A Prank Too Far

I woke up this morning to a shocking piece of news. The hospital receptionist who were tricked into transferring a phone call to the nurse in charge of the Duchess of Cambridge's medical care have committed suicide. What began in some stupid fun and childish prank ended in tragedy. It was simply a prank too far.

Kate's hospital nurse pranked by Australian DJs

The news is everywhere. I went on Twitter to do a search on the word "prank" and all the tweets happen to be on this unfortunate suicide. Many are disgusted. So am I. When I think about it, with the media focus and hunger getting more uncontrollable each day, horrible things are going to happen. We have seen how the paparazzi was blamed for the death of Lady Diana. We have seen how the photographs of William and Kate's private vacation were illegally taken. We have seen how every piece of news on the British royalty commanded premium public viewing.

For all the invasion of privacy and the unethical practices done by certain media members, this latest suicide is a result of a prank too far. Sadly, this case reminds us that it is only a matter of time before it takes a tragedy to instill some semblance of discipline and proper behaviour among media people.

1) Unequal Public Footing

Some people may be saying that it is all in "good fun" when two Australian DJs impersonated the Queen of England in their call to the private British hospital. For all their shock at being put through, and their excuse of a poor imitation of royal voices, the fact is that the hospital staff are not trained at public exposure as much as radio DJs. Radio DJs interact with people all over all the time. Not private hospital staff. At the onset, any prank, or any attempt to have "good fun" represents an unequal footing in the first place. For anyone who says that the suicide victim, Jacintha Saldanha has taken her mistake too seriously, I will refute by saying that the radio DJs have not taken the deliberate invasion of privacy serious enough. Even if the DJs are to say that they welcome pranks by others on them, it does not mean that people like Saldanha has given people a blank cheque to prank them any time.

Key Point: What is fun for one may not be fun for the other.

2) Social Media Play and Replay

In the old days, news come at longer and more infrequent intervals. Sometimes, people will need to wait till the next day before the latest edition can be read. Moreover, one cannot rewind the news and replay them as freely as we can right now. The social media and the modern Internet has changed all that. News comes through at up to the second speed. It can be put onto Youtube, to be replayed over and over again at any time. It can be quickly distributed worldwide. Anything private can be placed in public spheres within a matter of seconds. Once it is out there, it stays there.

I was appalled to see how the royal pranks continue to be played and replayed on national television. Put on Youtube, it gets viewed by the millions. Imagine the agony Jacintha Saldanha had to tolerate each time her voice was replayed by anyone, anywhere, and anytime?

Key Point: What Goes Out to the Internet Stays There. Be careful what you put there. 

3) Is It the Hospital's Fault?

While we may not know the full details, some may accuse the hospital for its lax of security. I think it is unfair to blame them. With the gloomy reminder of Lady Diana herself being a victim of invasion of privacy, surely the authorities and the royal family security team would have put in place steps and processes to protect the royal family more. While their due diligence may not be perfect, why try to exploit loopholes and then point to the hospital and the security staff as their fault?

Yes, the hospital's processes may need to be improved. The ease of a telephone call being put through may need to be addressed. Yet, if there is no initial trigger, none of it will have happened right? Give people the benefit of the doubt. Do not presume and make innocent hospital staff members look bad. Many are basically trying to make ends meet.

Key Point: Even if one can break through security checks, it does not absolve one from the crime.

4) Privacy Matters

This is a case of a prank too far. It is unavoidable. Stupid. Childish. Inappropriate. Whatever you call it, the golden rule applies. Jesus has said,

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)

You do not need to be a Bible believer in order to see the relevance of Jesus' teachings. Remember that pranks can hurt. No matter how the interpretation of fun is, this suicide is a grim reminder that a prank too far leads to fatal consequences. Here is what I strongly suggest.

• Stop replaying the "royal prank"
• Australian DJs Mel Grieg and Michael Christian are to apologize, quit their DJ jobs, and to stop mentioning anything pertaining to the prank
• The rest of us take note that privacy matters are serious matters
• Have fun but not at the expense of other people
• Pray for the family of the bereaved
• Respect the privacy of the royal family.

May the press, the media, and all on social media do the most sensible thing. Respect the privacy of others as much as you want others to respect your privacy, and those of your loved ones.

With prayer for the family of Jacintha Saldanha.

conrade

Midweek Meditation: On Humility

This week, I will like to meditate on humility. The guest article below is entitled "The Awakening of Brother Thomas" credited to Brother Thomas at www.sober.org.

 conrade

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Humility, in word and concept, is a paradox. It means the quality or condition of being humble, which means meek, modest, deferential or lowly. In contrast, the attribute of humility is highly praised. Humble people are advanced people. 

Some folks even confuse humility with humiliation, being put-down, disgraced, degraded or shamed. There is absolutely no disgrace or shame in being humble. No, not a whit.
The root of humble is [Middle English from Old French from Latin humilis low, lowly from humus ground; See dhghem- in Indo-European Roots.] Some other relatives are Greek khamai, on the ground; Latin humus, human, kind, humane; Old Russian zem ¹, land, earth; and ZAMINDAR , from Persian zam ºn, earth, land. It sure gets around a lot for such an humble word. 

In contrast to its earth orientation are some pretty lofty notions: 

A very well respected source told us, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law." "Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness"……… 

And, the late Mother Teresa knew that, "If you are humble, nothing can touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know who you are. 

I have resolved this apparent down-up paradox by coming to understand that low-high is not the real dimension of humility. The essence of humility is in the false-true dimension.
Instead of "earth" I think of being "down-to-earth". This means being without pretense — being my true, authentic, genuine self. 

Instead of cowering or groveling, I picture the humble person as standing erect and naked. The humble one is not naked in a sexual sense, but in the context of being ones real self, withholding nothing from themselves, from God, and from fellow humans who need to see the total truth. The humble person has not the least taint of phoniness, but stands straight in the naked truth, in honesty. 

So, I think of the humble one as candid, as real, as honest, as true to their natural being. If there are blemishes they show, but without any effort to hide them. If there are honors and beauties, they show also, but with no pride, no ostentatious display. 

Or, it might be put another way — Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less.

*** end of guest post *** 

conrade

BookPastor >> "Measure of Our Success" (Shawn Lovejoy)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on October 4th, 2012. Highly recommended for pastors and leaders of churches, para-churches, and any Christian organization.

conrade

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TITLE: Measure of Our Success, The: An Impassioned Plea to Pastors
AUTHOR: Shawn Lovejoy
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012, (192 pages).

How do we measure success in ministry? This question is answered in three ways. Firstly, Lovejoy gets up close and personal with the "standard measurements" of ministry success. Things like high activism and drivenness among ministry workers; the strong need for affirmation; the numbers game; the program focus; the three unhealthy Cs of comparing, of copying, and of condemning ministry work. Over time, if not understood properly, one will not only fail to keep up with maintaining the standard measurements, one will even fall badly. Secondly, the author works on redefining true success in terms of:

1. Spiritual, emotional, relational, intellectual, and physical vitality
2. People are our ministry; Loving them is our tapestry.
3. Teamwork with people of character, care, clarity, conviction, and culture
4. Willingness to pay the price to obey God rather than human preferences
5. Dealing constructively with all kinds of criticisms
6. Preventative measures to avoid casting the quitting card.

Thirdly, the author focuses on what really matters, and what needs to be the true measure of success in ministry. Instead of numerical growth, focus on conversion growth. Do not stuff oneself with spiritual meat without the corresponding fruit. Leaders need to spend time meaningfully with leaders or leaders to be, instead of aimless superficial mingling with crowds. Christology is first, not ecclesiology. In other words, we cannot kid ourselves by thinking that the Church is the vehicle of salvation for the world. It is Christ alone. Knowing when to step down is not a mark of failure. It is a mark of wisdom and spiritual success.

My Thoughts

This is a necessary book for those of us interested in learning how to measure success in ministry. Personally, I do not like the word 'success.' It has too many connotations with worldly metrics. That said, the use of this word connects very well with all people. Moreover, I think it is basically used in a "for lack of a better word" sentiment. I appreciate the real world application aspect that comes at the end of every chapter. Prominent leaders like Larry Osborne, Mark Batterson, Steven Furtick, Tony Morgan, Chris Seay, Pete Wilson, and many more, provide helpful insights into the chapters offered by Shawn Lovejoy. It is like a book led by one central author, supported by contributors toward the same goal: moving away from false measurements toward true measurements of ministry success. Let me close with this wonderful words of Lovejoy.

"We must not seek to please people. We must please God.
We must not seek to fill auditoriums. We must fill heaven.
We must not seek fame. We must make Jesus famous.
We must not seek our agenda. We must proclaim his agenda.
We must not quit if we are called. We will quit if we are not.
The measure of our success is clear. It is laid out for us in Scripture. If we muddy the waters with our own desires and expectations, we will ultimately fail in the very thing we have given our lives to: our ministries." (180)

Can we do both? That is, both worldly success as well as spiritual success? I like to think we can, but the principle behind Matthew 6:24 seems to indicate only one way. Everyone likes to be a part of a growing church. The key question is not the numbers or the experience of being part of a vibrant body, but whether the Church is glorifying God. Beware of churches that shoot up quickly, but when the elements and the trials of life appear, members leave and that church wilts away.

This book may very well save you from falling into the treacherous potholes of ministry.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Baker Books and Graf-Martin Communications without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

A Great Christmas Carol

The Jingle-Bells may be fun to sing. The Fa-la-la's may be be easy to hum. Yet, when it comes to great Christmas carols, very few modern carols can match the majesty and the theological richness of this hymn, "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus." Written in 1745 by Charles Wesley, it has been one of the most powerful hymns of praise and declaration of the one who is "Born a Child and yet a King." Charles is an amazing hymn writer. Writing about 7500 hymns in his lifetime, that translates to an average of 1 hymn every other day. I have selected a beautiful instrumental rendition of this hymn. You can follow the words below.

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Youtube Instrumental

 conrade

Simple Gift of Compassion

By now, many of us would have seen the simple story of a NYPD cop buying and putting on a pair of boots on a homeless man. Officer Lawrence DePrimo has been hailed a "hero," a "good cop" and "one of New York's finest." All because of a single act of compassion, of selfless giving, and a reminder that there are many less fortunate than he is. This caught the eye of an Arizona tourist, Jennifer Foster who snapped a picture and posted it online. The rest is history.

You can watch the interview here or below.

 

Since the picture was posted at the NYPD Facebook page here, it has been viewed millions of times. In social media terms, the photo has gone viral. Here are some of my thoughts.

#1 - Compassion begins with Self-Awareness

Knowing that the weather is cold, one experiences the reality of what it means to be shivering. In life, we all know that our human body is susceptible to the fluctuations in temperatures. Whether it is too hot or too cold, or when our bodies are subjected to sudden changes in temperature, we fall ill easily. Officer DePrimo recognizes how cold the weather was, and personally knows how it feels not to have socks or boots. He is aware of the conditions he is in.

#2 - Compassion Needs Action

Seeing and knowing that it is cold is not enough. What then are we doing about it? In truth, Officer DePrimo could have just walked past and do his own duties. Yet, he did something that is out of his own initiative. He talked to the homeless man lying on the street. He asked questions. He reconnected to his own reactions to cold. He remembered that there is a shoe store nearby. He went to the store asking for Winter boots. He returned to check the shoe size with the homeless man. He paid $75 for the boots. He took the boots, knelt down, and put on the boots on the homeless man. One action leads to another.

#3 - Compassion Thrives Unnoticed

For all the nice things that have been said about the NYPD good cop doing a good deed, I feel that there is a danger of people blowing things out of proportion. For that matter, cops around many cities will be hard-pressed to follow the act. Moreover, how are we to distinguish copycat acts? How do we distinguish a genuine compassionate act, instead of one that is being acted out for the purpose of fame? True compassion must always be something done quietly, unnoticed, and covered with an utter reluctance to be famous or for anyone to know about it.

Jesus has said that we need to learn to give in such a way, that we let not our good deeds be publicized too widely. Let our left know not what our right hand is doing. True compassion is done in the name of God, not in the name of self. True compassion is practiced for the good of men, not for the reputation of self. True compassion must be willing and honest.

#4 - Do a Good Deed Yes, but Give from the Heart, not for the Camera

Finally, let me encourage all of us to give from the heart during this Christmas season. It is not the quantity of things we give out. Neither is it whether it was appreciated or not. As long as we give from the heart, let God take care of the rest. Whether our acts go viral or not, we will continue to show kindness.

Let compassion lead to action. Let action lead to the betterment for all.

conrade

"Count Your Blessings" (Ali Matthews)

Worry and weariness go hand in hand. Indeed, worry has a way of draining our energies by doing nothing. Like a rocking chair, worry makes us move back and forth, but the truth is, we go nowhere worrying on a rocking chair. As we enter into the last month of the year, many people will be wondering what happened to the year. It was not too long ago that people were wishing one another "Merry Christmas" and a "Happy New Year!" "Happy Holidays" are also commonly used nowadays. I have been hearing of friends who are also going through hard times. Some due to illness, others due to financial struggles. Still, there are others who worry about things at work, relationships at home, and directions in life. Continuing the reflective mood through the Advent season, here is another song by Ali Matthews, that urges us not to let worry get the better of us. The original has been performed by Bing Crosby's "Count Your Blessings (Instead Your Sheep)

For those of us who worry a lot, may this bring some moments of relief. Maybe, it can help you rest better.




Words for "Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)"

When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings




conrade

"Love Came Down At Christmas" (Ali Matthews)

Each year, around late November, some radio stations will be playing Christmas carols and songs non-stop. I like the mood it creates. With the daylight getting shorter, and the dark getting longer, plus the shivering cold temperatures, having something warm to think and to feel about helps immensely. One of my favourite radio stations is Praise 106.5 FM that serves the Lynden, Bellingham, and Vancouver BC area. In the age of the Internet, anyone anywhere in the world with an Internet connection can listen in. This morning, this song captured my attention. It is one of the newer Christmas songs to be released. Indeed, Christmas is more than simply giving and receiving of gifts. It is about love that came down at Christmas. Written by Georgina Rossetti, it is sung by award winning Canadian song writer, Ali Matthews. Great song.




conrade