The Natural Selection of Man

Sunrise at Karak Highway

My journey to the islands has begun! I was on the Karak Highway to the east coast when I saw the sunrise over the haze at about 7am. The majestic trees from a distance form little clumps of varied shapes & seeing how lush the place is, I’m wondering when my jungles will be shaved again for another super highway. I’m glad on the other hand, that this highway has cut my traveling time by 2 hours. Quite significant considering my journey usually takes 8 hours. Along the way, there were so many distractions, I made a few stops just to take photos of eagles perched upon leafless trees! There was an animal that caught my eye & seeing how huge it was, I took several pictures of it & was debating with Rachael, who came along, as to whether it was a leopard cat, tiger, or monkey. King of the Jungle??? It wasn’t moving so I presumed it must have been sleeping. Then I shouted at the top of my lungs at the creature….. “Oiiiiiiii!!!!!!”……. “Wake uuuuuuuuuuuuuuppppp!” “Oiiii!!!!” while Rachael sat there in fits of laughter. We looked into the camera CCD screen to get a closer look & turned to look at the creature only to find it on the other side of the tree branch! Then this creature climbed to the middle & higher branch, & shook the tree violently before finding another spot on the tree to snooze again…… Hmmm……..Clash of the Titans? Baboon on strike? It sure wasn’t a normal monkey!

Heaven forbids if we had evolved from them! I don’t see any missing link at all! God created you & me, & gave us dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, over the cattle, over all the earth, over all creepers creeping over the earth. (Taken from part of Genesis 1:26) And you tell me I came from a monkey?!?!?! Charles Darwin may have been a marine biologist but a scientific theory is a hypothesis that has been extensively tested that it’s generally regarded as true BUT like any hypothesis, it is subject to rejection if enough evidence accumulates against it. Though science says it’s like that, science cannot make judgments about values, ethics or morality. Science can’t decide how to use the knowledge & technology it produces. Feelings & beliefs are BEYOND the scope of science. My ancestors were not monkeys neither did they just evolved from one. ‘I have made the earth, and created man on it; I with My hands have stretched out the heavens; and all their host have I commanded.’ Isaiah 45:12

To have the knowledge that you & I were thought of even before the creation of the universe, is something to marvel with! ‘In the beginning was the WORD, the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God.’ John 1:1 The WORD here is Jesus.

The time span between the Old & the New Testament was 400 years & yet, something so relevant was said in the book of John about the book of Genesis. Look at Genesis 1:26 again & verse 27,‘And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creepers creeping on the earth. And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female.’ Why did God use ‘Us’ & not ‘Me.’Who was He referring to? Who was with Him at the time of creation?

Three hornbills & a snake later, we passed the wildlife trail. To what God has given us, each new day, brings new hope. What’s there to argue with science when a new heaven & a new earth will emerge one day with no more death, no more sorrow, no crying & no pain…?

New Day!

Tin Kong - The Ancient of The Chinese

My Red Wallet I chose this day to change my wallet to a bright red one I bought before the new year. Today is the day where the Chinese especially the Hokkiens, pay tribute to ‘Tin Kong.’ It is a day of worship, a day of consecration on the ninth day of the Lunar New Year. The night before, fireworks were displayed in full splendour while the thunderous sound of firecrackers echoed through the neighbourhood as they light them up in succession to welcome the ‘God In Heaven.’ Just two days ago on the seventh day of the new year, the Chinese celebrated ‘Yan Yat,’ which means ‘A Day of Mankind’ or ‘Everyone’s Birthday.’ Then in the days to come, ‘Chap Goh Mei’ marks the fifteenth night & the final day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. Looking at all these customs, never have I once asked what they all meant as we (the Chinese) had accepted them as part of growing up & were taught to keep traditions alive. So what is the meaning of these 15 days & how did all these originate? ‘Kor Nin’ symbolises the coming/passing of the new year but the word ‘nin’ actually means monster/beast. The Nokia phone ad is a great depiction of how the ‘nin’ comes by, terrorises the princess in the carriage, got deserted by her carriers & rescued by a courageous boy with a string of firecrackers to ward the ‘nin’ off. Finding no match to light up, he suffered a blow then goes off to borrow a Nokia mobile phone that his friends had been using to download ringtones & by playing the ‘firecracker’ tone, caused the monster to disintegrate! The ‘Hong’ (red) is also very prominent in the auspicious celebration which is supposed to ward off the ‘nin.’ The hanging of a red cloth on the door frame does exactly that but these days, it’s supposed to ward off evil which is no surprise if the whole house is decorated with red ornaments!!! What a prosperous scene. No pun intended but this is exactly what ‘kor nin’ depicts. The 5000 years of Chinese history, had preserved traditions from the roots of our forefathers to modern times. When God used Moses to deliver Israel out of Egypt, He did signs & wonders to cause the Pharaoh to release the captives yet hardened his heart at the same time. He gave an order to keep the ordinance for all generations. From Exodus 12:1 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, this month shall be to you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, in the tenth of this month they shall take to them each man a lamb for a father's house, a lamb for a house. And if the household is too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take according to the number of the souls, each one, according to the eating of his mouth, you shall count concerning the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You shall take from the sheep or from the goats. And you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month. And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take some of the blood and strike on the two side posts and upon the upper door post of the houses in which they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roasted with fire, and unleavened bread. They shall eat it with bitter herbs. Do not eat of it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted with fire, its head with its legs, and with its inward parts. And you shall not let any of it remain until the morning. And that which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire. And you shall eat of it this was with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in a hurry. It is the Lord’s passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. And the blood shall be a sign to you upon the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you. And the plague shall not be upon you for a destruction when I smite in the land of Egypt. And this day shall be a memorial to you. And you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by a law forever. You shall eat unleavened bread seven days; even the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. The Ordinance of New Year. And on the first day shall be a holy gathering, and in the seventh day there shall be a holy gathering for you. No manner of work shall be done in them, except that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you. And you shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For in this same day I have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall keep this day in your generations by a law forever. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses. For whoever eats that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, among the aliens and among the natives of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened. In all your dwelling-places you shall eat unleavened bread. Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, draw out and take a lamb for yourselves according to your families, and kill the passover. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip in the blood in the bowl, and strike the lintel and the doorposts with the blood in the bowl. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians. And when He sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this thing for a law to you and to your sons forever. And it shall be, when you have come to the land which the Lord will give you, according as He has promised, that you shall keep this service. And it will be, when your sons shall say to you, What is this service to you? Then you shall say, it is the sacrifice of The Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt, when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our houses. And the people bowed and worshiped. And the sons of Israel went away and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron; so they did. And it happened at midnight the Lord struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne to the first-born of the captive that was in the prison; also all the first-born of cattle. Till Exodus 12:29 Could it be that the ‘Tin Kong’ of the Chinese is really the God in Heaven of the old testament? Where the dispersion of people at the Tower of Babel had sent the Chinese to China, away from the rest of the world yet kept the ordinance of God? Could the seventh day be the holy gathering that God talked about? Could it also be that the red cloth hung above the door was actually the blood of the lamb struck upon the doorposts on the fourteenth night, to ward off the Angel of Death at the Passover at midnight which happens to be Chap Goh Mei? Could it be that Christianity is no longer a ‘western’ religion? For if the Chinese had been worshipping a God from the beginning of time, then even the custom of animal sacrifice on an altar with incense, gold & oil, is very much likened to the practice stated in Leviticus minus the idol. What do we make of all that we have practiced then? Just a celebration of new year? Or an ordinance of Passover kept throughout the generations for us to remember that it was the Lord who delivered Israel out of Egypt..? So should the blood of the lamb that preserved those behind the door also preserve us? Could it be that this sacrificial lamb, often used in the atonement of sin, depicted the Messiah who had come to do the same for us?

The View That WAS.....

There goes the view of my skyline....! Strange how we take for granted the structures that stand before us in our very places of residence, our own backyard, trees lining the road that we take to travel to work, we accept as part of our landscape; the same birds that wake you in the morning, the familiar sounds that greet you when you open your eyes...... Imagine losing all that. Unimaginable? Well, I've just had the tree in front of my apartment chopped before my eyes & finding all the trees on the road leading to my place cut & butchered to my horror. The excuse they gave when I hollered from my balcony was that the trees are in danger of falling. I asked them how they'd know this & the reply was, "Kalau saya tak tahu, mana awak boleh tahu?" (If I don't know, would you be able to know better?) How far would I get by arguing with them? Would they stop cutting the tree? Would they heed my call to stop because I know of nests up there? Or the favourite spot of the woodpecker & squirrel that plies up & down this tree? Angry as I was, I stood there powerless with my camera capturing their act. They spared the rest of the trees & went on to fell the other trees down the road. My landscape was spared for now but what about later? Before they take the next building down in the name of development, cut my trees & reduce my jungles, or some flood comes upon us that might ruin things for good, let me capture the remnants of what God hath made...... The view that WAS....

Landmark of Independence

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building The best thing about being in KL when Chinese New Year comes about is how devoid of traffic the town becomes. Chinese people stay home in anticipation of guests, reunion of sorts happen, and in that, I revel at being Chinese...! The aunties will feed you to the point of exploding but the best part is enjoying it by justifying with the promise to yourself that you would work out afterwards. Friends whom you normally would not get to see due to their busy schedules, suddenly become available as they too, are stuck in KL without any travel plans. What do I do then, when I've fulfilled filial duties & my group of friends have left me alone for their hometowns??? I drag TV Smith out for some midnight shutter-release! The full album also features TV Smith in a compromising position as he gets acquainted with the cat in the middle of the Jalan Raja. I know I'll get called cacat for doing this.....

The Powers That Be

The pillar of rays My heart went out to two people who were dropped from the performance at the eleventh hour. Having served in the performing arts for just over a year & a half, I have been through the works myself. While I’ve always been known as the rebel, the two concerned has never been known to lose their cool. Having received a frustrated email jolted the entire department for the insensitivity rendered by the leaders when they decided to axe the introduction to the Christmas play last year. The rehearsals? Oh, they’ve become a part of life…..and the disappointments???? Oh, plenty but I’m not going to share them here. I think it’s sad that we weren’t told of the chop till this email surfaced. I think our drama director, James, had always stressed upon MINISTRY as the reason for the performing arts department. It’s unfortunate that the upper ranks don’t see it as such & stress upon other things, namely for the ‘look good’ & ‘feel good’ factor. I read the responses from other members citing their ‘inabilities’ or ‘inadequacies’ as the reason for not wanting to take part in the Easter performance. I certainly do not agree that you’d have to perfect or good enough in order to serve the Lord in this ministry. I had to go for ‘extra’ rehearsals because of my fumbling of lines. I’m not perfect, neither am I close to even being a Bollywood star (for the dramatic effect…) but because brothers like James & ‘Belly Boy’ would sacrifice their afternoon nap to come 3 hours earlier than the scheduled 5 hours of rehearsal to help me rehearse.....over 10 times! Think about what better things they could be doing than to listen to me go on & on until they can even recite my lines? Why are they doing it? Why am I doing it? Because we have to? No, but because it’s a JOY to serve one another while doing it unto God! I wouldn’t want to lose out on being able to minister to one another just because we feel abased. Why focus on our weaknesses when the Lord had said that He will make us strong? Do you not know that someone, somewhere, needs to listen to what you have to say about life & issues? And that someone, somewhere may need you to listen to them because nobody has??? Quit & you become a loser. We need God most when we are deceived into thinking that we are NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Let me share this with you. One fine day, a few of us decided to ‘hang out’ together. So Rachel, Baby B & myself, went bowling while passing time to go watch Shark Tales (having heard so much about Lenny in the backstage thru our very own ‘Lenny’…..). Thereafter, we adjourned to dinner at Kuchai & suddenly God told me to take them for a drive. Oh well, took them out for drive, I did. I brought them to this place in Ulu Langat where this picture was taken. When I finally downloaded this picture onto my PC, I saw the beam that shot up to the sky & thought, WOW. No one will ever know which light or bulb did not turn on or wasn’t working. The majestic lights when switched on in numbers appear to be far more magnificent than that of those other buildings standing on its own without TENAGA. When we look from this distance, everything seems to be so apparent. If we were to stand at KLCC proper, we would be overwhelmed by those lights & excitement & we would merely be standers by. BUT WE ARE NOT. Each one of you is the lights that make up the KLCC in the church. One may have more energy than the other, one may consume more power but give out equally much. One may need the adjacent power from the stronger light to complement the shine. The blue, red & yellow light need to shine together to get an even AMBER! How can they work on its’ own without looking too blue, too red or too yellow…? Precisely, how can we work properly on our own without all the members of the cast? THE PERFORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT IS THE ONLY DEPARTMENT IN CHURCH THAT HAS NO AGE BARRIER. Every member of Christ’s body has a part to play. Be it massaging the shoulders of Tink, dropping the banner for the leader at the precise time or causing the fits of laughter in the backstage, or christianing members with a new names like ParaParaPenguin, Judas the Carrot, Lenny-Break-Into-Song-Mimic-LateLee…..I think we ought to stay together for Easter & SHINE FOR GOD! People will continue to have their input about us, SO WHAT? Are we going to let them dictate how we are going to be, how many people we touch, how much joy our little drama outreaches bring to the old folks homes or how many people we can bring to church??? Heavens, no! To my cast members, it will not make me think any less of you if you think you are passed over because you feel that you were not good enough. To me, you have been great. I think you owe it to God who called you to ministry in the first place. Well, Christmas is over & Easter is coming. Let’s put on war paint & give them a good show, shall we?

The Powerful Gift of SMILES

As Grace & I had lunch today after church service, she reminded me of an email that I’d sent about my strange encounter on the road. Recalling that day in December 2003, I began to marvel at what she’d remembered. I left the house as usual to have my breakfast at my favourite coffee shop that I’d been patronising regularly for six years. I’m seldom seen wearing shades but on that morning, the sun’s unusually bright rays, hurt my eyes so I put on my fierce-looking specs. I came to a halt at the junction of Sri Damansara & LDP upon seeing the vast number of heavy vehicles in front at the traffic light queue. I began to reply a sms to a friend who sent me a picture message of ‘a cup of coffee’ made with love & heaps of care, my daily love fix from friends. Just then, the driver of the van which stopped beside me started waving frantically at me to get my attention. I looked at him, he smiled as he waved & blew me an air-kiss. I didn’t flinch, neither did I feel embarrassed. The cheek some people have to get some cheap thrills, I thought. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Wondering in amazement why he had done that. My heart began to smile. Just then I noticed the three passengers behind the driver, was wearing T-shirts of the same design. And as I stared at the van during this weird moment, the furthest passenger got up & moved across the other two, stuck his hand out of the window & waved frantically to me…! Then it struck me when I looked at their happy faces that they were all handicapped & mentally-challenged. I waved back & offered my wide smile of humility. I quickly grabbed my note pad & wrote words big enough to be seen by the people in the van, ‘JESUS LOVES YOU!’ They looked at my note pad & an excitement broke out in the van & soon, all the passengers & the driver were waving, smiling & blowing me more kisses….!

 

I couldn’t help but feel ashamed of my preconceived ideas & of how quick I was to judge the person who was serving these under-privileged people. I cried & I cried. The joy overwhelmed me so, to know that the Lord had sent such special people to do simple gestures to make my day. A reaffirmation that Jesus acknowledges our effort to serve Him…! They could have waved at any other car. I didn’t think my car was of any significance. There I was, looking as fierce as ever in my Oakleys, & there were these people so filled with love that just by sharing a wave & a smile, brought indescribable joy to my life. Love knows no boundaries nor race nor creed. Where your heart is, is where God is also……

Beyond The Wonders

In the graveyard, there exists a frangipani tree that shades the resting place of the deceased......

....being watched over by a true beauty within the branches above.

Beauty is but passing, charm is but deceitful, With the many splendours Nature was made to be, I'm blessed For I am able to see. My soul longs & even faints for Your courts, My heart & my flesh cries out for You, You who made a house for the sparrow, A nest for the swallow to lay her young, I am blessed from strength to strength, In passing through the valley, Your sun is my grace And your glory, my shield.

Love Letters

Where is my Valentine?

In this day & age where pen & paper seem to be obsolete when it comes to letter writing, I can’t help but reminisce about the times where I used to put thoughts to nicely decorated onion skin paper or tracing paper with coloured pens & pencils, addressed to my pen pals & friends abroad. The sound of the postman’s motorcycle engine used to bring thrills & suspense to my eager heart but it must also be the postman's most dreaded destination as my dog charges at him each time he arrives…! My ever possessive Labrador-cross never liked men in uniform anyway…

It’s getting increasingly difficult to write an email let alone a letter. The words that I have to articulate & the thought of whether that person would reply my letter soon, seem to be my consideration when I keep in touch. There were love letters……wouldn’t you like to know what was written……ah but then, I hardly receive those now. Ok, ok, I think you’d want some ideas of how a love letter should be written since Valentine’s Day is coming & you are out of words, which is always an excuse to have a peek at other people’s love content. Well, here is just an excerpt of what my ex wrote, which I cherish but am not sad that things didn’t work out. I took those pleasant memories & threw those unpleasant ones away. He’s still my friend & he’s moved on like the rest who had while I’m still here, waiting for a love letter from anyone who cares enough to write & make my day.....

"I've just hit the first wave and beginning to comprehend the effect of numbness. Phew...I'm just finning up to the surface to have a breather as my treasure lies below me as a sunken ship awaiting to be explored in many ways...(wondering)! That would be you, my sweetheart……”

In every one of those passionately-written letters, had the ‘Lumm Factor.’ The ones that make you go weak in the knees, tummy fluttering, light-headedness & possibly even heart palpitations. Hmmm…..what a factor. John, my official cupid, is only sending another one in March or so, he says. But by then, Valentine’s Day is over & my chances of receiving flowers & love letters will be gone. No doubt about it being an over-commercialised day & that love needs no occasion to speak for itself but this year will be my third year without expressive letters & flowers!!!!! I want flowers! I want flowers! *Stomp* *Stomp*….. Oh alright, letters will do as well. At least I wouldn’t have to feel so left out when everyone goes on a date that night while I book myself a movie with my similar situation friends who are nothing but great friends. Last Valentine I conducted an exam for my students but one of them cooked a scrumptious meal for us while they sat for their scuba paper. Still, no love letters. No pretty envelopes to open, no postman in sight, no more dog, no flowers, no chocolates, no amusement. This does not call for self-pity but for self-help.

I’d like to do something very different this time around. If you have ever written a love letter to anyone, I’d like to have a copy for keepsakes & pretend that it was written to me. Well, at least I can still be made to feel good even if I don’t get a date this Valentine! I will appreciate every effort to write & make my day & for every originally-written letter I receive, I’m going to personalise one of my underwater creature photos & send it back via email & the letter with the highest Lumm Factor will be posted on my blog. Being a graphic-oriented person, I especially like decorated letters & the use of colours. You may scan in hand-written ones & send it too pummkin@gmail.com Even if it’s an electronic letter, it’s still accepted. Remember the Lumm Factor when you write….. I think this year, the cock is finally going to crow.

Food For Your Being?

Picture courtesy of TV Smith. In the course of food preparation, this restaurateur not only feeds his customers but also feeds their souls. Can you capture more of this kinds of instances....???