From 'How' to 'Who'

Reflections on our culture's pursuit of Happiness

“For Thou Art my hope; O LORD my God, Thou are my confidence from my youth.” (Ps 71:5)

Sometimes when I feel down, depressed or even desperate, I will turn to the Psalms for help. Ps 1 reaffirms the solid foundation of the Word of God. Ps 2 tells us that while everything around us may be in turmoil, God is there for us to take refuge in. Ps 3 begins with direct threats coming at David, and ends with a trust that God’s people will ultimately be blessed regardless. By reading each psalm as it is, I cannot help but be amazed at the scope of emotional openness one can adopt before God. The 150 psalms together provide a treasure-house of praise & worship, joy & ecstacy, comfort & encouragement, affirmation of faith and expression of despair. No other book in the world could compare with the range of emotional experience encountered and shared by the psalmists. The psalms invite us in to share the journey, to experience the ups and downs of being human, and the utter joy to have God as our strength and refuge in our times of trouble. In our era, it is not always easy to approach the Bible with an attitude of God-seeking. This is because our present culture is one that is often filled with how's.

• How do I make more money?
• How do I have better relationships?
• How do I make better presentations?
• How do I design a winning plan?
• How do I solve this computer problem?
  

THE 'HOW' MENTALITY
Such a mentality sometimes affect our reading of the Psalms. We begin to ask about how to use the Bible to meet our own needs. We become caught up with the techniques of reading that we fail to appreciate that God is not a method but a person. Part of the reason for this 'how' mentality lies in our lifestyle of consumerism. We use electricity at home. We eat food at least three times a day. The cars we drive consume fuel. Studies in 2005 have shown that close to 80% of the world's resources are consumed by the wealthiest 20% of the world's rich nations. When we live most of our hours 'consuming' stuff, what is there to ensure that when we open the Bible, we are still wearing the hat of consumerism?  If that is the case, we read the Bible as if it is a Do-It-Yourself spiritual perk-me-up pill, or a daily dosage to 'balance' our busy careers and lifestyles. The Bible becomes as follows:

• Suffering: "What does the Bible say about suffering?"
• Jobless: "What does the Bible say about unemployment?"
• Bad Relationships: "How do I get my spouse to treat me better? Is there a verse to convict him/her that I can use?"
• World Events: "How does the Bible prophesy about these events?"
  

Such an attitude immediately straitjackets the Bible to conform to our own ideas and expectations. We flip from one verse to another looking for the 'right' answer. We sacrifice reading in context so that we can catch the 'right' verse to meet our most immediate emotional need, even though it means reading OUT of context. In other words, if we approach the Bible from the perspective of how, we can easily get frustrated when we do not get what we want. Sometimes we think that when we know the 'how,' our journey to happiness is set.

Unfortunately, such methods do not last. They are but temporary fixes.  Worse, it tells God the kind of person we are. I remember a time when I was first introduced to multi-level marketing. I have not met this friend for many years, until we bump into each other at a shopping mall. After exchanging standard pleasantries, we gave each other our contact information. A week later, I got a call to meet up for lunch. Happily I agreed. Soon the lunch turned into a major sales pitch about the multilevel marketing scheme and product. My protests landed on deaf ears. My friend had me cornered at all angles. As I think back, I shudder to imagine subjecting my friends to similar treatment. That day, I felt used. It is one thing to share a product or service one has. It is yet another to keep pushing it even when I have expressly said no.

THE 'WHO' MENTALITY
Fortunately, not all salespeople as persistent as that friend of mine.  I like one particular quote from an insurance salesman. He says

"When you see me, do not think of insurance.
When you see insurance, think of me."

I appreciate that. It puts the desire for friendship before the insurance. Likewise, when we read the Bible, we must not think of our reading in terms of looking for answers to our own personal problems. Doing that only scratches the surface of our true needs. That will be using God's Word to meet our own ends. When we read God's Word, think of God.

In “On the Spirit of Happiness," a community of monks in New York commented:

“Today’s culture idolizes technique. How-to manuals literally overflow the shelves of bookstores. We are so conditioned to the genre that we automatically seek out books on whatever interests us, fully expecting that we can achieve whatever results we might desire simply by finding the right recipe – learning the technique.” (The Monks of New Skete, In the Spirit of Happiness, p95)

It is a rebuke on our world's infatuation with solutions and techniques. Wisely, the monks lead us toward the true source of happiness: Jesus.

“Being happy involves the intense struggle of entering intimately into all that we do. And that is in our very nature; it’s what God has placed in us. This is what the Transfiguration is about. It’s not some pious story about going up a mountain and having light shine on everything. It has to do with the apostles gaining an insight into who Jesus really is.” (Monks, In the Spirit of Happiness, p313)

Let me conclude: The psalms point us back to God. True happiness must be in God alone. Scriptures remind us that only God can provide true comfort and true happiness. True happiness does not lie in the technique or the how of living. One can follow all the formulas of the self-help books and still be unhappy. Remember that there are 3 common letters in the word ‘how' and 'who.’ The next time we ask H.O.W in our pursuit of happiness, shake them loose like scrabble letters and rearrange them by putting ‘W’ in front of HO. True happiness lies in seeking the W.H.O, not the how. Let us come to God just as we are, ready to put aside our selfish agenda, and to be willing to be obedient to God's agenda.

“Come to me, all who are weary and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

THOUGHT: Reading self-help books or following positive formula can be useful at times. Reading the Bible to meet our needs can be appropriate at times. Yet, when they become the main staple of our lives, they can become addictions, or idols. How do you know if they (or your good self) have taken over the place of Christ on your throne? Have you been guilty of using other people toward your own ends?


sabbathwalk

When We Are Discouraged

Staying Up When One Feels Down

“But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.” (Exodus 1:17)

This week has been rather challenging. There are projects to work on, books to review, people to meet, and obligations to keep. While these things do not normally stress me out, mood swings do. They amplify the smallest speck of error. They intensify a simple task into one big chore. They can petrify the meek in spirit into a weak midget. Like a microscope, tiny organisms normally invisible to the naked eye suddenly become huge trolls that threaten to jump and engulf everything that we ever stood for.

Do not be surprised. Even people like me, who are trained in theology, pastoral care and Christian spirituality do get discouraged. Like rains that fall on the whole land, no one is immune from the treacherous tentacles of discouragement. When caught, one of the first things that gets squeezed out of us is hope. As I was praying, and needing some encouragement, I was led to Scripture. I asked, “How do people in the Bible cope with discouragement?”

I decided to read Exodus, to see how the Hebrews cope with Egyptian persecution. It is so ironical. After years of prosperity and fruitful multiplication, the Jews who were welcomed with open arms during the reign of Joseph, suddenly become the scum of the Egyptian hierarchy. The Bible did not specify the exact date, but we can estimate based on Exodus 1:6 that this period is after the demise of Joseph and his brothers, and their entire generation. Hence, we are dealing with a new generation who not only did not know Joseph, but sees the immigrant Jews not as a valuable asset but a huge liability. They forgot that it was through Joseph, that Egypt was used as a channel to save both Egypt and its neighbours from a devastating famine. The Pharaoh forgot who is Joseph. The Egyptians forgot how the Jews have blessed them economically. Such absentmindedness made the Egyptians exchange a hand of friendship for a fist of oppression. In the midst of rising persecution, there is a group who remembers the Source of all life, the God of all nations: the midwives.

Imagine having received an imperial order and willfully chose to disobey it. It is like Rahab who told a lie to keep Joshua’s spies from capture (Jos 2:4). It is like the Magi who chose to trick Herod to protect baby Jesus from being apprehended and killed (Matt 2:16). It is already hard to do the right thing all the time. However, to do the right thing at the risk of being caught and prosecuted takes courage. Like the midwives, Rahab, and the Magi, doing the right thing, and doing it the right way requires godly fear. Let me first deal with two other forms of fear.

Firstly, doing the right thing can sometimes be motivated by fear of earthly powers. It is like fearing for our jobs if we disobey the top bosses. It is like fearing for our lives when we defy vicious hooligans and gangsters. It is like fearing for our relationships if we do not please their expectations. Sometimes, these fears can drive us to perform better. Other times, it sucks the joy out of us, and pumps us back with feelings of being coerced, forced to do what we do NOT want to do. Their actions are clothed with fear of earthly powers.

Secondly, doing the right thing can sometimes be motivated by a higher purpose. It is like a boss who tells his employee to falsify the accounts before the auditors arrive. It is like Schindler who deceived the Germans so that he can protect the Jews he is sheltering from imminent death. It is like fearing a loss of our own sense of righteousness. Backed by higher principles, we justify defying the higher authorities. However, what if we got caught, and our family members get implicated in the process? Will we then back away from our ‘higher’ principles so as to save our loved ones? Highly principled actions are driven primarily on the basis of refusing to break personal values. Sometimes, actions that flow from higher principles resemble more of a negative fear of breaking them rather than positive desire for keeping them.

Fear of God
The first two types of fear have something in common: they do not last.

The midwives in the first chapter of Exodus did what they knew best. Their actions are driven by godly fear. Godly fear is not something that happens because one is afraid of retribution by worldly powers. The midwives were clearly risking themselves and their families to defy the greatest power in Egypt: Pharaoh. John Bunyan, (author of Pilgrim’s Progress), in his treatise on the fear of God, reminds us that fear of God has many faces. It is the beginning of wisdom. It is the utterly detesting sin. It is fully embracing the love of God. It is also that keen awareness of the trickeries of the evil one. I believe the actions of the midwives reflect all of them.

The feeling is strange. I started off feeling downtrodden. After reading and reflecting on the simple and courageous faith of the midwives, I felt the motivation to look not just inward (due to fear), or outward (due to principles), but upward (godly fear).

David Livingstone’s life (1813-1873) is an example of one that burns for God. As a missionary to Africa, he has witnessed countless difficulties and hardships. His physical body bore the brunt of the harsh environment. When he was invited to speak back in his homeland in Glasgow Scotland, he walks with his broken shoulder slumped, half-deaf, half-blind, but fully alive in God. He gave his all to share the gospel with many in the Dark Continent. A medical doctor, he battled against the terrible illnesses afflicting the poor Africans. Sometimes he succeeded. Other times not. Yet, one thing remained. He held the God’s promise close to his heart, that Jesus is always be with him (Matt 28:18-20). Indeed, the verse commonly quoted by people pursuing the Great Commission tends to focus too much on the ‘Go ye therefore,’ and not so much on the ‘Lo! I am with you always.’ May I humbly suggest that the key to godly fear, lies in the reverse. We go forth in faith, be uplifted in love, knowing that God is with us. Always.

Thought: If you are to list all your current pursuits, concerns and anxieties and label them either as “Fear of earthly powers,”, “Fear of betraying one’s principles,” and “Fear of God,” which list is longer?


sabbathwalk

Trust and Obey

OBEDIENCE

“For I was afraid of the army, and I followed their wishes.” (1 Sam 15:24b)

King Saul had just won another major victory. Not only were the Amalekites defeated, the Israelites humiliated their leader King Agag. In jubilation, thinking that the LORD will be happy with the precious loot, they decided that it is appropriate to keep the best, and destroy the rest. It seems perfectly normal and logical. Why waste something when it can still be recycled?

Under ordinary circumstances, there is nothing wrong in keeping good stuff. However, the context of the biblical passage is something more serious than recycling. The retention of things exposes the idolatry of the first king of Israel. Which is Saul obedient to? All of God's instructions or some of them only. By rationalizing himself out of it, Saul justifies his actions by saying that the LORD will be pleased with his offerings. Unfortunately, in every gift, every work and every sacrifice, God's eye looks first at the heart, before anything else.

Saul's Heart

For Saul, the choice is clear: Obey God or disobey God? He thought that obeying half-way is enough. He was dead wrong. There is no ambiguity in the LORD's command. King Saul was told to annihilate the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:3). This is consistent with God's promise to protect Israel (Exodus 17:16). Throughout history, the Amalekites have one main objective: Totally blot out Israel from the face of the earth. It follows that If Israel does not totally destroy the Amalekites, the Amalekites will decimate the Jews. It is a tough choice for God who has promised to protect his chosen people, for the sake of the whole world. God decides to act by sanctioning the destruction of the Amalekites: through King Saul.

Instead, what did Saul do? He underestimates the depth of evil of the Amalekites. He undercuts God's clear instructions by adopting a half-way obedience. He undermines God's purposes and in the process threatens the entire Jewish nation. For Saul, his main desire is short-term gains over long-term obedience. The temptation is too great. This displeased Samuel. In the prophet’s mind, one thing stood clear: “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” Without respect for God's instruction, how can the leader lead God's people? Without an attitude of obedience, the leader surrenders the privilege of headship. Without reverence for God’s wishes, how can Saul lead Israel to be the ‘father of all nations?’

What About Our Obedience?

I have heard many Christians tell me, that they want to do God's will. Whether it be the kind of work to do, who to marry, where to live, which ministry to be involved in, the desire is similar. Words are nothing until they are put into action. How far are we to go the distance? Will we give up mid-way, and rationalize our actions according to our own interpretation of God, like Saul?

Who sits on our throne determines who we obey. If it is possessions, then our obedience will be based on how to collect more stuff. If it is our family, our obedience to God will be secondary to this primary concern. If it is our job or career, God takes second place down the pecking order of importance. If it is our children, obedience to God is ranked lower than our children. What happens when we put idols before God? One quick symptom of idolatry is fear. Fear of not possessing things tempt us toward unhealthy fixation on material things. Fear of not receiving family acceptance prevents us from honesty with family members. Fear of losing our jobs tempts us toward covering our backs over standing up for what is right and ethical. Fear of our children's future leads us toward greater control of them.

• Will God be pleased when we use the profits from shady business deals to tithe to his Church?
  
• Will God be pleased when we curse and swear at our neighbor, and with the same breath sing praise and thanksgiving to God?
  
• Will God be pleased when we strive to keep our jobs at all expense, even compromising God's standards in the process?
• Will God be pleased when we help our children to cheat in their schoolwork or exams, so that they can achieve our own definition of a better life for them, and then give God the glory for the distinctions that they obtain?  

If God is first, there is no fear. A truly God-fearing person never does things out of worldly fear. A sign of a godly person lies in full obedience. Do not be like Saul, who feared his people and allowed his fear to dictate his actions.

The December 1981 issue of Reader's Digest tells of an interesting story of obedience and devotion. There is a housekeeper who works for John Kenneth Galbraith. One day, the US President, Lyndon Johnson called, asking to speak with her employer Galbraith, who had earlier instructed his housekeeper to hold all calls.

President: "Get me Ken Galbraith. This is Lyndon Johnson.'
Housekeeper: "He is sleeping, Mr. President. He said not to disturb
President: "Well, wake him up. I want to talk to him.'
Housekeeper: "No, Mr. President. I work for him, not you."

When Galbraith finally called back the President, instead of indignation, Lyndon Johnson was rather pleased about the devotion of Galbraith's housekeeper. The President admired the housekeeper so much that he wanted to see her in the White house!

Thought: Who do we work for? Can we be so devoted like the housekeeper, that everything else is subjected first and foremost to the obedience of our Lord and Savior Jesus? Indeed, obedience is better than sacrifice. 

"Trust and Obey, for there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." (John Sammis, 1887)

sabbathwalk

True Hospitality

A Welcoming Heart

"Let love of the brethren continue.

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." (Heb 13:1-2)

When my family first came to Canada in 2004, there was apprehension about many things. Thoughts revolve around lifestyle choices, worries over ability to cope, concerns about affordable housing, questions about safety on the streets. Uprooting ourselves from our comfortable setting in Singapore was easier said than done. Amazingly, God was there walking with us, as we embarked upon a journey of uncertainty. How do we know? He was there speaking the language of hospitality. 

There were three comforting arms of hospitality. Firstly, we know we came with the prayers and love of our friends and family in home, church and colleagues. Secondly, we were embraced by a loving community at Regent-College. Thirdly, Vancouver for all its flaws, is still a very welcoming city. This three-fold hospitality is a major factor in helping us to adjust: Assurances from Home (personal level), Warmth within the new Community (neighborhood level) and a welcoming culture at large (society level). (That is one reason why Vancouver has been consistently ranked among the top best cities to live in.)

As I was pondering about the word 'hospitality,' I cannot help but feel that this is also the heart of evangelism. Conventional evangelism methods focus on something like tract distribution, mass rallies and even 'friendship' evangelism. These things have worked in the past, but are getting less popular. Moreover, many cities are now adopting a secular and pluralistic culture, meaning it is no longer that easy to share the gospel in the traditional sense. Even if the rallies and 4-spiritual laws manage to bring people to the faith, many new converts fail to sustain their initial fire for God. Some went back to their old ways. Some were let down by what the modern church has to offer or not offer. Some lost their faith. The few that remained, did so because they have experienced hospitality in some way. 

Flying 8000 miles meant that we have to give away many things. From furniture to cutlery, from electronics to books and for the kids, from clothing to toys. For me, I have to surrender the privilege of having a domestic helper as well as the conveniences of affordable food delicacies. We miss our friends, our family and even our business associates. In our hearts, we were preparing to rough it out in faith. With our hands, we were prepared to work. I managed to find some work amid my busy studies, at $10 per week! A simple cup of Starbucks coffee would have wiped out nearly a quarter of my earnings. The whole experience may have been low in monetary payback, but high in community acceptance. 

Imagine our surprise when neighbors start to knock on our doors, asking if we need stuff. Graduating students donated things like DVD player, plates, cups, chairs. Some sold off their stuff at unbelievably low prices. We were invited to meals. We were greeted with warm hugs and mugs of coffee when we visit churches on cold Winter Sunday mornings. Even the society at large welcomed us by not discriminating us based on skin color, or citizenship. For example, at the public libraries, we can borrow up to 50 items on a free library card, as long as we can produce a local residential address that proves we are residents. We do not need to be citizens or Permanent Residents. Our kids too did not need to pay school fees while we are there. It felt immensely comforting to be welcomed into a strange and new land.

What does it take to build a welcoming culture in the Church? 

For Patrick Keifert, he thinks that we can build a welcoming culture by 'welcoming the stranger.' In his book of the same name, he argues that worship and evangelism are not separate works but one. He observes that churches are often very unhospitable to people who are different from the rest. He extends the word 'stranger' to include those who attend churches but fail to be accepted within any group inside the church. Like it or not, church people tend to distinguish one another based on class, race, age, or life situations. People generally gravitate toward those who are more or less like them. It is thus common to feel like a stranger within the church home. While trying to be in church on time, trying to serve in the various ministries and trying to participate meaningfully in Sunday worship, have we forgotten that worshiping God also includes 'welcoming the stranger?' That was what Abraham did when he saw the three strangers outside his door (Gen 18). That was what Jesus did when he saw Zacchaeus the tax collector shunned by the community. That was what the writer of Hebrews urged us to do, to welcome strangers by showing them hospitality (Heb 13:2).

In our affluent society, what is most needed is not more money, more time or more things. These are important, but let them not become more important over people. Jesus did not die for money, for things or for more time to pursue our businesses. He died for real lives. We need a little more love and understanding. We need not more time to ourselves, but to give more time to others. We show hospitality when we realize that it is not about us. It is not even about others. It is about our love for God, that is reflected through our love for others and then ourselves. True hospitality means building bridges to make meaningful connections. True hospitality encourages. True hospitality opens up our homes and our hearts. True hospitality welcomes the stranger. May we adopt eyes of hospitality to reach out and touch someone who is hurting or needy today. Perhaps, the first step is to ask them for permission to let us help them.

Thought: Who are the strangers within your circle of influence? Can we like Jesus ask them to 'invite us' into their homes?

"He who practices hospitality, entertains God himself." (anonymous)

sabbathwalk

Quick and Good (lies in Being Prepared)

A Quick and Good Society

"And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:17)

I remember a time when many people, including Christians, lambast our culture of instant gratification. They complain about the way people rush through life expecting immediate returns for instant gratification. They lament the deterioration of relationships that were impacted by such a instant mentality. Whether it is through the pen or via the pulpit, the effect is similar. People despise instant gratification mentality, yet they often are the very practitioners of such an attitude. When the pack of chips fail to be released within 5 seconds, we start rocking the snacks machine. When a web page fails to load quick enough, we re-fresh the same page several times. When we ring customer service and if the call is not picked up within 3 rings, we get irritated. A complaint typically goes like this;

“In our culture of instant gratification, instant news, instant download, instant coffee, instant everything, who has the time to practice the virtue of waiting?”

Even movie stars, whose lives are hyper-busy, learn to inject humor amid the sarcasm. Meryl Streep, an emmy award movie star says:

"Instant gratification is not soon enough."

Not to be outdone, Carrie Fisher claims,

"Instant gratification takes too long." (Carrie Fisher, of Star Wars fame)

JK Jones, a Professor at Lincoln Seminary gives a typical evangelical response to the topic of instant gratification.

"Our society does not tend to applaud the long obedience required to conform to the image of Jesus. We live in a time of instant gratification. If something can't be done quickly, we often find ourselves uninterested. The computer, as wonderful as it is, has helped to foster a spirit of importance. If we can't get on-line quickly or find that web site immediately, we become frustrated, even angry." (JK Jones, Reading With God in Mind, Heartstring Publishing, 2003, p49)

Essentially, the key point in his book is that one reads in order not to be alone. In other words, when we crouch up on our favourite chair to read, we are participating in the words and lives of the author who write the book, as well as the Spirit of God leading our thoughts. Jones applies this instant mentality to the way that we read books. I feel that we can also apply the same principle to how we read modern culture. Are we reading our modern culture with a learning attitude? Are we reading modern culture with Someone in mind?  One famous quip among my business colleages is:

"The deadline for this project is yesterday." (meaning you're already late so hurry up.)

Let me offer a futuristic equivalent. "The LIFEline of our project on earth is tomorrow." (meaning, we need to live our present lives based on a hopeful tomorrow.)

Indeed, we cannot live on the fuel of yesterday. Neither do we concern ourselves only with the matters of today. We live on the basis of a better tomorrow. In other words, if there is no tomorrow, why hope at all? We prepare ourselves in our heads and hearts for the kingdom of heaven to come. We get ready for our Coming King who will arrive in glory and full honor. When the time comes, we must be ready to be quick-and-good for the Coming king.

Positive Side of Quick-and-Good
If you are like me, you will recognize the negative fallout of a quick-fix society. People become more impatient, in turn testing the patience of others. Drivers insist on their right of way, leading to rude honks and ugly stares. Customers demand immediate and high quality attention, else they walk. However, let us pause and think. Is quick-and-good mentality all bad and absolutely no good? No. There are still some virtues. Key to a quick-and-good story is something very elementary: Being Prepared.

Quick-and-good makes good business sense. Who wants to queue up for a plate of fish and chips when one can get another faster? Just take a look at the popularity of fast-food restaurants. If we were to think about it, restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC pride themselves as specialists in the business of quick-and-good. Quick-and-good is a highly important attribute for businesses that operate within a tiny window of opportunity. If 80% of the daily revenue comes from the lunchtime crowd hours of 12 to 2pm, will it not make sense to maximize production at these hours? A quick look at the processes behind fast food production reveals a trick behind their efficiency. Many things were pre-cut, pre-packed and even pre-cooked. Pop drinks like Coca-Cola and Sprite come in ready to use canisters. Timers constantly beep when each batch of French fries are ready. Meat patties were ready cut and the oven kept at a temperature for immediate cooking. Bread is pre-sliced and ready to be served. Kids’ toys are all prepacked. The whole process is so meticulous that even cleaning duties in the entire restaurant is regimented at frequent intervals. Leaving nothing to chance, many fast food restaurants pride themselves in a quick-and-good image, to satisfy the cultural craving of instant gratification.

Be Prepared
Although I dislike a culture of instant gratification, there is also much to learn from the quick-and-good wisdom behind the successes of McDonalds, KFC and other fast-food corporations. (Maybe some people may say quick but not good, but that is another story altogether.) Businesses often do scenario planning and different what-if’s situations. What if a busload of schoolchildren rush into the restaurant during lunch hour? What if a slow inexperienced cashier is holding up the line? What if the bread runs out? For these reasons, I admire business corporations for their aptitude in addressing these different scenarios. Sophisticated planners will even examine the daily sports page to anticipate surges in demand from delivery calls or rushing traffic to a nearby stadium where the restaurant serves. Key to every success in fast-food restaurants is the attitude of readiness and an aptitude of "Being Prepared."

What about our own spiritual lives? Are we readying ourselves for the coming kingdom of heaven? How prepared are we to answer the King of kings and the Lord of lords?

• Have we prepared our first words to Jesus, when we see Him?
• Have we prepared our first dollar to give to a needy person?
• Have we prepared our first hug to give a family member?
• Have we prepared a phrase of asking for forgiveness, while waiting for the right moment to appear?
• Have we prepared a place for our children to grow spiritually?
• Have we lived a life so full of thankfulness that our family and friends will remember us in terms of how we love the Lord, rather than how much we love our things or riches?
• What will be the words you want engraved in the obituary page, or on our tombstones?

Thought: We have many deadlines to meet in our often packed calenders. What about our deadline for the sharing of the gospel of Christ? What is our LIFELINE for our project of sharing the love of God?

Life's Biggest Question

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” (Matt 19:16)

What is our biggest question in life? For those who are afraid, they will ask what it takes to be saved, or be less fearful. For those who are unsure of their direction in life, they will ask for a clearer path to take. For those of us who are bored with life, they ask for more exciting and entertaining options. Sometimes, we let fear dictate our questions. Fear of failure or not having. We can easily become victims of fear. In fact, this ‘fear’ factor has become such a serious concern that the famous Christian writer, Max Lucado recently published an entire book on it, entitled: “Fearless.” (you can read my review of the book here) In Fearless, Lucado points out the common fears that we all face and tries to help us bring fear into proper perspectives. Overall, it is a good read, even though it lacks the meaty stuff that I am used to.

As I reflect on the young man’s question to Jesus, I cannot help but be sad about the things that many people run after in life, the so-called rat-race. Whether we call it ‘making a living,’ or 'making ends meet,' we are all rats in a sense. We run after things. We chase schedules. We pursue goals, even honorable ones. Sometimes life looks like a hamster running quickly on a hamster wheel. The wheel spins very quickly, but the hamster remains stuck in the cage. The young man in Matthew 19 came prepared for Jesus’s first answer. He was not prepared for Jesus’s second answer. The man was caught off-guard, when the very ‘good thing’ he desires to do, involves the disposal of all his possessions and achievements. How can anyone give away all his achievements after the sweat and toil? In fact, fear of not possessing what other people have can depress us, isolate us, and leave behind a bitter aftertaste of unfairness. When others seem to possess ‘better’ things than us, we ask: “What about me?” When a tragic event happens, our biggest question becomes “Why me?” Perhaps, the clue to knowing what is our largest question in life, is to learn to ask the question behind the question. Like the young man, it is not ‘what must I do?’ (Matt 19:16) but ‘what am I still lacking?’ (Matt 19:20)

The Question Behind the Question
We may be worried about not getting something, but what about the expectations AFTER we get it? We may be concerned about not achieving our targets, but what about the actions AFTER we achieved our targets? We may agonize over exams, meet our family responsibilities, or struggle over our job expectations. My question is, what happens next, especially AFTER we achieve our targets? Unfortunately, many of us have no time to deal with this second question. The first question already sucks up more than 90% of all our energies and resources. Let me ask ourselves, how sure are we that we are different from the young man in Matthew 19? Are we prepared for Jesus’s second imperative?

Someone has said, that if we expect to find an answer to any of our questions, it simply means we have not asked a big enough question. What is your big question in life?

• If it is helping your children be successful, what about AFTER they achieved it?
• If it is having a happy marriage, what happens AFTER?
• If it is getting the promotion and recognition you crave at the office, what happens AFTER you get it?
• If it is getting the degree or over achieving a sales quota, what comes AFTER?

My Story
I struggle with this a lot. My first year after receiving my University degree has been anything but easy. I hear stories of people getting jobs even before graduation. I hear fellow classmates getting not one, but multiple job offers. I hear that some even get bonuses to join a particular team. “What about me?” I asked God. It is ironical. Graduation is supposed to be a proud moment. My parents were beaming with joy at the convocation. It was the culmination of many tough years of hard work. Little did I expect the emotional turmoil during the months AFTER this mountain top experience. Like the saying goes, after the summit, the next step is all downhill. At least it is true for me then. The optimistic ones among us will say that somewhere ahead is another mountain, a more challenging one to climb. However, in my mind, that mountain even if it exists, is too far away for me to glimpse. I feel less than fulfilled. Even failure. Even though I have my precious degree on one hand, my other hand is still empty. No job. No girlfriend. No car. No house. Whatever friends I have were all so busy. Their new jobs have given them air-tickets for overseas training and massive four figure salaries totally unheard of in my student years. For me, I avoided meeting friends, especially those who prefer to exchange name cards rather than a simple greeting. I disliked social gatherings where the first questions starts with “What are you doing?” instead of “How are you doing?” When approached, my conversations seem short. Money talks. Status talks. The unemployed walks.

People come loaded with questions pertaining to their new jobs, their great salaries, the products and services they deal in. They cannot offload them on me as I did not have answers to what they seek. For me, I just had my degree. Period. Mercifully, within a few months, I joined the crowd, but I became lost in the pursuit of answers to my first question, not the question behind the question. “What should I do with the money and reputation attained?”

In 2004, I gave up my comfy job to study theology. I had no inkling about what to do next, except to immerse myself in the study of God’s Word, something I loved. I must say, the experience is scary. It still is. The question behind the question may give us a clue to what should be the larger question in life. What is your question in life? If it is something related to the evil trilogy of temptations, like Money, Sex and Power (MSP), you’re way off track. Traveling along MSP lines, is like the young man in Matthew, buying a ticket to travel on the wrong train of life, even when we do good charitable deeds. Dietrich Bonhoeffer says it succinctly:

“If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction.”

Indeed, if our first step is wrong, the subsequent steps no matter how ‘right’ only delays, not prevent the impending destruction. Sometimes, the biggest problem is not failure, but what happens after. Allow me to paraphrase Tim Kizziar,

“The greatest threat we can ever face is not failure. It is success in things that does NOT matter.“

Are we running after things that ultimately do not matter as much as we thought they would? Are we only seeking answers to the world’s first question, totally ignoring the more important question behind the question? Let us put our resources toward things that matter. Let us place our energies into the more important things in life. For me, the way I prepare for the second question is by first adopting a thankful heart, for whatever little I have or receive. May I encourage you to do the same.

Thought: What is your biggest question in life?


sabbathwalk

While He Was Sleeping

“Jesus himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’” (Mark 4:38)

This scene intrigues me. Imagine ourselves traveling in a boat with Jesus. Mysteriously, a storm comes up. Fierce waves pound the boat, flooding the inside with water. Everyone shouts. All except one. Not only is Jesus unperturbed, he is cooly sleeping at the stern! Clearly, if the whole ship operates based on a democracy, Jesus would have been outvoted. Everyone was doing the normal thing, that is, to do something to save the boat from sinking. Obviously, the disciples were pretty confused about what to do. The sight of calm sleeping Jesus was simply too much for anyone to bear. They could not deal with the fact that Jesus was not panicking like them! Almost immediately, Marthas outnumber Marys. So the disciples went for the jugular. Instead of asking Jesus to calm the storm, they use themselves as bait, asking if Jesus really care for them. They must be thinking, ‘Surely we are as important as the lepers, the tax collectors and the sick that Jesus has been healing?’ By screaming out: ‘Do you not care,’ they launch a veiled assault on the love of Jesus for them. For them, if Jesus really cared, he would have woken up and do the regular thing: his miracles, and to do it in a state of alarm (like them!). Doing the normal thing comforts them in ways they know best. Really?

Better Than Normal
When things go awry, we often enter emergency mode. The normal thing is to do something quickly, be terrified or both. My question: Did Jesus come down to earth to be like everyone else just to do the ‘normal’ thing? Certainly not. Suppose Jesus was to freak out like the disciples, what kind of a message will he be sending out? It will be an embarrassment for the witnesses then to view the Coming King whose ‘feathers’ are so easily ruffled. Thankfully no. Jesus came down to earth as an ordinary man with an extraordinary heart of peace and purpose in God. There are three things Jesus has revealed about himself through this incident. He is Captain and is in control. He is Larger than any forces of nature. He is the Revealer of the Great Story.

1. Sleeping in the Stern;

   The stern is located at the rear end of a ship or boat. Boating experts recommend that the most stable place to anchor the boat is from the stern side, instead of the bow in front. In modern ships, this stern is also the domain of the captain of the vessel. With Jesus sleeping at the stern, it is rather symbolic in the sense that Jesus is the Captain of the ship. Jesus is also the anchor of the vessel. If Jesus were to be in sixes and sevens during this time, imagine what it will do to the morale of the occupants in the boat? When the leader of a tribe is killed, the confidence wanes drastically. When the Shepherd is struck, the sheep scatters. No. Jesus refused to be drawn into the sinister temptation of pressing the panic button. Who is Jesus? He is the Captain of our souls.
   

2. Silencing the Storm;

   The disciples should have discovered it. Jesus is not an ordinary man. He is greater than anything else in the world. The storm at the Galilean lake is like a storm being stirred within a teacup. The Master of the Universe sees more things than the man of the puny earth. Who is Jesus? He is larger than hurricanes of nature or the tsunamis of life.
   

3. Uncovering Slowly the Great Story

   Up to now, the disciples are still scratching their head over who Jesus is. The finite mind can only know so much. The limited heart can only experience a little of what Jesus did. Jesus knew the disciples more than the disciples know Jesus. For instance, it took more than 40 years before the gospel of Mark was written. In other words, people need time to comprehend who Jesus is. That is why Jesus has to stress his teachings and use incidents like these to reinforce the need for faith. Without the personal encounter with Jesus stilling the storm, the disciples may simply categorize Jesus as a great rabbi. The gospel is not merely a story of Jesus’ teachings. It is a story of his life. It is a story of how he choose to limit himself so that we can understand him more. Who is Jesus? He is comforter and paces himself with our needs.
   

Are you struggling with the daily chores? Are you anxious about the cares of this world, or what the uncertain future holds? If you are, you are not alone. Look at Jesus instead of the storms. If the Master himself is able to sleep through the blizzards, we know that the fears are not as big as we make them out to be. Recognize that he is in control as Captain of our ship. Remember that he is able to silence any storms of this world, if he chooses to. If not, there is always a reason, and that reason is usually to strengthen us. Finally, our Christian life is a journey with Christ. He reveals his plan for us a step at a time, according to our ability to handle. Amazing love, that Christ chooses to comfort us, walks with us at our speed, with full knowledge of what we need.

Thought: What do you do when everything around you seems to go wrong? What's the first thing you do?

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner." (The Jesus Prayer)

sabbathwalk

Choosing Life

“I have loved you,” says the LORD. (Mal 1:2a)

When the hard choices in life comes, how do we choose? Between life and death, which do we opt for? Sometimes it is tough. Like many first time parents, The Lauxes were overjoyed when they discovered Deidrea was pregnant with a baby boy. The joy was short-lived. 20 weeks into Deidrea’s pregnancy, they discovered that baby Thomas suffers from a rare genetic disease called Trisomy 13, which is an abnormality where there is an extra chromosome in the body cell. Also called Patau syndrome, more than 80% of the babies suffering from this condition dies within a month. Hobson's choice: To have or not to have the baby.

Should they choose to terminate the baby while in the womb? Should they proceed with the pregnancy, knowing that the baby may suffer a quick death? Life can be cruel. Yet the Lauxes made their choice to proceed. In a touching news coverage, Dallas Morning News chronicles the life of the Lauxes and baby Thomas in one of the most moving renditions of love in action.

For 5 days, the family braved an emotional roller-coaster, watching the cycle of living and dying being played out before their very eyes. They laughed. They cried. They carried. They later buried. Within five days, the Lauxes experienced the ecstatic joy of birthing Thomas, agonized over the pain and suffering for them together with Thomas, and mourned the passing at 5am, five days later. Even when baby Thomas was alive, while most new parents will be shopping for a nice crib or cradle, the Lauxes were at funeral parlors to select a suitable baby coffin. Life's not fair. Some even say life's downright cruel.

"They should have aborted!" screamed the pragmatics, armed with statistics and practical advice. Instead of flushing down the baby with the abortion option, Deidrea and TK chose life for Thomas. The choices before them was hard, and they chose life.

God Chose to Love Us

The book of Malachi begins with a remarkable statement of love. It was written to the Jews who had recently returned from their exile in Babylon around 500 BC. The Jerusalem temple has just been restored, but the people's spiritual condition was getting more and more deplorable. Not only were the Jews beginning to take God for granted, they were beginning to be disillusioned about their own future and the promises of God. Without hope, they have little to look forward to. Without affirming their trust in God, their faith is at most lukewarm, something which God utterly detests. In other words, the Jewish faith has entered the domain of nominal-ism. While physically they are returning back to their Jewish roots, spiritually they are dying.

As we all know, nominal religion is a symptom of a dying faith. Practitioners practice the bare minimum. Surely, God will know what end the Israelites will come to, yet he sent the prophet Malachi to prophesy and wake them up. It is remarkable that everything else in Malachi flows out of the declaration of God's love for Israel, even nominal Israel. God chose to want to give life to Israel, even when Israel is on the foolish path of self-destruction.

"Because He is our son"
It is gut-wrenching for new parents to see their new child born and then die within the same month. Painful can be an understatement. Let us not be distracted by the endless debate over the pros and cons of whether it is ethical or not for the Lauxes to choose to endure the pain, and to see baby Thomas born and die. Perhaps, we should even keep the philosophers away. Keep pro-lifers and pro-choice groups away too. This is not a time to take sides. Let's simply appreciate the Lauxes for their courage to go through what they chose to do. They knew they had a choice to abort a fetus that has a fatal genetic composition. They chose to let Thomas live. They knew their baby has an 80% chance of not surviving the first month. They went ahead with the normal delivery process. They knew that Thomas could die anytime, 11 minutes, 11 hours, or 11 days. Yet they chose life for Thomas. For all the debates over whether they are doing it right or wrong, let us acknowledge their love for Thomas. In their own words,

“We know it will be a hard road but, I think sometimes when you make the toughest decisions you can get the greatest joys out of those. . . . We didn’t not terminate because we were hanging on to some sort of hope that there is a medical mistake or there is gonna be some kind of a medical miracle. We didn’t terminate because he is our son.” (Deidrea)

The Lauxes chose life simply because Thomas is their son. "Because he is our son." These 5 days of agonizing wait can be summed up in this five beautiful words. Deidrea and TK chose life simply because Thomas is their son.

Do babies go to heaven? Some say yes. Others say no. I trust that God will be the final arbiter of this, and it is not up to us to play God. God will be fair, and to have the babies under the gentle care and the fairest Judge in God will be the best 'heaven' any baby can ask for. Many of us will rejoice at this, at least for a while until it is our turn to say goodbye ourselves. There is also something else that deserves greater attention. Baby Thomas lived for a while, and 5 days later died. Christ died for a while, and 3 days later was resurrected, according to the Scriptures. This resurrection is the very hope of our life on earth. This resurrection will be true to life and the glory of God will be fully revealed when the kingdom comes. Then, all who are in Christ, will be resurrected with him. Even before we are formed in our mother's womb, God already knew us in our inmost being. He knew that we will be born in sin. Yet he chose to let us enter this world, and for Thomas, a short span of 5 days. God chose life for us. Far more significant, by sending his Son to die for us on the cross, he GAVE us life.

THOUGHT: Deidrea and TK chose life for Thomas that baby Thomas can live even though it is only for a while. God chose death for Christ, then resurrect Christ promising that the human race can live for eternity.

The Lauxes' 5 words for choosing life are: "Because he is our son."

God's 5 words to us: "Because you are my child."

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 5:8)

sabbathwalk

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Choosing Thomas (9.5 minutes video) {Warning: It's a tear jerker.}

Means of Time

Time - Not an End in Itself

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (Eccl 3:1)

We live in a time management age. Every leader thinks it. Every follower pursues it. Parents plan out it. Their children obey it. The umpire controls it. The players compete by it. There are many common sayings about time. Below is a sampling:

• Time and tide waits for no man;
• It's only a matter of time....;
• Time is precious. Don't waste it.
• How Time flies;
• Only time will tell;
• Only time can heal;
• A Stitch in time saves nine.
• What's the time?

Such universal use of 'time' tells us one thing: Time is absolutely central in society throughout all walks of life. Those with timekeeping gadgets track time. Those without clocks use the natural sun and the moon to tell time. Strangers strike up quick conversation with a simple: "What's the time?"

Time can be unifying. Experts like management gurus, religious teachers, scientists and philosophers, despite their differences usually agree on this: that time is of the essence. Time can also be profitable. Huge industries flourish around time-making devices like clocks, watches and timekeeping instruments. Millions of dollars are spent each year on diaries, appointment calendars, pocket digital assistants, alarm clocks, day-timers and various types of time scheduling equipment. Even the ubiquitous personal computer cannot function efficiently without an accurate time stamp. Emails, schedulers, legal documents, TV programming will float away into insignificance, when the gravity of time forfeits its magnetic grip. Time keeps life in order. So much so that, we have become so accustomed to time that we feel lost when we exhaust our ability to keep track of time. Like many, I agree that time is essential for daily living. I can declare unreservedly that time management is utterly crucial in our modern lifestyle. Without an awareness of time, we cannot keep track of our plans, accomplishments, goals and our normal life. This brings me to the focus this week. Despite time's authority and universal acceptance, no matter how important time is, time is merely a means to an end, not an end in itself. Let me repeat. Time or time management is a means, and not an end in itself. Why am I stressing it? This is because, we can become competent time managers, but incompetent at appreciating the reasons for time management. In other words, we can become extremely qualified in the means, so focused on managing time well, that even though time is a means to an end, we unwittingly consign to oblivion what the ends are. It is like getting caught up with the process that we forget the purpose in the first place. When that happens, the means has become an end in itself.

Forgetting the Purpose of Time
Here is an illustration. Many executives pay plenty of money to learn the latest and the greatest time management techniques, or seminars to better manage their time. Howbeit, there can be a sense of 'penny-wise, pound-foolish' among many people with regard to their use of time. One such wastage revolves around chronic busyness. A man can become so busy in managing his time, that he forgets why he is doing what he is doing. An exam student may become so engrossed in writing down answers that she fails to read the instructions carefully, answering only 6 questions instead of the required 8. One can become so efficient at the office, but totally inexperienced at home. A faithful husband/father can work hard to make a living, but still struggle to live meaningfully on the fruits of his hard work. Many highly successful executives at work fail miserably when it comes to relationships at home.

We can invest tremendous efforts to schedule an evening together, but carelessly squander them away due to lack of communication skills, or gracious behavior. We can become so wise with the nitty-gritty details of planning and scheduling, but foolish when actually enjoying the appointment per se. Those who are willing to strengthen their hard technical finesse of doing, what about the softer side of being? A boy who is courting a girl, can create brilliant plans and scintillating strategies to date the prized damsel out. On the actual occasion, what good will those plans be when the boy gets tongue-tied into silence, or lacks the minimal graciousness of knowing how to woo a girl? There is also another instance of 'penny-wise-pound-foolish' as far as time is concerned. It is chronic busyness.

In social circles, it is common to acknowledge that ‘busyness is good.’ For a hurried executive, a favorite chorus to any greeting stanza is: “Oh. I’ve been busy.” For the harried worker, the refrain to any request is: “Sorry, I’ve no time.” It becomes an unconscious habit that every appointment has to fit into a schedule. There was a scene from the recent Summer movie: “Julie & Julia,” which portrays a lunch session with Julie and her three friends. While Julie was longing to experience a really nice time of catching up with her friends, her companions practically ignored her. They chose instead to talk incessantly on their cellular phones, indirectly boasting about their status and business responsibilities. They looked like busy people while trying to hype up self-importance, making Julie less significant. If I'm Julie, I'd probably walk off. Why should an insignificant 'me' waste the precious time of the three 'important' people?

Isn’t that a pity when others prioritize their time to such a point that it downplays the importance of others? Relationships cannot thrive when we seem too busy with our own things, and ignore what matters to our friends and loved ones. We can schedule in an appointment to meet friends. However, we betray our good intentions of wanting to spend time with them, by carelessly taking and responding to every ringing cell. Worse, one may unwittingly hype up one’s own sense of importance to the detriment of others. Who deserves our time more? A planned meeting scheduled months ago, or unplanned phone calls that chime at random intervals? Let us not take our appointees for granted. Give them the time they deserve. One way to do so is to cultivate the remembrance of Someone larger than time.

Remembering the Prime-Mover of Time
The verse above in Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that we live on this earth by faith. Do not be deceived by advertisements that tell us to hurry our life. Do not trust soothsayers who tempts us to rush for the sake of rushing. There is a time for everything. Saying we have no time is not simply a bluff. It speaks of a life that trusts more in self rather than in God. If Scripture says there is time for every activity on earth, why are we worried that we have no time? Why are we paranoid about keeping up with the Joneses? Why must we subject our bodies to unnecessary stresses when we make our own clocks parrot after others? Perhaps, the clue to alleviating our daily stress lies in NOT imitating other people, but to imitate the Giver of Time: God. We imitate Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith by allowing every activity to run its course in time. We imitate the Divine God to arrive at a deeper understanding of ourselves, that we are more significant that strange thing called time. In Christ, we become conquerors over time, as we seat ourselves in the confidence and shelter of the Living God, who is Sovereign over all, including time.

The world may say that time and tide waits for no man. They may even say that time that is lost will never be returned. Let us not be troubled. As Christians, let us take comfort that God is in control, now and always. Reflect on the purposes of time and time management. Reflect on the time that is past, the time that is future and the present moment. How aware are we of God's work in our past, present and future? If we are too busy even to ponder this question, the consequence can be tragic. Instead of keeping time in check, time has come up from behind, saying to us: "Checkmate."

THOUGHT: "The moment you say, "I haven't got time," time has gotten you. Time has us on the hook. There is no denying it. Time is reeling us in towards one deadline or another." (Brother David Steindl-Rast)

REFLECT: "God created time and God created plenty of it." (Irish proverb)

Keep time, but remember that it is only a means to a greater end.

sabbathwalk

Acceptance

There are nearly 200 member states in the United Nations. Along with the hundreds of people groups represented, there are further thousands of different languages, dialects and communication forms used among them. In the past, one can easily identify people groups based on where they live or what they speak. With globalization, immigration and the advancement in transportation technology, the world increasingly resembles a global village of different people groups residing closer and closer together. Many international corporations have in their employment code a clause for non-discriminatory hiring. That is human progression, at least at a surface level. What is more challenging is the integration of a non-discriminatory stance internally rather than mere external adherence to regulatory controls. This brings us to our topic for this week: Acceptance.

"Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all." (Col 3:11)

The verse above needs to be read in its proper context. It is essentially a summary statement that affirms that our earthly behavior ought to reflect a heavenly disposition. This means that our ability to accept one another lies with our identity with Christ. Heaven-bound believers are differentiated from earthly people, not by racial status but via changed behavior in Christ. Paul urges us to set our hearts on things above and not things of this earth. Sometimes, we become too fixated about visible things in heaven and earth that we miss Paul’s concern about the invisible things that happen inside our hearts: the need to accept one another, as Christ accepted us.

Beyond the External Façade
It is easy to take this verse and parade our own doctrines of democracy, free-speech, and mutual acceptance of human rights etc. In churches, we tell members that we are all equal in Christ. In practice, we see people gathering in ethnic enclaves, speaking in languages that seem more comfortable to self, and in the process isolating others. In some churches, even the name itself is a double-edged sword. For example, does the name ABC 'Chinese' Church of Christ tell us that the church is only for Chinese people? Is the 'Korean' Free Church only for those that are conversant in Korean only? What about the Spanish, the Vietnamese, the Hmong and other ethnic groups? For logistical and programming purposes, it makes sense to concentrate on one main language that the majority is comfortable with. However, when people switch to their own preferred language toward their friends, in front of strangers, it is like saying: “Sorry, you don't speak my kind of language like my friend. Good day to you.” A visitor to such a church will most certainly feel unwelcome and isolated.

I remember seeing an early 2005 cover story of ChristianityToday with the heading: “All Churches Should Be Multiracial.” The lead story is essentially an excerpt of a book (United by Faith: The Multiracial Congregation as an Answer to the Problem of Race, Oxford 2003) written by a multiracial team comprising Karen Chai Kim, George Yancey, and Curtiss Paul DeYoung. In it, the authors made a brave proposition, that the ‘21st century must be the century of multiracial congregations.’ Furthermore, they said that where possible, all churches should seek out a diverse makeup in their congregations. They were quick to make 3 exceptions. The first case is a geographical one where only one racial group exists and a multiracial one is not possible. The second case deals with the lack of a common language. The third case involves understanding the struggles of new immigrants that they should be given some time to adapt, before pushing any multiracial agenda on them.

While there are biblical examples and sociological benefits, I still feel that the article is too lopsided, stuck mostly at the level of physical representation. It hardly deals with the next chapter of what happens next? I suspect that it is far easier to shape our external congregational mix than to change our internal attitudinal stance. The former brings together people based on their race, language and ethnicity. The latter reaches much further. Let me explain. Suppose a church is successful in getting equal percentages of racial groups A-Z. What about common values? How are they going to learn to work together and live in peace and harmony? If numbers are successfully brought in for the sake of meeting the ethnic quotas, will that automatically result in a healthy multiracial church? What happens if individuals are not changed in the first place? What if they are simply following the wishes of the leadership and are not at all interested in people other than their own kind? I assert that a multiracial mix is only a small step in the long journey of friendship and acceptance. Paul’s letter to the Colossians points us the way.

A More Excellent Way

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Col 3:12-14)

Even though Paul mentions Greek, Scythian, slaves and others, having a multiracial mix is not the end of it all. His objective is a unity in Christ that surpasses our earthly vision of a multiracial congregation. Unity is not uniformity. Unity transcends physical appearances. It does not discriminate. In a nutshell, it is maintaining a heavenly perspective that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ that we must learn to maintain a heavenly perspective of what living together means: Accepting one another, as Christ accepted us. Indeed, numbers and statistics do not define unity. One of my favourite quotes comes from a respected pastor I know:

“Diversity without Unity = Crowd;
Unity without diversity = Cult;
Diversity with unity = Community.”

We are all affected by sin which tempts us to discriminate people based on differences. Even people from the same tribe can show prejudice against one another. As long as people keep scrutinizing for differences, they will find it. In the hands of a chauvinist a minor discrepancy springs major divisions. When people starts to major on the minors, a small thing quickly snowballs to a major issue.

All of us are unique individuals. Our differences reflect more of the generosity and creativity of God. The way to live together in unity and harmony is not in terms of looking the same on the outside. It is behaving Christlike on the inside. If there is any desire to differentiate, let it be for praise and thanksgiving, not to isolate and set people further apart.

Achieving a multiracial mix may be a calling for some. Accepting one another in Christ is a higher calling for ALL. Desire the better gift. Yearn for a visible multiracial congregation. Extend a welcoming hand toward people from all walks of life, who share the faith or seeks God. Open our doors to acknowledge one another gratefully. Create opportunities to be a friend to others. Seek out such friends. Better still, be such a friend.

“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.” (anonymous)

Thought: Do you prefer to stay in your comfort zone of familiar friends? Or to extend a hand of welcome to people different from you? What does it take to deny gratifying one's selfish desires in favor of satisfying the needs of others?

sabbathwalk