PASTOR’S BLOG
When I mentioned at home that my trip would be through Singapore, my son-in-law immediately said: “Ma-ma (uncle), you are not supposed to chew gum in Singapore, and if found you will be fined heavily.” I chew gum, especially when I get off the plane and have to face the immigration officer to answer questions. But this time, the officer just had to put up with my airplane breath. And to my surprise, I never saw a single person chew gum in Singapore nor did I chew any till I stepped back onto this soil. But it got me to think as to what a great policy that would be if enforced in our House of Worship. When you get to church this Sabbath and every Sabbath, just put your hand under the pew and try if you can to pull out the chewing gum that your lovely Christian brothers and sisters have deposited. How could we stop such a dirty practice of our dear loved ones in the House of God? It reminds me of a story. The janitor of a girls’ high school bathroom was having great difficulty removing the lipstick marks on the mirror. Girls would put on their lipstick and kiss the mirror. Just to take out the extra or just for the feeling of kissing, I am not sure for I don’t use lipstick. The school Principal constantly kept announcing and requesting the girls not to do so but it only fell on deaf ears. One day, he took the girls to the rest room along with the janitor and asked the janitor to show these girls not only how difficult it was to clean the mirrors but as to how the janitor did this job. The janitor put his brush into the toilet to wet it and then scrubbed the mirror and kept repeating the process. The girls felt like throwing up and thus ended the lipstick kisses on the mirror. How shall we show respect and reverence in the House of God? One way could be by stopping this habit of sticking chewing gum under the pews. Why not, when you come to church, put the chewed gum under your car seat and come into the House of God? Just a thought, not a sermon!
Shalom, Shalom!
When I mentioned at home that my trip would be through Singapore, my son-in-law immediately said: “Ma-ma (uncle), you are not supposed to chew gum in Singapore, and if found you will be fined heavily.” I chew gum, especially when I get off the plane and have to face the immigration officer to answer questions. But this time, the officer just had to put up with my airplane breath. And to my surprise, I never saw a single person chew gum in Singapore nor did I chew any till I stepped back onto this soil. But it got me to think as to what a great policy that would be if enforced in our House of Worship. When you get to church this Sabbath and every Sabbath, just put your hand under the pew and try if you can to pull out the chewing gum that your lovely Christian brothers and sisters have deposited. How could we stop such a dirty practice of our dear loved ones in the House of God? It reminds me of a story. The janitor of a girls’ high school bathroom was having great difficulty removing the lipstick marks on the mirror. Girls would put on their lipstick and kiss the mirror. Just to take out the extra or just for the feeling of kissing, I am not sure for I don’t use lipstick. The school Principal constantly kept announcing and requesting the girls not to do so but it only fell on deaf ears. One day, he took the girls to the rest room along with the janitor and asked the janitor to show these girls not only how difficult it was to clean the mirrors but as to how the janitor did this job. The janitor put his brush into the toilet to wet it and then scrubbed the mirror and kept repeating the process. The girls felt like throwing up and thus ended the lipstick kisses on the mirror. How shall we show respect and reverence in the House of God? One way could be by stopping this habit of sticking chewing gum under the pews. Why not, when you come to church, put the chewed gum under your car seat and come into the House of God? Just a thought, not a sermon!
Shalom, Shalom!
Franklin David