When it comes to tragedies

Have you ever asked yourself why is there sufferings and tragedies in this world? No, dun mistaken me, I'm not here to address that question. For me, this issue has been widely addressed by theological experts. But then... one of the answers they provided sorta touched it a lot.

As it can be argued, there are tragedies and sufferings in this world. However, are these necessary bad? Are these necessarily not beneficial for us? I guess not. Although it can be said that sufferings are not meant to exist in the first place as I quote from God:

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
- Genesis 1:31


As can be seen, when God created this world, there is no evil, no sufferings, nothing that has to do with God's perfect nature. But because of God's love, God gave us free will, and thus created the possibility of sins and thus the possibilities of sufferings through sins. But then you may ask, then how come He allows this to carry on and allows his creations to carry on suffering. Well, the answer can be found here:

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
- Romans 5:3-4


I have spoken of this verse before but the point I want to make here is that sometimes sufferings can be one of the best things that can happen to us. At this point, allow me to narrate a personal history of mine, which some of my readers may have become tired of listening by now.

As some of my readers would know, I graduated from Pioneer Junior College in 2002. That's what a lot of my friends know. But what's not really well-known, is that PJC was not my first choice when it comes to the JAE. It was actually my fifth choice. I actually spent my first three months in my first choice JC and that JC is Victoria Junior College, where I spent some of my most fun pre-uni academic days in. I was actually preparing to make VJC my permament homestay for my A'level. But sometimes life is just unpredictable. My O'level result failed to secure me a place in VJC after the first three months and this episode became one of the watershed in my life. In fact, it became one of the worst emotional disasters in my life after my pet lizard died in a tragic accident(I'm just joking about this part). And therefore I ended up in PJC.

Little did I know, the worst disaster in my life (though I still suffered from regrets and mental distress) became the push of my pre-uni academic career. To put it in a very unpolite terminology, I became a precedent in PJC, achieving a lot of things there, to the point when I was actually invited back to give the valediction for my batch during College Day. I won't talk about what I have done, cos I think this is a story people will get sick of listening to. Nevertheless, the point I'm making is that God has a way to make the bad things become good things.

And the ultimate proof lies with the ultimate tragedy in recorded and authentic history. And may I emphasize here: it is recorded in the most reliable and historical correct way possible. To put it straight to all your face, it's real history. And this tragedy marked the very instance where the creation persecuted and killed its Creator incarnate. It's the cruxification of Jesus Christ, Son of God, the God incarnate who has manifested Himself into flesh and blood and walk among His creation. What can be more tragic than the death of God... but, and this is a big BUT, with His death and His subsequent resurrection, He defeated death and provided Mankind the gift of salvation from sins and the way out from a spiritual death. With His death, He took in all the sufferings of Mankind (so He did did something about sufferings). With His death, He provided the way back to God. Hence, the ultimate tragedy becomes THE ultimate blessing.

So, how many of us have experienced the incident that disasters became blessings in disguise??

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