Dan Brown is definitely serious about his Novel. Have you seen any author who provided a reader's guide for the book's readers to better understand the material? I have only seen it in secondary school's english literature class where people have a study guide for books from authors such as Shakespear's.
One question from the Guide particularly catches my attention:
9. Has this book changed your ideas about faith, religion, or history in any way?
Indeed. I think this book has changed my attitude towards religion and God in particular.
Before I read this book, I have always been interested in Religion, but was not convinced by the church here in Singapore (they are too active in recruitment, even Guus said that). I have been introduced to youth church by my VJ tutor/friend Yishan. I didn't like the atomsphere there. Too much sales talk. In my mind, Religion should be something one quietly believe in. But here, Singaporean church seems too hasty in sharing the goodness of God with others. That makes me very suspicious.
Another thing I have difficulty to accept is to listen to somebody else's instruction in order to carry out my life. I felt insecure to give out control of my life. But lately, it has been proved to me that how little control one could have over his/her own life. We are constantly living in an uncertainty, only that is certain.
Guus's friend Burkhard has enlightened me when he said "what if I die? who will be there to take care of Violetta? But now I kow God will be there with her."
And The Da Vinci Code has enlightened me again on this matter. It made me think of many things. For example, after 9.11 attack, many people suddenly lost their family members or relatives in a most unexpected way. Many are in a state of shock and great pain and being haunted by the day's memory. Who could help them? Some tranquiler or sleeping pills could help to calm them down temporarily, but their mental and psychological wounds need stronger medicine to cure. So that is why people turn to Religion.
One thing I used to think wrongly about this is that I thought these people are WEAK. They are not tough enough, that is why they lose their way, they look for God for guidance. But I overlooked the softness of Human Being, including myself. No doubt that some people could accept facts like death more easily than others. But even I have prayed to God after Grandma passed away that I hope God will take care of her, no matter where she is. When people facing something they cannot control, they would like to believe that there are some higher power that could do what they cannot do.
And it is the same about uncertainty. At first I could not understand why a very good friend of mine become a christian given that she is a very tough and independent girl. But after living through a period of very uncertain time last summer, I started to see the reason. When people are in troubled to see where is the road lying in front of them, they need some stronger power to help them. That power could come from family, spouse or mentors, but when all these people are not within reachor not strong enough, then God becomes the most obvious people to look for. Haven't I prayed last year that "God, if you really would like to send me a birthday gift, please let it be a confrimation of internship?" He gives us Strength. Well, actually, it is the belief in him that he will help us going through those turbulent times helps us to carry on life as usual.
One more thing that makes me think of God is the meeting with Guus. I can't help, but wondering that what is that mystical force that sent both of us to the Mosque on Feb 1 2004. We both nearly missed the activity, but in the end managed to go and therefore provide a chance for all the chain of events happened later. I am not saying that it is all God's effort that I becomes his girl friend now, that has a lot to do with both of us. But just consider the probability of us meeting, among so many people we have both met in our life. Isn't that a miracle? I feel there must be some higher power who designed this, or it will be too much of a coincidence.
And what The Da Vinci Code tells me is that My God is not necessarily to be the same as other people's God. God doesn't necessary to refer to Jesus, or Mohamad, or Budda. It is the belief in him that matters. My God won't be mad at me if I do not go to church or read the Bible. He/She will be there for me as long as "I believe in it when I pray" - A sentence from Celion Dion's song I Am Your Angels.
Religion should NOT be something one quietly believes in. As in I know the medicine could cure your fatal disease, I recommend it to you. The Bible says 天国近了，你们都要悔改. We can't be 100% sure if we can live to see the sun rise tomorrow. To preach the Gospel is a Christian mission. That's why "Singaporeans...hasty in sharing the goodness of God with others." Not just in Singapore more precisely.
But salvation is by grace. Who is she praying to when one prays if she doesn't believe in God? If one believes in a 'God', how does she ensure her belief in Him if she doesn't do anything to Him? In the same sense, how does one verify her love in her parents if in reality she apparently has no relation to them?
Your good friend is an example of being touched by God. God is not someone will indulge you by giving everything you ask for, eg your internship. The broken relationship in human beings and God is reflected by the fact that most people tend to seek Him and amend the relationship in times of uncertainty, because they are limited. However there're always skeptics who eschew the possibility of the existence of God by contributing every miracle to 'chance'.
The 911 attack is a perfect embodiment of human sin, which led to the separation of Adam/Eve and God.
伍媛媛 @ 5/20/2006 11:44:21 PM请Please leave your comment here