Nonchalance and inhospitality towards the underprivileged and foreigners

I was shakened by God's revelation of what caused the destruction of the ancient city of Sodom. Cast a vote and many of us would guess that it was the wickedness and immoral act of homosexuality amongst its inhabitants. Wrong!

God judged and destroyed Sodom because the inhabitants of Sodom were "arrogant, overfed and unconcerned" and they "did not help the poor and needy" ("40-Day 08: Beyond Words", LoveSingapore, 28 Jul 08). This is found in Ezekiel 16:49-50, and Rabbinic sources also claimed that the city was extremely inhospitable to foreigners.

In today's overwhelming pressures to be the best in everything that we do, we may inevitably become arrogant and oblivious of people around us, especially the poor and needy. Figures from the Department of Statistics put the number of foreign workers in Singapore to be more than 500,000 in the year 2006. As at Jan 2008, it was reported that foreigners accounted for one-third of Singapore's workforce ("Foreigners One-third of Singapore Workforce", 31 Jan 08, Agence France-Presse). Very often we read of complaints from Singaporeans, on the increasing competition brought about by the influx of foreign talents. Are we too, becoming inhospitable to foreigners amongst our midst?

Let the lesson on Sodom be a stark reminder for us to be sensitive and compassionate to the people around us, even to the foreigners who are using Singapore as a stepping stone to advance their career elsewhere. Here's my suggested checklist to bullet-proof our discerning hearts:

(i) Recognise God's heart for the poor and needy
Pray for compassion in us and to pray for those in physical and spiritual needs on a regular basis.

(ii) Stay accountable to one another
Be accountable to other God-fearing family members and friends in our actions towards the poor and needy, and foreigners amongst us.

(iii) Look inward and examine our hearts
Thank God daily for His protection and blessings for our nation and to take actions in serving the underprivileged in our society.

Singapore Garden Festival

My family had a wonderful time at The Singapore Garden Festival 2008, a biennial garden and floral extravaganza featuring floral creations from all over the world. We were all mesmerised by the beauty and enchanting designs of the displays. I had the feeling of being in the Garden of Eden!

Even though we may not have paid attention to the exotic names of the flower and plant species, the kids enjoyed themselves very much.

Here are some of the pictures taken at the fiesta and of course, God's wonderful creations.