Life Without Limbs but not without Hope

Each of us sometimes dream of an ideal life, sometimes an ideal lifestyle. What if one fine day, we lose the very ability to achieve our goal under 'normal circumstances,; let alone eat with our hands, or walk with our legs? What happens when we fall down not once, but over and over again? What do we do? Very often, we talk about what our strengths are and plan our vocation according to our forte. How many of us become motivated because of our lack, and inspires others through our weaknesses? Not many. Check out this video of Nick Vujicic from Australia, who started a ministry of hope (called 'Life Without Limbs',) and whose life easily shames those people constantly deep in self-pity, apathy and selfishness. More importantly, we see how a man's faith moved him to focus on others rather than self.



More videos can be found here and here.

ks

A Dying Wish That Never Dies

This is a touching story of a 11-year old boy who died of leukemia last Friday (Nov 21st, 2008). Perhaps as some of us head into Thanksgiving Day, wondering what to be thankful about during depressing times like these, remember that it does not take a big wallet to be thankful. One only needs a big heart. This video can bring a tear to some viewers. Rest assured, it is a tear that is worth shedding.

There is also a CNN edition. More photos and videos can be found here.

So my friends, if an 11 year old Brendan Foster, who struggles with a debilitating illness, can't those of us who are healthy and able do more? Forget about the bailout talks going on to help Wall Street and Main Street. Forget about the worries over job losses and bills to be paid. Such worries only help add oil to the flames of fear. Instead, put on compassion. Wear the clothes of grace and the shoes of peace. Don the hat of sharing and goodwill. As much as we receive, give generously. Do not only do the tangible things. Remember, for many of us, a word of encouragement and forgiveness can help touch hearts more than anything else. One does not necessarily need to be tough in order to survive rough times. Simply being a good neighbour everywhere we go helps take the venom out of bites of fear. Do not depend on bailouts or handouts to feel better. Instead, let sharing and caring be the hallmarks of our faith in God, in hope for the kingdom to eventually touch all creation.

ks

The Opposite of Fear is . . .

Fear is the other four-letter word that begins with the letter 'F.' Compared to the other infamous word, the word 'fear' is more acceptably used in books as it is considered less vulgar. It does not soil the English language terribly. The Greeks has a word for it from where we derive the word: 'phobia.' Claustrophobia refers to a fear of being in a confined space. xenophobia is an irrational fear of strangers. Social-phobia is a general term for people afraid of being criticized in public. Homo-phobia is a term generally used to label people who are scared of being associated with homosexuals. If one is frightened of a particular animal or creature, one simply attach a prefix to phobia. For example, Arachnophobia is a term for fear of spiders. Musophobia is a fear of rodents such as mice or rats. Technophobia is used on people who are afraid of advanced technology while Cyberphobia is a term used for those who are paranoid over the Internet. A full list of different kinds of phobias can be found here. I counted a total of 659 different phobias on the list! Some of the fears border on the ridiculous as well. The fear of thinking is Phronemophobia makes me wonder how that can ever happen? How can anyone not think at all? Others seem to be interesting, like Hamartophobia which is a fear of sinning. This is one fear which may be of interest to the pious saints.

Is it love?
Some people say that the opposite of fear is love. They argue that a spiritual path driven by fear is inferior compared to one that is motivated by love. I agree that love cannot be forced but willingly given. We must not presume that the opposite of fear is love. I know that 1 John 4:18 tells us:

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

This verse does not conclusively tell us that the opposite of fear is love. No! This verse basically says that true love is without any fear. If love is likened to a giant cream cake, fear will be the smudges wiped carelessly on the lovely creation. Making fear the opposite of love gives fear too much credit. In the same way, we can misinterpret the meaning of sin. Sin is not a matter of doing right or wrong. Sin is essentially 'missing the mark.' The opposite of 'missing the mark' is 'hitting the target.' We cannot see sin as the target itself. John Cassian in his Conferences writes perceptibly about the spiritual life by distinguishing the goal (scopos) and the end (telos). The 'scopos' is hitting the target like an archer that hits the bulls-eye. However, the 'telos' is something better. It is the prize of hitting the mark. Using similar logic, the opposite of fear is not love, for love is the ultimate union with God. The opposite of fear is something more like the 'scopos' rather than the 'telos.'

Fear draws in punishment
A phobia-led kind of love is not perfect love. It is driven by external circumstances rather than internal. Phobia-driven love is done out of a lack of options instead of willingly given up DESPITE one's list of options. For instance, if a man forces a woman to marry him, failing which he threatens to reveal her dark secrets, that is not love. That is coercion. In the law courts, some testimonies can be nullified if it is found out that they were given under external duress. The Police or investigation teams are expected to ensure fair treatment of all persons in their custody.

A hint at the understanding of fear is punishment. If one does not do this, there are consequences to bear. This kind of cause-effect relationship bears testimony of a soul marred in sin. Christ came to offer all mankind a way out of such a spiritual quagmire. In spite of Jesus's secure position in heaven, he willingly gave them all up to come down to earth. In spite of Jesus's bountiful possessions in the heavenly realms, he willingly surrendered all for the sake of becoming poor and lived among us. Jesus chose to take upon human flesh, along with all the limitations instead of exercising his deity to the full. Here we encounter the age-old theological problem. Is Jesus fully human or fully divine when he is on earth? Allow me to make a brief detour from the fear topic to touch a little on this theology. It is important.

Q: Did Jesus give up his divinity and exchanged it for humanity?
If we were to say yes, then when Jesus is incarnated as a human being, he is not divine anymore. If we were to say no, we may go to the other position in which Jesus is never human in the first place. The evangelical position is that Jesus is BOTH human and divine, at the same time. What makes Jesus's incarnation on earth so amazing is that he chose to limit his own divine powers WILLINGLY. That is love. He was not driven by fear, but he is fully conscious of the consequences of fear. Hence, he is most qualified to tell:

- the disciples: "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." (Matthew 14:27)

Subsequently, Jesus rebukes the disciples of their little faith due to their folly of falling into fear. The disciples did not truly believe that Jesus is divine, and when Jesus walked on water, they thought that he was a ghost. Peter, who was also walking on water toward Jesus was doing ok, until he starts to look at the looming winds and begins to sink. Jesus reprimands Peter for his lack of faith (Matt 14:31). Fear is essentially due to a lack of faith. The opposite of fear is faith. Pure love is without fear. Loving God is one that is done in faith, which is without fear.

What then do we mean by the fear of God?
This is another big theological question. The fear of God is not 'phobia' but the agony of not being perfect enough for God. Like a mother who bakes a special chocolate cake for her child. She puts in her best efforts and ingredients in order to make that cake as perfect as possible. Any 'fears' is out of not being able to do her best, rather than a phobia of being punished.

• Selfish fear puts oneself in the center of attention. Fear of God let God be the center.
  
• Selfish fear is afraid of being punished. Fear of God yearns to be as perfect as possible.
  
• Selfish fear seeks to protect and defend one's possessions or territories. Fear of God renders property and possessions as secondary to the love of God.
  
• Selfish fear is worried of the future. Fear of God anticipates a bright coming of the Kingdom.
  
• Selfish fear looks back with regret. Fear of God reflects with thanksgiving and gratitude.
  
• Selfish fear agonizes over present uncertainties. Fear of God reflects confidence in God's timely presence at any moment.

Fear can be a very potent weapon. Under the hands of the unscrupulous, a matchstick of fear, struck wickedly by a tiny evil stroke, sparks a deadly flame. Driven by the winds of uncertainty and the storms of gloom, the flame consumes weak hearts and inflict deep hurts. It easily spreads wildfires that burns and feeds upon anything and everything. An angry fire cannot be easily soothe. It seeks to consume until everything is destroyed, including itself. It can burn uncontrollably the positive expectations of many. It can snuff out any small glimmers of hopes.

A Five-Letter Word
Deep faith in God begets a first step against fear. It is a formidable defense against depression and anxiety. What then is the opposite of fear? It is faith. Actually, the opposite of fear is faith, which has elements of courage, fearlessness and positive outlook. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Without faith, one easily gets distracted by the unnecessary and loses direction and focus. Interestingly, we read of the many instances in Scripture when Jesus or the angels from heaven appear. Their first words are often: "Do not fear." We read that when Peter asked to walk to Jesus on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus invited Peter to do so. Peter was doing very well until his eyes shifted from Jesus to the winds around him. He then started to sink.

Matt. 14:30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Matt. 14:31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Thus the opposite of fear is 'have faith in God.' Faith in God leads us on the path of faith-hope-love, of which the greates of all is love. Thus, the opposite of fear is not another four letter word. It is instead a five-letter word: F.A.I.T.H.

ks

Article on "Misplaced Zeal"

Christian workers can sometimes fall into the extremes of "knowledge without zeal" or "Zeal without knowledge." Both cases are not desirable. The former leads to lack of action, like what James warns about dead faith; the latter can lead one down the path of foolishness. My recent article, written for Cook International Partners tries to address this. There is a study guide as well. Do check it out here.

ks

Fear Marketing

The marketing of fear can be a very profitable enterprise. Knowing the fears of another person/organization gives one an amazing upper-hand. If company A fears losing out on a deal, and competitor B finds out about it, B can easily out-maneuver A by taking advantage of A's fears. Fear marketing is sometimes used to boost sales but is ethically suspect. Forbes magazine published an article that talks about a pharmaceutical company trying to boost its sales of an anti-nerve gas drug. The drug, Atropen is an antidote for any nerve gas effects on the human body. Should the company start to tell the public to be prepared always for terrorist acts like nerve gas attacks? Should one start to stock up boxes of such atropine related medicine 'just in case' the enemy strikes?

I have worked in high technology companies before, and also with top executives of reputable firms. Actually, the reason why these executives are paid much more than the lower level staff is because they are charged with addressing the issue of risk in the marketplace. Hence, fear mongering techniques are one of the most popular ways to get such executives to give salespeople a listening ear.
- "What happens if the corporation's assets are threatened?"
- "What keeps you awake at 3am each night?"
- "What is keeping your biggest customer from embracing your biggest competitor?"
- "What if your organization's most precious information falls into the wrong hands?"

Even in churches, we get fear-filled situations. What if your biggest church financial contributors stop giving? What happens if half your congregation leaves for the church down the next block? What happens if the guest speaker does not turn up this Sunday?

I think fear mongering is a technique that hits below the belt. Just because the competition is doing it does not mean one has to copy the ugly cat! Why not be creative with one's offerings. Talk about what the competition cannot do. Emphasize the positives and the benefits that the customer can gain. Surround the product with excellent service that aims to provide true and honest value for the buck. Customers generally prefer to work with honest vendors and suppliers who have demonstrated integrity in the past. Those who compete on price alone may gain a little in the sprint race but will be humbled big-time in any marathon. Of course, some will argue that the world nowadays is too fast and too short for any long-term thinking or planning. I will reply by saying: "Easy come easy go." Which is better? A bean-sprouts quickie relationship or a solid tree built on a strong foundation of trust and goodwill?

Fear mongering methods are sometimes employed due to a lack of faith in one's offerings. Certainly, many companies will aim to do both. Highlight one's good points and at the same time, downplay the competition. My submission is that one's ability to stand on the basis of its own strengths (even weaknesses), is a mark of true leadership. Companies lead the way because of their overwhelming edge in their products and services. It is one thing to win on one's own merits. It is yet another to gain at another's expense.

I am very fascinated by companies that are first-movers. For example, Sony popularized the Walkman more than 20 years ago. Apple invented the iPod and a whole new industry. Google came up with a search technology that practically blew away the competition. All of them had that something special that is not easily copied. They do not need to engage fear mongering techniques. They simply became likable.

Another company that I find interesting is General Electric. Jack Welch, former CEO of GE talks about the 4E leader, one who
- who has tremendous levels of ENERGY;
- who ENERGIZES people around them;
- who constantly produces an EDGE;
- who produce measurable results as they EXECUTE.

I look at the way these 4Es are arranged, and the first three has to do with a sense of self-understanding of one's strengths and weaknesses. The 4Es are not dependent on what the competition does, though it helps one's ability to EXECUTE when one is more aware of what the next competitor is doing. I feel that if one spends less time worried about others, and spend more time developing one's core strategies and skills, the organization stands a better chance of building a unique culture of innovation and creativity. Otherwise, the organization is simply a carbon copy of the competition. Have faith in one's sense of identity, not in the fear of one's insecurity. Welch is a great proponent of EXECUTION. Part of his execution strategy is to keep high levels of leadership at all hierachies of the organization. This means doing all they can to develop key leaders and talents. In fact, one of the interesting things is when GE went on the offensive even when others are retrenching. In times like this, with news of job losses reported daily in the media, it is quite the acceptable thing for company to simply lay people off. This is an unhealthy environment richly fertilized with fear. Thus the key is not to use retrenchments as a general tool. Re-focus on core competencies. Spend where it is needed especially. Continue to invest in people. Those who retrenches simply because everyone is doing it are poor examples of leadership. Increase spending in selected areas. This is a mark of a leader who truly knows the core capabilities of the company. One of GE's core competencies is leadership development. (I met this project engineer from GE last year who graduated from the famous MIT, and learned that the organization actually allows employees to talk to their superiors SIX levels up. That is a lot of trust and openness.)

Keep fear marketing far away. Have faith in God who has made us unique. Believe in our uniqueness and may creativity be there to chart out new growth opportunities, even during this economic downturn.

ks

"Piling Up" (our hopes, not unemployment figures)

This is a pictorial grimly summarized (Credit: The Straits Times Singapore, Nov 20th 2008 page A3) the latest unemployment figures worldwide. Leading the way are the financial and technology sectors which are cutting jobs more than 5x-7x the rate of the third largest. We are talking of a huge number of job losses. Aong with it are tumbling of hopes.

Hope even in bleak moments
Are there any reasons for hope during such bleak times? As a news reader, it is difficult to develop any inspiration or positive outlook of the future by reading bad news. As a news reporter, bad news attracts more attention than good news. After-all, readership numbers are important. Hence the saying, 'no news is good news' still rings true. As a Christian reader, should we succumb easily to such depressing headlines? No. We do not need to fret. We have been taught by Jesus:

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Luke 12:32-34)

Just before this exhortation to bless others, Jesus reminded the disciples not to worry. As much as the sparrows and the lilies are cared for, without them having to worry, how much more will our heavenly Father care for us? This is what I understand as "From Empty --> Full"; upon transformation of our focus from things to the kingdom of God, we move from "Full to Emptying of ourselves."

A) FROM Possessing Nothing TO Having Everything (Luke 12:22-29)
B) It is not about things. It is about God's kingdom. Seek kingdom first, these secondary things will be ADDED unto us as we glimpse and receive the kingdom (Luke 12:30-31)
C) Having received the kingdom, we felt blessed to bless others (Luke 12:32-34)

The key verse in the Luke 12 passage is this:
"For Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Luke 12:34)

Hope Comes in 'Little' Ways
I am intrigued by a small detail in verse 32. Jesus used the word "μικρὸν" which is Greek for 'little.' It is pronounced as mikron ('mik' as in 'Mic'key and 'ron' as in 'Ron'ny), reminding us of 'micro', or 'micron' size. This is the often the smallest standard unit of measuring tiny stuff. I remember when I was working in a semiconductor cleanroom environment, we measure tiny particles in terms of microns. Such measurement is critical as the particles are not allowed to go near sensitive electonics that require a 'clean' environment. What is invisible to the naked eye can cause visible damage to micr-electronic components. There are 25400 microns in one inch. Other examples are:
- Human Hair (30-300 microns)
- Pollen (10-1000 microns)
- Saw dust (30-600 microns)
- Mold spores (10-30 microns)
- Carbon Monoxide particle (2.5 micron)
- Liquid droplets (0.5-5 microns)
- Smoke (0.01 - 4 microns)

Even our breath emit particles large enough (sub microns) to damage electonics, hence all workers need to wear protective face masks to avoid releasing harmful particles that will affect semiconductor yields. Jesus knows the state of a worried being. We feel 'micron' sized when faced with huge challenges. Like a small lamb hiding itself in fear when facing a large lion, we too have a tendency to feel small and discouraged when confronting large and seemingly impossible situations.

Interestingly, Jesus encourages the hearers at that time with a brilliant use of contrast. The tiniest of all, can receive the greatest. If anyone of us feels extremely small and discouraged, we are prime candidates for God to inspire and encourage. When Jesus tells us that where our treasure is, there our heart will also be, he is strongly pointing to an important truth. We may feel small but our hearts need not be small. A small wallet in the hands of a generous heart will reap huge dividends. A small set of arms hugged with a big gentle heart creates far more warmth. A small voice spoken with a loving heart reaches beyond the ears into the bottom of the heart. Where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. May that treasure of our lives, be the kingdom of God. Possessions, security of jobs and general well-being are important. Material stuff are essential for our daily needs. God knows all our needs. In fact, he knows our greater need is not these things. Our deepest need is God. For when we experience God, not only these earthly things will be ADDED unto us, we become ever more willing to give them away to bless others.

Yes. Unemployment figures may be piling up but that is no reason to be dumbing down our hopes. In fact, hard times are great opportunities for us to be God's beacon of hope for the world. We can look up to God, look out for others, and above all love ALL for God. That is a sign of a transformed life for Christ. Let not unemployment numbers shut us down. Let not the doom-and-gloom economists depress us with their 'intelligent' analysis of the world economy into helplessness. Pile up our hearts with hope. Then we can look up to God, look out for others and let God's love manifest mightily through us. We do not need to have a big bank account or a big physical body or possessions to do big things. All we need is a big heart of hope.

ks

Faith Evidenced by Good Works

Last Sunday, in our regular Sunday adult class, we were talking about ups and downs of our faith works. The sermon that day was about “Faith that works.” We were discussing James 2:14-26 on the sermon entitled: "Faith That Works." Some in the class were concerned about Christians who ‘over-intellectualize’ their faith. Others desire to go more in depth, saying there is a great need for it in the church. It was a tough but profitable time of sharing and engaging one another. Like iron sharpens iron, all of us came away feeling refreshed and challenged. In my summary, I described the spiritual life as likened to a sine/cosine wave, or sinusoidal wave of ups and downs. The goal is to exercise a faith that is consistent (represented by the blue lines “Faith evidenced by good works.”) Human motion is never a straight line. Even when we walk, our left leg tends to swing us to the right, and our right to the left. By alternating the use of our legs with a central focus, we are able to move in a direction we want. There is a word that describes the Christian life very well. It is the word ‘meandering.’ Being human, we have a tendency to meander through twists and turns. The primary description of what being human is all about is sin. Due to sin, the human nature has a propensity to sin and move AWAY from God and the things of God. Only in the Spirit can one be led back to the center of God’s will. In the diagram, human nature tends to meander along a set path. It is difficult to ever walk in a straight line. When human tendency leads one to over or under-intellectualize our faith, we need to let God direct us back to the center to exercise a faith that is evidenced by good works. Walking and talking becomes one and the same act.

In talking about human nature and the spiritual life, David Gushee, an Ethics Professor lists 4 things we need to be aware about when planning toward a spiritual destination.
1. A clear sense of where we are going;
2. Directions on how to get there;
3. Knowledge of hazards and challenges one may face;
4. Whether our equipment is suitable to the task at hand.

He argues that the ‘starting point’ is highly critical, and it stems from the knowledge of one’s human nature. This starting point rests on our acknowledgment that human nature is essentially a quest for wholeness. It cannot be done by ourselves. To be truly human is to be able to embrace God’s way, not our way; God’s will and not our will.

Gushee concludes:

“It is impossible ultimately to embrace the Christian account of humanity without embracing the Christian account of God. When we do, we find that true wholeness in life’s journey happens when God’s hopes become our hopes and God’s dreams become our dreams.” (David P Gushee, Only Human, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2005, p200)

When we put more faith in our own abilities or skills, we risk moving to either extremes of over or under-doing anything, even the things of God. We talk more when we should walk. We run faster than our heads could think. Either way, we have to constantly pause from what we are doing in order to re-set our bearings. Running headlong quickly does not give us any head start if it is in the wrong direction. Procrastinating on the good that we ought to do when we are able to do so, wastes precious time and resources. Only when we are constantly mindful of Christ and discerning the movement of the Spirit in our hearts can we evidence our faith through good works.

Let our spiritual walk not become a series of haphazard actions that lead us nowhere. Neither should we allow our spiritual talk toward ‘analysis till paralysis,’ constantly talking theology that is devoid of action.

Four Examples of Faith Evidenced By Good Works
a) William Wilberforce (1759-1833), was a keen intellect well trained in Christian theology. He spent many years in school, entering Cambridge at the tender age of 17. It took a personal revival that makes these years of learning into constant moments of yearning to do God’s work. Wilberforce became a leading figure in charitable work, in providing leadership in the marketplace and most certainly the eventual abolishment of the slave trade in Great Britain and ultimately influencing similar actions around the world.

b) Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) grew up with a silver spoon. She was not content to simply listen to ‘boring’ Christian talk. She burns with a desire for a more active life, a life that is exemplified by walking the talk. In 1850, against the wishes of her family, she voluntarily entered nursing school so that she can exercise her faith in the area of health care. Her efforts to reform medical care was long and arduous. She is a religious thinker whose faith requires her to work out her faith enthusiastically and passionately. She believes her calling was to help improve the world through proper health and medical care. She has been largely credited for founding the modern nursing profession we have come to take for granted.

c) Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was also a keen scholar of Christian theology. His stature was well known that he was even offered tenure at an American University, safe and far away from the horrible wars in his home continent. However, his faith does not allow him to relax and sit comfortably in the corridors of academia. He felt a calling to return to his home country, Germany to resist the Nazi regime. He spoke against the Nazi theology at the risk of arrest and torture. He was martyred in 1945, but his work and writings have lived on to inspire many generations.

d) Martin Luther King Jr (1929-1968) is a famous civil rights activist in America who fought bravely for establishing equal rights for all races, especially the blacks. A brilliant intellectual, he was well trained in theology. He read widely and soon his heart felt moved to action. He saw society being eroded by bad principles and wrong ideals. If no one does anything, the black people will continue to live unjustly under the tyranny of an evil system.

All these four figures have one important similarity. Their faith is evidenced in action, rooted with a conviction that God’s word is living. We dare not presume we can have the political successes of Wilberforce. Some of us dared not dream of replicating a Nightingale. Even fewer are those who are willing to give up their lives like Martin Luther King and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. God knows us. After all, he created us. Lest we get discouraged by not being able to emulate any of these great people, let me end with the words of the first astronaut to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong on Apollo 11:

“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Likewise, as we take our faith seriously and let our actions walk our talk, no matter how small or insignificant our steps may be, any step done for Christ, is a step forward in expanding the kingdom of God. One small step in faith, one giant leap for the kingdom of God.

Walking our faith is never too tiny. After all, a mustard seed is never too small.

ks