This morning I listened to yet another AI talk. It sounds interesting and packed with quotations from great people of the past like Aristotle. At the heart of the talk, is this quest to define the meaning of “human”. Borrowing from my memory, the questions thrown to us along this line,”are we human because our capabilities? Or are we human because we think, therefore we are? How about babies, are they human? Are we human because of our body parts? How much can we modify our bodies and remain human?”
I know it may sounds very silly to some of you. It went on to quiz us with pictures and we were asked to vote “human” or “non human”. I wrote a comment that my toddler were able to answer that question easily. I was amused with how many people felt enlighthened by such discussion, but I left feeling sad and troubled.
On my way home today, I took the unusual mode, which is walking home. My mind went on the preparation mode for the presentation we will have on the weekend. The topic is on mobilising. Given the current state of the people, what is the best strategy to reach the world for God? I listened to the needs that presented to me. Millions of people, millions, living in poverty, without status, without hope and help, and others were preventing the people that wants to help. What is the little we do or I do, for the so many?
As I looked towards the hill, I felt suddenly as if God answered me. The Bible passage that I read this morning came to mind. Things become very clear to me.
The passage that I read this morning was from Luke 8:26-39.
From that passage, God showed me the answer for the questions that I received today. First question, “what is a human?”
Here we have a man, possessed by demons. He was naked & he lived in tombs. He was chained but was able to broke those chains. In comparison to the questions that were thrown in the presentation, the condition of this demon-possessed man is by far so inhuman. And we know from the Bible (which the presenter misrepresented), that Satan’s goal is to destroy mankind, made in the image of God. A demon-possessed is probably the worst representation of being made in the image of God. The pinnacle of Satan’s destruction over human whom God made and loves. Complete makeover / dis-figuration.
And God did something that extraordinary. Jesus chose to cross the lake, through the windstorm, to restore this one man, by sacrificing about 2000 pigs (according to Mark 5) and left. Before he left, he asked the man to tell how much God had done for him.
“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” ~ Luk 8:39
Second question,“what can we do to reach the world for God?”
The answer from the passage, do what Jesus did. It is unorthodox. It’s unpopular. It does not make sense. Why do all the trouble, to rescue a person (who in people’s mind is not a human), with such a great loss? Could the end justify the means? No way. What is the return of investment? Nobody knows. But here what we know.
And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. Luke 8:39
But it’s clear for me. I asked the question, and I felt God has answered me. God way is definitely higher than mine. And His wisdom is far greater than mine. Who am I to question Him? But my duty is to obey Him.
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;
1 Cor 1:27-29
God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,
so that no one may boast before him.