Faith and Reason

Awhile back while browsing through my newsfeed on Facebook, I came across this particular picture which I find quite disconcerting. It was uploaded by one my Christian Fellowship (CF) members back during my college days.

What was even more disturbing for me is that the person who posted this is quite active in her faith, even leading a Christian committee back at her area at the time she posted the posted image.

Whenever phrases or images of this sort goes out, it always baffles me as to how such Christians, who are active in their Church and other ministries, seem to show lack of responsibility on posting messages they think is a genuine “Christian” message. They post and follow whatever moves them, but show little regard in searching deeper into the faith. Such attitude is dangerous as it is bound to mislead others, especially who are new to the faith, beginning from the person who posted it his/herself.

God made everything in the world, and that includes the ability for us to reason. Jesus knew this, and took it into consideration when He went about in His work. Else, He would not have performed miracles, He would not have revealed Himself during after the Resurrection, nor would He give any visible sign of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost. Nowhere in the Bible would you find Jesus saying that to have faith you must discard all reasoning.

To be a witness of the work, the disciples had to first witness the work. Our faith is in a way very much dependant on reason. We believe because of what God has shown and done for us in our lives. A person who has not an encounter with God will find it impossible to truly believe in Him. For one to come to terms with faith, he/she will have to first find his/her reasons to believe.

Blind trust is quite different from true faith. If I were to give an analogy, the former is more akin to a child thinking his biological parent can answer and accomplish everything under and beyond the sun. When St Paul wrote “We live by faith, not by sight” in 2 Corinthians 5:7, he certainly did not mean that we are to walk down a busy street with both our eyes closed. Likewise, such feelings are not led by the Holy Spirit, but by our own unformed conscience and an impulsive heart. A talented charismatic leader can stir up strong emotions in the masses, even if the message in question is misleading.

The laws of God do not depend on how one feels. God willed them to be knowable, even in the absence of strong emotion and apparent miracles. While the mysteries of God are unfathomable and inexhaustible, they are ultimately knowable, since God willed them to be known. If not, why would He reveal Himself in the Scriptures? Would not God be pleased to make Himself known to His children? Why would He have them grasping in the dark? Indeed Isaiah relates some gifts of the Spirit, and that includes knowledge and understanding (Isaiah 11:2).

That said, I will not deny there are times where we have to make a leap into darkness through faith; however, those times are not your everyday ordinary times. Such times are usually major decisive events – cases of emergency – but to the majority, they are not a daily occurrence.

The late Pope John Paul II phrased this meaning beautifully when he said “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.” This complements what was written: “Ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made (Romans 1:20).”

If we are to discard reason not only will we be shutting out an important trait God gave us, we will also be closing our eyes to the wonders and marvels the Lord set in place in our physical world. In the words of St Peter himself:

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
(1 Peter 3:15)

RFG always.

Reference:

Hahn, Scott. (2009). Reasons to Believe. New York: Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group.

Paul II, John. (1998, September 14). Fides et Ratio. Roman Catholic Church. Retrieved May 2, 2012, from http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_15101998_fides-et-ratio_en.html

Come and Share at the Table

Today is Holy Thursday, a day whereby Catholics celebrate the institution of the Eucharist – that is, the breaking of bread (the Body of Christ) and the sharing of wine (His Blood). Due to my having a night replacement class, I was not able to participate in Church. However, I intended to at least do something to commemorate this holy day.

And so, yesterday I bought a packet of bread that would be my dinner this night, to simulate what Jesus had done with His disciples more than 2000 years ago. I also decided before taking my evening meal (which, by the way, consists of the packet bread and some sliced potatoes/fries), to go through the readings which would be said in Mass today.

As I went through the passages, I began to doubt my simulative action – that is, having bread for dinner. The first reading, taken from Exodus 12:1-8 and 11-14, felt unrelated and distant to what I was doing. In fact, even the other 3 passages did not immediately click as I read through them one by one.

I suppose the main reason for my apprehension was that I am not, after all, celebrating Mass with the rest of the congregation. I am not consuming the bread transubstantiated into the Body of Christ (only the priest is able to perform that) nor do I feel it right imitating that act. Not that eating bread for a change is wrong; I just did not see the point in my actions then. Nevertheless, after going through the 4 passages and closing it off with prayer, I decided to make do with the food I have without topping up with additional items.

As I sat down and took my meal, I kept thinking about the readings and of the Lord’s Supper. Within the quiet and stillness of the room, I became aware that I kept dwelling on the Word and the actions of God. I felt a certain calmness, as if the Lord had specially prepared me a place in His soothing Presence. Through the simple meal without any distraction, my thoughts remain focused on the Lord. I may not have participated bodily in His Church, yet I felt as though I had somehow shared in His Life during my dinner.

My actions may not have immediately connected nor do I think I fully comprehend them still, but in the end I counted this evening a fruitful one today. To me, nothing is more precious than being under the presence of the Lord.

Dear Father,

I thank you for this time

In which You have given me

That I may spend it LordHowever little it may be, with You.

Father

Though I cannot be on this day together with Your Church

I pray O Lord that I will be able to participate

Even a little, in this celebration.

Father

Even as You Lord

In the days of the Old Testament

Set Your chosen people free

Today You have set us free in full

Through the offering of the Lamb

And now I stand here

Offering my life in thanksgiving

As I remember of the life I share

In you through the Eucharist

Together with my brothers and sisters

One body in Christ.

O Lord

Just as I share in Your body

May I come to learnTo share in Your life

To live and serve one another

Washing other’s feet as you have done

Just as You have given me this example to follow

That I draw closer towards You

Towards the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

All of this I pray

In Jesus name

Amen.

RFG always.

Human Reason vs Divine Faith

Once when I was in my hometown during semester break from university, my cell group leader conducted a Lectio Divina for the night’s session. The word is Latin for ‘divine reading’, and is a form of meditative and prayerful reading of Scripture. The reading was taken from Mark 1:14-20 (which according to him, was supposedly the week’s Gospel reading, although it was actually the week after XD).

As the leader led us in the reading, he called us to contemplate on the Word, to put ourselves in the characters’ shoes, and brought to attention certain words or phrases from the text. Such sessions really help in bringing me deeper into the Word of God, as certain details and realisations are brought to light during this time of quiet pondering.

As I pictured myself as one of the bystanders hearing Jesus in verse 15, it struck me how I would have thought of Him as a lunatic of those times. My rational mind, processing all the events and experiences that came and went before me, would have categorise Jesus as such when he went about preaching the Kingdom.

Let us be honest: if a person was out on the streets today claiming the title of God or shouting about rapture, chances are that we would pay little regard to the message other than label him/her insane, or something along that line. In this generation there are street performers such as David Blaine and Copperfield; it is not hard to imagine there would be some back then who were able to pull off similar feats, while taking advantage of the crowds’ ignorance to attribute themselves to some divine being.

Indeed there were false prophets and magicians in the Old as well as in the New Testament (Deuteronomy 13:1-4; Jeremiah 50:36; Ezekiel 13; Acts 5:36-37, 8:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 1 John 4:1), which make it all harder in discernment. There had been other uprisings too – those which were not recorded in the Bible, or were merely given a passing mention (Acts 5:36-37; the rebellion of Simon of Peraea, and Simon bar Kokhba).

Yet in Mark 1:20, the first disciples answered His call and followed Jesus, braving the uncharted waters and leaving behind everything of the life they hold secure. They too had their reasons however. Luke filled in the events that happened at the lake in chapter 5:4-11, whereby they witnessed a sudden haul of fish after working all night and returning empty handed. This surely was no mere happy coincidence; being fishermen, they undoubtedly would have had the experience of their trade: the methods, behaviour, seasons and whatnot. It was then that Simon (before being called Peter) became aware of Jesus’ divinity, even if he had not fully understood it yet.

Throughout His time here on earth, Jesus continued to reaffirm His disciples through the signs and the miracles He performed. But unlike the impostors before and after Him, Jesus did not simply devote Himself to supernatural feats to garner attention (in fact, there are times when He would order those around Him to tell no one, eg: Matthew 8:2, 17:9). He taught by words and actions, and associated Himself with both classes of society. But perhaps something oft overlooked, but no less important, was that Jesus gave His disciples the same authority to drive out demons and to heal the sick, even before the Resurrection. The disciples accomplished them, not through any elaborate or secret techniques, but simply by calling upon His name (Luke 10:17).

Looking back, I am actually really blessed. Skipping over the basics I often take for granted – food, lodging, family, etc. – other events have worked out well, vividly the ones which I went in faith: finding parking lots, freeriding, my grades, my application for the university…The signs and promptings were always there, yet my mind constantly seeks to find the logic in line with the physical reality. Just as the disciples were, in fear and doubt after the Crucifixion, before Jesus revealed Himself in His Resurrected body. Just as Thomas was, refusing to believe, “unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were” (John 20:25). Adrian was quite right when he mentioned my similarity with the Apostle.

Such revelations and insights are the reason I enjoy, cherish and advocate Lectio Divina. This session reminded me to live my lifesong:

“I trust in You for life to live.”

- August Burns Red, Redemption .

RFG always.

A Single Drop Sends Ripples Throughout the Water

I am not one who talks much. Spontaneous conversation is not one of my traits, and I have never given much thought to practice such skills. Usually quiet, I am content just sitting back listening while those around me chatter away, preferring to watch the events unfold around me and enjoying the spectacle.

Even during my riding days, I would often seek secluded areas in which I could wheel around without drawing the eyes of onlookers. I guess it is partly reflected in my choice of endeavour: more towards balancing and skills that get you to one place faster (North Shore, freeride, and practical street trials) than big air and attention-grabbing manoeuvres (BMX, dirt jump).

Back in school, I was not someone who particularly stood out. I did not really participate in conventional sports, my overall grades were mediocre, and, due to my introverted personality, rarely make my voice heard among the group I hanged out with.

Yet, even with my more reclusive inclination, I somehow seem to make an imprint deep enough for quite a few people to remember me by, and the image I left on most of them are not ‘quiet’, ‘shy’ or the like. Few events occurred which spurred me to take the certain actions, and I became known by some interesting, yet complimentary titles. Some of my displays even influenced others to imitate them; my rides had others putting their feet to the pedal, and the last I heard, one of them was ultimately sponsored and taking part in downhill races.

I did not truly appreciate it then, but some of the things I did made quite an impact on others. A number of them were simple actions merely offered on a whim, but had people responding to me in unexpectedly pleasant ways.

Once during secondary school my Christian Fellowship (CF) advisor (who also happened to be my class teacher) suggested taking the period of recess to fast and pray during the period of Lent, recalling what Jesus Himself had done in the desert for 40 days. For me, who rarely ate in school on normal days, I readily took up my teacher’s suggestion and sought a quiet area in my school on the first day of Lent.

The next few weeks found me praying alone in one of the few huts sprawled within the area, albeit with a few prefects patrolling around the school. This continued until the middle of Lent, before some of my CF members spotted me in of the huts. I think I might have guilt-rode them that day XD: when I was done and heading back to class, I saw them a slight distance away from my position in a circle with their heads bowed. It did not help that one of the prefects (who happened to be a good acquaintance of mine) informed(?) them to what I was doing (right after making me laugh as well -.-, though he did not know initially what I was there for). After that incident, other students joined in as well, and the prayer group continued until the end of the Lenten season.

During my college days I was one, if not the most quiet and reclusive member in my CF. Due to consistently attending the meetings, I was chosen as part of the committee then. One day, while talking to the president and teacher-in-charge, I suggested having a retreat with the past, present and potential committee members in order to deepen our relationship with one another in God. I would not say the trip smooth sailing: for one thing, I had to organise it almost entirely by myself. Nor was it perfect, as I felt objective did not quite hit the mark. Nevertheless, the retreat seemed to have left an impression on those present, as the trend continued after I left college.

When I first joined the Catholic Students Society (CSS) at the start of university, I experienced what could be termed as a culture shock in the meetings. Members were composed almost entirely of Sabah East Malaysians, and the way they run their programmes were quite unlike their Peninsular counterparts. Worship songs were in Malay and made up most of a session, sharings were really short sometimes in Malay, and there were even times when the reference of God and the Bible were completely left out of context during sharing. If I were to describe it plainly, it was a culture exclusive group, with little leeway for anyone outside of East Malaysia to blend in (note that foreign students also make up a significant amount in the university).

Due to the stark contrast in culture, as well as my silent and not-so-flexible nature, I had difficulty participating in the sessions. Nevertheless, I continued to attend all of the meetings, and this led to an invitation to attend the Penang Coordinating Council (PCC), a meeting together with other CSSs and the priest in charge that discusses the issues pertaining to the welfare of the CSSs north of Peninsular Malaysia.

It was during the meeting I bluntly voiced out my thoughts about the CSS: the issues and the discomfort I felt every time I went for the meeting. The initial reactions I got from my own CSS leaders were expectedly a little defensive, and there was a certain pressure on my part as I was one of only 2 who are not from East Malaysia. However, after coming back from the meeting, I could see changes taking place within the community, slowly but definitively. My relationships with those who were initially taken aback from my opinion somehow also became stronger.

These experiences I have been through led me to believe that a single soul, however unassuming the person is, can truly make all the difference in the world, if he/she decides to lay a hand in the matter. There is no need to announce your views on a pulpit, but never be ashamed to stand up for your beliefs and for what is right. The light you carry will naturally find its way to others, just as one who spots a house of warmth and comfort on a dark and stormy night, and draws near for a closer look.

RFG always.

The Hand of God Works Silent Wonders

Just a quick jot on what happened this night.

Each week I make it a habit of setting aside a day for praying the Rosary – a form of prayer/devotion directed towards the Blessed Virgin Mary and God, and which centres on the 4 different Mysteries depending on the day (for more information, see http://www.theholyrosary.org/). Usually I allot the Rosary for Mondays; however, I decided a bit of flavour dwelling on the other 3 Mysteries would be good, especially since I am on a semester break.

Today happened to be the day I planned to have the Rosary. The thing is, my dad came back unusually early: a little before 8pm (it is normal for him to arrive home between 12am – 2am). Usually his coming home is marked with a loud commotion from below, as he tends to put the sound system in a relatively high to near maximum volume, at least initially. There was not a night that I could recall in which I (if I am awake) could not hear whatever he is listening/watching to through the door of my bedroom. And my concentration, which is not good to begin with, drops exponentially as my brain receives and processes those audible waves transmitted from my ears. Also, due to my style of prayer, the recitation consumes quite an amount of time.

Somehow however, my dad did rev the speakers and bass connected to his laptop as he normally would this night. In fact, I could perceive little of the sounds emitting from the system. Even the TV was at the same volume I left it in the morning. This quiet miracle continued even after I finished my prayer – which took even longer than usual – with hardly any disturbance from outside my room.

Truly, this night was a blessed night.

RFG always.

Gay: Yay or Nay?

Recently I have been hearing a lot about the rising number of Christians who promote homosexuality, saying it is fine to reciprocate and live out romantic feelings with the same gender. Not too long ago there was a case in Malaysia where a pastor filed a divorce with his wife and later announced his marriage plans with his partner. He also went on and urged the homosexual community here to stand up and voice their opinions.

I also came across a person who claimed to hold a doctorate in theology supporting this stance, expressing his astonishment by such arguments, quoting the letter of Romans that we are saved by grace alone, both heterosexuals and homosexuals sin, and that we are not to judge others since we are all sinners.

First off, it needs to be established that the act of homosexuality is sinful. The passages in the Bible reflects that and strongly condemns such behaviour. Sodom (in which we derive the word sodomy from) was destroyed for their sin mentioned in Genesis 19:5. Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13 mentioned explicitly God commanding the Israelites to keep away from this practice lest they be put to death. St Paul also condemns this practice in the New Testament in Romans 1:26,27,32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; and 1 Timothy 1:9-10.

Some pro-homosexualists argue that Sodom was destroyed, not because of their homosexual behaviour, but because they did not show hospitality. That cannot be the case as Lot, an inhabitant of Sodom, showed hospitality and welcomed the two men into his home in Genesis 19:2-3. Also note that further down to verse 7, Lot begged the people of the Sodom “not to do such a wicked thing”, which, from the inhabitants’ demands, was to “bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them” (verse 5). Nowhere in the Bible is it recorded that God destroyed a city just because its residents did not show hospitality to His people, which presents the latter as the only other plausible option.

Also, if we read Leviticus 18, the act of homosexuality is one of the causes which defiled the nations and prompted the Lord drive of its inhabitants; this is also very telling about the sin of Sodom, as the past oft reflects God’s future actions.

I have been to sites which promote homosexuality and I have seen their “proves” that the Bible “allows” and “supports” this act. The very fact they wrench individual verses without even understanding the terms and meanings meant by the passages are so ridiculous it is not even funny.

For example, the man Phillip converted in Acts 8:26-39 was “gay” because he was an eunuch. But it cannot be that he was castrated because his specific duty given to him by the higher-ups, as was the custom those days (just go look up any definition of eunuch during the age of the Romans, and they will point out the same description).

Some quote Matthew 19:12 as Jesus consenting to homosexuals. But further back in the same passage Jesus was talking about divorcing your wife. And did he not quote, “that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh' (Matthew 19:4-5)?” It cannot be that what Jesus was referring to was single life, as was practiced by several prophets in the in preparation for God’s holy ministry (eg: Elijah).

Then they quote David and Jonathan’s relationship as “gay” based on 1 Samuel 18:1 and 2 Samuel 1:26. But it cannot be that the love was a brotherly type – no, to them it must have been a sexual romantic type. So I guess when Jesus commanded, “Love your neighbour as yourself” (see also Leviticus 19:18), He must have meant we should all be polygamous bisexuals.

I apologise for the sarcasm of the last 3 paragraphs, but it aggravates me that some people twist God’s very sacred Scripture for their own benefit. Such blind pretexts were the catalyst for many atrocious events in the history of Christianity – the Crusades being one of them. Even the devil had used the Scriptures to tempt our Lord in the wilderness (Luke 4:10-11).

At least there some justification when they questioned John 13:23 – when the Apostle was leaning on Jesus’ breast –, as the verse may be a little disconcerting for a casual reader. But I implore readers to look into this deeper before making hasty conclusions. In ancient Rome, festal meals were eaten, not in a sitting position, but in a reclining position (Roller, 2006). Besides, the Gospel of John was written primarily for the Jews; why then, had such a controversial action gone unquestioned by the conservative Jews nor addressed by the Apostles, as was with circumcision (Acts 15)?

In fact, the council of Jerusalem states in Acts 15:20 that we are to keep away from unlawful marriages. To effect, I can quote Leviticus 20 as the basis of this statement. All Christians will agree that the practice of homosexuality was greatly condemned in the Old Testament. This law has been extended right up to the New Testament.

In response to the PhD holder in the second paragraph, I am honestly quite stunned that he actually wrote as such. Is he implying that it is permissible to act on conscious sin? More than that, is he encouraging these people to carry on living in perpetual sin? And by acknowledging the sin, is he also implying that one may enter God’s Kingdom living in perpetual conscious sin? The very same letter he based his justification on condemns him, “Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:32).

Do not get me wrong: with all is said, it does not mean that we are to reject, distance or despise homosexual people. After all, as Mr PhD noted, none of us are perfect beings. Thus, we have no right to cast the first stone (John 8:7,9). As the saying goes, hate the sin but love the sinner.

Rather, I say we are to befriend them and treat them no differently than how we treat others, following Jesus’ example when he mingled with the bunch of tax collectors and prostitutes. Do we distance ourselves from our best friends just because his/her character may be in contrast with ours?

Approach them and get to know them: their lives, aspirations, fears, etc. Through this, we may come to fathom the depth of their problems and what caused them to act in such a way. From their experience, those who had counselled homosexuals reported that all of their cases stemmed from a dark or disturbed event(s). Only by walking and empathising with them can we help them overcome their struggles.

RFG always.

Reference:

B Roller, Matthew. (2006). Dining posture in ancient Rome: bodies, values, and status. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

You Can Lead a Horse to Water, but You Can’t Make it Drink

A few weeks back, I was writing a report for my Civil Engineering Materials (CEM) on an advanced type of concrete termed as ultra-high performance ductility concrete (UHPdC) based on a site visit to a manufacturer a few days prior.

Halfway through the paper, I incidentally recalled an event that happened during my site visit. Our class was introduced to a one inch thick UHPdC retaining wall (those used to prevent the ground/soil from collapsing), and was asked to pound it with all our strength using a metal hammer that was supplied. Neither the student nor staff pounding the wall managed to deal any significant damage to it. We were subsequently informed that the material was capable to resist even gunshots.

However, some students voiced out their disbelief and wanted to witness it happen in front of them before accepting it as fact (of course, such test did not take place in the factory). Even after proceeding to our next agenda, a significant portion of students remained behind and loud repeated pounding could be heard from one end of the factory to the next.

Maybe those that remarked so did not actually mean it; maybe they do. Yet it had me thinking: if people cannot accept something that is almost practically proven to them in front of their eyes, how much more would the world reject something physically intangible as faith in God?

This reminds me of a story I heard a few years back. There was a man who firmly disbelieved in the existence of God. He challenged a priest one day on his religious faith and was asked this question, “If I could somehow definitively prove that God truly exist, would you then believe?” “No,” the atheist answered. “Well then,” the priest went on, “What’s the point?”

When Alfred Wegener set out to prove his theory of continental drift (a theory that our continents on Earth are slowly drifting apart, initially being one huge landmass), most were sceptical; even with all the evidence he had collected they demanded more, and subsequently rejected this concept. It was only after his death, with the advancement of technology and accumulation of more reasons did many began to acknowledge Wegener’s theory. All this is through scientific/logical deduction – yet spiritual insight cannot merely be gained through this reasoning alone, no matter how technologically advanced we may become.

The record of Isaiah 6:9-10 rings prominently when God said, “Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” As it was during Jesus’ time (John 12:37), so it is now, as it had been, and will be, in every generation.

No matter how many reasons one may provide, ultimately it is up to the individual to take his stand. Nonetheless, I really wish it otherwise when Jesus said, “Know that many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:13)