The Jigsaw Puzzle: Part I - Prelude
Prior to becoming a Christian, I never rejected God. I always knew He was there. I knew His existence. I knew He did marvellous things on this earth, but that was about it. I used to carry the attitude where if I knew Him, and He knows me, we are both cool. Where the good times, I may occassionally thank Him, if I remember Him; and if its bad times, I would most likely just sit on it and don't dwell on it. Probably only once or twice (yes, literally just once or twice in the past 20 odd years), would I only pray to God for help. I would say, what has passed cannot be changed, nothing can be done, time to look ahead. But thank goodness, at least I never blamed God for anything.
Every now and again in life, I would occassionally get asked a question: "So Ivan, are you a Christian?" My response gets quite akward. I don't know how to answer that question. Luckily, I have not been raised in a community where I would be persecuted if I give the wrong answer, so I have never seen the need to give the appropriate answer in the appropriate circumstances; so naturally, I honestly reply that I do not really know whether I am a Christian. I would blurt out that I have been to church when I was young, went to Sunday School, and that I knew that God did marvellous things on this plannet. I always thought that one can satisfy himself by answering his own question based on these pieces of information that I have given him.
But many who have asked me this question then in effect just gives me either a shrug, a nod, or merely say "oh", and move on to another topic. They merely ask out of instantaneous curiosity. They do not express an opinion on whether I am a Christian or not. Why is it that they do not give me a decisive answer? Is it because the people who ask the question themselves don't even know what it takes to be a Christian? Is it because they would expect that if a guy who says they go to church, went to Sunday School, knew who God was, they would naturally answer yes rather than giving an akward answer "I don't know"? Are they using the term Christianity synonomously with the term "religious"? Well I do not eliminate the possibilities of these situations at all.
Well, maybe I shouldn't be decisive in saying that they merely ask out of instantaneous curiosity. Some may want to help, but they may not even know the answers themselves. Some may live in fear, and think that it will be best probably just to leave it here and avoid all the dirty work. Leave it all to the pastors and the more experienced people to fix this guy up who gave some weird answer.
I always wanted to find out a decisive answer, but I always gave myself excuses. I always thought, God knows I am here, if He wanted me to know, He would let me know. I never actively searched for the answer, and sadly, this has really been the case for the first 20 years in my life.
All until one day, my gift from God finally came ...
-- To be Continued --
Every now and again in life, I would occassionally get asked a question: "So Ivan, are you a Christian?" My response gets quite akward. I don't know how to answer that question. Luckily, I have not been raised in a community where I would be persecuted if I give the wrong answer, so I have never seen the need to give the appropriate answer in the appropriate circumstances; so naturally, I honestly reply that I do not really know whether I am a Christian. I would blurt out that I have been to church when I was young, went to Sunday School, and that I knew that God did marvellous things on this plannet. I always thought that one can satisfy himself by answering his own question based on these pieces of information that I have given him.
But many who have asked me this question then in effect just gives me either a shrug, a nod, or merely say "oh", and move on to another topic. They merely ask out of instantaneous curiosity. They do not express an opinion on whether I am a Christian or not. Why is it that they do not give me a decisive answer? Is it because the people who ask the question themselves don't even know what it takes to be a Christian? Is it because they would expect that if a guy who says they go to church, went to Sunday School, knew who God was, they would naturally answer yes rather than giving an akward answer "I don't know"? Are they using the term Christianity synonomously with the term "religious"? Well I do not eliminate the possibilities of these situations at all.
Well, maybe I shouldn't be decisive in saying that they merely ask out of instantaneous curiosity. Some may want to help, but they may not even know the answers themselves. Some may live in fear, and think that it will be best probably just to leave it here and avoid all the dirty work. Leave it all to the pastors and the more experienced people to fix this guy up who gave some weird answer.
I always wanted to find out a decisive answer, but I always gave myself excuses. I always thought, God knows I am here, if He wanted me to know, He would let me know. I never actively searched for the answer, and sadly, this has really been the case for the first 20 years in my life.
All until one day, my gift from God finally came ...
-- To be Continued --
i have the feeling that someone is going to put me on the table :P
Posted by
Jot.. |
6:56 pm, November 01, 2004
Don't spoil the atmosphere! hehehehe
Well, we always enjoy movie trailers, so I guess the same applies to stories as well.
You'll have to keep an eye out when you get "put on the table"!
:P
Posted by
Ivan |
8:36 pm, November 01, 2004