Had a little food for thought today as i traveled to work. The cab driver was exceptionally talkative today and a simple inquiry into the mooncake festival drove him into a frenzy of reminiscing. Yet it was in such a conversation that sparked an interesting concept.
Lets presume that all that Jesus had taught be the a 100% status bar, at what percentage are we today?
In a short 2-3 decades, society has changed so much. A society of trust and mutual happiness has changed to a concrete jungle, compartments that we call apartments, that segregate us from each other. When we are home, we are in our own dimension, our own kingdom, what we do is our business and what our neighbors do is theirs. For all we know, the only time we do interact with them is IF we see them at the lift lobby, or perhaps at their doors, a simple nod of the head, a brief hand gesture indicating our acknowledgment of their presence. If one may generalize, we do what is most convenient for ourselves.
Or perhaps one may semantically argue that they are but strangers, granted then, lets assume that it is valid (though it is not by the way), look at family. Sisters are no longer sisters, brothers no longer brothers; in the family, they are almost strangers. If apartments segregates family from family, rooms will segregate sibling from sibling. A simple shut of the door and a new ‘world’ is created. No one interacts anymore, unless perhaps it is convenient. A simple nod of the head, brief hand gesture indicating our acknowledgment of the others presence…
In a simple 30 years, so much has changed… If one had to fully explain the change in society in full detail, i am sure that any sociologist would be able to draft a minor thesis out of it. Yet from a christian standpoint, nay, a disciple of Christ’s standpoint, are we being salt and light to those around us? Or have we excelled at being as the philosopher is, a thermometer of the current age, who while knows the age, is powerless to steer it away from nihilism…
In the end, has the Word of the Lord changed and preserved me, or has this world succeeded in turning me to be part of it’s flow? Have we diluted the Word, interpreting it from the perspective of our experience, imposing our ideas on the author’s ideas rather than spending the effort in understanding the text from the author’s point of view?
Hmm… much to think on i would say today has wrought. What percentage of His teachings are we keeping today?
