Your Special Symbol

Symbols were developed right from the beginning of time, and has not only stayed with us till today, but developed into a discipline so complex that some devote their lives to decoding. Symbols come in many forms - the letters of the English alphabet you read now are symbols, a medium to convey my thoughts to you in the symbolic form we know as writing.

And symbols can also come in the form of physically tangible objects, a thing that reminds you of something else, a more intangible concept. My bible is one such object.

I have my piece to say regarding religion and science, but let's save that for another post. For now, whether it's the concept known as A Holy Anointing, or another known as Psychology, my bible is to me a powerful object of comfort. Every time I look at it, touch it, feel it in my hands, fan the pages, it reminds me of the very essence of my church's teachings - that God is there with me, and for me. That He loved us so much to send His only beloved Son Jesus to suffer what is now known as the most inhumane execution method, to die for sins that would only be committed 20, 200, 2000 years later. That as one who has left his entire life in the mercy of God's ever-loving hands, I can rest assured that He is in complete control of my otherwise messed-up life, that when I slip and fall, I will fall within the Ark of the New Covenant, not into the raging seas. And such a sense of peace, comfort and security just falls upon my heart when I hold my bible, that my worries and fears just melt away.

For the moment, at least. Come on la be real. Emotions cannot last. Faith can. Amen. :)

Another Christian object that holds a symbolic significance is the mazzah bread I'm privileged to be consuming every Sunday for Holy Communion. The appearance, the holes, the breaks, the burns, and especially the smell, reminds me of Christ's loving sacrifice for us. I guess it's important that this habit was cultivated in me at a mature age, when I at least understood something, and that it was a new object. If you gave me like... a nua-nua piece of Gardenia bread, I eat that half the time for breakfast. How do you expect it to hold any special meaning? (That said, my church does make a special effort to import mazzah direct from Israel, so can't really compare la).

Christians or non-Christians, what are the objects that hold a special meaning for you?