Every year, around this time, I often reflect on the past year and what I have accomplished (or not accomplished). I try not to think about "getting older".
My thoughts brought me to a friend who recently past away. I went to a memorial service for her not too long ago. She was about 65. I made my travels to Kings Mountain to this memorial service on a gray afternoon. Now, if you have been to Kings Mountain, you would know that there is not much going on. It's a pretty sleepy town; a good town to retire in. The only thing that really happens is high school football and sports. And maybe the Christmas parade.
The service was held in a United Methodist Church in downtown Kings Mountain. If you have been to a traditional Methodist church, it can be quite... well... boring. The service started with some usual hymns and prayer. Then the reverend started his message.
You can tell that this reverend really knows my friend. She was pretty involved with the church, so I'm not surprised at how much he talked about her. In the wake of her death, many friends and former students called into the church to expressed their condolences and well wishes for the family.
One interesting story perked my attention. It is regarding a AME pastor who was a former Spanish student of my friend. (My friend was a retired high school Spanish teacher.) This pastor used to be a trouble maker in high school and was in the wrong crowd. But my friend challenged him (not sure how) in that if he past high school, she would give him a little book about John Wesley. It is probably the same little book she gave me when I went through high school. I thought that was a strange little gift to give a troublemaker.
Well, this pastor did read the book and was very moved by John Wesley's work and practice, that he went on to become a pastor of an AME church in California. When he called to talk to the reverend, he had already cried for days mourning the lost of a friend who God have used to changed his life.
It reminded me of my own journey. This friend invited me to this same Methodist church many years ago. Through high school ministry, I got my first taste of Christianity which later gave me the foundation on me accepting Christ.
It also reminded me that every little action we take as Christ followers can greatly affect a friend, a colleague, a teen, a child. You never know where God can take a person and what God can do in the hearts of people.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
What's in a Holiday?
When I was young, I celebrated most of the common holidays and festivities typical in America. Alongside, it was fun to learn about the different holidays and the meaning behind it. As I grew older and learn more about these histories, I always find something more fascinating or weird or peculiar about the holiday.
Take for instance Halloween.
Most children and even adults in the U.S. celebrate it without really thinking what is behind the holiday. Many who have gone through school here may later learn that Halloween may be seen as a Catholic holiday, a holiday to scare off evil spirits in preparation of November 1st, All Saints Day. But in essence, the holiday traces back to the pagan holiday of Samhain (an old Celtic/Irish festival) where the doors of the Otherworld is open for the spirits and the dead to come out. In reading up on some of it, it's a lot of reading and which I won't go into the details. My guess is that when the Catholic missionaries reached Ireland and converted the Celts to Christianity, in order to "win them over", Halloween was created so that they would be warding out the dead and not celebrating the dead. Many of my conservative Christian friends do not celebrate it because of the ties to the pagan holiday. Why in the world do some churches have Fall Festivals is beyond me? It kind of negates the negated.
My take now: You will find in the United States that capitalism reigns. So any holiday that comes up, American sales it at its best. In years past, I try not to partake in it. However, it doesn't stop me from carving out a pumpkin really for a creative outlet during the fall. Pumpkins are quite colorful when things are starting to die.
What about Christmas?
I know I'm going to make people mad by saying this. I think there are some viable hints in the Bible as to when Jesus was born, there is not really any concrete date when that happened. Many Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25th (only a handful of Orthodox Christians celebrate it on January 6), which started in the 4th century. But in doing some reading on this, another occurrence happened on December 25th: The Roman Southern Solstice (Winter Solstice). Where I think it's always great to celebrate Jesus's birthday, it was again another creation by early Christians to have the newly converted Romans/gentiles celebrate the True Light of the World instead of the Winter Solstice which is a celebration of more light coming and probably celebrating mythological gods behind Winter Solstice.
My take now: Again, U.S. is the capital of capitalism. Where it needs to be centered on Christ, most Americans are confused by it being a day of decorating their houses and trees and buying as many things to do so, and buying the many things to give to others. Are we buying simply to show off our wealth? Or are we truly buying to share with one other, with those in need, and volunteering time to help one another?
Christmas often time has brought me some sadness. I did not have a typical American upbringing and as my brother and I got older, Christmas started not to mean anything to us. Although I do decorate a tree and buy gifts for my cousin's kids, that's pretty much it. In reality, everyday of the year should be a celebration of Christ, not just Christmas.
And Easter...
Take for instance Halloween.
Most children and even adults in the U.S. celebrate it without really thinking what is behind the holiday. Many who have gone through school here may later learn that Halloween may be seen as a Catholic holiday, a holiday to scare off evil spirits in preparation of November 1st, All Saints Day. But in essence, the holiday traces back to the pagan holiday of Samhain (an old Celtic/Irish festival) where the doors of the Otherworld is open for the spirits and the dead to come out. In reading up on some of it, it's a lot of reading and which I won't go into the details. My guess is that when the Catholic missionaries reached Ireland and converted the Celts to Christianity, in order to "win them over", Halloween was created so that they would be warding out the dead and not celebrating the dead. Many of my conservative Christian friends do not celebrate it because of the ties to the pagan holiday. Why in the world do some churches have Fall Festivals is beyond me? It kind of negates the negated.
My take now: You will find in the United States that capitalism reigns. So any holiday that comes up, American sales it at its best. In years past, I try not to partake in it. However, it doesn't stop me from carving out a pumpkin really for a creative outlet during the fall. Pumpkins are quite colorful when things are starting to die.
What about Christmas?
I know I'm going to make people mad by saying this. I think there are some viable hints in the Bible as to when Jesus was born, there is not really any concrete date when that happened. Many Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25th (only a handful of Orthodox Christians celebrate it on January 6), which started in the 4th century. But in doing some reading on this, another occurrence happened on December 25th: The Roman Southern Solstice (Winter Solstice). Where I think it's always great to celebrate Jesus's birthday, it was again another creation by early Christians to have the newly converted Romans/gentiles celebrate the True Light of the World instead of the Winter Solstice which is a celebration of more light coming and probably celebrating mythological gods behind Winter Solstice.
My take now: Again, U.S. is the capital of capitalism. Where it needs to be centered on Christ, most Americans are confused by it being a day of decorating their houses and trees and buying as many things to do so, and buying the many things to give to others. Are we buying simply to show off our wealth? Or are we truly buying to share with one other, with those in need, and volunteering time to help one another?
Christmas often time has brought me some sadness. I did not have a typical American upbringing and as my brother and I got older, Christmas started not to mean anything to us. Although I do decorate a tree and buy gifts for my cousin's kids, that's pretty much it. In reality, everyday of the year should be a celebration of Christ, not just Christmas.
And Easter...
In the the research that I have found, the name "Easter" stems from an old Germanic word for the germanic goddess Eoster who is a goddess of fertility and the dawn. There are other theories of how Easter is Easter from the Latin but most resources I have found links the name back to the old Germanic word. How and why that happened is any ones guess.
In the springtime and before Christ, many pagans celebrate the beginning of spring by honoring the goddess of fertility and paint eggs (another sign of fertility) and somehow bunnies are in the mix (and we know what they do)... Even many used to celebrate the beginning of spring as also the beginning of the year.
However, what we know now as Easter (the celebration of Jesus's death and resurrection) is probably the one holiday that might make the most sense in the time of celebration. Most of us know, Jesus had the Passover meal before he was cruxified and raised again. Passover is legitimately held in March or April, on the 15th day of the month of Nisan in the Jewish calendar. In other languages, like French and Spanish, they instead use "Passover" (Pacshal and Paque) to denote the holdiay.
My take: Although not as much, America will always take a holiday to sell stuff. Because of the concrete evidence of timing, I truly think that this is the one holiday that Christian should and must celebrate. It is by far the most important holiday to celebrate as a Christian because this is not only the death but a ressurrection of The Christ and a ultimate celebration of the rebirth within us. Also, what I have noted above in timing with the Resurrection after Passover, it just makes sense.
However, I think the name should be changed so it does not reflect the german goddess of fertility.
In Summary
Some folks may argue all they want. But with more of a mindset that not everybody is from a Western culture, sometimes people may get confused with American traditions vs true Christian traditions.
Why do we argue about Halloween, for example. Even the mere arguing that Halloween is wrong is not going to make a Christian a better Christian. It might even make them look stupid because they are just asking for a fight. I take the stance of being a visible witness, be approachable, and have people ask why I may not partake in Halloween. (I do admit, I do carve pumpkins.) I truly gave up a long time ago. Really. Christ can speak so much better into the hearts of people than I can.
Christmas, I am on the other end of the argument. People come up and asked why do we celebrate Christ birth if there is so much commercialism? That, honey, I do not know. But what I can say is that we need to celebrate Christ everyday and the birth of ourselves into His Kingdom.
The real message is the message of Christ Resurrection. He dies for the SIN of the world (the noun Sin) and has won the battle for us. If we focus less and divert from arguing, and tell the story of His Resurrection, that may win more over than you can ever believe.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
I Know My Father
I recently started a job in Huntersville, NC. The company I work for is fairly close to where my dad works.
In a recent drop in for lunch, I was comfortable enough to walk into the kitchen, said, "Hi Dad." And placed my order.
But what if I didn't know my dad worked there? Would I have the same comfort in just walking into the kitchen and say, "I want to order the."
Two things strike me about this visit.
I know my father. I knew my father well enough to just walked up to him and said, "Hi." Of course, he was happy to see me. He never said, "Get out of the kitchen, I'm working!" He stopped whatever he was doing (peeling shrimp at the time) and started to talk to me. More like, "What do you want to eat?" (God provides food!) In any case, I knew my father and how he would respond to me if I walk in for lunch one day.
Go to where He works. Many times, we missed this mark about being Christ followers. We have our own ideas of where God is working and just want to go, go, go. But what if God is not exactly working the way you think He's working? No doubt, God is working everywhere, but where is your heart and how is your relationship with God? (Go back to previous paragraph.) How well do you know your Father? How much are you delighting in the Lord where He can gives you the desire of your heart that matches you? One person who works well in Asian may not be a good fit for another Believer. I knew where my dad is working and I was comfortable enough to walk into the kitchen.
In a recent drop in for lunch, I was comfortable enough to walk into the kitchen, said, "Hi Dad." And placed my order.
But what if I didn't know my dad worked there? Would I have the same comfort in just walking into the kitchen and say, "I want to order the
Two things strike me about this visit.
I know my father. I knew my father well enough to just walked up to him and said, "Hi." Of course, he was happy to see me. He never said, "Get out of the kitchen, I'm working!" He stopped whatever he was doing (peeling shrimp at the time) and started to talk to me. More like, "What do you want to eat?" (God provides food!) In any case, I knew my father and how he would respond to me if I walk in for lunch one day.
Go to where He works. Many times, we missed this mark about being Christ followers. We have our own ideas of where God is working and just want to go, go, go. But what if God is not exactly working the way you think He's working? No doubt, God is working everywhere, but where is your heart and how is your relationship with God? (Go back to previous paragraph.) How well do you know your Father? How much are you delighting in the Lord where He can gives you the desire of your heart that matches you? One person who works well in Asian may not be a good fit for another Believer. I knew where my dad is working and I was comfortable enough to walk into the kitchen.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Hoisting a Flag for Freedom - Galatians 5:1
Most of you know, I was born in Hong Kong when Hong Kong was still a part of Britain. I guess you can say that I was a British citizen for 3 months before coming to the United States.
Because I was born in Hong Kong, I do have a special tie to both Chinese culture as well as British culture.
There are a lot of things I like about the UK.
Just recently, I bought a Hong Kong British flag. It looks like this.
My dad asked, "Why did you buy the old flag? That is not Hong Kong's flag now!"
Okay, dad, I know, I know. This is not the current flag. Which looks like this...
But I explained, "Dad, when I was born, Hong Kong was an British Overseas Colony. I feel more of a connection to this flag than the current flag."
I explained further that to most Hong Kongers who remember British Hong Kong, this flag is a sign of democracy. Freedom.
My dad said, "Oh..." (Lately, I have been voicing my opinions more boldly, especially when it comes to international politics. I think he is taken aback by my passion for international news. Thanks, Dad, for teaching me to read the newspaper and made me more aware of international affairs.)
Freedom
In living in the United States for a majority of my life, I have seen freedom in many ways. Freedom, to me, is a privilege. Freedom was given to us, that we're not under a dictator or a government that is constricting our freedom. We should, in wisdom, use our freedom, but not abuse our freedom. Examples of freedom is that we can say something about our government. Or we can worship however we want. Or we can say anything in media or press.
Many people I see do stupid things everyday. I asked myself, "Why are they doing stupid things? Don't they know we have people out there who fought for our freedom?" Why do people paint graffiti (freedom of expression or tacky artwork)? Or why do people go rob banks? Why do people steal or kill?
So, although we have these freedoms, people still stupid things and abuse the freedom.
To take it to another level, Christ has given us a freedom beyond our imaginations. Freedom, to me in this content, is a gift. Just like anything with God, He didn't have to give us anything as we have fallen before. But Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
Those who call themselves Christians, why do some of us abuse this gift? Once you realized how much God loves you, and love us, and has sacrifice His son to give us this freedom from the slavery of sin, you soon realize how you should respond.
On my last trip to Hong Kong, I watched a program segment on the right for freedom of speech. It was a bit surreal for me when a local radio personality was arguing that the people of Hong Kong should follow Chinese rule in regulating radio speech (less opinions). Others said it is against the current rule of "One country, two systems" where although under the Chinese government as one, Hong Kong still keeps democracy for 50 years after 1997. (In other words, age out the generation who were under British rule...). I never been in a country that would argue about something this simple. To me, we normally have the freedom to argue whatever we want. Here, they are arguing the right to simply speak out.
Because I was born in Hong Kong, I do have a special tie to both Chinese culture as well as British culture.
There are a lot of things I like about the UK.
- I like the Beatles and most all British music.
- I like the movies and TV shows (James Bond, Mr. Bean, Doctor Who).
- I like the long history it has, like the Medieval times, wars, marriages to gain power, Stonehenge, the interesting lineage of royalty, and UK taking over so much land around the world.
- I enjoy British style tea.
- I like to watch soccer, although I am more of a fair-weather watcher. Yeah, all I know is Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and maybe a few others I have seen my overseas friend cheer for.
- I like a lot of books from the Victorian era.
Just recently, I bought a Hong Kong British flag. It looks like this.
 |
| Hong Kong British Flag (1959-1997) |
My dad asked, "Why did you buy the old flag? That is not Hong Kong's flag now!"
Okay, dad, I know, I know. This is not the current flag. Which looks like this...
 |
| Hong Kong Flag (1997-present) : Showcasing the Hong Kong Flower |
But I explained, "Dad, when I was born, Hong Kong was an British Overseas Colony. I feel more of a connection to this flag than the current flag."
I explained further that to most Hong Kongers who remember British Hong Kong, this flag is a sign of democracy. Freedom.
My dad said, "Oh..." (Lately, I have been voicing my opinions more boldly, especially when it comes to international politics. I think he is taken aback by my passion for international news. Thanks, Dad, for teaching me to read the newspaper and made me more aware of international affairs.)
Freedom
 |
| U.S. Flag |
Many people I see do stupid things everyday. I asked myself, "Why are they doing stupid things? Don't they know we have people out there who fought for our freedom?" Why do people paint graffiti (freedom of expression or tacky artwork)? Or why do people go rob banks? Why do people steal or kill?
So, although we have these freedoms, people still stupid things and abuse the freedom.
To take it to another level, Christ has given us a freedom beyond our imaginations. Freedom, to me in this content, is a gift. Just like anything with God, He didn't have to give us anything as we have fallen before. But Galatians 5:1 says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
Those who call themselves Christians, why do some of us abuse this gift? Once you realized how much God loves you, and love us, and has sacrifice His son to give us this freedom from the slavery of sin, you soon realize how you should respond.
On my last trip to Hong Kong, I watched a program segment on the right for freedom of speech. It was a bit surreal for me when a local radio personality was arguing that the people of Hong Kong should follow Chinese rule in regulating radio speech (less opinions). Others said it is against the current rule of "One country, two systems" where although under the Chinese government as one, Hong Kong still keeps democracy for 50 years after 1997. (In other words, age out the generation who were under British rule...). I never been in a country that would argue about something this simple. To me, we normally have the freedom to argue whatever we want. Here, they are arguing the right to simply speak out.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Connections: The Power of Vulnerability
Most of my life, I had the challenge of connecting with
people.
Maybe partly because I am Chinese American, who start school
not knowing a single word of English.
The initial steps of making friends were hard if you do not speak the
language.
Then there is the sciency mind that God has given me. Most people in engineering and the science
field are stereotypically socially awkward.
Or maybe because I’m Asian.
Most Asians do not always open up in acknowledging mistakes. Most Asians also do not try to challenge
authority.
But whatever it is, I realize we live in a society that is
influenced by success, wealth, and technology.
With 10% of the world population ever experiencing such wealth, we
indeed live in a high-speed society.
But there is still some common threads as humans that we connect with
each other in an authentic way beyond success, wealth, and technology…
The Power of Vulnerability
I visited my very good friend who
lives in Wilmington and she introduced me to a TED talk with Dr. Brené
Brown. Dr. Brown is a Licensed Master in Social Work (LMSW) and currently
a research professor at the University of Houston. (TED stands for
Technical, Entertainment, and Design. This organization invites people
from the science, entertainment and design field to talk about different
aspects of life and society.) In this particular video, The Power of
Vulnerability, she explored how and why people need connection and the
power of vulnerability through a 6 to 10 year research.
Why
is it important to be vulnerable to feel connected?
What I got out of the 20 minute
talk was this:
- Sense of shame is the fear of being disconnected.
- Sense of worthiness is the sense of being loved, belonging and believing that they are worthy.
- But how do people achieve this? What do these people have in common?
- They are wholehearted and they have the courage to tell their story with their whole heart. They are not afraid to be vulnerable.
- Vulnerability is a beautiful thing.
- We are born imperfect. We are hardwired to struggle.
Most people would think being
vulnerable is a weakness (in a later video,
Dr. Brown talks about shame, how people think vulnerability is a
weakness). But being open and honest with oneself can be freeing.
In my Asianess, I struggle with
being open and to challenge myself in many areas of life. I think in the
Asian culture, Asians tend to be respectful to the elders, to listen and learn
and to obey. But the fault in that may lie in me not being open and share
my thoughts. Most Asians do not always want to challenge authority
directly but in a round-about way. And most Asians may not want to
challenge themselves. Ultimately, am I honest with myself? Am I
ashamed of my mistakes? Fear of rejection? Is that shame I feel,
that I am not the "norm", keeping me away from being connected to
people and challenging myself?
That is when God came in...
'But
he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so
that Christ’s power may rest on me.'
~2
Corinthians 12:9~
The very fear of weakness keeps us from connecting with people. Even if we are in a position of authority and wealth in our community and jobs, each of us have that "weak spot". When we
accept Christ as our Savior, it comes with an understanding that God loves us
even when we're weak and vulnerable. It is He who makes us realize how fragile and vulnerable we really are? When we are imperfect, God is
strong. We were born to struggle and figure things out in life.
Real vulnerability is beautiful when we freely tell God what is in our hearts and our minds. Real vulnerability is being real to oneself and others, and allows us to empathize with one another. We were born to have relationships. We were born to have a relationship with God. We were born worthy to be loved and to love others.
In her study, Dr. Brown says those
who are vulnerable tell their story with a wholeheart: these people have a
willingness to love with no guarantees.
They have the courage to be imperfect and compassionate to themselves
and others. They hold back
nothing.
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