Was talking to a young accounting professional the other day who was a staunch BN supporter. I asked him why? Good policies? Credible leaders? His answers brought sadness to me. After so many years of independence, we now have citizens accepting their position as second class citizen. He says BN is the only choice and that we should accept the reality that UMNO is in control and that BN is the only choice compared to the other BA parties, I probe further, what about corruption and lack of accountability? He acknowledges the sad state of affairs but that we should accept it as part and parcel of life in Malaysia and to look at the positive and not the negative. WOW! How convenient!
I was distraught and thought to myself, is this guy for real? I can tell you it is for real! He is real, he believes that he doesn't have a choice as he isn't a bumiputra. I thought again, isn't this what I hear so often among believers and leaders of the church? Many of us are adopting this position of apathy, lack of imagination and desire to seek changes in the world around us. This reluctance to act is shrouded in the guise of contentment, thankfulness, maturity and other nice sounding attributes. This unwillingness to seek changes, to rock the boat is scary.. the need to maintain status quo and to stay in the comfort zone isn't what I think any thinking believer should do. Isn't it any wonder that the world looks at us Christians as people who are just interested with 'religious' matters, with no real answers for the dying world? This position to me is untenable. We are the salt and light of the world. We are relevant to this world, we have the answers, we seek to establish the kingdom of God here on earth, not just in what many of us like term as the 'spiritual' sense but in every aspect of our earthly life. While we have been rightly taught that we are pilgrims passing through and that this world is not our home, yes not our eternal home but nevertheless it is our home for now and we must do whatever possible to shine and project what eternity would look like to those currently living in darkness. There is more to the gospel than just going to church, singing a few nice songs, making some noise, have our ears tickled and then go home with a good feeling. Jesus Christ did not die the violent, painful death on the cross just for us to have a nice peaceful life. NO! Far from it, Jesus died for us that we may have life and life more abundantly and that means we are transformed by the renewing of our minds to be like Him, to do His works, to stand up for the oppressed, heal the sick, cast out demons, set the captives free.. all that is simply not possible if we stay in our comfort zone and resign ourselves to this half cook concept about abundant life, falling asleep in the light while the world is perishing in darkness. We must be prepared to rock the boat, seek change and challenge convention when it is in conflict with Godly values. Only by committing ourselves to be more aware and alert would others be able to see the light in us and taste the salt we bring. Only by what we say and do would others be drawn to the light on the hilltop. If we should have to suffer the consequences, so be it! Afterall, people were drawn in droves to Christ in the early church days even if it meant having to be the lion's next meal or the target of scorn and ridicule by their peers. They saw the light, they saw Christ in the believers, that was why they called the believers Christians, literally little Christ.
I am perplexed, many of my peers are too occupied with their earthly pursuits to be bothered by the intensity and seriousness of their calling. I believe that day will come when we would held accountable for all that we have done, all that we have tried doing and all that we have never bother to do during our brief passage through life. Lord forgive me... my eyes aren't focus on the cross. I repent...
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