O Death Where is Thy Sting?

Michelangelo's Pieta at the St Peter's Cathedral Rome

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?" 1 Cor 15:55.

This past week a friend from my 1964-69 Raffles Institution cohort died. He was an ardent Christian in his university days and early career but somehow had backslidden in recent years. However he maintained a testimony of a good friend and generous person. The cohort rallied behind him as he lay dying in hospital because we valued this friendship. So many of us went to see him in hospital that there was a waiting list just to get into the ward.

His Christian friends ministered to him, showing love and care and comforting him with singing of hymns and praises at his bedside. He responded positively; his family and we were convinced that like the prodigal son, he returned to God the father.

He died very peacefully and with great dignity.

Chairing the funeral wake, I remarked that while Christians would suffer with dignity the passage of death, at such Christian funeral wakes we celebrate the successes of life. Why? Because death has lost its sting and the grave its victory. It is not that we are somehow immune from and unaffected by the pain of grief and loss when a dear friend or relative dies, instead it means that we have a hope in something eternal that goes beyond life and death and that hope sustains us in difficult time. 

In the mourning and weeping there is also comfort and a sense of rejoicing as we recall the testimony of a good Christian life and give God the glory for the examples of dearly departed. That is the victory over the grave, the assertion that by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all Christians have secured victory over death. For Christians, death is not the termination of life but the gateway to life. This dogma has given the early Christians courage to face persecution and martyrdom and this courage has been one of the hallmarks of the Christian witness ever since.  

As John Stott put it, "But death holds no horrors for Christian. True, the process of dying can be messy and undignified, and the decay which follows it is not pleasant" (Ref 1). But we are secured when we face death that "..our saviour, Jesus Christ, has destroyed death and has brought life and in immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Tim 1:10). 

Indeed, Christians are not afraid of Death. Life and Death are intertwined in the Christian belief and experience. Jesus taught that the mustard seed must die in order that it might produce good fruits. The writer to the Hebrews wrote that Jesus shared in our humanity 'so that by His death, He might break the power of death - that is, the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.' Hebrews 2: 14-15.

The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, wrote a hymn 'Be Still My Soul' taken from a short and serene section of his famous symphony Finlandia.

 Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side

bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

leave to thy God to order and provide;

in ev'ry change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav'nly Friend

thro' thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake

to guide the future as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

all now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know

His voice, who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,

and all is darkened in the veil of tears,

then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,

who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.

Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay

from His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hast'ning on

when we shall be forever with the Lord,

when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,

all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

This is a hymn extolling the dignity of death and the hope beyond the grave.

Lionel

Living With Pain

'My son, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal' Ecclesiastes 21:1

Rugby and football players often have injuries and yet they are told to start a game and play through the pain. The American football coach Vince Lombardi used to tell his players, "Men, you can only win the big games when you learn to play with the little hurts of life." Many sports enthusiasts console themselves over pain during training with the reminder, no pain no gain. This is the reality.

Timothy Keller introduced his book Walking with God through Pain and Suffering (Ref 1) with this sentence, 'Suffering is everywhere, unavoidable and its scope overwhelms'. Keller bravely recognised pain and suffering as a reality of life and we are often subjected to forces beyond our power to manage. 

Even as we may blithely accept the reality of pain, we should always sympathise with those who are undergoing the suffering and anguish. Their major concern is not just the relief of it but how can they survive it, how can one get through the ordeal without losing the best part of oneself. Suffering can strip away at our humanity and dignity; our personal survival.

A major concern borne out by the life of Job is that life can be unfair. There seems to be no correlation between whether we do wrong or right compared with the rewards or the suffering we get from life. While we may accept that life can be difficult, undeserved suffering is very difficult to accept. 

Many people reject God because of the experience of pain and suffering in their lives especially when they feel that they do not deserve the predicament. How can a good God allow such misery? 

What will be the response for Christians? 

In the book, the Çity of God', St Augustine spoke of suffering and opined that what matters is not the nature of the suffering but the nature of the sufferer. How has it affected us? How has it shaped our lives? Is it creating a movement in our souls that directs us to God?

When Christians face pain and undeserved suffering, it might do well for us to remember that Jesus endured the cross. A bitter agony which He bore for us. He paid the ultimate penalty for our sins and hung there on the cross, crucified. There is a negro spiritual 'Were You There When They Crucified the Lord' to remind us that Jesus also suffered.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? 

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? 

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they pierced him in his side?

Were you there when they pierced him in his side?

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when they pierced him in his side?

Were you there when they took him from the cross?

Were you there when they took him from the cross?

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when they took him from the cross?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble, tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when the stone was rolled away?

Were you there when the stone was rolled away?

Ooh, sometimes it causes me to tremble

Tremble tremble, tremble, tremble

Were you there when the stone was rolled away?

This acceptance of pain is not a stoic, fatalistic or cop-out response. Christians see always an element of God's grace wherein God is in control and will eventually put things right. Even if it does not lead to the removal of the pain, God's grace will lead to mitigation and alleviation of the suffering. It is not surprising then, that for as many people who may reject God because of pain and suffering, others find God instead. Timothy Keller surmised, "I learned that just as many people find God through affliction and suffering. They find that adversity moves them towards God rather than away." This was exactly the conclusion and meaning of Psalms 34:1-3

'I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise will continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.'

• Praise can be uttered by the mouths of the privileged as well as the deprived
• Reality of pain and suffering should be recognised not ignored nor rejected
• Blessings will also come for the afflicted too
• The worship of God will uplift our souls and help us survive our suffering

Inevitably, we, growing older, will have to deal with our frailties. Our physical bodies will fail us, some suffering from disease will be in pain. Living with pain will become a reality and at this stage we need to learn how to maintain a life of purpose in the midst of this adversity. There is no fear. Enjoy this song, How Can I Fear?

 

When shadows fall and the night covers all

There are things that my eyes cannot see.

I never fear, for the Saviour is near.

My LORD abides with me!

How can I fear? Jesus is near!

He ever watches over me!

Worries all cease; He gives me peace.

How can I fear with Jesus?

When I'm alone and I face the unknown

And I fear what the future may be,

I can depend on the strength of my Friend!

He walks along with me.

How can I fear? Jesus is near!

He ever watches over me!

Worries all cease; He gives me peace.

How can I fear with Jesus?

Jesus is King! He controls everything!

He is with me each night and each day.

I trust my soul to the Saviour's control;

He drives all fear away!

How can I fear? Jesus is near!

He ever watches over me!

Worries all cease; He gives me peace.

How can I fear with Jesus?

Let us take comfort that there is no tragedy we will face, no hardship we will endure and no adversity we will encounter where God is not with us, steadily holding us up with his mighty hand. This is why people find God in the midst of their pain and adversity. C.S. Lewis once said, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience but shouts in our pain."

Lionel

Ref 1: Timothy Keller, Walking With God through Pain and Suffering. Hodder and Stoughton Ltd, 2015 

All Creatures Great And Small

Jeremy the Mouse

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning - the sixth day."  Genesis 1:31

On the 4 April 2007, my younger daughter Rebecca wrote:

I recently got myself a pet mouse whom I named Jeremy - a docile, sweet and intelligent creature with a lovely tan coat. I played with this creature daily and was amazed by the different things that he did. 

I discovered that mice are amazing creatures. Small and tiny, yet intelligent and full of personality. They cry when upset or stressed - having glands that produce a red and sticky tear-like substance which also serve as a scented warning for other mice not to get into the same troublesome situation. They generally crawl about on their fours but will periodically stand on their hind legs when eating, fighting or orientating themselves; looking adorable when they do so. They are superb jumpers, climbers and swimmers. Do you know that mice will sing and dance to attract their mates? They have interesting rituals. They can also hunt like pack animals in groups and will warn each other of danger.

Studying Jeremy and reading about mice, I realised that God really put a personal finishing touch on these tiny creatures. Mice are just a teeny tiny part of the whole spectrum of animals, plants, earth, sea and sky that make up our world, His creation. God planned the entire global ecosystem, he made the air and oceans, with their careful balance of chemicals; He created the plants to replenish the world with oxygen and to nourish its inhabitants; he made the mice, elephants and all creatures great and small.

Indeed, the creations of God are "very good" and at the end, He made man to be the master of these things but more, to love Him and to serve Him. I see no reason not to do so. If God is able to plan all the complicated parts of an ecosystem, things that even us humans may never fully comprehend, He certainly can make me and ask that I serve Him. 

God is good. I see no problem with giving my life to Him. I hope that throughout life, God will plan for and direct me. He is an awfully good planner to me.

On the 25 May 2007, my elder daughter Deborah commented:

Actually, Meimei (Rebecca) has a very special capacity to accept God's creations and to appreciate them at full value, imperfect as they may be. In her post she did not mention that her pet, Jeremy was a three-legged mouse, a reject of the pet shop. When she chose the mouse to be her pet, she did not even notice this 'handicap' - she saw that Jeremy was responsive, happy and full of vitality

To appreciate people and animals for more than their physical and mental attributes, but for their personality and inner beauty is a rare gift.

Lionel Lee commented

As a father, I am very proud that both my daughters have a wonderful gift by which they both have learnt to appreciate God through observing the wonders of His creation. We can be oblivious to God's creative genius in creating the flora and fauna of our world when we should be appreciative. Genesis 1:21 and 24 describes this creative energy,

 

'So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds and every winged bird according to its kind. And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds; the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground and the wild animal each according to its kind." And it was so.'

We often gloss over these verses but the description of the creation of all creatures great and small portrays abundance and exuberance, as the word 'teems' reveals. 

When God created man and woman, he gave them a duty to look after the luscious and abundant world. Genesis 1: 28b and 29, 

God said, "Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground. I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."   

Some have interpreted this injunction as having dominion and authority over the earth. I think God gave us the responsibility to look after and respect His creation. Hence every Christian has a God-given duty towards conservation and protection of all living things and species. With this, we will become sensitive to God's creative energy which was not only present when the world began but continues as a mighty force at work for the beauty of the earth and all creation. Jesus in Luke 12:27 told us, 

"Consider, how wild flowers grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed as one of these."

It is a blessing to have this special quality and inner sensitivity towards creation and conservation. This is celebrated in a choral anthem written by John Rutter, 'All Things Bright and Beautiful.'

 

All things bright and beautiful

All creatures great and small

All things bright and wonderful

The Lord God made them all

Each little flow'r that opens

Each little bird that sings

He made that glowing colors

He made that tiny wings

All things bright and beautiful

All creatures great and small

All things wise and wonderful

The Lord God made them all

The color headed mountain

The river running by

The sunset and the morning

That brightened up the sky

The cold wind in the winter

The pleasant summer sun

The ripe fruit in the garden

He made them everyone

All things bright and beautiful

All creatures great and small

All things wise and wonderful

The Lord God made them all

Cooler Becky

Debbie Lee

and Lionel

Updated from original article written by Rebecca on 9 April 2007

The Rat Race

'In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.' Proverbs 16:9

'Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out of it' 1 Timothy 6:6-7.

 

The Rat Race is a perennial struggle of human beings to get to the top. It is a endless competition to get ahead at all cost. This expression was introduced in the 1930 to describe a exhausting, pressured urban life spent in trying to get ahead with little time for rest. Here is a tragic depiction of modern society in a cartoon feature by Steve Curtis entitled Rat Race.

The Rat race runners try to burn the candle at both ends, they are always busy, busy, busy. It is an incessant push for success. Centuries ago King Solomon condemned it as an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit. Since then, we have not learnt from the wisdom of Solomon.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon spoke of the uselessness and monotony of everyday life. He used the term 'under the sun' when he described that life as useless (Ecc 1:3). One can interpret this term 'under the sun' as life on earth. Solomon said in Ecc 1:4, "You spend your life working and what do you have to show for it."

Charles Swindoll in his bible study guide on the Book of Ecclesiastes entitled 'Living On The Ragged Edge' (Ref 1) gave a realistic appraisal of this futile race

• People Living Under Oppressive Conditions. Ecc 4:1 'Then I looked again at all the injustice that goes on in this world. The oppressed were weeping and no one would help them.'

• People Living Under Aggressive Competition Ecc 4:4 'I have also learnt why people work so hard to succeed: it is because  they envy their neighbours. But it is useless. It is like chasing the wind.' 

Charles Swindoll wrote, 'Solomon is not referring to healthy, ethical competition. What he has in mind is the one-on-one rivalry of pushing, fighting and clawing - the vicious determination of two people to outdo one another at any cost.'

The saddest insanity of all is the man who is alone without any relatives or children labouring endlessly to make his millions to leave to nobody. Ecc 4:7-8 'I have noticed something else in life that is useless. Here is a man who lives alone. he has no son, no brother, yet he is always working never satisfied with the wealth he has. For whom is he working so hard and denying himself any pleasure? This is useless too and a miserable way to live.' Here is a perfect picture of someone who is enslaved to the Rat Race, the pursuit of wealth.

But Solomon in the Book of Ecclesiastes did not paint just doom and gloom. Yes, the book exposes the realities of life but it qualified this by making the claim that this is only true when applied to an existence without God. The only way to get out of this cycle of futility of life is to believe in God and to live as He intended for us.

In the same way, the young people would do well to prevent themselves entering the Rat Race by believing in God early. 'Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, I find no pleasure in life' Ecc 12:1.

Living God's way as a Christian does not automatically mean we will have no struggle with life. Life was difficult for the early Christians and also for some today. Nevertheless we are told to persevere. Indeed Christians enter a different race of endurance and keeping the faith despite hardships and even persecution for some. 

St Paul told the young disciple, Timothy, 'Join me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs but tries to please his commanding officer' 2 Timothy 2:3-4. 

Like a soldier under discipline we do not get entangled in the rat race or be sucked into the lures of this world. 'Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs' 1 Timothy 6:9-10. Ecc 4:4 and 6 advised 'it is better to have a little, with peace of mind, than to be busy all the time with both hands, trying to catch the wind'.

We may plan all we like but eventually God will direct our paths. So what is God's way? In Ecclesiastes 9:11a, Solomon advised, "I have seen something else under the sun; the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favour to the learned; but time and chance overtake them all" Yes while man proposes God disposes and He has a way of leveling even the best plans of clever, powerful and assertive people. 

Hence St Paul advised young Timothy, "But you, man of God, flee from this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of eternal life for which you are called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses" 1 Timothy 6:11-12.

Many people run the Rat Race but Christians should walk with Jesus. Enjoy this song, Just A Closer Walk With Thee.

I am weak but Thou art strong

Jesus keep me from all wrong

I'll be satisfied as long

As I walk, let me walk close to Thee

Just a closer walk with Thee

Grant it, Jesus, is my plea

Daily walking close to Thee

Let it be, dear Lord, let it be 

Through this world of toil and snares,

If I falter, Lord, who cares?

Who with me my burden shares?

None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,

Time for me will be no more;

Guide me gently, safely o’er

To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

 

Lionel

Ref 1: Charles R Swindoll. Living on the Ragged Edge - Coming to terms with Reality, Insight for Living, 1976

  

The Masking of Nations

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and Love your neighbour as yourself' Luke 10:27

Covid-19 pandemic forces several countries in the world to mandate mask wearing as a preventive health measure. It was felt that since this Corona virus spread by way of droplets, mask wearing could prevent infection from coughing and sneezing whilst at the same time protect the wearer. While many obeyed this rule dutifully, many others revolted against it claiming that mask wearing cramped their styles.

The masking of nations exacerbates a well-known but largely ignored condition of modern society - loneliness, withdrawal, seclusion and self-imposed confinement. In crowded urban societies individuals exist with glassy looks speaking to no one, glued to their computers, TVs and reduced to texting on their mobile phones. These individuals eventually become very depressed and suicidal. The social distancing and mask wearing imposed in the wake of the pandemic invoked a wave of suicides.

This condition is not new, the masking of nations only serves to unmask a condition which, as early as 1963, Paul Simon starting writing about. In 1964 the famous duo Simon and Garfunkel recorded the 'Sounds of Silence'.

 

Hello darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seed while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain still remains

Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone

'Neath the halo of a streetlamp

I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed 

By the flash of a neon light that split the night

And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more

People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never shared

No one dared disturb the sound of silence

"Fools," said I, "you do not know

Silence like a cancer grows

Hear my words that I might teach you

Take my arms that I might reach you"

But my words like silent raindrops fell

And echoed in the well of silence

And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon god they made

And the sign said, "The words of the prophets

Are written on the subway walls

and tenement halls."

and whispered in the sound of silence

Paul Simon was expressing his angst towards the extent of alienation in this modern world. Garfunkel summed up the meaning of the song as the inability of people to communicate with each other. In the end these become people who are unable to love each other.

Nothing was done to alleviate this condition and in the 2019-2021 pandemic, the mask became symbolic of people unable to speak to each other. 

In this silent crowded world, the Bible speaks loudly of love and of being brotherly, sisterly and neighbourly. We learnt about reaching out to the lonely, the marginalised and ignored people of this world by way of a trick question posed to Jesus Christ, Who is my neighbour? In response, a parable was told by Him. It will do well for the world and especially Christians, to learn and live the way of the Good Samaritan:

• Help a friend, a stranger, even an enemy
• Render assistance at  anytime and anywhere
• Give personal care and attention 
• Act from good underlying attitudes and inner beliefs
• Be consistent and not just offer a one-off act of kindness         

Yes Jesus Christ emphasised a deep abiding community spirit and rejected the  alienation in modern societies, Luke 6:35-38:

"But love your enemies, do good to them

and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.

Then your reward will be great

and you will be children of the Most High

because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Do not judge and you will not be judged.

Do not condemn and you will not be condemned.

Forgive and you will be forgiven

Give and it will be given to you. 

A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap."

There is an old forgotten song, a favourite of the late Rev Martin Luther King, that is worth listening to once again at these times when people are hearing without listening, 'If I Can Help Somebody As I Pass Along'.

If I can help somebody as I pass along,

If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,

If I can show somebody that they're travelling wrong

Then my living shall not be in vain

Then my living shall not be in vain

Then my living shall not be in vain

If I can help somebody as I pass along

Then my living shall not be in vain

If I can do my duty as a Christian ought

If I can bring back beauty to a world up wrought

If I can spread love's message as the Master taught

Then my living shall not be in vain

Lionel

Day By Day

 
'Who is a God like You, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You will again have compassion  on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depth of the seas.' Micah 7:18-19

Today is New Year's Day for 2021, a year that all of us hope to be much better than the Covid-laden 2020. Having faced the pandemic how would we live 2021? What will be our New Year resolution? 

At the close of his book the prophet Micah asked the question Who is a God like You? It is a question many of us should ask. Who is God? And do we know our God? Perhaps we can make this our 2021 resolution, to know God better.

This brings us to a song Day by Day in the musical Godspell. Day by Day is a very catchy tune, like a modern day nursery rhyme. This song became a top hit as many people were attracted to the simple repetitive tune. It is based on a prayer ascribed to the 13th-century English Bishop Richard of Chichester.  

"May I know Thee more clearly,

Love Thee more dearly,

Follow Thee more nearly."

 

We know that the uniqueness of Christianity is the restoration of our relationship with God. However, many of us after being restored, fail to further this relationship. Perhaps we can use this song to deepen our relationship and to

Know Jesus
Love Jesus

Obey Jesus 

There is another song with the same title, Day by Day (and with Each Passing Moment), a hymn written in 1865 by Carolina Sandell Berg, known as the Fanny Crosby of Sweden. On a voyage with her father, Pastor Sandell, the boat they were on lurched to one side and her father was thrown overboard. He drowned as Carolina looked on. In this tragedy, she discovered that God's comforting presence is always near and this, inspired her to compose the hymn.   

Day by day and with each passing moment,

Strength I find to meet my trials here;

Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,

I've no cause for worry or for fear.

He whose heart is kind beyond all measure

Gives unto each day what He deems best--

Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,

Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me

With a special mercy for each hour;

All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,

He whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.

The protection of His child and treasure

Is a charge that on Himself He laid;

"As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,"

This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then in eve'ry tribulation

So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,

That I lose not faith's sweet consolation

Offered me within Thy holy Word.

Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,

E'er to take, as from a father's hand,

One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,

Till I reach the promised land.

So how would we make good this New Year resolution? We turn to God for every encouragement, help, mercy and strength to walk through life one step at a time, day by day, using this prayer hymn. The secret to a deepening relationship with Jesus, to know, love and obey Him, is to pray day by day.

May 2021 be the year where we discover God, His will, His purposes for our lives.

Happy New Year 

Lionel