MOB VIOLENCE - BEWARE!

I think you should know by now what happened to our neighbour country, Thailand. The present government was not elected by the people but was handed down to them after there was a takeover by the army. Many were not happy because their votes for the nation has become null and void. Everyone has their reasons for doing what they think is right! So, after many years of government that is not voted in by the people, one group called themselves, "Red Shirts" (made me think of Liverpool!!) demonstrated against the present government and caused a lost of lives and a lot of damage to properties, losing billions of dollars.

I am not talking politics here in this entry but about mob violence. The Red Shirts started out in a peaceful manner, gaining a lot of attention, as they demand for elections again. The government talked with them, negotiated, trying to solve the impasse. I thought it would be over when the government decided to hold elections in September this year. Instead of agreeing with it, they rejected it. Everyone wants to get things done and they want it NOW! But anyway, there are reasons for rejecting it that I don't understand.

But what saddened me was the violence both sides created on the streets in Bangkok! Lives lost senselessly! Many people had warned that when a large group gather to protest, it can be dangerous. An angry mob can kill and destroy without realising what they were doing. It was like a herd mentality. A single person may not be so bold but when he/she joins a large group being angry at the same thing, that person can explode!

Recently in Lebanon, a mob had beaten to death and hanged a convicted rapist on a pole without having him go on trial. They actually ripped him from the hands of policemen (they beat up the policeman when he tried to stop them) and did the killing. If a single person, he might not be so barbarious! If they take law into their own hands, one day, they may get killed too for doing wrong.

When I was young, I witnessed a snatch thief being caught and in this group, one person I knew (not so violence one) beat him up. Others join in and before he was handed to the police, he was already blue black. From that day on, I knew the danger of a mob.

So, young people, be careful when you join an angry crowd. Something may happen to you and you don't even know why. Then it may be too late!

CONGRATULATIONS, JUSTIN AND SHER-MAYNE

This day is a joyful day as this is our first ex-V2 youth committee President to give birth to baby! It was 8.22 AM this morning and a beautiful baby girl came bouncing into the world! The earth is flickering with another light of a Christian baby and pray that she will grow up shining for Jesus and giving the parents, Sher-Mayne and Justin joy abundant!

Congratulations to both of you! And welcome for now, lil' baby girl (Alyssa Kye-Li Yap)! Congrats also to Ps. Leslie and Ps. Jackie for being grandparents.

PS: Another ex-V2 president is 'very' pregnant and she will deliver in June 2010! (Any takers for V2 President!)

HUGGING OUT MAY 13

Hugging out May 13 - is an article by Praba Ganesan.

This is so well written that I shed a tear or two as I read it. This is the first time I entered two articles on the same day. This can apply to our Christian faith as peace makers as Jesus calls us to become.

Welcome to May 13 Day. We never fail to observe the day — we just can’t say we do since it is taboo.

Odd since this taboo is about an episode told to us in the oral tradition — arrived at through first-person recountings filtered by embellishments, respective one-sidedness and prejudice.

The only thing we are officially allowed to know is that post-election violence in 1969 led to the deaths of many.

Which is why you can empathise with those who want to use it as a pride day, even if the parade has been called off.

How can you fault anyone for interpreting it anyhow they feel like when everything about it is a state secret? You can only misinterpret when there is a sane way to interpret it, and you can only sanely interpret anything if you have the facts of the case. In this case we never had. At this juncture, the quip “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” comes to mind.

But let’s work on what we can establish, and build from that. Those who died on the evening of May 13 and the following days of violence were in the majority from the working class, the poor. Tall, short, funny, boring, with an attractive haircut or not.

The day would have started plain and simple for everyone, and by the time the violence self-perpetuated enough, no one could tell a transgressor from a victim anymore. Which is why I feel deep disgust when politicians tell us in the aisles that that violence reinforces the need to support their politics. Otherwise you never know.
That is not a rejection of violence; that is a threat.

No one wants to be hiding in a corner while many feet shuffle in the dark, with hate in their hearts and arms in their hands. The fear grips you, the anxiety grows and you feel all alone. The sense of abandonment is almost complete.

Of course it is not a desirable situation.

That is why political leaders need to reject violence, not dangle it as a trump-card.
My first experience with group death was when my uncle died in the 70s. Three boys — friends — died in a construction mishap. They drowned in a body of dirt and mud.
I was too young to capture the details, but the large congregation was quieter than most Indian funerals. It was as if they were trying to make sense of the young they had lost. Tragic events need to be recognised and remember, but they cannot be the source of hate. As Theodore Roosevelt put it, “Death under all circumstances has to be a tragedy, if not life itself has become one.”

The Burmese Death Railway, the fields of Normandy or Gallipoli are memorials to sacrifice and unnecessary deaths. Visits and events there are not about celebrating the violence of either side. We go there to remember the dead.

Remembering the cost of violence does not mean you celebrate the violence. We can’t forget the violence of the past because it is painful. It is exactly for that reason we remember it. We can’t consign the victims as unfortunate data from a time we are all better off not talking about.

So what should we do with our May 13 Day?

Since there is a May 13 we regret, why not use today and future May 13s to do things we won’t regret?

That can be a start. List three persons you loathe for their political/ideological beliefs and call them. Say “Hi”, and ask how they are doing. Ask them about what they are up to, and give them a quick rundown of what you are up to. Then politely end the phone call. Your adversaries are not going to change their minds about you, but they are going to find you less detestable. Less detestable is a long way from book club buddy, but it is something.

For my part I offer to hug it out with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. I’ve always had misgivings about the man, but since it is May 13 Day I should try to reduce the animosity.

To the rest of you, go find your own Perkasa member to hug it out with. Happy May 13 Day!

GOD IS A MIRACLE WORKING GOD!

Hooray, I am taking my last course for my Master in Ministry program and am graduating this year God willing. And this course is so different from all the courses I took previously because the lecturer, Dr. Peter Prosser who is involved in healing and deliverance ministry has shared with us amazing stories about God's miracles.

I want to share a few here in this blog...

Years ago, when Dr. Prosser was in Rome, Italy with his wife, they were taking a bus ride going somewhere. It was 3pm in the afternoon and in the bus, it was filled with passengers. Due to the hot weather there, the people inside were oozing out strange smell of body odour. They wanted to get down from the bus as soon as possible. When my lecturer was seated in the bus, he saw an old lady standing and let her take his seat. And then the Holy Spirit told him to pray for that lady. He sought permission from her and she allowed him to pray. Right after prayer, she stood out and shouted, "I am healed!" People in the bus were suprised and one by one asked Dr. Peter to pray for them. They were lining up to be prayed for and this happened right on the bus itself. One by one fell down under the power of God. Soon, the upper deck people came down to be prayed for.

It was such a commotion that the bus driver was annoyed, parked the car at the side to see what had happened. He knew that this was a religious thing and said to Dr. Peter, "I don;t believe in all these." And Dr. Peter turned around and just said, "Anyway, God bless you!" And as soon as he finished saying that, the bus driver fell under the power of God. He fell out of the bus through the doors onto the street.

Soon, everyone came out of the bus and into a restaurant where the revival continued there. People in the restaurant also came to be prayed for. God moved so powerfully that day, from praying for one lady to ministering to many more. All right there in the public places.

They supposed to come down from the bus because of the smell and at 3pm in the afternoon but they left the restaurant at 3am the next morning!

God is very alive and still does miracles today!

MAY GOD BLESS BENITEZ!

Liverpool lost (or given away) to Chelsea two days ago has made the latter club the firm favourite for the EPL Title this season. And my beloved Liverpool FC has surely and slowly slipped to become a normal EPL club in the likes of Sunderland and West Ham. But I am still happy that Liverpool "gave away" those three points because if Manchester United takes the Title, they will be lept over Liverpool, to have 18 League titles, one more than Liverpool. So, Liverpool FC is still the Champion of English football - for now! (Unless Chelsea lose to or draw with Wigan which is highly unlikely - and provided Man U wins their last game)

The Reds are still the most successful football Club in the history of English football winning more trophies than any other English club. Liverpool has won a joint-record eighteen league titles, seven FA cups, seven League Cups, three UEFA Cups and five Europeans Cups, an English record.

Looking forward for next season - Liverpool just need to do some equation, add few more powerful players and subtract Benitez!

May God bless Benitez to a better club somewhere - Juventus or Inter Milan.

No matter what, YOU WILL NEVER WALK ALONE (and I am talking about Liverpool)