I thank you all for what you have done this evening in my honour. It is I who has to thank you, for your support through the years. One man cannot accomplish what he wants to do, no matter how great his vision, if he has no one to execute his dreams. You were there, and you did the work.
I should thank all of you, so I shall not name each one, as it will take too long to name more than 300 colleagues! Some of you have worked in NTUC for a long time, others only from recently.
Sometimes you did not have much time to work out what has to be done. Sometimes my instructions have not been clear. So, sometimes it took a long time for you to understand what I was talking about! So I thank you for your patience, your understanding, your encouragement, your support!
I thank you for speaking to NTUC This Week. The little things that I did, I felt it was only what one should do. As I leave, perhaps you know a little more about me from the publication, though parts of the account by NTUC This Week were off the mark.
I pondered for days what last message I should give to you. I thought perhaps I should share with you what teachings had made a deep impression on me, and guided me in my work. They have given me comfort and strength. I hope they will be as inspiring for you.
The first of these is the Beatitudes, otherwise known as the Sermon on the Mount.
Beatitudes – Sermon on the Mount
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 3)
Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land. (Verse 4)
Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Verse 5)
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. (Verse 6)
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Verse 7)
Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. (Verse 8)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Verse 9)
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 10)
I believe this Sermon on the Mount by Jesus would strike a chord with all unionists, whatever one’s faith. For our work is for the poor, the meek, the hungry, and for those suffering injustice. I was taught this Sermon in my school days, and it has shaped my life.
However, it is no easy task to help the poor, the meek, the hungry or the oppressed! Do not expect each one you help to be grateful. The story of the ten lepers puts it all in perspective! Let me quote from the Gospel according to Luke.
Luke 17:12 – 19
As He was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him - and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then He said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
So, only one in ten who asked Jesus for help, and whose appeals were granted, went back to thank Him. And it was a foreigner who did so! What about us? We are mere mortals! So we should not be surprised when we are abused by the very people we try to help. If only one in ten thanks God for His help, then, if we receive thanks once in a while, let us rejoice, and be strengthened to do more!
Mother Teresa must have renewed her own mission to help others, in spite of the discouragement she must have received in the course of her work, from the poem that reportedly hung on the wall of her room:
“The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow: Do Good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough: Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God.
It is never between you and them anyway.”
Today many people complain of stress, of the quick pace in life, of how much the cost of living has risen because we struggle to make ends meet to live as our neighbours do. This, dear friends, is not new! Every generation has complained about how difficult life is! So, this poem by Max Ehrmann sets life in perspective, and helps us to be at peace with ourselves.
Max Ehrmann Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
Whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.
So, dear friends, sometimes your dreams will be shattered, at other times you will feel you deserved more or better, and you will wonder what hand life has dealt you, and you will wonder why. Remember, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. Bring hope and cheer to all whom you touch.
Thank you, dear friends! You have been a major part of my life. I will always be with you, if not in person, surely in spirit.
*****
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