I NEARLY MISSED IT
Emilyn Tan
At the stroke of midnight June 19, 2020, the H in SAH1 and WFH2 was given a grand send-off as Singaporeans exited the Circuit Breaker (CB). In throngs, we headed towards the places we could go, the people we could meet, the food we could finally eat.
The delight was savory. Never mind the legal limit of five persons in any one dine-in gathering – it was a holistic lot better than the zero interaction between households of previous months.
Those of us looking on the morning after relished the photos of friends lingering over roti prata at 2 am. Snapshots of wet markets waking up to early shoppers, mid-morning queues outside malls – these were welcomed visual cues that the engine of our economy was humming again.
The bustle, even if experienced vicariously, was nothing short of electrifying. After 73 CB days, we were out and about! Free – at last!
Was it safe? Did we even care to think about that?
It was enough to be out of the house! EQ-nergizing to be able to un-Zoom and do Hangouts in person. Invigorating to be able to un-mask and eat elsewhere.
Nationwide, the Circuit Breaker switch had flipped on April 7. All Normal activity was “off”, to stem coronavirus spread, and Pause was the operative mode as we were urged to stay home as much as possible.
Two 28-day cycles later, June 2 came and Phase 1 of the easing of movement restrictions kicked in. Students returned to schools in alternating batches. Some workers went back to their offices. Hairdressers could resume the full slate of their services.
Another incubation period was observed, and after its extended duration of 17 days, the government’s Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MMT) launched Phase 2 on Friday, June 19. Bubble tea shops reopened. The Building & Construction Authority (BCA) began issuing licenses for renovation works.
The seeming mish-mash of do’s and don’ts notwithstanding, the MMT was clear its meticulous plans had been mindfully made for the good of society. The hope was that, in the human execution, our mettle would meet the mark.
This was, after all, serious business. As a generation, we’d never been so up-close with virulent death, affecting tens in Singapore but hundreds of thousands worldwide. Did we even care to let that sink in?
Well, there was the somber expose (June 20) on Minister Lawrence Wong’s Facebook, of the crowds along Lorong Mambong in Holland Village breaching safe distancing and other rules. An eatery’s business was reported to be suspended.
Did we even care to feel a collective need for repentance? Because … If we didn’t break the letter of the law on CB, many of us did breach the spirit of it.
My own suspicion is that unless an inner part of our hearts did short and singe to death during this covid-19 season, our appetites for excess remain largely latent and it’s going to take a heftier blow to all our heads before our lingering devil-may-care attitude comes to its senses (Luke 15:17).
Lest we become too full of ourselves, let’s heed the warning to “be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2) – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
Did we even care to remember that?
Covid-19 has been a grace-laced reckoning. Let the Church be a people blessed enough to care to pray that all would recognize our need for true freedom and receive by faith the justification that is a gift by God’s grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood (Romans 3:24-25).
Then, and only then, as we seek the way of a new normality, will our spiritual mettle meet the heavenly mark.
—
1 Stay At Home
2 Work From Home
MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS
Equipping for the New Normal
Our Chairman of the Board, Dr John Ng, conducted three live webinars to engage our community of leaders. Here is the recap:
Effective Work-Family Life Integration In the New Normal
Speaker: Dr John Ng
Organized by NEXLeaders.com in partnership with Centre for Fathering and Dads for Life
Participants: 30 parents
De-Escalating Conflict During Covid-19
Speaker: Dr John Ng
Organized by NEXLeaders.com in partnership with Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church
Participants: 50 pax
Reinventing Business in the New Normal
Speaker: Dr John Ng & Dr Kenny Tan
Organized by Emerging Leader Development Program (ELDP)
Participants: 16 ELDP Alumni
Upskill with your SkillsFuture credit today. Find out how at www.nexleaders.com/skillsfuture.
Reflection on Philippians
We are in the middle of the Bible study series on the Epistle to the Philippians. Join our community of learners, led by our founder, Peter Chao.
Peter founded Eagles Communications in 1968 and served as its President till 2014. He remains on the staff and the Board of Governance of the organization, travelling internationally to speak and consult with business and non-profit organizations.
Peter received his training at Fuller Theological Seminary and the Peter Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University in USA.
Eagles Rendezvous is a Bible study ministry by Eagles Communications. Register to receive updates and additional learning materials.
Learn more at www.eagles.org.sg/er.
I NEARLY MISSED IT
Emilyn Tan
At the stroke of midnight June 19, 2020, the H in SAH1 and WFH2 was given a grand send-off as Singaporeans exited the Circuit Breaker (CB). In throngs, we headed towards the places we could go, the people we could meet, the food we could finally eat.
The delight was savory. Never mind the legal limit of five persons in any one dine-in gathering – it was a holistic lot better than the zero interaction between households of previous months.
Those of us looking on the morning after relished the photos of friends lingering over roti prata at 2 am. Snapshots of wet markets waking up to early shoppers, mid-morning queues outside malls – these were welcomed visual cues that the engine of our economy was humming again.
The bustle, even if experienced vicariously, was nothing short of electrifying. After 73 CB days, we were out and about! Free – at last!
Was it safe? Did we even care to think about that?
It was enough to be out of the house! EQ-nergizing to be able to un-Zoom and do Hangouts in person. Invigorating to be able to un-mask and eat elsewhere.
Nationwide, the Circuit Breaker switch had flipped on April 7. All Normal activity was “off”, to stem coronavirus spread, and Pause was the operative mode as we were urged to stay home as much as possible.
Two 28-day cycles later, June 2 came and Phase 1 of the easing of movement restrictions kicked in. Students returned to schools in alternating batches. Some workers went back to their offices. Hairdressers could resume the full slate of their services.
Another incubation period was observed, and after its extended duration of 17 days, the government’s Multi-Ministry Taskforce (MMT) launched Phase 2 on Friday, June 19. Bubble tea shops reopened. The Building & Construction Authority (BCA) began issuing licenses for renovation works.
The seeming mish-mash of do’s and don’ts notwithstanding, the MMT was clear its meticulous plans had been mindfully made for the good of society. The hope was that, in the human execution, our mettle would meet the mark.
This was, after all, serious business. As a generation, we’d never been so up-close with virulent death, affecting tens in Singapore but hundreds of thousands worldwide. Did we even care to let that sink in?
Well, there was the somber expose (June 20) on Minister Lawrence Wong’s Facebook, of the crowds along Lorong Mambong in Holland Village breaching safe distancing and other rules. An eatery’s business was reported to be suspended.
Did we even care to feel a collective need for repentance? Because … If we didn’t break the letter of the law on CB, many of us did breach the spirit of it.
My own suspicion is that unless an inner part of our hearts did short and singe to death during this covid-19 season, our appetites for excess remain largely latent and it’s going to take a heftier blow to all our heads before our lingering devil-may-care attitude comes to its senses (Luke 15:17).
Lest we become too full of ourselves, let’s heed the warning to “be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2) – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
Did we even care to remember that?
Covid-19 has been a grace-laced reckoning. Let the Church be a people blessed enough to care to pray that all would recognize our need for true freedom and receive by faith the justification that is a gift by God’s grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood (Romans 3:24-25).
Then, and only then, as we seek the way of a new normality, will our spiritual mettle meet the heavenly mark.
—
1 Stay At Home
2 Work From Home
MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS
Equipping for the New Normal
Our Chairman of the Board, Dr John Ng, conducted three live webinars to engage our community of leaders. Here is the recap:
Effective Work-Family Life Integration In the New Normal
Speaker: Dr John Ng
Organized by NEXLeaders.com in partnership with Centre for Fathering and Dads for Life
Participants: 30 parents
Upskill with SkillsFuture Credit
We are deeply encouraged by the support of partners and government that has made our microlearning courses eligible to purchase with SkillsFuture credit.
Now is the best time to upskill and retool your competencies to prepare for the new challenges ahead.
Browse the courses at www.nexleaders.com/skillsfuture.
Reflection on Philippians
We are in the middle of the Bible study series on the Epistle to the Philippians. Join our community of learners, led by our founder, Peter Chao.
Peter founded Eagles Communications in 1968 and served as its President till 2014. He remains on the staff and the Board of Governance of the organization, travelling internationally to speak and consult with business and non-profit organizations.
Peter received his training at Fuller Theological Seminary and the Peter Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University in USA.
Eagles Rendezvous is a Bible study ministry by Eagles Communications. Register to receive updates and additional learning materials.
Learn more at www.eagles.org.sg/er.