Friday, September 14, 2007
Pascal: Heart-shaped Vacuum
There is a heart-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus. - Blaise Pascal
MumVideo Take 1
Since being thrilled by my mother's telling of the stories about Ah Gong, I was inspired to arrange for a video recording of --- you guessed it --- more stories!
About a month ago I spent a morning walking around the neighbourhood I grew up in (Kim Tian Road, Singapore) with my mum, videoing her talking about where she had lived in the past 50 years, basically on both sides of the canal beside her present apartment block. It was fun and nostalgic, and simply amazing watching her recall minuscule details of who, what, where and when... even the why (or her version anyway!).
More to come...
About a month ago I spent a morning walking around the neighbourhood I grew up in (Kim Tian Road, Singapore) with my mum, videoing her talking about where she had lived in the past 50 years, basically on both sides of the canal beside her present apartment block. It was fun and nostalgic, and simply amazing watching her recall minuscule details of who, what, where and when... even the why (or her version anyway!).
More to come...
Friday, March 02, 2007
Ah Gong
I had supper with my mother tonight, after attending the annual memorial service for my wife Leng Leng's grandparents at their old family home in Katong. It must have been the remembrance of our dearly departed that started my mother talking about her dad.
Ah Gong (maternal grandfather) came from Guangdong, China, on his own to Singapore in the 1920s, and after some time sent for his family. The plan was to make enough money in Nanyang (the south seas) to return for a good life in China. All that went up in smoke with the outbreak of the Second World War, first in China then spreading to Singapore.
Life was hard. Ah Gong was well educated but only in the Chinese language which was hardly in demand in the British colony. Facing structural unemployment he found himself working as a coolie at the docks unloading cargo. Mum said he was tall and lean, although I always imagined him to rather short, like me. His manual labour continued for a company renting out tables and chairs. It was hard work with little pay and two meagre meals. When he lost his job he was too ashamed to tell his family until grandma found him wandering the streets when he should have been at work. He eventually found a job cooking for a pugilistic (kung-fu) school. I'm not sure if it was because of ill health, but he eventually settled for lighter work, helping people to write letters home to China.
I don't really know Ah Gong, but I know he tried his best. Life doesn't always work out the way we plan it, but there is always a way out if we don't give up. He passed away the year my mum was married in 1961 at the age of 71. I was born 3 years later.
This litany of Ah Gong's occupations was triggered by Mum explaining why she had to work to support the family since she was fifteen years old. When kids of that age today are complaining about school work, gossiping about boyfriends and comparing the latest in handphone ring-tones, my mother was sewing two dozen purses a day at a sweat shop for $2.50. Added to the $3 a day that my grandmother earned at the rubber factory, that became the daily livelihood for the family of five.
I'm beginning to catch a glimpse of how my mother developed her remarkable resilience. The need to survive, not only for herself but also for her family, built in her an inner strength and faith that would later see her through much tougher challenges in life.
I salute my ancestors who overcame unbelievable odds to survive and pass on their faith and values to the next generation. Maybe that's what it's all about. An inheritance is nice, but a legacy of character, faith and courage: priceless.
Ah Gong (maternal grandfather) came from Guangdong, China, on his own to Singapore in the 1920s, and after some time sent for his family. The plan was to make enough money in Nanyang (the south seas) to return for a good life in China. All that went up in smoke with the outbreak of the Second World War, first in China then spreading to Singapore.
Life was hard. Ah Gong was well educated but only in the Chinese language which was hardly in demand in the British colony. Facing structural unemployment he found himself working as a coolie at the docks unloading cargo. Mum said he was tall and lean, although I always imagined him to rather short, like me. His manual labour continued for a company renting out tables and chairs. It was hard work with little pay and two meagre meals. When he lost his job he was too ashamed to tell his family until grandma found him wandering the streets when he should have been at work. He eventually found a job cooking for a pugilistic (kung-fu) school. I'm not sure if it was because of ill health, but he eventually settled for lighter work, helping people to write letters home to China.
I don't really know Ah Gong, but I know he tried his best. Life doesn't always work out the way we plan it, but there is always a way out if we don't give up. He passed away the year my mum was married in 1961 at the age of 71. I was born 3 years later.
This litany of Ah Gong's occupations was triggered by Mum explaining why she had to work to support the family since she was fifteen years old. When kids of that age today are complaining about school work, gossiping about boyfriends and comparing the latest in handphone ring-tones, my mother was sewing two dozen purses a day at a sweat shop for $2.50. Added to the $3 a day that my grandmother earned at the rubber factory, that became the daily livelihood for the family of five.
I'm beginning to catch a glimpse of how my mother developed her remarkable resilience. The need to survive, not only for herself but also for her family, built in her an inner strength and faith that would later see her through much tougher challenges in life.
I salute my ancestors who overcame unbelievable odds to survive and pass on their faith and values to the next generation. Maybe that's what it's all about. An inheritance is nice, but a legacy of character, faith and courage: priceless.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Unity: At What Price?
Tonight, Saturday 17 February 2007, is Chinese New Year’s Eve. Extended families all over the Chinese diaspora will sit at a round table for the traditional tuan yuan fan (团圆饭) or reunion dinner. Misunderstandings and petty quarrels will be set aside; bygones will be bygones. Come morning, on Chinese New Year’s Day, we will all visit one another with gifts of oranges and red packets for the children.
How I wish this could happen to the extended Anglican family.
This evening, the Primates meeting in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, would have wrapped up most of their discussion on the future of the Communion which has been given over to ridicule by The Episcopal Church (of USA)’s consecration of gay bishop Gene Robinson in 2003. It’s not about sexuality; it’s about submission to the Scriptures.
Will tonight’s dinner be a reunion dinner? In the morning, will the Primates be able in all honesty to share the Eucharist in the historic cathedral of Zanzibar, telling the world that peace has returned to the house?
I wish we can. The question is: At what price?
Declared unity based on an agreement that one party is not prepared to honor is a staged show. It is not worthy of people of faith holding out hope for a divided world. Ignoring truth, unity is deceptive and suicidal.
Jesus warned that his coming will bring division, separating those who seek the truth and those who deny it (Luke 12:51-52). Truth is the litmus test of our allegiance: Is it is to our Saviour and Lord, or to our sentimental ties and private agendas. It’s not about personality differences or misunderstandings; it’s about essential and eternal issues.
No one longs for unity more than Jesus did. And yet in His classic prayer for unity, Jesus pleaded, “Sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth.” (John 17:17) Only those sanctified by the truth of God’s word can be truly united in Christ.
Each of us has to face this litmus test. Some of us do so several times a day. We must choose division instead of deceit.
We must ask: Unity, yes, but at any price?
How I wish this could happen to the extended Anglican family.
This evening, the Primates meeting in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, would have wrapped up most of their discussion on the future of the Communion which has been given over to ridicule by The Episcopal Church (of USA)’s consecration of gay bishop Gene Robinson in 2003. It’s not about sexuality; it’s about submission to the Scriptures.
Will tonight’s dinner be a reunion dinner? In the morning, will the Primates be able in all honesty to share the Eucharist in the historic cathedral of Zanzibar, telling the world that peace has returned to the house?
I wish we can. The question is: At what price?
Declared unity based on an agreement that one party is not prepared to honor is a staged show. It is not worthy of people of faith holding out hope for a divided world. Ignoring truth, unity is deceptive and suicidal.
Jesus warned that his coming will bring division, separating those who seek the truth and those who deny it (Luke 12:51-52). Truth is the litmus test of our allegiance: Is it is to our Saviour and Lord, or to our sentimental ties and private agendas. It’s not about personality differences or misunderstandings; it’s about essential and eternal issues.
No one longs for unity more than Jesus did. And yet in His classic prayer for unity, Jesus pleaded, “Sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth.” (John 17:17) Only those sanctified by the truth of God’s word can be truly united in Christ.
Each of us has to face this litmus test. Some of us do so several times a day. We must choose division instead of deceit.
We must ask: Unity, yes, but at any price?
Friday, February 16, 2007
Simply A Servant
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)
One of the pitfalls of leadership is that we get so used to being in the driver’s seat, calling the shots and being assisted by others that we forget what a privilege it is to simply be of service.
As I write I am sitting with a group of bishops and senior priests giving support to our Archbishops who are sitting in conference in Tanzania. Being the junior team member, I am honored to be praying, brainstorming and working alongside veterans of the Anglican world. However, just as often, I find myself running to the photocopier, shredding waste paper, ordering the food or doing a myriad of things that would keep the team from taking our mind off the crucial tasks at hand.
It was a little uneasy on the ego at first, not chairing the meeting, not sought after for theological wisdom, not having the last word. But once I got over that initial hump, what a joy it became, just being part of the team, simply serving.
Simply a servant, sharing the load with other servants, recognizing that no task is too lowly, no contribution is too small.
Simply a servant, blessing those we serve, because it is the Lord we are serving.
Are you feeling a little discouraged by the kind of tasks assigned to you? Do you need a sense of significance in what you are doing? Do it for the Lord Jesus who came to us, simply a servant.
One of the pitfalls of leadership is that we get so used to being in the driver’s seat, calling the shots and being assisted by others that we forget what a privilege it is to simply be of service.
As I write I am sitting with a group of bishops and senior priests giving support to our Archbishops who are sitting in conference in Tanzania. Being the junior team member, I am honored to be praying, brainstorming and working alongside veterans of the Anglican world. However, just as often, I find myself running to the photocopier, shredding waste paper, ordering the food or doing a myriad of things that would keep the team from taking our mind off the crucial tasks at hand.
It was a little uneasy on the ego at first, not chairing the meeting, not sought after for theological wisdom, not having the last word. But once I got over that initial hump, what a joy it became, just being part of the team, simply serving.
Simply a servant, sharing the load with other servants, recognizing that no task is too lowly, no contribution is too small.
Simply a servant, blessing those we serve, because it is the Lord we are serving.
Are you feeling a little discouraged by the kind of tasks assigned to you? Do you need a sense of significance in what you are doing? Do it for the Lord Jesus who came to us, simply a servant.
Silver Linings
A lot has happened to me over the last 2 months, much of which I would not wish upon anyone, including my enemies (actually, I don’t have any!).
It took a lot of prayer and endurance to finish the exhausting but eventful Christmas season, which turned out to be a month of praise! We went into the community distributing our 2007 inspirational calendar, we sent and received back two Cambodia mission teams with news of breakthroughs and miracles, and we witnessed the baptism of several brothers and sisters on Christmas Day from both English and Chinese Congregations.
After all that excitement, Leng and I, together with another family, drove up to Fraser’s Hill on Christmas Day to enjoy five days of mountain air, leisurely meals, board games and bird-watching. We made wonderful memories of horseback riding, arrow-shooting and simply hanging out together.
The year would have ended on a beautiful note had we not pulled up at the Sungei Buloh Rest Stop along the North-South Highway on the way home on 29 Dec 2006. Our car got broken into in broad daylight and lost two notebooks, a whole camera system for bird photography with all our digital photos, as well as books, clothes and other things.
We were so shocked by the whole episode as we scrambled to do this and that, talked to this person and that person, that we totally forgot to pray. It was my god-daughter, bless her sweet heart, who said maybe we should pray. Out of the mouth of babes! As we prayed, a sense of peace and the Lord’s sovereign hand came over us, and we were able to collect our wits, do what we needed to do, and even begin to reflect on what the Lord was teaching us.
Through it all, we learned the danger of being complacent about safety. We were also reminded to put less value on things that can be stolen, damaged or lost than on our relationships, our memories, our values and our faith. All these can never be taken away. Our loss offers us a clean slate, a symbol of a new beginning in our lives.
If the thieves need the money to feed their babies, then bless them. If it’s to feed the vicious cycle of crime, then Lord have mercy. Maybe our gracious God can use the Bible and spiritual books they stole to convict them to give their lives to Jesus!
So what’s the silver lining? Re-prioritizing what is really important in life; rediscovering what we have taken for granted; seizing the chance to start anew; giving room for the mystery of miracles to take place.
Have you lost anything lately? Look for the silver lining, the blessings in disguise. Make them count!
It took a lot of prayer and endurance to finish the exhausting but eventful Christmas season, which turned out to be a month of praise! We went into the community distributing our 2007 inspirational calendar, we sent and received back two Cambodia mission teams with news of breakthroughs and miracles, and we witnessed the baptism of several brothers and sisters on Christmas Day from both English and Chinese Congregations.
After all that excitement, Leng and I, together with another family, drove up to Fraser’s Hill on Christmas Day to enjoy five days of mountain air, leisurely meals, board games and bird-watching. We made wonderful memories of horseback riding, arrow-shooting and simply hanging out together.
The year would have ended on a beautiful note had we not pulled up at the Sungei Buloh Rest Stop along the North-South Highway on the way home on 29 Dec 2006. Our car got broken into in broad daylight and lost two notebooks, a whole camera system for bird photography with all our digital photos, as well as books, clothes and other things.
We were so shocked by the whole episode as we scrambled to do this and that, talked to this person and that person, that we totally forgot to pray. It was my god-daughter, bless her sweet heart, who said maybe we should pray. Out of the mouth of babes! As we prayed, a sense of peace and the Lord’s sovereign hand came over us, and we were able to collect our wits, do what we needed to do, and even begin to reflect on what the Lord was teaching us.
Through it all, we learned the danger of being complacent about safety. We were also reminded to put less value on things that can be stolen, damaged or lost than on our relationships, our memories, our values and our faith. All these can never be taken away. Our loss offers us a clean slate, a symbol of a new beginning in our lives.
If the thieves need the money to feed their babies, then bless them. If it’s to feed the vicious cycle of crime, then Lord have mercy. Maybe our gracious God can use the Bible and spiritual books they stole to convict them to give their lives to Jesus!
So what’s the silver lining? Re-prioritizing what is really important in life; rediscovering what we have taken for granted; seizing the chance to start anew; giving room for the mystery of miracles to take place.
Have you lost anything lately? Look for the silver lining, the blessings in disguise. Make them count!
I’m back!
It’s been a long time since I last updated my blog. I knew that would happen, but it didn’t deter me from starting because I knew I could always continue where I left off.
Since I last wrote, I have encouraged by some church members to use the blog as a window into my life as a Christian and as a pastor, to dispel the myth that I don’t have the usual challenges that every human has. People want to know how my faith makes a difference, because we all believe it should.
So here I am, I’m back!
Since I last wrote, I have encouraged by some church members to use the blog as a window into my life as a Christian and as a pastor, to dispel the myth that I don’t have the usual challenges that every human has. People want to know how my faith makes a difference, because we all believe it should.
So here I am, I’m back!
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Listen!
As a person who enjoys watching movies, I have often wondered what watching does to people. I think it is true that we receive information much faster when we see it than if we merely hear it. Better still if we could both see and hear what is being communicated.
Is this higher transmission rate a boon or a bane?
If we are trying to make decisions of which time is of the essence, then surely being able to size up the essentials rapidly is a big advantage. Cut to the chase; show me, don't just tell me; give me the multimedia experience; better still, entertain me while you're at it.
But if our intention is to appreciate fully what the other person means and feels --- not only by what is said but how it is said, the way the logic flows, the nuanced choice of words and their pleasurable ring as they roll off the tongue, the tonal inflexions that colour the words with emotional meaning, or for that matter, the pregnant pause between words --- then perhaps seeing and watching overloads and rushes the brain along too much for us to notice these finer points of communication.
In fact, the addiction of our mind to constant visual stimulation conditions us to shorten our attention span. We find it hard to follow a line of thought that is not broken down into power points. We are so well-trained to scan without really looking that we hastily glean what we consider "relevant" without even pausing to ask "What is 'relevance', after all?"
I believe this is detrimental to our cultural and intellectual development.
Where is the pause between action sequences and newsflashes where we can ponder, "What does this mean?" Where would we find time between blinks to reflect on the deeper questions of life? How deeply can we think if the building blocks of our thought processes are no bigger than sound bites and slogans, snazzed up with eye candy? How well can we know ourselves and one another if we can't listen for more than 30 seconds without wondering (yawning), "So where is this going? What's the point?"
I still love movies --- the interplay of light and shadow, movements and colours, long shots and intimate closeups, fleshing out an intricate plot with the help of dialogue and sound track --- but I hope we will recover our ability to simply...
...listen.
What do you think? I'm listening!
Is this higher transmission rate a boon or a bane?
If we are trying to make decisions of which time is of the essence, then surely being able to size up the essentials rapidly is a big advantage. Cut to the chase; show me, don't just tell me; give me the multimedia experience; better still, entertain me while you're at it.
But if our intention is to appreciate fully what the other person means and feels --- not only by what is said but how it is said, the way the logic flows, the nuanced choice of words and their pleasurable ring as they roll off the tongue, the tonal inflexions that colour the words with emotional meaning, or for that matter, the pregnant pause between words --- then perhaps seeing and watching overloads and rushes the brain along too much for us to notice these finer points of communication.
In fact, the addiction of our mind to constant visual stimulation conditions us to shorten our attention span. We find it hard to follow a line of thought that is not broken down into power points. We are so well-trained to scan without really looking that we hastily glean what we consider "relevant" without even pausing to ask "What is 'relevance', after all?"
I believe this is detrimental to our cultural and intellectual development.
Where is the pause between action sequences and newsflashes where we can ponder, "What does this mean?" Where would we find time between blinks to reflect on the deeper questions of life? How deeply can we think if the building blocks of our thought processes are no bigger than sound bites and slogans, snazzed up with eye candy? How well can we know ourselves and one another if we can't listen for more than 30 seconds without wondering (yawning), "So where is this going? What's the point?"
I still love movies --- the interplay of light and shadow, movements and colours, long shots and intimate closeups, fleshing out an intricate plot with the help of dialogue and sound track --- but I hope we will recover our ability to simply...
...listen.
What do you think? I'm listening!
BirdQuote: The Mystery of Bird Flight
Clarence D. Cone, Jr (quoted on a signboard at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserves)
“It is ironic… that despite his intense study of birds,
man did not really learn the basic secret of their flight,
for the bases of bird-flight remained mysterious
long after man had mastered the air.”
Isaiah 40:31 (New International Version)
"...those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles..."
Blue-tailed Bee-eater taking off
@ Venus Link Forest, Singapore
(c) August 2006, Wong Tak Meng
Sultan Tit coming in for a landing
@ Jalan Lady Guillemard, Fraser's Hill
(c) October 2006, Wong Tak Meng
Javan Cuckoo-shrike taking off
@ Jelai Resort, Fraser's Hill
(c) October 2006, Wong Tak Meng
Grey Heron flying straight and level
@ Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserves, Singapore
(c) November 2006, Wong Tak Meng
“It is ironic… that despite his intense study of birds,
man did not really learn the basic secret of their flight,
for the bases of bird-flight remained mysterious
long after man had mastered the air.”
Isaiah 40:31 (New International Version)
"...those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles..."
Blue-tailed Bee-eater taking off@ Venus Link Forest, Singapore
(c) August 2006, Wong Tak Meng
Sultan Tit coming in for a landing@ Jalan Lady Guillemard, Fraser's Hill
(c) October 2006, Wong Tak Meng
Javan Cuckoo-shrike taking off@ Jelai Resort, Fraser's Hill
(c) October 2006, Wong Tak Meng
Grey Heron flying straight and level@ Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserves, Singapore
(c) November 2006, Wong Tak Meng
BirdQuote: Looking for Birds
William Saunders (quoted on a signboard at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserves)“Look for birds with your ears.”
Oriental Magpie Robin chirping happily
with a dragonfly, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
(c) 2006, Wong Tak Meng
BirdQuote: Importance of Teaching about Nature
Baba Dioum (quoted on a signboard at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserves)
"In the end we will conserve only what we love;
we will love only what we understand;
and we will understand only what we have been taught."
"In the end we will conserve only what we love;
we will love only what we understand;
and we will understand only what we have been taught."
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
The Gash on the Hillside
Today is a dark day. Ted Haggart, outspoken American evangelical leader confessed to sexual immorality after being exposed by a male escort and accused of buying drugs and sexual services. I own one of his highly recommended books, and would never expect him to fall like this.
Thinking about this incident is like looking up at a cliff where once there stood a spacious look-out which is now reduced to a gash on the hillside.
There are a number of lessons one can learn through this incident:
One, you will never know how near the edge of the cliff you can go before the ground gives way below you. Two, some may gladly help you over the edge.
Conclusion: Don't go there.
Thinking about this incident is like looking up at a cliff where once there stood a spacious look-out which is now reduced to a gash on the hillside.
There are a number of lessons one can learn through this incident:
One, you will never know how near the edge of the cliff you can go before the ground gives way below you. Two, some may gladly help you over the edge.
Conclusion: Don't go there.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Remembering Usoof
Today, 3 Nov 2006, is the third anniversary of our brother Usoof leaving us for his permanent home.
How time flies! How we miss Usoof -- his maintenance-free hairstyle, his inimitable laughter and outrageous sense of humour, and his kind words that always rise to the occasion. His memory will always warm our hearts. The thought that Usoof will never give up in any situation will keep us going when the going gets tough. His faith that God will not fail us will always lift up our hearts.
Meanwhile, we have to keep on living, moving on with our lives, as Jennifer, Eliza and Joseph are doing, so courageously, so faithfully. May we cheer them and one another on.
Usoof has never set foot inside our new church home, but he will always be there in our hearts. Bless you, buddy!
How time flies! How we miss Usoof -- his maintenance-free hairstyle, his inimitable laughter and outrageous sense of humour, and his kind words that always rise to the occasion. His memory will always warm our hearts. The thought that Usoof will never give up in any situation will keep us going when the going gets tough. His faith that God will not fail us will always lift up our hearts.
Meanwhile, we have to keep on living, moving on with our lives, as Jennifer, Eliza and Joseph are doing, so courageously, so faithfully. May we cheer them and one another on.
Usoof has never set foot inside our new church home, but he will always be there in our hearts. Bless you, buddy!
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