As The World Turns

It's happened again.....

Sometime ago, due to excrutiating pain from gout in my wrist (which rarely happens and why there? Even the doc said its rare to have it there) i visited a doc at 4am only to watch the news after I came back(something which I rarely do these days after discovering digital cable and the additional Discovery channels......)on the telly the same night that Pope John Paul II had died (go find and read earlier blog).

Yesterday night, for some strange reason, i decided to change to the CNN news channel (again rare event for me nowadays)...

And lo and behold a new Pope is elected

Why couldn't I get the news from the front page newspaper the next morning like everyone else?

Why should I tune in at the moment the news was going out live?

But what really hit me, was the that the new Pope had chosen to be called Benedict XVI

So you all now know my name....(WHY did he choose that name?)

Reflecting....it really re-started in Aug 2003, when during basic training, i invited Him into my imaginary abode (part of a workshop exercise), I also won't forget how at age 12, I prayed like crazy that I would pass my PSLE exams. Which I did despite the fact my Chinese 2nd Language sucked big time, it was so bad I wondered how I would ever pass. Those were the days before the exam points thingy came in, so it was only pass or fail (if anyone reads this and can enlighten me on how it was marked then, let me know) I was in a Catholic School then, and the church was right next door. Before I forget you readers don't know, I'm not Catholic or Christian in the traditional sense, i.e. never been baptised. But this Christianity thing has always been at the back of my mind.

But since clearing that hurdle, it all went downhill, I did the church rounds and things then in school, not because I was genuinely into religion, but it was more of a social thing for me, school mates hanging out. My GCE exam came along and I did everything but pray..so my exam results sucked.Last time I went into a church to rpay was ....hmm..... since I left school. If I said how many years you'd know my age :)

It didn't help that my mom converted from Catholic to Buddhism later (original reason why I went to a catholic school in the first place)...

It doesn't help that I'm probably having a mid life crisis, where do I want to go from here?

So it's come around again.

But i don't like the new churches, I feel its more like a convention hall (at least here in SG). My old church at school has been torn down to make way for a spanking new building. I suppose I'm very much of a old building junkie, I like old buildings especially gothic ones. I like quiet and reflection. A place I can go anytime but not feel lost.

Not too long ago, I attempted to visit my neighbourhood church, I used to be able to go in anytime, the doors where always open. They were now locked with glass doors. Can see but can't go in. No wonder the cathlic congregation is dwindling. Main reason why I didn't get baptised as a Catholic was because I found out I had to go to sunday morning catethism classes for so many months or years, I cant remember how long. I also didn't really like the regimentation of the Catholic church (no chicks for priests! and the anti-regimentation lean which was reflected in my Army days and even now), but I don't like the non-Virgin Mary bits of the Protestant camp either.

Maybe I should set up my own church? Midway between the Catholics, Protestants and the Charismatic camps.

Haha... probably be the biggest sinning pastor there, if traditionalism is to be followed.

But who knows? Maybe this is my calling.