Watched "Batman Begins" DVD recently, the film spoke to me powerfully. I was skeptical at first coz of the previous "Batman" franchise movies which were kinda cheesy. Nevertheless, the plot and depth of the film impressed me deeply.
Bruce Wayne (Batman) was haunted by his inner demons (bats) when he fell into this old well which was smarming with flying bats when he was a small boy. Since then, he developed a phobia of bats. One day, his parents took him to the opera where Bruce became scared at some of the dancers' portrayal of bat-like demons. Bruce's past experience with bats jerked back into his memories and he begged his parents to go. In the dark alley where they exited, a mugger confronted them. Even thought the meek father (Thomas Wayne) complied with his demands of the robber, both he and his wife was shot fatally in the chest. "Don't be afraid" were Thomas Wayne last words to a young Bruce, who became an orphan that fateful night.
He was brought up by the family butler, Alfred who raises him up as his own. 14 years later, Bruce returned from Princeton Uni to attend a parole hearing of his parents' murderer. Unknown to others, He brought a pistol to court, in hope of killing the murderer. When Rachel (his childhood friend turned Assistant District Attorney for Gotham City) learnt this, she slapped and rebuked Bruce and explained the difference between vengeance and justice. A disillusioend Bruce then traded his expensive jacket for a vagrant's and gave him all his money, hopped on a cargo ship and travelled the world seeking the means to fight injustice and "turn fear against those who prey on the fearful". By becoming a criminal himself, he learnt what it means to survive on the streets and resorted to stealing. Eventually, he ended up in a Chinese prison. Upon his release, he travelled to the League of Shadows in the Himalayas where he was taught theatrics and deception as his greatest weapons. His teacher (who ironically later became Bruce's nemesis bent on destroying Gotham City) taught him, "To overcome fear, you must become your own fear." After learning his trade, Bruce returned to his home. "Never given up hope on me, haven't you?" Bruce asked Alfred twice in the film. Each time after he seemingly fail to live up to expectations of managing the Wayne Enterprise. Alfred replied simply, "Never". At the end of the day, Batman saves the day and becomes the fear of criminals in Gotham City. But it was the faithfulness of Batman's ever reliable and faithful servant, Alfred that touched my heart. The one who believed in him when no one else did.
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20). Every person has the right to say to God, "Leave me alone. Don't bother me." At some time or another, we've rejected Him. I know I have. A "Do Not Disturb" sign on our doors. But it is the Lord's right to pursue us with His persistent mercy. By His grace, He keeps knocking, ready to fill our lives with His love. He doesn't know the meaning of 'give up'. I thank Him coz he's NEVER given up hope for me... and for you too, my friend.
A song kept ringing in my ears this morning on my way to work. I don't know why... that's why I think I need to write this down.
"~Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me~"
God is faithful in sustaining us through suffering. One of the times we are most tempted to doubt God’s faithfulness is when suffering strikes our lives. It often makes no sense to us and we see no reason for it. We may search our lives, and although we find some sins which we have previously overlooked, we still cannot believe we deserve what God has allowed to happen to us. We begin to think that He has forgotten us or really does not care about us.
The people of Jerusalem in Isaiah’s day were beginning to think that way. Israel was a tiny nation surrounded by giant powers which were continually menacing her. Listen to her complaint:
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me” (Isaiah 49:14).
But the Lord was right there with words of encouragement.
Can a woman forget her nursing child, And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me (verses 15-16).
He had allowed them to suffer, but He could never forget them in their suffering because He is faithful. And He does not forget us. He really does care.
Many other promises in the Word are absolute and unconditional. God is going to keep them whether we believe He will or not. He will fulfill His Word whether we are faithful to Him or not. The Apostle Paul said, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). To be faithless may also mean to be unbelieving. When God’s promises are unconditional, neither our faithlessness nor our unbelief will affect His faithfulness. They will rob us of our peace, our joy, and our testimony, but He will just keep right on doing what He promised to do, keep right on being faithful to His Word. What a wonderfully faithful God! Believe Him. Experience the peace, the joy, and the power which faith in His Word will bring. Then you too will exclaim enthusiastically, “Great is Thy faithfulness!”
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Monday, January 02, 2006
Of the New Year and a Pair of Soggy, Muddy Shoes
It was the 1st day of Year 2006! Woke up early in the morning for a much anticipated walk in MacRitchie and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Already, heavenly signs were showing it wasn't exactly the "perfect" day for trekking in the woods (worse for amateurs like us). A slight drizzle welcomed us as we embarked on the 15km or so expedition to conquer the Tree-Top Walk and Bukit Timah Summit. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one, small step. Indeed, I believe we were all caught offguard what obstacles lurks ahead of the 'fellowship' (L.O.T.R has always been a cult fav for me).
What a challenging way to kickstart into the New Year! Ok, so we cheated abit by taking a shortcut from Thomson Ridge... blah. The tropical rainforest was damp and the soggy mud greeted us the moment we took the well-trodden rocky path to the innards of the forest. The flora and fauna were rich and thick. Fallen logs are seen just off the trekkers' path. The spirits of the team were high and we were busily engaged in deep conversations about each others' lives which we barely touched on normally. We took a slingshot across SICC but shortly after, plunged into the woods again. Enjoyed a refreshing toilet break at the Rangers' Station where we could see many other trekkers like us. Then, armed with our umbrellas (quite a queer sight for forest trekkers don't u think?) we continued our 'quest' for the Tree-Top Walk. It was a boardwalk that snaked itself to the "entrance". The wooden planks were wet and slippery... it was a fantastic sight (above 8-10 storeys I estimate; I wished I could say it was worth the hassle... but... it wasn't a "WOW" but more of a "Oh, so this is it uh" kinda feeling) The morning mist sifted through the trees in a distance (reminds me of the 'Misty Mountains in L.O.T.R) and the watery body of MacRichie Reservoir was captured in the horizon to our right. We also took a climb to the 5-story high Jelutong Tower... it was already pouring by then. At the top, it was unsheltered and we were standing right next to the lightning rod... gosh... we could've been barbecued instantly right there and then by a single bolt from the heavens. We got uneasy and decided not to test God wrath in that instant. Held a mini-discussion and decided to go ahead to our mid-point destination of Bukit Timah Food Centre for lunch, despite the heavy downpour. 1.5hrs elapsed and we finally got out of the woods and started walking on gravel road leading out to our rest point. Except for a few cars that drove by us and a family of monkeys atop a tree, the isolated road was primarily deserted.
Had an array of dishes for lunch, we were famished! After the heavy lunch, we began the journey to conquer Bukit Timah Summit. We took the shortest route upwards, the 45-degree slope leaves us gsaping for breath. The summit this time was even less exhilarating than the previous one at MacRitchie. The thick canopy of foliage blocked every possbile attempt to have a view from the top. How disappointing... lucky for us we didn't take the longer routes up, otherwise it would have been even more exasperating.
We then make our way back to MacRitchie where we 1st started. As it was already 4pm, not wanting to be caught in the woods in the dark, we quickened our pace without a respite. The same snaking gravel road back... this time, we met several joggers, cyclist and a bunch of trekkers at the forest crevice. The smouldering heat and blinding rays were a discomfort as we had to wrestled with our fatigue and weary feet. Personally, I find Iy's mental tenacity admirable. Blisters formed at the back of the soles of my feet. Water-proof BandAid proved futile in easing the pain as they keep slipping off. I struggled a bit with each step. Suddenly, as Os remarked, "Seems like someone just turned on the tap." The imminent dark clouds that hang overhead let loose its floodgates. "My God, how worse can this trek get?" I thought to myself. The huge droplets of water plummeted us huddles beneath our brollies. Except for Jo who had a bigger brolly, we were soaked despite our futile attempts to keep dry. On our way to seek refuge at the Rangers' Station, we trodded past a rest stop which a number of trekkers took shelter.
After a brief respite at Rangers' Station, Os, our guide, wanted us off the slippery, rocky trrekkers' path in the woods and lead us to a shortcut to SICC. We observed many without umbrellas and ponchos walking, frolicking openly in the rain. I was reminded of the time I took my IPPT at Maju Camp where I ran the 2.4km in the rain. It was a great experience! Little rivulets of water formed on the road and gushed thorugh the drains and canals. After 45 mins or so of walking, it was civilisation again! Whew... what a way to enter 2006!
An unforgettable trip... I took with me memories of the jungle, the all-too-familiar smell of sweat soaked shirt sticking to your skin, mosquito-ravaged hands and feet and lastly... a pair of soggy, muddy tracks shoes.
What a challenging way to kickstart into the New Year! Ok, so we cheated abit by taking a shortcut from Thomson Ridge... blah. The tropical rainforest was damp and the soggy mud greeted us the moment we took the well-trodden rocky path to the innards of the forest. The flora and fauna were rich and thick. Fallen logs are seen just off the trekkers' path. The spirits of the team were high and we were busily engaged in deep conversations about each others' lives which we barely touched on normally. We took a slingshot across SICC but shortly after, plunged into the woods again. Enjoyed a refreshing toilet break at the Rangers' Station where we could see many other trekkers like us. Then, armed with our umbrellas (quite a queer sight for forest trekkers don't u think?) we continued our 'quest' for the Tree-Top Walk. It was a boardwalk that snaked itself to the "entrance". The wooden planks were wet and slippery... it was a fantastic sight (above 8-10 storeys I estimate; I wished I could say it was worth the hassle... but... it wasn't a "WOW" but more of a "Oh, so this is it uh" kinda feeling) The morning mist sifted through the trees in a distance (reminds me of the 'Misty Mountains in L.O.T.R) and the watery body of MacRichie Reservoir was captured in the horizon to our right. We also took a climb to the 5-story high Jelutong Tower... it was already pouring by then. At the top, it was unsheltered and we were standing right next to the lightning rod... gosh... we could've been barbecued instantly right there and then by a single bolt from the heavens. We got uneasy and decided not to test God wrath in that instant. Held a mini-discussion and decided to go ahead to our mid-point destination of Bukit Timah Food Centre for lunch, despite the heavy downpour. 1.5hrs elapsed and we finally got out of the woods and started walking on gravel road leading out to our rest point. Except for a few cars that drove by us and a family of monkeys atop a tree, the isolated road was primarily deserted.
Had an array of dishes for lunch, we were famished! After the heavy lunch, we began the journey to conquer Bukit Timah Summit. We took the shortest route upwards, the 45-degree slope leaves us gsaping for breath. The summit this time was even less exhilarating than the previous one at MacRitchie. The thick canopy of foliage blocked every possbile attempt to have a view from the top. How disappointing... lucky for us we didn't take the longer routes up, otherwise it would have been even more exasperating.
We then make our way back to MacRitchie where we 1st started. As it was already 4pm, not wanting to be caught in the woods in the dark, we quickened our pace without a respite. The same snaking gravel road back... this time, we met several joggers, cyclist and a bunch of trekkers at the forest crevice. The smouldering heat and blinding rays were a discomfort as we had to wrestled with our fatigue and weary feet. Personally, I find Iy's mental tenacity admirable. Blisters formed at the back of the soles of my feet. Water-proof BandAid proved futile in easing the pain as they keep slipping off. I struggled a bit with each step. Suddenly, as Os remarked, "Seems like someone just turned on the tap." The imminent dark clouds that hang overhead let loose its floodgates. "My God, how worse can this trek get?" I thought to myself. The huge droplets of water plummeted us huddles beneath our brollies. Except for Jo who had a bigger brolly, we were soaked despite our futile attempts to keep dry. On our way to seek refuge at the Rangers' Station, we trodded past a rest stop which a number of trekkers took shelter.
After a brief respite at Rangers' Station, Os, our guide, wanted us off the slippery, rocky trrekkers' path in the woods and lead us to a shortcut to SICC. We observed many without umbrellas and ponchos walking, frolicking openly in the rain. I was reminded of the time I took my IPPT at Maju Camp where I ran the 2.4km in the rain. It was a great experience! Little rivulets of water formed on the road and gushed thorugh the drains and canals. After 45 mins or so of walking, it was civilisation again! Whew... what a way to enter 2006!
An unforgettable trip... I took with me memories of the jungle, the all-too-familiar smell of sweat soaked shirt sticking to your skin, mosquito-ravaged hands and feet and lastly... a pair of soggy, muddy tracks shoes.
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