A Song In The Morning

I love to write reviews about the lives and works of great figures of the past. Why do I keep doing it, even though I do not even qualify myself for this undertaking? I do not want to be seen as standing on my pedestal, judging the works of people who can no longer speak for themselves. Just think of me as clearing an old pathway for your enlightenment. I believe there is a deep need in all of us to make this world a better place. One of the ways to fulfill this objective is to look at the world from the shoulders of giants. All my philosophical musings are nothing new. I am only expounding ideas set forth many aeons ago by great men and women of the past.

I half remember a vision I had not long ago about a visit to a great museum that displayed the lifestory of great artists, poets and philosophers who had lived many generations ago. Lives of people like Michaelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, George MacDonald, C S Lewis, Plato, Augustine were on display on a big, wide screen. Outside the great hall, at the entrance, were many sculptures representing the works of literary giants. One stood out among them. On the stone was inscribed the word, Phantastes by George MacDonald. I shall do a review of this extraordinary work that had colored the perception of the world around me and, as CS Lewis once said, 'baptised my imagination'.

As expected, heavy downpour has hit us again. Last night, my old clinic shoplot suffered a huge crack on the roof as water dripped down through the gaps like rainshower. We tried to contain the water. The filling of pails and containers sounded like an orchestra of broken music. A second wave of floods, particularly in Johor, has continued to grab the headlines in recent days. While there is mass evacuation, some people are refusing to leave their homes despite the rising water level. Since God's being is closely reflected in nature, how do we make sense of what is happening today? It is as if God has turned His face from us, leaving us to swim in His tears. I looked at the scenes of the flood and I pondered. As I pondered, I began to see a flicker of hope for those who have lost their properties, belongings and treasured items. That hope lies in the lifting up of the feeble head of the little girl as she wades through the subsiding deluge with her mother. That hope lies in the brief smile on the troubled countenance of the pakcik upon seeing children having fun on a boat. That hope lies in the lighting of a candle as whole townships suffer blackouts. Despite the waves of flood that will surely come again, we as a human race shall survive this ordeal.

**************

I would like to thank the folks at Malaysian Medical Resources for tagging me in one of their grand blogrounds. As you do your 'ward' rounds, I am glad you have not forgotten to look at things in a holistic manner.