Human Nature - Harnessing the Good Within Last Tuesday I saw the last episode of the Taiwan Drama Unique Flavour （天下第一味）which was shown daily at 4.30pm. It was a drama that had 320 episodes. I only started watching about 3 months ago when I finally got some time for a bit of leisure. The lead actor, Sheng Jie, portrayed as a great saint, is a very nice guy who is very generous, kind and simple. He got himself a very intelligent wife who loves him dearly for his simplicity and contentment in life. The villain, Wang, took revenge on his enemies mercilessly because of his perceived injustice done to him. His anger towards his culinary master and fellow apprentices, his regrets and guilt towards his sister, weighed heavily on him. He blamed them for her death at 18 years of age, deprived of a badly needed operation for which he desperately raised money to have it done. Anyway, every drama will have a happy ending. Wang, was eventually repentant, moved by the great saints compassion, generosity and understanding. What touched the villain Wang, touches me deeply too. The great saint Sheng Jie said to him: He does not perceive a person as good or bad. The innate nature of a person is GOOD. （人之初，性本善）However, one can choose to walk the wrong path, make mistakes and ended up doing evil. The villain asked if it was too late to repent? The saint replied that as long as we are willing, it is never too late. It is never too late! Sadly, after making peace with all of them, he chose to end his life by drowning in the sea. Why the sea? It was an unfulfilled wish of his dead sister to see the sea view which she never had a chance to. The sea offered the serenity and the letting go he needed. This ending aroused a very deep, sorrowful and wrenching emotion within me. It may seem ridiculous or incredulous that I empathized with a villain who had done so much evil. However, if we analyzed the reasons behind it, it is really understandable and sympathetic. It was his way of a desperate cry for understanding, for the attention which nobody bothered. I felt his sorrows, loneliness, struggles, resentment! These are experiences that Ive gone through before, so I know how he felt. In reality, how many of us can resonate with such emotions? Many, many, many of us have, in one way or the other....... In the beginning, when God created man, we are made in His Image, clothed in purity, simplicity, Love and Goodness. Because of sins of disobedience, we thus fell from Grace and become what we are today. Yet, within us, we have the potentials to be Good! All of us, by nature, is Good. As what the great saint in the drama said: we choose to walk the wrong path. Path of darkness, of selfishness, of an illusion that things here last forever. Because of self-centreness, we perceived every wrongdoing of others towards ourselves as their faults. It is time that we take ownership of our lives and be responsible for our Acts! A Mindset Change! Theres no short cut to doing this. We need to process, program and instill a positive attitude to dwell within our subconscious. By taking this small step forward, we will, in time, Live in Love and Goodness! We cant stop other people from what come out of their mouths or whatever they do that hurt us. What we can do is to put ourselves in their shoes and try to decipher and understand where they are coming from. In this way, we save ourselves from all the heartaches/headaches of failing to understand after asking the Why? Questions. Why say such hurtful things to me? Why did he/she do this to me? Why must this happen to me? Etc. In the end, everything is meaningless! Ecclesiastes 1:2 Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, vanity of vanities! All things are vanity! However, I do not advocate martyrdom! There are just some people/situations that are beyond us to manage. There are also people who talk about the devil and evil things frequently. Thats giving undesirables, attention! I read somewhere that we simply surrender these people/situations unto the Immaculate Heart of Mary and pray sincerely for them. We do have a Choice to walk away. Know when you need to shake the dust off your feet and move on! People or situations that are no good for our spiritual attainment need not be compromised! However, careful discernment is necessary. We should consume ourselves and Focus on Jesus, our Spiritual Teacher. Give Him All our attention and in everything that we do. Reflections on St Pauls Letter to the Romans 12. A Living Sacrifice 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Humble Service in the Body of Christ 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Love in Action 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ....... Dear God, help us, to recognize the Good that you have created in us. Dear Jesus, teach us to harness the Good within us and Live in Love and Goodness. Dear Holy Spirit, inspire us, put to use, the potential of Good within each of us. Amen.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 06:59:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015