What If We Lived In a Parallel Universe?

Firstly, let me say that I don’t believe in a parallel universe. But, isn’t it strange how people around the world seem to be having alternate experiences?

Contrasts

In August I went on a beautiful vacation in the Bahamas with my husband and my two boys. I saw many other families on our trip too, having a great time. By the time I returned and got caught up with the news, I learned of a couple of murders of young children and the plight of the mothers now left to mourn. I couldn’t help but think of the strangeness of it all. Families in one part of the world having a marvelous time, while in another part of the world mothers are mourning their murdered children.

The contrasts are striking. In August I saw Facebook posts of my former schoolmate celebrating her wedding anniversary in Paris. I watched an online video of Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union’s beautiful wedding, all the while other major occurrences were happening such as more than 100 children dead due to flooding and mudslides in Sierra Leone. There were also acid attacks in London and loss of lives due to fires in London.

What can oftentimes seem so bizarre is when it’s in the same country, yet people are having completely different experiences. In the same country where some people are in their thriving jobs, in their managerial roles, taking the spotlight and living comfortably, others are worrying daily about how they will feed their children. How is this possible?

It’s like walking through the raindrops; it’s raining all over, but while some people get drenched, others remain dry.

Heaven vs Hell

Do you ever wonder about when Jesus returns if he is returning for the whole world? And bear in mind this is based on Christianity. What happens for people who are not Christians and have completely different religious beliefs? Is Jesus returning in their world too? I am a Christian and I am not very familiar with the expectations of other religions, but I would think that they don’t have an expected Jesus returning. But even for those who do believe, there is a contrast there too. We are told of the Rapture where Jesus will return for believers. He will take up the believers with Him. All others will remain and experience years of tribulation to follow. So there again we see that not everyone will experience the same reality.

The biggest alternative of all there is that some people are expected to go to a heaven, while others are supposed to go to a fiery hell.

Sunshine vs Hurricanes

We are in the hurricane season now and some of the biggest contrasts can be seen here. While category 5 hurricanes are devastating some countries, there is beautiful sunshine in others. Loss of lives, homes destroyed, people fleeing their homes and moving into shelters, all the while it’s life and business as usual in sunny paradise elsewhere.

Not Even in Death

You would think that death is the one thing that we all share in common. But oh no, even there we have some anomalies. Within the Christian faith we are told that when Jesus next returns he will raise the dead believers and they plus the believers who are still alive will be taken up to heaven with him. So, this means not everyone will die that physical death before leaving this earth and this life.

And for those who do die, there is a contrast here too. Isn’t it interesting how some people live to be 100 years old, while some die very young, even as children?

It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? It makes me wonder.

We may not be living in a parallel universe, but we certainly are experiencing alternate realities.

Cheers,

Karlene

September 22, 2017 – 8:56 pm Categories: Blogs | Post a comment

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What If You Changed Your Perspective?

QuestionInteresting question, don’t you think? Well, I have come to learn that perspective plays a huge role in the way that we feel, how we interpret situations and how we react. And even more importantly though, I learned that changing my perspective can be a very positive thing. I have shared with you some random thoughts below.

 

Don’t Complain, Make a Change

There are two quotes that I would say speak volumes in terms of how we handle life’s challenges. I will share these quotes with you and I would like you to ponder them. One reads –

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” – Mary Engelbreit.

I like this quote very much because it reminds me of how a lot of us tend to complain a lot about a situation, yet we do absolutely nothing about it. Just nonstop complaining daily, with absolutely no solution. Yet, as the quote suggests, if it bothers you so much, would you consider changing it? Do something about it. It is natural I agree, to worry and dwell on the issue, but you do yourself more harm than good. It helps if you choose to look at the situation in a different way, in a way that brings you some level of inner peace. Focusing on the problem may only cause you more stress. This brings me to the next quote, which reads –

“Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them.” – Steve Maraboli.

I love this quote because I have definitely lived this so I find it to be so true. People search after their perceived happiness only to find it constantly deluding them, because they look to the external factors to make them happy. Yet life is filled with challenges and many major problems, so if your definition of happiness is in a blissful, stress-free, problem-free life then the happiness you seek may not be found. The difference in how you feel is often based on how you choose to view the situation and how you manage.

How do you view your life and the world?

I know what I have already written does not convince some people that it is just as simple as that, but I hope that the following examples will shine some light. I saw a poster that stated “if you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world.” What touched me even more was reading on that very poster, “if you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment or torture, or the horrible pangs of starvation, you are luckier than 500 million people alive and suffering.” You can read some more of these thought-provoking quotes at Posters For Good.

I am saddened and I am sure so many of us are when we see what is happening around the world these days, and I think the above quotes help to remind many of us how much we have to be grateful for. Sometimes we do stress over the small stuff. Life is stressful, no doubt, but remember as the quote says, it’s not about not having problems, it’s more about how we handle them. And if you can’t change something that you don’t like, then change the way you think about it.

Flip the Coin – Heads or Tails?

I would like to end with a few quotes someone sent to me via a whatsapp message:

“Heavy rains remind us of challenges in life. Never ask for a lighter rain, just pray to God for a better umbrella.”

“Life is not about finding the right person, but creating the right relationship. It’s not how we care in the beginning, but how much we care till the very end.”

“Some people always throw stones in your path. It depends on what you make with them, a Wall or a Bridge? – Remember you are the architect of your life.”

And here’s the final punch:

“If you think it is your alarm clock that woke you up this morning, try putting it beside a dead body.”

 

November 23, 2015 – 8:46 pm Categories: Blogs | Post a comment

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My new What If book now available on Amazon

Hello,

It’s been some time that I’ve sent a message on here. The past few months have been quite eventful. But I have some good news to share with you. When I first started this What If blog I had a certain idea in mind— what if I were to write my third book as a blog. I ran the idea by a good friend and she was very excited. So I thought OK I will make it official. So in considering what I would blog about that would be worthy of one day becoming a book, the idea came to me— I should blog about various what if scenarios, especially since at the time I was using the expression so much, as you will see if you have been following this blog, or if you now purchase the book.

The book is not identical to the blog. I’m sure you’re wondering that by now. You’re probably asking yourself “why would I buy a book that has all the same details that’s on a blog that I can read for free?” But no, the book goes a step further than the blog. The blog has a lot of humor and touches on some inspirational themes, but the book digs deeper and gets into even a little bit of controversy. It asks the tough questions that have never been published on this blog, questions such as “what if God did not exist?” It gives you commentary from historical figures such as former president Robert Kennedy and former French Writer Voltaire. So if you’re looking for a book that raises tough questions on matters where the answers rest within your imagination, then this is the book for you to read.

This eBook costs only 99 cents, so it is quite affordable, less than a dollar. You can access it at this link What If.. All You Can Imagine. It will make you laugh and it will make you wonder. Use it as a base for coming up with your own what if questions. We live in a big world, and it’s a big universe. Surely there are endless questions we can ask ourselves and rely on our great imagination to suggest the answers.

August 19, 2014 – 11:57 am Categories: Blogs | Post a comment

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What If There Was No Google?

When I think of all the things we rely on Google for, or all the things we can gain from it, I can’t help but wonder what would we do without Google?

To start with, we use Google to search for just about anything, to the point that if we don’t know the answer to something the answer to that will be “Google it”. While there are other competing search engines, it is very unlikely that you would hear someone say “Just Yahoo it” for example.Within the search setting we search not even just for terms, concepts and explanations, but we also search for images, addresses, trends, you name it, because there’s Google Images, Google Maps, even Google Earth.

Google is beyond just a search engine. Recently I’ve come to learn about so many other tools within Google. For example, there is Google Adsense, which is a cost per click (CPP) feature that allows you to get paid by Google when viewers click Google ads that are posted on your website.

There is Google Analytics, which allows you to see the statistics of how many viewers are visiting your website.

There is Google Webmaster Tools, which help you to see how Google views your blog and identify any problems that you may need to address.

There is Google Adwords, which is a tool that allows you to search keywords that are popular within search engines, to help you with determining how best to optimize your website with keywords that will rank higher in search engines.

There is Google+ which includes being part of a circle of friends and/or acquaintances to share your articles with.

There is Google mail, otherwise known as Gmail, which is a highly recommended email option to use when seeking to have a professional email presence.

There is Google Docs, which you can use to save documents and share within a team setting.

There is the Google owned blogsite known as blogger, where you can build customized websites mainly for blogging.

Recently I even learnt of Google Rater, which is an online job wherein you can get paid to evaluate Google websites.

There is Google videos, otherwise known as Youtube, which so many people rely on for listening to music on the Internet, downloading videos, and even for setting up videos to promote themselves and their products or programmes.

Seriously, with all the various possibilities out there with Google, what would we do with no Google? I guess we would rely on other search engines, other SEO tools, other statistic tools, other online money making tools and other social media tools, but somehow it just wouldn’t be the same. There is absolutely something very special about Google, and I feel that we are be better off with it than without it.

January 10, 2014 – 9:49 pm Categories: Blogs | Post a comment

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What if you needed to pee during an earthquake?

Of all the earthquakes I’ve experienced, none of them has ever occurred while I was at home. The very first one I experienced was when I was in high school, and all the others happened while I was at work.

Whenever the earthquake came it was always one massive panic and scramble. The very first one I went through was back in around 1992 when I was in 2nd form (grade 8). In all the commotion one of my classmates jumped from upstairs a two story building to the ground. Fortunately she wasn’t hurt. I guess it was just one of those moments that took us all off guard.

In the work setting me and my co-workers often found ourselves pushing through the exit and running down the stairs. These days we are advised to just get under our desk when an earthquake comes. So I wonder, what if an earthquake catches you by surprise as usual, but this time you need to pee real badly?

You were in the middle of typing an important response back to a client and was just about to hit ‘send’ when there comes this big rumbling and shaking. You can’t rush to the bathroom because your earthquake survival training taught you to take cover under your desk. So what do you do? How about you just pee on yourself? Sounds like a good idea, but what would happen if it was just a small earthquake, no buildings falling down, no damage period? What happens then?

So the quake is all over now, you come from under your desk and it’s quite obvious to everyone what just went on with you. What do you do? Tell them you knocked your water over on you just as you were about to run under your desk. It could happen ;-).

I guess the moral in all of this is don’t hold your pee so long that by the time you need to go you have to race to get to the toilet and risk peeing on yourself in the process. And while you’re pondering that, you may want to put some additional planning into your earthquake survival preparation. Don’t overlook these basic things.

December 17, 2013 – 7:53 pm Categories: Blogs | Post a comment

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What If I’ve Already Missed the Will of God?

I saw this question posted on November 14, 2013 on the Facebook page of Christian Lifestyle Magazine, and my first thought was, how on earth would I be able to miss God’s Will? Isn’t it His will? His Will shall be done, so why on earth would I miss it? Then when I read the question again I was even more puzzled, I noticed the word “Already”. I thought to myself, what do you mean by “already missed the will of God?” That to me implied finality, like you can’t undo the wrong.

Then I read further and realized the statement – “Learn From the Past but Don’t Live in It”. So I figured OK so it isn’t saying you have no hope, you already missed God’s Will. I still wondered though why would there be any question of missing God’s Will. I saw where Christian Lifestyle Magazine referred to this question being explored in a book called Live Before You Die. So I looked up this book on Amazon and got a look inside and saw where the author Daniel Kolenda explores how God’s will can co-exist with mankind’s free will. Interesting perspective.

This question’s meaning came clearer for me after reading Romans 1:19-24.

19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.” (New International Version Bible Online)

I really love and appreciate this scripture, because it makes a point to me that I had never considered before, and I think a lot of people overlook this point. It makes the point that God made His Will to us clear, he never kept it secret, but we still wanted something else, and so he gave us the sinful desires of our hearts. So apparently you can miss God’s Will for your life, but not because He never made you see what his Will was, but more because you chose something else and He allowed it.

But as Christian Lifestyle Magazine stated on their Facebook page, you should “learn from the past, but don’t live in it.” You can miss God’s Will, and you may have missed it “already”, but you don’t actually have to miss it forever.

November 27, 2013 – 1:06 pm Categories: Blogs | Post a comment

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What if Jamaicans spoke only patois?

Last night on a dinner cruise, an American woman asked my husband and I where we’re from and when we responded Jamaica, she asked us what language do we speak in Jamaica. My husband told her that English is our official language, but that we also speak a form of Creole called patois, which is derived from the languages of a number of cultures including African, Irish and Spanish. She further asked if English was taught in our schools, although I think she meant if English was our language of instruction. The question had surprised me, and was one of many questions I’ve been asked over the last two or so years in the context of people not realizing I’m Jamaican due to how I speak. I’m led to wonder how is it that such a large percentage of people do not realize that Jamaicans speak English. I started to imagine the various contexts in which it would be quite interesting and hilarious if in fact we spoke only patois.

For example, can you imagine if the Jamaican prime minister had a meeting with President Obama and greeted him saying: “Yow wah a gwaan bredrin? How tings? Bwoy tings a Jamdown hawd enuh. Jah know star. But yuh dun know, nuh watch nuh face, mi pudung a wicked plan inna mi manifesto. The crime rate high to rahtid, but mi soon bring it dung”.

For those who didn’t understand, the above is a hypothetical account of Jamaica’s prime minister asking president Obama how are things and assuring him that while things are challenging in Jamaica and the crime rate is high, she/he has a manifesto in place to bring things under control.

Here’s another scenario — what if back in high school when we were being taught English Literature, the teacher addressed the class saying: “Yow class, dis mawnin wi a go read page tutty seven from the beautiful ones nuh bawn yet.” (Translation hello class, this morning we are going to read page 37 from The Beautyful Ones are Not Yet Born.) Or you know sometimes how the teacher would call on someone to come up and explain what she was saying or work out a math formula. What if the teacher said “hey gal cum up yah so come tell di class wah X +Y x 3 equal.” (Translation hey girl come here and explain to the class what is the answer to X +Y x 3). I think we would have spent more time laughing than learning.

One young man from the UK asked me if I was “trying to speak that way”, and expressed surprise that I didn’t sound like two of our fellow co-workers who are also Jamaicans. So I explained to him that not all Jamaicans speak in the same way, similar to how not all persons from the UK speak the same way.

It’s actually very puzzling to me that even if someone felt that English was not Jamaicans official language, they would expect that we cannot or should not be able to speak English. I highly doubt that when people meet persons from China they react, “I didn’t know you were from China, you speak such fluent English”. So what’s the difference with Jamaicans? If we are speaking to someone who does not understand patois, why should we speak to that person in patois? Yes we will speak to our fellow Jamaicans in patois, but if it is a formal setting, or if conversing with an English-speaking foreigner, we’ll speak English. The Filipinos, the Indians and the Chinese do it too.

An Irish girl had said to me “Karlene you’ve lost your Jamaican accent.” I certainly have not. She went on to speak of how fascinating Jamaica’s culture is, and she laughed at some of our expressions such as “Jamaica, no problem mon, nuff respect.”

I find it a bit funny that people would expect that all Jamaicans would speak in the same way, using the same kinds of expressions. We have a population of 2.5 million people spread out over 14 parishes. We can’t all speak and act identical. I for one do not use expressions that end with the word “claat” when I’m upset, overly excited or surprised. It’s more likely that I’d use the F-word if I’m that frustrated (though I try my hardest not to curse), or if I’m super shocked I may say “mi rahtid”. Not all Jamaicans greet with the words “wah a gwaan”. Some of us are fine with “what’s up” or simply “hey”. A lot of Jamaican men will say “dem time deh” to mean goodbye, but not all Jamaicans use that line. Some say “likkle more”, and myself among others simply say “later” or “bye”.

Bear in mind also that some categories of people in Jamaica have their own versions of Jamaican talk such as the dancehall DJs and Rastafarians. Many of the terms they use are unique to regular Jamaican talk.

Speaking of Rastafarian, my husband commented that so many persons all over the world know of Bob Marley and are familiar with his songs, which were in English for the most part, so it is strange that so many persons would think that Jamaicans do not or cannot speak English.

Anyhow, I think it’s a good idea for people to become more informed about our language, people and culture, because it does come across a bit silly to expect that Jamaicans speak only patois.

November 8, 2013 – 10:54 pm Categories: Blogs | Comments (3)

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What if I didn’t trust God when I’m in pain or suffering?

Following my last post on the question of hope, a friend on Facebook asked me how would she convince someone to trust in God when all they feel is pain? And how can such a person have hope when they don’t even have the basic necessities?

Good questions, and here are my thoughts…

If for example, you chose not to believe that God existed, would it help you to accept your pain and suffering? Does getting rid of your belief in God make acceptance of evil and your suffering any easier? Or, if you do believe in His existence, then why wouldn’t you trust Him? Why wouldn’t you have hope?

 If you feel that He does not exist, then what is the reason for your pain? Right now it would appear that you blame God, so in His absence, who deserves the blame? Or is the issue more being upset that He is allowing your pain? Have you considered that maybe there is a reason or purpose for your pain? For example, Jesus Christ, who was without sin, suffered, but it was not without purpose. He suffered so that sinners would have hope of salvation.

Moreover, God never promised that we would not have to endure pain and suffering. In fact, His Word in 1 Peter 4 vs 12-13 tells us:

“Dear friends do not be surprised at the painful trials you are suffering, as though something strange was happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

We also see in John 16 versus 33:

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”

So suffering is ought to be expected, and it is no reason or basis not to trust in God.

And as unfortunate as suffering is, it has sometimes proved to effect something positive. For example, a lady on a radio programme testified that prior to 911 she did not believe in God, yet after 911 when her boyfriend died, she cursed God for allowing it to happen, and it was in that moment she recognized that if she was blaming God, then she must believe that He exists.

In a recent radio interview a fellow author commented on how kind some very poor people were on an island that he and his wife had visited. The radio commentator in response, mentioned how extremely kind people were after the passing of Hurricane Ivan, and he concluded that sometimes we need devastating events to remind us to be kind. How funny is that? I’d also like to share with you an online article that highlights how suffering sometime provides an opportunity for heroism and compassion in others. The article also mentions that scientists have said volcanoes and earthquakes actually contribute to the existence of life on earth (See http://www.broadcaster.org.uk/section2/transcript/suffering.html).

And what about people who have great wealth and security but still choose not to trust God? If they do not trust God despite their wealth and security, then how can a suffering man justify not trusting in God due to his pain?

It really is up to the individual. Look at good old Job. God allowed the Devil to kill Job’s kids, take away his livelihood and make him diseased, and while Job’s friends and his wife encouraged him to give up his integrity, curse God and die, he still trusted God. And you know what happened next? God multiplied all that Job had. Job never stopped trusting in God despite his pain and suffering.

Why not have hope also that the pain will one day end? Jesus’ Christ’s resurrection happened, despite his suffering. So why can’t we trust and have hope that our own suffering and pain will end?

Also, how much are we willing to give back to God, if anything? It’s always easy to blame God, but hard to acknowledge His greatness. For example, we can’t trust Him because all we feel is pain, but yet He woke us up this morning, and every morning. Who was it that put that breath in your body? For those who have children, who provided that blessing of having another human being of your own to care for? If you’re struggling to pay your rent or mortgage, who allowed you to have that roof over your head in the first place? Sometimes people get angry at God when loved ones die, but God never promised us immortality, and for those who trust Him there is hope beyond the grave. And at least the person who dies would escape or no longer endure life’s pain and suffering. For the loved ones who are left to grieve, if you trust in God you are assured of his comfort in your time of pain. God’s words in Mathew 11:28 tells us:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Do note the words “come to me”. Firstly you can call on God in prayer, but more importantly I think that call to go to Him also means to repent and believe in Him. Believe not just in His existence, but in His power to save you.

Maybe you imagine a world with no evil whatsoever, just all good, everything perfect, and everyone perfect. And you wonder why God did not allow such a world. I do not know the answer to that, but the reality is that good and evil co-exists, and exists for ALL people, whether you believe in God or not.

So trusting in Him is your choice, and maybe this is the heart of the matter. Perhaps God wanted a world where people could choose for themselves, and not one where he treated people as robots, controlling their every action and thoughts. Pain and suffering is never easy, but it is not a good reason for not trusting in God, and for not having hope.

October 18, 2013 – 2:31 pm Categories: Uncategorized | Post a comment

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What if we relied less on hope?

For five years I held on to hope and faith concerning a specific life changing event, which, to my hurt and disappointment, did not work out. So it led me to question hope, but as I started my research on that I ended up finding that my question was more on the issue of faith.

So what exactly am I talking about? Let’s first define these terms to get a bit of clarity. The Oxford English Dictionary defines hope as a feeling of expectation and desire for something to happen; and it defines faith as complete trust or confidence. So with this context, for those five years of my life I had the expectation and desire that things would have worked out, and I had complete confidence that it would.

At first I became angry with “hope” when things didn’t work out. I was angry that I had expected a positive outcome, and so I asked myself the question, “what if we relied less on hope?” I started to think of the many situations where we apply the concept of hope, such as when we tell a friend “I hope you will have a good day”, or “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.” I laughed as I considered these statements, and thought to myself, we have absolutely no control over the weather, and most of the time when we “hope” that others will have a good day, we won’t impact those persons’ day and have no control over what obstacles those persons’ may experience on that day, but being the humans that we are, we “hope” anyway. I laughed as I considered how at work we tend to start off the body of our emails with “Hope you are well”. Me having hope about a client’s health is not going to impact whatever is the reality, yet I “hope” anyway. In all these questions something became evident to me. Two things in fact – faith and fate. I kept seeing the answers can’t change the outcome; different to reality, and I thought, oh so fate is a big part of my unfortunate setbacks. I realized that there is little escaping “hope” because one way or another you have to have expectations and desires in this life, even if at the very least it is that you will wake up the next morning. Or on the contrary, for those who don’t want to wake up, they could have a desire to die! I further realized that for those five years I had not only hoped, but had held on to “faith”. I trusted completely that things would have worked out as I had planned, so I did not make adequate preparation for Plan B, in case things did not work out. To be honest, I was the kind of person who always had so much faith that I thought that it was all I needed in order to achieve whatever I wanted. But this setback reminded me of something. It reminded me that God is in control, and not me. While faith is good, it is even better to be conscious of our limitations. This is where fate comes in. The Oxford English Dictionary defines fate as the development of events outside a person’s control, regarded as decided in advance by a supernatural power.

So my setback helped me to realise that all along my faith had been misdirected. I needed to put my faith in God, and accept that I do not have complete control over my circumstances, and as such will not receive every desire I have in this life. Now I still hope, but while I do I pray and ask God for His guidance. I no longer lean on my own understanding, but trust that God knows what is best for me, and whatever that best is, I choose to accept it. When he closes a door on me I know it’s because it’s not His will for me, and I accept that and patiently wait for His will to be done in my life.

September 18, 2013 – 2:30 pm Categories: Uncategorized | Post a comment

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What If…What Now…Beyond 2012

Many people all over the world went through much of 2012 wondering what if the world comes to an end this year. Others wondered what if we experience some major occurrence at the end of 2012 that leads to a new world order in 2013. So now that December is almost over and the world is still very much in tact, I wonder what now; what happens beyond 2012.

Leading up to December 2012 many persons all over the world anticipated that as per the Mayan calendar, the world would come to an end on December 21, 2012. Worldwide catastrophe was anticipated. Some even thought that maybe global warming would lead to this worldwide catastrophe. I remember back in Easter when the weather in Canada made a sharp jump from freezing temperatures to a more summer-time +20 degree Celsius temperatures. It was reported to be one of the warmest winters in Canada.  As I sat having tea with my neighbour one afternoon, she openly wondered if the warmer temperatures this year was a sign. She said she didn’t believe that the world would end on December 21st, but wondered if we would experience something major, and if it would result in us starting a new, better world in 2013. Her fantasy made me think of the story of Port Royal, and I too started to wonder if a new world order was on its way.

Port Royal, Jamaica was once known as the ‘Wickedest City on Earth’. It was a haven for privateers and pirates – lots of drinking, prostitution and killings abounded there. Then on June 7, 1692 a massive earthquake hit Jamaica and over 2,000 residents of Port Royal died that day as result, with up to 3,000 more deaths from injuries and diseases in the months that followed. Many people viewed the occurrence as God’s punishment on such a wicked city. Today Port Royal is a quiet city, very unlike the place that it used to be.

Well no worldwide environmental catastrophe occurred and the world did not end on December 21, 2012, but for many persons it’s just as well if it did. I don’t recall any other year where there were so many tragic events worldwide than in 2012. Just to name a few, there was and continues to be the bloodletting in Syria. The current death toll stands at approximately 40,000 people. Back in October a former university colleague was killed and burnt in Jamaica. She was four months pregnant. Also in October, a woman in New York who was eight-months pregnant was stabbed to death on the day before her wedding.  Beneath her body was a note which stated that more pregnant women would die until the DC sniper is released from prison. Just a couple weeks ago, on December 14, 20 children and a few adults were shot and killed by a lone gunman at an elementary school in Connecticut. On that very day, over in China a man used a knife to injure 22 children and one adult. These killings remind me of the Bible verse Luke 21:23 which reads “Woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! For there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.” (King James Bible – Cambridge).

Death came closer to home this year when in November my mom’s patient died in her presence. Then my step dad passed away on Christmas day. I still feel emotional as I think of my own dad and my mom. I pray that God will keep them alive and well for years to come.

Death is an ever-present reality these days. Times feel less happy than they once did, but for those of us who still have life, we must go on. Those who have suffered loss have to find a way to cope. Those who currently suffer in the midst of war and destruction must also find a way to cope or possibly escape. I’m not sure if there will be any further predicted world end now that mankind has survived 2012, but one thing is for sure, we can’t curl up in our homes  and refuse to stop living (unless of course you commit suicide). So we have to go on with our plans and dreams, and continue to have hope for a better world and better circumstances.

December 29, 2012 – 11:31 pm Categories: Uncategorized | Comments (1)

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