The willingness of the rescue team to make sacrifices is worthy of admiration. This incident, however, showed the frailty and uncertainties of life. These 12 youths and their coach did not expect a cave with which they were very familiar could, due to a downpour, become a place of death. Experienced divers performed the rescue operation with trepidation because they could not anticipate the next obstacle which could turn fatal. The Bible in Eccl 9:11-12 says:“I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favour to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.” The author of this passage is the extremely intelligent King Solomon. He was the king when ancient Israel was most prosperous. He enjoyed to the fullest the riches and fame that a king could have enjoyed, and the authority that anyone in the world could have had. Yet he also understood the undeniable frailty of human nature. After examining the life of a human being, he concludes: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Eccl 12:13-14).
In this advanced city of Singapore where resources are ample we often fail to perceive the frailty of the human life. Nonetheless, we must live in this constraint. In the frailty of the human life what does humankind need? It not more riches or advanced technology. As Solomon says, we need God. As Christians we a very blessed people because we know God and he leads the way ahead as we travel this frail human life. We also experience the peace that comes from God. However, our relatives and colleagues have yet to receive such a blessing. We must regularly pray for them that they might understand their frailty and would be willing to come humbly before God. We must also seize opportunities to share with them the gospel that they might know God.
On 31st August and 1st September the church will hold two nights of gospel rally in Chinese and English respectively. This is an opportunity for us to invite our relatives and friends to come and hear the gospel. This does not mean that you cannot invite friends to attend the regular church activities. Rather, the messages preached during the gospel rally are specially prepared for and directed at those who have not believed in Jesus. On these two days a choir will present song items and brothers and sisters in Christ will share their testimony of salvation. There will also be a children program. Please begin to pray for those whom you wish to invite. Give the names to the church and we will pray for them and you during the Tuesday church prayer meeting. We must be more fervent in bringing relatives and friends to know God. In this frail human life they need God. In eternity they need God even more.