Four Kinds of Silence

One of my favourite professors in college used to remind us: “Things are not what it seems.” It is a call for us to learn to see beyond the obvious, to notice things besides the superficial, and to observe circumstances with a careful eye. The saying, “Still waters run deep,” rings a familiar bell. It is easier to see the bottom of a still clear lake compared to squinting our eyes to look underneath choppy waters. An ordinary thing, seen with extraordinary sense of observation yields surprising discoveries. In the movie, Independence Day, the brilliant scientist was struggling to find a solution to defeat the powerful alien force field. After much frustration over his lack of progress, he discovered a breakthrough simply by noticing a very ordinary comment by his Jewish father. Two things played a key role. Firstly, he took a break. Secondly, he paid attention during an ordinary conversation. Things are certainly not what it seems, especially when we pay attention. Another example of ordinary things is about the different kinds of silence. The great 13th century Dominican monk-theologian-philosopher, St Thomas Aquinas, once said:

“There are various kinds of silence; of dullness, of security, of patience, of a quiet heart.” (Thomas Gilby, trans, St Thomas Aquinas Philosophical Texts, Kessinger Publishing, 2003, p321)

Dr Johnny Almond of Colonial Beach Baptist Church interprets this four kinds of silence as follows (his words are italicised):

Dullness: “The silence of apathy displeases God – an uncaring heart doesn’t question injustice.”
Security: “The silence of arrogance displeases God – an ungrateful heart doesn’t give heaven credit.”
Patience: “The silence of perseverance pleases God – an uncomplaining heart will not quit faith marathon.”
Quiet Heart: “The silence of prayer pleases God – an undistracted heart will pause to hear whispers from eternity.”

My Interpretation
Almond’s interpretation conveniently breaks the silences into the types that please God and the types that displease God. I will not be too quick to jump to such a conclusion, to say that the first two is no-good, while the latter two are good. Instead, I believe the silences of dullness, security, patience and quiet heart can be helpful starting points in our spirituality of prayer. The reason is sometimes, we do not have the power to overcome our dullness or our security weakness. If we are feeling apathetic or dull, does that mean we cannot come to God? Far from it, Whether we are dull or needing security, we can still come to God, as we acknowledge our weakness, confess our sins and let God take over. Before I offer my model, let me make a few points about the four silences. The first silence, ‘Dullness’ can be due to a state of unmet needs. People are not born dull. They could be waiting for moments of excitement or engagement. Just last weekend, while doing groceries in Chinatown, I walked past a parked minivan. Suddenly, a dog barked loudly from inside the car, giving me a shock. My children who saw me were amused and laughed at me for losing my ‘cool.’ On my return, I told them that I will ‘take revenge’ on the dogs. They gleefully observe me as I walk up to the dogs in the minivan and gave them a boo. All my kids laughed and one of them said to me: “Dad, you’re not that boring after all.” I guess none of us can be called ‘boring’ all the time. There will be moments of dullness in our lives, but all it takes is a moment of inspiration.

Secondly, the cry for security is often due to fear. Some keep quiet fearing that they may suffer consequences, like making noise when the principal of the school is talking. Silence is also used by people arrested. We have seen how the police arrest villains at the movies, saying: “You have the right to remain silent.” Such attitude of silence seems rooted in fear.

Thirdly, patience is an attribute of waiting, plus continued perseverance. Fourthly, a ‘quiet heart’ is an attempt to build around oneself an environment for better listening and attention giving.

A Model of Prayer
I will suggest a model for prayer using such silences. If we feel ourselves getting DULL, feeling apathetic, or lethargic, or simply not wanting to care about anything, talk about it. Express the same feelings to God over and over again, using different phrases, different languages each time, even writing on the piece of paper about our inner struggles. By doing this, we honour God by honestly expressing our emotional selves, and seeking his forgiveness for any apathy or weakness we are experiencing. We try to move toward God through patience and perseverance, by praying continually. There is no need to fear dullness. Use it as an entry point to enter into the forgiveness of God.

If we feel ourselves getting fearful over SECURITY, commit to God our weakness and fear. God is our strong and mighty tower. Ps 46 is a good start too. If we start our prayer from either DULL or SECURITY, persevere in praying via PATIENCE so that we can attain a QUIET HEART. At the QUIET HEART stage, we start to sense the presence of God in a whole new way. We enjoy God simply for who He is.

Let me caution, that as much as we think we can move from DULL-->SECURITY-->PATIENCE--> QUIET HEART, the reverse can also happen. We may start with a QUIET HEART, but if we are distracted, we can easily fall into DULLNESS or SECURITY. The point is, we must be free to come to God, regardless of what state we are in. The way to God is often strewn with wild flowers by the side that distract. Stay focused on God. The door to God does not depend on our first getting our emotions 'correct.' We cannot simply say: "Impatience be gone." "Anger, disappear." It all needs time. Fortunately, the throne of grace is open not only to adults or seniors. God welcomes little children. Let us come to God with innocence like those of little children. Take it to the LORD in prayer. Don’t be afraid to come to God, just as you are. Let God know how you are feeling. Work toward developing an environment that facilitates a quiet-heart. A heart that takes all pleasure and comfort from God and God alone. The key is, we can start anywhere, but a QUIET-HEART will always be our purpose. Communion with God is our goal. The following prayer has been especially helpful to me this week.

THE SERENITY PRAYER (Reinhold Niebuhr)



sabbathwalk

Imprisonment and Prayer

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13, NASB)

Imprisoned. Facing a room with stony walls like a caged animal, there is not much space to go anywhere, to do anything significant or to meet anybody. No missionary trips. No executive meetings. Not even a chance to personally gather people together to pray. After-all, what tangible things can a person do when in chains? Surely, the gospel must be proclaimed. The good news must be shared. The Word of God must be spread to all the Jewish community as well as the Gentile nations. There are so many things to do, but very little freedom to act on it. In times like these, the apostle Paul could have heard a voice screaming:

“God, it’s not fair. Here is a man who longs to give his all to advance the gospel, but you let him get caught and be jailed. What good can a man in prison do to further your cause?”

What do you do when you are totally helpless? How does one overcome the feeling of powerlessness especially when important matters need to be accomplished as soon as possible? One of the worst feelings of being locked up is to know that while the spirit is willing, the hands and legs are tied. Not only that, how does one deal with the thought of being held against one’s will unjustly?

If a man's sense of achievement is in terms of getting things done, an imprisoned man will be the least contented. Jens Soering under such conditions, spent 14 years contemplating taking his own life. Accused of murder, he has been imprisoned in a jail cell in Virginia since 1986. Attempts to free him have all but failed. Life in prison is likened to that of a little ‘guppy’ trying to fend off large ferocious hungry sharks. In 2004, his cellmate, ‘Keith’ committed suicide. Soering instead committed himself to do something more positive, namely writing and praying. While ‘Keith’ decided to end it all. Soering determined to start afresh. His first book, “The Way of the Prisoner” was published in 2004. In the book, Soering tells us profoundly that every person has their own kind of prison to contend with. People all over the world generally want external freedom, to be liberated from all kinds of chains. However, there is an inner prison that is much more formidable than the 'Alcatrazes' of the world. There is an inner penitentiary that cripples the heart through sin. Jesus teaches us that the things that comes out of such a heart make us unclean. Mark’s gospel details them as follow, namely; ‘evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly’ (Mark 7:21-22). How do we counter this inner dungeon of fearsome dragons? What do we do when we feel mistreated and unjustly accused? What hope is there for any prisoner? Soering teaches the beauty of centering prayer for such situations. This is pivotal to turning around from a life of misery toward a path of hope. He said true freedom is one that is focused on following Christ. In prayer, we ask God to forgive us of our sins and to nip any evil at the bud. Through this, we begin to learn that prayer is not simply an exercise in asking for material gains. There is a spiritual development aspect as well.

Breaking Out of Our Inner Prisons through Prayer
Prayer is something that nearly every Christian agree theologically, but fail to do enough of it practically. I suppose one’s desire to pray is a measure of how much they recognize the prisons they face, whether literally or metaphorically. Ask the last person without a key who fails to leave the shopping mall before the gates are locked. Ask a person trapped in the staircase corridors with all exits sealed. The emotions are remarkably alike. Fear. Distress. Helplessness. Next inquire into the thoughts of people hemmed in by expectations from all directions. Imagine a worker constantly berated by an unreasonable boss; unfairly accused on not being a good parent in the home by both spouse and children; isolated by friends and colleagues. Such barrage of cruel expectations can invariably imprison the poor soul.

For Soering, the ‘way of the prisoner’ is but a path to following Christ. Through the practice of centering prayer, he realizes that the very chains he wear help him maintain a focused attention to Christ, who offers freedom. For many Church fathers, prayer to God is the most wonderful time of the day amid the busyness and great expectations from all people. For the Apostle Paul, in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, even when in chains, he is able to say that he can do all things through Christ, who gives him strength. The fact that a man in prison, can write such a positive and uplifting book of Philippians goes to show us that in Christ, there is nothing too difficult or impossible. In prison, or in prayer, may we deeply feel that in Christ, we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us. Recognize whatever chains we have. Give it to Jesus, and watch him miraculously set us free.

Thought: Are you in prison right now? Are you constantly under a barrage of unfair or ridiculous expectations placed on you at work, at home or among your social circles? Or are you feeling that no one in this world truly understand what you are going through? Take it to the Lord in prayer, and learn in your heart: “What a friend we have in Jesus.”

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” (Lewis Smedes)

“You can't undo anything you've already done, but you can face up to it. You can tell the truth. You can seek forgiveness. And then let God do the rest.” (Source unknown)

sabbathwalk

Life Lessons (Aging)

Life Lessons (Aging)

Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old. (Prov 23:22)

What constitutes a ‘life lesson?’ Is it a teaching about life in general, or is it something that is more personal in nature? In Life Lessons, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler reveal to us the mysteries of life & living by talking ironically about death & dying. They observed succinctly: “The dying learn a great deal at the end of life.” I remember watching the movies like “Tuesday with Morrie” and “Wit” which essentially touches on situations where the patient is essentially dying with each passing day. From Morrie, we discover that aging and learning are both closely intertwined.

"As you grow old, you learn more. If you stayed at twenty-two, you'd always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It's growth. It's more than the negative that you're going to die, its also the positive that you understand you're going to die, and that you live a better life because of it." (Mitch Albom, Tuesday with Morrie, Broadway, 2002, p118)

In Wit, we shudder to see a cancer patient, in trying to get a chance at life, ends up living (or dying!) miserably in a chilling world of technology and cold-hearted medical researchers. It takes an old woman to provide the comfort and discernment to recognize the true need of the patient: Companionship and Comfort. This is in stark contrast to the young, highly qualified doctors who are only too concerned about their newer state of the art medical technology, tests and results. The lessons of life comes not with youth, but with age.

Looking at society’s obsession with youthfulness, where the old is given up in favour of the young, ‘Aging’ is taboo. Even older people reminisces nostalgically on their ‘good old days’ while lamenting their aging conditions. The pattern of downplaying the aged in society also extends to the working world. In a fast-paced society, economic realities often force companies to compete aggressively, hiring only the fast who outruns the rest, the quick who outthinks the slow; and the younger, cheaper, adaptable worker who gets the job done faster and better than the older, the more expensive and the more change-resistant but loyal employee. Long live the vigor of youth!

However, biblical wisdom usually do not come packaged neatly in a young immature person, who tends to be brash with their behaviour and rash in their attitudes. Proverbs teach us to learn to listen to our father and our mother, and not to despise them. Why isn’t it the reverse? After-all, in our technological era, many older people are taking computer lessons from younger folks. The latest technology, while easily embraced by the younger people, can be a real struggle with elderly people. Some of the modern Blackberry devices can be stressful for older people to use. Internet tools on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter applications can become very intimidating, overwhelming older adults with the scintillating amount of information flung mercilessly at them. In a world where the young catches the electronic medium faster than the old, does that mean that Proverbs’ teaching on wisdom no longer applies?

Not really. Wisdom is not in terms of production or efficiency. It is not even defined in terms of technological prowess or economic riches. Wisdom does not mean accumulating knowledge and various techniques. It is essentially the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the first step to entering the door of wisdom. Such a teaching cannot be learned by a simple download from Wikipedia or a technological source. Neither can wisdom be learned by simply reading a book or attending a lecture. With and increasingly technological society on one hand, and the rising complexity of family problems on the other hand, has our culture unwittingly assumed that technology can be used to solve everything? Can technology be the solution to every human problem?

Let me raise the alarm bells that if we are careless, technology can become our modern tower of Babel. The young, while astute in technology needs to be guided by the wisdom and experience that can only be learned from the school of life. Such life lessons cannot be emailed, twittered, ebooked or processed technologically. It has to be taught by people who have been schooled through the hard knocks of life. Never underestimate the depth and profound lessons our parents and elders can offer us. There must be a reason why Scriptures insist that children obey their parents. There is no time limit to it.

Perhaps, we need to honour not only our parents, respect the elderly but also to appreciate the aging process. The way to comprehend all these is not to live a 24x7, in a non-stop arena of activities and busyness. We need to instill pockets of rest and leisurely rhythms of life to try to make sense of what it takes to call our work ‘good.’ During the first week of creation, God took a step back to see all he has done. Remember his response? At the end of each day, God was pleased with his creation and declared it good. Perhaps, when we feel busy and meaningless, by taking a step back to ponder and contemplate, we might see the bigger picture of life. If not, consult an elderly and learn from the wisdom of the aged.

THOUGHT: Do not despise aging. Delight in the lessons that can only be learned through the aging process which ALL of us will have to go through. One way to appreciate these life lessons is to instill a rhythm of rest especially in times of stress or emotional restlessness.

sabbathwalk

Judge Not

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged."

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." (Rom 14:13)

We do a lot of pre-judgment on a lot of things, people as well. Some judge others on the basis of skin colour. Even before the person is allowed to speak, things are already happening in the decision making engine of our head. Others judge people on the basis of their qualifications. If the person does not even have a degree, a skillset discount is automatically applied. Still, many people judge prospective candidates on the basis of their experience. This leaves new graduates out of any employment consideration. In social circles, judgment easily happen both consciously and unconsciously. In general, people gravitates towards their own kind, those that one feels more comfortable with. Any person(s) who does not share the common background gets filtered away as strangers or generally to be avoided.

A prominent Taiwanese professor of Psychology once shared about his early experience as a clinical psychologist in America. The moment people sees his Asian face, people automatically give a '50% discount' on his ability to accurately diagnose their condition. In other words, people judged him as ineffective simply based on skin colour. It is sad that all over the world, discrimination like this happens in different cultures. All races, all religions and all cultures discriminate in various ways. Some more, others less, but all attempt to differentiate people according to their own set of criteria. In the name of efficiency, a set of criteria is usually applied to sort out the good from the not so good. In the name of unity, people pick out those who tends to be more team-players rather than stubborn dissenters who pose a threat to cohesiveness in a group environment. When that happens, any gain in homogeneity leads to a loss in diversity.

What goes on in the head tends to dictate the actions our hands, our feet and our mouths make. When we judge a person, we make a premature conclusion that infringes on that person's freedom to be who he is created to be. Scientists have done research and concluded that people has a tendency to behave according to the expectations imposed on them. In particular, the words of a father can profoundly impact his children.
- You are useless!
- Lazy bum! Always looking for ways to shirk responsibility.
- "Bravo. Keep it up. You can do it."

When a father constantly berates his child, he is setting his child up for a rebellious and unfulfilled future. In the violent Jackie Chan movie, "The New Police Story" released in 2004, the main villain in the movie is that of a son of powerful police chief. This head of police used lots of negative language to abuse and humiliate his son, whom he deemed useless and good for nothing. As a result, the son grows up to hate cops, and spends his time dwelling in a video game environment that kills cops. Disastrously, he moved from the virtual video world and started to kill cops in the real world. The power of a father's words strikes deep and far.

Recently, I was deeply embarrassed as I watch the "Britain's Got Talent" episode featuring a humble, not too impressive looking middle aged lady called Susan Boyle. From the camera's angle, lots of people were already giving a '50% discount' on this woman's ability to croon. However, when the music starts, and the time comes for her to sing, she delivered one of the richest voices and hauntingly beautiful voices ever to be heard. Many in the audience, including the judges gave her a standing ovation. As the whole scene was played out, I cannot help but feel embarrassed that I too, were one of the guilty ones giving a '50% discount' to this plucky lady. I thought to myself: "Have I consciously or unconsciously judged others? Have I, in the process become unfair in not allowing them to be the best selves, simply by my discriminatory stance?"It is a wake-up call for me, that as a disciple of Christ, as one who desires to be part of ushering the kingdom of God for all mankind, we must be champions of diversity. More importantly, we must be chief proponents of ensuring everyone has a fair chance to succeed, to be the best they were made to be. Matthew 7:1 may come across as a negative "Do not do this" or "Do not do that." I propose that there is also a positivistic angle to it. We can avoid judging others, by helping them be the best person God made them to be. It starts by first acknowledging that only God can judge. Never us. Never discount anybody, not even a stranger.

Thought: What causes you to judge people? Have you unfairly applied different criteria to different people in your daily interactions with people? In hiring? In choosing friends or social acquaintances? Indeed, when we judge others, we are not freeing them but enslaving them according to the imperfect chains of our expectations, including those that we ourselves have trouble meeting.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." (Martin Luther King Jr)

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." (Mother Teresa)

sabbathwalk

Two-Second Rule

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven" (Eccl 3:1)

One of the key things about driving on highways is to observe the 2-second rule and establish a safe stopping distance. Under good weather and normal road conditions, a driver can use a 2-second time stop gap to leave enough space between one's car and the vehicle in front. For drivers with slower reactions, more time should be added to it. What it means is that any driver should be able to stop his or her vehicle within 2 seconds without hitting the car in front during an emergency brake. In higher speed roads, this standard gap should be increased to 3 seconds and in bad weather road conditions, it should be lengthened to 4 seconds. This rule of thumb is for the sake of both the driver as well as the driver in front. What about tailgating? In defensive driving, we can minimize the probability of a rear side collision by leaving even more space in front of us so that we can do a gradual stop, and to allow the rear driver enough time to safely stop without crashing into our boot.

Our modern life is a fast-paced one. Things can only get faster and more demanding. Microprocessor speeds are expected to rise with each succeeding generation. In computer technology, Moore's law states that the number of transistors doubles nearly every two years. This has been applied to speeds, memory capacities, volumes and many forms of measurable devices. In management sciences, people make it a point to multi-task efficiently without sacrificing productivity. People fill in all empty spaces of their busy schedule and appointments. Even lunch breaks have been turned into opportunities to solicit business deals. It is a vicious cycle. Competition pressures businesses to increase their pace and reduce their prices. Businesses squeeze employees to cut costs, to do more with less. Employees are tempted to cut corners, which endanger quality and put customer satisfaction at risk. Customers intensify the whole cycle by emphasizing price over and above loyalty. Goodwill and well meaning gestures of tolerance and patience are slowly being replaced by quick-tempered behaviour and impatience. Such actions can unwittingly feed the the hamster wheel of busyness, constantly running but never really gaining much ground. The American clergyman, William Boetcker writes perceptibly:

“If your business keeps you so busy that you have no time for anything else, there must be something wrong, either with you or with your business.” (William J. H. Boetcker)

There is a time for everything, and for every event under heaven. Unfortunately, the mad rat-race can fatally blind people into thinking that they can manage life without leaving a safety distance for themselves and for others. Fil Anderson describes his experience in his book "Running on Empty." A high achiever, he constantly worries over expectations placed by others and himself. His life is a living testimony of speeding up when his tank is running empty. His situation is a serious case of an overworked professional. He had allowed his busy lifestyle to become his sense of identity, leaving no space for others, for himself and for God to work.

"... I lived with a deep sense of loneliness, fear, frustration, and disappointment. While always busy and usually productive, I rarely feel satisfied, at peace, or at home with myself. As a natural consequence of my feelings of isolation, I was often resentful, afraid, and angry..... A deadly pattern developed: My body would fall apart whenever I broke away from the constant activity, often around holidays and vacations." (Fil Anderson, Running on Empty, Colorado Springs: Waterbrook Press, 2004, 11-12)

We need to learn to leave a "2-second rule" to unwind and not throw our work frustrations when we get back home. Otherwise, the family we claim to love only becomes an innocent punching bag for any work-related stress and accumulated steam of anger. Leave your office a little earlier each day so that you can drive slowly and not be upset by bad traffic conditions. Take a casual walk, slowly and prayerfully up the stairs, through the garden or simply pausing to chat with neighbours. You can also apply this 2-second rule for the sake of those following close behind you. Practice slowing down when others are hot on your heels, like speaking a bit slower or gentle breathing. If necessary, increase the time-space gap according to your personality. In doing so, you will grow to appreciate the wisdom of the Ecclesiastes passage, that there is a time to speed up, a time to slow down, and also a time to stop. Pause. Pray. Give thanks.

"When I stopped running and started listening to God's whispering voice, I heard my true identity declared, 'Fil, you're my beloved son, and I love you.'" (Fil Anderson, p195)

Thought: Examine your calendar. Have you placed a 2-second rule between appointments? Have you given yourself a planned time to unwind and to recover before coming back into the embrace of your loving family? Do you know how much space and time you need before any anger blows up uncontrollably? Show your loved ones you love them, by giving space and time all around you.

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." (Viktor E Frankl)

sabbathwalk

Delighting

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Ps 37:4)

The journey motif is one of the most powerful and meaningful image of a Christian walk. We ready our resources. We plan our routes. We arrange our itinerary. Sometimes we design Plan B in case of interruptions or unforeseen events during our voyage. There are 3 phases of a person's journey. The first is excitement and novelty. The third is anticipation of the destination. It is the middle that creates a kind of stuck-in-the-middle feeling. At the middle, one feels that it is too late to turn back, and too tired to carry on forward. The latter needs encouragement to press on. The former needs reminder of the original goals and purposes. Either way, the person needs to decide to proceed or to call it quits. However, there is a third option. He/she can intentionally schedule breaks. Whatever it is, at every stage, one's delight of the journey being taken, makes a big difference in the attitude and the aptitude. After all, it is the attitude (the heart), not the aptitude (the skills) that determines the altitude (the height). I suggest that this is in the delighting.

We are in the midst of another big move in 9 months. Due to the unique circumstances, we embarked upon this move in order to meet the requirements of our growing children. The work is huge, with cleaning up to be done on both the old and new places. Nearly every box packed at the old house has to be unpacked at the new. The work is tremendous, and this is on top of our current commitments at work and at school. In the midst of rushing to complete our tasks of unpacking and organizing, sometimes we get frustrated over not finding our stuff, and having to live literally 'out of the box.' What happens when one feels overworked, exhausted and totally discouraged from all the work? We found our respite in taking short breaks in between. Lots of them. This period of break is also a time to reflect back thankfully on the old and to reaffirm our delight in a brighter future. I find that while reminiscing in the past may carry with it some nostalgia, looking forward with pleasure and delight of the promised rewards spurred us forward more powerfully. It is the desire for the better life that makes one feel that it is all worthwhile. Phillip Sheldrake, a professor at Durham University in the UK describes the connection between desires and identities.

The more authentic our desires, the more they touch upon our identities and also upon the reality of God at the heart of our being. Our most authentic desires spring ultimately from the deep inner wells where the longing for God runs freely.(Philip Sheldrake, Befriending Our Desires)

This sense of identity is also sharply brought across in our relationships with one another. He continues:

Desires are best understood as our most honest experiences of ourselves, in all our complexity and depth, as we relate to people and things around us.

Indeed, Sheldrake communicates a depth about desiring that dovetails into our passage in Psalms.

'Delight yourself in the Lord' is something that can be seen as reminiscing in the past faithfulness of God. Think of how God has been leading us through the years, and to give thanks. When we allow ourselves to fall into the embracing arms of God, we begin to see that the worries and the worldly concerns of the world does not seem so important anymore. In fact, safe in the arms of our Father, God's light becomes our delight. God's desires overwhelms all of ours. Above all, when we delight ourselves in the Lord, we realize who we are made for, what we are created to do, and how we can go about the fulfill the will of God. "And he shall give you the desires of your heart" becomes re-interpreted as not our will, but God's will be done. Too often, we see 'delighting in God' as a BACKLIGHT for our own greed and wantings. We fail to see that God wants to make us the LIGHT of the world. When we use our delighting in God as a backlight, or a headlight, we can become guilty of trying to bend God toward our selfish covetousness. Will we not be better off, by allowing God to turn us into HIS LIGHT instead? Will it be more beneficial for all if our delighting in God is actually an earnest "desiring-after-God-for-who-He-is" rather than "desiring-after-God-for-his-gifts-only"? God forbid. Let us delight ourselves in God for who He is. He will give us the authentic desires of our hearts, to help us realize exactly what we need. The one who claims to know exactly what he needs is a fool. The one who trusts God to teach him what he needs is a humble child of God.

Thought: What are the desires of your heart? Is it anchored on your personal sense of identity? Or is it a competitive reaction because others have it, so I must have it?

“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)”

A Kind Word

"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up." (Matt 12:25)

About two weeks ago, I preached about the 'window of grace' from Romans 3 at my church in Vancouver. The people were exceptionally gracious in listening as well as affirming me in the message given. Yet, I felt a certain disappointment in myself. Words not well connected. My delivery was then interrupted by a battery which silenced the microphone in the middle of an important point. It was an animated sermon, and I put in my all as I preached, praying in my heart that people will grow to love God more. Still, I went overtime and did not manage to emphasize my final point sufficiently. After preaching about the window of grace, I felt like the one who needed that most was myself. I remember telling my group how exhausted I was, feeling spent and empty. Then this brother appeared out of nowhere. His smile and gentle hug spoke louder than words. He said a kind word, 'Thank you.' When I heard it, despite my exhaustion, I can tell it came from the bottom of his heart. Simple words uttered honestly and sincerely consoled more greatly. Yes. I need to learn to be thankful for at least 3 reasons.

Firstly, when I am thankful, I acknowledge the help of the Holy Spirit when I was preparing for the message, for the insights learned during the sermon meditation. Secondly, when I give thanks, I acknowledge the wonderful window of grace allowed me, to preach and share from the pulpit. It is the Word of God, shared by the preacher of God, for the people of God. Finally, in thanksgiving, I recognize that God is the one ultimately responsible for changing lives. He can use the most polished sermon ever, or the most boring message ever delivered and touch the hearts of anyone He chooses. I ought not give in to any anxiety of not having delivered the sermon according to my personal expectations. Rather, in thankfulness and gratitude for the grace extended to me by the church, I should be cheered up. Indeed, each time I have people asking me to clarify what was my last point, I leapt up in joyous ecstasy: "Thank God, these people have been listening and not sleeping!"

My reader. What weighs you down these days? Is it because of some work done badly? Is it due to worries over the lack of time and resources to do a better job? Is the anxiety described by words of regret about the past that says: "I should have done this or that?" Or is it some kind of hesitation over the unknown future, that apprehensively solicits: "What if things go wrong? What if matters do not turn out as planned?"

The worries of the past is revealed by the IF-ONLY, or I-SHOULD-HAVE. The nervousness of the future is exemplified by the WHAT-IF's. May I suggest that we replace the fret over the past and the fears of the future with an attitude of thankfulness. Learn from the wisdom of Proverbs. The valley of disappointments of the past, and the hill of obstacles in the future can be countered with a simple kind and cheery word: "THANKFUL." We cannot change the past. Neither can we predict the future. Why not simply thank God for history (in the past), praise God for the mystery (of the future), and appreciate the reason why our current moment is also called the 'present.'

Sabbath time is an excellent opportunity to live out a life of thankfulness. It is not restricted to a 24-hour cycle, although there are benefits in doing so. One can practice a Sabbatical routine by placing appropriate breaks in one's lifestyle. Such a break can come effectively through pauses. A pause to give thanks during meals; a pause to give thanks when stopped at a red traffic light and to praise God for family; a pause to sing praises of thanksgiving while at a shower; or simply pausing our normal routine to call up a family member or friend and say "Thank you for being my friend/family." It is not difficult. One more thing. One can learn to give thanks and live thankfully, when learning to do the same first to God.

"If God asks that you bend, bend and do not complain. He is making you more flexible, and for this be thankful." ~Meriel Stelliger

Thought: What weighs you down? Perhaps it is not the big boulders of your life, but the little irritations that builds itself up to become an imaginary Goliath. Give it to God in prayer with thanksgiving in your heart.

sabbathwalk

Overcoming Pressures

PRESSURES

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. (2 Cor 11:28)

Pressures of Paul the Apostle
Sometimes I wonder at how Paul is able to overcome all these pressures. The word ‘epistasis’ (pressure) in this verse is used to describe the burden and the repeated stress upon the apostle as he was working out his ministry to the different churches. It can also mean the inward pressures the apostle exerts upon himself, out of feeling responsible for the flock he loved. He does so without complaining, without being jealous of others more fortunate than him. He compares his situation by focusing on Christ, boasting in Christ and choosing to do all things with Christ as his reference. At that time, the Corinthian church has two major problems. Firstly, there were false prophets claiming to be 'super apostles’ (2 Cor 11:5). It creates envy for people around them. Secondly, these people apparently created ‘value-added’ services to the preaching of the gospels for a fee (2 Cor 11:7). In contrast, Paul argues that he gave all of himself in the preaching (without charge) of the gospel, even ‘robbing’ other churches’ contributions to his ministry to serve them! Yet, Paul's way of overcoming pressures is simply to be able to 'boast in the Lord.'

Our Modern Pressures
Pressures are a normal thing in our modern society. We are prone to all kinds of pressures. Patrick Morley lists several modern pressures in his book "The Seven Seasons of a Man's Life." We experience performance pressure to be constantly meeting our goals and expectations from organizations, family and friends. We grapple with technological pressure when we try to do new projects with older existing equipment. We face corporate downsizing pressure in the light of cost cuts and bottom lines, often forcing every worker to do-more-with-less. We suffer from communications pressure when trying to allow individuals to work at their pace while expecting them to work within a community like environments. For those who are constantly on the move, they face traveling pressure that requires them to spend long stretches of time without their family or regular social environments. Then there is the business-deal pressure which many tries to strike a balance between profits and bottom-line thinking; distinguishing competition and cooperation; long-term vs short-term; and trying to explore new opportunities without exploiting the weak and the poor. Are the pressures faced by Paul the Apostle any different from the stresses of a typical person in modern business attire? I believe that the pressures may be the similar in many ways. However, the key difference lie in the MOTIVATION behind handling the pressures.

How do we handle pressure?
For Paul, it is clearly not materialistic in origin but that joy in the Lord. Many years ago, I learned that JOY is actually an acronym for putting Jesus first, then Others, then Yourself. At that time, I thought it was such a wonderful way to know what brings joy. Over the years, I develop an alternative, which I will share it with you. J.O.Y. is a term that comprises a noun, a verb and an adjective.

J – Journey (a noun)
Remember that whatever pressures we face, it is but a part of the journey we have been called to travel on. It could be short. It could be long. As long as it is traveling in the direction toward God, the journey will be worthwhile. Paul longs to be with Christ, yet for the fact that he feels he has a calling, he endures the pain and struggles. "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Phil 1:21)

O – Obey (a verb)
This verb is a doing aspect of our spiritual life. Apart from trust, ‘obey’ is the next most important action we have to do for God. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Better to obey one step in the Lord, instead of pretending to make one hundred self-centered steps and claiming them to be done in the name of the Lord. Paul's desire to serve is out of obedience to his calling. A prayerful person will know what instructions to obey. If we are actively obeying God, we will not be constantly caught up with the worries of the world.

Y – Yearning (an adjective)
This adjective is a great treasure of the early spiritual masters. What could encourage people to sell all they have, to give everything to the poor and to follow Christ? The early Christian saint St Antony of Egypt (251-356) is one such person. He became the father of monasticism from which we get our modern universities. It has been said that without monasticism, Western civilization would not have survived after the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century. He yearns for God so much that giving up becomes a no-brainer. It is like when one person is deeply in love, he does not mind splurging on a lavish dinner on his beloved.

Overcome any pressure with joy. Consider this practice of seeing our life as a journey, obeying the Word and above all, totally yearn for God so much that everything else on this earth is secondary to the primary goal: Seeking God. May the pressures that you encounter at work, at home or anywhere else be considered secondary, compared to the all surpassing joy and peace found in Christ Jesus our Lord. Helen Keller encourages us with this:

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. (Helen Keller)"

Thought: What are the outward and inward pressures of your life? How are you overcoming it? Are you doing so out of bitterness and using worldly wisdom? Or are you overcoming them with J.O.Y?

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jer 29:13, NIV)

sabbathwalk

Making Space

"Be still and know that I am God." (Ps 46:10)

We live in a world where busyness is a virtue. Many even call it a good thing. Society holds it as a prime example of meaning of life. One is only useful when one is busy. In fact, busyness can easily fills up any empty schedule on our day timers, or calendars. For the paranoid, having an empty schedule is abnormal. Busyness is a common cliché among working adults. This is almost the same as the response to “How are you today?” Some say: “Fine, how about yourself?” Others can also say, “I’ve been busy, of course.” In my encounters with various individuals, there are several reasons (at least five) why people use the word ‘busy.’

Firstly, it can be used to repel any attention, especially unwanted ones. It is like a girl trying to shun unwanted suitors seeking to ask her out on a date. As much as there are people in the world who are appealing to us, there are also those who absolutely turn us off. I remember watching a movie where an irritating man seeks to get closer to a beautiful woman at a party. He hinted to her that he has been watching her the whole night from a corner of the ballroom. The lady curtly replied: “Really. I’m busy right now. You can go back to that corner and continue watching.”

Secondly, it is a common device to keep our private lives separate from public domain. It is like saying: “Do not ask me anything else, because I have no time to share more details with you.” Sometimes, even among close colleagues in the office, people do not share as readily as they wanted to, simply because they prefer to keep their private lives away from nosy people. Moreover, in a competitive world, one will never know if others in the office are seeking to play politics using private information.

Thirdly, busyness is also due to mindless overwork. In any situation where an employee is insecure, there is a tendency to take on more work than necessary just to prove a point. Too much work, too little time and inadequate rest are three potent ingredients for concocting eventual self-destruction. The Chinese word for ‘busy’ has the radical word ‘heart’ on the left, and ‘death’ on the right. Put together, busy is literally 'killing the heart.' I have previous expounded on the word in my other blog here.

Fourthly, busyness is simply a word to stay superficial. It is too risky to open up ourselves to so many people. ‘Better to be safe than sorry’ is the philosophy of such people. In fact, this has to do with age as well. I notice that the older one gets, the fewer close friends one has. One may have many acquaintances but friends are few in number. Chances are the older one is, the more selective one becomes when choosing between friends and acquaintances.

Finally, I will suggest that busyness is simply because we have lost track of the need for space. Even worse, we have become uncomfortable with space just like we feel uncomfortable in a group when no one is talking. This state of discomfort is a symptom of our restlessness. We choose to put busy activities into our lives in order to feel fulfilled. We feel that doing nothing in itself is a waste of time. So we fill up our lives with all kinds of activities, sometimes without much thought. It reminds me of a buffet, where one piles up food to fill every corner of the plate simply because one seeks to maximize the dollar paid. Unfortunately, when we are too busy, we lose track of what we are doing, and we fail to adequately communicate clearly to others. One may type a lot of letters on the computer keyboard, but without the space in between words, there is no meaning. George White’s example above tells us the importance of space. Think about what kind of space you are giving yourself during times of stress and busyness. Have you been taking time to rest and make space for more important matters? For loved ones? For God? When was the last time you simply take time off to read the Bible patiently? Pray without rushing for time? Have you had coffee with a friend without constantly checking the clock? When is the last time you actually celebrate the Sabbath? When did you last do your Sabbath walk? Remembering the Sabbath is a way of making space. Once a week.

Thought: It is important to make space for God and people. Have you ever thought about fasting from email or Internet once a week, so that you can make some space? Try it.

sabbathwalk

Sharing our Daily Bread

When the seven years of plenty which had been in the land of Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said, then there was famine in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. (Gen 41:53-54, NIV)

The story of Joseph and his adventures has always been very fascinating. It is a story of one man, who has had many doors closed to him, and each time that happens, a window opens up. It has often been said that when God closes a door, he opens a window somewhere. If we have eyes that we will see, we will see light coming in the midst of darkness. If we have ears that will listen, we will hear despite the gloomy silence, a sweet melody of hope. In Joseph, we see a person badly treated by his brothers, unjustly blamed for a sexual offense he did not commit and as one who did not receive his fair deal even after interpreting dreams for two of his clients. In every instance, where there is a famine arising out of failed plans and unmet expectations, there is a glimmer of hope, from the finger of God. Like the land suffering from seven harsh years of famine, in Egypt and only in Egypt, there was bread. Before we jump too quickly to think that Egypt is the Saviour of the land at that time, note how Egypt received their blessings in the first place; through Joseph.

Not by Industry, Nor by Luck but by God’s Wisdom
The bread was not obtained merely from the hard work of the people at that time. After-all, the famine destroyed all the land. No land. No jobs. No food. Whatever food available is certainly not out of nowhere, for the huge food reserves in Egypt were collected meticulously due to God's wisdom that has been imparted to Joseph. In other words, without God, Egypt will perish with all the rest of the nations at that time. We can take a leaf from the lessons of Egypt and Israel. Seven years of prosperity is quickly followed by seven years of famine. This is what I call the 7-year cycle. The comforting thing is that regardless of prosperity or famine, God provides the food not only for his people, but for all who lived on the land. Throughout the years of prosperity, the people were too busy building their careers. Yet, Joseph was quietly storing up food, anticipating the 7-year famine while the rest are oblivious to the potentially devastating food crisis.

During these bleak economic times, those of us who have stored up reserves, be willing to share with those in dire straits, or to give out more to assist the needy. Put aside past grievances. Let the grace of God flow out through you. Open up your storehouses and share what God has blessed you. Let not any act of grace become an act of ungrace by holding others to ransom. Exercise grace by basic generosity that is laced with the love of God. Let your material possessions point people toward the God who has given you all things. Hopefully, as they enjoy the bread to sustain their basic livelihood, they will be led to seek the One who provides all the bread in the first place. Pray that as Christians, (who are generally more affluent,) feed the hunger, quench the thirsty and comfort the sick or the weak, more people will be led to the Giver of life, the Author of our faith and the Provider of everlasting Bread. Despite the famine of the land, there was bread in the storehouses of Egypt. Likewise, in the midst of an economic crisis, may people from all walks of life, all religious faith come to know that there will be bread, the bread of love in the storehouses of God’s people. Let this love for people stretch farther than one’s love for material goods. May the love for God overcome any desire to hoard things up for our selfish consumption. In doing so, even as we deplete our current material stocks, take comfort that we are storing up treasures in heaven, each time we give to the kingdom of God.

“It is possible to give without loving, but it is impossible to love without giving.” (Richard Braunstein)

Thought: John Wesley once said about money, "Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” Earn, save, then give. Perhaps, when it comes to love, shouldn’t we reverse it? (ie give, save and earn)

sabbathwalk