3. the issue with prurience

We live in a very provocative age. Nowadays, we see women and men without clothes plastered everywhere. We go online to find our childhood heroes being childhood zeroes. Our loved and adored celebrities whom we used to look up to are the celebrities we tell our kids never to follow. This age encapsulates women being sex objects and men abusing them for their reproductive organs. We stand up against this only to be brought down by the propaganda that "this is the norm".

We live in a world where people are starting to go all out for equality - but how much equality can there ever be? A woman is objectified, and this is seen as something funny. With "Meninist" tweets being bedaubed over our timelines and an occasional human rights campaign for feminism, how long will the debate ever last? Or more importantly, when will the debate ever end?

Our generation lives very coquettishly, and what are we doing about it?

In my opinion, chivalry is NOT dead. It's just lasciviousness that has decided to become more rampant in our society.

2. the issue with our spirituality

When you look back at the 80s, religiosity was rampant. At least that's how the television shows depict it. Almost everyone was trying to find a purpose in life, and they seek comfort and solace in a higher being who seems to have it all figured out for them. Right now, in the year 2014, some still find rest for their soul in this God who has a great plan for them. Whereas others live by an infamous quote.....

#yolo

I believe this is nothing to be ashamed about, neither is it anything to be particularly proud about. I'm quite on the fence about this whole issue about #yolo. What I care more is how we have come to an age where we see atheism spread everywhere and people are starting to denounce God and idolize objects such as money and/or wealth and some even choose to pay homage to the things that can't even be seen such as sex and love. It's crazy how we have come to this stage where we actually believe that money solves all issues or worst still, that sex - solves all issues.

This is definitely something for us to be ashamed about. 

As a Christian, we get scorned at by different groups of people. In church, we are taught that if others call us "holy", it holds a lot of special and positive connotations, it goes to show that you've been living out a righteous life, or to be more specific, the 9 fruits of the HOLY spirit (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control). But why is it that when we step out in to the real world, our peers calling us "holy" and "pious" really holds so much negative connotations? Why is it that suddenly the idea of being "holy" actually means that you're a "wuss"? 

"Wanna hang out on Sunday? Oh, you can't? Oh, you gotta go to church? How sweet. You're very holy."

It's not even about the tone here anymore. It's how our generation has gone so shallow that we believe that being submissive to any authority isn't "cool". We think getting our heads rolled by disciplinarians are way cooler than respecting them. We live by a conduct that says "how can I respect you if you don't respect me?" That's pretty weird because if everyone lives this same way, how will there ever be respect in this world? The term "respect" is going to get obsolete in just a matter of time.

Our reverence for God has decreased drastically and we are not the same kind of worshipers anymore. We ain't the girls in Mary Jane's anymore. Now we wear Jimmy Choo's and flaunt our Gucci lady purses (or man pouches). Church has gotten so relevant (kudos to that) - but at what expense? 

The God we worship is the same yesterday, today and forever. What changed wasn't our God. He didn't get up one day thinking "hey, I think I'm not going to let my presence be felt by anyone today. Ha, that'll show them". He isn't like that. If we can't feel our Heavenly Father's presence, it's probably due to the fact that we, ourselves, have changed. And we rather adapt to the relevant times. And the big subconscious decision before any action is always: spirit man or carnal man.

That's pretty much the modern day context of Eve's choice of having the forbidden fruit.

I guess, that's what we really fear at this point of time. We try to get so relevant that God becomes irrelevant. I pray hope that one day, we can only remember the good things that God has done, and that we can share our thanksgiving of the day everyday. There are so many things to thank God for. But I guess we are so blinded by the high neon lights of this city that we can't see our God's awesome works in our lives. 

1. the issue with coveting

It is most certainly daunting, and a little ironic. At one moment, you're here, and then you're there at the next. I can't help but to realize how fickle you are and how capricious your mood is. Sometimes we try our hardest to achieve a certain particular thing, and the moment it is within reach, we decide that it is much easier to let go.

Like a balloon, up away in the sky.

I don't know if you get the rationale here, but once you let go of this, you are most certainly letting go of it forever. It may not necessarily be a bad thing, I mean - you can work towards making it a good. But you must also know should there be any ramification, you need to be able to handle it yourself and remain composed.

And if you end up trying to take the balloon back, you would have wasted a lot of time and energy in doing so. You may jump towards it, or run. No matter the case, it'll be difficult.

Moreover, what makes you think you would want to keep something that you've lost before? There was a reason you chose to not work at it anymore the previous time. You may end up having worn off the use of it all and you may even endeavor in to intentionally losing it again.

Would that not be a never-ending cycle? Having to lose something you don't know how to appreciate, and wanting it back again when it's out of reach.

Here's the funny thing about humans. It's a little unsettling to hear about how we choose to love the things we don't have, and how we covet should we see others' having what we cannot grasp. Ironic how we love what we don't have and are unappreciative to the things that we possess.

It's a depressing thought but I guess we weren't all born with gratitude in our hearts.