The following was originally a reflection given at Boon Church's Praise Night on 6/19/09
Hey everybody, so I want to talk to all of you about the God I believe in and focus on his strength. What’s so amazing about strength? To be impressed with strength is to witness someone accomplish something that you cannot do. Well, what did God do?
Here’s just a sampling, in Genesis God said “Let there be light”. When we think of light in the universe we think of stars. Let’s look out our modest star. In the day it’s a tiny dot, it is doesn’t look very threatening and just provides us with light and we like being 93 million miles away from it. But here are some scientific stats about our sun: it has a surface temperature of 5500 degrees Celsius, it’s heat and light are generated through massive fusion reactions from its core and it has the mass of 332,946 earths. Up close the sun is a ferocious beast! And there are even bigger ones in other parts of the universe. God created that. Can you make a sun? Thought so.
If that doesn’t impress you then God made Chuck Norris! My point is God is limitless and the universe and what we think we see is small in comparison.
What impresses me most about God’s strength is his spiritual and emotional strength, his ability to conquer death and love a creation that does not love him back. It says in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
For those of you who are here and curious about Jesus and Christianity, here’s the gospel message in a nutshell. We failed. We deserve death. Someone else took what we had coming to us. For every single sin the penalty is death. That penalty doesn’t change. It’s pass//fail. That’s God judgment and justice. Jesus Christ, God in the form of a sinless man, took that punishment for the whole world, every single person past, present, and future, over two thousand years ago. Since most of us are Asian here, let me play on a stereotype and introduce some math. Yes…math. Sinning once already equals death multiply that by the amount of people who have lived through all time and who have yet to live and then multiply that again by the amount of sin a person commits in his lifetime. How much punishment did our God endure? How many deaths? That’s waaaaay…over 9000! Or 9000 thousand-thousand!
Then to rise again and call to a world that does not even love Him back, a world that uses his name as a form of swear. The pain Jesus goes through to say “I love you” while knowing he may not hear it back. What kind of strength does it take to mean, and to say it to so many people?
This is the God worthy and deserving of our worship. Psalm 28:7 says “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” I’m telling you! Jesus Christ isn’t a chump and He can be your strength because through Him we find eternal life, we find everlasting love, and we see the limitless potential of the one true almighty God. We worship a God of strength!
-Tony Wong
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints
It's a real long time, friends. For that I (Dan Shih) apologize. I dropped the ball shortly after finals began for me. But it is good to be back, and I hope that people will continue to read and contribute to this blog and the dialogue may be carried along to our face-to-face meetings as well!
Here's something to ponder about. This is a quote found by Jon Lee, concerning the church:
"Christian theology also speaks of the seriously flawed character of real Christians. A central message of the Bible is that we can only have a relationship with God by sheer grace. Our mortal efforts are too feeble and falsely motivated to ever merit salvation. Jesus, through his death and resurrection, has provided salvation for us, which we receive as a gift. All churches believe this in one form or another. Growth in character and changes in behavior occur in a gradual process after a person becomes a Christian. The mistaken belief that a person must “clean up” his or her own life in order to merit God’s presence is not Christianity. This means, though, that the church will be filled with immature and broken people who still have a long way to go emotionally, morally, spiritually. As the saying has it: “The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”
- Tim Keller, Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, copyright 2008, page 54
"The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints."
Sometimes it is so easy to forget that. I know it's been really difficult for me to bear that in mind in the last few days. Sometimes I take the failures of other Christians so personally even though it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the honor of the God that I serve. For that, I apologize. But perhaps we can all think about this and ask ourselves this question, "Do I treat my fellow church members as sinners who stand before God by grace, or do I expect them to be the Christ?" And for that matter, "What of my own failures; am I all that godly myself, or have I just forgotten to look at the plank within my eye?"
To be honest, I think for a lot of us, our view of the church can be at once too self-centered and not self-centered enough. We are self-centered when it comes to how the church ought to be serving us. We give criticism so generously. "This group of people never takes their faith seriously." "The pastor's sermon is not relevant to my life." "How come this group of people wasn't invited to that event held by church people". Yet we are not self-centered enough when the question comes up of how to change and improve the church of Christ. Do we ask this often enough of ourselves, "How can I be more servant-minded?" "Who can I reach out to; who do I know really need to be shown the love of Christ?" "I wonder if that guys needs help with all those dishes or if maybe there's something else in the kitchen that needs to be done."
Let me close with this quote before I turn it over to your comments:
"The Church is a society of sinners - the only society in the
world in which membership is based upon the single qualification
that the candidate shall be unworthy of membership."
- Charles C. Morrison
Sola Deo Gloria,
Dan Shih
Here's something to ponder about. This is a quote found by Jon Lee, concerning the church:
"Christian theology also speaks of the seriously flawed character of real Christians. A central message of the Bible is that we can only have a relationship with God by sheer grace. Our mortal efforts are too feeble and falsely motivated to ever merit salvation. Jesus, through his death and resurrection, has provided salvation for us, which we receive as a gift. All churches believe this in one form or another. Growth in character and changes in behavior occur in a gradual process after a person becomes a Christian. The mistaken belief that a person must “clean up” his or her own life in order to merit God’s presence is not Christianity. This means, though, that the church will be filled with immature and broken people who still have a long way to go emotionally, morally, spiritually. As the saying has it: “The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”
- Tim Keller, Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, copyright 2008, page 54
"The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints."
Sometimes it is so easy to forget that. I know it's been really difficult for me to bear that in mind in the last few days. Sometimes I take the failures of other Christians so personally even though it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the honor of the God that I serve. For that, I apologize. But perhaps we can all think about this and ask ourselves this question, "Do I treat my fellow church members as sinners who stand before God by grace, or do I expect them to be the Christ?" And for that matter, "What of my own failures; am I all that godly myself, or have I just forgotten to look at the plank within my eye?"
To be honest, I think for a lot of us, our view of the church can be at once too self-centered and not self-centered enough. We are self-centered when it comes to how the church ought to be serving us. We give criticism so generously. "This group of people never takes their faith seriously." "The pastor's sermon is not relevant to my life." "How come this group of people wasn't invited to that event held by church people". Yet we are not self-centered enough when the question comes up of how to change and improve the church of Christ. Do we ask this often enough of ourselves, "How can I be more servant-minded?" "Who can I reach out to; who do I know really need to be shown the love of Christ?" "I wonder if that guys needs help with all those dishes or if maybe there's something else in the kitchen that needs to be done."
Let me close with this quote before I turn it over to your comments:
"The Church is a society of sinners - the only society in the
world in which membership is based upon the single qualification
that the candidate shall be unworthy of membership."
- Charles C. Morrison
Sola Deo Gloria,
Dan Shih
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Game Over
“Heartbreaker, you got the best of me
But I just keep on coming back incessantly
Oh why, did you have to run your game on me
I should have known right from the start
You'd go and break my heart” – Mariah Carey, Heartbreaker.
A few weeks ago, a classmate sent me the YouTube video for Heartbreaker, alleging that, in most of his relationships with women, he either found himself running game on a girl or getting game run on him.* We then discussed his rationale for such limited variations in such relationships. To no surprise, he said, “you never know if you’re…sure. Like make sure she’s into you, you gotta do stuff to control, and you wanna know what else is out there, you know, you wanna keep your options open, but you kinda wanna keep the door closed.” Hmm, pretty standard answer for such an inquiry. But, why does this pattern persist? How do you gauge if things are real or if it’s just the game?
So I bring this up not to put my buddy on blast, but this benign conversation started to replay itself in my mind (I also watched the video a few times, and am watching it now). I mean, we’ve all experienced this, not just in romantic relationships, but with relationships in general. Got played? Well, yeah, maybe. Unsure of what’s going on with your BFF? Suspect her gossiping about you? Are you gossiping about her? How often do we wonder if there’s something else out there, if we’re sure that we’re being loved, or if we’re in control? How often are we the heartbreaker?
For me, Mariah’s been singing about my relationship with Jesus better than Hillsongs. I’m afraid He’s been running game on me, but I’ve been running game on Him. When I started school in the fall and felt like I was falling on the same bruise over and over again, I was certain that Jesus put me here just to stay thirsty and suffer through this decision. And yet, I ran game on Him, certain that I was going to fail, unable to accept the uncertainty of faith that He put me here not to . Like my classmate, I didn’t see any signs of assurance, I wanted to see other options, and I wanted to take control of the chaotic situation rather than see it as calmness in the storm. I failed because I let the vicious cycle of piss poor relationships without Jesus impact my relationship with Jesus. I wasn’t willing to truly accept His assurance to affirm me, or lose control…
This weekend, we celebrated what He did that no one can do. It has nothing to do with playing any games, or any heartbreaking, but filling our broken hearts that have been emptied from running the game.
"I find no basis for a charge against this man…He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." – Luke 23:4, 35
“We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." – Luke 23:41-43.
*(Unfortunately or fortunately, none of them ended in a chick fight or cold soda poured on his crotch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKQOTnWb9GU).
[Note (to my dear philosophers out there): this analogy is not meant to offend and not meant to be taken to its absolute “logical conclusion”.]
-E.M.
But I just keep on coming back incessantly
Oh why, did you have to run your game on me
I should have known right from the start
You'd go and break my heart” – Mariah Carey, Heartbreaker.
A few weeks ago, a classmate sent me the YouTube video for Heartbreaker, alleging that, in most of his relationships with women, he either found himself running game on a girl or getting game run on him.* We then discussed his rationale for such limited variations in such relationships. To no surprise, he said, “you never know if you’re…sure. Like make sure she’s into you, you gotta do stuff to control, and you wanna know what else is out there, you know, you wanna keep your options open, but you kinda wanna keep the door closed.” Hmm, pretty standard answer for such an inquiry. But, why does this pattern persist? How do you gauge if things are real or if it’s just the game?
So I bring this up not to put my buddy on blast, but this benign conversation started to replay itself in my mind (I also watched the video a few times, and am watching it now). I mean, we’ve all experienced this, not just in romantic relationships, but with relationships in general. Got played? Well, yeah, maybe. Unsure of what’s going on with your BFF? Suspect her gossiping about you? Are you gossiping about her? How often do we wonder if there’s something else out there, if we’re sure that we’re being loved, or if we’re in control? How often are we the heartbreaker?
For me, Mariah’s been singing about my relationship with Jesus better than Hillsongs. I’m afraid He’s been running game on me, but I’ve been running game on Him. When I started school in the fall and felt like I was falling on the same bruise over and over again, I was certain that Jesus put me here just to stay thirsty and suffer through this decision. And yet, I ran game on Him, certain that I was going to fail, unable to accept the uncertainty of faith that He put me here not to . Like my classmate, I didn’t see any signs of assurance, I wanted to see other options, and I wanted to take control of the chaotic situation rather than see it as calmness in the storm. I failed because I let the vicious cycle of piss poor relationships without Jesus impact my relationship with Jesus. I wasn’t willing to truly accept His assurance to affirm me, or lose control…
This weekend, we celebrated what He did that no one can do. It has nothing to do with playing any games, or any heartbreaking, but filling our broken hearts that have been emptied from running the game.
"I find no basis for a charge against this man…He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." – Luke 23:4, 35
“We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." – Luke 23:41-43.
*(Unfortunately or fortunately, none of them ended in a chick fight or cold soda poured on his crotch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKQOTnWb9GU).
[Note (to my dear philosophers out there): this analogy is not meant to offend and not meant to be taken to its absolute “logical conclusion”.]
-E.M.
Lessons From The Book Of Daniel
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!" Philippians 3:12 - 4:1
Dears brothers and sisters of Boon Church - in the midst of the last final weeks that I have left to wrap up the spring semester of 2009: I urge you all to press on and finish strong. This may be hard to relate to if you are no longer in school - but the sentiment remains the same: just as Paul urged those in Philippians about his faith in order to press on towards the goal that Christ has called him heavenward, I insist the same to you.
In the things that I have learned this past semester - innumerable and nothing but one of God's many blessings - I would like to share a couple of things I have shared from my bible study on the book of Daniel. Unpacking this book of the Old Testament has filled me with a wealth of things I had never seen before. But one lasting thing I have learned about this book is the sovereignty of God in our lives.
The book of Daniel is something I remember back to my Sunday school days, yet the only thing I could ever remember were all the funny names: like king Nebuchadnezzar, or Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego. But thankfully through the study of this book from the fall semester until now, it has been nothing but a blessing to pick apart this book chapter by chapter to pick apart all the things God brought Daniel through.
This is a book of a fiery furnace, lions, dreams, and double prophecies. The challenges that Daniel endured only built up a credit to his faith - they helped prove that he was trustworthy and steadfast enough to be blessed strange dreams. Of these dreams - Daniel was graced the the knowledge to interpret them. Something that did not always come with great ease.
Daniel 7:15-16 and 28 demonstrate Daniels' distress in trying to interpret these dreams.
Daniel 7:15-16 "I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this."
Daniel 7:28 "This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself."
After various dreams and visions, Daniel is given the interpretive power to distinguish what all of it means - and after picking apart this book chapter by chapter - it was surely no easy feat. It even distressed Daniel - and sometimes, even he did not know what it meant. The humility of Daniel floored me:
Daniel 7:28 - "I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days. Then I got up and went about the king's business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding."
In the book of Daniel, I learned about double prophecies: (forgive me if I give a wrong interpretation) one that has already happened, and one that has yet to happen. It's strange that after reading through Daniel, all I could help but think and point out was how similar it felt to the end times of Revelation. Surprisingly, I wasn't too far off in my assumption - since the book of Daniel of course foreshadows what will occur in the end times.
A couple of things that I've learned through Daniel: I have learned not to dwell on the the unknown. Wait with something to hope for because God is a master of details; God keeps his promises. When we pray: God hears immediately, and even demonic forces can delay answers from God (Daniel 10)
All of which in the course of this study of Daniel has been nothing but amazing to learn just how God works and has a perfect plan. I hope in sharing what I've learned from Daniel will also serve as the same encouragement that I have received from this book. It has given me the focus that I lack because through Daniel's visions and dreams, he was granted with a small glimpse into a window of events that even he did not live to see. A testament to his faithfulness - and to mine as well, I hope that the things I've learned in Daniel and can share with you will also encourage you as well.
-Stephanie Yee
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!" Philippians 3:12 - 4:1
Dears brothers and sisters of Boon Church - in the midst of the last final weeks that I have left to wrap up the spring semester of 2009: I urge you all to press on and finish strong. This may be hard to relate to if you are no longer in school - but the sentiment remains the same: just as Paul urged those in Philippians about his faith in order to press on towards the goal that Christ has called him heavenward, I insist the same to you.
In the things that I have learned this past semester - innumerable and nothing but one of God's many blessings - I would like to share a couple of things I have shared from my bible study on the book of Daniel. Unpacking this book of the Old Testament has filled me with a wealth of things I had never seen before. But one lasting thing I have learned about this book is the sovereignty of God in our lives.
The book of Daniel is something I remember back to my Sunday school days, yet the only thing I could ever remember were all the funny names: like king Nebuchadnezzar, or Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego. But thankfully through the study of this book from the fall semester until now, it has been nothing but a blessing to pick apart this book chapter by chapter to pick apart all the things God brought Daniel through.
This is a book of a fiery furnace, lions, dreams, and double prophecies. The challenges that Daniel endured only built up a credit to his faith - they helped prove that he was trustworthy and steadfast enough to be blessed strange dreams. Of these dreams - Daniel was graced the the knowledge to interpret them. Something that did not always come with great ease.
Daniel 7:15-16 and 28 demonstrate Daniels' distress in trying to interpret these dreams.
Daniel 7:15-16 "I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this."
Daniel 7:28 "This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself."
After various dreams and visions, Daniel is given the interpretive power to distinguish what all of it means - and after picking apart this book chapter by chapter - it was surely no easy feat. It even distressed Daniel - and sometimes, even he did not know what it meant. The humility of Daniel floored me:
Daniel 7:28 - "I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days. Then I got up and went about the king's business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding."
In the book of Daniel, I learned about double prophecies: (forgive me if I give a wrong interpretation) one that has already happened, and one that has yet to happen. It's strange that after reading through Daniel, all I could help but think and point out was how similar it felt to the end times of Revelation. Surprisingly, I wasn't too far off in my assumption - since the book of Daniel of course foreshadows what will occur in the end times.
A couple of things that I've learned through Daniel: I have learned not to dwell on the the unknown. Wait with something to hope for because God is a master of details; God keeps his promises. When we pray: God hears immediately, and even demonic forces can delay answers from God (Daniel 10)
All of which in the course of this study of Daniel has been nothing but amazing to learn just how God works and has a perfect plan. I hope in sharing what I've learned from Daniel will also serve as the same encouragement that I have received from this book. It has given me the focus that I lack because through Daniel's visions and dreams, he was granted with a small glimpse into a window of events that even he did not live to see. A testament to his faithfulness - and to mine as well, I hope that the things I've learned in Daniel and can share with you will also encourage you as well.
-Stephanie Yee
Saturday, April 11, 2009
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.”
Romans 6:1-7
When we accept Christ, we are not supposed to live in sin or partake in our old ways. For example, when a man decides to marry a particular woman, he is no longer in a relationship with any previous women because of this commitment. Similarly, when we accept Christ as our Lord, we are no longer in a relationship with Adam, who represents the sinful man. Of course, practically all of us still sin after we accept Christ, but the difference is that we don’t live in sin as we did before. Like a man who may still have some feelings for an ex, he does not dwell in these feelings because he is committed with someone else. The old relationship is over even though some memories, some feelings linger momentarily.
During spring/summer in upstate New York, dandelions proliferate and cover much of the green grass. It is possible to remove the weeds temporarily by pulling them out one by one. However, that task is tedious, and to remove an invasive species, you must remove the weed without leaving any of its roots behind, or else it would regrow. The problem with dandelions is how quickly they spread their seeds. In the process of pulling these weeds off, you’re more likely to spread their seeds than to extinguish the specie. The trick to getting rid of dandelions is not to pull them out, but to grow good grass. By growing rich, healthy grass, dandelion roots do not flourish so well and die. Sin is very similar to invasive species. A single dandelion may seem harmless, even pretty when its petals are still yellow, but when it matures into a ball of fluffy seeds, which can spread fast, it can be dangerous. Left alone, it can turn a beautiful lawn ugly very quickly. The best way to address the ugliness of sin is to grow good grass, or bear good fruit in its place so weed does not have a chance to grow. You can’t take off our selves, without having our new selves ready.
-Chui Wong
Romans 6:1-7
When we accept Christ, we are not supposed to live in sin or partake in our old ways. For example, when a man decides to marry a particular woman, he is no longer in a relationship with any previous women because of this commitment. Similarly, when we accept Christ as our Lord, we are no longer in a relationship with Adam, who represents the sinful man. Of course, practically all of us still sin after we accept Christ, but the difference is that we don’t live in sin as we did before. Like a man who may still have some feelings for an ex, he does not dwell in these feelings because he is committed with someone else. The old relationship is over even though some memories, some feelings linger momentarily.
During spring/summer in upstate New York, dandelions proliferate and cover much of the green grass. It is possible to remove the weeds temporarily by pulling them out one by one. However, that task is tedious, and to remove an invasive species, you must remove the weed without leaving any of its roots behind, or else it would regrow. The problem with dandelions is how quickly they spread their seeds. In the process of pulling these weeds off, you’re more likely to spread their seeds than to extinguish the specie. The trick to getting rid of dandelions is not to pull them out, but to grow good grass. By growing rich, healthy grass, dandelion roots do not flourish so well and die. Sin is very similar to invasive species. A single dandelion may seem harmless, even pretty when its petals are still yellow, but when it matures into a ball of fluffy seeds, which can spread fast, it can be dangerous. Left alone, it can turn a beautiful lawn ugly very quickly. The best way to address the ugliness of sin is to grow good grass, or bear good fruit in its place so weed does not have a chance to grow. You can’t take off our selves, without having our new selves ready.
-Chui Wong
Braveheart, Heroes, and the Bible
______So it was Tartan day this past Monday. Tartan day is a North American celebration of people of Scottish descent. It’s like the Scottish version of St. Patrick’s Day. My apartment-mates and I celebrated by donning kilts (okay fine, only my roommate Ryan had a real kilt) and watching Braveheart.
______I have to make a confession that will cause many men to lose their respect for me. I don’t really like Braveheart. I might as well go ahead and admit that I also love drinking Apple-tinis and I don’t know how to change my own oil. I don’t know what it is; it just doesn’t really do it to me, although I can see why it’s considered one of the manliest movies ever made. Mel Gibson totally whips a bunch of English oppressors who killed his family and the woman that he loved, all in the name of freedom (hmm, sounds like another historical fiction movie starring Mel Gibson…).
______I still wonder though, what is it about the character of William Wallace that appeals so much to both men and women? Is it the fact that he’s totally awesome in battle? Is it his sheer rugged good looks and sapphire blue eyes? Maybe it’s because he fights with total resolve, never once doubting his purpose, even to the point of giving his life for his mission.
______I think the last one is the reason we look up to people like William Wallace. Heck, it's the reason why heroes are heroes. We all love and admire men and women who fight and overcome massive odds for the sake of some higher good, be it love or freedom or equality. Think about it; half the movie industry runs on the concept of an individual (oftentimes a common, ordinary person) who rises up in defense of what he or she believes in. Some of my favorite movies demonstrate this principle aptly: Hero, 300, The Patriot, Coach Carter, Batman Begins, and Moulin Rouge (they fight for love).
______There’s another element common among all heroes and that’s the idea of sacrifice. In Disney stories like Mulan and Hercules, the hero, despite immense sacrifice, survives. But in all the best stories, the hero ultimately pays the greatest price for his mission. Why do we gravitate towards these icons time and again?
______“All men die. Not all men really live”. Mel Gibson gives this epic line as he explains to his lover why he must die; why he must be tortured; why he cannot beg for mercy, not even for the sake of a quick death. He knew that for him to truly be a martyr, to die for a reason, he had to take the difficult road. If he quit now, his entire life would pass in vain.
______I sat pensively with my apartment-mates as William Wallace gathered his last breath. With the last bit of his life, he yelled “FREEDOM!” and the ax falls. What could be a greater act of heroism than this? This man had just given everything he had for something he believed in. Or maybe he gave it for people he loved; his fellow Scots. But he had a stake in it. He was a Scot and he was fighting for his friends.
______Then it hit me; there is a greater act of heroism than this. See, there was once a man who lived and died for his friends, but also his enemies. The people that he loved and gave himself for, they didn’t love him back; in fact they hated him. But in order to save them, he was executed in their stead; taking upon himself their crimes and their hatred. This man was Jesus.
______Jesus is the ultimate hero! He came down to live among a people who did not love him. He showed compassion to them and fed them and healed their sick and raised their dead. In the end, these people murdered him! But he conquers death and is raised to life. In his resurrection, he gives hope and salvation for the very people that hated him. Jesus is everything that we look for in a hero, to the infinite degree. Every other hero we know is only a type, an incomplete, imperfect shadow that points to the real thing.
______Why do we all gravitate towards heroic figures? Because there is something otherworldly about them, a hint of the eternal in what they do. Heroic men and women die, but their deeds go on for as close to forever as we can get.
“This is how God demonstrated his love for us: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5.8). Isn’t that amazing? The Gospel story is the ultimate hero story; it’s the ultimate manly movie! One man sacrifices his all for the sake of those he loved, though they didn’t even love him. This is the God we worship.
-Daniel Shih
______I have to make a confession that will cause many men to lose their respect for me. I don’t really like Braveheart. I might as well go ahead and admit that I also love drinking Apple-tinis and I don’t know how to change my own oil. I don’t know what it is; it just doesn’t really do it to me, although I can see why it’s considered one of the manliest movies ever made. Mel Gibson totally whips a bunch of English oppressors who killed his family and the woman that he loved, all in the name of freedom (hmm, sounds like another historical fiction movie starring Mel Gibson…).
______I still wonder though, what is it about the character of William Wallace that appeals so much to both men and women? Is it the fact that he’s totally awesome in battle? Is it his sheer rugged good looks and sapphire blue eyes? Maybe it’s because he fights with total resolve, never once doubting his purpose, even to the point of giving his life for his mission.
______I think the last one is the reason we look up to people like William Wallace. Heck, it's the reason why heroes are heroes. We all love and admire men and women who fight and overcome massive odds for the sake of some higher good, be it love or freedom or equality. Think about it; half the movie industry runs on the concept of an individual (oftentimes a common, ordinary person) who rises up in defense of what he or she believes in. Some of my favorite movies demonstrate this principle aptly: Hero, 300, The Patriot, Coach Carter, Batman Begins, and Moulin Rouge (they fight for love).
______There’s another element common among all heroes and that’s the idea of sacrifice. In Disney stories like Mulan and Hercules, the hero, despite immense sacrifice, survives. But in all the best stories, the hero ultimately pays the greatest price for his mission. Why do we gravitate towards these icons time and again?
______“All men die. Not all men really live”. Mel Gibson gives this epic line as he explains to his lover why he must die; why he must be tortured; why he cannot beg for mercy, not even for the sake of a quick death. He knew that for him to truly be a martyr, to die for a reason, he had to take the difficult road. If he quit now, his entire life would pass in vain.
______I sat pensively with my apartment-mates as William Wallace gathered his last breath. With the last bit of his life, he yelled “FREEDOM!” and the ax falls. What could be a greater act of heroism than this? This man had just given everything he had for something he believed in. Or maybe he gave it for people he loved; his fellow Scots. But he had a stake in it. He was a Scot and he was fighting for his friends.
______Then it hit me; there is a greater act of heroism than this. See, there was once a man who lived and died for his friends, but also his enemies. The people that he loved and gave himself for, they didn’t love him back; in fact they hated him. But in order to save them, he was executed in their stead; taking upon himself their crimes and their hatred. This man was Jesus.
______Jesus is the ultimate hero! He came down to live among a people who did not love him. He showed compassion to them and fed them and healed their sick and raised their dead. In the end, these people murdered him! But he conquers death and is raised to life. In his resurrection, he gives hope and salvation for the very people that hated him. Jesus is everything that we look for in a hero, to the infinite degree. Every other hero we know is only a type, an incomplete, imperfect shadow that points to the real thing.
______Why do we all gravitate towards heroic figures? Because there is something otherworldly about them, a hint of the eternal in what they do. Heroic men and women die, but their deeds go on for as close to forever as we can get.
“This is how God demonstrated his love for us: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5.8). Isn’t that amazing? The Gospel story is the ultimate hero story; it’s the ultimate manly movie! One man sacrifices his all for the sake of those he loved, though they didn’t even love him. This is the God we worship.
-Daniel Shih
Saturday, April 4, 2009
How To Deal With Hair And Homelessness
More often than not, I find it easier to notice the characteristics that make people different from me-- whether it'd be in appearance or mannerisms. The act in itself isn't wrong, I don't think; It reminds me of God's creative hand. The line between being conscious and being judgmental is so thin though, because my thoughts soon go from "oh, look at her hair" to.. "OH.. LOOK at HER HAIR!!?!?!" (This makes a lot more sense if you read it out loud.) How often than not do we become judgmental of others just because they are different from us?
Cognitive psychology gives us reasons (excuses) for the way we react when something/someone we see/hear/experience is totally different from our schemas. But as a Christian, I should know better. As someone who claims to know a God who died on the Cross for all-- not just for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles, not only for the Wise but also the Unwise; As someone who claims to have joy overflowing, I should know better... But most days, I really don't. Most days, it's easier for me to (not) see the homeless man on the F train and ride him off as nonexistent, annoying, a druggie, or just mainly worthless. Other days, I'd rather pretend to be better than I actually am, pretending there isn't some part of me inside that is judging you. But I am... and I hate it. Or I don't even realize I'm doing it. Or I do realize I am and I love judging you (thanks to pride just being myself). Anyone feel me on this?
Thank God for God because last Friday we did a Bible study during fellowship... and there it was in Romans 14 (read it!). The passage is referring more to the 'disputable matters' that cause dissension and people to judge each other, but I think it could be applied to my issue here.
"For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' "[a] 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." --Romans 14:9-13
And so I ask myself (and whoever is reading this entry)... What happens when the person you can't stand sits next to you during service? What happens when a "mentally unstable" man sits next to you on the subway? How will I respond... how will you respond? What will our response be as a community who claims to know the living God ? The answer is obvious but, as always, it's easier said than done.
-Kat Cheng
Cognitive psychology gives us reasons (excuses) for the way we react when something/someone we see/hear/experience is totally different from our schemas. But as a Christian, I should know better. As someone who claims to know a God who died on the Cross for all-- not just for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles, not only for the Wise but also the Unwise; As someone who claims to have joy overflowing, I should know better... But most days, I really don't. Most days, it's easier for me to (not) see the homeless man on the F train and ride him off as nonexistent, annoying, a druggie, or just mainly worthless. Other days, I'd rather pretend to be better than I actually am, pretending there isn't some part of me inside that is judging you. But I am... and I hate it. Or I don't even realize I'm doing it. Or I do realize I am and I love judging you (thanks to pride just being myself). Anyone feel me on this?
Thank God for God because last Friday we did a Bible study during fellowship... and there it was in Romans 14 (read it!). The passage is referring more to the 'disputable matters' that cause dissension and people to judge each other, but I think it could be applied to my issue here.
"For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' "[a] 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." --Romans 14:9-13
And so I ask myself (and whoever is reading this entry)... What happens when the person you can't stand sits next to you during service? What happens when a "mentally unstable" man sits next to you on the subway? How will I respond... how will you respond? What will our response be as a community who claims to know the living God ? The answer is obvious but, as always, it's easier said than done.
-Kat Cheng
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