I am simply a woman

I didn’t like《红楼梦》(Dream of Red Mansions) during my early years. Thought it was just a boring tale of a guy dithering in a bunch of girls, aka Bella Twilight style. That was till this year…

I don’t think I’ve been through a lot for this past three decades. I know of people who have been through more challenges and ordeals. This is not a blog of grumbling or ranting, but of intimate talk and reflections as a woman.

Yes, I’ve become a woman, not a girl anymore. Somehow when I was ploughing through the abridged version of the book,《吴淡如新说红楼梦》, at full speed ahead, something within me tugged… It was like God holding up a mirror to me, showing me what constitutes a woman, the good the bad and the ugly. I could see parts of my current self in all the females, and parts of what I actually wished was my future better and more godly self. Considering that the author of the book is a male, I find this amazing… But then, again, God’s ways are out of the world, completely objective and just, aren’t they?

I wouldn’t say I got this eureka moment when I finished the book, more of a long sigh moment. I couldn’t even identify the emotion behind the sigh. All I understand are these few insights:
· You can’t keep anything. In fact there’s no point and no good in keeping it. What falls under “anything” then? It’s practically everything we’ve been given by God in our life in this world.
· Whatever’s happened to us on this world, good or bad, it wasn’t a waste of time. It was a necessary journey to learn to love.
· When one person loves another, it is really is that one party owes the other. No, I’m not advocating belief in karma and reincarnation. A Christian way of reconciling this would be that we’ve sinned to God, and he’s telling us to fulfill our part of repentance by loving others. However, the nature of the love we're supposed to give the other party is not for us to control but for us to obey according to God's orders. Only then do we show love for God, and totally let go of this worldly life.
· I do believe that only Jesus, son of God’s love saved us from sin. However, contrary to this linear one-dimensional interpretation I’d like to inject in another angle. The previous type of love we bore towards others was idolatory love. We loved those others more than God. We forgot they were gifts bestowed to us by Him. We either thought they were God, or we thought that we were God. Thus the journey on this world is for us to realise and grapse this truth.

Of course the overarching theme behind this novel is fate. However I believe fate and God are mutually inclusive and the same actually, thus explaining God’s omnipotence and omnipresence. Afterall, when the author wrote the novel, I don’t think he was aware of Christian principles. As I’ve said in a previous blog entry in another separate blog, the written word is God. We just need to look and reconcile, to recognise Him there.

I’ll just sign off this intro entry with what I gleaned from my first reading of the novel. I’ve identified what I’m supposed so display as a woman of Christ after reading the book. The next entries will touch on the characteristics I’ve to learn to display and their corresponding contexts.
Amen!

红楼所悟
工作认真须像探春；对家人长辈谦卑须像宝钗；对命运释怀须像迎春；辨别是非对错须像尤三；求自保须像惜春；对同事忍让须像平儿；表白心态坦白须像晴雯；对待朋友义气须像湘云；对爱执著须像黛玉；言出必行须像鸳鸯，不枉此生为女子…

Word Play 1: Professionalism

A recent pet phrase of mine has been the term "professionalism", especially in the light of the office politics that has been been rocking me to and fro for the past five months. In the previous blog entry, I touched on the concept of how commitment to your job is actually related to your love and passion for this calling. Today I'll try correlating love and professionalism.

Here's the definition of the term "profession" from dictionary.com
profession (noun)
1. a vocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or science
2. any vocation or business.
3. the body of persons engaged in an occupation or calling
4. the act of professing; avowal; a declaration, whether true or false
5. the declaration of belief in or acceptance of religion or a faith

The noun "profession" is usually used in a more bombastic context to replace the drab term "job". However when we look into the dictionary, we see some hidden element behind the term profession which the word "job" does not necessarily mention or include.

In the first point, when you go about your profession, you definitely require some knowledge of it, or else you wouldn't have gotten accepted for the post. Consecutively as you progress in this profession, you knowledge in this spectrum is expected to grow, or you would not deserve to call this your profession. Usually a dynamo of sorts is essential in driving us in pursuit of knowledge. This dynamo or force is a love for something, be it promotion in hierachy, earning, status, the enjoyment during the actual act of carrying out the tasks required for the job. Next, in the third to fifth points, the concepts of calling, avowal, declaration and faith appear. All this are highly related to the concept of love and do not need further elaboration. Thus, we can safely deduce that the critical element differentiating "job" and "profession", is the presence of love. If you love your work, it no longer is just a job, it becomes your profession.

The next question to ask ourselves is, how do we identify and define "love". Well, the famous 1 Corinthians 13 chapter gives us a lengthy insight into the concept of love as I'll transcribe it later. Below is a reflection on how I am performing in each aspect.

Kindness: joy in helping others.
Sad to say I'm calculative in this element, such that the amount I dispense is also according to how the other party has treated me first. It may be high time for me to throw away the bookeeping for how much to help others, in correspondence to how they much they help me.

Patience: accepting the imperfections of others
Drat! I am an epic failure at this one. Don't even dare to describe how I perform. I don't even show patience to myself, thus this causes huge misunderstandings on the part of many who do not know me, thinking I love to find fault with others. I do self-bashing much more than they know...

Forgiveness: Freedom from the grip of anger
Ok, my past track record at this was not much better than the previous aspect of patience. Thankfully the past five months have improved my performance in the humility aspect and this has rubbed onto the forgiveness part. Many old baggages of anger towards be it others or myself have been thrown away. The anger still simmers once in a while, but most of what I feel now is melancholy and wistfulness at how things could have been instead, if I had just been more humble, courteous and patient...

Courtesy: Treating others as friends
This one is kinda tricky, because different people treat others who they truthfully declare to be friends, differently. Thus when I treat other in a manner which I feel is already courteous enough, it may not match up to the other party's definition of how they feel a friend should treat them. This oversight in putting myself in others' shoes has been one of the major culprits behind the mayhem for the past five months. I need to remember to be conscious of how my friends what to be treated by me, not only how I want to treat my friends...

Humility: Stepping down to let others step up
Another chronic problem of mine. Many close friends have chided me for having this "I know better than you" mentality, when I tell them what's happened to me in the workplace. Even if my intentions behind giving an insider, more experienced POV is actually kind, it may not be taken so by the other party, because of the "I" term which crops up way too much. I must train myself to use the word "you" more instead while reducing the "I", and to change their sequence, letting "you" appear before "I" more often...

Generousity: Giving myself to others
I've shown fairly consistent performance in this area, since under the mentorship of Jamie two years ago. She's long left that place and so have I. However, she is the angel sent by God who has been propelling me in the discipleship of love towards my profession. I don't think I'll be able to show consistency in this area without her guidance under her tuelage then. And now in this new place, there are also other mentors whom I must remind myself to look up, lest I let up my diligence.

Honesty: Revealing who you are
Hahahaha. Seems like I have not much trouble underperforming in this area. In fact I overperform, such that it is too bare naked for some to bear. :p The confusion then comes in is the misinterpretation by others of the motives and agendas behind my naked honesty... Sigh... I may need to clothe myself in kindness, patience, courtesy and humilty more, such that they see better...

It's good to reflect on how my love for my work had grown since 2008. It can indeed be a profession, and no longer just a job for me. A final big thanks to God for having helped me identify my calling, and I pray for his guidance and care in helping me remain faithful in my love for it. Amen!


P.S. This blog entry was inspired after reading "Love as a way of life" by Gary Chapman. Anyone who feels the dousing on love in any part of their life, I would highly recommend picking this book up. Enjoy! :)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13: 4 - 7 (NIV)

Perfect job??

Lately the articles written have all been with a very critical and bitter edge. Thank God I realised how I was mutating and decided to put a stop to it once and for all. Will do my utmost to make this one a pleasant one of thanksgiving.

Some khakis and mentors have pondered and still do to this day why I wish to stay in the VWO sector and work, despite its lack of perks. Ok, I'll be very frank, initially I had no love for this sector at all. Nada, nyan, nyet, zilch. It was because of sheer desperation, due to my previous condition, where I was unable to be accepted in any other jobs with my qualifications. Was at the point of almost hopelessness when the offer came. And during the process of my first three years in my first VWO, I learnt and grew.

I learnt how brattish and cocky I was, always thinking I was king of the world, when some of my plans were very outright junvenile with no clear concept of what I was getting at. I was just doing for the sake of doing.

I learnt how lazy I was with lack of initiative to do follow up on many tasks, which I always assumed to be other's responsibility.

I learnt how unreasonable some of my demands were, as if I owned the workplace and other colleagues needed to kowtow to my every need and whim.

Slowly I learnt to appreciate the beauty of the VWO sector, though my appreciation of it in the initial two years were fairly shallow. I had this "I only love what I like from it", not it as a whole. Then, the butting out happened. During the first three months, still harboured bitterness towards the upper echleons who made the decision. Felt that I had already made improvements to myself, throughout the process which led to my resignation I had fulfiled my duties it seemed, was always questioning to myself what the heck was wrong with them. I forgot to also ask myself what the heck was wrong with myself, thinking I always knew best.

Turns out in devotion to getting the issue or duty tackled, I was on the correct track. I had picked up the virtues of initiative, commitment, responsibility along the way for my past three years there. I had yet to pick up the virtues of patience, empathy, forgiveness and peace. God then had to come in to give me a wakeup call.

No matter which workplace you are in, it will never be perfect. There will always be flaws present, as it comprises of human beings. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. However I need to remind myself that we are made in the image of God too. I must keep the constant lookout of God in that place where I am. In God's eyes, I am just the same as them, no better, no worse, but most importantly we are loved all the same.

Been reflecting this week and really thankful God has placed me back in the VWO sector again for the past three months, though this time another charity. I would now proudly declare that yes, I am in love with my job. Yes, I get very stressed up by its many aspects which make me want to throw in the towel very badly. However, I always remember that it loved me first. It opened my eyes up to a lot of things many may take for granted. I really cannot use words to describe it.

During the previous two months of intense stress where I had really considered leaving, some of my current colleagues have advised me to either "just treat this as a job" or "if you really feel so miserable, then leave". Previously in other scenarios, my parents have always told me not to do comparison with my siblings and peers for fear of envy mounting in me. I am still tackling this deadly sin daily. It is a constant battle but I thank God for having increased my prowess against it. However here comes the bombshell. When it comes to thanksgiving of what I have been blessed with, I need to compare myself with others.

I know some Christians do not like to use that term due to its negative connotation. For this, I have come to laugh at myself. The competitive streak in there will not disppear till the day of disciplehood on earth is complete. Why not use it towards the glorification of God?

Finally today I realised why despite all the frustration and agony of being in the teaching line for so long, my father has always stayed put. After the initial anger and disappointment with what you see, you calm down and reflect and then you realise that God is still there. Personally I dislike using the term "just treat this as a job", because my own interpretation is that it smacks of irresponsibility, something which I have come to abhor as it was grossly present within me in the initial years. I then remind myself, this is my interpretation of the term. Who am I to be so sure that when others "treat it as a job", there is no element of devotion to the cause? It is more of a difference in phrasing. Maybe what they have been advising me, was to inject the element of empathy, understanding and forgiveness. I really need to just look back and laugh, praying to God that we all have learnt along the way.

If it comes to the second phrase pertaining to level of misery, then my answer would be the joy definitely overcomes the misery. This is where I do the comparison act. I compare the amount of joy God has blessed me in this current job, compared to amount of misery the evil one has tried to inflict upon me to make me stray. Then the answer becomes very clear cut and point blank. No need to doubt God's plans anymore.

I'm not writing off the beauty of other workfields. It is just that God has not granted me to the ability to view them in the light I view mine. I can always do worrying and grumbling about the imperfections of the VWO field, but I must always remember to pray for it. Afterall, it loved me first.

Attahed is above is the flipchart of a presentation I had made at NVPC around 12 weeks ago. I need to constantly remind myself with the flipchart of how clear headed I was then surprisingly. What matters is not who starts the dynamo. It is just to keep the dynamo running.

I don't read Sun Tzi's "Art of Warfare"!

This is my first in another blog series. Having soaked myself in the workplace coming to 7 years now, sometimes floating with ease, sometimes at the brink of drowning, other times wading in murky waters, I think it is time to write a blog specifically about the ideologies, philosophies in the workplace. I’m not super experienced. These are just random musings of my own. I’ll take it as a “letters to God and fellow friends” of sorts to share about. All are free to input and feedback. I will do my utmost to refrain from personal attacks on particular people, organisations, nationalities. This is where I appeal to you my reader audience to act as a “co-pilot”, slapping me awake lest I start going into that forbidden zone. Thank you! :)

Today’s topic will touch on the rationale behind the title of my blog. I don’t remember when people started officially associating workplace with warfare. I suppose the roots behind the term “everyday is a battle” are hard to trace. However, when people started openly recommending reading Sun Tzi’s “Art of Warfare” to apply in the workplace context, I started becoming unsettled. Pardon me but it is really too “in your face”. Must we really sink to this “I want the life jackets, all of them for me”, while depriving others. Do we really have so little faith that there aren’t enough to go around? Too bad that under situations of stress, I too tend to slip into this mode, sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously.

Here then we trace the ends for justifying the use of warfare. Historically, warfare is engaged only in situation when a party feels that its survival is threatened. At least that is what the party which initiates the war openly claims. Let us then look at the end results of war. There will always emerge a “winner versus loser” situation, at least in the open. A certain party has to concede defeat before the other can outright claim victory.

However no matter what, there in fact is no concept of absolute victory in any war. No matter what weapons, strategies are employed, livelihoods are disrupted, and lives will be lost. I’d rather term it as “relative victory”. This would mean a “my damages are less than yours” point of view.

I’m no “make love not war” hippy though. Just imagine if UK and USSR hadn’t finally “woke up” after Hitler moved in Poland; US hadn’t stepped in after Pearl Harbour. The question then is more of a “when” rather than a “yes or no”.

Now, we relate it back to the workplace, where my argument then comes in. For the workplace, if we employ warfare strategy, we are employing a mentality which is to vanquish the opponent at all costs, such that they do not even survive… Is it necessary? Must we be on such an offensive mode all the time? Do we need to be so merciless? Are we under such a grave threat that we have no assurance that any being is able to provide for us anymore?

Some people argue that they are employing warfare methods at work for defense purposes. Then my rationale is this: no matter which term you use for justifying your reasons for warfare, be it offense or defense, you already have the mentality of not sparing your opponent. The opponent is left with no escape and ends up dead or a prisoner. Of course when this is applied in the workplace, the outcome is displayed on a psychological rather than literal sense.

I don’t have any wonderful solution to this. I engage in this warfare too. However I detest it! I can only pray that approval and endorsement of this warfare mindset or mentality never takes root in me. I hope that it never takes root in you too. Using the analogy of a farmer, this mindset is a weed which I'm constantly uprooting daily. Always pray for wisdom to identity whether the situation is a potential Poland or Pearl Harbour in our workplace, such that it warrants us to finally engage this mindset.

Movie Mayhem with God Part 7: Wu Xia

Finally! Able to sit down to catch a good movie in theatres after so long. (I've actually watched another movie just days before this one, but was so insulted by its lameness and so ashamed of my stupidity and curiousity in going to watch it... I think by now you may have known which movie I'm mentioning about... :P )

Anyway, I was supposed to have was Wu Xia much much earlier ago with an ex-colleague of mine when we met up. However she had disclosed to me that she was a bit uncomfortable with watching in as she didn't like the "Wu Xia" concept, which she feels maybe against the lines of Christian teachings. Eventually, by God's plans, we didn't manage to watch it that day, and it was only till today was I able to catch the film.

Maybe due to my liberalness cum being an avid swordfighting novel fan since childhood, I feel that actually it all depends on how you interpret the movie. If you pray to God, asking him to show you his teachings in whatever you partake. This crucial aspect is how we relate and reconcile everything back to Him, the famous loving God with "all of heart, mind and soul".

In the movie, Donnie Yen plays a ex-killer, who deserted his murderous clan 10 years ago in search of a peaceful life, due to his guilt and remorse over a gruesome murder of an entire family, in particular one young victim. He has settled down in a village as a papermaker, married a virtuous village widow, and now has a happy family of two sons. However to his horror, his past catches up with him when two killers from a rival clan happen to pass the village and recognise him and launch an attack to kill him. In a bid to save the villagers while still keeping his identity secret, he skillfully kills them, making everything seem coincidental and out of sheer luck. This does not deceive the detective constable, played by Takeshi Kaneshiro, who deduces that Donnie Yen is not quite the simple villager he makes himself out to be...

The fighting scenes of the film are awesome (kudos to Donnie Yen again for being i/c of action screenplay) with the team behind the soundtrack being a huge boost to adding impact to the movie as it proceed. However the ultimate scriptwriter, God, peppers in His teachings in more precious nuggets.

The story emphasises on repentence, as the lead character wishes to turn his back from his cruel and murderous past. The detective constable however is not convinced by his sincerity. This is too is attributed to a dark past of himself, having been too merciful to a young convict in the past, thus giving the killer another chance to commit an even greater crime. Thus, the detective constable is disillusioned by the concept of mercy and repentance, always insisting on the governance of justice. Below is a conversation between the two, when the constable was grilling the lead on his past, illustrating their conflict.

Lead: Actually everything is interlinked and through fate. If I hadn't passed by the village 10 years ago and spotted my wife, I wouldn't have settled down here and married her. If I hadn't settled down here and married here, I wouldn't have taken up the job of being a papermaker. If I hadn't taken up the job of being a papermaker, I wouldn't happen to be in the store that day during the attack. If I hadn't been in the store that day, I wouldn't have run into those two men. If I hadn't run into those two men, they wouldn't have died. If they hadn't died, you wouldn't have come here to investigate me. All of us are equally responsible for everything in the world that happens.
Constable: Are you meaning to say that all of us are equally responsible for the crimes committed by murderers?

Lead: I wasn't mentioning about the context of murderers committing murder...

Another character in the movie, the lead's mother, also poses doubts to the concept of repentence and re-birth. She, under the lead's father (also clan master)'s orders, heads the first expendition to the village, committing mayhem and murder, in a bid to force the lead to showcase his swordfighting to save the village, and eventually make his compromise and return to the clan. At the final moment when the lead tries to stop her from falling into the rapids after a rigorous fight with her (one of the best kungfu moments in the film), she looks up at him and says "Who are you deceiving? You are still Tang Long. (The lead's original name)", before plunging into the depths.

Thankfully, the lead is saved from the depths of eternal sin and condemnation as eventually all these doubts and half-truths are reconciled back to God's teaching. What happens eventually can be really a literal translation of God's teachings... The lead undergoes death of sorts (with the grudging help of the constable's medical knowldge to put him in semi-coma state but to reawake him again later) to trick the second expedition, literally severs himself from him dreadful past (similar to what was in the previous movie "The Beaver" which I last reviewed). Most importantly during the final showdown between the lead and his father cum clan master, it is not through his own strength and ability in which the clan master is eventually defeated. In fact it is really through an act of God. The lead having slightly exhausted and distracted his father, manages to allow the constable an opportunity to use acupunture to attack his father's critical defense nerve points, rendering it vulnerable. Even then, it is a bolt of lightning from the heavy rain which strikes his father dead through that acupunture point, as his and the constable by then have been very badly injured, collapsed in a corner. From this way, it is a three-tier effort through which the villian is finally defeated.

Similarly, the three-tier relationship is also present in us Christians. This is namely God (represented by the lightning bolt), the Holy Spirit (the lead himself), and Jesus (the constable). Yes, sadly the constable eventually dies after this final battle but at his death moment, he himself is finally reconciled with the fact that repentence and re-birth does exist. Kind of a perfect fit of sorts in my view, as the concepts of judgement, repentence and re-birth all fall into place seamlessly.

During the night before the final battle between the lead and his father, this is the conversation between the lead and the constable. I think we Christians can take heed and keep it as a gentle reminder in our hearts...
Lead: Didn't I tell you not to come back?
Constable: Why didn't you murder me that day when you were leading me out of the village?
Lead: You promised to let me off.
Constable: Come on, did you think I would really let you off?
Lead: I trust you.

No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.
John 3:3 (NIV)

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
1 Peter 1:23 (NIV)

But God raised him from the dead.

Acts 13:30 (NIV)

If your hand or foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed and crippled, than to have two hands or two feets but to be thrown into eternal fire.

Matthew 18:8, Mark 9:46 (NIV)

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17

At the end of the film, the lead settles down to the peaceful and tranquil life he so much wishes, taking on the passed away constable's tasks of moonlighting TCM. Now that his past is reconciled, his wife is finally at ease with telling him to return home in time for dinner daily. Likewise, when we are God's new creation, we are assured that we will be able to return for reunion with God in the home that we call Heaven. Amen!

Movie Mayhem with God Part 6: The Beaver

It's been a very traumatic weekend. I've just finished attending a 3-session introduction to a counselling course where the eventual counselling method was based on deliverance. I was recommended to the course by my cell leader and cell mates after all that I had been going through, especially the past 9 months. Of course the notion of me needing counselling did not have a positive connotation. I was actually very perverse to it due to my history. I won't give too many details about about my past or what happened this weekend. In fact even though I haven't gone through the actual counselling session (they will do the one-to-one session later) I was already experiencing immense spiritual warfare which unleashed itself partially today. Definitely doesn't look good to outsiders who doesn't know what is going on. Well, I certainly thank Jesus I have let some of the murky water that has been bottled up inside me come out this noon, and also for Him explaining to me the reasons why I was so bothered with its murkiness. Turns out I had so many misconceptions about the murkiness which need to be cleared. However, for now, He tells me that these are the issues, just wait and we'll deal with it later. I'll tell you when the time is ripe. Just rest now.

Thus, I went to watch a movie. Again. Ok, thankfully I had watched the movie with God in the theatre (and some public), as this movie needs to be watched with God accompanying you fully throughout, as even though the teachings behind the story is biblical, it is quite harrowing. Plot-wise it is about a depressed man (Mel Gibson), whose depression has led to such intense frustration amongst his family members that his wife (Jodie Foster) is forced to ask him to leave. In his despair, he found a puppet beaver which he uses as a therapy tool of sorts to deal with his relationships with everyone around him, and he regains his confidence in life...initially.

Ok, I'm kind of thinking how best to reveal the biblical concepts without giving spoilers about the movie. I think the best way is to write the verses down and for those with the courage to pray and then go watch the movie, you'll definitely know which verses inspire the parts of the plot of the movie.

And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go to hell.
Matthew 5:30

If your hand or foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.
Matthew 18: 8

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better to enter life maimed than two hands into hell, where the fire never goes out.
Mark 9:43

Woah... Those teachings are very difficult to stomach leh... Definitely for me, as I know the things that are causing me to stumble cannot say cut then cut one. For me if can so literally cut off and throw away then it would be wonderful... Then how? Then how? This has been the point that has actually bothering me for the past 9 months. It then falls back to his teachings. If both He and you know this aspect bothering you in faith cannot be literally severed, then we can only pray and trust and then wait for his instruction to come. Don't go into panic mode with you feel you don't hear/see/feel/know anything. Aiya, easier said than done la. My past 9 months have been a horrible status anxiety constantly. Even now there is still residue and this blog is a form of prayer to Him for trust, patience, perserverance and peace... There is truth and wisdom to be found in His Word. However, being the creator of language and literature techniques, we must remember that God also uses this techniques in his teachings. Many of his famous teachings were in the form of parables. Those 3 verses quoted above seem very literal and straighforward when reading, but application is another matter altogether. The act of severing or cutting in those verses may actually mean another form of severing. At least for me, it means the severing of certain strongholds that the Evil One has on me, which sadly are not physical issues. Thus the pain and ardour of the process is of a different level. It is definitely traumatising. Today's round was only just an initial part of the severing. Darn painful really. Now the ultimate physician has told me, that's enough for today. Just go back and rest for now. When it is time for be it you, me or others to do anything, I Jesus Christ will instruct on how to proceed...

I'll just like to end up with a concept I extropolated from the movie, not sure whether it was part of the scriptwriter's intent. Sometimes, we see the four walls where we are in as enclosing us in a prison and we desperately want to break free. However, sometimes we yearn for those four walls us they symbolise room which God has specially allocated for us, to be protected forever safe from any fear and danger outside. Thus whenever we are at a lost of how to interpret something, pray to Him first to show how to read and analyse it.

We are often confused by some phrases. In the movie, it concludes with a graduation ceremony speech of a female character, saying that "everyone has been telling us a lie, "it is going to be alright"". Ok, the point at which the character says is valid, as she gones on to explain that even though everything may not be alright always, there is someone that is always there for us, watching over us. However an additional point I want to point out that, to turn the lie into an ultimate universal truth we just need to say "everything is going to be alright eventually". And this is also how the movie ends too... Praise God!

My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a room for you?
John 14:2

Movie Mayhem with God Part 5: X-Men First Class

Was just chatting with the close Christian mentor friend of mine last week, about me being eager to watch X-Men: First Class. Then she remarked to me that her daughter had just watched it but didn't like it as it was like "all about war and killing".
Fast forward to today. I've just came back from the theatres and watched it. Yup, lots about war and killing but I think maybe her daughter missed moments when Cross-Man Jesus Christ was lurking in the movie. Afterall, Jesus Christ is The Ultimate Superhero, by doing many seemingly impossible things, turning water to wine, making lame walk, making blind see, healing lepers, making Lazarus rise from the dead, and his own resurrection. His score is impossible to beat.
Huh? Ok, then you may ask, which one is he? Prof X or Magneto? Ok, of course in the comic the good guys are definitely Prof X's X-Men, with Magneto's Brotherhood going to be the ultimate baddies. But when you look deeper into the character development of both leaders, actually traits of the ultimate superhero Jesus Christ lies in both. Scorecard breakdown below.

Professor X:
1. I know how you feel
Professor X is able to empathise with Magneto, literally, what struggles heartache pain, he went through. I think for us, we are assured, God knows spot on what and how we feel every moment and shares it with us.

For the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought.
1 Chronicles 28:9
You know when I sit and rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar. Before a word is on my tongue, you Lord, know it completely.
Psalms 139:1-4

2. Designing training ultimate PT style to make us become superheroes too
In the middle of the film when the mutants are forced to shift HQ as it was no longer safe, Professor X kicks start this series of ultimate training schedule, guiding all the mutants on how their skills can be used. Especially memorable is him slowly training Havoc, until Havoc is able to manouver and control his chest laser weapon, accurately on specific targets.
God also puts believers through a gruelling PT series called life, where he moulds our skills and abilties through challenges and obstacles, where we get better and better, using our capabilities only in ways that is to our good, thus glorifying him.

For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

3. I can read your thoughts but I promise not to
Professor X promises Mystique that even though he can read her thoughts, he will never do it. As X-men fans know, eventually Mystique goes over to Magneto's camp and becomes Prof X's enemy but he never uses that power to pre-empt her for victory over Magneto.
In a slightly similar way, God knows every of our thoughts and decisions. However, he never really forces us against our will. His gift to us is free will to decide what we want to do.

I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
Revelations 3:20

4. Striving for Peace
Professor X is definitely not into death, war and mass carnage. Early on it is he who dives into the water to save Magneto who was trying hard to "attract" the submarine up to avenge his mother's killer, but was in danger of drowning. Later on, he stops Magneto from starting an impending WWIII, at the expense of being shot in his spine and then eventually being paralysed. Hmm... slight martydom of sorts comparable to Jesus Christ's ultimate sacrifice by dying on the cross

Read on his cruxifiction ordeal in all 4 Gospels.


Magneto:
1. Going through hardship to eventually unlease full potential
Magneto went through the agony of seeing his mother's murder and this was the catalyst which unleased his power. It was the sadness and anger at seeing a loved one die which made him into what he eventually was. The greatest moment of his display of his abilty was when Professor X pointed out that it was to strike a balance between joy and anger.
Jesus Christ went through the anguish of being sent by God on earth for the ultimate mission. I don't think he totally enjoyed, especially as it got harder and harder. Yup, he made many dear friends and companions but the constant buildup until the final week was really awful for him. Facing the sickening snobbish hypocrites. Getting maligned for being a con-man and/or freak. Knowing before hand that one very close will betray you for like money not even enough to buy a proper meal, another super loyal khaki will deny you three times, the others will flee and disperse for cover, those who respected you previously will mock you while you are nailed to two pieces of wood hanging in the sun for an entire day, saying "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" before saying "It is finished". Jesus indeed attained the best balance, anger over sin itself, while still loving those who do so. Well, the most joyful thing is that he accomplished what would have been Mission Impossible for any human being.

For more, read the 4 Gospels, especially the Gospel of John, on his internal emotional battle...

2. Mutant and proud of it
It was Magneto who taught Mystique to stop being so ashamed of her abilities (her actual blue skin which assists her to have chamelon-like abilties). That why at the end Mystique was able to remark to Beast before she defected over to Magneto camp that they have to remember that they are "mutant and proud".
Jesus Christ accepts us for the way we are. What has the potential in making us sin, he also sees it as a form of beauty in us, abilties which can be moulded to later serve his cause only if we accept him as saviour. Afterall we are originally made in the image of this ultimate superhero. So, thus upon accepting Christ, we are really proclaiming to everyone, "follower of Christ and proud!"

But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us
Romans 5:8
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position
James 1:9

3. Brotherhood of mutants
Yup, Magneto starts this brotherhood of mutants in the end, which sad to say in the movie, is the villian gang for the upcoming sequels, where fellow mutants take fend for each other, but by being on the offensive against ordinary humans.
Jesus Christ started the first church (Him and the 12 disciples) with a brotherhood where all believers support and care for one another. Thankfully, Jesus never believed in staying on offense mode constantly... The most serious offense mode he ever displayed was ransacking the church's pasar malam only. Sarcasm to the Pharisees was so minor....

All the believers were one in heart and mind.
Acts 4:32


Seems like for now Professor X wins Magneto narrowly in the Christ-like traits scorecard. However if I'm given a choice on features I prefer, Micheal Fassbender beats James McAvoy hands down la. Afterall, I don't remember any portrayal of Jesus being botak... :P

Well, one thing we know for sure that the movie is really spot on. In the poster it said, "Witness the moment that will change our world". When Cross-Man comes again it is really gonna be that.