So what else is new? After all the rah-rah-rah, the dust eventually settles into the same old, same old ruts. 4 years ago, back in 2013, many hopes were riding high on the general election of the nation. There was electricity in the air. I remember that night, we were all gathered in a cell member's house, glued to the TV set as results trickled in. We bit our finger-nails, we prayed; like a yo-yo, we were alternately jumping in glee and then groaning in despair. The next day and the days following that, I venture many were asking "What happened?", no matter which side we supported. There were talks of a tsunami with a record voter turn-out of 80%. Results were dissected, discussed and debated; everybody became an expert in political analysis... those were heady days, when people got all caught up in the "might have been".Fast forward 4 years down the tunnel of time. Now apparently more than four million Malaysians have not registered as voters, with the majority of them within their 20s - and we wonder why the young are politically passive. Some are supposedly so "fed-up" they will not even bother to cast their vote, either as a sign of silent protest or just plain giving up on the state of the nation. Opinions are canvassed about this deliberate 'disconnect' with the status quo. We know there's another election coming soon. But all we hear are the same songs being played over the air-waves of every political station. I gather not many bother to tune in these days. Where once people actually braved the rain to stand at night rallies, nowadays, the crowd has thinned and response is lack lustre.
I am not young, having passed the half-century mark. So I don't presume to know what goes on in the heads of typical young Malaysians of this generation. But I cringe when Malaysians say they are no longer proud to be Malaysians or would rather emigrate to 'greener pastures'. I grieve when Malaysians, young and old, just live our lives wrapped up comfortably in our own economic, social, religious, political cocoons, where people simply do whatever is right in their own eyes. It's a sad indictment on me, on all Malaysians, that we define truth, justice and righteousness through our individual rose-tinted glasses of perception and don't bother to look through other different colored lenses. I hurt when Malaysians declare their own country a bankrupt failed state or worse, for, don't we realize, we are simply calling ourselves names.
What ails thee, beloved Malaysia? Perhaps we can take a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet, where an officer of the palace guard says after the ghost of the dead king appears, walking over the palace walls, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” - just replace Denmark with Malaysia. Sure, we can name the many 'ghosts' which haunt and stink up this land - corruption, kleptocracy, racism, extremism, poverty, abuse/misuse of power, inequality, injustice, etc. But those are mere symptoms, the outward manifestation of some internal rot somewhere. So where do all these ghosts come from? They don't suddenly appear out of thin air. We can blame the government, the opposition, the economy, systems, (other) people, even God - it's so convenient. It's always easy to forget there are 3 fingers pointing back at ourselves for every finger we point at another. The Bible puts it succintly, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:3)
Could it be that the problem isn't 'out there', with 'them', but is actually within each Malaysian heart? If we are really honest with ourselves and with each other, isn't it true all of us just want things done our way, whether as individuals or groups of individuals? It's really not about race, religion or politics; those are just 'tools' we use against or for another. At the heart, it boils down to our basic intrinsic human nature to preserve and advance self above others. It's easy to love Malaysia - it's a beautiful land after all. But it's not that easy to love Malaysians, who come in all sorts of 'packages', no matter how loudly we profess it with our mouths. In fact I am not even sure some of us actually want to love all Malaysians in the first place.
Because if we truly loved someone or something, we should always be thinking how to benefit that other, to give him/her/it our best. At least that's how my God tells me love is. In fact His word tells me, 'If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.' (1 John 4:20) . So if we think of all the people in this country who hold something common called a MyKad as one big family, aren't we supposed to love one another, irrespective of differences? Many things I do not condone or agree with my children - their attitudes, way of life (even dressing, sometimes), the things they do or don't do. But I don't hit them on the head or chain them up. I don't write them off, call them names. I can't force my faith on them, much as I dearly desire them to know and be blessed by the love of a real, true, living God. Because I love them. Even when family members disagree with one another, it's the bond of love that holds them together, no matter what. But once the love is gone, it's all too easy to disconnect and eventually break up - we "divorce" and that's not just in the physical sense; it goes beyond the seen to affect the unseen.
Is that why Malaysia seems to be breaking up all over? Because we have failed to love one another. Perhaps it's too simplistic or naive of me to expect love can heal Malaysia’s wounds. Still isn't it obvious we have hurt each other, intentionally or unintentionally through careless words, actions and deeds, irrespective of who is right or wrong? Do we not perceive the unresolved resentment and prejudices built up over generations, the deep-seated anger that's camouflaged by smooth talk and nice-sounding platitudes about unity? Can we start being honest with ourselves and with each other, instead of sitting on our own high horses?
If we love, there wouldn't be any corruption, because we wouldn't want to steal from our beloved. If we love, there wouldn't any injustice because we would ensure the ones we love would get not just a fair, but the best, deal of everything, no matter that they are of a different skin color. If we love, we wouldn't be wasting or misusing our country's resources, be it taxes or land. If we love, we would take care of all our young and there would be no incest or dumped babies. If we love, our women folk would be safe walking alone at night, no matter whether their heads are covered or not. If we love, we would not allow ourselves to be tempted to cheat on our spouses or bosses, no matter how strong our fleshly desires. If we love, we would willingly take care not to offend another, through our words or actions, even if it's not reciprocated. If we love, we wouldn't live in fear of losing our 'rights', because everyone would be consciously protecting the other's rights.
This isn't a 'sugar-coated' love that ignores the reality of life where people do and seem to get away with a lot of horrible, terrible things. There is no denying evil and suffering in the world of man. Yet the apostle Peter exhorts those who believe in One greater than any man or power, to "not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:9) In fact right to the point, Jesus Christ commanded in Mathew 5:44, " Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" All that got Him was a painful death on a cross, but followed by a glorious resurrection from the grave.
And that's why far from being a losing game, that kind of crazy, sacrificial love birthed a community of people who turned the world upside with radical living. It transformed a murderous terrorist into a lover of souls, the rich gave their wealth away, a cheater repaid 4 times what he stole, the adulteress who escaped stoning wasn't punished but told to sin no more, the self-righteous who wanted to stone her bowed their heads in shame, when asked who among them was without sin. Such is the power of a love that redeems not condemns, a love that builds up not tears down, a love that surrenders everything of self, to the point of death, for the sake of the other.
Would it really work? Humanly speaking, it's impossible to love everybody, dumb to love our enemies. Well, we have tried changing things, policies, systems, government. We set up committees and commissions which come up with well-written reports and well-intentioned recommendations. But seriously, am I the only one who get that “same same old” feeling? Perhaps we need to do some serious soul-searching and change ourselves first. We will never know until we do it, would we. It’s much like you wouldn’t ever experience God unless you choose to believe Him.
But is it worth it? Experiencing God, definitely. But would I love to the point of dying for simply any Malaysian...Malay, Indian, Orang Asal, Chinese? Would you? That depends on how much we truly and really love Malaysia and Malaysians.
"Love never fails.." 1 Corinthians 13:8
(Published 23/10/17 MMO)
No comments:
Post a Comment