A.D The Bible continues

I’ve started watching A.D The Bible continues. I’m sure the show took much creative liberties. But it definitely stirred things in me that I’ve not felt before, reading the Bible all these years.

In the first 2 episodes, which were centered around the disciples’ response to Jesus’ crucifixion and ascension, it struck me anew just how terrified the disciples were. Especially after Jesus’ death, they were fearful for their own lives – not to mention the state of confusion, hopelessness and grief they were in. Claims that they would have stolen Jesus’ body could not be more incredulous. How could anyone even believe that?

In painting the broader picture that sometimes in not immediately obvious from the Bible if one does not have a too fertile imagination, the show is causing me to spend a little more time thinking about the physical context when I read the Bible now.

The show needs a villain, or should I say villains. Any sympathy that I had for Pilate was completely decimated by the show. I don’t know much about Pilate’s life, aside from what is in the Bible; and I’ve often sympathized with the spineless coward. He was a victim of the wicked mob.

But how the show filled in the blanks about his character, political agenda and role after Jesus’ death to cover up His resurrection, made me think that my sympathy was misplaced. He was evil, and deserved to be remembered as the one whom Jesus suffered under every time the church recites the Apostle’s creed.

Last but not least, well, I’ve been dragging my feet to watch the last 2-3 episodes. Mainly because it is so violent (disclaimer: my threshold is pretty low) and it’s causing a real heaviness when I watch it. The last time I watched an episode, I could not bear to finish it in one sitting because it was just too much. Sure, part of it might have been for visual effects and viewership. But there is more than an ounce of truth in all that violence during that time, isn’t there?

All the flogging, beating, throwing into prison, persecution and killing that are recorded in the Bible. It’s not just a word on a page. Blood splattered, flesh split, bones broke, many crucified, people died – horribly. It was violent, terribly and horribly violent.

Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword”. (Matt 10:34) I often forget that the peace that God came to offer between Him and mankind, does not always translate to there being peace on earth.

I need to offer a word of caution to myself, to be careful and not let the visual images from the show sink too deeply and unhelpfully color how I read the Bible in the future. But may God help me and everyone watching the show, know Him better, love Him more and know the costs that were paid for us to have the Gospel today.  

Sad about bags

My stash of “pretty” paper bags were recently disposed of by Arthur, without my knowledge. He did not think we would be having a conversation about it. But he’s wrong.

I was/am upset about it, but not THAT upset.

Upset enough to stop him in his tracks and demand a conversation when I discovered the “horrific truth”.

Upset enough to not share his amusement nor appreciate his attempts at being “cute”. And I still do not see the humor in the situation.

Upset enough that I could not talk to him for an hour, and possibly gave me the energy to do my first 30 minutes run in 2 years.

Upset enough that I am on the verge of an online shopping spree just to make me feel better.

Upset enough to make him promise to not throw away any of my things without checking with me in the future.

• I did not know I need to explicitly state that “respecting each other” also meant we do not throw each other’s things away.
• It’s not a fair comparison, but his actions reminded me of a certain uncle who likes to throw his wife’s things away, including food in the pantry that is perfectly good. Needless to say, that uncle is somewhere up there in the “crazy people in my life” list.

Not that upset because, I know in the big scheme of things, this does not really matter. It’s actually a little frivolous because they are but a stack of shopping and gift paper bags. 
Not that upset because I would be fine without them, eventually.

Not that upset because I am actually able to look at myself from the outside and not go too crazy with the conversations in my head.
Not that upset because i don't think i'll start hiding what things in my closet to "keep them safe".

But still upset because he trivialized what was important to me.

Upset because we’ve had those conversations before, and he’s thrown many of them away over time, and yet, something possessed him to to get rid of the entire stash in the closet.

Upset because well.. who throws someone else’s things away without even asking?!

And upset because my Mother’s Day post is hijacked by this need to get this off my chest.

So in loving memory of my paper bags, and for the safety of my future stash...

I kept/keep them because I like them.

I kept/keep them because I use them. They serve a purpose and they are not trash. Not every day but often enough – I went through them just last month! And I would humbly submit that I get to them more often than some books on our shelves! Which I have no idea when either of us would ever touch them.

I kept/keep them because they are useful. When I need to put Mya’s clothes away, when I need to give things away to people (it’s better than a flimsy Jewel plastic bag!), when I need to haul all the Christmas presents into the car. They are as useful to me as the zip-lock bags we have, just for different size things.

Oh and for the record. I could replace the books if they ever got accidentally treated as trash. And I could buy zip-lock bags easily if someone ever felt compelled to throw the perfectly good boxes we have in the drawer away.

But the shopping bags, one could not even buy them. And even if you asked at the stores, they might not even if them to you.

And the gift bags, there is usually a face or an occasion behind each one of them. Or a the very least, a sentiment. They came to me at Mya’s baby shower, for Christmas, .. And they had the potential to carry my joy to the next owner.

RIP my paper bags. I am sorry you were taken from me and we had to part ways without a goodbye. 

Random pickings from Mya’s little life

Guess what Mya’s favorite vegetable is these days. “Raaadish, raadish, radish!” And like any "typical Asian" kiddo, seaweed is a close second.

What was an attempt to use up the Daikon radish in the fridge, became a huge win with Mya. I simply boiled the radish with carrots in a chicken, pork and canpoy stock. I would say it’s delicious though Arthur would probably beg to differ. Thankfully, Mya agreed with me. It was a “small price to pay” for me to share the soup with her, as I was on cloud nine with her getting closer to fulfilling her vegetable quota for the day.

As for seaweed, she likes it on its own, she likes it on her porridge. She likes the big sheets as well as the little crumbles. "Sweed? seweed? Seaweed? Please?"

***

I was told it was going to happen, and it finally did. Twice now. Mya fell down on her face, bruised her upper lip and sustained some loss of blood. Thankfully I only got to see the swollen lip and dried blood after the fact, and she healed pretty quickly both times. Still, there was a little aching in my heart to see her “injury” and know that this will not be the last time she’ll be hurt and I will not be able to protect from the pain in this life.