#113 Angst(25 oct 06)

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him'
Colossians 3:17


Many of the early leaders of the nascent nation of United States of America were Christians by religious affiliation, and some were God fearing and loving men.
President Abraham Lincoln is always remembered for taking the courageous act of abolishing slavery and we are also thankful that he reminded Americans of where their grace comes from. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln established a national holiday in the United States as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father' (Daily Bread Nov 23, 2006).
Interestingly, in the pain and strain on lives during the American Civil war, there was an increased in religious sentiment and it was during this period that appeals were made by devout Christians throughout America to recognize God in their lives, by placing the motto "In God We Trust" on United States coins. This was effected in 1864.


Every day, I wake up thankful that it is a new day. Of course, the haze does cloud our mood a little, but I am most thankful and relieved that the Lord our God walks with us throughout our day, for without time with God, the day will indeed be long and unbearable.
Yet, many are able to bear with this insufferable world, by gritting their teeth and hardening their hearts, and focussing on trying to attain the benchmarks of man-defined sources of happiness, albeit that they are usually delusory and at best temporal.

According to the latest report from the World Wildlife Fund, humans are stripping nature at an unprecedented rate and will need two planets' worth of natural resources every year by 2050 on current trends.

Thankfully, if I am still around by then, I will be 89 and likely not cognizant of my environment, and my wants if any, should be lesser and my time on a much diminished and abused planet is definitely past its run out date.
Notwithstanding the need to discount the doomsayers and the unflappable belief of some in the ability of the human race to improvise, the world has always been one of extremities..
For the materially deprived, misery comes from a lack of, while for the well endowed materially, misery can be from overabundance.
But thankfully or not, death can be the equalizer.

But, life need not be this way, even in this dark world.

If God is truly in control, and He is, then there is no need to be miserable. An indescribable peace and joy is what He blessed us all with on Earth, and eternal life with Him in Heaven. We are meant by our daily living, to be expressing life as one of God given joy and peace and not the present state of angst and agony.

'...Thou shalt not do this thing, for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael'
Jeremiah 40:16

Gedaliah, the governor of the conquered lands of Judah, refused to believe that Ishmael was going to kill him. He found out too late, at the cost of his life and that of others under his care.

It is the same for many of us. We choose not to believe in the very real danger of not walking right with God, while alive. For death seems too far away, and the land beyond is hard to fathom. Our time should be more productively spend on Earth, in strive and strife.

Times have changed. At least from my non-empirical observations. A quick cursory review of obituary pages would reveal an increased preponderance of people who are dying younger. And here, we are not talking about the families using photos taken much earlier for the sake of vanity.

Lung cancer interestingly is something most of us tend to be less aware of, as most do not smoke nor work in jobs that exposed them to asbestos, a major source of lung cancer. Lung cancer kills more people than most other forms of cancer.

Yet, in recent months, I have come to know of more 'safe' category people(ie not exposed to tobacco or asbestos) who are down with serious lung cancer in their relatively youthful '30s.

Angst is a Dutch, German and Scandinavian word for fear or anxiety. It is used in English to describe an intense feeling of emotional strife.
Paradoxically, 'angst' is something all of us 'physically unfelled' humans experience on a daily basis. Be it with work, home, social status and the whole myriad of what the world values.

For those who are stripped of all illusion of their 'immortality,' when death is a matter of months, if not weeks, the question of
- have you lived your life well and fruitfully takes on a new meaning
It is no longer defined in terms of material and societal accomplishments, but very often by the need to express the long forgotten human values of love, kindness, unselfishness. Something that the same dying person needs, but sees very little of from the still very 'alive' friends and peers.

- more importantly, have we lived our life the way that the Lord our God wants us to.
Each of us are accountable to the Lord when we meet Him on His return.

The Scream by Edvard Munch is a very expensive painting. It was in fact stolen a couple of times, and only recently recovered from its most recent theft.
Not too sure if it was because the burglars realized the folly of their ways or they just cannot stand the look of agonised regret, staring them in their face every day, nothwithstanding its great value.

Art does imitate life!!

But for all of us, what would be our reaction when Jesus Christ returns, as He surely would.
Would it be a shout of joy and gladness or would it be like the painting, an expression of fear and great regret, a realization of our missed opportunity to live right with Him, now.

rgds and God Blesses

Eng Hieang