God Alone

Reference Passage:

Psalm 136:3-4 (NIV)

Give thanks to the Lord of lords

His love endures forever.  

to Him who alone does great wonders,
            His love endures forever.

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Solitary confinement is one of the most powerful forms of torture invented by the human mind. Man, being naturally social, simply self-destructs in absolute loneliness. Its the presence of another, or at least the hope of it, that keeps the lamp of the human spirit lighted even though surrounded by struggles on every side. Globally, law-and-order establishments have employed this tool successfully to punish the condemned. In the world of commoners like you and me, its also seen that people sometimes try to isolate those they deem unworthy to fit into their group. The effect is the same - loneliness is painful and leaves the victim drained and helpless.

God has had His share of enemies all through history, who've imagined that categorically sidelining Him or His followers was an effective method to crush the blossoming buds of faith. In the early days of Church history, the higher echelons of the Roman Empire derived barbaric pleasure in murdering Christians. The trend continued for centuries until Emperor Constantine declared his 'allegiance' to Christianity and pronounced the birth of 'Christendom'. In modern times, even governments of self-respecting nations have attempted to wipe out the mention of God's name with fervor. Stories of terror continue to emerge from countries like China and North Korea as attempts are made to strangle the heart cry of the believer in Christ.

However, just as in the past, the Name of Jesus Christ continues to ignite passion in many. Reports testify that massive underground Church movements have developed over the years, on the very ground that drank the sweat, tears and blood of countless sacrificial lambs. Read here the story of Asia Bibi who has been shut up in a Pakistani prison on alleged blasphemy charges. This is not the story of oppressed fanatics in shining armor, making a statement with guns and bombs. We're seeing disciples who're convinced that God in isolation is still a miracle-maker.

More interestingly, many of us who go by the label of faith, have turned our backs on God's cause at critical moments. We've found it too hard to believe His higher call, and accepted that our purpose in life is to live for ourselves taking God's help if necessary. At times, we've experienced a revival marked by energetic enthusiasm. Yet, in no time, we have second thoughts that dismiss the whole thing as an illusion. Befriending the One who gave His very life for love's sake, is still a scary thought. In other words, the Lord is shut up in some solitary corner of our minds that may or may not be visited, depending on the mood of the moment.

Both parties - enemy and disbeliever - once met on Calvary's hill to witness the dying moments of Jesus Christ. The enemy could barely hide his smile of triumph. The disbeliever kept asking, "Why don't You save and prove Yourself?" In His lonely moment, the Saviour answered neither.
Yet, by the third day, Death could no longer hold Him in the grave. Clothed with power, Jesus Christ rose victorious having received the Name that is exalted above every other name. The ancient prophesy was fulfilled again - He had done wonders without anybody's help. This magnificently explains why the foe and the skeptic continues to search for meaning in life without solving their problems.

All that remains for thought is whether we will now switch sides to the minority, and experience this unique Person for a lifetime, although it may mean leaving the comfortable crowds that are headed for the mysterious black hole called Death. 

Digging deep for Eternity

Reference Passage:

Luke 6:49 (NKJV)

"He who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. 

And the ruin of that house was great." 

Read the whole parable here

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"I am the power that lifts the world's head proudly skywards, surpassing limits and expectations. I am Burj Khalifa." 

So runs a proclamation on the walls of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, located in Dubai. Towering over Dubai's landscape at a height of 828m, built at a cost of USD 1.5 billion and shattering several world records in one go, we would be compelled to think likewise. However, the Burj's completion co-occured with the financial crisis, that took the wind out of the sails of Dubai's sky-high dreams. As lavishly ornate office and residence spaces remain unoccupied, I wonder which - an inward look or a skyward one -  would be more appropriate. My thoughts turn to the construction of an edifice that the Lord Christ envisioned in the parable of the two builders.

The wise man's wisdom may not have been obvious when he commenced his task. His engineering design focussed on reaching deep into the earth for a solid foundation. The cons of such an approach aren't too difficult to spot. If time is money, going deep would cost a fortune. This is why the pursuit of spirituality fails to appear in our time-tables. Why should one waste time reading God's Word, when the mall's winter sale ends tomorrow? Although preparing for the exams hardly bothered us when the schedule was announced, there's always the eleventh hour, even if this means missing Church meetings to study.

At times, our protagonist finds himself lonely because digging deep into matters of faith is now culturally unpopular. Others fail to understand why he's so hyped up about following an unseen Nobody, whose role seems to have been successfully substituted by the twenty first century technologist. His questions on life after death, are comically plastered on advertisements for life insurance – "What would they do if you died tonight?" All of this, still can't shake his core belief that God has much more to do with the foundations of the human civilisation, than any other manmade substitute.

Nature has its unique quality control mechanisms to test how well we build ourselves. The floods came crashing and screaming, its hands pushing the house with great strength. Those were dark days for the wise man, as pain and doubt attempted to crush his labour of faith in a moment. However, with every passing minute, the strength of his Rock foundation was shining ever brighter. Ultimately, the torrent gave up; in the dawn of peace, the house was still standing for the Rock of Ages had once again proved He was simply unbeatable.

Another man began his own construction project, although in different taste and spirit. Not that he didn't want to build, but he had a peculiar habit of hearing God's advise, yet doing nothing about it. In this context, most of us aren't very different in our approach to God's Word. It barely takes moments for the latest sermon to vanish from memory, more so because we feel there's no accountability involved – pastors dont conduct surprise tests anyway. The consequence is a shallow spiritual experience that appears like a better structure, at a lower price. Its a shame that we delude ourselves in the sunshine, that those days of darkness would never visit our soul, in spite of the certainity that our Teacher has pointed out.

The unforgiving floods came knocking one day, and the knees of the foolish man followed suit. His design was clearly unready for such difficulty levels. This house could not match the assault, and soon began to crumble under the crushing blows of the tempest. The hidden weaknesses of the structure gradually emerged. Worse still, the storm was taking away even the little that remained, and leaving behind a desolate ruin – completely exposed and vulnerable. The material loss was only a part of the toll; the ensuing shame and dishonour was a far greater casualty. Take an example - over and over again, Christian grandstanding on love has been rich in expression, while practical meaning in the fundamentals of human relationships go unheeded. The strain is already showing in our family lives and Church associations. Does it ever bother us that our sacrifices in the name of religion, might actually come to nothing if our 'house' fails to stand up to the tests of life?

Both builders had something in common – the desire to live progressively. Both of them had major losses at different stages in life, the distinctive difference being the nature of loss – one lost the temporary to gain the Eternal, while the other grabbed the temporary, and missed the Eternal. Furthermore, their fiery trials revealed vastly different results – the unapparent strength of the wise, and the hidden weakness of the foolish.

Each day, our faults prompt us to dig even deeper into the Rock for potency to conquer all. When the silence of loneliness bothers us in the depths, may the thoughts of the Cross soothe our soul – for there, lay the rejected Saviour who saved many, yet the One whom none would save. Indeed, He is the Rock of Ages, cleft to hide sinners from the violent storm of Divine judgement and the sure foundation of His Church, their eternal hope of glory in a world tottering on the brink of self-destruction.