Teaching conversational English in ACCESS, Boston Chinatown

I am now currently teaching conversational English to a group of Chinese immigrants, at American Chinese Christian Educational & Social Services Inc. (ACCESS), in Boston Chinatown in the morning. It is through working in this organization that I know more about the Chinese immigrants, the Chinese community in America, the American Chinese, and the local Chinese churches in Boston. I have been teaching here since the end of May and will be teaching till mid-August.



I had to petition with my school's foreign student office in order to convince the representative officer that this is ministry is related to my degree, before she could give me an official approval to teach the Chinese immigrants. I have been teaching them for six weeks, and I thoroughly enjoyed teaching them. I got to know more about American pronunciation, some of the terms used in China, as well as my own identity. I used to think that my native dialect is Hokkien which I thought means "福建话"。It is from my students that I realize Fujian province is so big, and when I use the term "福建话", it is too vague. To be more precise, my dialect is "闽南语", which I can hardly speak now. Currently, I have fifteen students, most are from Fujian province, and they speak mainly Foo Chow and Mandarin (and a little bit of English now). Their ages range from 20 to 49. Majority have no English background, but all of them are very hardworking and they are trying their best to survive well in the US.

Compared to teaching secondary school students back in Singapore, I do not have to deal with any discipline problem as all of them are adults. I could apply some of the pedagogy I learned in Singapore. It is easier to relate to them, and to engage them in a two-way interaction. It is important for one to teach from the heart, in Chinese "用心来教"。 I have to provide a Chinese translation for almost all the new terms I taught them. Some of the students have been very helpful in assisting me to write some of the Chinese characters I have forgotten. It is through this process that I discovered some of the terms I used in Singapore are used differently in China. For e.g. in S'pore, cinema (in the US, it is called movie theater) is known as "戏院"。 But in China, "戏院" could mean opera house. The more precise term should be "电影院"。In other words, not only are they learning from me, I am also learning from them. In fact, we are teaching each other.

It has been a very fruitful experience teaching them in the last six weeks. There were times that my lessons did not go as well as planned. One of them was an outdoor activity when I sent them to the neighborhood stores to identify the name and address of the store, and the items they could purchase within ten dollars from the store. In the end, I spent more time teaching them new words on grocery items. I have learned from my mistake ever since.

This is one of the presentations where I was a facilitator.


Recently, I have incorporated classic English songs into the lesson. I tried finding an appropriate translation for "What a wonderful world" on the Internet, but in the end, I have to do some of the translation myself.

Extract from "What a wonderful world" (Louis Armstrong) 何等美妙的世界
I hear babies crying, I watch them grow 我听见婴儿们哭泣， 我看着他们长大
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know 他们学的会比我所懂得更多
And I think to myself what a wonderful world 我认为这是何等美妙的世界
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world. 真的，我认为这是何等美妙的世界

I can't translate the lyrics literally, or it loses the meaning in Chinese language. I realized the difficulties in translation. I don't think I translated well, but I hope my students will understand the meaning of the song after my explanation.

I have also met other great teachers and a wonderful coordinator here. Some of them have taught me how to add more varieties to the lesson. It is been a pleasure and privilege to work with them, and I thank God for giving me this form of exposure.


This is a photo taken together while we were on a trip to Boston Harbor Islands with our students. From left to right: me, Austin, Joanna, and Anne (our coordinator).


Not forgetting Sue, who is our ACCESS administrator. She is efficient, and a terrific sister-in-Christ. She is the one who shared with me more about the Chinese community in Boston.

An alternative to abortion?

I saw this notice on a wall of New England Medical Center, somewhere around orange line New England Medical Center T-station. What caught my attention is the offer to take in any unwanted baby without any question asked. I think this is a viable alternative that will discourage abortion. In the past, I always thought that giving up a child for adoption is a realistic way out of unwanted pregnancy, is an ideal practice. Now, I have finally witnessed a live example of an organization that puts it into practice. I believe Tufts-NEMC offers a convenient alternative to protects the anonymity of the parents. Due to the established reputation of the medical center, the anonymous parents' guilt could also be mitigated.

However, this does not solve the problem of premarital sex or unwanted pregnancy (I am assuming that most unwanted pregnancies are results of premarital sex). This alternative could only decrease the likelihood of abortion. To reduce the tendency of premarital sex or unwanted pregnancy, I think we have to fall back on sex education, and to provide convenient ways for couples to obtain various forms of artificial contraception.

I anticipate many would object to that suggestion and insist that we should put all hands on deck to discourage the idea of sex in the first place. Unless we can monopolize our media, and our culture to such an extent that all citizens would agree to draft "premarital sex or unwanted pregnancy to be an act punishable by death or equitable to a prison term" as part of our civil law, I would say that we can only influence people's choice and not coerce them. To this end, I would suggest that when incorporating materials in sex education, we should strive to help the participants to:

1) be conscious of the fact that all of us are sensuous creatures;

2) be aware that there are temptations around us. Given the influence of mass media, it is easy to interpret pre-marital sex as something essential to one's ego or image. We have a choice in deconstructing that image;

3) know that we can prevent unwanted pregnancy from taking place in the first place, if we take the necessary precaution;

4) raise their consciousness to a level where they could identify their temptations so that they can learn to avoid putting themselves in situation that fosters their temptations;

5) know that there are many fine examples of young men and women who believe and practice safe sex within the context of a marriage life;

6) believe that we have the choice to choose sex after marriage, and to choose safe sex.


Having said that, I must acknowledge that premarital sex or unwanted pregnancy is a phenomenon that is gradually being accepted in the society. As a citizen who believes in the value of human life, my moral duty is to help myself and others recognize that abortion is not the only alternative.

Memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. and prominent social problems in US

I consider these two landmarks to be very unique part of Boston University: a memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. and the Marsh Chapel.



The building on the left of the memorial is my school, the School of Theology, which is the founding school of Boston University. The tall building behind my school is the law faculty.



On the opposite side of School of Theology is the College of Arts and Social Science.




As you stand in front of the memorial, you will see these words inscribed: "To the memory of MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., 1929-1968, Distinguished Alumnus, Nobel Laureate For Peace." MLK graduated from Boston University in 1955.



On the left hand side of the memorial: "We must come to see that the end we seek is a society of peace. That will be the day not of the white man, not of the black man, that will be the day of man as man."

This is the dream of MLK, and I think US has made a significant progress in granting full civil rights of all races constitutionally. However, I think the colored people, esp. the blacks are not benefiting much from the system at the moment.

SOCIAL PROBLEM: Health Care System
One out of three black men has a prison record. The poor and homeless people are more likely to be the blacks. Once you are poor, you can't afford the education system, and eventually, couldn't get a well-paid job. That puts you on the street. When you are unemployed, you could not afford the health insurance. If you are admitted to hospital without health insurance, you will be bankrupt. The US system props up prices of health care and insurance. The US citizens are paying way too much for the health care benefits, compared to other developed countries like UK, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, and Switzerland. Watch PBS Frontline's Sick Around the World, for more information. This is something the US must look into.

SOCIAL PROBLEM: Mortgage Loan Crisis
The recent mortgage loan crisis affects the blacks more than the whites. Why is there a mortgage loan crisis in the first place? To put it short, there are banks or institutions who do not require a minimum sum of down payment for the mortgage loan, and they do not bother to counter-check the credit history of their borrowers. Hence, this type of loan has higher accrual interest (and is also called sub-prime loan), but the monthly installment tends to look less intimidating once the loan period is stretched over a long term, as high as 30-year. Those without adequate education might not see the danger implied or their agents did not explain the inherent risk involved. They are in fact paying twice the amount they are borrowing.

Once the borrower is out of job, he/she could not afford to pay for the high-interest loan anymore, and will default on their loan. Either they sell off their mortgage or borrow from another institution at an even higher interest, probably from the credit card companies. Once significant number of people are caught up in this cycle and if they are out of job, it creates a social problem. This problem is escalated if the housing price is inflated to an artificial level, esp. in 2005-6.

When the bubble burst, in 2007, most houses bought in the 2005-6 cost much less than its original sales price, and the owners are still paying for the interest plus the price of the inflated sales price. They might have to sell off their house at a loss or continue to pay for the mortgage loan at a loss. And in some cases, some just vacate the house and abandon their loans. A number of loans have been re-packaged and sold to other foreign financial institutions. As a result, US sub-prime mortgage loan implicates many countries as well.

In a report from Singapore Investor, SIAS eMagazine, Mar 2008 issue, it is reported that
"There are a handful of financial institutions with relatively significant exposures, namely Bank of China Ltd. (A-/Stable/A-2), Mega International Commercial Bank Co. Ltd. (Mega Bank; foreign currency A/Stable/A-1), and DBS Bank Ltd. (AA-/Stable/A-1+). "
DBS Bank Ltd is considered the Singapore national bank. As you can see, even my own country is not spared. I pray and hope that the affected countries could make up the losses from their gains in investment from other sectors, and learn from their mistakes.


A phenomenon but unsure whether to classify it as a social problem: Christians focused on personal salvation and neglect social dimension of the gospel
I have recently read that there are six basic values enshrined in the American culture: individual freedom, self-reliance, equality of opportunity, competition, material wealth, and hard work (Datesman, Maryanne Kearny. The American Ways: An Introduction to American Culture, 2nd ed. Prentice-Hall: New Jersey, 1997. pp. 29).

No doubt, these values are generally espoused by the Americans, I am not sure whether it sufficiently explains why most evangelical white Christians tend to turn a blind eye towards the plights of the blacks. If everyone truly espouses these values, do we recognize that those of us from less privileged families or environment do not have equality of opportunity in the first place? Even if we claim to understand Jesus Christ's imperatives to love one's neighbor, or to feed the hungry or clothe the homeless, why do we seldom react to the plights of the poor regardless of their race? Aren't all of us made in the image of God? Shouldn't the cries of any human for mercy, justice, or equality of opportunity sear the conscience of everyone of us, esp. if we claim to have a relationship with God the Creator and Savior? Why are there so much outcry against homosexuality in the name of God's justice, and yet so little whimper against the unjust and for the poor in the society?

I have also visited a number of Chinese churches in the Boston area. So far, none has addressed social issues in the American society. Most American-born Chinese (ABC) Christians are focused on evangelism, discipleship training, fellowship, Bible study, just like the paradigm I have been exposed to back in Singapore. Eventually, the ABC Christians must ask who their neighbors are. They can't just focus on education for the Chinese or social benefits for their own race and turn a blind eye towards the more needy in the society. Christ-love is "trans-racial".




On the right hand side, you will see: "I submit that an individual who breaks a law, that conscience tells him is unjust and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment, in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice is in reality expressing the highest respect for law."



Finally, these are written behind: "Far from being the pious injunction of autopian dreamer, the command to love one's enemy is an absolute necessity for our survival.
-This sculpture by Sergio Castillo was dedicated on behalf of the Boston University Community. John R. Silber, President, May 16, 1975."

I believe "the dreamer" John Silber refers to is Jesus Christ. I absolutely agree that loving our enemies is essential for the well-being of our society, whether it is in US or in Singapore. But, there is so much pride within me to learn to love others (even my enemies) as I love myself. "God, have mercy on me and increase my capacity to encompass love for others." Whatever changes we anticipate in others, we have to start off within ourselves, i.e. we have to start with the "man in the mirror" (an echo of Michael Jackson).

Social dimension of the Christian gospel

All along, I have always associated the Christian gospel with personal salvation, i.e. Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and to reconcile me back to God. Recently, as I read more about the different dimension of the Christian gospel, I have come to realize that it has a serious social dimension as well.

In this summer, I have been reading:
1) Bryan McLaren's Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope;
2) N.T. Wright's Evil and the Justice of God;
3) Tracy Kidder's Mountains beyond mountains.

All three books illustrate how our gospel message is more than just personal salvation. The first book examines the system which we live in, and McLaren points out that we are living in a suicidal machine. The rate at which we destroy our environment to sustain our living will lead us to our death one day. The second book is about how we might search for a clue to evil from the Old Testament and New Testament. And one thing is for sure, we are parts of the problem and we are also parts of the solution. The gospel story tells us how God co-opts us as part of the whole BIG story in the solution. The third book has the most impact on me. It is a true story of Dr. Paul Farmer, who started his work on tuberculosis (TB) in Haiti (a very poor Caribbean country whose economy was sabotaged by US foreign policy), and how his organization evolved to become one of the international organizations to tackle TB and another type of mutant TB known as MDR, on a global scale. Farmer challenges how I should interpret "Who is my neighbor?" and how I conceive poverty and health.

There are such things called the poor man's disease such as TB, and AIDS; and rich man's disease such as cancer, and heart attack. The public health policy adopted by every country will determine what type of disease the citizens are more vulnerable to. And sometimes, unfortunately, the policy of another more powerful foreign country will introduce a new type of disease into one's country. Now, you know why the South Koreans protested so strongly against the import of beef more than 30-month old from the US into their country.

Last time, when I listened to the gospel message, I interpreted it as my personal salvation. But now, I realize that it goes beyond personal salvation. In the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37, Jesus is responding to a lawyer's question on "who is my neighbor?" after the lawyer iterates the two most important commandment, i.e. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." (NRSV Luke 10:27) Jesus relates the story of a man being beaten up and left to die, when he was on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho. Jericho is supposed to be a dwelling place for Jewish priests when they are not on temple duty. A priest passed by, followed by a Levite. Both serve in the temple, and are supposed to "do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow." (Isa 1:17) Yet, it is a Samaritan, a hostile enemy of Jews, who shows kindness to the victim. The person who shows kindness to me is my neighbor. But what if I reverse the role, I am not the victim, and I am the passer-by. My neighbor is the one whom I should not only show kindness to, but to love them as myself.

In Singapore, my neighbors, i.e. those whom I could show kindness to, include other races such as the Malays/Indians/ etc. How could I show kindness to them? By being involved in their tuition center such as the Mendaki (for Malays) and Sinda (for Indians), and not just CDAC (for Chinese). If I can do social visit, why shouldn't I put Malay/Indian old folks home on my list? In the global village that we live in, as the needs of the African children are brought to my awareness, and I do possess the means to help them, I have to ask myself anew: "Are they my neighbor?" (It is a resounding YES.) This mindset changes the way I perceive the gospel. If we take the gospel message seriously, we could change the whole society.

Kidder highlights how Farmer lives out the verse "for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me." (NRSV, Matt 25:35-36) Farmer interprets it literally and even visits his friend's son in Haiti's prison. When I read commentary on Matt 25:31-46, Jesus Christ refers the kindness performed on "one of the least of these who are members of my family" (NRSV Mt 25:40-41), to mean any disciples of Christ. At least, my conscience does not feel so bad as I could definitely not measure up to Farmer's standard. But, minimally, did I offer any help within my means to the Christians around me? At least, I could say that I have helped the Korean and Japanese brothers and sisters in their paper writing. But did I give food to those who are hungry, to those who needed minimal means of subsistence? I couldn't answer to that.

The books above reminded me once again of the cry of the prophet Isaiah:

"What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats." (Isa 1:11)

"Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings; from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. " (Isa 1:16-17)

Farmer has given me hope that the something can be done about world poverty, and Christian gospel has something to offer those in need of hope. The gospel is not an opium portrayed by Karl Marx. Though I am not a Marxist, I believe that the cause of the neglected and poor must be spoken. Hope lies not just in the afterlife, but in seeing everything as creation of God and humans made in God's image imply that I have a duty and role in making this world a better place, not just for me, or my descendants, or my race or for my country, but for the whole of humanity. I believe the the blood of Jesus Christ redeems the whole of human race and certainly demands every preacher to shoulder the global responsibility of tackling the sins and wickedness of the whole humanity, starting at the local level. However, the source of evil is in each and everyone of us. We are part of the problems in the system, but we are also the solution. The gospel story co-opts us as part of the solution, who will eventually see the full fruit in the last days, and we have to act now based on faith.

Spirituality in New York City's Central Park

I was in New York City (NYC) on Jun3rd-4th, 2008. Apart from the crowd of concrete jungle, NYC has a huge Central Park in the center of Manhattan Island. It was there that I had a chance to re-connect back to God, our Creator. While I was walking from the Columbia Center sub-way to the Central Park, I notice a subtle transition from the world of concrete jungle to the world of wildlife nature. Each environment represents a setting, which I will elaborate more with the pictures below.

The city life is filled with tremendous amount of human interaction. It is a social world differentiated by ranks, class, social status, academic qualifications, commenced salary; where one's standing in the company is measured by his portfolios, work performance and other subtleties that distinguish one from the others. It is a social world conditioned by sets of values that are reinforced in the web of social interaction. These values are consciously or unconsciously being reinforced by daily interactions, reward system, and just being part of the system. In this social setting, to be successful is to have graduated with a college degree, preferably from one of the Ivy League colleges; to have attained a recognizable social status; to be managing a group of people or to be on top of the commanding hierarchy; to own a luxurious car; and perhaps to be a member of a prestigious club. All these values are amplified through media; continuously endorsed by the educational system, and by the participants in the system (including myself).

Once I stepped into the Central Park, there is a transition from heavily constructed social setting into a world made up of natural plants, animals, free of human conditioned interaction. There is once a feeling of being freed from a socially constructed world, and there is an absence of living in a socially constrained space.

As I walked deeper into the park, I came upon trees and grasses with squirrels playing with each other. As I stared intently at the sight in front of me, I felt that there were just me, the squirrels and the tree and grass. Everything else had vanished from my horizon. The sight in front of me cannot possibly be conditioned by me, nor within my sphere of influence or control. I am standing in a free relationship with the environment.

At that split second, one of the squirrels looked intently at me. He/She might be wondering who was this stranger intruding into his/her privacy. Somehow, that squirrel and I shared that space together without any of us feeling obliged to return a favor or manipulating each others' movement. At that moment, I felt as if God had intruded into my private sphere by tearing me away from my social construction of reality.

I have been living in a social reality that I construct, and which is continuously being reinforced by my interaction with the external world. I have been conditioned to expect things to be done in a certain way, expecting results to return from one's effort, and to believe in the societal values that sustain the whole system. But at this moment, the reality confronting me has been re-defined. No longer could I relate this reality in the same way that I used to relate the previous reality. The instantaneous realization that I live in a socially conditioned reality jerked me to a new level consciousness. I suddenly felt being connected back to our Creator. At that rare moment, it is as if the Creator was speaking to me through His creation, and I sensed the different level of spirituality that came alive in the Central Park. This spirituality challenged my socially constructed reality. It reminded me of the ultimate reality that lies beyond what I can see, and of the defining moment in human history when God died for humankind. This ultimate reality is continually intruding into my socially constructed reality. I have to make a choice on which reality I must confer my allegiance. This re-connection back to the Creator forces me to examine myself.

As much as the spiritual moment I had at that time, I realized that this park could have served as a space for the New Yorkers to re-connect back to Mother Nature, this park could also be a sacred space for people to be re-connected back to our Creator, through the Mother Nature. It then dawned upon me that each and everyone of us could reserve or setup a sacred space in our life, when we could actually break away from the normal routine of life, and to be re-wired back to our Creator. Some people called this quiet time. I recalled the twelve stones which Yahweh asked the Israelites to select when crossing the river Jordan.

Those twelve stones, which they had taken out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal, saying to the Israelites, “When your children ask their parents in time to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we crossed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, and so that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” (NRSV, Josh 4:20-24)

The Israelites set up sacred places so that they could remind themselves of Yahweh's mighty deed in their history. Similarly, I think it is important for each and everyone of us to set up a sacred place or time or sphere whereby we allow God to interact with us, and be reminded that this world is God's creation, and we are the created and He is the Creator.

I believe we live in a world of our social construct, where our values are heavily conditioned by what our society informs us, and we in turn reinforce our social construct everyday. Our re-connection back to God gives us the opportunity to be challenged once again the assumptions we have made of what we believed to be a good life. Isn't it counter-intuitive to be meek? (Matt 5:5) We speak so much about our own rights, and our own freedom, isn't it against our constructed nature to turn our right cheek so that it could be struck as well? (Matt 5:39) We think it is only right for the Talibans to be destroyed, the Afghanistan to be torn apart, Saddam Hussein to be executed and Iraq to be uprooted. How shocking it is to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matt 5:44).

Either Jesus Christ is insane or we are insane. Either Jesus Christ's reality is the ultimate reality or our constructed reality the ultimate reality. Setting up a sacred place/time/sphere allows us to be challenged of the many assumptions we have made, of the systems that we have set up, and the assurance that our constructed reality has to be ultimately real.



As I continued to look around me, I saw a pair of elderly couples holding hands and walking together. I am not sure how long they have been married but it was a sweet moment to behold. This moment stood out as a stark contrast against the short lifespan of love embraced by many modern societies, particularly epitomized by NYC, which is supposed to be the model of many modern cities. Here is a testimony of how we could age gracefully, and continue to hold on to the age-old notion where old companions should continue to treasure each other's company.



I also saw a horse carriage directed by a driver, ferrying two passengers. It is amazing to witness a horse in harmonious relationship with humans. This brings me back to the time when humans were created and

God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” (NRSV, Gen 1:26)

We are given the mandate to take good care of God's creation. But look at the awful mess we have created. We caused the extinction of animals, the excessive deforestation, the CO2 emission, global warming, etc. I believe we have been exploiting the nature excessively ever since the Industrial Revlolution. When one's country's GDP and economic growth are measured by how much it produces and consumes, the race to industrial production and consumption engulfed the notion of a living in a mutual relationship in a sustainable environment.

It is only in the last two decades that we are acknowledging the problems caused by ourselves. I pray and hope that more and more countries will sign on the Kyoto Protocol, and more consumers or economy developers can be raised to the consciousness whereby we must take the mandate of taking care of the environment seriously. It is a steep uphill slope, but no doubt a difficult challenge that each one of us must undertake.

A short walk in NYC's Central Park led me to some serious reflection. I hope you have enjoyed reading it, and being spurred to some reflection as well.

Reflecting on the sovereignty of God in the wake of the cyclone in Myanmar and quake in China

I have been following the news about the quake in China (May 12, 2008). In fact, I was there in Dujiangyan, one of the quake zones, eight years ago with my friends. I could feel the pain, anguish and torment that the victims are going through, and it was really heart-wrenching. I was totally touched when I saw Premier Wen Jiabao said (in Mandarin) "Don't cry, we stand together" on CCTV4 website. One of my closer friends from China shared that she has been having nightmares about the earthquake, and has been asking why these innocent people are going through so much, esp. the school children trapped in collapsed buildings. She also remarked that most of the government buildings are still standing, and many believe that the contractors who built the school buildings compromised on their quality.

This scene and the other that took place in Myanmar (May 01, 2008) led me to question why did God allow the innocent victims to die. At least 100,000 in Myanmar, and at least 50,000 in Si Chuan. As I kept on pondering, I have to ask why did God give Adam and Eve the free will to choose from the tree of knowledge in the first place. The choice of Adam and Eve implicates the subsequent humankind in their act of sin. Did the cyclone and quake happen as a result of Adam and Eve choice to disobey God? I am inclined to think so. (Rom 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned")

The rest of the humankind are implicated in the sins of just a few persons? Yes. The sloppy work of contractors have resulted in the collapse of some buildings. The misuse of land have resulted in floods of great multitude. The emission of CO2 in a few developed countries have resulted in the global warming. But at the same time, the rescue efforts of thousands of rescue teams could control the damage. The efforts of the UN, Red Cross and other humanitarian groups saved the lives of the remaining survivors. Whatever rescue effort that can be done, it could only control or minimize the damage done.

In other words, the negative effects of one single act affects a much more multitude of humanity, and it takes much more than one positive act to counteract the damage. I think that is the situation we are in. But are we alone? No. By sacrificing His Son on the cross for all of us, and by His resurrection, God is showing us that this battle can be won. Jesus Christ's incarnation and resurrection shows that God is standing in solidarity with our suffering. By our free will, the whole of humanity is complicit in the act of sins. But by Jesus' death, all of us are given the chance to turn the tide against the dark force (which is within each and everyone of us). By the death of God's only Son, we have the assurance to continue to hope, and to hold out light in the darkness. For the love of God, we continue to exercise our free will to bring others into the same hope. God cries with us, suffers with us, and marches to victory with all of us.

The question for me now is not so much "why did this happen," but rather, "what can I do now to share my hope with others?" I could think of a few: pray for the afflicted victims, for those still trapped in the rubbles; pray for better infrastructure to be built; comfort those whom we know are affected; contribute financially through World Vision or other organizations; as a church we could hold prayer service for China and Myanmar, and donate imperishable food and clothing to related organization.

Why did God allow this to happen? I don't have the answer. I can only faintly try to glimpse an insight in the fall of Adam and Eve, and being more confident that whatever tragedies we are witnessing now will come to an end. In the meanwhile, each and everyone of us must respond as an ambassador of Christ (that's why we are called Christians).

If one thinks that God allowed these disaster to happen so that the rest of us could ponder about our meaning of life, then I would echo Karl Marx's protest:

Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. (Introduction to A Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right by Karl Marx) http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1843/critique-hpr/intro.htm

Any message which encourages Christians to find comfort in Jesus Christ without engaging the disaster and the traumas of the victims is a form of opium! Any types of message which numbs me to the plight of the afflicted ones is offering a false reality divorced from the tragedy. The struggling and sufferings of the victims are real and intense. The tragedy that strikes China (and the same for Myanmar) calls for all Christians to stand in solidarity with their plight. It calls for Christians to take the initiative to identify with what victims are going through. I pray that their pain would be our pain. May their memory and traumas be part of the memory and traumas of the whole human race, of which we are a part of.

God's sovereignty is not manifested directly in the disaster, it is manifested through the activeness (not passiveness) of Christians' responses to the disaster. We MUST respond. (For my case, I have been praying regularly for them and following the news on this tragedy, crying together with the victims, donating money directly to the victims. I am currently initiating a prayer meeting, with Tim Leary- staff worker from Inter-Varsity, for the Chinese students whom we know.)


What is your own response as a Christian?

May 22, 2008

What is my mission?

As I am now having my summer break, I could afford the time and space to re-think about my mission in life. I shall pen down what comes to my mind during my moment of reflection.

I believe the American and British missionaries who were sent to Asia in the last two centuries also imported their views of what it meant to be a church or Christians. We have inherited what they had passed down to us in Asia. I shall identify the three/four phases of church development (I avoid the word "church growth" in case some identify it as numerical growth), and how I understand my mission to be related to these developments. You will understand why I am not sure whether it is three or four phases of church development.

1st PHASE
During the 1st phase of church planting, I believe the emphasis is on evangelism, discipleship training, spiritual growth. This will probably take 2-3 generations for the church to develop a tradition deeply ingrained in these essential disciplines. I could identify Paul's and Peter's epistles to be written for these purposes. The basic elements of Christian faith would be elucidated and indoctrinated by then. Most missionaries sent to Asia imparted the model of church as understood in the 1st phase.

2nd PHASE
In the 2nd phase of church development, I am suggesting that there has to be engagement of Christianity with the culture and philosophy. I find traces of such attempt in Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen. There were attempts to explain Christian faith to the prevalent culture, as well as new origin way of interpreting the Christian faith as illustrated by Origen. One could almost see how the early apologists would identify Christianity as the true religion, and the true worship of God.

3rd PHASE
By the 3rd phase, there would be synthesizing of Christian thought with philosophy, proliferation of Christian literature, and initiation of new theological movement or representative of a school of thought, as evinced by Augustine of Hippo. Christian theology by then would be able to dialogue with other academic disciplines on the same platform. This was the approach of Cappadocian Fathers when they developed a mature form of the concept of Trinity. I would say that in this phase, theology would be the handmaiden of science and reason, and there are full engagement of theology and other academic disciplines. In this regard, the contemporary theologians, T.F. Torrance (who just passed away this year) and John Polkinghorne are exemplars of leading the engagement of Christian theology with contemporary science. There are many theologians in the US and Europe who could be identified in this phase, such as Karl Barth, Paul Tillich, Alvin Plantinga, Hans Küng, Gustavo Gutiérrez, etc. You could identify the different models or system of thoughts that are developed specifically for dialogue and engagement. Those at the high end of 3rd phase spawn a totally new school of thought such that they represent a movement itself.

How about theologians like J.I.Packer, John Stott, and Alister McGrath? I am not sure whether they represent a league in the 3rd phase. I would rather say that they are more in the high end of the 2nd phase and lower end of 3rd phase. They have exposited cogent evangelical theology, and made it relevant to us by engaging in many critical issues. They have contributed so much to the evangelical cause that the evangelicals could proudly identify what it meant to be an evangelical because of them. But I would hesitate to say that they have generated a new system of thoughts that clearly distinguished itself as an innovation or remarkably different from the previous generations. They did distinguish themselves as radically different from the fundamentalists though.

I also identify Alister McGrath as making the transition into the middle range of the 3rd phase. He had been re-packaging theology to make it comprehensible to the current generation in the past two decades, and he is also making a clear attempt to engage the scientific enterprise. However, his most recent A Scientific Theology (2001-3) may represent a distinctive approach to science and theology. I think he is currently the most promising evangelical theologian who will leave a significant landmark in our time.

4th PHASE
This phase could be identified in the development of the Western culture, so I am not sure whether it should be considered as the 4th phase of church development. The Christian faith is identical to the prevalent culture. This process was initiated by the Roman Emperor Constantine (A.D. 280-337) after he reunited the East and West Roman Empire. He tolerated Christianity officially. But it was Theodosius I (A.D.347- 379) who officiated the synthesizing of Christianity into the culture. In the medieval era, to be an European is to be a Christian. Religion and state started to be separated after the Thirty Years' war (1618-1648) in Europe, and in the face of increasing secularization. I think Max Weber's Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism and Peter Berger's The Sacred Canopy captured this secularization process well. Karl Barth reacted violently to identifying Christian faith with the culture (i.e. the 4th phase).

I believe the most mature form of Christian development is to be identified with the 3rd phase. I am not sure whether to identify the Pope or the Archbishop of Canterbury in the 3rd or 4th phase. Perhaps my categories are too simplistic to place them neatly into my system.


The first church was set up in S'pore in the 19th century (the first Presbyterian church started in 1856). It has been almost 150 years. A number of English churches are in the 2nd phase, and most Chinese churches are still in the 1st phase (I am not sure whether it is because the Chinese church started half a century later than the English church) . Most of the theological studies in Boston University School of Theology assumed a theological setting in the 3rd phase. For e.g. "Theologies of Dialogue" by Prof John Berthrong takes up the challenge of engaging Christianity in dialogue with other world religions. "Christian Social Ethics" by Prof John Hart examines how we could possibly respond to complicating social issues from Christian perspectives.

I am trying to break into the 2nd phase, and I could identify some Christians or theologians in Asia who are now in the 2nd phase, like Rev Stephen Tong （唐崇荣牧师) and Rev Kang Lai Chang (康来昌牧师）. Eventually, I hope to be equipped as a theologian-pastor, to train the laity, and hopefully theological students to take up challenges in the 2nd phase, and to transit into the 3rd phase. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that I want to be like Rev Stephen Tong or Rev Kang. I am saying that I recognize my mission to be educating the current and the next generations to take up the challenges in the 2nd phase and to transit into 3rd phase. But is that who God is calling me to be? I am not absolutely sure, and I am still praying about it.

I may not live long enough to witness the Christians in Asia moving on to the 3rd phase, but I am keen to explore how Christians could engage the Chinese culture, such as Confucian ethics, worship and rite, Buddhism, Taoism, Falungong, and if possible, how could one be an authentic Christian in a Communist country, etc. If you have similar insights, please do feel free to write in to me.

How about you? What's your mission in life?

May22, 2008

My updates for Spring 2008

This semester (Spr'08) has not been easy for me, as there were much more writing of academic papers. Other than knowing how to write better papers, there are few important decisions I made, and some important lessons that I learned in this semester.


1) I have switched from my Master of Theological Studies (MTS) program to Master of Divinity (MDiv) program.This means that I will be seeking ordination track under Presbyterian Church (USA). On top of the original MTS curriculum, I will be taking classes in Greek and Hebrew languages, Pastoral Care & Counseling, Worship, Preaching, Social Science perspective on church, and Field Education. Which means, it will be two more years before I graduate. There are many reasons why I decided to switch program.

One of them is because of an urgent need for the laity to be exposed to essential theological issue. Theology must speak to the laity as well as to the theological students. I hope that I could train the laity in theology one day. I also realize that theology has a life of its own. In undertaking this subject, I enter into dialogues rooted in history, philosophy, and the Bible. Theological studies have challenged me time and again to conform to new insights, or have given me new sets of lenses to look at humanity, and the world at large.

The other reason is more pragmatic. I am currently supporting myself financially in this theological education. However, there are more financial supports from my school for MDiv students. And if I could be confirmed as an ordination candidate by the local Presbyterian church (which is next March), they will also provide some subsidies for my tuition fee.


2) Ever since Feb'08, my wife has been working as temp staff in a financial company, and later in my university. The working culture here is different from what she was exposed to back in S'pore, and it is a different form of cultural exposure for her. We thank God for this experience, and for supplying our material needs.


3) From my study on Augustine's Confessions, I understand how he reconciled Neo-Platonic thoughts in his Christian framework. For Augustine, the Absolute Good is also the personal God (watch out for this same identification in C.S. Lewis' writings). There was a shift in the mediaveal period, especially the re-discovery of Aristotle, as represented in Thomas Aquinas. The Enlightenment climax with Immanuel Kant, who shattered the congenial marriage of theology and philosophy. Schleiermacher, the father of modern theology, responded by shifting the emphasis to "religious experience."

I thank God for the wonderful experience of being able to trace the development of theology from philosophical perspective. This solved my question: "What exactly happened to theology from Augustine to the eve of Reformation, and immediately after Reformation to now?" I had been deeply troubled by this qus as the theologians I was exposed to in S'pore were only Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Wesley.

This background also helps me to appreciate my Sociology of Religion class better.


4) I have also learned more about my own identity here. I am very appreciative of Singapore's education system as it prepared me well to use English as the medium for communication. I have been editing papers for a number of Koreans and a Japanese. Though I am not perfect in my English, I think I am able to express myself adequately to be understood well in writing, in discussion, and in normal conversation. This is a cause of envy among the other international students from Asia, but I salute them for their perseverance.

I also have the opportunity to work together in a team with Koreans and Japanese. I realized that S'pore working culture is closer to Japan's than to Korea's.

I had always assumed that my 1st language should be my native language (which is the assumption of most Americans). I was mistaken. To be more precise, my 1st language is English, but my native language is Mandarin. As I have been educated in English, English is my 1st language; but my mother tongue, Mandarin is the language I have been using since birth. I am not a Chinese, but a Singaporean Chinese. The way I think and speak are rooted in the culture that I grew up in, and it is different from the native Chinese (either from China or Taiwan). Now, the word "Singaporean" holds much more meaning for me.


5) As I got to know more Africans (particularly from Congo, Zimbabwe, Niagara) in my school, I discovered that the modern history of Africans (the same as for many other countries) was shaped by the Western powers. The boundaries of many African countries have been drawn on the table of Western countries after the 1st and 2nd World Wars. Many tragedies or ethic conflicts in Africa today are the result of misplacement of tribes by the Western nations. There are so many sad stories about how their current politics are being manipulated by foreign powers. The Africans need more prayer support. At the same time, I believe the Africans are the most effective agents to talk about reconciliation and peace in the world, as they have to go through much turmoil in order to achieve peace and stability.


6) Lastly, I have been actively involved in Bible study for graduate international students, under the Graduate Christian Fellowship (GCF is part of Inter-Varsity ministry). Most of the participants are from China or Taiwan. My bilingual ability has been an asset to the group as I could translate some of the unfamiliar terms to Chinese.

I will continue to play an active role in this Bible study with a very dedicated full-time staff worker (by the name of Tim Leary) from Inter-Varsity. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to serve together with him. I pray that eventually, some of our friends will accept Christ, even though they may face intense pressure back home. I pray for God to guide us to understand what it means to be a Christian in a Communist country or Chinese culture, and to have the courage to live out our callings.


May21, 2008

Below is a picture of 1Cor 13:13, taken at my school.

Experience of a “miracle” in my final papers

I experienced a "miracle" in my Spr'08 semester, and I have decided to pen it down just in case I forget about it in future.

I had to submit a Sociology of Religion final paper, and Theology final paper two weeks ago. The original submission date for sociology paper was three days before theology paper. But our professor rescheduled the date such that it was three days after theology paper.

As I was writing on Schleiermacher, who responded to Immanuel Kant, for my theology paper, I had to read in-depth about his "feeling or intuition of the infinite." It was after writing on Schleiermacher that I could appreciate Peter Berger in my sociology paper. Berger suggests that the nature of religion is a "human projection, grounded in specific infrastructures of human history,"[1] and therefore sociology is a study of this projected reality.

At first, I had no idea of where Berger was coming from. It was so hard to swallow his proposed definition. But after writing my theology paper, I re-read Berger's idea, and bingo! I could see the light of his interpretation. I realized that Berger's idea is post-Kantian, and a dim reflection of Schleiermacher's response.

Berger is right! As the existence of God cannot be proved or disproved, God is a necessary postulate for morality for Kant. But Schleiermacher rejects this postulate of God for morality. Instead, he claims that all of us have this experience of the infinite. This momentary intuition or feeling (German: Gefühl) , not to be confused with sensation, is the basis on which we can speak of the essence of religion. Based on this experience, we construct a religion that correlates with how we perceive and interpret this infinite. As such, religion is indeed a human construct. Now, I know where Berger is coming from.

If my sociology prof did not reschedule our submission date, I think I will never get to appreciate Peter Berger when writing my sociology paper. I thank God for this "miracle."

May20,2008

[1] Peter L. Berger, The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of a Religion (New York: Anchor Books, 1990/1967), 180.

Three kinds of death and implications

The following paragraph is a reflection on what went through my mind recently, on the different kinds of death and implications after being exposed to sociology of religion, Augustine's Confessions and Immanuel Kant.

There are three kinds of death that I am aware of so far.
1) Physical death- the heart stops beating and the brain stops functioning and is certified by medical practitioner. This death is usually honored by a social ritual known as funeral to signify the transition of the immediate family members and friends.

2) Spiritual death- known only to the Christians. It is also understood as a separation from God. Some believed that this death is permanent if it is not rectified in this life (I am stating an observation).

3) Social death (this is my theory)- the fading memory of a human being from the society or social circle. This can happen in one's lifetime and can take place frequently. When one ceases to be part of the former social circle, the memory of the person slowly fades away unless he/she returns to renew the ties and memories. This is why one should meet up or keep in touch regularly with the former social circle if one wants to preserve his memory in that circle regularly.

3.1 There are cases when one could be physically dead, but because of his contributions to the society, like Confucius, his memory is kept alive. So, in a sense, he is still alive, but in our memory.

3.2 There are cases when one could be physically alive, but his presence is consciously being erased away from the memory of the society or social circle, such as a social outcast or exiled prisoners. That's why it is very painful to live as an outcast, because one is treated as non-existent.

3.3 There are cases in history the transcendent God is dead- when the memory of the transcendent God is consciously/unconsciously being eroded away in the society. That's why Nietzsche who noticed that unconscious erosion could exclaim that "God is dead!" The moment one stopped worshiping the deity, the memory of that deity will slowly fade away. That's why in the 1st commandment of the Protestants' Ten Commandment (which is slightly different from the Jewish Ten Commandment), God said:"Thou shall have not other god." We are commanded to erase the presence of other possible deities from our memory. In the era of the Enlightenment, the commandment issued from the realm of science and culture took the form of "Thou shall have no transcendent God."

So, am I dead? Not physically, not spiritually, but I can feel my memory slowly fading away from my former social circles (which is normal as one transits to another social circle). But there's one thing which I must keep alive: the memory of the transcendental God. And this means staying in a social group that honors His existence and continues to re-live and enact His presence in our daily lives. That's why one needs a fellowship and a congregation to sustain and to broaden the scope of one's identity in this world (this implies that one must be part of a congregation and be in regular fellowship).

That's all. I will reflect more from sociological perspective after all my papers and German translation exam.
Apr23, 2008