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| English: Knowlege Spiral (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
There is good and bad to what we do, or have, one way or the other. In a recent ODB devotional, it was pointed out that one man's dream of 'rebuilding the library of Alexandria' is already coming true, through internet. Go to the web, and you will find vast and varied information on almost anything, not to mention that many of these info lead you to web marketers, or online stores. Discoveries lead to new things, leaving the old; inventions make way to new ways, discarding the old. Story-telling, with all its articulation and enunciation, speech, oration, and the beauty of the spoken word, all died (or started to die) when printing started and took over. Of course, the easier reproduction of books and manuals and references, and anything that can be printed paved the way for the masses to be in possession of materials that would otherwise be limited only to those who can afford the very high price of owning books that were hand-copied. Books were somehow the life's work of the person, literally, back then. And that is the price you would be paying to get one. When printing came, this was done away with, as well.
When computers came in, and with it the personal printer bundle, the monopoly of printing was broken. Now, I can create printed materials on my own, print them as and when I need, or want, even in the middle of the night, and what's more, I don't need to leave my room. Of course, this didn't kill the printing industry. Although there are many small, small items that can be handled by this personal printer, there are even more many, many small and big things that it can't do. The most it can do, actually, is present the idea, for the printing industry to make it a reality.
Tacfit Warrior
With technology at its peak (or is there a next level), we now have the internet. When computers were first wired together, the engrs thought that we would save on papers. We'd not need to print a hardcopy, since we can 'view' documents in each computer. Or so they thought. Technology change, fast and easy. But not people. Why? The networked computer environment created the avenue for people to easily get hold of a document, a few clicks of button, and voila! I have a printed copy. Even pictures are now being produced on personal printers with this picture-printing capability. Did this kill the photo shop down the road? No! Even with the digital age (so what's the next age), business are keen and ready to evolve. Photo shops also now offer photo-printing from thumb drives. Beat that!
Now here's my point. We've seen much change in our lives brought about by the many and varied changes in our discoveries, inventions, and technologies. But we reap what we sow. A decision made today will realize the benefits (and setbacks) from tomorrow then on. It's like an auto accident. The person involved doesn't feel a lot of pain or see the bruises immediately right after the incident. Wait until tomorrow, and you'd see the black and blue, and hear the groaning. This is the paradox of us humans, then, and now. In many countries, population control was adopted, implemented, and got very effective. Now, the population statistics show an inverted pyramid. A time will come when the whole structure will tip and fall. What a crash it will be. Did you know that one time back then, in Europe, when the mode of trasportation was by hose and carriage, it was projected that 'in 10 more years time, every street and land will be covered with 10m deep of horse manure', and this they say, will be the cause of human extermination. For who could survive in deep shit, literally? Obviously, this did not come true. Why? Mr. Ford invented something. You know what, what? (Sorry, my Singlish betrays me, sometimes...) I digress, but this is one example I remember that tells good of man's inventions. The population control, obviously, is not. And with many, many years of the mind being bombarded and brainwashed into believing that human reproduction isn't a good idea, the mind simply can't change overnight. That even with incentives from the government to combat the misery of an ageing population, and dwindling local manpower support. Enter in 'foreign talent'... I've disgressed a lot. I think I'm lost now. Apologies.
Now I remember. This so-called information overload, to me, is not bringing us anywhere. Why did I say that. We would say everytime, 'knowing is half the battle'. But what battle are we fighting? The battle of ignorance? The battle of human against human, with the one who knows the most and can answer the most questions the winner? The irony of knowlege is very evident in our modern world. Knowlege is not wisdom. Knowlege is knowing. Wisdom is applying. And this 'applying' solely and mainly pertains to 'applying for the good and benefit' of all affected. Remember the old saying, 'ignorance of the law excuses no one'? That is because it is expected that knowing the law first convicts a person and puts in him the responsibility and charge of being 'morally and legally right' to the other person. My right ends where another person's nose begins, so they say. And rightly so. Knowing the law 'keeps' me from hurting other people. But would you see this happening now? Where? Instead, knowing the law and knowing everything about it gives me a totally new idea of how to go around it, for my own advantage, for my own selfish motives, for my own agenda. Knowlege? Yes, maybe. Wisdom? Not even the slightest sign. You want a concrete example, eh? Enron case. It was full of very intelligent people... and I'm not saying the whole lot of them Enron employees are totally rotten, just a very few. But a few rotten apples spoil the whole basket, and what a downfall it was.
Within man is his heart. Above the heart is the brain. Below is the stomach. Let us say that the brain represents ideals, and the stomach, well, reality. Between ideals and reality, there is a heart that balances. If we slide more to the ideals, we live in a dream world. If we slide more to the reality, we'd be baser, lesser than humans. How does your heart handle the balancing? Or rather, is your heart knowlegeable enough to know where to slide, and when? Centuries ago, people believed that the heart is the seat of human decisions. With the heart you feel, and make decisions. With the heart you ascertain, and act. And with hearts that don't melt or fear, with brave hearts, new heights are conquered. And when all has been said and done, when all the noise has subsided, when all the lights are out, and you lie in bed, alone, what does your heart tell you? Can you say that all that has been accomplished is worth all the effort, or is there an emptiness, a nothingness, that even all the learnings, the knowlege, the vast accummulation of information, can't fill? This is the main problem of man, the problem of the heart. It is not that we don't know. We choose to ignore the problem. We choose to do it our own way. To each his own. Our lives are like ships that we try very hard not to ram into other ships, but that the rudder is not working properly. What are there rudders? The heart and the tongue.
Even if we will know all things that the world can present to us, it will mean nothing. Even if we can answer all that anyone in the world will ever ask, it will be worthless. Are we getting any better, with all the new knowlege learned everyday, with new technologies coming forth, with new discoveries and inventions? We have, and we don't appreciate, so we want more. We possess, but we are never contented, so we are never satisfied. We are always waiting for the 'next thing' to come. We accummulate, but we don't treasure. We amass, but we don't value. We collect, but we never ponder. We expect, but we never reflect.
Which is why our world is in a haywired condition. We invented plastic, boasting about it durability, flexibility, lightweightness. And we now are dealing with the pollution it is causing to our environment. Some things never change. And one thing very important that hasn't changed is the human heart. Even with all that has changed in the many years, the heart remains: deceptive, wicked, corrupted. No human knowlege can repair the human heart. No learning can camouflage the state of the human heart. No amount of information can alter the way the heart works. What's the solution? Bypass surgery won't work. Neither pacemaker. Replacement will. Only replacement. How is that? Matt 12:34 says: '...out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks'. If you spew out words that don't seem to make sense to a sensible man, then that is an indication of a heart that needs replacement. When Adam made the wrong decision back in Eden, and he listened to what the devil had to say, and forgot what the Father said; that started it all. From then on, Adam passed down the rebellious and sinful nature to his offsprings, and this includes a corrupted heart, corrupted by sin. Nobody is exempted. We all needed a replacement of heart. Here is a better elaboration, from Luke 6:45: 'A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.' Who still deny that the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart?
The prophet Isaiah, spoke about the issue with Israel, which is about the same for all other
nations, in Isa 1:3, 'The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.' This was confirmed by John, when he talked about Christ in John 1:11, 'He came unto his own, and his own received him not.' Who did not receive him? Anybody who don't acknowlege him as the Christ. But listen to what John has to say in the next 2 verses, 12 and 13, 'But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.' That is how a man can have his heart replaced.
Basically, this is how it happens. Even with all the corrupted heart within, and miserable man that you are, or haven't done any good, don't remember having done a single kind deed, God still cares. On the contrary, no amount of knowlege, or wealth, or high position, can be a passport or ticket to garner a seat in God's feast. He alone grants that privilege. And if that were the case, it will have to be based on His terms and conditions alone.
He has made that condition clear - it is in Christ alone.
John 14:6: Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Acts 4:12: There is no salvation by anyone else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved."
Have you known him, put your trust in Him to save you from eternal damnation, and put you right into God's kingdom and righteousness, for all eternity?
Now is your chance. Do it today. There may not be another time.
Heb 3:15 As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as they did when they provoked me."
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