Saturday, November 18, 2006
♥ Saturday, November 18, 2006
Was approached by Joel and Justin today. Haha two 'J's, Jesus's a J too!
Ok anyway, they mentioned a retreat coming up. Guess what? They want me to be a speaker. Now, if i was to speak about philosophy, maybe theology(am i way past myself? haha) or just a simple sharing on whats like living christian, i would define it hard but a challenge and an exciting one.
Guess what? They wanted me to talk community.
I mean I am honoured, and in a certain sense anxious to embark on this little project. But it feels so...weird. Pray about it..yea yea.
Few things to pen down.
3 books i finished. Finally.
1) John Paul the Great by Peggy Noonan.
Inspiring and at certain times quite poignant and illuminating. Well, its a biography, and so that urged me to actually read one of his actual works.
2) Crossing the Threshold of Hope by John Paul 2.
Its an interview, where the Pope pens down his thoughts and sends them back to the interviewer. In it, he discusses philosophy, eastern communism..and what touched me the most (as much as i can only remember a glimpse) was his heart to the youths.
He mentioned that the youths withold the potential to make and change this world, to establish the kingdom of God here on earth.
He compared the different religions, of the truths they speak but the remarkable differences that Catholicism offers.
Brilliant thinker- i loved the way he expressed philosophy in the terms of a platform of thought, or frame of reference.
3) Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew by Lee Kuan Yew
I've got to hand it to the guy. His genius really left a lasting mark on anyone fortunate enough to experience either his leadership, his charisma or his confrontations. David Marshall suffered first hand his invective use of English.
Almost every chapter would contain a 'cheem' new english word. So, great for increasing my vocab. haha.
And guess what? He got his inspirations of a political structure and voting from the Vatican! Lee figured that the vatican, having survived for 2000 years, has got to have a system worth learning from. Maybe one day we'll revert to theocracy.
I learnt something philosophical. I hope i can share it in a way lucid enough to realise the remarkable importance of this learning.
Well, i followed my dad to the driving range (golf), and tried hitting a few balls.
Now, what i learnt is that you have to do the test swing first (the ball is not placed on the mat yet). After a few test swings, on being confident with the imaginery ball, you place the real golf ball on the mat and try hitting it.
Now, whats interesting is that, the test swing is remarkably smoother and its technique more correct than with the ball there. For a person who doesnt play, it is hard to illustrate.
Question-its the same mat, the same swing just with no ball- what makes the presence of a real ball so distinctively different from that of an imaginery one? Because i know that if i can find the bridge between the imaginery and the real, the test swing will be as good as the real one.
What are the implications? I seriously dunno. But it does make you ponder doesnt it.
Aside from what is real and what is imaginery, our reactions to the real and imaginery are often different. When the ball isnt there, I know it isnt there and therefore i swing as if there is no ball.
When the ball is there, i know it is there and swing differently, resulting in a 'top'.
Yes, occasionally, when i am unconscious and just focused on the technicalities, i deliver a good shot. So, 2 conditions for bridging the real and the imaginery-unconscious, technicalities.
What does that tell me about life?
That life's technicalities and 'motions' are our unconscious allowing us to experience the real within the imaginery. And perhaps, in a certain way, make the imaginery (not as in sheer imagination, but things we only think of) real!
The Mass for example. Maybe, when we're into the technicalities of what to do during Mass and do it so subservient and unconsciously, that occasionally we get an inhalation of a spiritual freedom and ecstasy. Im sure you've had it.
So question, how do you bridge the gap of the literal body of christ with that piece of wafer? Whats the logical explanation for that body of christ to be that wafer? Does it make any sense to you that perhaps when we're unconscious and just receive it anyway, that real and imaginery is pieced together in the mystery of faith! I think i make sense.
Dont get me wrong when i say get into the technicalities. I do not mean askign why we do certain things. On the contrary i am saying: go through the motion as it was meant to be, and the body's spiritual tendency is to attain the wisdom that understands the need for such certain actions.
Well...3 days to Aus. Gotta beef up my prayer life.
