1) Lina Joy, arguably Malaysia's most well known Christian convert. Born a Muslim, the local courts just had her request to drop 'Muslim' from her identity card rejected. This seems to be rather unacceptable in the eyes of the West, where the freedom to practice one's life and faith is sacrosanct. Not in Malaysia. Not if you are born a Muslim. The laws are so strict that one cannot even practice their chosen religion freely, despite the willingness to be excommunicated from their communities. (For example, non-Muslims are not allowed to share non-Islamic religions with Muslims.) If one is born a non-Muslim in Malaysia, there are apparently choices to choose whatever religion one wishes. However, if one is born a Muslim, these rights are not applicable. Why the discrepancy? It all boils down to the definition of Muslim/Malay identity. For Muslim Malays, religion and ethnicity are tied so close together that it is anathema to think about separating them. Here lies one of the biggest defining reality of society in Malaysia. If one is a Chinese, there is a 65-75% chance that one is Buddhist/Taoist. If one is an Indian, there is a 55-70% chance of being Hindu. If one is an Eurasian, or caucasian parents, one is most likely a Christian. There is also one more rising influence: Secularism. By birth, one may have their religion chained to their ethnicity. However, in practice, many more people have chosen the religion of materialism and secularism. Sadly, this is one way in which the different races 'unite' or share a common destiny.
It is important here to remember that Malaysia has gone through many years of racial and ethinic tensions which have frequently led to violence. This episode is not merely an individual freedom issue of Lina Joy. It is a potent mix of racial and religious tensions which can be easily ignited by radical religious fundamentalists. Ultimately, for the ruling powers, it is all about retaining control up the ranks. The best thing that Christians can do is to pray. Pray for peace. Pray for proper sense. Pray for the right moment to speak against injustice for all persons, not only Christians. Let consistency be so genuine, that Christians are not people who simply stand for rights of Christians, but of people in society. Speak against the social ills of the country. Stand up against powers which threaten the livelihood of the poor and weak. In the meantime, it is important not to let emotions take control. Let prayer be the guiding methodology and lifestyle. For through prayer, God gives wisdom and knowledge. Through prayer, God's hands move in ways hands cannot move. In prayer, the peace which passes all understanding will dwell in the hearts of many.
Links:
1) Houston Chronicle
2) The Australian
3) Aliran
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Confidentiality and the Courts
This is a tricky situation. Reuters was ordered (Friday, 25 May 2007)) to reveal its confidential source for a business case, by a Singapore court of law. According to Reuters,
"It is Reuters policy to protect the confidentiality of our sources," Reuters Editor-in-Chief David Schlesinger said.According to the Singapore law, it was said that:
Singapore law does not recognise the right of journalists to protect the identity of their sources, which is enshrined in the laws of many countries protecting freedom of expression, as well as recognised by the European Court of Human Rights.It looks like a double-bind. If Reuters were to stick to its confidentiality clause, the reporter will have to be jailed for refusing to obey the court's directive. If Reuters were to allow the reporter to reveal the sources, it will mean loss of credibility for the news agency. Either way, Reuters is stuck. The only way out, is for the sources themselves to release Reuters from the confidentiality clause agreement. My feelings are mixed. It may work this time in terms of getting the information out. However, there will be a risk that in future, information sources will not be willing at all to talk to anybody, in Singapore! Who will then be willing to share information? Will this incident encourage individuals and corporations to be willing to share pertinent information? What will happen to people, for whatever reasons, needs to remain anonymous and yet the information needs to be disseminated safely? Will it lead to people who are already normally clammed up about sharing information, becomes even more clammed up? What if there is a legitimate reason to remain anonymous, but the court orders the anonymous sources to be disclosed? How can we resolve this ethical dilemma?
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Relevance?
Some say that the church should be more relevant to the culture and surrounding society: Address felt needs, adapt message to audience, be encouraging and non-confrontational.
Others say that the church should instead not be too focused on being relevant, but being faithful to the biblical truth first. That one should not compromise biblical truth, that one should not be worldly minded, and be concerned more with the truth rather than making this truth 'relevant' to the world, according to world understanding.
Who is correct?
Others say that the church should instead not be too focused on being relevant, but being faithful to the biblical truth first. That one should not compromise biblical truth, that one should not be worldly minded, and be concerned more with the truth rather than making this truth 'relevant' to the world, according to world understanding.
Who is correct?
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Jolt Quote IX
"For the truth of the matter is that naked beliefs offer little consolation under the worst experiences of suffering and evil." (How Long O Lord?, DA Carson, p20)
Humility is needed in all our living, in both good and bad times. Doctrines held on tightly during good times, can be utterly painful during times of pain. Carson, a professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity, draws us into the deep valleys of pain and grief, and tests our scholastic theology with reality, dealing with it sensitively. He warns Christians against hiding in false security that leads to destructive ends. Ignorance and Arrogance are two of the most deceitful ways Christians face when dealing with pain and suffering.
Fact of the matter is we do not draw comfort from right thinking or right beliefs. If comfort is drawn from 'right thinking', what about the mentally challenged? If comfort comes from 'right beliefs', how do we make sense of bad things happening to good people? Good thinking and good believing has its place. However, most critically, we draw comfort from a right relationship, one that bathes in the showers of God's grace. Like a welcome sprinkle gulp spring water on a hot dry day, or fresh rain for a parched dying land, God's love comes to us in moments we least expected. We can ask: How Long, O Lord?, and it is that waiting, that anticipating and that hoping that keeps our weary and suffering souls looking towards heaven and prays: "Come Lord Jesus. Come soon".
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed." (Rom 8:18-19)
A sermon on 'not to worry'
Isn't it ironic that Christians who profess faith, are also the very people who struggle with worry and anxiety? I am constantly on a lookout for ways to relieve my self-anxiety. One of these ways is to enjoy good sermons that preaches against worry. I like this particular one.My own reflection on anxiety is found here which I blogged on May 1st this year.
ks
Friday, May 18, 2007
What I am Reading
I am reading Chaim Potok's My Name Is Asher Lev. His usage of words and attention to details are most profound. Observations are made in short simple sentences and nouns are repeated in a fascinating spiral manner. He makes words come alive. "I grew up encrusted with lead and spectrumed with crayons." epitomizes his artistry with words and natural colours. Potok writes as if he is drawing a literary art.As for repetition, just read his description of his own drawing and you will know what I mean.
The drawing felt incomplete. It bothered me to have it incomplete. I closed my eyes and looked at the drawing inside myself, went over its contours inside myself, and it was incomplete. (p34)Chapter 1 ended pretty abruptly: "I had stopped drawing." One phase has closed. It opens another.
Bringing in the Church vs Bringing in the Kingdom
The biggest tragedy in churches today is that they are too busy "bringing in the church" rather than "bringing in the kingdom of Christ". (R Paul Stevens)
Stevens, a strong proponent of 'Everyday Spirituality' is right on target. We should never dichotomize Christian work apart from other forms of work. One of the most perplexing things Christians do, is to distinguish one's work in terms of Full-time vs Part-time. The phrase, "I am going into Full-Time work for Christ", seems to be a very strange proposition. You mean, there is such a thing as a part-time Christian? The vocabulary we use in our Christian conversations leaves behind much to be desired. We are too influenced by the world that we fail to take charge of our own usage of Christian truths. The terms Full-time and Part-time are not only misleading but a harmful one as far as faith is concerned. Theologically, we learn from Colossians 3:23 that
Not a Job but a Fit
It is common to find Churches that put up advertisements asking for spiritual superpeople. They want people with the best experience, the most relational, the most teachable, one who preaches well, one who is prepared to serve the most, and paid the least and so on. It is sad that on the one hand, they acknowledge that people are imperfect, yet by their very asking, they expect people to be perfect, or close to perfection, otherwise they will be branding the prospective applicant as 'underqualified.' There is a story of a person, who was rejected for a pastoral position because he is deemed to be 'underqualified'. I am appalled that such a statement is ever made. Theologically, we are all underqualified. That is why we need to live by grace. If one person is underqualified, the entire body is underqualified, as the weakest part of the body represents the archilles heel of the body. The kingdom of God accepts every member, even the smallest. The kingdom of the earthy church accepts only the most 'qualified' member to take on the role of the pastor of the church. This earthy (Earthly means church on earth; earthy means church behaving in worldly manner) church reflects the problem not with the person concerned but with the whole church concerned. What is that church trying to communicate? I suggest that part of the problem is that greater emphasis on bringing in the church rather than bringing in the kingdom. Church leaders can sometimes take their responsibililites too far, to see it as THEIR decisions that make-or-break, forgetting that the church belongs to the Lord.
Getting a good pastor is important, no doubt about it. What is more important is the recognition that the pastor is but another member of the body of Christ. No more and no less. People who are searching for pastors should not be looking for a job but a fit. The best pastors may not fit the church's culture. Likewise, the best church structure may not be suitable for all kinds of experienced pastors. In fact the best fit is never in terms of skill-sets or qualifications. The best fit is in terms of where the security of the seeking pastor and the seeking church lies in. A pastor who finds security in a job is not a good fit. Likewise, a church who finds security in a spiritual superpastor is in for further church problems. The best fit happens when the Holy Spirit moves the church committee and applicant to see beyond the resume/job description, but in terms of the vision/mission of the church, and how best to help the whole church be a faithful expression of that vision/mission, at the right time, at the right mood and at the right spirit.
The basic qualification is in verb forms and not nouns. It is not the label but the spiritual qualities of hospitality, the expression of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). Whenever a church places more focus on the noun-forms rather than verb-expressions, they risk traveling along the wrong path. One can have the best seminary qualifications but fail miserably as a church worker. One can have very minimal training and yet ministers well in church. What then is the difference? The Holy Spirit's unction. The committee must pray. The church must pray. The applicants must pray. They must seek God from the beginning to the end, that the next applicant is not merely another object to put into the departing pastor's 'big shoes'. Neither is he to be a spiritual supermen to solve the many problems of the church. The whole church community must pray to listen to what God is speaking to them first before going on a search spree.
"But the church is in trouble. We need a good pastor to beef it up." some may argue. Well, if God is for the Church, who can be against it? If our focus is on these superspiritual men to lead and 'save' the church, where then is grace? Where is the humble Christ in the church? Perhaps churches looking for pastors should NOT even put out a job description publicly. All priority must be constantly focused on living well, interacting well and most importantly, being faithful and prayerful. I have heard stories of faith, where individuals simply spent their time praying and seeking and asking God for the right description and the right moment for the next worker in Christ. "Prayed into being" is what the church need. Otherwise, the church is practically more interested in "bringing in the church" rather than "bringing in the kingdom". For the kingdom of God is of righteousness, peace and joy in the Spirit. (Rom 14:17b)
ks
Stevens, a strong proponent of 'Everyday Spirituality' is right on target. We should never dichotomize Christian work apart from other forms of work. One of the most perplexing things Christians do, is to distinguish one's work in terms of Full-time vs Part-time. The phrase, "I am going into Full-Time work for Christ", seems to be a very strange proposition. You mean, there is such a thing as a part-time Christian? The vocabulary we use in our Christian conversations leaves behind much to be desired. We are too influenced by the world that we fail to take charge of our own usage of Christian truths. The terms Full-time and Part-time are not only misleading but a harmful one as far as faith is concerned. Theologically, we learn from Colossians 3:23 that
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men (NIV)If we are serious about practicing this verse as honestly as possible, we will know that there is no such thing as a part-time Christian. Likewise, theologically, there is no such thing as a part-time Christian ministry. All of us who profess to be disciples of Christ are already in Full-time ministry. A big difference is whether we are paid or not. Paid ministers are like Old Testament Levites who get their pay from a central fund from the rest of the tribal community. This is essential so that the Levites can focus on the temple and sacramental works for the community, while the rest of the tribes busy themselves with other forms of work. Note that there is no distinction whether there are part-time or full-time. It was simply accepted that that is the role in society they play. The expectation that pastors or Christian workers ought to be doing more, simply because they are paid, is a pagan belief, that is rather harmful. Should one behave differently when paid vs one that is not paid? You mean there is a monetary equivalant of God's gift? With expectations like this, will it not coerce one to behave in manners that is not himself/herself? This is one of the biggest problems of ministry work, where Nouwen describes workers as being Wounded Healers. Expectations must come with grace. Grace motivates. Grace forgives. Grace brings in the kingdom to us, and releases the kingdom within us. Grace is action in love. Like Bonhoeffer's warning against "Cheap Faith", we must be wary of churches that is looking for a "Cheap Deal". Unfortunately, there are churches that say one thing but behaves otherwise.
Not a Job but a Fit
It is common to find Churches that put up advertisements asking for spiritual superpeople. They want people with the best experience, the most relational, the most teachable, one who preaches well, one who is prepared to serve the most, and paid the least and so on. It is sad that on the one hand, they acknowledge that people are imperfect, yet by their very asking, they expect people to be perfect, or close to perfection, otherwise they will be branding the prospective applicant as 'underqualified.' There is a story of a person, who was rejected for a pastoral position because he is deemed to be 'underqualified'. I am appalled that such a statement is ever made. Theologically, we are all underqualified. That is why we need to live by grace. If one person is underqualified, the entire body is underqualified, as the weakest part of the body represents the archilles heel of the body. The kingdom of God accepts every member, even the smallest. The kingdom of the earthy church accepts only the most 'qualified' member to take on the role of the pastor of the church. This earthy (Earthly means church on earth; earthy means church behaving in worldly manner) church reflects the problem not with the person concerned but with the whole church concerned. What is that church trying to communicate? I suggest that part of the problem is that greater emphasis on bringing in the church rather than bringing in the kingdom. Church leaders can sometimes take their responsibililites too far, to see it as THEIR decisions that make-or-break, forgetting that the church belongs to the Lord.
Getting a good pastor is important, no doubt about it. What is more important is the recognition that the pastor is but another member of the body of Christ. No more and no less. People who are searching for pastors should not be looking for a job but a fit. The best pastors may not fit the church's culture. Likewise, the best church structure may not be suitable for all kinds of experienced pastors. In fact the best fit is never in terms of skill-sets or qualifications. The best fit is in terms of where the security of the seeking pastor and the seeking church lies in. A pastor who finds security in a job is not a good fit. Likewise, a church who finds security in a spiritual superpastor is in for further church problems. The best fit happens when the Holy Spirit moves the church committee and applicant to see beyond the resume/job description, but in terms of the vision/mission of the church, and how best to help the whole church be a faithful expression of that vision/mission, at the right time, at the right mood and at the right spirit.
The basic qualification is in verb forms and not nouns. It is not the label but the spiritual qualities of hospitality, the expression of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). Whenever a church places more focus on the noun-forms rather than verb-expressions, they risk traveling along the wrong path. One can have the best seminary qualifications but fail miserably as a church worker. One can have very minimal training and yet ministers well in church. What then is the difference? The Holy Spirit's unction. The committee must pray. The church must pray. The applicants must pray. They must seek God from the beginning to the end, that the next applicant is not merely another object to put into the departing pastor's 'big shoes'. Neither is he to be a spiritual supermen to solve the many problems of the church. The whole church community must pray to listen to what God is speaking to them first before going on a search spree.
"But the church is in trouble. We need a good pastor to beef it up." some may argue. Well, if God is for the Church, who can be against it? If our focus is on these superspiritual men to lead and 'save' the church, where then is grace? Where is the humble Christ in the church? Perhaps churches looking for pastors should NOT even put out a job description publicly. All priority must be constantly focused on living well, interacting well and most importantly, being faithful and prayerful. I have heard stories of faith, where individuals simply spent their time praying and seeking and asking God for the right description and the right moment for the next worker in Christ. "Prayed into being" is what the church need. Otherwise, the church is practically more interested in "bringing in the church" rather than "bringing in the kingdom". For the kingdom of God is of righteousness, peace and joy in the Spirit. (Rom 14:17b)
ks
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