Random Acts of Kindness

The Way to a Man’s Heart is Through his Stomach

Ah Kow found his friend Ah Lek, junior disciple grade three, in the Sow-lin Monastery refectory. Ah Lek was gobbling his rice greedily, shoveling large amount of rice into his mouth with his chop sticks as fast as he could.

“Woh, slow down, Ah Lek, before you choke yourself. I have never seen you so hungry. Where have you been? I did not see you at lunch and dinner.”

“Umnumu..” mumbled Ah Lek as he swallowed a mouthful of rice, “ …was away. Just came back. Abba Ah Beng sent me to deliver some sacred scrolls to Kong-San Monastery.”

“That’s almost thirty li away. Must have taken you a full day to get there and back,” said Ah Kow thoughtfully. He looked up in alarm as Ah Lek’s face began to turn red. After a hearty thumbing on his back, aided by other very enthusiastic junior disciples, Ah Lek regained his normal colour. “Fish bone,” he said by way of explanation.

“So what happened? Why are you so hungry? Didn’t you bring any food along?” Ah Kow asked, curious.

“I did. Abba Meng gave me a loaf of bread for the journey. He laughed when he gave me the bread, saying it is big enough for an appetite like mine. Like mine? Man, you should have seen him eat.”

“Anyway the weather was good so I was able to walk along the road without any trouble. It was good to leave the monastery for a while. It was about mid morning when I begin to feel hungry. As I was unwrapping the loaf of bread, Abba Ah Soong came along. You know Abba Ah Soong, from that large monastery behind the hill. I greeted him and seeing him eyeing my bread, offered him a quarter of the loaf. It never hurts to be on good terms with people like Abba Ah Soong, you know.”

“Good for you,” commented Ah Kow, “then what happened.”

“Along came that rich merchant Kong Seng with his beautiful daughter. You know the one with the big…” “Ah Sian,” interrupted Ah Kow with interest, “I know her.”
“Well, I offered them a quarter of my bread, figuring also it never hurts to make friend with a rich merchant. It can be useful for fund raising. They accepted the bread and I was about to eat when a poor skinny beggar came along. So to show them that disciples of Sow-lin do good deeds, I gave him a quarter of my bread.

I tell you, they are so impressed! Then I continued my journey, hurried off before anyone else come along and I have to share my bread! I have only a quarter left and I have a long way to go and have to come back before nightfall. I am scared there may robbers at night. I managed to reach Kong-San Monastery around midday and have to rush back because the sky had darkened and was threatening to rain.

It was in the afternoon that I stopped to rest and eat. I am so hungry. My stomach was growling so much that I can’t stand it anymore. I was about to put the bread in my mouth when I noticed an old man lying in the shade of the Jambu fruit tree. He was dirty, smelly, shrunken and frail looking. And he must be very hungry because he was looking so longing at my bread. Yet he did not beg.”

“You didn’t gave him your bread, you glutton you,” teased Ah Kow.

“I was so frustrated. Here I am, so hungry with my last piece of bread and he has to appear. No fair-lah. I feel like stuffing the bread in my mouth and just walk by, pretending I did not see him. No one will know. No one will notice.

Somehow, I just cannot do that. So I gave him that last piece of bread. He looked at me so gratefully, smiling and showing his rotten teeth. And then I…”

Ah Lek’s pause was so long that Ah Kow looked up at his friend’s face in alarm. “And then what?”

“And then I thought I saw the Lord Jesus smiling back at me,” whispered Ah Lek with a quiver in his voice.


Unconditional sacrificial giving brings a smile to God’s face

picture credit

Random Acts of Kindness

The Way to a Man’s Heart is Through his Stomach

Ah Kow found his friend Ah Lek, junior disciple grade three, in the Sow-lin Monastery refectory. Ah Lek was gobbling his rice greedily, shoveling large amount of rice into his mouth with his chop sticks as fast as he could.

“Woh, slow down, Ah Lek, before you choke yourself. I have never seen you so hungry. Where have you been? I did not see you at lunch and dinner.”

“Umnumu..” mumbled Ah Lek as he swallowed a mouthful of rice, “ …was away. Just came back. Abba Ah Beng sent me to deliver some sacred scrolls to Kong-San Monastery.”

“That’s almost thirty li away. Must have taken you a full day to get there and back,” said Ah Kow thoughtfully. He looked up in alarm as Ah Lek’s face began to turn red. After a hearty thumbing on his back, aided by other very enthusiastic junior disciples, Ah Lek regained his normal colour. “Fish bone,” he said by way of explanation.

“So what happened? Why are you so hungry? Didn’t you bring any food along?” Ah Kow asked, curious.

“I did. Abba Meng gave me a loaf of bread for the journey. He laughed when he gave me the bread, saying it is big enough for an appetite like mine. Like mine? Man, you should have seen him eat.”

“Anyway the weather was good so I was able to walk along the road without any trouble. It was good to leave the monastery for a while. It was about mid morning when I begin to feel hungry. As I was unwrapping the loaf of bread, Abba Ah Soong came along. You know Abba Ah Soong, from that large monastery behind the hill. I greeted him and seeing him eyeing my bread, offered him a quarter of the loaf. It never hurts to be on good terms with people like Abba Ah Soong, you know.”

“Good for you,” commented Ah Kow, “then what happened.”

“Along came that rich merchant Kong Seng with his beautiful daughter. You know the one with the big…” “Ah Sian,” interrupted Ah Kow with interest, “I know her.”
“Well, I offered them a quarter of my bread, figuring also it never hurts to make friend with a rich merchant. It can be useful for fund raising. They accepted the bread and I was about to eat when a poor skinny beggar came along. So to show them that disciples of Sow-lin do good deeds, I gave him a quarter of my bread.

I tell you, they are so impressed! Then I continued my journey, hurried off before anyone else come along and I have to share my bread! I have only a quarter left and I have a long way to go and have to come back before nightfall. I am scared there may robbers at night. I managed to reach Kong-San Monastery around midday and have to rush back because the sky had darkened and was threatening to rain.

It was in the afternoon that I stopped to rest and eat. I am so hungry. My stomach was growling so much that I can’t stand it anymore. I was about to put the bread in my mouth when I noticed an old man lying in the shade of the Jambu fruit tree. He was dirty, smelly, shrunken and frail looking. And he must be very hungry because he was looking so longing at my bread. Yet he did not beg.”

“You didn’t gave him your bread, you glutton you,” teased Ah Kow.

“I was so frustrated. Here I am, so hungry with my last piece of bread and he has to appear. No fair-lah. I feel like stuffing the bread in my mouth and just walk by, pretending I did not see him. No one will know. No one will notice.

Somehow, I just cannot do that. So I gave him that last piece of bread. He looked at me so gratefully, smiling and showing his rotten teeth. And then I…”

Ah Lek’s pause was so long that Ah Kow looked up at his friend’s face in alarm. “And then what?”

“And then I thought I saw the Lord Jesus smiling back at me,” whispered Ah Lek with a quiver in his voice.


Unconditional sacrificial giving brings a smile to God’s face

picture credit

Throw-Away People

Then he (Jesus) told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, `For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'

" `Sir,' the man replied, `leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "(Luke 13:6-9)

We live in an age where everything is disposable and is readily replaceable. In the past, things were made to last and to be used for decades. Houses have solid walls that break the nail if you should try to hammer it in. Nowadays, pieces of the wall will probably fall out when you do the same. In Japan, I have seen disposable hand phones used and discarded daily as a fashion statement. All it takes is to change the SIM card. We are all consumers in a throwaway age.

The attitude of disposable and replaceable items may have infiltrated into our culture concerning people. We see people as assets, commodities and investments. These are financial terms and underlie our perception of people as things that either add or take away value. Things are disposable and replaceable. People who do not meet the sales targets are dismissed with disdain to their abilities. Others who do not do well in examinations are shunted to the “poorer” classes. Handouts are given to the handicapped but rarely a job offer. And those who are over the retirement age are given a handshake, a watch, and shown the door (unless they own the company, of course!). Persons are judged by their abilities to achieve, pass examinations, physical capabilities and the social perception of the frailties of age. Persons that do not measure up are disposed of and replaced by others, who are expected to provide value.

The toxin of disposable and replaceable persons has also permeated into our churches and our spiritual life. Our spirituality has become one that demands fast results. Disciples of Jesus Christ are mass produced by completing the course requirements of classes in discipleship 101, 201, and 301. After an evangelistic rally, we “count decisions for Christ” as if totalling sales after a trade exhibition. A well known Christian leader estimates that 80% of stress to a pastor comes from 20% of the congregation. He advises that pastors should avoid these people. Instead pastors should only associate with those people who give them the least stress. No longer are Christian leaders advised to walk with those who do not shown any “signs of growth.” If after a short period together they do not show any changes, these leaders are advised to go to others who are more “receptive.” The early church fathers understood spiritual growth as a lifelong process of salvation. The modern church fathers however call for instant “conversion.” If there is not, send them away and not waste time with them. As the farm owner in the parable exclaims, “Why should it use up the soil!”

The man who took care of the vineyard is not willing to give up on the fig tree yet. He knows that for the fig tree to bear fruits there must be certain essentials; the loosening of the soil, the application of fertiliser, and time. These are essential ingredients in horticulture as it is in our spiritual life.

Much of our spiritual life is hidden below the surface of our everyday life, like the roots of a fig tree. Sometimes because of past bad experiences and some traumatic emotional issues, there are areas of our spiritual life that are tightly packed like the soil in the roots of some plants. These compact areas exclude oxygen, minerals and other nutrients that give life. These tightly packed areas make us feel safe because we do not have to face the demons in them. It is out of sight, and hopefully out of mind; these angers, bitterness, unforgiveness, and self-righteousness. These compact areas are known as the hardness of our hearts. Unfortunately, these compact areas exclude the love of Christ and stunt our spiritual growth. That is why, the farmer has to dig around the roots and loosen the soil so that adequate aeration and nutrients may reach the roots. In our spiritual life, we too have to release and drive off the demons of anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, and self-righteousness. The early church fathers call this the purgative stage of our spiritual growth. It is the loosening and shaking that prepares us for spiritual growth.

The farmer next adds fertiliser which provides the essential nutrients for growth. The nutrients of spiritual growth are the Word of God, the empowering of the Holy Spirit, and the Christian faith communities. The nutrition of the Word of God is not us reading, studying or memorising the written text. It is the Word of God reading, studying and memorising us! It is immersion and assimilation. This together with the empowering of the Holy Spirit is illuminative, which is the next stage of spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is relational and occurs within a Trinitarian shalom in a church community. The tree, the soil and the fertiliser become a holistic matrix of growth.

True growth takes time. It is important to recognise this. The man who takes care of the vineyard understands this, and thus is willing to stake his reputation with the vineyard owner. In spiritual growth there is nothing disposable. Everything that takes place is precious and irreplaceable. We cannot take away anything because everything that had happened to us, whether positive or negative, makes us who we are. Spiritual growth is when we redeem all our experiences by washing it with the blood of Christ. This transformative action takes time. The early church father recognises this stage as unitive in the sense that in our redemption, we unite with God.

Jesus Christ is the caretaker of the vineyard who has saved us from being marked for destruction by his saving work on the cross.

Reflection questions
(1) Is there something you want to confess to God? Take some time off. In a quiet place, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the hardness of your heart. Write it down on a piece of paper. Pray for God to loosen it.
(2) How will you get the Word to read, study and memorise you?
(3) Being patient is one of the hardest part of spiritual growth. Pray to the Lord to give you patience.


“O Lord,
Help me to know the hardness of my heart. Help me to loosen it, to break it up, and to expose it to the brightness of Your Light. Please help me to feed daily on Your Word, internalising and actualising it. Give me humility to learn from Your people. Make me sensitive to the prompting of Your Spirit. Lord, give me time to know You.
Amen”

.

Throw-Away People

Then he (Jesus) told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, `For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'

" `Sir,' the man replied, `leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "(Luke 13:6-9)

We live in an age where everything is disposable and is readily replaceable. In the past, things were made to last and to be used for decades. Houses have solid walls that break the nail if you should try to hammer it in. Nowadays, pieces of the wall will probably fall out when you do the same. In Japan, I have seen disposable hand phones used and discarded daily as a fashion statement. All it takes is to change the SIM card. We are all consumers in a throwaway age.

The attitude of disposable and replaceable items may have infiltrated into our culture concerning people. We see people as assets, commodities and investments. These are financial terms and underlie our perception of people as things that either add or take away value. Things are disposable and replaceable. People who do not meet the sales targets are dismissed with disdain to their abilities. Others who do not do well in examinations are shunted to the “poorer” classes. Handouts are given to the handicapped but rarely a job offer. And those who are over the retirement age are given a handshake, a watch, and shown the door (unless they own the company, of course!). Persons are judged by their abilities to achieve, pass examinations, physical capabilities and the social perception of the frailties of age. Persons that do not measure up are disposed of and replaced by others, who are expected to provide value.

The toxin of disposable and replaceable persons has also permeated into our churches and our spiritual life. Our spirituality has become one that demands fast results. Disciples of Jesus Christ are mass produced by completing the course requirements of classes in discipleship 101, 201, and 301. After an evangelistic rally, we “count decisions for Christ” as if totalling sales after a trade exhibition. A well known Christian leader estimates that 80% of stress to a pastor comes from 20% of the congregation. He advises that pastors should avoid these people. Instead pastors should only associate with those people who give them the least stress. No longer are Christian leaders advised to walk with those who do not shown any “signs of growth.” If after a short period together they do not show any changes, these leaders are advised to go to others who are more “receptive.” The early church fathers understood spiritual growth as a lifelong process of salvation. The modern church fathers however call for instant “conversion.” If there is not, send them away and not waste time with them. As the farm owner in the parable exclaims, “Why should it use up the soil!”

The man who took care of the vineyard is not willing to give up on the fig tree yet. He knows that for the fig tree to bear fruits there must be certain essentials; the loosening of the soil, the application of fertiliser, and time. These are essential ingredients in horticulture as it is in our spiritual life.

Much of our spiritual life is hidden below the surface of our everyday life, like the roots of a fig tree. Sometimes because of past bad experiences and some traumatic emotional issues, there are areas of our spiritual life that are tightly packed like the soil in the roots of some plants. These compact areas exclude oxygen, minerals and other nutrients that give life. These tightly packed areas make us feel safe because we do not have to face the demons in them. It is out of sight, and hopefully out of mind; these angers, bitterness, unforgiveness, and self-righteousness. These compact areas are known as the hardness of our hearts. Unfortunately, these compact areas exclude the love of Christ and stunt our spiritual growth. That is why, the farmer has to dig around the roots and loosen the soil so that adequate aeration and nutrients may reach the roots. In our spiritual life, we too have to release and drive off the demons of anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, and self-righteousness. The early church fathers call this the purgative stage of our spiritual growth. It is the loosening and shaking that prepares us for spiritual growth.

The farmer next adds fertiliser which provides the essential nutrients for growth. The nutrients of spiritual growth are the Word of God, the empowering of the Holy Spirit, and the Christian faith communities. The nutrition of the Word of God is not us reading, studying or memorising the written text. It is the Word of God reading, studying and memorising us! It is immersion and assimilation. This together with the empowering of the Holy Spirit is illuminative, which is the next stage of spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is relational and occurs within a Trinitarian shalom in a church community. The tree, the soil and the fertiliser become a holistic matrix of growth.

True growth takes time. It is important to recognise this. The man who takes care of the vineyard understands this, and thus is willing to stake his reputation with the vineyard owner. In spiritual growth there is nothing disposable. Everything that takes place is precious and irreplaceable. We cannot take away anything because everything that had happened to us, whether positive or negative, makes us who we are. Spiritual growth is when we redeem all our experiences by washing it with the blood of Christ. This transformative action takes time. The early church father recognises this stage as unitive in the sense that in our redemption, we unite with God.

Jesus Christ is the caretaker of the vineyard who has saved us from being marked for destruction by his saving work on the cross.

Reflection questions
(1) Is there something you want to confess to God? Take some time off. In a quiet place, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the hardness of your heart. Write it down on a piece of paper. Pray for God to loosen it.
(2) How will you get the Word to read, study and memorise you?
(3) Being patient is one of the hardest part of spiritual growth. Pray to the Lord to give you patience.


“O Lord,
Help me to know the hardness of my heart. Help me to loosen it, to break it up, and to expose it to the brightness of Your Light. Please help me to feed daily on Your Word, internalising and actualising it. Give me humility to learn from Your people. Make me sensitive to the prompting of Your Spirit. Lord, give me time to know You.
Amen”

.

We Become What We Practise

““Brother senior disciple Ah Meng is so pious that he will be made Abba soon,” observed Ah Lek as he continued to knead the dough that will be made into mooncakes. Every year, the Sow Lin Monastery will make mooncakes which the monks will distribute to the poor in the surrounding villages. The mooncakes are eaten to celebrate the Mid-Autumn or “mooncake” festival held in the middle of the eighth month of lunar Chinese calendar.

“He prays so fervently that his pew will shake and so much tears flow down his face that he wets his Psalter. He has memorised large chunk of the Bible too. And he is Abba Ah Beng’s favourite.”

“I don’t like him,” said Ah Kow as a put a piece of dough into his mouth. “Yuk,” he said as he spit it out. “Senior disciple is always picking on others looking for faults. He likes to point out my mistakes and keep always insisting that I spend time confessing them.”

“You are right. Just this morning he hit me on the head during morning prayers. Who does he think he is?” complained Ah Lek.

“You were falling asleep.”

“Was not”

“Yes you were. I heard you snore.”

“The other day-ah he told Abba Ah Beng that my cell was dirty,” said Ah Lek, changing the subject. “That tell-tales. Abba Ah Beng made me scrub my cell and his too.”

“The young disciples are very undisciplined and not fit to be in this monastery,” Ah Meng pointed out to Abba Ah Beng during his time of spiritual direction. “They don’t know how to pray, how to read the Bible properly, how to be forgiving and how to help others. I want to help them so much. I want them to be holy. I want them to good disciples. I want them to give up their selfish desires and bad habits. In fact, I feel so strong about it that I cannot sleep at night.”

“I have been hearing stories from the young disciples about you. It is good that you are so concerned about their spiritual formation. However be careful in your zeal, that you do not cross the line to become the opposite of what you are fighting. Let me tell you a story,” said Abba Ah Beng.

“Once upon a time, during the time of the Crusades there was a young strong white knight who was very pious and very devoted to God. He made it his personal quest to kill all black knights. The black knights were unholy and impure. Throughout his long life this white knight killed many black knights. One day when he was old, he met a young white knight on the road. To his surprised he was immediately attacked by this white knight. He fought valiantly but was unable to overcome this young man. Throughout the fight, the question lingers at the back of his mind, ‘Why is this white knight attacking me?’ Just before he was killed, he caught a reflection of himself in the shining shield of his opponent. The knight reflected in the shield was black.”

.

We Become What We Practise

““Brother senior disciple Ah Meng is so pious that he will be made Abba soon,” observed Ah Lek as he continued to knead the dough that will be made into mooncakes. Every year, the Sow Lin Monastery will make mooncakes which the monks will distribute to the poor in the surrounding villages. The mooncakes are eaten to celebrate the Mid-Autumn or “mooncake” festival held in the middle of the eighth month of lunar Chinese calendar.

“He prays so fervently that his pew will shake and so much tears flow down his face that he wets his Psalter. He has memorised large chunk of the Bible too. And he is Abba Ah Beng’s favourite.”

“I don’t like him,” said Ah Kow as a put a piece of dough into his mouth. “Yuk,” he said as he spit it out. “Senior disciple is always picking on others looking for faults. He likes to point out my mistakes and keep always insisting that I spend time confessing them.”

“You are right. Just this morning he hit me on the head during morning prayers. Who does he think he is?” complained Ah Lek.

“You were falling asleep.”

“Was not”

“Yes you were. I heard you snore.”

“The other day-ah he told Abba Ah Beng that my cell was dirty,” said Ah Lek, changing the subject. “That tell-tales. Abba Ah Beng made me scrub my cell and his too.”

“The young disciples are very undisciplined and not fit to be in this monastery,” Ah Meng pointed out to Abba Ah Beng during his time of spiritual direction. “They don’t know how to pray, how to read the Bible properly, how to be forgiving and how to help others. I want to help them so much. I want them to be holy. I want them to good disciples. I want them to give up their selfish desires and bad habits. In fact, I feel so strong about it that I cannot sleep at night.”

“I have been hearing stories from the young disciples about you. It is good that you are so concerned about their spiritual formation. However be careful in your zeal, that you do not cross the line to become the opposite of what you are fighting. Let me tell you a story,” said Abba Ah Beng.

“Once upon a time, during the time of the Crusades there was a young strong white knight who was very pious and very devoted to God. He made it his personal quest to kill all black knights. The black knights were unholy and impure. Throughout his long life this white knight killed many black knights. One day when he was old, he met a young white knight on the road. To his surprised he was immediately attacked by this white knight. He fought valiantly but was unable to overcome this young man. Throughout the fight, the question lingers at the back of his mind, ‘Why is this white knight attacking me?’ Just before he was killed, he caught a reflection of himself in the shining shield of his opponent. The knight reflected in the shield was black.”

.

Some Cats are Forever

Abba Ah Beng bought a kitten to catch the rats that were eating his loincloth. The kitten was very cute but playful. During chapel service, she would sneak quietly into the chapel and distract the young disciples of Sow Lin Monastery from their prayers and meditation. A sudden touch of warm fur and a perfect purr was enough to draw the most devout from the depths of God.

Abba Ah Beng finally solved the problem by tying the kitten with a string to a stake in front of the chapel. The disciples become used to seeing the little kitten and later a large cat tied to the stake as they enter and leave the chapel. The cat died and Abba Ah Beng bought a new cat and continued the tradition of tying his cat to the stake in front of the chapel before services. Abba Ah Beng was finally called home by the Lord and was succeeded by Abba Ah Lek. Abba Ah Lek continued the tradition of tying the cat to honor his spiritual director and mentor.

One hundred years later, a brand new gleaming mega-church auditorium stands where the Sow Lin Chapel used to be. It is large enough to sit 6,000 people comfortably. However, at the front entrance there is a stake to which a cat will be tied before each worship service. When asked about the reason, senior Pastor Joe Pan said he does not know but there has always been a cat in front of the worship hall. He postulates it may in some way draws God’s blessings on the congregation. Anyway, who is he to change a hallowed tradition.

To this day, if you visit the mega-church where the ancient Sow Lin Monastery once stood, you will see a cat tied to a stake in front of the worship auditorium. You can see the cat sitting and walking. The cat is active except when its battery runs down.

Do we need to keep all of our church traditions?

.

Some Cats are Forever

Abba Ah Beng bought a kitten to catch the rats that were eating his loincloth. The kitten was very cute but playful. During chapel service, she would sneak quietly into the chapel and distract the young disciples of Sow Lin Monastery from their prayers and meditation. A sudden touch of warm fur and a perfect purr was enough to draw the most devout from the depths of God.

Abba Ah Beng finally solved the problem by tying the kitten with a string to a stake in front of the chapel. The disciples become used to seeing the little kitten and later a large cat tied to the stake as they enter and leave the chapel. The cat died and Abba Ah Beng bought a new cat and continued the tradition of tying his cat to the stake in front of the chapel before services. Abba Ah Beng was finally called home by the Lord and was succeeded by Abba Ah Lek. Abba Ah Lek continued the tradition of tying the cat to honor his spiritual director and mentor.

One hundred years later, a brand new gleaming mega-church auditorium stands where the Sow Lin Chapel used to be. It is large enough to sit 6,000 people comfortably. However, at the front entrance there is a stake to which a cat will be tied before each worship service. When asked about the reason, senior Pastor Joe Pan said he does not know but there has always been a cat in front of the worship hall. He postulates it may in some way draws God’s blessings on the congregation. Anyway, who is he to change a hallowed tradition.

To this day, if you visit the mega-church where the ancient Sow Lin Monastery once stood, you will see a cat tied to a stake in front of the worship auditorium. You can see the cat sitting and walking. The cat is active except when its battery runs down.

Do we need to keep all of our church traditions?

.

We All Need X-Ray Vision

“Ah, this is the life,” said Ah Kow with a satisfied sigh as he lay back on the soft grass in the courtyard of the Sow Lin Monastery. Ah Lek burped in reply. This is the time of the day these young disciples loved the best; after a hearty meal and all the chores for the day has been done. They will laze around and watch the sun set until the call for evening prayers.

“Do you know the Abba who preached at chapel this morning come in his new BMW X6? Man that was a beautiful car. I wish I could I can have a car like that,” said Ah Kow wishfully.

read more

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We All Need X-Ray Vision

“Ah, this is the life,” said Ah Kow with a satisfied sigh as he lay back on the soft grass in the courtyard of the Sow Lin Monastery. Ah Lek burped in reply. This is the time of the day these young disciples loved the best; after a hearty meal and all the chores for the day has been done. They will laze around and watch the sun set until the call for evening prayers.

“Do you know the Abba who preached at chapel this morning come in his new BMW X6? Man that was a beautiful car. I wish I could I can have a car like that,” said Ah Kow wishfully.

read more

.

Why the Hulk should be Red not Green

The fictional comic book character, The Incredible Hulk was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1962. The Hulk is the alter ego of mild mannered physicist Dr Bruce Banner who was accidentally irradiated by gamma radiation. Whenever he gets angry, he turned into the Hulk, a creature consisting of pure rage which is invincible and incredibly strong. The angrier the Hulk gets, the stronger and bigger he becomes. I guess he was green because of the gamma radiation. Why green and not red? The English expression of becoming angry is “seeing red.” A red Hulk will be more appropriate.

Many of us are aware of the beast within us. And of the thin veneer of civility that makes us respectable citizens. Occasionally someone will snap and the beast breaks out. Then we are all horrified at the violence done to persons and properties. Sometimes it is not a person but a mob or a nation. And in the aftermath amidst the carnage, we are again reminded of the evil that lurks the heart of human beings. In our hectic, chaotic and stressful lifestyles, anger is our constant emotional companion. While some of us are aware of it, others are not. Many try to repress their daily anger. Doing so they become impatient, irritable and aggressive. Repressing anger does not make it go away. Like energy, emotions can be converted into other forms. Repressed energy is converted into hatred, bitterness and anxiety.

“Please don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry" is a famous byline from the Hulk television series which turned up in every comic, television and movies involving the not-so jolly green man. What makes you angry? Could it be social injustice, exploitation of the poor, religious intolerance, and maybe, abuse of political privileges? My reasons for getting angry are often not so righteous. I get angry because I do not get things my own way; why people do not behave the way I expect them to, why projects do not go the way I planned it to, and why the universe do not happen the way I want it to. I get angry and then I feel guilty. I remember what Paul wrote to the Ephesians: "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold (Eph.4:26-27). Paul was referring to Psalm 4:4: In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Furthermore, I remember this old Cherokee story named “The Two Wolves”:
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed.”

I reflected upon this and drew some wisdom. The psalmist, Apostle Paul and the old Cherokee did not deny the existence of anger or being angry. In fact, they all acknowledge it. Furthermore, they taught me the only way to deal with anger is not to feed it. The only way to deal with anger is to starve it of attention and other emotions. The Hulk is pure rage, violent raw energy and red is the appropriate colour. Green reminds me of leafy meadows, peacefulness and calm. Methinks the Hulk should be red in colour. Or even better blue…


picture source

Why the Hulk should be Red not Green

The fictional comic book character, The Incredible Hulk was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1962. The Hulk is the alter ego of mild mannered physicist Dr Bruce Banner who was accidentally irradiated by gamma radiation. Whenever he gets angry, he turned into the Hulk, a creature consisting of pure rage which is invincible and incredibly strong. The angrier the Hulk gets, the stronger and bigger he becomes. I guess he was green because of the gamma radiation. Why green and not red? The English expression of becoming angry is “seeing red.” A red Hulk will be more appropriate.

Many of us are aware of the beast within us. And of the thin veneer of civility that makes us respectable citizens. Occasionally someone will snap and the beast breaks out. Then we are all horrified at the violence done to persons and properties. Sometimes it is not a person but a mob or a nation. And in the aftermath amidst the carnage, we are again reminded of the evil that lurks the heart of human beings. In our hectic, chaotic and stressful lifestyles, anger is our constant emotional companion. While some of us are aware of it, others are not. Many try to repress their daily anger. Doing so they become impatient, irritable and aggressive. Repressing anger does not make it go away. Like energy, emotions can be converted into other forms. Repressed energy is converted into hatred, bitterness and anxiety.

“Please don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry" is a famous byline from the Hulk television series which turned up in every comic, television and movies involving the not-so jolly green man. What makes you angry? Could it be social injustice, exploitation of the poor, religious intolerance, and maybe, abuse of political privileges? My reasons for getting angry are often not so righteous. I get angry because I do not get things my own way; why people do not behave the way I expect them to, why projects do not go the way I planned it to, and why the universe do not happen the way I want it to. I get angry and then I feel guilty. I remember what Paul wrote to the Ephesians: "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold (Eph.4:26-27). Paul was referring to Psalm 4:4: In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Furthermore, I remember this old Cherokee story named “The Two Wolves”:
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed.”

I reflected upon this and drew some wisdom. The psalmist, Apostle Paul and the old Cherokee did not deny the existence of anger or being angry. In fact, they all acknowledge it. Furthermore, they taught me the only way to deal with anger is not to feed it. The only way to deal with anger is to starve it of attention and other emotions. The Hulk is pure rage, violent raw energy and red is the appropriate colour. Green reminds me of leafy meadows, peacefulness and calm. Methinks the Hulk should be red in colour. Or even better blue…


picture source

Worship Gestures

“What are you doing? Sign language?” asked disciple junior grade Ah Beng of disciple senior grade Ah Kong. “Making the sign of the cross,” replied Ah Kong knowingly.

“Why?" Ah Beng asked again, reaching out for the last piece of bread on the table. They were having dinner in a large wooden shed. The simple wooden shed is the site for the Annual Conference of Desert Fathers, Mothers, and Hermits. Usually the hermits attend by proxy.

“Abba Isaac is doing it, that’s why” replied Ah Kong with an air of superiority. “I saw him making the sign of the cross over his bread just before he eats it.”

“Does that make it holy bread?” asked Ah Beng with an air of innocence. “You trying to be funny,” Ah Kong asked suspiciously, rolling up his sleeves.

“No fighting,” said Abba Isaac to his disciples, “What are you two arguing about?”

“It’s this sign,” Ah Kong answered making a motion of his hand over his body, up down, then side to side.

“What sign?” asked Abba Isaac with a surprised look on his face, “why are you waving your hand like that?”

“I am doing the sign of the cross like you did before you say grace” replied Ah Kong.

“Ah so,” nodded Abba Isaac understanding. “first, stop waving your hand when you make the sign. Watch me.”

Holding three fingers together - thumb, forefinger, and middle finger - Abba Isaac demonstrated to his disciples how to make the sign of the cross.

“The three fingers symbols the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The two fingers on your palms represent the two natures of Christ, human and divine. When you drop your hand from your forehead to waist, it represents Christ’s descend to earth. The upward movement is the resurrection. I do this to remind myself of Our Lord”

“But Abba Mathenius uses two fingers only,” said Ah Kong, “I saw him.”

“Abba Mathenius’ uses two fingers to signify the two natures of Christ and the three fingers on his palm, the Trinity. Notice how he makes the large cross over his whole body,” explains Abba Isaac. “He said it reminds him of God’s vastness.”

“How about Abba Rinardo?” chipped in Ah Beng, not wanting to be left out. “He crosses himself from left to right. Or Abba Andropus. He crosses himself from right to left.”

“Maybe Abba Andropus is left handed.” Ah Kong said.

“Abba Rinardo is from Rome. The Roman Catholics uses the left to right movement which is the left cross. With that gesture, his followers signify that they do not wish to be on Christ’s left but rather be at Christ’s right side. Remember Christ’s parable on the goat and sheep? The goats will be on Christ’s left and the sheep on Christ’s right on the day of judgement. You do not want to be a goat on the day of judgement. Understand?”

“Ai yah, there is no sheep in China, only goats!” exclaimed Ah Beng.

“Stupid!” shouted Ah Kong, whacking Ah Beng on the head. “Jesus is speaking figuratively.”

“Oh,” Ah Beng whispered sheepishly.

“Abba Andropus,” continued Abba Isaac as if nothing has happened, “is from Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church’s gesture from right to left symbolises Christ descended from heaven to earth and to the Jews on the right and he now have passed to the Gentiles on the left.”

“We don’t do that,” said Ah Kong smugly, “we are Protestants!” “What are we protesting against...” Ah Beng started to say. “That’s a misconception,” Abba Isaac interrupted, “Abba Martin Luther prescribe using the sign of the cross. The Anglicans and Lutherans are still using it today.”

“Shall we cross left to right or right to left?” wondered Ah Beng, “Ah, I know-lah, left cross one day, right cross another day. Left, right, left, right.”

And Abba Isaac sighed.

**

For many of us, worship is the section of Sunday service where we sing hymns or songs to the accompaniment of musical instruments and PowerPoint sceneries. Worship is more than that and should encompass the whole of our lives. It is more than using our mouths to sing. It should involve our mind, heart, spirit and body. Not many of us realise how our bodies are also involved in worship. It may be as simple as closing our eyes while we sing, or opening our hands, or lifting our arms. During prayers, we lean forward and close our eyes. When we feel the Lord’s presence, we may have an intense desire to kneel, or even lie prostrate on the ground. All these are indications that our physical bodies are involved in the act of worship. These are our body language of worship. And consciously or unconsciously it may help us to worship better.

During its long history, the Church understands that our bodies worship together with our mind, spirit and soul. That is why Church developed liturgy in the worship services and certain practices. These practice or action reminds our body of their language of worship. In other words, it primes our body for worship. Making the sign of the cross is one. Nobody knows when and how it originates. It does, however, help some people to recall their body language of worship. The great Church Father John Chrysostom said, “You should not just trace the cross with your finger, but you should do it in faith.”

Reflection Questions

1. What is your body language of worship? To identify it, think of what posture is most helpful in your worship. Is it sitting, walking, kneeling, lying prostate or on your back? Does lighting a candle or incense helps? Discover your body language of worship and experiment with other postures too.

2. Which aspect of your church worship service reminds your body of worship? Is it during the singing, listening to the sermon, taking part in the Holy Communion, or reading the Bible during scripture reading? How will you use this to enhance your worship encounter?

3. The body language of worship connects thinking and doing. Which liturgy or parts of your church’s worship service reminds you of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit? Using the sign of the cross is one of the ways some Christians use to remind themselves of the Trinity. What practices or rituals do you use to remind yourself of the presence of the Trinity?


Father God,

We thank you for creating us as body and spirit. We thank you for our bodies-whatever shape, size and colour. As the psalmist said, our bodies are beautifully and wonderfully made. We thank you for this fantastic creation. Teach us to worship you in spirit and in truth. Teach us to worship you with our bodies as well as our minds, souls and spirits.

Amen

Soli Deo Gloria

Worship Gestures

“What are you doing? Sign language?” asked disciple junior grade Ah Beng of disciple senior grade Ah Kong. “Making the sign of the cross,” replied Ah Kong knowingly.

“Why?" Ah Beng asked again, reaching out for the last piece of bread on the table. They were having dinner in a large wooden shed. The simple wooden shed is the site for the Annual Conference of Desert Fathers, Mothers, and Hermits. Usually the hermits attend by proxy.

“Abba Isaac is doing it, that’s why” replied Ah Kong with an air of superiority. “I saw him making the sign of the cross over his bread just before he eats it.”

“Does that make it holy bread?” asked Ah Beng with an air of innocence. “You trying to be funny,” Ah Kong asked suspiciously, rolling up his sleeves.

“No fighting,” said Abba Isaac to his disciples, “What are you two arguing about?”

“It’s this sign,” Ah Kong answered making a motion of his hand over his body, up down, then side to side.

“What sign?” asked Abba Isaac with a surprised look on his face, “why are you waving your hand like that?”

“I am doing the sign of the cross like you did before you say grace” replied Ah Kong.

“Ah so,” nodded Abba Isaac understanding. “first, stop waving your hand when you make the sign. Watch me.”

Holding three fingers together - thumb, forefinger, and middle finger - Abba Isaac demonstrated to his disciples how to make the sign of the cross.

“The three fingers symbols the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The two fingers on your palms represent the two natures of Christ, human and divine. When you drop your hand from your forehead to waist, it represents Christ’s descend to earth. The upward movement is the resurrection. I do this to remind myself of Our Lord”

“But Abba Mathenius uses two fingers only,” said Ah Kong, “I saw him.”

“Abba Mathenius’ uses two fingers to signify the two natures of Christ and the three fingers on his palm, the Trinity. Notice how he makes the large cross over his whole body,” explains Abba Isaac. “He said it reminds him of God’s vastness.”

“How about Abba Rinardo?” chipped in Ah Beng, not wanting to be left out. “He crosses himself from left to right. Or Abba Andropus. He crosses himself from right to left.”

“Maybe Abba Andropus is left handed.” Ah Kong said.

“Abba Rinardo is from Rome. The Roman Catholics uses the left to right movement which is the left cross. With that gesture, his followers signify that they do not wish to be on Christ’s left but rather be at Christ’s right side. Remember Christ’s parable on the goat and sheep? The goats will be on Christ’s left and the sheep on Christ’s right on the day of judgement. You do not want to be a goat on the day of judgement. Understand?”

“Ai yah, there is no sheep in China, only goats!” exclaimed Ah Beng.

“Stupid!” shouted Ah Kong, whacking Ah Beng on the head. “Jesus is speaking figuratively.”

“Oh,” Ah Beng whispered sheepishly.

“Abba Andropus,” continued Abba Isaac as if nothing has happened, “is from Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church’s gesture from right to left symbolises Christ descended from heaven to earth and to the Jews on the right and he now have passed to the Gentiles on the left.”

“We don’t do that,” said Ah Kong smugly, “we are Protestants!” “What are we protesting against...” Ah Beng started to say. “That’s a misconception,” Abba Isaac interrupted, “Abba Martin Luther prescribe using the sign of the cross. The Anglicans and Lutherans are still using it today.”

“Shall we cross left to right or right to left?” wondered Ah Beng, “Ah, I know-lah, left cross one day, right cross another day. Left, right, left, right.”

And Abba Isaac sighed.

**

For many of us, worship is the section of Sunday service where we sing hymns or songs to the accompaniment of musical instruments and PowerPoint sceneries. Worship is more than that and should encompass the whole of our lives. It is more than using our mouths to sing. It should involve our mind, heart, spirit and body. Not many of us realise how our bodies are also involved in worship. It may be as simple as closing our eyes while we sing, or opening our hands, or lifting our arms. During prayers, we lean forward and close our eyes. When we feel the Lord’s presence, we may have an intense desire to kneel, or even lie prostrate on the ground. All these are indications that our physical bodies are involved in the act of worship. These are our body language of worship. And consciously or unconsciously it may help us to worship better.

During its long history, the Church understands that our bodies worship together with our mind, spirit and soul. That is why Church developed liturgy in the worship services and certain practices. These practice or action reminds our body of their language of worship. In other words, it primes our body for worship. Making the sign of the cross is one. Nobody knows when and how it originates. It does, however, help some people to recall their body language of worship. The great Church Father John Chrysostom said, “You should not just trace the cross with your finger, but you should do it in faith.”

Reflection Questions

1. What is your body language of worship? To identify it, think of what posture is most helpful in your worship. Is it sitting, walking, kneeling, lying prostate or on your back? Does lighting a candle or incense helps? Discover your body language of worship and experiment with other postures too.

2. Which aspect of your church worship service reminds your body of worship? Is it during the singing, listening to the sermon, taking part in the Holy Communion, or reading the Bible during scripture reading? How will you use this to enhance your worship encounter?

3. The body language of worship connects thinking and doing. Which liturgy or parts of your church’s worship service reminds you of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit? Using the sign of the cross is one of the ways some Christians use to remind themselves of the Trinity. What practices or rituals do you use to remind yourself of the presence of the Trinity?


Father God,

We thank you for creating us as body and spirit. We thank you for our bodies-whatever shape, size and colour. As the psalmist said, our bodies are beautifully and wonderfully made. We thank you for this fantastic creation. Teach us to worship you in spirit and in truth. Teach us to worship you with our bodies as well as our minds, souls and spirits.

Amen

Soli Deo Gloria

The Bible is Like...(2)

Abba Ah Beng’s ‘durian’ theology may sound strange to us but it does encapsulate certain truths about the Bible. To some people, the Bible is like a thorny hard durian. It is difficult to hold. The thorns may cause pain by scratches and skin punctures. Thus the Bible appears as an obstacle to many who seek the Truth. Some will spent their lives studying the exterior of the Bible becoming expert without tasting the succulent flesh within. As all durian lovers will know, there are certain ways to open the fruit without causing themselves bodily harm. By inserting a screwdriver or a blade into a certain spot and twisting it, the durian will split easily into two halves. Similarly to get to the truth in the Bible requires certain tools and know-how. The Holy Spirit, a willingness to seek the truth, and a working knowledge of the language are primary requirements to split the hard shell of the Bible. Without the Holy Spirit to open our spirit eyes, the durian will remain a fruit.

The Bible contains many teachings. However, not all teachings contain the same weightage. Knowing about God is obviously more important than knowing how many meters make a cubit. The teachings of the Bible can be broadly divided into two groups; one which consists of teachings of core truths and are non-negotiable. These truths are often codified as in the Nicene Creed or in the Westminster Larger Catechism. Some examples are God the creator, the Trinity, Biblical inerrancy, and the redemptive mission of God. These truths stand outside of culture, time and space. The other group are the negotiable teachings. These teachings are to be interpreted in the context of the culture, time and space of the learners (hence negotiable). They have to be adapted by each generation of Christians to the era they exist in. Examples are whether we should have our worship service on Saturday or Sunday, or what type of music shall we play during our worship service, or should we serve grape water or wine during Holy Communion?

While it is easy to say that there are two groups; the non-negotiable and negotiable teachings, sometimes it is difficult to decide into which category a certain teaching belongs. One such example is that whether baptism should be done by sprinkling or immersion in water? While at first glance it may seem obvious, yet proponents for each mode of baptism will be able find enough verses to support their stand. What shall we do in such case? I believe then that it is time for us to stop fighting, and believe that our God is large enough for both positions. Why must everything be either/or? Why not either/and? One of the reasons why the church is so weak is because we are so fragmented. We spent most of our time and energy fighting over the non-essentials (negotiable) while neglecting the essentials (non-negotiable). We will be so much stronger if we focus only on the essentials of our faith.

Reflection Questions
1. How do we discern which Biblical teachings are non-negotiable, and which negotiable?
2. Why do you think Christians spend so much time fighting each other about Biblical negotiable teachings?
3. What steps will you take to extend love in a disagreement over a negotiable Biblical teaching?

Dear Lord,
Thank you for giving us the Bible as our guide and as our light. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who opens our spiritual eyes to your Truth. Forgive us, Lord, for in our limited understanding and sinful nature, we pervert your truths. Teach us Lord to discern which are the non-negotiable, essential parts of your Truth and help us to incorporate them in our lives. Help us to discern which are the culture-bound negotiable parts of your Teachings, so that we may adapt them to our daily lives. Have mercy upon us.
Amen


.

The Bible is Like...(2)

Abba Ah Beng’s ‘durian’ theology may sound strange to us but it does encapsulate certain truths about the Bible. To some people, the Bible is like a thorny hard durian. It is difficult to hold. The thorns may cause pain by scratches and skin punctures. Thus the Bible appears as an obstacle to many who seek the Truth. Some will spent their lives studying the exterior of the Bible becoming expert without tasting the succulent flesh within. As all durian lovers will know, there are certain ways to open the fruit without causing themselves bodily harm. By inserting a screwdriver or a blade into a certain spot and twisting it, the durian will split easily into two halves. Similarly to get to the truth in the Bible requires certain tools and know-how. The Holy Spirit, a willingness to seek the truth, and a working knowledge of the language are primary requirements to split the hard shell of the Bible. Without the Holy Spirit to open our spirit eyes, the durian will remain a fruit.

The Bible contains many teachings. However, not all teachings contain the same weightage. Knowing about God is obviously more important than knowing how many meters make a cubit. The teachings of the Bible can be broadly divided into two groups; one which consists of teachings of core truths and are non-negotiable. These truths are often codified as in the Nicene Creed or in the Westminster Larger Catechism. Some examples are God the creator, the Trinity, Biblical inerrancy, and the redemptive mission of God. These truths stand outside of culture, time and space. The other group are the negotiable teachings. These teachings are to be interpreted in the context of the culture, time and space of the learners (hence negotiable). They have to be adapted by each generation of Christians to the era they exist in. Examples are whether we should have our worship service on Saturday or Sunday, or what type of music shall we play during our worship service, or should we serve grape water or wine during Holy Communion?

While it is easy to say that there are two groups; the non-negotiable and negotiable teachings, sometimes it is difficult to decide into which category a certain teaching belongs. One such example is that whether baptism should be done by sprinkling or immersion in water? While at first glance it may seem obvious, yet proponents for each mode of baptism will be able find enough verses to support their stand. What shall we do in such case? I believe then that it is time for us to stop fighting, and believe that our God is large enough for both positions. Why must everything be either/or? Why not either/and? One of the reasons why the church is so weak is because we are so fragmented. We spent most of our time and energy fighting over the non-essentials (negotiable) while neglecting the essentials (non-negotiable). We will be so much stronger if we focus only on the essentials of our faith.

Reflection Questions
1. How do we discern which Biblical teachings are non-negotiable, and which negotiable?
2. Why do you think Christians spend so much time fighting each other about Biblical negotiable teachings?
3. What steps will you take to extend love in a disagreement over a negotiable Biblical teaching?

Dear Lord,
Thank you for giving us the Bible as our guide and as our light. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who opens our spiritual eyes to your Truth. Forgive us, Lord, for in our limited understanding and sinful nature, we pervert your truths. Teach us Lord to discern which are the non-negotiable, essential parts of your Truth and help us to incorporate them in our lives. Help us to discern which are the culture-bound negotiable parts of your Teachings, so that we may adapt them to our daily lives. Have mercy upon us.
Amen


.

The Bible is Like... (1)

“Going to the cinema to watch movies is sinful,” declared Disciple Ah Kow. “No, it’s not,” countered Disciple Ah Lek who loves to watch movies, “It’s educational.” Both disciples were washing toilets in the Sow-lin Monastery. The monastery has this policy that its disciples should share in the maintenance of the premises. The policy was instituted for building character in its disciples. The monastery also saves by not employing more janitorial staff.

“Watching movies corrupts the soul,” Ah Kow continued, “Did not the Apostle Peter said, ‘Do not love the world or anything in the world.[1]’” “But the Apostle Paul said, ‘be transformed by the renewing of your mind.[2]’ Going to movies will renew our minds.” responded Ah Lek. “Sinner!” shouted Ah Kow, “You just want to watch semi-naked girls.” “Do not,” Ah Lek shouted back, “I want to watch the movie The Passion of the Christ.” “Liar!” screamed Ah Kow pushing Ah Lek. Ah Lek responded with a well executed ‘drunken tiger falling down the hill’ roundhouse kick.

Abba Ah Beng was sitting crossed legged eating durian[3] in the main hall when his two disciples were brought before him. He looked up at Ah Kow and Ah Lek with a gleam in his eyes, which set the two disciples’ knees quaking[4]. “Fighting again, I see,” sighed Abba Ah Beng, “Ah Kow, open this durian with this screwdriver.” Ah Kow reached out to grab the durian and tried to open the fruit. All he managed to get were lots of painful scratches. “Here, let me,” said Ah Lek as he reached out and grab the screwdriver. With a skilful poke and twist, he opened the fruit into two pieces revealing the seeds with its golden fleshy outer layer.

A rich aroma filled the hall. Both Abba Ah Beng and Ah Lek inhaled with a satisfied “Hmm.” Ah Kow gagged. “Such a wonderful smell” sighs Ah Lek. “So horrible-lah. Like rotten eggs!” Ah Kow complained. “Here,” Abba Ah Beng said, “eat, eat.” Ah Lek took a seed and ate its luscious flesh with a look of ecstasy on his face. “Very good-lah” he commented. Abba Ah Beng beamed. “Sure good-lah. Special tree, B94” he explained. Meanwhile, Ah Kow shut his eyes as he put the fleshy seed in his mouth. “Urgh!” he croaked, “the inner seed is so hard.” Then he choked and turned blue as he had accidentally swallowed the seed.

“The Bible is like a durian,” explained Abba Ah Beng, as he performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on Ah Kow. “To apply it, you have to know how to open it. Otherwise all you get are some painful wounds. With the correct technique, which is the Holy Spirit, you can open the Bible and taste of its teachings. The succulent fleshy part of the seed is the interpretations and traditions of the church. These are the negotiable part of the Bible; like going to the movies, wearing jeans to church, or playing drums during worship. Some people love it, others hate it. The hard seed is the inner core of Biblical teaching. It is non-negotiable and consists of truths such as God is three and one (the Trinity), Jesus is the Son of God, and Jesus is fully human and fully God. This seed when planted in the right soil will grow into a tree and bear good fruits.”

Both disciples blinked in awe at Abba Ah Bang’s insight, the durian forgotten. Abba Ah Beng calmly finished his durian, burped and said, “I’m going to town, my movie starts in an hour.”


Endnotes:
[1] 1 John 2:15a
[2] Romans 12:2b
[3] A durian is a round fruit with thorns on the outside. It is the King of fruits. Either you love it or hate it. Want to know more, google ‘durian’ and hope your computer do not smell.
[4] Disciple Ah Kow later set up the Christian group called Quakers.

The Bible is Like... (1)

“Going to the cinema to watch movies is sinful,” declared Disciple Ah Kow. “No, it’s not,” countered Disciple Ah Lek who loves to watch movies, “It’s educational.” Both disciples were washing toilets in the Sow-lin Monastery. The monastery has this policy that its disciples should share in the maintenance of the premises. The policy was instituted for building character in its disciples. The monastery also saves by not employing more janitorial staff.

“Watching movies corrupts the soul,” Ah Kow continued, “Did not the Apostle Peter said, ‘Do not love the world or anything in the world.[1]’” “But the Apostle Paul said, ‘be transformed by the renewing of your mind.[2]’ Going to movies will renew our minds.” responded Ah Lek. “Sinner!” shouted Ah Kow, “You just want to watch semi-naked girls.” “Do not,” Ah Lek shouted back, “I want to watch the movie The Passion of the Christ.” “Liar!” screamed Ah Kow pushing Ah Lek. Ah Lek responded with a well executed ‘drunken tiger falling down the hill’ roundhouse kick.

Abba Ah Beng was sitting crossed legged eating durian[3] in the main hall when his two disciples were brought before him. He looked up at Ah Kow and Ah Lek with a gleam in his eyes, which set the two disciples’ knees quaking[4]. “Fighting again, I see,” sighed Abba Ah Beng, “Ah Kow, open this durian with this screwdriver.” Ah Kow reached out to grab the durian and tried to open the fruit. All he managed to get were lots of painful scratches. “Here, let me,” said Ah Lek as he reached out and grab the screwdriver. With a skilful poke and twist, he opened the fruit into two pieces revealing the seeds with its golden fleshy outer layer.

A rich aroma filled the hall. Both Abba Ah Beng and Ah Lek inhaled with a satisfied “Hmm.” Ah Kow gagged. “Such a wonderful smell” sighs Ah Lek. “So horrible-lah. Like rotten eggs!” Ah Kow complained. “Here,” Abba Ah Beng said, “eat, eat.” Ah Lek took a seed and ate its luscious flesh with a look of ecstasy on his face. “Very good-lah” he commented. Abba Ah Beng beamed. “Sure good-lah. Special tree, B94” he explained. Meanwhile, Ah Kow shut his eyes as he put the fleshy seed in his mouth. “Urgh!” he croaked, “the inner seed is so hard.” Then he choked and turned blue as he had accidentally swallowed the seed.

“The Bible is like a durian,” explained Abba Ah Beng, as he performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on Ah Kow. “To apply it, you have to know how to open it. Otherwise all you get are some painful wounds. With the correct technique, which is the Holy Spirit, you can open the Bible and taste of its teachings. The succulent fleshy part of the seed is the interpretations and traditions of the church. These are the negotiable part of the Bible; like going to the movies, wearing jeans to church, or playing drums during worship. Some people love it, others hate it. The hard seed is the inner core of Biblical teaching. It is non-negotiable and consists of truths such as God is three and one (the Trinity), Jesus is the Son of God, and Jesus is fully human and fully God. This seed when planted in the right soil will grow into a tree and bear good fruits.”

Both disciples blinked in awe at Abba Ah Bang’s insight, the durian forgotten. Abba Ah Beng calmly finished his durian, burped and said, “I’m going to town, my movie starts in an hour.”


Endnotes:
[1] 1 John 2:15a
[2] Romans 12:2b
[3] A durian is a round fruit with thorns on the outside. It is the King of fruits. Either you love it or hate it. Want to know more, google ‘durian’ and hope your computer do not smell.
[4] Disciple Ah Kow later set up the Christian group called Quakers.

Ah Lek inherits Heaven and Earth (2)

We may laugh at the image of Ah Lek waiting forever to inherit God’s treasures but there is an important lesson we may learn from him-that of the correct interpretation of the Bible. More specifically, do we take the words of the Bible literally or not? Ah Lek did; interpreting that as an heir he inherits everything from his father. Titus however understood being an heir of God meant receiving eternal life (Titus 3:5-7). In the Old Testament the Israelites understood being heirs meant inheriting the land of Canaan by a promise through Abraham (Heb.11:8).

Paul taught Timothy that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim.2:16-17). The literal interpretation will be that by Scripture, Paul would have meant the Old Testament because the New Testament, as we know it, has not being written yet. However, all have us have accepted that Paul has meant the whole Bible when he used the word ‘Scripture’ implying that we accept the essence rather than the literal words of Paul. Other examples of accepting the Bible literally is to accept that Jesus taught that he had renounced his mother and brothers (Matt.12:48), that we are to sell all that we have (Matt.19:20-22), and we have to be born again by natural childbirth (John 3:1-9; poor Nicodemus wondered how he could fit into his mother’ womb!). While these are obvious examples of Bible passages not to be taken literally, there are others which are not so obvious.

So what happens? Some Christians begin to pick and choose their passages. We can aspire to be a literal Acts 2 church while conveniently leaving out the part about “were together and having all things in common” (v.44) and “daily meeting in the temple courts.”(v.46). Some stand their grounds and insist that the whole Bible is to be understood literally. To do that, they have to live in their own communities and insulate themselves from the 21st century. The Amish is a good example of these Bible literalists. Those on the other end of the continuum are the Bible liberalists. They insist that the Bible are written by men and are example of good teachings on life and moral values.

How then, do we as Christians, understand the Bible? First, we have to understand that the Bible is divided into different genre: historical, poetry, prophetic or allegorical, and prescriptive. Thus, a poem cannot be understood literally and we must not derive a doctrine from a historical incident recorded in the Bible. Second, we have to be aware of the limitations of various translations (or versions) of the Bible. These translations are called versions for a reason: they only approximate the true Bible or word of God. Each translation of the Bible has their strengths and weaknesses. Different translation reflects the biasness of those who translate from the ancient Greek, Latin, Aramaic and Hebrew languages. It is good to have at least two or three different translations of the Bible to compare. Third, Bible commentaries are useful if we recognized that they too have their limitations. It is better to study individual book commentaries rather than single volume whole Bible commentaries. There are scholars have spent their whole life working on a single book or sometimes a few verses of one book of the Bible and are worth reading. Four, put yourself in the place of whom the Bible is addressing. While it may be impossible for us to put ourselves in ancient Israel, we may understand better if we know more about the background, culture and language of the people to whom the Bible was originally directed. Finally, be open to the Holy Spirit as we read the Bible. We must be aware of our human tendency to read into the Bible what we want to hear. Instead we should allow the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes and hearts to what God is saying to us through the words and sentences of the Bible. That, in the final analysis is how we understand the Bible.

Reflection Questions
1. How can you tell whether a passage is meant to be understood literally or not?
2. Which English Bible version are you using? Why this particular version? What other translations will complement your present version?
3. How do we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the Bible?

Dear Lord,

Help us to read Your Word well and open our eyes to your spiritual truths. Give us understanding in studying Your Word, help us to discern what may distract us and what will draw us into Your depths. Help us to hear Your Voice by the help of the Holy Spirit through Your Word.

Amen.


soli deo gloria

Ah Lek inherits Heaven and Earth (2)

We may laugh at the image of Ah Lek waiting forever to inherit God’s treasures but there is an important lesson we may learn from him-that of the correct interpretation of the Bible. More specifically, do we take the words of the Bible literally or not? Ah Lek did; interpreting that as an heir he inherits everything from his father. Titus however understood being an heir of God meant receiving eternal life (Titus 3:5-7). In the Old Testament the Israelites understood being heirs meant inheriting the land of Canaan by a promise through Abraham (Heb.11:8).

Paul taught Timothy that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim.2:16-17). The literal interpretation will be that by Scripture, Paul would have meant the Old Testament because the New Testament, as we know it, has not being written yet. However, all have us have accepted that Paul has meant the whole Bible when he used the word ‘Scripture’ implying that we accept the essence rather than the literal words of Paul. Other examples of accepting the Bible literally is to accept that Jesus taught that he had renounced his mother and brothers (Matt.12:48), that we are to sell all that we have (Matt.19:20-22), and we have to be born again by natural childbirth (John 3:1-9; poor Nicodemus wondered how he could fit into his mother’ womb!). While these are obvious examples of Bible passages not to be taken literally, there are others which are not so obvious.

So what happens? Some Christians begin to pick and choose their passages. We can aspire to be a literal Acts 2 church while conveniently leaving out the part about “were together and having all things in common” (v.44) and “daily meeting in the temple courts.”(v.46). Some stand their grounds and insist that the whole Bible is to be understood literally. To do that, they have to live in their own communities and insulate themselves from the 21st century. The Amish is a good example of these Bible literalists. Those on the other end of the continuum are the Bible liberalists. They insist that the Bible are written by men and are example of good teachings on life and moral values.

How then, do we as Christians, understand the Bible? First, we have to understand that the Bible is divided into different genre: historical, poetry, prophetic or allegorical, and prescriptive. Thus, a poem cannot be understood literally and we must not derive a doctrine from a historical incident recorded in the Bible. Second, we have to be aware of the limitations of various translations (or versions) of the Bible. These translations are called versions for a reason: they only approximate the true Bible or word of God. Each translation of the Bible has their strengths and weaknesses. Different translation reflects the biasness of those who translate from the ancient Greek, Latin, Aramaic and Hebrew languages. It is good to have at least two or three different translations of the Bible to compare. Third, Bible commentaries are useful if we recognized that they too have their limitations. It is better to study individual book commentaries rather than single volume whole Bible commentaries. There are scholars have spent their whole life working on a single book or sometimes a few verses of one book of the Bible and are worth reading. Four, put yourself in the place of whom the Bible is addressing. While it may be impossible for us to put ourselves in ancient Israel, we may understand better if we know more about the background, culture and language of the people to whom the Bible was originally directed. Finally, be open to the Holy Spirit as we read the Bible. We must be aware of our human tendency to read into the Bible what we want to hear. Instead we should allow the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes and hearts to what God is saying to us through the words and sentences of the Bible. That, in the final analysis is how we understand the Bible.

Reflection Questions
1. How can you tell whether a passage is meant to be understood literally or not?
2. Which English Bible version are you using? Why this particular version? What other translations will complement your present version?
3. How do we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the Bible?

Dear Lord,

Help us to read Your Word well and open our eyes to your spiritual truths. Give us understanding in studying Your Word, help us to discern what may distract us and what will draw us into Your depths. Help us to hear Your Voice by the help of the Holy Spirit through Your Word.

Amen.


soli deo gloria