Yesterday, I suffered a double blow, receiving two pieces of bad news. My sister-in-law, a lecturer in IVE, was summarily dismissed. She is the second casualty in a purge. More dissidents are lining up to be terminated. Earlier on, they established a trade union to protect themselves against the malpractices of the management. Obviously, the union has failed and some higher authority has also failed in their supervision to allow such things to happen. Erminia is very upset because she and her elder sister are very close to each other. In the meantime, my sister-in-law sought help from the Labour Department and Legislative Councillors. The case was noted and I could only patiently pray that justice would prevail.
Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:6-7).
Last night, I received an email from Jason Hui, a LaSallian. He told me that John Kam had passed away yesterday. I was shocked! Part of me is lost forever! Jason sent me another email, giving me more details. John suffered from acute pancreatitis and was sent to QMH ICU in early February. His organs began to fail and passed away on March 2. John was one of my first Computer Studies students. He was a wizard-kid. He knew 6502 and Atari in and out. I had to admit that though I was his teacher, in fact, I had learnt a lot from him. Together, we spent a lot of good time, PEEKing and POKEing around. He continued his computer studies in the university and later worked in the mainland. We kept in touch through emails and he sent me Christmas greeting pictures which he patiently painted pixel by pixel! Alas! Good guys always die young. May the sweet Lord receive the soul of my beloved FAT KAM. Amen.
Ho, every one who thirsts, come to the waters;and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Hearken diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in fatness.
Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live (Isaiah 55:1-3a)
Today, I suffered yet another blow, this time from my boss. The school has newly installed a TV set in front of the school hall. In this test run period, the Day, time and some biblical verses are displayed in Chinese, English and Latin. Some days ago while she was entertaining some visitors from New Zealand, she was embarrassed by the Latin verse which she could not explained. Since she found it embarrassing and useless, she ordered the Latin verses removed. I asked if it was necessary to remove the Latin and Greek verses from the school webpage as well. Without hesitation, she consented. It was a bit painful for the author to axe his own brainchild. It is a bit pitiful that my boss loves to talk of "thinking out of the box" while she limits herself within the box she finds comfortable.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Yahweh is God and is almighty.
so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11).
But I am a mere mortal. For the past six months, most of my efforts have been axed. Today, I axe myself.
For you shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the LORD for a memorial, for an everlasting sign which shall not be cut off (Isaiah 55:12-13)
My dear Lord, I wait for Your promise. May I taste Your joy and peace at the end of Lent. Amen.
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