Reader Response to Confession of a Non-Believer

Last week I wrote about my uncertain attitude toward deity. At first I was a little hesitant telling you about my personal feelings on this issue because I was not sure of myself. Then I thought there must be a few people like me who went through or will go through a mental stage like mine now. So I decided to share them with you. Two close friends understood and they wrote back with the most encouraging words:

Reader Response to Confession of a Non-BelieverEM wrote:

….I am thankful that you have made a somewhat miraculous recovery …and have gone back to your normal life, surrounded by friends who care about you. I think a spirit of awe and gratefulness to the Creator is the beginning of a spiritual journey of discovery. May you enjoy the journey and the destination! 

I assume my journey to spiritual satisfaction will be a long but happy one. EM, thank you for writing, and you know this driveling mouth will keep you posted.

Miss H wrote:

It is indeed heartening to find that Creation has called you to see or even meet the Creator. You know what? When I saw that video some time ago, I thought of you. Though I wished you could see it, I dared not forward it to you lest you think I am hardselling religion to you. Providence has fulfilled my wish through your friend. How amazing!

As for “Amazing Grace,” it is my favourite hymn too. The melody has a very soothing effect. If you know the story of its composition, you’ll appreciate it even more. One interesting thing about this song is that it is not only almost always sung in funerals but also sometimes at weddings as well.

I feel it a pity that many who preach or teach Catholic doctrines seldom inspire others with the goodness of God’s infinite and unconditional love towards all humankind. Neither do they emphasize the importance of personal encounters with God and a close relationship with Him. It is little wonder that many cradle Catholics or baptized Catholics leave the Church for they haven’t had the experience of ‘taste and see the sweetness of the Lord’. It is my earnest wish that you will one day taste that sweetness!

Miss H was one of my favorite teachers in secondary school, a life-long counselor and a dear friend.

As Miss H told us, the song Amazing Grace has an interesting history behind it. The author John Newton was a cruel and violent man who later changed and became a poet and Christian pastor.

According to Wikipedia:
“Amazing Grace” is a Christian hymn published in 1779, with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton (1725–1807).

Newton wrote the words from personal experience. He grew up without any particular religious conviction, but his life’s path was formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by his recalcitrant insubordination. He was pressed (forced) into service in the Royal Navy, and after leaving the service, he became involved in the Atlantic slave trade. In 1748, a violent storm battered his vessel off the coast of County Donegal, Ireland, so severely that he called out to God for mercy, a moment that marked his spiritual conversion. Whilst his boat was being repaired in Lough Swilly, he wrote the first verse of his world famous song. He did however, continue his slave trading career until 1754 or 1755, when he ended his seafaring altogether and began studying Christian theology.

Ordained in the Church of England in 1764, Newton became curate of Olney, Buckinghamshire, where he began to write hymns with poet William Cowper. “Amazing Grace” was written to illustrate a sermon on New Year’s Day of 1773. It is unknown if there was any music
accompanying the verses; it may have simply been chanted by the congregation….

*** The End ***

(The dissemination of this writing is for non-commercial enjoyment only. The author reserves the copyright for himself)
 
Note: Click here to continue browsing other writings and works of Camillus Chan within this site

This entry was posted in 报告.

发表回复

您的电子邮箱地址不会被公开。 必填项已用*标注

此站点使用Akismet来减少垃圾评论。了解我们如何处理您的评论数据