Christian Thoughts

  1.      Among the 12 apostles-in-training, Peter appeared to be the natural candidate for assuming the role of leader after the ascension of Jesus.   For the record, however, it ought to be noted that Peter’s leadership qualities are not really what corporate leaders are nowadays seeking because of the modern-day expectations foisted on businesses to conduct feasibility studies and market surveys before drawing up five-year plans.   Instead, Peter stood out as a take-charge guy with spontaneous action (rather than cautious reasoning) being his mode of operation as can be seen in the following instances: ●      on seeing Jesus walk on water, Peter alone (of all the disciples on the boat) decided to follow suit (Matthew 14:25-32) ●      at the transfiguration, Peter boldly but inappropriately proposed the erection of three booths for Jesus, Moses and Elijah (Matthew 17:4-6) ●      while Jesus was performing the menial feet-washing task as a solemn lesson on leadership humility fo

  Have you ever wondered why Song of Solomon has been included in the scriptures?   Essentially a love poem celebrating the romance between man and woman, this unique book does not resemble any of the other scriptural books that had been unequivocally canonised.   There are no spiritual or moral teachings in this song of songs; its lyrics do not extol God’s goodness or chronicle His merciful dealings with mankind; in fact, there is no explicit mention of God Himself in all eight chapters of this seemingly-secular book.   I had struggled to understand the scriptural significance of this poetic book for many years.   The opportunity for uninterrupted contemplation came during a silent retreat I attended in December 2020 where Song of Solomon happened to have been chosen as the theme.   A series of thoughts came to me progressively during the retreat’s reflections on this exceptional book that had piqued my interest for so long.   By the end of the retreat, I became fully convinced th