I went to the Marina Bay Sands to watch the World Cup final game on the invitation of a friend who booked a room there. I must say it is really glitzy and impressive. Especially the swimming pool that overlooks the city and bay front, that was quite mind blowing. Singapore has really changed since I was kid...no more satay club and the feint smell of grilling meat with sugar cane juice.
The only counseling service at the Resort World Sentosa ran by the Thya Hua Kwan Moral Society is still in negotiations with the casino operators as to how they should operate within the casino. Wonder if the Christian leadership or intelligentsia are thinking of a similar initiative. Now that everyone is abuzz with the economic recovery, boost in tourism figures and boomzing casinos, they seemed to have forgotten that the casino issue still holds the highest number of signatures on a petition (against casino) in Singapore. The worries of the various Christian leaders seemed to be a distant thought relegated to the same realm of Christmas Island being administered by Lim Yew Hock.
Perhaps it's time we positioned ourselves in critical social spaces where humans are particularly vulnerable to temptations like the ills of being addicted to gambling. I mean just think about it, casinos, English Premier League, S-League, 4D, TOTO, stock markets, World Cup.
We also have to reform the way we impart lessons, (if you ask me, they're boring most of the times), to make it more relevant to issues today and more interesting for our youths. I mean "conversations with Jesus" and "trusting God in times of adversity" is really fine but what about "Christianity and pre-marital sex" or "how to anchor a Christian in the digital age". We gotta move with the times, otherwise how can you explain the continued rise in membership of mega-churches and their rock concerts. How do you explain Christian youths who are leading a second life outside of church and making ill-informed life choices?
It's time the traditional Christian leadership in Singapore wake up, or risk losing a large part of our following to mega-churches (we already have) and the decadent undercurrents of the digital age. Meanwhile, don't believe in an octopus, only TRUST in GOD.
