Strangers like me

Today I woke up with a hunger to talk and a burst of social energy. Perhaps God knew it was a school day. So having been disappointed by the canceling of a spontaneous movie outing, I headed home, after talking to Ben about ImprovEverwhere and how I enjoy having a nice conversation with strangers at times.

Well lo and behold whoever is up there is watching and I met a VS guy planning to appeal into RJ on the way home with Joshua and we had a nice long chat about it. It didn't stop there, heading to the new Bedok bus interchange, I met a person whom asked for a dollar to take the bus. Surprise surprise he happens to be an ex-Rafflesian and we talked about random stuff ranging from housing prices to Christianity. Well well interesting person I would say (ARGH WHY AM I TALKING LIKE KWANG IK) A little queer coming from his loudness in public (and bravery I might add, being able to talk up other random strangers on the way home), and his constant pacing while waiting for the bus. Though let me get back, the christianity part is definitely what most interests me.

So as it turns out, he used to be from Montfort Sec, a catholic school, was president of Youth Christian Movement or something. And... now an atheist. (By the way Kwang Ik if you're reading he was from Adventure Scouts and Interact) Hearing that I was a Christian, he subtly tried to direct my thoughts. First recommending a book called 'why I'm not a Christian', then bringing up random trivia like 'millions of people live on a dollar a day, is God fair?'.

Well guess what mister, God isn't. For now. Coincidentally, I've just read a little about this in Mere Christianity by C.S Lewis. He's not interested in your actions but your spirituality. Jesus lauded a women for giving 2 coins, all she had, to a church, in comparison with a rich jew who gave a thousand, a small fraction of his fortune. He brings up many parables of God exalting the meek, for trying their best, nothing more. He gave one king riches and an empire, another, stripped of all possessions. It seems unfair to humans, duh. But ultimately, we, as immortal beings, are judged and salvation given to those who have gave everything, laid down their lives for Jesus. So if a Somalian believes in Jesus, starves to death, but receives salvation, is it not a far better deal than earning the riches of the world, only to lose it all in the depths of hell?

In fact, I am probably worse off than this Somalian, having been born so fortunately in Singapore, with a proper upbringing and decent standard of living. So think again, if fairness is communism, then by golly God is unfair. But no, he is just. He never asks of anything more than what you can give.

'Better is bread with a happy heart, than wealth with vexation.' -Amenope (by the way this person is an ancient Egyptian and not a Christian)

Well lets talk about this strange character I met again. So he was an engineer, now works in Insurance, is unmarried and 57, says 'in Singapore, everyone is for himself/herself', and began introducing himself by talking about all the important people in his batch and all the people he knows. So you get the rough idea? NO. That's right, I'm not going to judge. This person is wise and has obviously gone through a great much. Why should I condemn his views or shove mine onto his? To some extent, I believe he thinks me of a wishy-washy optimist, so be it. In fact, it is heartening to see a man talking to strangers like that (when I praised him for his bravery he said with an unsurprised tone 'learnt it from America and europe') It is curious that he asked me for money when he believes in general no one in Singapore would give or trust.

So do talk to a stranger given the chance, because people are more open and similar than you think, and it makes for a good story to tell.

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