To Love and Serve

Going to a Convent School for 11 years did me lots of good :)

Photo from here

One thing I remember very well from those 11 years is the schools' moto; "Love and Serve". 3 words. So basic. So simple. Yet covers such a magnitude of life.

Looking at the life of Jesus on Earth, one cannot be blind to the importance of these 3 words.

1) He (Jesus) came down in the form of man and later in life was crucified, showed us mortals of his "unconditional Love". A Love so great that he would die for our Salvation from the bondages of sin even though we don't deserve it. (LOVE)

AND

2) With the disciples, Jesus showed a foreign concept of leadership. One that required the leader to serve the multitudes (remember how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples?). A Servant Leader. (SERVE)

"... and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:27-28

 As we are called to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1-2); how do we apply this in our lives? How do we "Love and Serve"?

With that in mind, I ask myself; What is God's will for my life? Where can I serve that matter the most and have the highest impact? What gift / talent did God give me? What is my passion in life? Is my passion in line with God's will? etc....

All these are tough questions which I can only begin to guess the accurate answer.

In regards to the present though as I continue to learn to define the questions above, "Love and Serve" brings to mind the young people. Specifically the Malaysian Youth.

"The Future of our Country and its Leaders lies in what we teach them today."

I've heard this phrase mentioned repeatedly and it puts into perspective the status of our youths today. Are they on a path towards becoming a true leader? Will any of them be able to carry the torch as the Prime Minister? Will they have the integrity to lead different Ministries in the government? Will they have pride and passion for our country that will make citizens of other countries jealous? Will they be the answer to a more stable Malaysia?

Serving for 4 years in the Education Ministry and now with a NGO that's involved in Education, i see so much need and gap; not just in the system but also in the lives of these kids. Gaps that by right should not even exist as every child should have an equal opportunity to a quality education.

Bringing it back to the title; what are we the adults of today showing our youth? How are we setting the example? Do we show them enough love, OR otherwise? Case in point, the crimes and social ills being reported by the media. Do we exude exemplary leadership traits, skills and beliefs? Do we show what it truly means to be a servant leader?

Thinking further into this matter makes me wonder. HOW in the world did we even get to this point? Can we change it? What can we do?

As for me, besides fighting education inequity in my work, I pray for the restoration of the young generation. I desire for a better Malaysia. I want to live in country that I can tell my children of how proud I am of it.

I'll end with the lyrics of a song from an Indonesian Gospel band; UX.

Bapa ku memohon

Pulihkan hati kami

Kembalikanlah hati bapa

Pada anaknya

Biarkan mereka

 Rasakan kasihMu

Kasih yang memulihkan

Bawalah mereka

Melihat kasihMu

KasihMU

Chorus:

Hatiku merindukan

Pemulihan generasi ini

Biar K'rajaan Mu dinyatakan

Di bumi seperti di surga

Every time I listen to this song, the first two lines of the chorus always strikes a cord with me. Indeed my heart desires to see the restoration of this generation. I hope that you too will truly want that.


Ciao.


p.s.:- To all those living to make a difference in the young, no matter what profession you are; I salute you. Thank you for your sacrifices and love for the kids. Thank you for showing that as a leader, we need to first serve.