Could we with ink the ocean fill,
and were the skies of parchment made,
were every stalk on earth a quill
and every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
would drain the ocean dry;
nor could the scroll contain the whole
though stretched from sky to sky
~from the hymn 'The Love of God', Frederick M Lehman
Dont you love our english language?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
A Banana's thanks
14 Feb 2010
Today I awoke and thanked the Lord I was Chinese. No, it wasnt a sigh of relief 'thank GOD Im Chinese and not some other inferior race....' but a simple appreciation for who I am.
Yesterday I had had a 'reunion' (though I just met them)lunch of duck, fish, sharkfin soup, paua and brocolli stir fry with my bf's* family, then for dinner I went over to my other bf's* place for a 'reunion' dinner of duck, fish, sharkfin soup, paua and brocolli stir fry. Now only the Chinese could put on a feast like that.
Last night the streets were alight with firecrackers;I've never seen such an abundance of colour in the sky. It sounded like a war zone, and I wouldnt be suprised if a few auditory aparati are now damaged. Only the chinese could put on such an illegal display like that.
Today Im in a goergus red top (too goergus to be my own); downstairs they are preparing an open house. The fridge is obese and the tables overflowing with a most impressive array of cookies. Im convinced few people are so concerned about their palates as the Chinese.
We thank God for the lovely day, we thank Him for our food. We thank Him for friends and family, yet how often does one thank God for his race? In fact, how often do us Christians talk about race? A bit, I suppose. Christians shouldnt be racist. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek. Jesus is the Saviour of ALL nations. Unreached people groups.
But in terms of celebrating different races - your own race - well, I dont think we do it enough.
Does God want us to celebrate Chinese New Year? I think yes. Sure, its shrouded in superstitial practices, and it can be so difficult to separate them from just 'culture'. Superstition disgusts God - but Chinese culture He delights in. After all, the Chinese were His idea. Im sure He had our black hair, flat noses and glorious food in mind at creation. I dont think we're meant to be less Chinese at conversion. On the contrary, being Christian should cause us to embrace Chinese-ness even more, as a God-given gift. We must seek to bring God into culture - for Christ died to reconcile every aspect of life to its Creator.
If this banana can thank God for her skin colour, then surely you can too. For in being, and being thankful for, who were are, we reflect some of who He is.
Gong Xi Fa Cai, God.
*internal joke. Just to clarify: I dont have a boyfriend (or two, for that matter). But I received ang pows from both families like I was attatched... ;) don't you love Chinese New Year....
Today I awoke and thanked the Lord I was Chinese. No, it wasnt a sigh of relief 'thank GOD Im Chinese and not some other inferior race....' but a simple appreciation for who I am.
Yesterday I had had a 'reunion' (though I just met them)lunch of duck, fish, sharkfin soup, paua and brocolli stir fry with my bf's* family, then for dinner I went over to my other bf's* place for a 'reunion' dinner of duck, fish, sharkfin soup, paua and brocolli stir fry. Now only the Chinese could put on a feast like that.
Last night the streets were alight with firecrackers;I've never seen such an abundance of colour in the sky. It sounded like a war zone, and I wouldnt be suprised if a few auditory aparati are now damaged. Only the chinese could put on such an illegal display like that.
Today Im in a goergus red top (too goergus to be my own); downstairs they are preparing an open house. The fridge is obese and the tables overflowing with a most impressive array of cookies. Im convinced few people are so concerned about their palates as the Chinese.
We thank God for the lovely day, we thank Him for our food. We thank Him for friends and family, yet how often does one thank God for his race? In fact, how often do us Christians talk about race? A bit, I suppose. Christians shouldnt be racist. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek. Jesus is the Saviour of ALL nations. Unreached people groups.
But in terms of celebrating different races - your own race - well, I dont think we do it enough.
Does God want us to celebrate Chinese New Year? I think yes. Sure, its shrouded in superstitial practices, and it can be so difficult to separate them from just 'culture'. Superstition disgusts God - but Chinese culture He delights in. After all, the Chinese were His idea. Im sure He had our black hair, flat noses and glorious food in mind at creation. I dont think we're meant to be less Chinese at conversion. On the contrary, being Christian should cause us to embrace Chinese-ness even more, as a God-given gift. We must seek to bring God into culture - for Christ died to reconcile every aspect of life to its Creator.
If this banana can thank God for her skin colour, then surely you can too. For in being, and being thankful for, who were are, we reflect some of who He is.
Gong Xi Fa Cai, God.
*internal joke. Just to clarify: I dont have a boyfriend (or two, for that matter). But I received ang pows from both families like I was attatched... ;) don't you love Chinese New Year....
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Lost and a lesson
So we so nearly almost got lost in Mt Kinabalu Park. I wont try to explain exactly what happened (heck, we don't even really know exactly what happened) but I know that we were, ok, pretty much lost. It would have been ok if it weren't already evening.
The light was fading fast, and we wouldnt have made it out if we hadnt had cellphone reception. If we hadnt taken Peng's bag when we split up, and if Peng hadnt packed a torch. If we didnt turn back when we did after following futile pipes for quite some time. If Eugene hadnt made a stand and stopped us following red trees ('they're boundary markers!!'). If Jono hadnt checked out the right fork while Fi was on the phone before we headed up the left fork ('hey, a bridge!' he said). If Peng and Buz hadnt stayed put. If the thunder didnt just threaten rain. If we hadnt checked out what we thought was a dead end gate....
You get to a point where you have to stop asking 'what if ____ hadn't....?' and face the facts: it did. And surely somebody made it happen. Somebody who knows the forest tracks (and the lack of them), and the time of sunset. Someone who knows our intentions, limited abilities, and cares enough to lead us out.
It makes me wonder, you know: we can't even trek 5k without Him - why do we think we can go through life all by ourselves? There are too many unseens out there, too many close calls, too many people (and signposts) that let you down, too many miscommunications and misinterpretations. And though there are many who seemingly manage to navigate their way through life without Him, I wouldnt want to be in their shoes.
The light was fading fast, and we wouldnt have made it out if we hadnt had cellphone reception. If we hadnt taken Peng's bag when we split up, and if Peng hadnt packed a torch. If we didnt turn back when we did after following futile pipes for quite some time. If Eugene hadnt made a stand and stopped us following red trees ('they're boundary markers!!'). If Jono hadnt checked out the right fork while Fi was on the phone before we headed up the left fork ('hey, a bridge!' he said). If Peng and Buz hadnt stayed put. If the thunder didnt just threaten rain. If we hadnt checked out what we thought was a dead end gate....
You get to a point where you have to stop asking 'what if ____ hadn't....?' and face the facts: it did. And surely somebody made it happen. Somebody who knows the forest tracks (and the lack of them), and the time of sunset. Someone who knows our intentions, limited abilities, and cares enough to lead us out.
It makes me wonder, you know: we can't even trek 5k without Him - why do we think we can go through life all by ourselves? There are too many unseens out there, too many close calls, too many people (and signposts) that let you down, too many miscommunications and misinterpretations. And though there are many who seemingly manage to navigate their way through life without Him, I wouldnt want to be in their shoes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)