Monday, 24th January 2011, 23:35 hrs
Most of us generally do not quite know what to do when a person bursts out in anger. Similarly, some of us are not quite sure what to do or say in the presence of a hurting person, particularly when he or she cries. Perhaps, most of us are made to avoid the extreme. But anger, depending on its context, may or may not be appropriate; at times it may even be wrong. 'Tears' should not be equated with 'crying', for 'tears' are usually a chemical response of our biological make-up that is linked to our psychological make-up. While anger is oftentimes viewed more negatively, 'tears', and even for that matter, 'crying' are not. I shall here talk a little about anger.
So when is anger appropriate, inappropriate, wrong? Why do I not ask when it is 'right'? Perhaps, I should say, as far as I know, anger is often judged by its expression. For example, anger at injustice is appropriate. But what are its expressions? We may say that anger at social inequality is appropriate, or even right, but violent expressions that result in the destruction of public property and even the loss of life would be wholly wrong. In this connection, the angry expression itself has become unjust.
But we cannot confine our discussion only to the violent expression of anger. Expressions of anger can take various forms, one of which is verbal while others might be psychological. Whatever it is, we need to ask what causes the anger. Anger again can be due to so many possibilities. But supposing we take the example of a man who gets angry because he fails to get what he wants. He then turns that anger into verbal abuse of those from whom he failed to obtain what he has hoped to obtain. Somehow, nothing appeases him and so he resorts to physically hurting those he thought ought to give him what he wanted. This sort of anger is childish and pertains to that of selfish and personal realm.
There are those who become angry at the establishment for the plight of the socially marginalised. They took to the streets and picketed against the authorities. However, nothing seemed to improve and so finally they decided to go on a rampage of burning and destroying public property. This sort of anger is just anger but its result or expression has not been desirable. There are those who become angry at a policy, to which they turn to address and redress the issue that is causing unnecessary hardship to the people. But nothing changes. They then take the matter further by seeking to address the issue in a civilised manner. Though they are angry, the turn their anger into strength and find the appropriate expression of that anger.
The above concerns anger in terms of a person or persons either wanting something or trying to address a social issue. But we do witness angry people almost daily, and none of the cases of anger that we have witnessed may not even be remotely related to social issues. We see anger at work, at home, in schools, among and between colleagues, between friends, etc. One of such expression can be seen in people who hold dear to certain conflicting ideas. And it is here that very often anger gets exhibited.
Proverbs 25.28 says 'Like a city that is broken into and without walls, is a man who has no control over his spirit'. This verse in fact refers to anger in general. And the author likens a person without self-control to a city broken into. This is no exaggeration, for if we compare a person to a city, then to govern a city requires that the governer be thoughtful, makes his plans and executes his plans with care. Without any proper management a city will lose its economic edge, and gets broken into easily. By comparing a person's spirit (over here the original really means one's anger) to a city, the author is showing that anger or its control is of utmost importance to a person's success, in addition to his overall well being. Thus if a person has no control of his anger, he would be like a city broken into.
Expressions of anger may be assessed according to its consequences. We at least read of such an account in the Gospels, about Jesus turning the tables of the money-changers and whipping those who sold various items in the temple precincts. We do not know the full details of the actual story; what we do know is that the act or physically violent action of Jesus is explained with these words, 'This house is a house of prayer; but you have turned it into a robbers' den'. If we were to look at this incident from the point of 'civility', then what Jesus did certainly failed to be 'appropriate'. However, given the context of the socially marginalised then, and the openly abusive attitude of the temple authorities towards God's temple and the poor, what Jesus did was what nothing better could have been done, and what nobody would have done. In that regard, Jesus has done something no one has the moral courage to perform.
Having said some of the above, we may return to the verse in Proverbs. What it says here is in fact a reference to a general hot-tempered, aggressive person. It does not take into consideration the nature of the anger. Its point here is the 'lack of self-control'. Thus it is our daily life that is in view here. We need therefore to consider the verse on a personal level, and apply the wisdom of the verse to ourselves, and so cultivate in ourselves a sense of self-control, if we indeed do not wish to be a city broken into.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
A Prayer for Peace
Saturday, 29th January 2011, 23:04 hrs
O God of love, mercy and peace, grant that the social unrest in Egypt, the political uncertainty, the animosity between the people and the government may soon come to an end. Let bloodshed, loss of life, hatred, distrust, be removed; let there be grace, mercy, justice and peace in this great land.
Peace is difficult in this fallen and complex world. So dear Lord and father of humankind, forgive us our foolish ways, and fill us with kindness in place of hatred; pardon in place of injury; trust in place of suspicion; hope in place of despair; light in place of darkness; joy in place of sadness. Grant that we may learn to give instead of asking to receive, to pardon instead of seeking to accuse, and to sacrifice for the sake of peace, forgiveness and love, mercy and justice.
We are alienated from one another, because we are primarily and intrinsically alienated from you. Lord, in your mercy come to us through your Holy Spirit, for dark is the hour. We need your filling, your love and your mighty power. Live now among us, rule over us, guide us, we pray. Make the very presence of your very self become a reality in our world, through us, your chosen children.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. Amen.
O God of love, mercy and peace, grant that the social unrest in Egypt, the political uncertainty, the animosity between the people and the government may soon come to an end. Let bloodshed, loss of life, hatred, distrust, be removed; let there be grace, mercy, justice and peace in this great land.
Peace is difficult in this fallen and complex world. So dear Lord and father of humankind, forgive us our foolish ways, and fill us with kindness in place of hatred; pardon in place of injury; trust in place of suspicion; hope in place of despair; light in place of darkness; joy in place of sadness. Grant that we may learn to give instead of asking to receive, to pardon instead of seeking to accuse, and to sacrifice for the sake of peace, forgiveness and love, mercy and justice.
We are alienated from one another, because we are primarily and intrinsically alienated from you. Lord, in your mercy come to us through your Holy Spirit, for dark is the hour. We need your filling, your love and your mighty power. Live now among us, rule over us, guide us, we pray. Make the very presence of your very self become a reality in our world, through us, your chosen children.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer. Amen.
Praying for Consolation
Sunday, 30th January 2011, 15:28 hrs
'"Comfort, comfort my people", says the Lord' (Isaiah 40.1), with this word of the Holy Scriptures, we, believers across the world, and saints militant and saints triumphant, commend before thy holy throne the very broken-hearted. We remember those who have lost their loved ones through natural disasters, illnesses, wars, results of social injustices, and through old age.
Many of these are sorrowing, dear loving and gracious Lord. Grant thy presence this day, and bring to their hearts a sense of thine own co-suffering with them. In thy mercy, mayest thou visit these your creatures, be they professed believers or otherwise. Be with them by supporting them, and strengthen their feeble feet and lift up their downcast spirits. We are reminded of what the psalmist of long ago has once said, 'Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his people' (Psalm 116.15). Lord, in thy mercy hear our prayer.
Many suffer from broken families, and have no one to turn to. Lord, visit them today and be their father, as thou art our heavenly father. Reconcile those husbands and wives who, for reasons we are incapable of understanding, have been torn apart. Fill the hearts of those children who are innocent victims of divorce and separation. Lord, in thy mercy hear our prayer.
We remember those whose relationships are broken. Some are due to unbridgable gaps and irresolvable differences, some cultural, some religious, some ideological; others are due to physical violence; still others illnesses...Lord, the list never ends and, thou in thy sovereign knowledge knowest all things. Thou holdest the world in thy holy hand, and knowest each one who is hurting. Mend these hearts, dear Lord, and supply them well being of their emotions. Lord, in thy mercy hear our prayer.
There are some in the society who feel so hopeless because of different kinds of failure. Some career, some academic, some familial, some social...whatever it be, we pray for these thine own creatures and ask for thine consolation upon them during the festive season of the Lunar New Year. Lord, in thy mercy hear our prayer.
Last but not least, we pray for the lonely, the socially marginalised and rejected, and for those lonely souls in churches worldwide, that thy divine friendship may be extended to them and so fill their hearts with a sense of thy divine purpose, that they may experience the joy of thy salvation. Lord, in thy mercy hear our prayer.
Mayest thou O Lord go before us, to lead us; be behind us, to guard our lives; be on our left and our right, to guide us; be above us, to watch over us; be beneath us, to support us. By thy presence in this manner, we pray that we may become thine instruments of thy divine light in this world of darkness. May glory, honour and blessing be thine, now and always. Amen.
'"Comfort, comfort my people", says the Lord' (Isaiah 40.1), with this word of the Holy Scriptures, we, believers across the world, and saints militant and saints triumphant, commend before thy holy throne the very broken-hearted. We remember those who have lost their loved ones through natural disasters, illnesses, wars, results of social injustices, and through old age.
Many of these are sorrowing, dear loving and gracious Lord. Grant thy presence this day, and bring to their hearts a sense of thine own co-suffering with them. In thy mercy, mayest thou visit these your creatures, be they professed believers or otherwise. Be with them by supporting them, and strengthen their feeble feet and lift up their downcast spirits. We are reminded of what the psalmist of long ago has once said, 'Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his people' (Psalm 116.15). Lord, in thy mercy hear our prayer.
Many suffer from broken families, and have no one to turn to. Lord, visit them today and be their father, as thou art our heavenly father. Reconcile those husbands and wives who, for reasons we are incapable of understanding, have been torn apart. Fill the hearts of those children who are innocent victims of divorce and separation. Lord, in thy mercy hear our prayer.
We remember those whose relationships are broken. Some are due to unbridgable gaps and irresolvable differences, some cultural, some religious, some ideological; others are due to physical violence; still others illnesses...Lord, the list never ends and, thou in thy sovereign knowledge knowest all things. Thou holdest the world in thy holy hand, and knowest each one who is hurting. Mend these hearts, dear Lord, and supply them well being of their emotions. Lord, in thy mercy hear our prayer.
There are some in the society who feel so hopeless because of different kinds of failure. Some career, some academic, some familial, some social...whatever it be, we pray for these thine own creatures and ask for thine consolation upon them during the festive season of the Lunar New Year. Lord, in thy mercy hear our prayer.
Last but not least, we pray for the lonely, the socially marginalised and rejected, and for those lonely souls in churches worldwide, that thy divine friendship may be extended to them and so fill their hearts with a sense of thy divine purpose, that they may experience the joy of thy salvation. Lord, in thy mercy hear our prayer.
Mayest thou O Lord go before us, to lead us; be behind us, to guard our lives; be on our left and our right, to guide us; be above us, to watch over us; be beneath us, to support us. By thy presence in this manner, we pray that we may become thine instruments of thy divine light in this world of darkness. May glory, honour and blessing be thine, now and always. Amen.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
On Learning New Testament Greek
Friday, 11th February 2011, 00:43 hrs
Language studies are never easy. This is a reality for anyone wanting to learn a language, which is compounded if one is older. And the difficulty further intensifies when one seeks to learn a language which is of a different linguistic family, without a good basic command of one of the languages of that linguistic family under which the new language is to be acquired.
When it comes to learning Greek, I am grateful that a good command of English over the many years preceding Greek learning was of enormous value to me. Still, it was not easy when I first set myself on learning the language. The last nearly ten years of teaching both introductory and advanced Greek have served as ingredients for reflection. Some general principles have somehow surfaced again and again in the course of my own personal history of teaching Greek. The first is that one must have a love or, if you like, passion for languages in general, and Greek in particular. For it would be foolhardy to try and learn something in which one has no interest, only distaste.
The second principle is time. Let us face it. Even when one has a good memory, it would not suffice without the time necessary to commit basic vocabulary, grammar and the like to memory. And while some people are endowed with a vast memory, most of us are not. Thus, it is necessary for those of us who want to study the Greek language, and I am here referring to New Testament Greek, to be realistic in terms of time. We have to ensure that we have time, time when we will be mostly fresh and not tired, to study the language.
The third principle is discipline. Language studies usually are made up of about 10%-20% of classroom instruction, the rest being one's own revision and hard labour. This includes going through the study material before each new lesson. Those students of New Testament Greek who think that they can simply sit and wait, passively that is, each week for the instructor to drill them will only be disappointed. And worse still if students care only for marks or grades - a sure and guaranteed sign of failure to successfully acquire the language to the point of being able to use it! Thus the principle of discipline here includes that of putting aside 'grades'.
The fourth principle is the refusal to make comparisons. The comparisons here take two levels. On one level, students must never compare themselves with their classmates. For you only get two possible results: you will either become complacent and very soon stop learning if you compare with someone weaker, or feel helpless and totally discouraged if you compare with someone far better. This sort of comparison itself reflects an unhealthy attitude. Such a comparison will likely generate jealousy or self-abasement, both of which are quite unncessary. The other level of comparison students should avoid is that between different instructors of Greek. In most established seminaries there will usually be a few instructors of different languages. But they are of different levels of competence, measured to some extent by their qualifications and/or experience. And seldom do you have the opportunity of studying the same course under two different instructors, unless both are teaching a same class at the same time, which is an absurd and non-extant situation! This being the case, students who make comparisons between different instructors of the same language tend to do so on the basis of hearsay. This will only spell trouble for their own learning.
There is yet another principle, that of not whining and groaning incessantly. The current class of students should beware of the psychological danger petulant whining can have on themselves and others. Psychologically, according to David Burns who wrote the by now popular book Feeling Good, what we say to ourselves directly affects us emotionally, which further affects our actions. In language learning, whining and groaning serve the same function and will only lead to increasing difficulty in the learning process itself.
How then can I learn Greek with joy? I think if we observe the above few principles, the joy of learning Greek will come naturally, without us pretending its presence. With this, I wish all students of NT Greek the best in their learning.
May God help you!
Language studies are never easy. This is a reality for anyone wanting to learn a language, which is compounded if one is older. And the difficulty further intensifies when one seeks to learn a language which is of a different linguistic family, without a good basic command of one of the languages of that linguistic family under which the new language is to be acquired.
When it comes to learning Greek, I am grateful that a good command of English over the many years preceding Greek learning was of enormous value to me. Still, it was not easy when I first set myself on learning the language. The last nearly ten years of teaching both introductory and advanced Greek have served as ingredients for reflection. Some general principles have somehow surfaced again and again in the course of my own personal history of teaching Greek. The first is that one must have a love or, if you like, passion for languages in general, and Greek in particular. For it would be foolhardy to try and learn something in which one has no interest, only distaste.
The second principle is time. Let us face it. Even when one has a good memory, it would not suffice without the time necessary to commit basic vocabulary, grammar and the like to memory. And while some people are endowed with a vast memory, most of us are not. Thus, it is necessary for those of us who want to study the Greek language, and I am here referring to New Testament Greek, to be realistic in terms of time. We have to ensure that we have time, time when we will be mostly fresh and not tired, to study the language.
The third principle is discipline. Language studies usually are made up of about 10%-20% of classroom instruction, the rest being one's own revision and hard labour. This includes going through the study material before each new lesson. Those students of New Testament Greek who think that they can simply sit and wait, passively that is, each week for the instructor to drill them will only be disappointed. And worse still if students care only for marks or grades - a sure and guaranteed sign of failure to successfully acquire the language to the point of being able to use it! Thus the principle of discipline here includes that of putting aside 'grades'.
The fourth principle is the refusal to make comparisons. The comparisons here take two levels. On one level, students must never compare themselves with their classmates. For you only get two possible results: you will either become complacent and very soon stop learning if you compare with someone weaker, or feel helpless and totally discouraged if you compare with someone far better. This sort of comparison itself reflects an unhealthy attitude. Such a comparison will likely generate jealousy or self-abasement, both of which are quite unncessary. The other level of comparison students should avoid is that between different instructors of Greek. In most established seminaries there will usually be a few instructors of different languages. But they are of different levels of competence, measured to some extent by their qualifications and/or experience. And seldom do you have the opportunity of studying the same course under two different instructors, unless both are teaching a same class at the same time, which is an absurd and non-extant situation! This being the case, students who make comparisons between different instructors of the same language tend to do so on the basis of hearsay. This will only spell trouble for their own learning.
There is yet another principle, that of not whining and groaning incessantly. The current class of students should beware of the psychological danger petulant whining can have on themselves and others. Psychologically, according to David Burns who wrote the by now popular book Feeling Good, what we say to ourselves directly affects us emotionally, which further affects our actions. In language learning, whining and groaning serve the same function and will only lead to increasing difficulty in the learning process itself.
How then can I learn Greek with joy? I think if we observe the above few principles, the joy of learning Greek will come naturally, without us pretending its presence. With this, I wish all students of NT Greek the best in their learning.
May God help you!
On the Passing of a Friend...
Saturday, 19th February 2011, 23:39 hrs
This week has been a busy one. Apart from work there were all kinds of news about things, people and friends. One of the most shocking news is the death of a fellow student during our days in Trinity Theological College, Singapore. Mee Hwa joined Trinity a year after me. I met her a couple of times while we were both in the Republic of Singapore Air Force, where she was an officer while I was an aircraft mechanic. We met once at the Christians' Fellowship and a couple more times, but without ever really having a chat till we met again in Trinity.
While in Trinity Mee Hwa eventually started dating a fellow student and they got married after our graduation. They went off to an Asian country; if I'm not wrong it was either Vietnam or Cambodia as missionaries. Ever since our graduation all our classmates hardly ever met again, as we were all deep into our respective ministries. I never heard about Mee Hwa, except that she had a child and later the family had to move back to Singapore as she wasn't well. That was many years ago. And the next time I heard was early this week, and the news was that she had passed away.
I cannot believe it. What do I mean by 'it'? I suppose we should not be too surprised by the passing of friends and loved ones, since life is simply so uncertain. However, it's natural that we do not quite expect someone young to die suddenly. Similarly, we are often not too surprised when we hear about a 90-year-old passing away. Still, very often when someone dies, it is not so much the death of a life alone that saddens our hearts. Oftentimes it is the loss of a relationship. That is why we do not feel so affected when someone we don't quite know passes away. For we are not related to him or her. Yes, we feel a sense of tragedy, even sorrow, when we heard of the deaths of many thousands in the Asian Tsunami in 2004 or the catastrophic earthquake in Sichuan in 2008. This sort of emotion often arises out of a sense of our common humanity and a sense of solidarity with our fellow humans elsewhere. But we are usually not directly connected, if we have no friends or relatives involved in the tragedy. Though I understand life is short, I cannot believe 'it', id est how 'transient' life is!
Indeed, as humans we are all connected. But when we are related in varying degrees we would have some emotions when news of a friend's passing reaches us. And we would react or respond differently, according to our personalities. So for example, no one in the world ever expected Natalie would pass away at such a tender age of 28, and in such a tragic manner. Even I her husband never ever thought or imagined, even now, that she would pass away at the height of her academic achievements and career, when we were so much and deeply in love, enjoying our best times together as husband and wife, and just when she was so healthy. These are some thoughts that flashed across my mind as I read the email of a friend informing me of Mee Hwa's passing.
Her husband Wai Mung, an Anglican pastor and a fellow alumnus of Trinity whom I know well too wrote a mass email this week. His sorrow no one will ever understand. I realised his email ended with a note: 'This is my last note out to you which is of this nature...', that is somehow so similar to my note to some friends after Natalie's death. I recall the depth of sorrow simply would not allow me to write again of her death. Even as I now write so briefly about Nat's death it once again cuts my heart so deeply... And so I could sense Wai Mung's loss, sorrow and sense of hopeless...
Early this trimester we heard about the sudden illness of a part-time lecturer. She was well and had just visited the States. Upon her return she started experiencing bad diarrhoea, which eventually was diagnosed to be last-stage cancer of the liver with metastasis to the intestines. She passed away in a month plus.
As I ponder over the question of life, I am reminded of what the psalmist says, 'Lord, teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom' (Psalm 90.12). A verse in the Wisdom Literature tells us that '(I)t is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for this is the end of everyone' (Eccl 7.2). Further a few verses down, the author of Ecclesiastes says, 'The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning...' (Eccl 2.4). We all face death, and we do so alone. We may have a loved one holding our hand as we breathe our last. Still, we do so alone and leave the one holding our hand behind. Nor can our loved one accompany us for a short distance.
Thus perhaps we all need to learn 'sorrow', for we're told 'sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad' (Eccl 7.3). We may wonder why 'sorrow' is better. After all, doesn't the scripture tell us to rejoice? It's necessary for us to understand that the author of Ecclesiastes refers to laughter, not joy, for laughter denotes or connotes a celebratory expression of merry-making, with wine, dance and small talk, without any depth of life. And it is only when believers visit the house of mourning, feel the sadness of fellow humans or believers, do they realise that their sorrow is only temporary and so the heart is made glad. For we realise that while the death of a person in Christ saddens our hearts, he or she in fact passes from life into death, and then from death into life. Though tears will be many, one day they will be no more.
It is when we come face to face with death, indeed through the death of a friend or a loved one, do we gather together and sorrow together, and so express our common humanity.
Though our hearts may be wrenched, we are grateful that 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones' (Psalm 116.15), and that 'he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more,...' (Rev 21.4). Meanwhile, as we sojourn in this world our tears are stored in God's bottle, which he fully shares (Psalm 56.8). Indeed, the three verses are all concerned about sorrow and tears. They validate human pain and suffering and bring to our attention the gracious suffering of God with humanity. Psalm 116.15 speaks of God treasuring the death of believers. Some die by murder, others by war; some by illness, others by natural disaster; some by accident, others by their own hand; whatever manner in which a believer may die, the Lord cares about it. And since the Lord cares about and treasures the death of believers we who believe in the Lord must not utter anything that belittles the death of any person.
Similarly, the fact that the Lord says he will wipe away every tear from the believers' eyes at the parousia shows that sorrow and tears are God's natural endowment for humans to cope with pain and loss. But by wiping away every tear, the author of Revelation is in fact telling us that the Lord will remove the source of all mourning and crying - death and all its components such as illnesses and the like. And finally, the psalmist says the Lord has kept account of his tossings and put his tears in a bottle. We know those who have suffered major losses have difficulty falling asleep. I have personally experienced absolute insomnia in the first year of my loss, without one single night of undisturbed sleep, and subsequently many years of tossing in bed every night. This verse speaks of God being awake with us, and carefully taking note and recording our suffering. He witnesses our tears and does not reject them. Instead he keeps them in a bottle. This picture is beautiful and reflective of 'tears' as something precious and that God treasures them. Every drop of tear is not a waste and should not be wasted - thus he keeps it in a bottle.
As we encounter each day our humanity, let us turn to the God of all comfort and mercy. Before him we can pour our sorrow and cry the tears of hopelessness. For our God is a God who sorrows with us.
This week has been a busy one. Apart from work there were all kinds of news about things, people and friends. One of the most shocking news is the death of a fellow student during our days in Trinity Theological College, Singapore. Mee Hwa joined Trinity a year after me. I met her a couple of times while we were both in the Republic of Singapore Air Force, where she was an officer while I was an aircraft mechanic. We met once at the Christians' Fellowship and a couple more times, but without ever really having a chat till we met again in Trinity.
While in Trinity Mee Hwa eventually started dating a fellow student and they got married after our graduation. They went off to an Asian country; if I'm not wrong it was either Vietnam or Cambodia as missionaries. Ever since our graduation all our classmates hardly ever met again, as we were all deep into our respective ministries. I never heard about Mee Hwa, except that she had a child and later the family had to move back to Singapore as she wasn't well. That was many years ago. And the next time I heard was early this week, and the news was that she had passed away.
I cannot believe it. What do I mean by 'it'? I suppose we should not be too surprised by the passing of friends and loved ones, since life is simply so uncertain. However, it's natural that we do not quite expect someone young to die suddenly. Similarly, we are often not too surprised when we hear about a 90-year-old passing away. Still, very often when someone dies, it is not so much the death of a life alone that saddens our hearts. Oftentimes it is the loss of a relationship. That is why we do not feel so affected when someone we don't quite know passes away. For we are not related to him or her. Yes, we feel a sense of tragedy, even sorrow, when we heard of the deaths of many thousands in the Asian Tsunami in 2004 or the catastrophic earthquake in Sichuan in 2008. This sort of emotion often arises out of a sense of our common humanity and a sense of solidarity with our fellow humans elsewhere. But we are usually not directly connected, if we have no friends or relatives involved in the tragedy. Though I understand life is short, I cannot believe 'it', id est how 'transient' life is!
Indeed, as humans we are all connected. But when we are related in varying degrees we would have some emotions when news of a friend's passing reaches us. And we would react or respond differently, according to our personalities. So for example, no one in the world ever expected Natalie would pass away at such a tender age of 28, and in such a tragic manner. Even I her husband never ever thought or imagined, even now, that she would pass away at the height of her academic achievements and career, when we were so much and deeply in love, enjoying our best times together as husband and wife, and just when she was so healthy. These are some thoughts that flashed across my mind as I read the email of a friend informing me of Mee Hwa's passing.
Her husband Wai Mung, an Anglican pastor and a fellow alumnus of Trinity whom I know well too wrote a mass email this week. His sorrow no one will ever understand. I realised his email ended with a note: 'This is my last note out to you which is of this nature...', that is somehow so similar to my note to some friends after Natalie's death. I recall the depth of sorrow simply would not allow me to write again of her death. Even as I now write so briefly about Nat's death it once again cuts my heart so deeply... And so I could sense Wai Mung's loss, sorrow and sense of hopeless...
Early this trimester we heard about the sudden illness of a part-time lecturer. She was well and had just visited the States. Upon her return she started experiencing bad diarrhoea, which eventually was diagnosed to be last-stage cancer of the liver with metastasis to the intestines. She passed away in a month plus.
As I ponder over the question of life, I am reminded of what the psalmist says, 'Lord, teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom' (Psalm 90.12). A verse in the Wisdom Literature tells us that '(I)t is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for this is the end of everyone' (Eccl 7.2). Further a few verses down, the author of Ecclesiastes says, 'The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning...' (Eccl 2.4). We all face death, and we do so alone. We may have a loved one holding our hand as we breathe our last. Still, we do so alone and leave the one holding our hand behind. Nor can our loved one accompany us for a short distance.
Thus perhaps we all need to learn 'sorrow', for we're told 'sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad' (Eccl 7.3). We may wonder why 'sorrow' is better. After all, doesn't the scripture tell us to rejoice? It's necessary for us to understand that the author of Ecclesiastes refers to laughter, not joy, for laughter denotes or connotes a celebratory expression of merry-making, with wine, dance and small talk, without any depth of life. And it is only when believers visit the house of mourning, feel the sadness of fellow humans or believers, do they realise that their sorrow is only temporary and so the heart is made glad. For we realise that while the death of a person in Christ saddens our hearts, he or she in fact passes from life into death, and then from death into life. Though tears will be many, one day they will be no more.
It is when we come face to face with death, indeed through the death of a friend or a loved one, do we gather together and sorrow together, and so express our common humanity.
Though our hearts may be wrenched, we are grateful that 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones' (Psalm 116.15), and that 'he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more,...' (Rev 21.4). Meanwhile, as we sojourn in this world our tears are stored in God's bottle, which he fully shares (Psalm 56.8). Indeed, the three verses are all concerned about sorrow and tears. They validate human pain and suffering and bring to our attention the gracious suffering of God with humanity. Psalm 116.15 speaks of God treasuring the death of believers. Some die by murder, others by war; some by illness, others by natural disaster; some by accident, others by their own hand; whatever manner in which a believer may die, the Lord cares about it. And since the Lord cares about and treasures the death of believers we who believe in the Lord must not utter anything that belittles the death of any person.
Similarly, the fact that the Lord says he will wipe away every tear from the believers' eyes at the parousia shows that sorrow and tears are God's natural endowment for humans to cope with pain and loss. But by wiping away every tear, the author of Revelation is in fact telling us that the Lord will remove the source of all mourning and crying - death and all its components such as illnesses and the like. And finally, the psalmist says the Lord has kept account of his tossings and put his tears in a bottle. We know those who have suffered major losses have difficulty falling asleep. I have personally experienced absolute insomnia in the first year of my loss, without one single night of undisturbed sleep, and subsequently many years of tossing in bed every night. This verse speaks of God being awake with us, and carefully taking note and recording our suffering. He witnesses our tears and does not reject them. Instead he keeps them in a bottle. This picture is beautiful and reflective of 'tears' as something precious and that God treasures them. Every drop of tear is not a waste and should not be wasted - thus he keeps it in a bottle.
As we encounter each day our humanity, let us turn to the God of all comfort and mercy. Before him we can pour our sorrow and cry the tears of hopelessness. For our God is a God who sorrows with us.
Lord, Have Mercy...
Friday, 11th March 2011, 20:32 hrs
Our loving heavenly father,
We acknowledge that thou art the Creator, and we thy creatures. Before thy very presence we stand condemned and unjustified, if not for thy unconditional love, long-suffering, and mercy towards us in and through thy son Jesus the Christ. Since the fall of humanity we humans have had to bear the consequences of our sin. This evening the earth that has been suffering together with us wrecked havoc once more, this time in Japan, generating a huge tsunami and causing damages and the loss of many lives...
We have heard the news, watched the video clips, and are utterly speechless...
Lord, in thy mercy, watch over Japan.
We bring before thy very throne of mercy the people of Japan. Hearken to the cries of many who have lost loved ones, or whose loved ones are unaccounted for...incline thy loving ears to their call for help, O Lord, and grant them thy divine grace at this hour of pain and sorrow...Lord, in thy mercy, watch over Japan.
Many are injured. Many are devastated. Thousands are traumatised. Countless are cast into despair and confusion. Still more suffer from fear and loss of belongs, property, homes, schools, infra-structure... Many now have to bear the cold in addition to the devastation brought on by the quake and the ensuing tsunami.
We who are far off feel a sense of helplessness. In our common humanity we share the solidarity with our fellows in Japan and cry with them. Lord, in thy mercy, watch over Japan.
Death toll will rise. Disease will spread. Anger will also increase. But needs will be many. Relief efforts will be difficult and many helping hands will be needed. Raise up helpers and direct international relief aid to pour into Japan, that we everywhere may at this time reach out to the people of Japan. Lord, in thy mercy, watch over Japan.
As usual, there will often be after-shocks. It has been reported that Japan fears another quake. O dear Lord of all creation, you who calmed the roaring seas and overcame death, calm the earth and spare many lives. Enable those who monitor to detect quickly any further quakes, if thy created nature should have to rock, and grant that evacuation might proceed with success. Lord, in thy mercy, watch over Japan.
Words cannot fully express the pain and agony of our hearts. Nevertheless, thou knowest all things, for thou hast created all things. The sorrowing hearts are crying everywhere...broken, cruelly torn apart from loved ones, from their dreams, from a life of quiet and comfort...only thou knowest and understandest.
At this very moment, visit thy children, frail as we are, and descend upon Japan and surround the people there with thine own dear presence. Comfort, O comfort thy people; save, O save thy children from the wiles of the world; strengthen, touch, embrace them...in this moment of their horrible pain.
Lord, in thy mercy, watch over Japan.
Amen.
Our loving heavenly father,
We acknowledge that thou art the Creator, and we thy creatures. Before thy very presence we stand condemned and unjustified, if not for thy unconditional love, long-suffering, and mercy towards us in and through thy son Jesus the Christ. Since the fall of humanity we humans have had to bear the consequences of our sin. This evening the earth that has been suffering together with us wrecked havoc once more, this time in Japan, generating a huge tsunami and causing damages and the loss of many lives...
We have heard the news, watched the video clips, and are utterly speechless...
Lord, in thy mercy, watch over Japan.
We bring before thy very throne of mercy the people of Japan. Hearken to the cries of many who have lost loved ones, or whose loved ones are unaccounted for...incline thy loving ears to their call for help, O Lord, and grant them thy divine grace at this hour of pain and sorrow...Lord, in thy mercy, watch over Japan.
Many are injured. Many are devastated. Thousands are traumatised. Countless are cast into despair and confusion. Still more suffer from fear and loss of belongs, property, homes, schools, infra-structure... Many now have to bear the cold in addition to the devastation brought on by the quake and the ensuing tsunami.
We who are far off feel a sense of helplessness. In our common humanity we share the solidarity with our fellows in Japan and cry with them. Lord, in thy mercy, watch over Japan.
Death toll will rise. Disease will spread. Anger will also increase. But needs will be many. Relief efforts will be difficult and many helping hands will be needed. Raise up helpers and direct international relief aid to pour into Japan, that we everywhere may at this time reach out to the people of Japan. Lord, in thy mercy, watch over Japan.
As usual, there will often be after-shocks. It has been reported that Japan fears another quake. O dear Lord of all creation, you who calmed the roaring seas and overcame death, calm the earth and spare many lives. Enable those who monitor to detect quickly any further quakes, if thy created nature should have to rock, and grant that evacuation might proceed with success. Lord, in thy mercy, watch over Japan.
Words cannot fully express the pain and agony of our hearts. Nevertheless, thou knowest all things, for thou hast created all things. The sorrowing hearts are crying everywhere...broken, cruelly torn apart from loved ones, from their dreams, from a life of quiet and comfort...only thou knowest and understandest.
At this very moment, visit thy children, frail as we are, and descend upon Japan and surround the people there with thine own dear presence. Comfort, O comfort thy people; save, O save thy children from the wiles of the world; strengthen, touch, embrace them...in this moment of their horrible pain.
Lord, in thy mercy, watch over Japan.
Amen.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Farewell...
Monday, 19th July 2010, 08:40 hrs...
I was holding on to my mobile, sitting in the guestroom at Trinity while waiting for Freddie...
In fact he had arrived far earlier and tried contacting me by both calling and through short messages, but to no avail. Somehow the M1 prepaid card I was using must have known I was departing and so didn't seem keen to provide me more service...
It's been so long since we had the opportunity to sit and have breakfast this morning, before my departure. Freddie, a good friend for more than 30 years since our secondary school days. He first became displeased with me because of my way of walking and other factors, I suppose. However, he became a Christian and soon was known for his evangelistic fervour. I was soon invited to attend Changi Bethany Church. We later responded, in our own different ways, to the calling of God to full-time Christian ministry.
From an entirely English speaking stream, he ended up in Taiwan for some good ten years, if I'm not wrong, while I, having been educated in an entirely Chinese speaking stream, went to an English speaking church and served for the next four years. Today, we both serve in our different capacities, he as a pastor while I a lecturer in a seminary in Hong Kong.
This morning, we bade farewell... I'm reminded of what Freddie said to me soon after Natalie, my late wife, passed away, that death at times is analogous to a farewell at the airport, in which we say goodbye to our loved ones, while one party is waiting...
Who precisely is waiting, I'm not quite sure...
This trip saw several deaths of those I know... farewell indeed... but not an end but a new beginning...
Hopefully, every departure will mean a new beginning, or at least fresh beginning for both the one who departs and the one who remains...
Reunion...hopefully will become the hope and goal of farewell...
I was holding on to my mobile, sitting in the guestroom at Trinity while waiting for Freddie...
In fact he had arrived far earlier and tried contacting me by both calling and through short messages, but to no avail. Somehow the M1 prepaid card I was using must have known I was departing and so didn't seem keen to provide me more service...
It's been so long since we had the opportunity to sit and have breakfast this morning, before my departure. Freddie, a good friend for more than 30 years since our secondary school days. He first became displeased with me because of my way of walking and other factors, I suppose. However, he became a Christian and soon was known for his evangelistic fervour. I was soon invited to attend Changi Bethany Church. We later responded, in our own different ways, to the calling of God to full-time Christian ministry.
From an entirely English speaking stream, he ended up in Taiwan for some good ten years, if I'm not wrong, while I, having been educated in an entirely Chinese speaking stream, went to an English speaking church and served for the next four years. Today, we both serve in our different capacities, he as a pastor while I a lecturer in a seminary in Hong Kong.
This morning, we bade farewell... I'm reminded of what Freddie said to me soon after Natalie, my late wife, passed away, that death at times is analogous to a farewell at the airport, in which we say goodbye to our loved ones, while one party is waiting...
Who precisely is waiting, I'm not quite sure...
This trip saw several deaths of those I know... farewell indeed... but not an end but a new beginning...
Hopefully, every departure will mean a new beginning, or at least fresh beginning for both the one who departs and the one who remains...
Reunion...hopefully will become the hope and goal of farewell...
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