What's Life About?

We wake up. We go to work. We come home. We sleep. The next day, the cycle continues. Is that what life is all about? No wonder kids are bored. Toys and games may distract us for a while, but even then, we will sooner or later reach the inevitable: Boring.

Is it something to do with the activity itself? I think of last year's run to the Stanley Cup Finals by the Vancouver Canucks hockey team. On the weeks leading up to the final game, the whole city was alive. People were wearing Canucks jerseys, cars were flying proudly the flags that symbolized a Canadian team in the coveted Final. The mood was great, with many businesses scheduling their work around the game time. Even schools were actively involved. Strangers high-five strangers on the streets. Hopes and anticipation ran high. Until the team lost.

This same feeling happened again this year. When the Vancouver Canucks team got knocked out in the first round of the tournament, all the excitement and fanfare disappeared. Just like the electrical cord that gets sucked back to the vacuum cleaner upon the pressing of the cable retract button. Things fall back to normal speed and the daily routine of life. Boring.

A story was told of an interview with an avid mountain climber. This person spent years in training. Climb as many mountains as possible. After conquering one, set your sights on another. Schedules, trainings, preparations are all geared toward the next conquest which is higher, more dangerous, and more thrill. When asked why, the man replied, "We are never satisfied. As soon as we climb one peak, we're always unhappy until we can climb another."


Man's Search For Meaning

Like the mountain climbers, we too by default have been programmed to search for meaning and significance. Some find it in their jobs that provide opportunities for promotion or money. Others work on their careers simply to make ends meet. As the needs grow, so do the demand for more money to fund those needs. Even for the mundane routine of going to work, at least, one has a sense of doing something. After all, doing something boring is far better than doing nothing.

Is this what life is all about? Doing something better than nothing?

Mountain climber express their search for meaning through conquering mountain peaks. One peak leads to another. One climb leads to another. There is no stopping the climbing, just as there is no stopping the searching. That is why people who retire suddenly tend to become lost and listless, distressed and depressed. This is simply because they do not really know what to do with their lives!

One word aptly describes the state of us: Restlessness.

If we are honest with ourselves, many of us express this rest by seeking work, by doing things, or by planning to do something. Doing nothing is unbearable, unimaginable, unthinkable. We live lives of quiet desperation, so says Henry David Thoreau, a famous American philosopher. Aren't we all people living restlessly all the time?

Children feel bored with their toys after a while. Adults feel bored with their relationships. Many feel bored with their jobs. They all live lives of quiet desperation. Some knowingly. The rest despondently.

My take of life is this. Restlessness is a mark of the sinful man. No longer content with God alone, man tries to find fulfilment through all kinds of other things. The Bible calls it idolatry. That is why the first commandments spells out,

"Thou shall have no other gods before Me."

Perhaps, we need to ask ourselves three questions in order to reshape our perspectives.

1. Do you know what satisfies?
2. Do you know what satisfies us fully and surely?
3. What are we going to do about it?

Hint: The answer is not religion. Neither is it secularism.

conrade

19 Types of Christians

A friend of mine sent this to me. I am not sure who to attribute to. If you know the source, please let me know. While I am not convinced that there are anyone of us who are solely one kind of Christians, the main benefit of this categorization is to highlight some of the tendencies we can fall into. Of course, the disciple of Christ will be the Hard-Rock Christians. I like the pictures that go with each description.

conrade

Gracious Punctuality

Why early for this?
(Credit: http://www.clevelandorchestrablog.com)

One of the modern peeves in any Church is the tendency of some members to come late. It is such a common occurrence that many leaders are at their wit's end on how to handle the situation. Sometimes, it can be a no-win situation. Do nothing and the whole worship service begins late, rushed through, and ends late. Do something firmly and the leadership gets accused of legalistic measures. Angry worshipers call for an end to such selfish behaviour. Nonchalant people asks, "What's the big deal? It's only a Church service. After all, aren't Christians expected to show grace and understanding to one another?"

Wait a minute. Is Church a lower priority than an important business meeting with a client? Is being punctual at churches less important than going to a concert? I check out the venue policy of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and here is the latecomer policy.

Q: What if I arrive late at the theatre?
A: Most venues have a latecomers policy that allows latecomers to be seated at an appropriate break in the music, chosen by the conductor, at the back of the theatre. Latecomers can then move to their originally purchased seats after intermission.
(Link: VSO)

Yes, the Church is expected to be gracious to one another. Members are expected to be gracious. With regards to punctuality, it is also important that being punctual is a gracious act in itself. It is gracious to the worship team working hard to get ready to lead the call to worship. It is gracious to the faithful workers behind the scenes, setting up the tables and chairs, the sound systems, the refreshments, and the ushers. It is also gracious to any guest speakers and visitors.

I understand. Some of us will always have some kind of difficulty in coming on time. That said, if it becomes a weekly occurrence, the problem is not the Church. The problem is most likely the latecomer. After all, church times do not change. It is always exactly 9am, or 10am or depending on what service times your church offers. People all know in advance. Yet, they arrive late.

How then do we handle the problem of punctuality in Churches? Maybe, one way is to be a server ourselves. I have always believed that every church member ought to be an usher at least once in their lifetime. That way, they will get to meet latecomers face to face, and to see the problem of punctuality. While it is no big deal to the latecomer, it can be distracting to the early comers.

• Why should early comers be penalized?
• Why should the rest of the congregation be made to wait just because others come late?
• Why should the church tolerate chronic latecomers?
• Why should people be early for concerts and late for Church?
• Why the double standard when people are ok with latecomer policy in concerts but not in churches?

....and not punctual for this?
(Credit: http://www.turbophoto.com)

We need to speak the truth in love. Again, I say that there is a difference between being nice and being loving. Being nice is not necessarily loving. Being loving is not necessarily nice. Speaking the truth in love means to start punctually without apologizing, start prayerfully with prayerfulness, and to be gracious both ways. To those who implement punctuality policies, be patient but firm. To those who are usual latecomers, for whatever reason, think more about others than your own selves.

conrade

BookPastor >> "Toxic Charity" (Robert D. Lupton)

This review was first published at the Panorama of a Book Saint here.

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TITLE: Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Reverse It)
AUTHOR: Robert D. Lupton
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: HarperOne, 2011, (200 pages).

Focus on outcomes, not activities. Not all giving is good. In fact, much giving is toxic. This is the basic message in this book. Lupton in one sweep exposes the scandals both intended and unintended. He explains the reasons behind the flawed thinking, that underlies conventional giving. He explicates the various alternatives to transform charity from toxic handout to healthy helping out.

1) Exposing the Scandal
The scandal of toxic charity is basically the dis-empowerment of the poor to help themselves. After all, if they can get things for free, then why bother to work or find work?  Large charitable giving has not shortened the handout lines. Instead it has pathetically increased the demand. Those in poor economies, despite the huge millions of aid given to them, have not improved their living or economic conditions. According to one African aid worker, the continent has gotten worse. With easy availability of free money, free food, and free stuff, begging lines become longer. Administrative officials in developing economies become more corrupt. The incentives to work dramatically drop.


2) Explaining the Problem

Lupton convincingly drives home the problem of good intentions based on poor knowledge that givers have of the recipients. Through their self-centered perspective of giving in order to feel good inside the heart, they unwittingly weaken those they serve, develop dishonest relationships among their intended communities, diminish work ethic among the people they are trying to help, and increases the dependency of the poor for foreign aid. Charity of giving needs to be accompanied by parity of what the people really need. The former may help in the short term. The latter will be essential for the long term. Likewise, mercy must be accompanied by justice. Otherwise, the cycle of dependency will continue to spiral hopelessly non-stop. This results in frustrations when givers do not see improvements in the plight of the people they are trying to help. At the same time, the recipients grows in their inferiority complexes, in which their potential is not reached. One of the powerful examples Lupton shares in the book includes the following unhealthy pattern of giving without proper accountabilities:

• Give once and you elicit appreciation;
• give twice and you create anticipation;
• give three times and you create expectation;
• give four times and it becomes entitlement;
• give five times and you establish dependency.

3) Expressing the Oath

Luton provides the turning point by suggesting that charitable organizations and givers take the 'Oath of Compassionate Service.' The oath mirrors the Hippocratic Oath. (128)

• "Never do for the poor what they have (or could have) the capacity to do for themselves."
• "Limit one-way giving to emergency services."
• ''Strive to empower the poor through employment, lending, and investing, using grants sparingly to reinforce achievements."
• "Subordinate self-interests to the needs of those being served."
• "Listen closely to those you seek to help, especially to what is not being said - unspoken feelings may contain essential clues to effective service."
• "Above all, do no harm."

4) Explicating the Recovery

This section is worth the price of the book. Lupton shares from his experience to give readers a few creative alternatives to conventional giving. He is quite supportive of the Opportunity International organization which seeks to equip and empower people to help themselves. He advocates the need to be patient, and that there is no quick fixes in the charity initiative. He promotes the ABCD method: 'Asset-Based Community Development' in which one prioritizes on achieving the 'potential' instead of focusing on 'problems.' Rather than trying to solve one small part of the needy's problems, Lupton argues rightly for a wholesome restoration of the recipients sense of self-worth. This needs patience. This requires due diligence. This demands responsible giving.

Closing Thoughts

'Toxic Charity' may not a book for bed-time reading but is an important book that needs to be read by all charities and churches who are keen to help the poor and the needy. The first half of the book is a no-holds barred reprimand on the flaws of our current charitable giving model. It contains such strong observations that even the most faithful giver can be tempted to stop giving altogether. Fortunately, the second part of the book redeems the idea of giving. If readers are able to go beyond the wallet-wrenching parts at the beginning, to reach the end, they will appreciate the pains and the meticulous ways in which Lupton redeems giving altogether. This is how the gospel works too. As much as it exposes and attacks the effects of sin and sin itself, it redeems the sinner.

I highly recommend this book for all givers, to let their giving be guided by knowledge and wisdom. Most importantly, giving is a way to empower, and not disempower the receivers.

Ratings: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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Bible Slide on Holiness

Preparing our hearts for worship. Read, meditate, pray, and worship God.

Have a great Lord's Day today!

conrade

Catching the Snakehead

The big news yesterday was the catching of the ferocious top predator, the Snakehead fish. Since putting the video more than three weeks ago, on Youtube about this invasive "Frankenfish," many in the lower mainland have expressed fears of how this fish can potentially decimate the entire fish population in Burnaby lake. If this fish breeds and swims to rivers and other parts of the water channels, it will wreak havoc on the entire ecosystem, not just the precious salmon population. For nearly 27 days, park officials, researchers, and volunteers, comb the entire lake (or some say lagoon), using nets, partially draining the lake, to catch this elusive fish. At one point, many have said the video was a hoax. Yesterday proved that it is an authentic video. There is really a snakehead on the loose. It has been captured. Here's the proof.

Captured 8 June 2012, (Photo Credit: ctv.ca)

Deemed a top predator in North America, this foreign fish from Asia and Africa, eats up literally anything smaller than itself. When in their natural habitats, the alligators, crocodiles, sharks, and bigger fishes, can easily gobble them up. Unfortunately, in North America, snakeheads reign supreme, which is why park officials and environmentalists are especially concerned. The only way this fish ever existed in the lake is due to irresponsible individuals releasing them illegally. Popular among some Asians, the snakehead fish is a delicacy, often sold in local Asian supermarkets. For some reason, someone has decided to buy it alive as a pet, and then release it in a public park.

I believe this incident has taught us how fragile our ecosystem is. Mess with it and we are in for big trouble. It is time to call for a ban on any live imports of such fish. The only good snakehead fish in North America is a dead one.  I love my salmon.

Three lessons from this Snakehead saga

Firstly, I marvel at the power of social media. Put on Youtube, the social media spreads the news far and wide. This is an excellent example of how social media can be used for good. Thankfully, the response from the authorities is quick.

Secondly, catching the fish needs teamwork. This also means leadership. I believe the BC authorities have learned a lesson from their counterparts in Maryland down South. They have had a devastating experience with the Snakehead on the loose. It was so bad that they had to kill everything in the waters just to rid the snakehead. Even then, there is no guarantee they have eradicated the problem completely. Leadership comes from being humble to learn from others, be open to consider appropriately the facts brought to attention, and then to do something about it. Thankfully, this fish was caught even after adopting a host of methods and patience to catch it. Sometimes I wonder, if the fish is smart enough to evade capture for another month, perhaps, it can slip away unnoticed?

Finally, things brought to attention normally get the most attention. Left untouched, unreported, it will simply be left alone to do the damage while we are all sleeping. This snakehead is a dangerous fish and rightfully it needs to be captured urgently. What about sin in us? Do we need to bring it to attention? Or are we content to let it fester, uninterrupted, simply because it is hiding under the covers of normalcy?



 


One snakehead launches a torrent of visitors and officials to the lake. Thanks to the quick action by the authorities, this invasive fish is caught before further damage is done. Bye snakehead. Outgunned, outmanuevered, outplayed, the snakehead has no chance. Lest it has laid eggs.

conrade

Recognition is a Narcotic

Ever experienced being overlooked for a promotion? Ever seen how all the credit for your hard work and creativity, being stolen by your boss? Ever been in a situation where your so called well deserved recognition is non-existent? It hurts, right?

A) Mark of Honour?

We love recognition. Make sure it does not become our love.

Recognition is one of the most visible signs of honour and worthiness people give to certain individuals. Whether one wins an Olympic medal, or appears on public media, or given honorary accolades at a graduation ceremonies, recognition is a key driver of human achievement and pride. The hunger for recognition begins at a very young age. In the West, building self-esteem in young children is almost a given. Teachers regularly use superlatives like, "Fantastic! Great job! You deserve 5 stars!" when they praise the children in their care. Parents are also in the same camp, often praising their kids for the littlest amount of achievement. It seems like the parents have more to give than the kid's readiness to receive. All it takes is for the child to do something, or anything, and praises will be lavished upon them.

In school, watch how teachers hold up model pupils in order to "spur" others to improve. By recognizing individual achievements, many educators hope to encourage more students to continue to press harder and more diligently. Recognition helps. Recognition motivates. However, too much recognition is not a good thing. It breeds arrogance. It cultivates pride. It becomes an addiction.

B) Mark of Pride

Success, fame, and fortune are often ingredients that trigger the beginning of the end. I think of King Solomon, who started humbly, peaked early, but ended poorly. Having accumulated massive wealth, wisdom, knowledge, reputation, and of course, women companions, he eventually sowed the seeds of his own downfall as he fell victim to idolatry. This is perhaps one of the saddest stories of how a great potential fails to reach his full potential. Reason: Idolatry.

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done. (1 Kings 11:4-6) 

Recognition is a narcotic. Receive it once in a while, it can be encouraging and helpful. The moment it becomes an expectation, as one starts to crave recognition, it marks the beginning of idolatry through the most powerful sin of them all: Pride. Here is a list of ten pride test questions provided by Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church.

1. Do you long for a lot of attention? 
2. Do you become jealous or critical of people who succeed? 
3. Do you always have to win? 
4. Do you have a pattern of lying? 
5. Do you have a hard time acknowledging you were wrong? 
6. Do you have a lot of conflicts with other people? 
7. Do you cut in line at the store, airport, on the freeway, etc.? 
8. Do you get upset when people do not honour your achievements? 
9. Do you tend more toward an attitude of entitlement or thankfulness? 
10. Do you honestly feel you are basically a good person and superior to others? 

In this test, Driscoll asks that we call ourselves prideful if we score at least '1' Yes to the above ten questions. If anyone of us score '0' yes, then we are "very proud."  Driscoll is often more provocative than most people. Whether we like him or not is another point altogether. If we look at the ten questions carefully, we will soon realize that they all point to a certain manifestation of pride.

For example, craving for lots of attention is a form of wanting recognition. Being jealous of other people's achievements is envy that wishes we are recognized instead. The desire to win is simply because we will then be recognized with a prize. We lie often because we fear losing, and in the process losing recognition. And so on.

C) Mark to Beware

Recognition is a narcotic. The more we crave it, the more we become addicted to it. Unaddressed, the craving becomes more and more obsessive. It fills the mind. It grips the heart. It directs the whole person to seek recognition not for other's sake but for self's sake. As it increasingly puts one above others, it will soon challenge the authorities. The recognition addict can lead one toward something much worse. Recognition can stem the hunger a little while, but the crave will return. As self becomes more important than others, one begins to create a little god out of self, making wants into needs, non-essentials into essentials, taking what belongs to God, and calling it our rights.

Recognition is a narcotic. Beware. When we are recognized for whatever work we have done, adopt a state of humility. This is the best way to arrest any orientation toward the idolatry of self.

"So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'" (Luke 17:10) 

Recognition can encourage. It can provided a much needed boost in self-esteem. That said, as much as we love recognition, make sure it does not become our love.

THOUGHT: "Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition."  (Abraham Lincoln)

conrade