“Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.” Revelations 18:10
(King Nebuchadnezzar) was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws. Daniel 4:33
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5
The tragedy, violence and senseless suffering in Ukraine continue to unfold before us, ironically, in this Season of Lent. A worldwide show of support has been called for this Thursday and I am sure many Singaporeans will want to support that within the permissible limits of the laws of our land.
We continue to witness mankind's hubris in the use of force, pride and power to dominate others. History – or the moral universe as God has designed - has shown again and again that these are always temporal. And in the end, they will be laid to waste. The haunting lament over the fall of Babylon the Great in Revelations 18 has a rich description of the destiny of the pride and powerful. Another example is the prophetic dream of Daniel over the destiny of King Nebuchadnezzar, vividly described in Daniel 4.
In stark contrast, Jesus in his teachings and his life example, showed us that the way to true glory is sacrifice, humility and servanthood. We will see its ultimate display during the Holy Week.
The sounds and rumbles of war in Ukraine are far away. Here in Singapore, we do not face the threats of earthly powers, at least not in the immediate future. However, everyone of us can play a part in reflecting the life and teachings of Christ. Some love, humility, compassion or kindness can go a long way to bring peace to those around us.
Meanwhile, please remember and pray for many of the on-going hot spots including Myanmar, Syria and Yemen. Even North Korea and Iran need our prayers. We need to pray for justice from all in authority, may it be local or international. It is not a case of West versus the East. All and sundry are capable of the same kind of pride and foolishness. Pray that mercy, justice, fairness and compassion will prevail all around.
During this Lent, we have much to wait upon the Lord for.