What If

I thought I have put it in the past. I thought I have gotten over it. I thought I would be fine in your presence. But I am wrong apparently. The potpourri of emotions resurfaced and threatened to overpower me. Fortunately, I have a strong fort. If nothing is going to change, I hope my fort will be strong enough to hold me back. Either that, or I hope I will be able to see you in a different light, I hope I will be at peace in your presence, eventually. It would take the most miraculous miracle of course, to hope for things to go my way. That would be too much to ask from God, too selfish, too vain that I am not sure I dare to even ask God for it.

The future, I am uncertain of. But one thing about the past, which I am certain of is not telling you then, for being too proud, too cautious, too doubtful, thinking I have all the time and all the opportunities in the world. Now I will always be left wondering What Ifs.

"People of other religions amongst us"

An atheist friend once argued that it's contradicting for a person to respect another's religion because it means you are agreeing and acknowledging their religion and their God. For instance, if I, a Christian, does not convert a Buddhist and instead, respect him/her as a Buddhist, then it's as if I am saying "Yes, there are other gods besides Jesus Christ".  And apparently(according to him),. that shouldn't be the case as I should be believing that there is only one God (which is my God, Jesus Christ). I wasn't able to counter back effectively at that time.

I found my answer few weeks ago on my church bulletin.

" PEOPLE OF OTHER RELIGIONS AMONG US"

by Deacon Sherman Kuek

One of the complications arising from living in Asia stems from the religious composition of the Asian population. The Asian continent is the very source of the world religions that thrive in the world today: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and a good many other religions.

Having to make sense of this plethora of religions together with their variety of truth claims must be disconcerting to the Asian man on the street. This is so even for those of us who follow Jesus Christ, who call ourselves Christians. Over the centuries, Asian Christians have come to make sense of these other religions among them in different ways.

The immediate question that confronts us Christians today is: do people of other religions need to hear about Jesus Christ? Is it necessary for us to share the good news with them? And if we do not do so, are they then all going to be damned to an eternity of torment and suffering?

The Catholic Church, especially since the Second Vatican Council, has come to assess other religions in rather positive light. Of course, as we shall see in a while, this positive assessment has to be understood in proper terms lest we entertain false perceptions about the status of our non-Christian neighbours in relation to the Church.

The Second Vatican Council teaches that God's salvation plan includes all peoples: even Jews, Muslims and peoples of other non-Christian religions. "Christ, the New Adam, through the mystery of His incarnation, death and resurrection, is at work in each human person to bring about interior renewal." (Dialogue and Proclamation, 1991, 15).

This holds true not for Christians only but also for all persons of good will in whose hearts grace is active invisibly. For since Christ died for all, and since all are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the Paschal mystery.   (Gaudium et Spes, 1965, 22)

The Church further goes on to say that all these who have "not yet received the Gospel are related to the people of God in various ways"  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 839).  In numbers 839- 842 of the Catechism (also in Lumen Gentium, 1964, 26), further explications is given on the unique nature of each of these relationships. 

In a way, if not for that atheist friend, who used to constantly challenge me on my religion, I wouldn't have sought to understand more on my religion. I am a cradle Catholic, so being a Catholic is the most natural thing to me and it has never occurred to me to think from the perspective of people who are not. So it's actually a good thing that I am being challenged constantly by this friend. It broadens my mind and pushes me to seek the answers to the questions that I never thought existed about my religion. 

Norwegian Wood

I never thought of it this way. I used to think, am still thinking actually, how nice if I could be those people who can excel at everything easily. Those people who only take half the time I need to study the same amount of things and remember them perfectly. The fast learners who can master something easily even though they start out later than the rest.

Until I came across this part in a book which explained that for these people, who have the talent to do things well without any effort, who have people telling them how great they are from an early age, who have never been hammered by a teacher, they lose out on this crucial element- Character building. A few people came to mind, yes those outstanding people whom I know and previously just thought as weird... I always think there's something off about these particular people. Okay, I may be sounding like a sour grape but seriously, they are. It's very difficult to pinpoint exactly but they are just different from the average you and me. Now I know why. But it probably has a multifactorial aetiology. And probably, they think I'm off too.

Anyway, I met up with my best guy friend 2 days ago. We happened to be reading the same book "Norwegian Wood". And that's why he's my best guy friend..haha...Nah, it's just a coincidence.  He is going through the roughest patch of his life, with one bad thing after another. I hope this will be the roughest one and no more to come. He looks so beaten and weathered but it's obvious he's fighting his way through it. I'm so worried that he'll be sinking into depression. It's normal now, considering he's in a grieving process. Initially, I was excited that we were reading the same book and we talked about it. But then, I thought it's really a bad idea that he's reading that book as it's really a very depressing book with lots of suicides in it. Shit..I should discourage him from reading it further. It's time like this that I wish I have some superpower so that I can make things better for the people suffering around me. But all I can do is pray. Or maybe, that's all it takes,  because I may not have superpower but God has.

I am not as enthusiastic to go for elective now. I just want to laze at home and spend time with my mum, although my mum will be coming along. But she'll only be coming for 2 weeks! How I regret listening to her and booking only 2 weeks for her. Should have booked one whole month for her! :(