Mon 06Apr09 Hebrews 10: 24,25 KJV
"And let us consider one another . . ."
It is always an honour to be asked to sit at the most prominent table in a feast. Last Saturday evening, my wife and I attended the 35th Anniversary Dinner of the Christian Fellowship of our alma mater, UPM. We were directed to sit at Table No. 1. It was the first table in front of the banquet hall, with the best view of the stage, and it was reserved for the oldest batch of alumni who graduated almost thirty years ago. We felt rather important.
That was, until a flash-back of the history of our CF was presented on the large screen. In a somewhat dramatic manner, the presentation began with a montage showing a herd of dinosaurs. It was aptly used to impress upon the audience how old our CF is.
And sitting there at Table No. 1, we felt a fleeting moment of discomfort: we were alumni, and we're being likened to those dinosaurs. As the presentation progressed, the feeling of being old and dated (or carbon-dated . . .) sank in further. Since we left UPM, the 'P' has been changed from "Pertanian" to "Putra". So the farmers have now been replaced by the princes. How clever! As for guests at Table No. 1: we felt obsolete.
Then there were the statistics. The university had only five faculties in those farmer days. Now, in its princely era, it has nineteen. There were only six residential colleges and CGs, compared to the present seventeen. Now, Table No. 1 felt small.
And, oh dear, must they do that? They displayed old photos which successfully reminded us how much we've aged. We've grown considerably larger, mostly at the waist, and more wrinkled. And for many of us, our hair was either greying or gone. And Table No. 1 felt old.
There is, however, one characteristic which had not changed, and in this we rejoice: we still held fast to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We could still sing and pray together, just like we did on campus almost thirty years ago. And we had not forsaken the Lord. It didn't matter any more that we were likened to paleontological fossils, for our faith, hope and love abides. Table No. 1 felt the joy of being reunited in Christian fellowship with one another after so many years.
After the dinner, one of the bible verses which we often quoted during our CF days on campus took on renewed freshness:
"And let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but all the more as you see the day approaching. "
For this, we're indeed grateful for all the pains taken by the current executive committee of the CF to bring together so many believers in the Lord, both students and alumni dating back to 1982. I understand that they did all this while having to prepare for final exams which is just around the corner. It was indeed a sacrifice on their part, to bring about an evening of Christian encouragement and joy.
Brothers and sisters, whether we sit at Table No.1 or No.10, let us always consider one another!
