Studs Terkel (1912-2008)

I first came to know about Studs Terkel when I was doing a book study on Working. I appreciate him for his incisive interview skills evident in his book: Working. In that book, 75 interviews were conducted with the man in the street about their working lives. That book was also part of my required reading for my first year residency doctoral program. When I first read the book, I thought to myself: "Wow! This book is a gem. It should be required reading for all pastors and people interested in marketplace work." It was a bestseller when it was published in 1974. I have mentioned to my classmates that there ought to be an updated version for the Millenium.

"Working" is a remarkably book of interviews, containing lots of no-holds-barred confession of what work means to the people in the different industries. Daily responsibilities were talked about frankly, and sometimes crude vocabulary was honestly inserted to depict the 'real-life' sentiments felt by the workers about their attitude toward their jobs. In doing so, Terkel allows the common worker to speak for themselves, yet loosely bringing together common themes like diligence, acceptance, pride, discrimination and office related politics. The range is so wide that it takes a master to be able to select which industries and to compile the interviews into the nine common categories. Terkel does it professionally and sensitively. One of the most memorable statements in that book is an interview with a banker-turned-fireman who said:

“I worked in a bank. You know, it’s just paper. It’s not real. Nine to five and it’s shit. You’re looking at numbers. But I can look back and say, ‘I helped put out a fire. I helped save somebody.’ It shows something I did on this earth.” (Tom Patrick)

We may not have to agree with Tom Patrick but the fact that he is able to speak it with conviction is commendable. I am personally impressed with how he is able to draw out the inner person from his interviewees.

Called the world's greatest interviewer, Terkel died today at the age of 96.

---

• Full Obituary (New York Times)
  
• Chicago Tribune
  

In Addition...

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33, NAS)

This is one of the most popular memory verse. It highlights the kingdom focus of Jesus in the Sermon of the Mount. It gives people hope that whatever they are concerned about from day to day, need not distract them from the main thing. It has spurred a popular song, which is sung in many churches each Sunday throughout the world. The Maranatha Singers version remains my favourite rendition of this classic.

SEEK YE FIRST
 C        G/B      Am         Em/G
 Seek ye first the kingdom of God
 F       C        Dm     G7sus  G7
 And His righteousness,
 C             G/B             Am         Em/G
 And all these things shall be added unto you,
 F    C    Dm7 G7 C
 Allelu, alleluia.

 C             G/B     Am     Em/G
 Man shall not live by bread alone,
 F      C     Dm    G7sus  G7
 But by every word
 C        G/B           Am       Em/G
 That proceeds from the mouth of God,
 F    C    Dm7 G7 C
 Allelu, alleluia.


 C          G/B      Am         Em/G
 Ask, and it shall be given unto you.
 F        C        Dm    G7sus  G7
 Seek, and ye shall find.
 C              G/B           Am          Em/G
 Knock, and the door shall be opened unto you.
 F    C    Dm7 G7 C
 Allelu, alleluia.


 C        G/B      Am         Em/G
 Seek ye first the kingdom of God
 F       C        Dm     G7sus  G7
 And His righteousness,
 C             G/B             Am         Em/G
 And all these things shall be added unto you,
 F    C    Dm7 G7 C
 Allelu, alleluia.


© 1972 Maranatha! Music
Words and Music by Karen Lafferty

Observations

There are several things that we can learn from this verse.
a) The Preposition (δὲ , de) 'but'
The preposition 'but' is critical. It ties in the two main needs of the human race. Firstly, there is a need for security like food, housing, clothes, our health, our daily concerns. I will call that daily provisions. Just like the sun by day and the moon by night, there are many events happening that we cannot totally be in control of. We cannot force the sun to come up sooner, or the moon to appear later. These simply happens without us having to worry about it. Secondly, the human psyche is one of restlessness. If one does not worry about Item A, his mind will start roaming around for items B and C, pulling in anxious thoughts like a long trailer, to even exceed Item Z. Such restlessness has caused much grief. (Remember, what good will it do to a man who gains the whole world but loses his soul?) Instead, we need to direct our attention to the front of the train. The driver. The author and finisher of our faith. The person leading our lives. Jesus is that person. He knows all of our needs. He wants people to avoid moving from one worry to another, but directs his hearers to focus on the kingdom of God. With the word 'but,' Jesus draws these two weaknesses of people, of worry about daily provisions, and the tendency of restlessness into one direct focus on the kingdom of God AND his righteousness.

b) The word (προστίθημι, prostithemi) 'add'
These things that people worry about, God will provide as an ADDITION. This small detail is significant. We cannot be too distracted by the provisions that we miss the loving hand of the Provider. We cannot allow the gift to hide the palm of the Giver. We cannot be so infatuated with things that we receive that we fail to give the person who loves us the attention he/she deserve. The word 'add' should conjure in us the question: "Add to what?" Jesus has taught the disciples to seek God's kingdom and his righteousness. That is the main thing. Along with this main thing, the hearers have been assured that whatever they need daily will be taken care of. These things will be "added unto you." Be careful not to think that the purpose of seeking God's kingdom is to receive provisions and daily necessities. No! God is our daily bread. God is our daily companion.

The verb 'prostithemi' (προστίθημι) is also used in several places in the New Testament.

• In Acts 12:3, when King Herod saw that his arresting/killing of James, the brother of John, had pleased the Jews, he continued to try to (προστίθημι) 'add' to this 'pleasing-the-Jews' exercise by trying to arrest Peter too.
• In Gal 2:6, Paul claims that the external facade of the false teachers will (προστίθημι) 'add' nothing to the gospel he is preaching.
• In Rev 22:18, John warns us about the terrible consequences for anyone who (προστίθημι) 'adds' anything to the words of Scripture.

We need to ask ourselves, what are we adding to? Simply put, the main course of our holy meal is Christ. The entree is God's kingdom and his righteousness.

In these tough economic conditions, people are making increasingly desperate attempts to sustain their businesses. I saw a car workshop that is currently trying to promote their winter maintenance package. A banner screams: "Free MP3 player with every winter maintenance package." I ask myself, what has an MP3 player got to do with car maintenance? Absolutely nothing. It does not make the car go faster or smoother. It will not polish the car's exterior. Neither will it improve the fuel efficiency of the car engine. By using the MP3 player gimmick, car owners can easily get distracted from the main thing regarding car maintenance. Quality and reliability of the car mechanic. Location of the workshop. Type of equipment and the integrity of the workshop and so forth. If the car owner decides on the basis of the MP3 player, he is taking a huge risk, especially with an unknown car workshop.

Likewise, when we seek God's kingdom, we cannot be distracted by the 'mp3's of spirituality. Even our daily necessities can be MP3s of our spiritual life. Distracted people choose God simply because of his promises to deliver these human goodies. Far be from it. Remember that Jesus is saying that all these things will be 'added' unto you? But first seek ye first the kingdom and his righteousness!

c) Future Tense
The third observation is that προστίθημι is a future tense. It is not immediate according to our liking, but appropriate according to God's timing. The words 'will be added' should comfort us that the future is in God's hands. The very person who wants to give us his kingdom and his righteousness, surely, the goods promised are not going to be more important than the kingdom, isn't it? What God has promised, he will deliver, only wait in hope and persevere in faithfulness. That is what trusting God is all about.

Final Words
In the parable of the compassionate father (many refer to as prodigal son), the father who has given his younger son his inheritance, continues to long for his son to return from his willful ways. Thankfully the story ends with the return of the prodigal son. The father was overjoyed. He gives the unfaithful son clothes (the best robe). He puts a ring on his finger, and sandals on his feet. He feeds him with the best calf (food). Everyone in the household were asked to celebrate. What is important is that when the Father sees the return of the son, everything else does not matter anymore. God desires to have fellowship with us, so that he can shower his bountiful love on us. He knows we need a roof over our heads. He understands that we need daily provisions of food. He recognizes that we are human creatures with human needs. Yet, he is wise to continue to teach us patience, and not to give in to our desires prematurely. Knowing when to give us what we need, and how much to provide for us, requires not simply speed or efficiency. It needs love. It is from this gesture of love, that he tells us, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness," then all these things will be 'added' unto you.

What we should desire is God himself. For the younger son, his eyes is no longer on the clothes or the food, or the house and inheritance. His desire is to come back to the warm embrace of the Father. Henri Nouwen puts it very eloquently that there are indeed more important things than food, clothes, lodging and our daily provisions:

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate now knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares." (Henri Nouwen's "Out of Solitude")

I will end with the picture of Rembrandt's work, the portrait of the parable of the compassionate father. This picture alone inspired Henri Nouwen to write one of his best and most popular books: "The Return of the Prodigal Son."



Take a moment and enjoy the picture.

ks

Restoration House (NZ)

This is an inspiring video from a New Zealand documentary that someone shared with me today. I found it truly encouraging. It is worth watching and learning. Good to see modern efforts like this that prove to us that there is still hope after Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day and many well-known samaritans in society. In tough times like this, by looking outside of ourselves and start helping others, we can get through and become better people, by helping others become better people.

ks

PI (a movie)

I watched this movie "PI" (pronounced as 'pie') a couple of months ago but have wanted to review it at that time. However, as usual, time and other commitments took priority. Darren Aronofsky, the 1998 Sundance Director prize winner, does a skillful job in bringing the viewer into the mind of the main character, Maximillian Cohen, a brilliant mathematician. Right at the beginning of the show, Cohen, in true scientific style states his basic assumptions of life:

1. Mathematics is the language of nature.
   
2. Everything around us can be represented and understood through numbers.
   
3. If you graph the numbers of any system, patterns emerge. Therefore, there are patterns everywhere in nature.

His unique ability to crunch numbers and detect patterns makes him a target for both religious groups as well as investment corporations. A Jewish sect, Kabbalah group seeks him out to find special codes hidden within the Torah. Lenny Meyer, the Jew in the movie assumes that the Torah is a series of numbers for people to decipher. The example used was compelling.

The word for father is (אב) 'ab' which is 2+1 = 3;
The word for mother is (אם) 'am' which is 40+1 = 41
Adding them together, we get 44.
A child is (ילד) 'yeled,' which is 4+30+10 = 44. (similar to adding father and mother)
So Lenny concluded that such patterns can also be found in the rest of the Torah.

As Cohen works with computers, and Lenny works with numerical details in the Torah, they realize their common denominator is mathematics. Both agree that patterns emerge in all of life. Lenny is interested in deciphering the Torah as he is convinced that it is a code sent by God, hidden in the holy scriptures. He desires to use number theory to find out the revelation, in particular the coming of the holy Messiah. Also on Cohen's heels is Marcy Dawson, and her associates of a Wall Street firm who want to manipulate the stock market with Cohen's mathematical prowess. The number '216' figures prominently in the movie, accompanied by Cohen's frequent struggles with his headaches. In a movie that presupposes an orderly pattern, the film progresses in a very chaotic fashion, interrupted by eerie pains and emotional traumas.

My Comments
In one movie, the film brings together science, religion and business, three powerful and pervasive branches of society. The assumption of the film is essentially, 'everything can be quantified,' even spirituality. Somehow, toward the end of the movie, Cohen, the man who believes in understanding life through numbers commits suicide when he could not escape his mental illness. Indeed, when man tries to comprehend life using limited tools, even mathematics, it will be futile. How can a finite person using finite tools ever comprehend an infinite God? The book of Ecclesiastes gives us a special insight into life. When God is excluded, everything is meaningless. Like the movie, math prodigies can become vulnerable to all kinds of exploits. People come to them not because they like them, but because of the skills that they have. Without these skills, they are of not much value. Like Cohen's case, when the Kabbalah sect and the Wall Street firm found out that Cohen has powerful mathematical understanding of numbers, they pursue him relentlessly. They offer him lots of goodies for a part of his mathematical prowess. Cohen gets reduced to a number crunching machine. He becomes something useful. He turns into a means for others to accomplish their ends.

The director of the movie, by filming in strong black and white, brings the suspense a level higher. After-all, black symbolizes (0) and white (1), the exact binary sequence of computers. In digitizing technologies, all images are rendered a series of 1's and 0's. Man, in all his desire to understand life, tries to quantify life in mathematical terms. As the movie turns out, sanity can only return once people realizes that there are many things in life not so easily explained by numbers. Moreover, if one tries, one essentially subjects himself to pressures intolerable to the human mind. The mental strain, headaches and schizophrenia behaviour of Cohen, coupled with the relentless and unscrupulous Wall Street people who desires stock market gains above all things, we have a world that is pitifully devoid of human compassion. Can we truly find true companionship with a robotic dog? Can we feel loved by watching and hugging a TV/Video program, even if it contains a recorded footage of our loved ones? Can we really quantify what we normally refer to as quality of life?

Quantifying Life?

Today, during coffee with my pastor, we talked about the way people tends to quantify life. People generally want to numericize values.

• How do we know if our work is progressing well?
  
• What are the quantifiables in such ventures?
  
• How do we know that there is positive developments in this project?
  
• How do we measure Church growth? By numbers?

Those in businesses measure success based on their bottom line. Profit = Sales - Expenditure.
Sales personnel measure their achievements on the basis of how close they have reached or exceeded their quota. In medical circles, people measure health according to numbers, like their high/low blood pressure, amount of sugar levels in their blood, how heavy or tall a person is. In the educational arena, success is determined by how many A's or how close one is to the highest GPA level of 4. Sports numbers determine the fate of a team. In hockey, a win during regulation time gives 2 points. Upon reaching overtime, both teams get at least one point. If a team wins in overtime, it gets an additional point.

It is not my goal to disregard the importance of quantifiable numbers. We need to use numbers to have a rough gauge of our progress. There are positive uses for numbers, like measuring our temperature to detect feverish signs, or measuring our blood sugar or harmful cholesterol levels. Having said that, if we were to use quantity as a chief measurement of life, we will be duly disappointed. Does it mean that if I invest $1 and get $100 return, I am a better investor? What about the company that I am investing in? Are there ethical considerations? Can we truly measure kindness? Though the director of the movie did not explicitly say, the way the story concludes speaks volumes. 'Pi' which refers to the [Area/radius squared] or = 22/7 gives us an infinite decimal number.

Lessons to Learn
Perhaps, there are some lessons to learn.
a) Firstly, at a macro-level, we may seem to keep things in our control. However, as we drill deeper, like trying to control the minor details of life, we falter easily. For example, if we try to understand everything before we actually believe, we leave no room for ponder and wonder. I remember admiring the magnificent beauty of nature, how the sun shines its orange ray across the horizon, how the waters flow gently down the river and how wind blows at the trees waving the leaves gently and casually. If life is devoid of mystery, it will no longer be the wonderful nature we have come to enjoy.

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." (Albert Einstein, Scientist)

"Two things fill me with constantly increasing admiration and awe, the longer and more earnestly I reflect on them: the starry heavens without and the moral law within." (Immanuel Kant, Ethicist & Theologian)

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." (C.S. Lewis)

b) Secondly, Christians do not need to be stymied into one way of seeing life, or the 'numerical way.' They have been set free to take another perspective, from God via the Spirit. Jesus disregards the use of quantity in the story of the poor widow who gave two copper coins, and the rich man with loads of money (Mark 12:41-44). Numerically speaking, the rich man gave more, much more. However, Jesus is not deceived. Our view of the world should not be limited by worldly philosophies.

c) Thirdly, greed remains a potent threat to any of God's gifts. Max Cohen's 'gift' of mathematical skills became exploited due to the greed to others. When we receive anything, the next test is not how we keep it, but how we become good stewards of it.

Pi is a unique show, confusing at first, even disturbing at several moments. Yet, it mirrors the terrible effects of sin in human people; of greed, of selfishness, and of utter dehumanizing use of people. If a person is reducible to a series of numbers, he can then be easily manipulated, divided, multiplied, subtracted or added. No! People have to be treated as a whole person. That means they cannot be simply subdivided into different areas. His entire being has to be respected, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually and so forth. The moment we attempt to digitize a human person, we approximate the person unfairly to the nearest denominator. Pi is a movie that warns us against doing that.

ks

Hard Times (make you strong)

This past week, I have been hearing depressing news one after another. In retrospect, since the nightmarish financial fallout in Wall Street on the middle of September 2008, the dominoes have fallen hard. From large corporations to small businesses; from unemployment hitting high-flying executives to the blue-collar worker; from the subprime mortgage crises in the US to the very doorsteps of our favourite grocery or coffee shops, many are rapidly throwing in the towel due to the unsustainable business models they run on. "Doing More With Less," a corporate maxim since the beginning of the Millennium is slowly creeping into the regular household. People simply need to get the most value out of their few bucks. As unemployment rises and sentiment falls, the financial meltdown will impact many families. Canadians have been told to be prepared for the worse. Due to sharply reduced overseas demand, factories in China, have laid off thousands, triggering widespread anger. Singapore, one of the four economic dragons of East Asia reports of a double whammy: slowing business dealings with both the US and China. Europe calls the slowdown a 'huge threat' to all their economies. Times are bad, making many people sad. Amid the tearful, lies many fearful and frefful of things worse to come. It is important during such times to remember that many worries in life never actually become reality. In fact, the old saying that 'no news is good news' remains largely true.

Ten+1 Tips When Living in These Tough Times
Some tips I have are as follows:

1. Watch less news (either on TV or Internet);
2. Spend less time talking with 'doom-and-gloom' people;
3. Spend MORE time speaking with words of encouragement and edification;
4. Practice sincere speaking and avoid doing things just to 'save' one's face. (See my article on sincerity.)
5. Read biographies. Many are inspiring;
6. Encourage those who are affected, by simply being with them, or provide simple practical helps;
7. Be responsible consumers. Do not simply save for the sake of saving. Help the smaller businesses where possible;
8. Pray often, and practice sharing and caring for one another;
9. Give your family a hug more frequently;
10. Meditate on Matthew 6:24-34 (listed below);
11. Sing. Christians are called not to be sinners but singers. (see below)

Mark Twain once said:

"I've had many problems in my life - most of which never happened."

Jesus, in his classic sermon on the Mount emphasizes that

24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:24-34)

Hard Times Make You Strong
I learned this song many years ago when I was an undergraduate. A brother in Christ (I'll call P.N) played and sang this on a guitar. During that time, when I was struggling as a young adult, complete with academic pressures and various challenges, the song ministered a lot to me. Pray that it will help you too.

HARD TIMES
1) Is the rain falling from the sky keeping you from singing?
Is the tear falling from your eye because the wind is stinging?

Refrain:
&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160 Now don't you fret now child, don't you worry
&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160 The rain's to help you grow, don't try to hurry the storm along
&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160 The hard times make you strong

2) Don't you know a seed will never grow if there are never showers
Though the rain may bring a little pain, just look at all the flowers

Refrain:
&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160 Now don't you fret now child, don't you worry
&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160 The rain's to help you grow, don't try to hurry the storm along
&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160 The hard times make you strong

I know how long the day can seem when storm clouds hide His face.
And if the rain dissolves your dreams, just remember His amazing grace!

3) Don't you know the sun is always there even when the rains fall?
Don't you know the Son will always care when he hears your voice call?

Refrain:
&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160 Now don't you fret now child, don't you worry
&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160 The rain's to help you grow, don't try to hurry the storm along
&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160&#160 The hard times make you strong

If you do not know the tune to this song, click here. It is a song that uplifts a mother who lost her son some time ago, hence its rendition is more melancholic and solemn. If you like me to sing and record another version, email me.

ks

Sincerity & 'Church of 80% Sincerity'

An Abbot Pastor once said: "If there are three monks living together, of whom one remains silent in prayer at all times, and another is ailing and gives thanks for it, and a third waits on them both with sincere good will, these three are equal, as if all were performing the same work." (Thomas Merton, Wisdom of the Desert, NY: New Directions Publishing, 1970, p42-3)

The Chinese word word (誠, cheng) means honest, truthful, genuine. Put together with another word (恳, ken), it forms the word sincere (诚恳 cheng ken). In the book of Acts, the gospel writer Luke records the behaviour of the early church.

"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:46-47)

46 他们天天同心在殿里恒切地聚集，一家一家地擘饼，存着欢乐和诚恳的心用饭， 47 又赞美　神，并且得到全民的喜爱。主将得救的人，天天加给教会。(Acts 2:46-47, CNV)

The word (诚) contains 2 separate words (言, yuan) and (成, cheng) which literally means 'speak and accomplish.'The second word (恳 ken) also has 2 words: (艮 gen) [forthright, blunt, straightforward] and (心, xin) [heart]. Put together, the words indicate a willingness to speak openly, growing in honesty and sincerity of heart, not withholding one's ability to tell the truth and openly engage in conversation. The Greek word for sincere (ἀφελότης, aphelotes) means singleness of mind/heart. Contrast this with a double-minded person whose thoughts and words waver between truthfulness and lies. Any community with people who are less than sincere will never become the kind of community like that of the early church.

Common Usage in society
Sincerity is something that I came across early on when learning the letters genre. My teacher used to teach that when I end my letter to an unnamed person or organization, I should end with "Yours faithfully." If I end the letter addressed to a named or known person, especially a friend, I ought to use "Yours sincerely." Common usage thus suggests that the latter is something more personal. Words matter. The way we use it reflects the level of intimacy required. In the business world, the words we use have to be legally vetted and proof-read in order not to compromise one's position or make one susceptible to unscrupulous actions. Contracts are carefully screened, sometimes using experienced lawyers. Many organizations publish important information in small fine prints which many consumers simply ignore. Web services practically force any user to click "I Agree" when entering their web sites. There is no other option, as the alternative "I do not Agree" automatically locks one out of the web services, isolating the casual surfer who merely wanted to find out what the services are all about. Perhaps, for cases like this, the web services provider or organization ought to allow a PREVIEW of the services, a sample for people who are not willing to commit to signing up, or agreeing to all the conditions stated in the list of terms and regulations. People should be allowed to do 'window-shopping' on the web, to check something out before making any commitment. Unfortunately, organizations are too ready to cover their own legal backs as a first move.

To Be Honest
Another way to describe sincerity is the phrase "From the Bottom of my heart" which has a 2-dimensional meaning, bottom showing the depth of one's desire and 'heart' indicating something that is of the most profound part of the person. In contrast, 'off the top of my head' symbolizes something that is quickly said, and superficially done.

It is more difficult nowadays to detect who is sincere or not. Even family members sometimes hide stuff from each other. The common usage of the words "to be honest" makes me wonder if the person saying it is simply trying to 'up his level of honesty' or has been lying all along? Society has generally accepted that honesty is expected but not assumed automatically. At the immigration checkpoints, it is assumed that all visitors to the current is assumed to be an illegal immigrant unless otherwise. Hence the passport checks and questions posed to visitors tend to be attempts to verify that it is not the case before allowing the visitor to enter the country. When applying for any services, be it government departments, credit cards or supermarket vouchers, one will need to show a valid photo ID for the officer to verify one's identity. It is not assumed that one's words is to be believed right-away, especially in official matters. I have since learned that when anyone uses the words "to be honest with you," it is the bottom line that the person is offering. I remember wanting to get the best price for an item in a bazaar. The shopkeeper was not willing to budge on his price, and I am not willing to pay the full amount. Finally, he said: "To be honest with you, the price is hardly enough to cover my cost of goods." That said, the shopkeeper is trying to tell me that his business is already struggling. I sense some exasperation in the tone of the shopkeeper. That is something happening a lot nowadays, especially with a worsening economy worldwide.

The Church of 80% Sincerity
Is it really that hard to be sincere? Is it a forgone conclusion that the world is no longer sincere and there is no hope in it becoming better? Not really. David Roche is one person who tries to buck the trend. Filled with personal testimonies about his struggles to be accepted as he is in society, Roche came up with the idea of a Church of 80% Sincerity. I came across the book, largely through Anne Lamott's Plan B - Further Thought on Faith. David Roche is an interesting character. Born with a severe facial deformity, aggravated by aggressive radiation, his left side of the face became permanently disfigured. Learning to express himself honestly without feeling sorry for himself took many years. He tried to compensate for his facial abnormality with pious acts, including four years of training to become a Roman Catholic priest. His desire to find female companionship often gets stuck at the first level: "What if they do not like my face?" He opts for the other extreme to grit his teeth and endure suffering from all corners of his life. He tries to live up to Marxist-Lenin ideals of self-sacrifice but eventually rejects it when he realizes that the Marxist leaders were more interested in their ideals rather than the persons behind the ideals. Soon, it dawn upon him the idea of a "Church of 80% Sincerity." This 'church' is not a physical church but an idea he carries with him in his head, to assure himself about the nature of people around him.

In the Church of 80% Sincerity, we think 80 percent sincerity is as good as it gets. You can be 80 percent sincere 100 percent of the time, or 100 percent sincere 80 percent of the time. It's in that 20 percent area where you get some slack and you can be yourself. [David Roche, The Church of 80% Sincerity, NY: Perigee Books, 2008, p7]

Roche's Observation of Basic Motivation Factor: 'Avoiding Embarrassment'
Roche has a rather incisive understanding of human nature. He says that the basic motivating factor for people is 'not self-preservation or sex or love' but the 'desire not to be embarrassed' (Roche, 61). This is an insightful one as it means that in many of our relationships, what seem to be done in the name of 'improving teamwork' or relationships is actually a guise to avoid self-embarrassment. The moment one becomes too concerned about the external facade or one's position in society, all kinds of possible sinful acts can happen. It could be a human attempt to protect oneself, doing things in order to "cover one's ass." One offers to trade security watches with the offer: "I watch your back, you watch mine!" In Chinese society, a common practice among many is to 'save face.' For example, when speaking in public, one does not wash the dirty linen of leaders in public. Doing so will not only be embarrassing to the leaders mentioned but in extreme situations, the leaders concerned will commit suicide. Matters of face-saving are not to be trifled with in Asian society. In Singapore, a prominent leader took his own life on charges of corruption. Roche adds:

Behind the fear of embarrassment is that deeper fear, of saying what you really think and feel and telling your story, because that is when you may be exposed as stupid, inarticulate, selfish or anything else that you would rather leave undiscovered. (Roche, 61)

Roche's antidote is to continually tell his story, about his facial ugliness (and laugh at it), frequently remember his emotional struggles, and to resolve to remind self and others until one's 'fear of embarrassment turns out to be a predecessor to grace' (Roche, 70). Beautifully put.

We need to remember that on our own, we cannot save ourselves. It is useless to hide, just like it is futile for Adam and Eve, in their nakedness awareness, to hide from the holy God who knows and sees all things. We can all learn to be sincere. However, our journey to sincerity is filled with a history of personal embarrassment. Learn to laugh at ourselves, and our clumsiness. Seek forgiveness and remind ourselves that we are not perfect. So do not behave as if we are perfect. Do not even attempt to try and make other people conform to our 'perfectionist expectations' of them. Learn to honestly take a look at ourselves and our inner being. For Roche, he is not afraid to take a hard look at his face and accept himself as he is. He is brave enough to engage his deep struggles with his self-esteem. All of us need to do the same. We do not need to be facially hideous in order to do something identical. If we are truly honest with ourselves, if we are sincerely desirous of becoming good and to spread goodwill to all people, we must move beyond a mode of self-preservation, of doing things merely to avoid embarrassment. We must embrace grace. We practice sincerity by being open and frank with one another without having to inject 'let me be honest' in our conversations. We practice sincerity by speaking the truth always, and doing the right thing without any prompting. We practice sincerity by being forthright and single minded to let the truth be made known.

For Christians, we have been accepted by God the Father, who takes us as we are. We have been taught by Jesus to forgive one another, as God the Father has forgiven us. We are expected to love one another in the Spirit of the bond of peace. As we move from a Church of 80% Sincerity, let us keep a hopeful outlook, that one day, we will all be practicing Christians of 100% Sincerity, in Jesus Christ.

ks


Video of David Roche's Speaking

"The Case For Faith"

I chance upon Lee Strobel's book "The Case For Faith" a couple of days ago. It is a book that investigates the '8 major conundrums' or 8 toughest obstacles to believing in Christianity. In a series of interviews with different people, Strobel lays down his questions and the possible responses to them, concluding with reasons why the harshest skeptic ought to positively consider the claims for Christianity. The following are the eight objections:

1. If there's a loving God, why does this pain-wracked world groan under so much suffering and evil?
   
2. If the miracles of God contradict science, then how can any rational person believe that they're true?
   
3. If God is morally pure, how can he sanction the slaughter of innocent children as the Old Testament says he did?
   
4. If God cares about the people he created, how could he consign so many of them to an eternity of torture in hell just because they didn't believe the right things about him?
   
5. If Jesus is the only way to heaven, then what about the millions of people who have never heard of him?
   
6. If God really created the universe, why does the evidence of science compel so many to conclude that the unguided process of evolution accounts for life?
   
7. If God is the ultimate overseer of the church, why has it been rife with hypocrisy and brutality throughout the ages?
   
8. If I'm still plagued by doubts, then is it still possible to be a Christian?

There are some rather good quotes from each of the 8 responses to the objections.
1) John Stott's take on Suffering:

"I could never myself believe in God if it were not for the cross. In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing around his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world, but each time after a while I have had to turn away. And in imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hand and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in God forsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in the light of his. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross which symbolizes divine suffering. The cross of Christ… is God’s only self justification in such a world as ours." (54)

2) Gary Habermas's on Miracles and Science

It is not just a provocative rumor that God has acted in history, but a fact worthy of our intellectual conviction. The miracles of Christianity are not an embarassment to the Christian worldview. Rather, they are testimony to the compassion of God for human beings benighted by sin and circumstance. (57)

3) That Evolution explains life

"If Darwinists are to keep the Creator out of the picture, they have to provide a naturalistic explanation for the origin of life. .. they haven't been able to do that. Despite all their efforts, they haven't even come up with a single possibility that even remotely makes sense. And there's no prospect they will. In fact, everything is pointing the other way - in the unmistakable direction of God. Today it takes a great deal of faith to be an honest scientist who is an atheist. (110-1) (Phillip Johnson)"

4) That God kills innocent children

"“Let’s keep in mind,” he said, “that technically nobody is truly innocent. The Bible says in Psalm 51 that we’re all born in sin’ that is, with the propensity to rebel and commit wrongdoing. Also, we need to keep in mind God's sovereignty over life. An atheist once brought up this issue in a debate, and I responded by saying, 'God created life and he has the right to take it. If you can create life, then you can have the right to take it. But if you can't create it, you don't have that right.' And the audience applauded. ” "People assume that what's wrong for us is wrong for God. However, it's wrong for me to take your life, because I didn't make it and I don't own it. For example, it's wrong me to go into your yard and pull up your bushes, cut them down, kill them, transplant them, move them around. I can do that in my yard, because I own the bushes in my yard. Well, God is sovereign over all of life and he has the right to take it if he wishes. In fact, we tend to forget that God takes the life of every human being. It's called death. The only question is when and how, which we have to leave up to him." (119) (Norman Geisler)

5) Is Jesus the only way to God? Preposterous isn't it?

"Moses could meditate on the law; Muhammad could brandish a sword; Buddha could give personal counsel; Confucius could offer wise sayings; but none of these men was qualified to offer an atonement for the sins of the world. . . Christ alone is worthy of unlimited devotion and service." (R C Sproul) (145)

6) Hell

"Hell is God's great compliment to the reality of human freedom and the dignity of human choice." (GK Chesterton) (169)

"Hell is not a place where people are consigned because they were pretty good blokes, but they just didn't believe the right stuff. They're consigned there, first and foremost, because they defy their Maker and want to be at the center of the universe. Hell is not filled with people who have already repented, only God isn't gentle enough or good enough to let them out. It's filled with people who for all eternity still want to be the center of the universe and who persist in their God-defying rebellion. What is God to do> If he says it doesn't matter to him, then God is no longer a God to be admired. He's either amoral or positively creepy. For him to act in any other way in the face of such blatant defiance would be to reduce God himself." (D A Carson) (193)

7) Of Church History Filled with Violence

"Over the long course of Christian history, the most depressing thing—because repeated so often—has been how tragically far short of Christian ideals we ordinary Christians so regularly fall. Over the long course of Christian history, the most remarkable thing—because it is such a miracle of grace—is how often believers have acted against the pride of life to honor Christ. Of all such "signs of contradiction," the most completely Christlike have been those occasions when believers who are strong—because of wealth, education, political power, superior culture, or favored location—have reached out to the despised, the forsaken, the abandoned, the lost, the insignificant, or the powerless. Christianity has sometimes made a difference by surrounding the use of power with humility." (Mark Noll) (220)

8) On Remaining Doubts

"If doubt and faith can co-exist, then this means people don't have to fully resolve each and every obstacle between them and God in order to have an authentic faith. In other words, when the preponderance of all the evidence tilts decisively in God's favor, and a person then makes the rational choice to put their trust in him, they can hold some of their more peripheral objections in tension until the day comes when they're resolved. In the meantime, they can still make a choice to believe - and ask God to help them with their unbelief. (Strobel, 244)"

STROBEL'S CONCLUSIONS
Out of these eight objections to Christianity, he lists suffering and hell as two of the most difficult for him.

The more I delve into them, the more I find myself in jeopardy of losing my perspective. [Lee Strobel, The Case For Faith, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000, p248]

Strobel, in tackling doubts and objections points out that there are three overarching themes that should guide one's intellectual search.

THEME #1: Finding Perspective Firstly, there is a need to find the proper perspective. This I call it the honesty of the mind. One must be willing to consider the full availability of the evidence stacked both for and against the case in point. We should not be foolishly swayed by one piece of evidence that we throw out the baby with the bathwater altogether. Allowing any one obstacle to dominate and crowd out our minds, we can easily lose focus of the main thing. The weight of the following evidence should be held closely even as we tackle these objections. The 'litany of evidence' listed include:

• 'Big Bang' theory is more ridiculous than the creation theory
  
• The existence of a well-ordered Universe points us to a Creator
  
• Existence of a moral law indicates a person behind the scenes rather than concepts, systems or ideas.
  
• Origin of Life is not simply described away by Darwinism. Facts point strongly to a DNA of life. Such a DNA cannot simply evolve. There needs to be a beginning.
  
• The Bible is credible, and has a divine origin. Both the miraculous fulfilment of prophecies as well as the physical incarnation of Christ points to its authenticity.
  
• Resurrection of Christ is the ultimate proof of the claims of Christ.

I think the last point is the strongest yet. Otherwise, even Paul the Apostle says that without the resurrection, our faith would have been in vain (1 Cor 15:2). Paul has given away the Archille's heel of the Christian faith: The Resurrection. Prove that the resurrection is false and the whole Christendom will fall. Anyone wanting to prove that Christianity is wrong simply needs to prove that this resurrection never happened. Josh McDowell wrote a rather convincing book on the resurrection claims and asserts that the resurrection actually takes place in "More than A Carpenter."

THEME #2: Making A Choice Secondly, there is a matter of the will. Some people will, in spite of evidence choose to hold on to their original stance, thinking that 'only time will tell' or prove otherwise. Like the saying that if the horse does not want to drink, no matter how cooling and refreshing the water is, it simply WILL NOT DRINK! Moreover, the most stubborn people will simply take the time to explain anything away. Like the example from Dallas Willard, that even in the sight of the most overwhelming facts, one can take the path of explaining anything away according to his/her own preferences. Like Pharoah of Egypt, who upon seeing the many plagues befalling his kingdom, and that the God of Israel is not to be meddled with, he chooses knowingly to rebel.

THEME #3: Changing A Life If the first theme deals with the mind, the second with the will, the final theme has to do with the heart. Strobel describes the life of William Neal Moore, once a convicted killer, who found faith in Christ, and pledge to share his new beliefs with inmates in prison. Moore said: ""

Nobody had ever told me that Jesus loves me and died for me. It was a love I could feel. It was a love I wanted. It was a love I needed.

During his time in prison, he won forgiveness from his victim's family. He became a peacemaker everywhere he goes. He shared that his journey to becoming a forgiven person is not the prison rehabilitation system, not any self-help programs, not medication, not transcendental meditation or psychological counseling. It is plain and simple. Jesus Christ.

Strobel boils down his spiritual journey in terms of "investigation - decision - transformation" (259)

SOME CRITIQUES
Despite it being a very fine investigative book, there are people who objects to his findings. Some like Seth McBee argues that his reasoning has more to do with a Aristotelian leaning (understanding God via logic) which is more intellectual exercise rather than actual believing. Seth has a point. However, in all fairness, Strobel's title for the book, 'the case' should have prepared us for a reasoning journey. Moreover, Strobel has a legal mind, so such an approach should not be too surprising. Others are more aggressive that the book should instead be called "The Case Against Faith." Why did Strobel choose people to interview FOR the faith, and not include rebuttals in his 'investigative' purposes? Why did Strobel take an evangelical bias in the first place? I think the critique is fair to say that Strobel's arguments are weak at best, but the statement of saying that it is 'against faith' is unwarranted.

MY COMMENTS
Strobel's book is useful as an introductory book for dealing with the 8 major objections to Christianity. It does well to include a broad number of interviews and perspectives on the questions. The most important contribution of Strobel is the need for one to be convinced, mind-will-heart in order to experience and to exercise authentic case for faith. Strobel helpfully brings out the 8 conundrums to openly share his personal struggles with all of them. I think he does Christians a service to start the ball rolling. Some Christians never bothered to talk about any of the eight for fear that they will stumble. Others will say they do not have the time to talk about such things, as faith is not simply an intellectual endeavour. Yet, others will claim that faith is something either we have it or not. I must say that Christians do themselves a disservice if they do not at some point deal with these 8 questions. It is important. It is necessary, not that we do not trust God, but we need to be honest that such questions are legitimate ones. More importantly, we must recognize that because of sin, our thinking on these objections and responses are easily flawed. A community of believers need to be in place to tackle these questions at some point. Every individual is on a journey of discovery. Every Christian is at different phase of learning at different times. It is important to keep the learning alive and active. In a nutshell, a person who only comes to God with his mind is at best a philosopher who thinks Christianly. One who approaches God by sheer will and grit alone is at most an adventurer wearing a cap with a Christian label. One who hangs on to God only with an emotional life-jacket will be easily blown away by the winds of philosophies and terrible realities of life. Authentic Christians need all three. The intellectual curiosity of a theologian (MIND), the zeal and intentionality of a pious fervent servant (WILL), and an emotional longing for God like a lover (HEART) forms the three-some qualities of true faith.

Finally, one of the most helpful quotes from the book comes from Madeline L'Engle:

Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God himself. (223)

Well said. Actually, this quote from Madeline L'Engle is remarkably similar to Miguel de Unamuno, et al's book entitled: "The Tragic Sense of Life in Men and Nations," which says:

Those who say they believe in God and neither love nor fear Him, do not believe in him, but believe rather in those who have taught them that God exists, and those in their turn often enough do not believe in Him either. Whoever believes he believes in God, but believes without passion, without anguish, without uncertainty, without doubt, without despair-in-consolation, believes only in the God-Idea, nor in God Himself. And just as belief is born of love, so it be born of fear, and even of hate, as it was in …

…the thief Vanni Fucci, whom Dante depicts in Hell insulting God with obscene gestures. For even demons believe in God, as do many atheists.” [Miguel de Unamuno, Anthony Kerrigan, Martin Nozick, The Tragic Sense of Life in Men and Nations, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1977, p211-2]

The last part, about even the devils believe there is a God should ring alarm bells in those who call themselves atheists. For anyone claiming to be an atheist, he/she sets himself against Scripture straightaway:

• "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
  They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. (Ps 14:1)
  
• The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. (Ps 53:1)
  
• You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:19)

God has promised that when one seek and find God with his whole heart, God will be found. Dare we believe it?

ks