Jason Liew

When miracle happens,

Christians will say “Oh, Jesus!”

Buddhists will say “Oh, Buddha!”

Muslims will say “Oh, Allah!”

Communists will say “Oh, Party leader!”

Atheist will say “Oh, Me!”

To a certain extent,

don’t we all believe that someone,

that “someone” can even be yourself,

is looking after your life,

is determining your destiny

is walking with you in this long journey of life?

I’m not here to comment any aforementioned choice of faith,

but to share some thoughts about living by faith.

One funny thing about this world is

it just takes 1 textbook-illustrated scientific experiment 

to make most people to believe in gravity force.

But it takes more than 1 billion “biologically alive” people’s life-changing real stories

to make some people to slightly believe in supernatural force.

Although you can see neither of those forces.

Someone says this is something to do with immediacy.

When you let go a glass in hand,

it falls and breaks immediately.

When you pray to God

it seems that you don’t get reply or rescue “right away”.

Someone says this is something to do with consistency.

A glass hits ground,

it breaks, every time.

A prayer in despair

it seems to get answered, sometimes?

Don’t you agree the main problem about immediacy 

is the difference in relativity?

According to your average life span of 80 years,

when your life falls apart,

how “immediate” reply should be defined as immediate?

Now? Tomorrow? Next Year? Next Decade?

And now,

turn your scope

to a falling glass with average life span of 2 seconds…

Perhaps now

we all do have a fairer opinion on immediacy.

Try to flashback through your life

by hold tight to your faith (in whatever name)

Didn’t your life somehow turn out to be better over time?

Having a consensus on immediacy.

some of us might be still questioning about consistency.

Glass falls,

we always get broken pieces.

Prayer delivers

we don’t always get what we asked for.

Yes, we don’t.

But, isn’t life great

because we don’t always get what we asked for?

And how should we judge that

what is the best

to be delivered to who

at where

by when?

Sometimes,

we say

this is God’s best plan,

this is fate,

this is Fengshui,

this is our inner self,

that even

we, as normal human being

don’t have complete knowledge of.

It is quite irrelevant which name of faith you choose from above,

but the main idea holds:

Human beings are but short-sighted living creatures.

We don’t foresee.

What if you prayed for finding an apartment of $1500 rental,

securing a financially viable home in a new city?

But God didn’t give you right away

instead

He got you a career promotion

and you are now easily paying $2000

for a beautiful apartment monthly?

Could we say God denied your initial prayer?

Or would you claim, “that’s nothing about Him, it’s ME, ME and ME.”?

Even a maid will not necessarily clean your kitchen

in the exact way you asked.

Demanding our God, our Fate, our Fengshui, or our Party Leader

to deliver exact whatever being asked for,

isn’t that absurd?

Think again.

Don’t things just turn out to be just fine or even better?

eventhough it is never ever foreseeable to be part of our plans, anyway.

Perhaps life is a journey.

A journey with detours,

not to stop us at the crossroads

but to challenge us to live by faith, not by sight.

A journey with fall-behind and far-ahead,

not to sorry for those that we have  to forgo,

but to thanks for those that never let go.

A journey of no return,

not to be upset for the limited time span,

but to be glad for the unlimited possibilities that it offers.

And nevertheless,

Life is always a better journey

when you know you are not walking alone.

This post is especially dedicated to Jia Heng and Adelene,

my girlfriend, my family and You.

Yes, You too

You, the one that reading this.

Happy Winter Break,

and have a nice holiday!