What would we do if we were put in that position? Isn't it easy to say "Ah I would never renounce my faith like that!", whilst perhaps others might say "What good would I be dead? Is it not better to lie now, stay alive, and speak the gospel later?"
The only response I can think of right now is what Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians "TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN"(Philippians 1:21). Yet he goes on... "If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." (1:22-24)
As Christians we actually do have a bit of a dilemma don't we? We know that an unimaginably wonderful place is waiting for us after life on earth, where we'll walk in streets of gold and be with Jesus Himself as well as all the legendary followers of Christ that have gone before us. Yet we also ought to believe that God can still use us as ambassadors to more people to Christ, to witness to light amidst suffering, to bring joy to the hopeless.
Thoughts?
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