The Profound Message of "The Emperor's New Clothes"

Walt Disney’s Emperor New Groove turned out to be a thoughtful, very hilarious animated movie, but it doesn’t have the depth of the classic short story that inspired its title.  “The Emperor’s New Clothes” was first published in Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales Told for Children. First Collection., and it’s one of my most favorite “children fairy tales” ever, for it is an amusing tale that conveys a thought-provoking, profound message. 

The story tells of a vain, probably narcissistic emperor whose only concern is wearing the most exquisite clothing and updating his extensive wardrobe collection.  One day, two swindlers presented themselves as tailors to the emperor and offered to weave for him a special, extraordinary clothing that has a remarkable feature: it is rendered invisible to those that are incompetent or stupid.  The emperor’s vanity and curiosity got the better of him and he commissioned the two swindlers/tailors to make it.  Furthermore, he believed this will allow him to kill two birds with one stone – aside from getting to wear this special clothing, he would also be able to determine which among his subjects are stupid and incompetent.  And so, the two swindlers – having been provided with the gold payment and elegant materials that they asked for – proceeded to “work” on the fabric.  People, of course, didn’t see a thing, but not wanting to be considered “stupid and incompetent” talked and behaved as if they have seen it.  The emperor himself, when the fabric was presented to him, was horrified for he can’t see anything, but had to carry on as if he did.  With no one admitting that he actually couldn’t see anything, but pretended that he could because of the self-conscious fear of being shamed and exposed as stupid or incompetent, nobody was able to realize that others were also dealing with the same predicament as his.  The emperor even paraded the “clothes” in front of his people, but he was in fact naked the whole time.  Everybody knew that the emperor wasn’t really wearing any clothes, but they cheered and praised the “emperor’s new clothes” for they didn’t want to be branded as stupid or incompetent.  The ruse would have continued if not for an innocent boy – who had no concern of his self-image but merely acknowledges whatever his eyes show to him – that loudly pointed out the fact that the emperor wasn’t wearing any clothes.  The father initially hushed him, but that one remark of honesty incited the crowd to admit to themselves that the boy was right, that they can’t see any clothing, that the emperor was indeed naked.    

The tale illustrates a sad facet of Men’s depraved nature.   The truth is something we will repress it if it will cause inconvenience and unpopularity.  We are more concerned with maintaining our comfortable status quo; we are more concerned with what people will think of us.   Hence, we prefer conforming to the popular thought of the majority, even if what we honestly perceive is actually the opposite of that.  We pretend to adore the beauty of the emperor’s clothes when in fact what we really see is the nakedness of the emperor.  We readily embrace hypocrisy if it’ll preserve our pride rather than undergo the uneasiness brought by truthfulness.  

And the absurd thing is that the “popular thought of the majority” is sometimes itself an illusion.  Everyone is afraid to speak the contrary in fear of being ridiculed as foolish.  But, ironically, by trying to protect his image from being deemed foolish, one is actually being foolish by carrying a pretense.   Just like the emperor who wanted to avoid humiliation by actually doing something humiliating – parading himself nude in front of his people.   

In this world dominated by superficiality and hypocrisy and vanity and lies, we really need more people that have the childlike boldness and non-hesitance to straightforwardly blurt out the truth.  Oftentimes, at the early stage of falsity, all it takes to break the general facade is a tiny voice that can candidly point out that the emperor has no clothes on.  One drop of honest declaration could lead to the eventual admission of the truth by the majority who initially chose to repress it. 

Indeed, it is important to call the bluff of falsehood as early as possible.  For if no one would do so, this falsehood would eventually evolve into delusion.  And delusions are harder to break.  When it reaches this level, untruth is adopted as the majority’s accepted version of “the truth”, and declaring the genuine truth then will result to graver persecutions (e.g. death).  So at the earliest opportunity, it’s imperative to demolish falsehood, before it becomes terminal.

Still, regardless of the extent of falsehood’s influence, whenever we encounter truth, we are morally obligated to uphold it, no matter what the degree of difficulty we could receive from doing so.  “The truth shall set you free.”  Freedom is what’s at stake here.  And great will be the punishment for those who knowingly and pridefully suppress truth and practice duplicity – it’s going to be worse than suffering the laughter and shaming from parading naked in front of people.      

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Savoring the Glory of God By Means of Man-Made Pleasures

This essay is somewhat of a sequel to an essay I wrote about two years ago entitled “The Purpose of the World’s Pleasures” (I encourage you to read that one first before proceeding).  These are basically the important points of that particular essay: 

• There are, of course, sinful pleasures – things that God has explicitly commanded us to avoid.  And even innocent pleasures can tempt us to idolatry.  But the act of enjoying the world’s pleasures by itself is not automatically sinful.
• God has designed us to have desires.  And God is the Author of the world’s pleasures.  God intended for us to enjoy them.  God intended for us to be thankful for them.
• The world’s pleasures are not the ends.  The purpose of the world’s pleasures is the same as the purpose of the world’s pains: it should lead us to God.  The world’s pleasures should eventually bring us to the realization that God is the only source of Ultimate Pleasure; the world’s pleasures should help direct our innate desires to Him.  The delight found in Him is incomparable, unspeakable, and full of glory.  Pleasures given up for it and pains endured for it are all going to be infinitely worth it. 
• If we fail to seek the Pleasure beyond the world’s pleasures – settling with and prioritizing these lesser pleasures – then we dishonor God.  We pathetically give up the greatest glory for something preposterously lesser.  We are like, as the great C.S. Lewis puts it, “half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.”       
• Not all aspects of the world’s pleasures are good or helpful.  Our faith, our understanding for the purpose of pleasure, and our desire to glorify God will serve as “filters” when we are in the act of enjoying the world’s pleasures – retaining the positive, and discarding the negative.   

Now in this new essay, I will be expanding a bit more about the topic, but I will be focusing more on – as the title has made obvious – man-made pleasures. 

“Man-made pleasures”, for a better term escapes me at the moment, are all the products of human arts and mass media that we derive enjoyment from.  This includes pop culture, music, literature, gadgetries, movies, TV shows, games, etc.  In this essay, I will be arguing that God can and will use these “lesser pleasures” in revealing His infinite glory to us.  (Of course, it’s always a possibility that I err with my understanding and, thus, also err with my arguments.  I welcome correction from those wiser than me.) 

HOW TO ENJOY THE WORLD’S PLEASURES WITHOUT BEING “WORLDLY”

I have already tackled this in the previous essay.  But let me elaborate.  Let us start with what 1 Timothy 4:4-5 says:

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer.

The passage provided these important points:

1. God’s Creation – which includes the world’s pleasures – is good. 
2. These are God’s gifts.  And we should receive them with thankfulness.
3. These gifts – these pleasures that God allows us to enjoy – are sanctified.  

To be “sanctified” means setting something apart or transforming something into a means or state that can and will be used to glorify God.  This applies to everything (as stated by 1 Timothy 4:4) created by God – which includes, by extension, the creations of His creatures (I’ll get to this later).  Sanctification applies to people (John 17:17, 1 Cor. 1:2, etc.); sanctification applies on other things as well: food, money, property, practices (like what early Christians did with Christmas Day, December 25, which was formerly a date for a pagan festival), etc. 

So how are these things – particularly the world’s pleasures – sanctified?  In two ways, according to 1 Timothy 4:5: God’s Word and prayer. 

Firstly, God’s Word provides us with parameters on how to enjoy the world’s pleasures (no love for money, no sex outside of marriage, no drunkenness, no idolatry, etc.) as well as the revelation that God’s glory is manifested in the physical world and that the delight we derive from them must bring us to the glory of God (Psalm 19:1-4, Romans 1:20, Psalm 148:1-6, Colossians 1:16, Psalm 108:5, etc.).  So our adherence to God’s standards and willingness to learn about what He has to say about these pleasures brings sanctification to our enjoyment of the world’s pleasures. 

Secondly, through prayer, we are able to acknowledge that these pleasures that God allows us to enjoy are His gifts, and thank Him sincerely for we are able to freely enjoy His blessings because Christ already paid for them (Romans 8:32).  But aside from a means to say “thank you” to God, most importantly, prayer is the way we can ask His blessing and the Holy Spirit’s guidance in being able to really see the glory of God through the world’s pleasures.  By our own, we will easily fall to temptation and idolatry.  Only God can truly prepare our hearts to enjoy the world’s pleasures in the way He intended.  Only God can truly sanctify.   

DON’T JUST “LOOK AT THE BEAM”, BUT “LOOK ALONG THE BEAM”

The Bible has made it apparent that the majesty of the physical realm – Creation – serves as “appetizers” or “signposts” that should direct us to the glory of the Creator.  As what Psalm 19:1 says of the wonders of the heavens, they “declare” the glory of God.  C.S. Lewis shared this anecdote to wonderfully illustrate how the majesty and pleasures of this world are merely pointing us to the Source of supreme majesty and pleasure:

I was standing today in the dark toolshed. The sun was shining outside and through the crack at the top of the door there came a sunbeam. From where I stood that beam of light, with the specks of dust floating in it, was the most striking thing in the place.  Everything else was almost pitch-black. I was seeing the beam, not seeing things by it. Then I moved so that the beam fell on my eyes. Instantly the whole previous picture vanished. I saw no toolshed, and (above all) no beam. Instead I saw, framed in the irregular cranny at the top of the door, green leaves moving on the branches of a tree outside and beyond that, 90 odd million miles away, the sun. Looking along the beam, and looking at the beam are very different experiences.

“Looking at the beams” is settling with the world’s beauty and pleasures – hence, idolatry.  “Looking along the beams” is tracing back the “beams” of the world’s pleasures towards its Source, which is God, where supreme beauty and pleasure lie. 

BUT DOES THE FUNCTION OF THE WORLD IN POINTING TO THE GLORY OF GOD ALSO EXTEND TO MAN-MADE PLEASURES?

Absolutely. 

We are created by God in His image.  God designed us to have innate creativity, intellect, and capability of making beautiful creations in our own limited attempt to physically express or represent God’s glory, just as what the Creator did with His Creation.  Whenever we create – making the most of our God-given talents and abilities – we also “declare” the glory of God as much as what the heavens do in Psalm 19:1.  Therefore, man-made creations, are still, by extension, part of God’s Creation wherein he reveals His glory. 

Even the artistic outputs of non-believers – people who create without God consciously in mind – can still “declare” the glory of God.  Art is art, and beauty is beauty, regardless of who made it – a Christian or a non-believer.  Art and beauty are concepts invented by God, hence, ultimately, art and beauty comes from God.  Every human being – Christian or non-believer, consciously or unconsciously – deeply aches for God’s glory and is always compelled by the intuitive sense – whether he or she admits to it or not, realizes it or not – that there is Something beyond, Something bigger than what he or she can physically perceive.  Thus, human efforts and artistic outputs are still governed by a sovereign God that directs everything so that His intention of displaying His glory through physical representations – which includes man-made pleasures – comes through, regardless of the creators’ personal motivations.  A non-believing creator might have not honored God with his purpose, but, unbeknownst to him, he was nonetheless used by God to declare His glory when he exercised his creative impulses.    

The danger of a man-made pleasure is not necessarily because of the non-believer that created it.  Enjoying man-made pleasures created by non-believers is never an issue.  In this world, we always come into contact with services, products, and goods handled or built by unbelievers.  Your lunch might have been the cumulative contribution of an unbelieving farmer, an unbelieving fisherman, an unbelieving proprietor, and an unbelieving cook, and yet you still eat it.  The doctor that you have consulted about your health might be an unbeliever.  The mechanic that you went to to fix your car might be an unbeliever.  Your employer – the man providing your income – might be an unbeliever.  And so on.  It’s basically the same principle with enjoying a man-made pleasure created by an unbeliever.  God is sovereign over this world and everything we receive ultimately comes from God by using people – Christians or non-believers.           

Man-made pleasures, even those created by non-believers, are permissible to a Christian to enjoy (1 Cor. 6:12) because they are ultimately from God, and everything from God is good (1 Timothy 4:4), and God can sanctify them (1 Timothy 4:5) and make use of them to reveal His glory.  So for a Christian, someone who knows the truthful connection between the world’s pleasures and God’s glory, there is really no such thing as “secular.”  When he’s enjoying something secular by itself, like a Michael Jackson concert, it becomes sanctified when he is enjoying it with the holy purpose of seeking God’s glory – “looking along the beam” of MJ’s amazing talent. 

FICTION IS THE DEEPER REVELATION OF REALITY BY LIKENING IT TO WHAT IT IS NOT

The world’s pleasures, by stirring our sensations and emotions, arouse our deeper, inherent yearnings for greater awesome things than what we see in this world.  And, personally, outside of the complexity and loveliness of natural Creation, no other pleasure of this world is able to match fiction on blowing my mind away and awakening the desire in me for something bigger beyond my perceived reality.  That’s why I’m extremely fond of fiction. 

Some think that fiction is merely a “distraction” or an “escape” from reality.  Nothing can be more wrong.  Fiction “awakens” us to reality.  Kevin Vanhoozer wrote:

The sad truth is that many of us are, at best, only half awake. We think we’re engaged with the real world—you know, the world of stock markets, stock-car racing, and stockpiles of chemical weapons—but in fact we’re living in what [C.S.] Lewis calls the “shadowlands.” We think we’re awake, but we’re really only daydreaming. We’re sleepwalking our way through life—asleep at the wheel of existence—only semi-conscious of the eternal, those things that are truly solid that bear the weight of glory.

The world is full of wonders.  When we first come in contact with them, we probably had been awed.  But, over time, we got used to these wonders, taking them for granted, and our sense of awe is replaced with boredom and apathy – we “fall asleep.” And one of the best ways for us to “wake up” is through fiction.  For fiction articulates reality in a new light, providing for us an enhanced focus on the actual marvels found in things we had dismissed as ordinary.  As what G.K. Chesterton has perfectly analyzed:

When we are very young children we don’t need fairy tales: we only need tales.  Mere life is interesting enough.  A child of seven is excited by being told that Tommy opened a door and saw a dragon. But a child of three is excited by being told that Tommy opened a door.  Boys like romantic tales; but babies like realistic tales— because they find them romantic… This proves that even nursery tales only echo an almost pre-natal leap of interest and amazement. These tales say that apples are golden only to refresh the forgotten moment when we found that they were green. They make rivers run with wine only to make us remember, for one wild moment, that they run with water.

Once our sense of awe on the world’s wonders and miracles are rekindled, fiction could then further reveal to us what reality really is.  Often it is not enough to just describe reality for what it is.  When the Source of the deepest meaning of reality lies beyond it, then likening reality to what it is not actually reveals more deeply what it is (it’s another C.S. Lewis-ian concept).  Fiction does this. 

Besides, God himself opted to display His Reality through representation, making Creation – our reality – as means of revealing His glory to us.  In the same way, fiction serves as representation of our reality.  Of course, I’m not implying that we are merely God’s “computer simulations” in a The Thirteenth Floor sort of way (it’s a cool, underrated movie by the way) – that our existence lacked no real substance.  It’s just that God’s Reality is so grand, that our physical reality is much of a “figment” of God’s Reality as fiction a “figment” of our physical reality.                  

Simply, we are creatures that often require metaphors and analogies and illustrations and such to thoroughly grasp concepts and aspects of reality.  It’s simply the way we are designed by our Creator.  There’s a reason Jesus spoke in parables.  God has always intended fiction to serve as a means of intensifying our appreciation, understanding, and perspective of reality – and beyond! 

THE DANGER OF MAN-MADE PLEASURES

Of course, the fact that God reveals His glory through man-made pleasures is no excuse for us to consume every piece of it just because.  What do I mean by that?  We still have responsibility of choosing wisely the kind and amount of man-made pleasures that we choose to enjoy.  Seeking God’s glory is the chief reason for everything we Christians do in this world, including our choice of man-made pleasures.  Thus, if it’s already apparent that God’s glory is absent from a particular man-made pleasure, or it’s failing to bring us towards Christ, but, on the contrary, is actually leading us away, then there’s no reason to continue consuming it. 

We all have to constantly remember that the greatest danger of enjoying the world’s pleasures is how easily the Devil can use them to tempt us to idolatry.  If we are just immersing ourselves to banal entertainment – failing to “look along the beam” – we are vulnerable to the Devil’s attack.  Just like with idle hands, idle minds are also the Devil’s playground.  Man-made pleasures, whether enjoying them properly or not, will always arouse our desires.  When we fail to direct these aroused desires towards God, the Devil always jumps at the opportunity to exploit and redirect our desires towards idols.  Looked at how the Serpent tempted Adam and Even to eat the Forbidden Fruit when their imaginations and desires (“You will be like God!”) were aroused. 

Hence, we have to be honest with ourselves if a particular man-made pleasure is truly aiding us in our pursuit of God’s glory, or if it’s turning out to be a genuine unhelpful distraction.  Are we more engrossed during prayer than watching a movie?  Are we spending more time reading our Bibles than novels?  Are we more thrilled with God than Stephen Amell?

If we discover upon reflection that enjoying a particular man-made pleasure is not really helping us in our pursuit of God’s glory, or, worse, it’s actually leading us to sin, then we should completely abstain from it.  The Bible calls for radical cutting off of things that tempt us to sin.  Matthew 18:6-9 tells us:

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.  Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!  If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.  And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”

Jesus means business.  If you’re always being lured towards pornographic sites, then cut off your Internet service.   If you’re spending more time and delighting more in watching TV than praying and reading the Bible, then sell or give it away.  If you’re always succumbing into drunkenness whenever you taste alcohol, then completely abstain from alcoholic beverages.

Take in mind that God doesn’t exclusively reveal His glory through man-made pleasures.  He can use other kinds of innocent pleasures as well.  He can even use suffering.  Abstaining from a man-made pleasure when necessary is not a loss at all.  Don’t think of it that you’re missing out on something.  Ultimate Pleasure is found in God anyway, and God has continually guaranteed that giving up something for Him is infinitely worth it. 

USING CREATION AND MAN-MADE PLEASURES TO DELIGHT IN GOD

In conclusion: if God chooses to display his glory through something, whether through the natural facets and elements of Creation or through man-made pleasures, then we should proceed to enjoy them.  God designed us to have physical desires and sensations so that we can perceive God’s glory through physical manifestations.  And through them, we will realize that there is more to it than these, that there is a Delight that transcends the pleasures of the world.  The world’s pleasures are not the ends.  They are merely the means to sharpen our longings for something – Someone – greater than physical pleasures.  The ultimate objective has always been about finding our complete, supreme joy in God alone.  

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My Slogan: 'Keep Calm and Press On'

This post is to officially announce my life slogan. 

“Hakuna Matata” has always been my motto since I was able to understand what a motto means.  During the time I was about to get to my silver anniversary – a notable life milestone – I contemplated if there’s a need for me to change my motto as I move forward with my life, but I arrive at the conclusion that there’s no need; “Hakuna Matata” is still appropriate at this point in my life. 

So with “Hakuna Matata” already at hand, why is there a need for a life slogan?  Well, basically, a motto is different from a slogan.  A motto is a brief statement that serves as the guiding principle or philosophy that one has to live by.  A slogan is more of a catchphrase that pushes an agenda or cause.  Therefore, the purpose of a life slogan is to promote in my life the cause that I have to live on and to pump me up as I progress with my life. 

If it’s still not apparent from the title of this post and the T-shirt I’m wearing in the photo above, my life slogan is “KEEP CALM AND PRESS ON.” 

“Keep Calm and Press On” is just another play with the “Keep Calm and…” meme, in which particular revisions are made on the original “Keep Calm and Carry On” slogan done by the UK government during the financial crisis back in the late 2000’s. Nonetheless, “Keep Calm and Press On” is almost similar in function as the original “Keep Calm and Carry On.”  Both basically mean that in the presence of excitement and difficulties, we should just remain calm and just continue moving forward.  It gives an optimistic message that no matter how hard and chaotic the situation is now, we will get through it.    Somehow, we’ll manage.  Somehow, we’ll overcome.

However, even if the implication of my life slogan is virtually similar to the original UK slogan, I still prefer to use the phrase “Press On” rather than “Carry On.” “Press On” alludes to what the Apostle Paul has stated on Philippians 3:7-14:

    But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
     Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Despite the tremendous amount of hardships and struggles that he had undergone in his life, Paul remained enthusiastic, resolute, and kept moving forward.  Why?  For he understood the great value of this future prize that God has set for him in Heaven, and that no earthly pleasure or glory can ever come close in matching that.  So he worked hard for the glory of God – storing riches in Heaven that will last for eternity – rather than seeking earthly pleasures and glory that are all temporary anyway.  In everything, he gave it his all, no matter what.  He knew that every sacrifice, every pain, every drop of effort, is going to be worth it; the glory and happiness that he would receive as reward far outweigh the sufferings that he experienced in this world while working for God’s glory.

Paul doggedly pressed on towards an upward prize, and didn’t get distracted by anything that this temporary world gives, whether temporal enjoyment or suffering.  Thus, by pressing on towards the Prize, his life became meaningful.  So for my life to be meaningful, I should follow the example that he has set.

I definitely won’t be able to do it with the same extent and quality as Paul’s, and there are times I completely forget about it that I ended up being a hypocrite.  But I just have to keep on trying; rise up each time I fail, and move forward again; don’t panic; and do the best I can and be the best I can be.  

This is what “Keep Calm and Press On” reminds me of.

Everything in this world is temporary.  Both earthly pleasures and pains will pass.  Therefore, I should not focus on the things of this world   No matter how bad my problems are, I should not let myself be drowned in them and despair – be calm.  And no matter how delightful earthly pleasures and personal glory are, I should not ground my ultimate satisfaction in them, pursuing them instead of heavenly rewards. 

My focus should be on the Prize.  If it’s for the glory of God, then I should go all out.  No holding back.  And no matter how hard the circumstances are, I should keep moving forward.  Even crawl if I have to.  Press on towards the Prize, no matter what. 

For the pains and the pleasures of this world are nothing compared to this immensely glorious Prize that God wants me to enjoy in Heaven.  Everything is going to be worth it.

In the Bible, the “crown” has several times served as symbol for heavenly rewards.  If the crown on top of the art design of the “Keep Calm and Carry On” campaign is any indication, then it’s definitely meant to be tailored for the context of my life’s slogan.

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'Hakuna Matata' is Indeed A Wonderful Phrase, But It isn't A Problem-Free Philosophy

Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase

Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze

It means no worries for the rest of your days

It's our problem-free philosophy

Hakuna Matata!

* * *

Hakuna Matata has been my life’s motto as far as I can remember.  It was what I would always write on the “motto” entry back when friendship autograph books were a thing during my late elementary years. 

The philosophy mightily appealed to me.  I wanted to be happy always.  For me, happiness is the greatest end.  And happiness was something that could be consciously chosen, and something you can “force” on yourself even when circumstances are hindering you to be such.  Worrying won’t help you, hence, better to live Hakuna Matata.  Don’t worry, be happy! 

I wrote something about thisduring the first year of this blog.  My argument for the merits of Hakuna Matata was like this:

Our life is short, but beautiful. And we need to get the best out of it. God wants us to enjoy the Life. And God knows what is the best for us. That's why we must surrender all to Him - our lives, our plans, our anxieties, worries, problems, fears - all of it. He promised to take care of those things. He promised to take care of us and never forsake us. "If God is with us, who can be against us?"
I fully trust the Man Upstairs. He has never let me down. For years, the motto Hakuna Matata really worked for me. I let God take care of my worries, since I surrendered my life to Him. Yes, sometimes the problems do not really disappear but God gives me strength and comfort. "No worries…"
I truly believe that I cannot get on with life without the Man Upstairs helping me. I trust him to take care of my life, my future, and me.

Reconciling Hakuna Matata with my Christian faith.  Clever eh?  But, now, I’ve realized that, even though, in a sense, what I had written (and believed) had truth, a part of my perspective was still flawed. 

* * *

With Hakuna Matata as my motto, I got to have a cheerful, happy-go-lucky disposition.  I proceeded to treat problems with apathy.  I “trained” myself to be happy no matter what.  “Happiness” was the ultimate thing to have.  As I now look back, I probably had the right idea then but I definitely mistook “happiness” with getting through life by having a good time and being unbothered by troubles, hassles, inconveniences, and antagonisms.       

Hakuna Matata’s “no worries for the rest of your days” clause is attainable and even reconcilable to my Christian faith, but it is, however, not at all due to Hakuna Matata’s “problem-free philosophy” clause.  In fact, the use of Hakuna Matata as a “problem-free philosophy” is inappropriate and quite fallacious.  Timon and Pumba got that one wrong.       

As I grow older in age and with my Christian faith, I realized that life is not meant to be “problem-free” at all.  And it’s not God’s will for us to be free from difficulties.  God promised to give us peace and strength, but there’s no promise that we will have no hard times while living in this world.  

Christ promised he will provide rest to those who come to him and surrender their heavy burdens… but he didn’t say there will be no more burdens to carry.  In fact, those that surrender their heavy burdens to Christ would have to take Christ’s yoke.  Still, he assured as that his burden is light and we will find rest, but we still have to carry a burden nonetheless (Matt. 11:28-30).  Moreover, Christ also asked us to carry his cross daily (Luke 9:23). 

Besides, God never wastes pain.  It means that every form of pain we encounter has a purpose.  It could eventually result to something good.  And even if the rationale for that pain we experience is not revealed to us in this lifetime, the heavenly reward for any suffering we endured as God’s children is a guarantee (Matt. 5:10).   Furthermore, just like pleasure, the purpose of pain is to lead us to God and reflect on His glory.             

* * * 

However, in living out Hakuna Matata’s “problem-free philosophy”, I was “avoiding” problems.  My apathy for problems would often become aversion for every form of difficulties – minor or major – and I would choose to dismiss them.  Hence, I failed to embrace and face the challenges thrown at me, and rise up from those occasions. 

I kind of missed the whole point of Lion King in the first place.  It didn’t really revolve around and end with Hakuna Matata. 

At first, Simba was already completely sold on to Hakuna Matata.   The philosophy mightily appealed to him for he can choose to avoid the burden of his past – something which he found extremely unpleasant and difficult to face.  When Nala attempted to convince him to return to Pride Rock and take the throne that is rightfully his, he balked for he was unwilling and afraid to face his past.  Even Timon and Pumba, his Hakuna Matata mentors, tried to persuade him since the circumstance calls for an exception to their philosophy.  But the confused Simba fled.  It took an encounter with Rafiki and the spirit of his father that reminded Simba of his identity and compelled him to face the challenge ahead of him.  He fought, embraced his responsibilities, and emerged stronger and victorious.

* * *

I’m turning 25 on the 23^rd.  But I guess Hakuna Matata is still retained as my motto until I find something catchier.  Lol. 

However, I like to think, that I’m no longer good with just settling for the “slimy, yet satisfying”… that at 25, after years of having my goofing-off-with-Timon-and Pumba phase, I’ve already matured enough to be ready for my Simba-going-back-to-Pride-Rock-to-face-Scar moment.   

May God help me have the readiness and willingness to embrace challenges, get out of them stronger, and glorify God during the processes and results.    And that my living of Hakuna Matata – in accordance to its core meaning of “don’t worry, be happy” – is successful, not because I am “problem-free,” but because my happiness and freedom from worries are completely, unshakably anchored in God.   

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The Prince of Preacher's Most Haunting Quote

Charles Haddon (C.H.) Spurgeon is one of the most significant and influential Christian figures in history.   He was a Baptist preacher during his time, and was known to deliver thoughtful and powerful sermons, thanks to his articulate and masterful expositional and oratory skills.  He was even called the “Prince of Preachers.”   Spurgeon’s writings and sermons (many of which were transcribed) were many, thus, there is a rich amount of profound and notable quotes from Spurgeon.  But among these quotable quotes, the quote that made the most impact to me is the one which I have posted above this paragraph. 

The first time I encountered that quote, it really stunned me.  It made me pause and reflect.  Indeed, if I am truly a Child of God, then I should delight on things that my Father delights in, and despise the things that my Father despises.  It’s as simple as that.   It’s the gauge to determine if my faith is sincere.  And I fell short.  Realizing this, I repented.                 

Since then, this particular Spurgeon quote haunts me.    

The pleasures of this world, both the permissible ones and sinful ones, are nothing compared to the pleasures found in the fellowship with God.  I know this.  I believe this.  But often times, I put worldly pleasures above God (which is basically idolatry).  I succumb to temptation; I sin.       

That’s why I am thankful and glad that Spurgeon’s quote is haunting me.   Whenever I found myself enjoying pleasures more than I enjoy God, I reflect on that quote and it leads me to repentance.  This is my continuous struggle. 

I pray that God will use this haunting quote to really transform my heart into finding ultimate satisfaction in Him alone, that there will be no tinge of hypocrisy at all whenever I profess my faith in and love for Him.

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One Day at a Time

“You are too concerned with what was and what will be. There's a saying: ‘Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the “present”.’”

- Master Oogway (Kung Fu Panda)

“He therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to Eternity itself, and to that point of time which they call the Present.  For the Present is the point at which time touches Eternity.”

- from C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters

Press on one day at a time.

That’s how to live life.

The past is done. 

It can’t be changed.

 Hence, being concerned of it is a waste of time and energy. 

But the present is the perfect time to amend the mistakes of the past.

And there is no better time to start anew than the present.

True, the future is somewhat affected by the present.

But the future is not something that is in our power.

Thus, investing our hope on the future is a waste.

Rather, we just have to do our best in the present.

And invest our hope on Someone that does hold the future.

(That “Someone” is God, if it’s not obvious.)

One day at a time.

Just survive the day.

Do our best to accomplish the day’s goals and entrusted tasks.

Ask for the daily bread.

Be still.

Live on prayer.

And trust God

The past can hurt me. 

The future can worry me. 

So why dwell on them?

They are out of my hands.

But the present is something certain.

It’s a moment in time I’ve been given the opportunity to touch.

So it’s where I need to focus.

And with the gift of present, also comes the grace of living under God’s supremacy.

This truth, I embrace happily.

That should be enough to give me peace.

For if God bothered to assure the happiness of my Eternity,

Surely, he also have my day-by-day journey towards it taken care of.

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"With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility": Spider-Man's Most Inspiring Lesson

You can get tons of inspirational lessons from Spider-Man.   But every lesson you can learn from Spider-Man can be ultimately traced originating from one basic principle, Spider-Man’s trademark mantra: “With great power comes great responsibility.”  It simply means that responsibility always accompanies power, and the amount of responsibility is directly proportional to the amount of power; hence, the greater the power, the greater the responsibility.  And what is this responsibility?  To do the right thing, of course!  If you found yourself possessing the capability or are in the position to do the right thing, then you should do it.  Or as Martin Sheen (as Uncle Ben in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man) put it, “…if you could do good things for other people, you had a moral obligation to do those things.  That's what at stake here.  Not a choice, responsibility.”

  

You should always do what is right – it’s a responsibility!  That is some heavy stuff.  That’s what “with great power comes great responsibility” is all about.  And a fifteen-year old Spider-Man had to learn it the hard way. 

But because of that fateful event, it made Spider-Man one of the most morally steadfast superhero ever.  Doing good is paramount to him.   No matter what the cost will be, he will pursue the right thing.  Indeed, Spidey sometimes find himself confused in determining or defining the “right thing to do.”  But his sincerity of doing the right thing can never be doubted.   

As long as it’s the right thing to do, Spidey will stubbornly press on.

Nothing will prevent him from doing what is right.  Even if bad stuff and misfortune consistently happen to his life (due to the notorious “Parker luck”); even if his heroics and selfless deeds go unappreciated and unrewarded; even if, in return of saving and protecting the populace, he instead receives ungratefulness and prejudice from them; even if his personal life and relationships suffer whenever he prioritizes his moral responsibilities; even when he’s already exhausted and injured; even if he is facing tremendous hazards, and defeat or death is likely; even if the odds are greatly stacked up against him; and even if doing the right thing is unpopular to the majority, Spider-Man will always be resolute, courageous, positive, and jolly in doing good.

Of course, he snaps sometimes -- gets discouraged, impatient, and bitter. He’s human after all. But he always reverts back to his usual cool.

He puts doing the right thing above anything else.  Even above his self-interests and personal happiness.  In Spider-Man 2 (one of the greatest movies ever), Peter Parker spoke of this (originally from his Aunt May): “Sometimes, to do what's right, we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams.”  It’s very moving.  This added another stirring layer to Spider-Man’s already inspiring character.   

“With great power comes great responsibility.”  To fight for the right thing always.  This is what really puts the amazing on the Amazing Spider-Man.   

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Food for Thought from an Optical Illusion Image

Check this out. 

Can you find a horse in this picture of a frog?  Really.  I’m not kidding you.  There is a horse hidden in the image.  You just need to look hard. 

If you finally see the horse or has given up looking for it, scroll down.

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This is probably my most favorite optical illusion image.  To see the horse, you need to look at the picture from a different perspective:

Pretty cool, right?

We can derive a simple but valuable lesson from this: it pays to look at things through a different perspective.

In solving problems, it is important to think out of the box.  The solution to a problem might be derived by looking at it differently.  See the problem from a different perspective to find the “horse.”       

Also, looking at a different perspective also helps in settling any disagreements.  Now, I acknowledge and believe that there are indeed such things as objective and absolute truths, in which there is only one way of looking at the matter.  At these particular instances, it is necessary to resolutely stand firm by the objective truth against the opposition.  But, in life, there are also many times where we will encounter subjective truths – a matter that can be look upon from many perspectives.  You might see it as a “frog” and another sees it as a “horse”, and you are both correct as far as the respective context or perspective that you are looking at the matter from is concerned.  Hence, if we find our emotions being roused to obnoxiously argue with someone that sees it as a “horse” since we see it as a “frog”, then it is wise to take a pause first.  And carefully think.  Let us be discerning and try to understand where the different view is coming from.  Let us put ourselves in their shoes, and try to look at it from their point of view.  By understanding that there are several ways to look at it, the opposing sides could have a proper and effective discourse and together reach a higher vantage point to see the whole picture. 

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Even at the Face of Probable Defeat, Don't Be Afraid But Just Give It Your Best Shot: A Spider-Man Lesson

One of the greatest things about Spider-Man is the rich amount of inspiration and moral you can gain from him (which is nowadays absent, with the whole SpOck-thing happening now).   And Amazing Spider-Man #475 (published back in 2001) is one of the most powerful Spidey inspirational moments ever. 

It’s pretty moving.

Spidey finds himself at the ropes.  He knows that winning and surviving this battle is unlikely.  Nonetheless, he doesn’t back down.  Even with probable death looming, Spidey makes his stand with unwavering courage.  For that is the right thing to do – conforming to his “With great power comes great responsibility” motto.   Even if the odds are greatly against him, even if he loses, what is important to him is he tried and did his best.  The outcome – victory or defeat – doesn’t bother him.

That simply illustrates why Spidey is a true hero and role model.

From this, we learn a very valuable Spider-Man lesson:

Life is not all wins.  There will surely be losses as well.  But what is important is how we will conduct ourselves when facing our upcoming battles, especially when there is a very slim chance of victory; defeat almost a guarantee. Should we allow ourselves to be affected and scared, compelling us to fold, or be depressed, embracing defeat even when the battle is not even starting yet?  No, we should definitely not!  Rather, from start to finish, we should be courageous and give it our all.  And even if we lose, we should go down fighting. 

Especially if we are fighting for what is right.

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An Inspirational Food for Thought from Captain America

A bit of a background:

This happened during the “Civil War” event back in ’06 (if I recall the year right).  After leaving the Pro-Registration side because his conscience couldn’t stomach their methods (like imprisoning non-registered heroes in the Negative Zone), Spider-Man wrestled with a moral dilemma.  He knew that the Iron Man and the Pro-Registration side were wrong, but they were the ones on the side of the government, enforcing the Superhuman Registration Act; he was uncomfortable of switching sides, considering the fact that those in the Anti-Registration side are the ones breaking the Law.

Captain America, the leader of the Anti-Registration side, gave Spidey a very thought-provoking speech that finally put him at ease.  When I read that, it felt to me that Captain America was really delivering this speech in person in front of me.  It gave me goosebumps ; its powerful truth echoed through my bones.    

Beautiful.  /slowclap /tears 

Captain America, from time and time again, has proven that he’s loyalty doesn’t lie with the US government.  His allegiance has always been for the values and principles that America is founded upon; he believes that these are the essence of America, thus, by extension, the essence of his being Captain America.  (Now I like to think that, even as American values and morality gradually deteriorates due to the ongoing poisoning of liberal philosophy on American society, the American nation has been solidly founded on wonderful values of freedom and morality.   I like to think that this perception is a historical fact, and not a mere product of romantic thought.  And these American values are represented and personified by Captain America.)        

Anyway, the point of Captain America’s speech was this:

Doing what is right is never dependent on what the majority or what authority says is right.  In fact, time and time again, you will find that the objective right thing is actually at odds with the world’s definition of “the right thing.”  It takes true courage and guts to make a stand, to do the right thing, to never give in to pressure, to never compromise, when everything – everyone or every power – around you is against you. 

I coin Captain America’s philosophy as “moral badassery” (you heard this from me first. lol) – the best kind of badassery that could possibly be.  And I really want to emulate this.  I want to have the courage of doing the right thing no matter what the circumstance and cost to me are – to steadfastly hold my ground, stare down the incoming charge of the world’s fallacious principles, and say, “No, you move.”    

I want to be a moral badass like Captain America.        

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The First Rule of Leadership

“First rule of leadership: everything is your fault.”

This quote comes from the villain of A Bug's Life, Hopper, but there is truth and wisdom in it nonetheless.   Of course, this “first rule” is technically not true all of the time.   There will always be things out of the leader’s control, making any degree of competence a non-factor.  Nevertheless, a good leader understands that this seemingly unfair “first rule” comes with the territory of being a leader.  Leadership is a great power.  And, as what Spider-Man taught us, with great power comes great responsibility.  If something goes wrong during the leader’s watch, then the leader should be ready to take the responsibility for it.  No excuses.  Thus, it takes a set of serious balls for someone to embrace this harsh reality.  But that’s the main point: a good leader has balls.

Besides, a good leader is always rewarded by good subordinates.  And good subordinates, whenever the organization falls short, are willing to take the fault to themselves to shield their leader from damage.   

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The Purpose of the World's Pleasures

Let me clear this out right here in the very beginning, to avoid misunderstanding or confusion later on – of course, there are times when pleasures don’t glorify God.  Whenever we delight in and give priority to the world’s pleasures more than we do with God, then that is idolatry – a sin.   Also, there are such things as sinful pleasures – pleasures that are explicitly not permitted by God to be enjoyed by us (e.g. sex outside marriage). 

But pleasure per se is not evil.  In fact, it is something that God has invented, and everything that God invents is good, which we should accept and be thankful for (1 Tim 4:4).  Hence, pleasures are good.       

Sex, food and drink, nature, entertainment, music, pop culture, arts, companionship, rest, vacation and travel, friendship, success, etc.  We are naturally designed to derive enjoyment from these things.  We are meant to enjoy the pleasures of this world.  For this is God’s world, and the world’s pleasures are God’s.

  

For me, there are four main reasons why pleasures exist:

1.) The world’s pleasures are God’s gifts to us, his children.  Just as human fathers give their children treats, God the Father also gives treats to his children.  By these, God has somewhat shown a glimpse of his goodness and favor to his children, for his glory.       

2.) So that we might have a concept on what is pleasure.  What it’s all about.  What’s the feeling and experience. 

3.)  So that we will have a benchmark – a point of comparison – when we eventually obtain a greater kind of pleasure.  And that once we experience that greater kind of pleasure, we would see how miniscule or irrelevant the world’s pleasures are when compared to it.     

4.) The world’s pleasures are intended as appetizers.  To make us desire for greater pleasures than these.  For pleasures that are not of this world.  For heavenly pleasures.  For eternal pleasures.  For pleasures that can only be exclusively found in God alone.

The pleasures of this world are not the ends.  It is merely the means for us to be led to the Ultimate Pleasure that is found in God.  These world’s pleasures should ultimately bring us to focus on God – for us to eventually derive our ultimate happiness in Him and in Him alone.  That even when time comes that we won’t be able to experience the world’s pleasures anymore, we won’t mind at all, because we now obtain our overflowing and unending pleasure from our fellowship with God, who is the Author of pleasure. 

  

Unfortunately, instead of letting these pleasures lead us to God, we are okay with just settling with them.  We prioritize them.  We invest our happiness on them.   Instead of seeking God (by the help of these), we seek the pleasures of this world instead.  They become our ends instead of our means to find our Ultimate Pleasure.  We are content with settling with these lesser kinds of pleasures instead of moving on to the superior kind!  As C.S. Lewis beautifully articulated, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Now that we’ve established what the world’s pleasures’ purpose is – to help us to eventually find our full delight in God – and have recognized the danger of enjoying them – that is, focusing our delight on them that we forget about pursuing the greater pleasure found in God – then, what should our approach be on dealing with pleasure?  Should we start hating pleasure then?   By no means!  On the contrary, we should intensify our pursuit for pleasure.  And what I meant by “intensifying our pursuit for pleasure” is for us to stop being too easily pleased with the worldly pleasures but instead let us yearn for such pleasure that is found in God, which is eternally satisfying and extremely delightful. 

Moreover, it also doesn’t necessarily mean we should totally stop enjoying the “lesser kind” of pleasures.  As what was said earlier, they are God’s gifts and they are meant to be enjoyed.  As long as they are not sinful and aren’t hindering us with our relationship with God (but, rather, just the opposite, they are helping us to be closer to God), all these pleasures will always be, as what the Bible says, “permissible” to us (1 Cor 6:12). 

Nevertheless, though the Bible tells us that these things are always “permissible”, it also tells us that not all things are “helpful” (1 Cor 6:12).  No matter how “permissible” these pleasures are, they might not help us in our dealing with matters of eternal significance, e.g. our pursuit of finding our ultimate pleasure in God, and the risk of being distractions is always present in them.  It’s just an unfortunate proven fact that the Devil can easily use pleasures to tempt us into idolatry and sin.  That’s why some Christians totally abstain from some pleasures (e.g. alcoholic beverages, TV or movies).  Now, total abstinence is not a requirement, but it’s very much highly recommended.  Absence of worldly pleasures removes the risk of sinning through them.  And absence of these things allows someone to completely put his full attention to God and draw delight from Him.  Even for those who don’t choose to completely abstain on some worldly pleasures, it is still strongly advisable to periodically abstain from the pleasures of this world – to evaluate ourselves if we sincerely delight in God more than these.   That is why a concept such as “fasting” exists. 

The past paragraph made the whole idea seemingly paradoxical, but that’s just how the way it actually is.  The more we delight in God, the readier we are to forfeit our God-given freedom of enjoying the (non-sinful) pleasures of this world. 

Furthermore – this is a cliché but necessary to mention here nonetheless – according to the Bible, whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we should do it all for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31).  This maxim absolutely applies, too, on whenever we enjoy the pleasures of this world.  Thus, determining if a pleasure will glorify God or not should be our foremost consideration when deciding whether we should go on to undertake that pleasure or not, regardless of that pleasure being the “permissible” kind. 

Because whenever God is absent in our dealing with the pleasures of this world – if we fail to seek His glory above our enjoyment of these things – then it would surely lead to sinning.   Thus, if we know that there’s a possibility that the pleasure we are enjoying might lead us to sin or won’t glorify God at all, and we don’t trust ourselves of having the necessary self-discipline to stop enjoying that pleasure when it’s already likely that it will lead us to sin, then it is still best to avoid or abstain from enjoying that pleasure instead of risking the chance of sinning or failing in giving glory to God.

Lastly, as we are enjoying the pleasures of this world, it’s imperative that we retain the positive things but discard the negative things.  Using our understanding of what’s the ultimate purpose of pleasure is and our conviction to keep the glory of God paramount as our filters, we will be able to do just that.  We will be able to watch a movie or read a novel, enjoy the story, and just absorb the wisdom and morals that can be derived from it but would be able discard the unhelpful aspects.  We will be able to appreciate the beauty and/or optimism of the music and lyrics, but won’t be influenced by the godless lifestyle or philosophy of the musician.  When we witness a volcanic eruption, we will forget our terror but instead see it as the manifestation of God’s splendor.  We will be able to spot analogies or illustrations that are relevant to our spirituality and relationship with God when we come in contact with pop culture, and won’t notice those that don’t.  And, thus, we can truly be able to effectively use this world’s pleasures as what they were intended to be – our first step towards an Ultimate Pleasure.  

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A Weather Storm is Brewing

Just around the corner, a Weather Machine sits…

A terrifying storm is brewing…

You can feel it in the air.

Tingling feeling from increasing static. 

Rapid change in pressure.

You can almost smell the ozone forming.

It’s coming soon...
  

00:00

Suddenly…

Thick, dark clouds swiftly gather above

Darkness envelopes the place.

Then… the Wrath of Heaven blasts down!

Massive devastation.

The scariest thing about this is:

Even if you aren’t the target all,

With all those deadly lightning bolts chaotically striking about,

You can easily become part of the collateral damage.

Lightning storms almost spare no one.

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The Vampire Allegory

You vowed to fight them.
Slay them.
To protect yourself and others.
You hunt them or they’ll be the ones that would do the hunting.
Then comes a day you realize… that you had become like them.
That’s the most painful thing about getting bitten.  When you become the evil you hate.

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Longing for the Stars

I observe – and bit of complain – that the advancement of technology is not at all that dramatic and fast compared to what happened in the 90s. The span of the Wright Brother’s first glider plane to Apollo 11 was only for several decades! (If the Americans did really go to the moon, in which Moon Landing Hoax Conspiracy theorists think otherwise. And even if MythBusters did some experiments to argue off those conspiracy points that the conspiracy theorists raise, I am still suspicious and not entirely convinced that the Americans did manage to go to the moon. This is an interesting topic, but this is not the essay to discuss this.) Talk about dramatic and fast technology advancement.

Anyway, the thing that I am really bothered about is the era of space colonization or widespread space travel may not happen in my lifetime. If the rate of advancement of technology, particularly flight technology, was maintained (the rate of the first airplane to first moon landing) I believe it could happen in my lifetime, at least its initial phase. But since it slowed down, a dramatic slow down that was as dramatic as it was advancing in the 90s, I fear it would not happen soon.

Why am I concerned? Well, one particular childhood dream that I did not outgrow was my desire to go to space – to see our planet from space; to walk on the moon, Mars, or/and any unknown planet; to experience weightlessness; to see a black hole; to see the beauty and magnificence of galaxies and stars up close. If I write on what are the things I want to do or experience before I die, this would be number one in my list. I think it was my reading of encyclopedias and books about space that planted the seeds of this dream. (Kids are prone to get interested with these science stuffs, which is usually about outer space or dinosaurs. I was interested in both back then.) In fact, I was four when I had my first dream on what I want to be when I grow up, and that was to be an astronaut.

Though I had long lost the dream of becoming an astronaut (because of the harshness of reality that turns every kid’s romantic dreams or idealism to cynicism instead), I had never lost my interest on everything about outer space. I read and watch sci-fi. News related to space always catches my attention. I always admire the beauty of photos of space. I love the clear night starry sky. I had never lost my love of the outer space and my dream to go there someday.

Now that I am grown up, practical but cynical, the realization of this dream seems to be impossible (the slow advancement of space flight is one factor). In a way, this has taught me a life philosophy. In life, I will not always get all I want, and I am at peace with that. But, still, it is not wrong to continue loving, and dreaming, and praying. I love the starry night skies, and I still dream of reaching those stars, even if it’s impossible. Instead of being depressed on a seemingly unattainable dream, it is better to make it an inspiration instead.

Another thing why I want to reach outer space… Nature’s beauty is the fingerprints of the Creator. And In all of God’s creations, I am most impressed of space. Yes, God is real to my life and he had shown his glory to me many times. But I desire of an ultimate visual aid – which is the immensity and beauty and grandeur of space – which would make my heart burst with fear, and awe, and love, and joy, and praise for the awesomeness, and power, and greatness, and bigness, and splendor of my God. This I long for before I die, so I would have a dramatic prelude for that day when I finally see my Creator face to face.

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