Saturday, May 21, 2005
Are our roots reaching deep?
I was watching a documentary on National Geographic last night about the recent Asian tsunami. It moved me to see the plight of the victims - the pictures show anguish and pain that one cannot begin to express in words. But more so, it prompted me to ask questions of what I am building my life foundations on. Whether we realise it or not, every one of us builds it on something - the real issue is the substance of what it is built on.
I noticed the fact that the awesome power of the waves swept all things - loose soil / rocks, wooden huts, cars, trains, tables/chairs, etc. - all things that have no real foundation or deep roots to ground them. I was also struck by how many people stated that they initially thought the wave was small and benign, and by the time they realised it was life-threatening, it was too late. This is echoed in an article from NG:
- In several places the tsunami announced itself in the form of a rapidly receding ocean. Many reports quoted survivors saying how they had never seen the sea withdraw such a distance, exposing seafloor never seen before, stranding fish and boats on the sand. Tragically the novelty of the sight apparently stoked the curiosity of the people who ran out onto the exposed seafloor. Tourists in Thailand were seen wandering around photographing the scene. [Quoted from National Geographic, Full article here]
For me, this parallels the spiritual realm in that God, in His grace, warns and gives us time to repend, especially people who do not believe in Him. The biggest tragedy, unfortunately, is that people are ignorant or that warnings are not heeded. The warning signs are there, but people believe what they want to believe.
Just as the disciples asked Jesus saying, "Teacher, but when will the end of days be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?", we need to be continually circumspect. It is no longer enough to merely be aware of the warnings. Christ has given us the answer to that question, the issue is whether we treat it as a novelty, delay for 'another day', or do we presevere to undertake the appropriate response immediately.
Even though the hype of the Asian tsunami has died away, this tragic event, as with many tragedies in the vast, rugged landscape of human history, symbolically reminds every one of us to build our "life roots" grounded in soil that surging water cannot wash away. In the grinds of daily living, we can easily forget, overlook or ignore this reminder.
I am once again returning to this question myself: Am I building my life on the surface soil where foundations are shallow, or am I really building deep? Do you (will you) pose the same question? Psalm 1:1-3, Matthew 13:3-23.
Labels: Current Affairs, Significance / Life Purpose
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