On Being Human

'He has shown you, O Mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.'  Micah 6

On the 22 June 2016 Singaporeans woke up to the horrible news of torture and death of a foreign maid at the hands of her former employer. Myanmar National aged 24 years died as a result of severe abuse and beating the day before. The employer was sentenced to 30 years in prison. 

The poor young girl weighed only 24 kg at the time of death, the result of severe deprivation and malnutrition. She was literally starved to death. The whole family was involved, husband and mother too, in the heinous abuse. 

The three trials, the third trial being currently held, unveiled the extent of inhumanity that can exist in a common household even in peaceful Singapore. All Singaporeans were shocked at the extent of the cruelty, the inhumanity inflicted on an innocent human being. The doctor who examined the poor victim at death noted that her limbs were like just loose skin wrapping bones. Overlaying the last act that resulted in death must have been months of deprivation and exploitation, an example of modern slavery.

Slavery still exists in the 21st Century. According to the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, there are 50 million slaves in 2021. Of these people 28 million were in forced labour and 22 million were trapped in forced marriages. The International Labour Organisation stated that slavery occurs in almost every country in the world. More than half of all forced labour and a quarter of forced marriages can be found in upper-middle and high-income countries.

What happened? What happened to the human spirit, human touch and human gentleness? The Bible recorded another trial in Micah 6:1-8 that exposed the underlying reason for this loss of human dignity.

A court case was recorded in Micah 6:1-8, a court case brought upon all humanity. This time the  prosecutor is God Himself. 

'Stand up and state your case against me. Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints.' Micah 6:1

'And now O mountains, listen to the Lord's complaint! He has a case against His people. He will bring charges against His people, He will bring charges against Israel.' Micah 6:2    

What is the charge? The accusation is that human beings have forsaken God.

'O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me!' Micah 6:2

President M. Craig Barnes of Princeton Theological Seminary, in preaching on this passage commented that by forsaking God we forget to be humans. Every time humans forget they have a God, they start to act like gods. That is when the greatest evil will be unleashed on others such as the Holocaust during World War 2 in Europe and the torture and death of the domestic helper, more recently in Singapore. 

Many Singaporean families rely and benefit from the hard work of foreign maids. Unfortunately, sometimes these maids are exploited, made to work long hours; without any kindness shown to them. Every year, several employers of foreign maids are convicted of physical abuse on these maids and sentenced to heavy jail terms. 

How can we correct ourselves? The Micah passage tells us that it is not by superficialities, false piety and legalistic acts of religiosity. This was what God's people during Micah's time tried to offer in their defence at the heavenly trial

'What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer Him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?' Micah 6:6-7

President Barnes said that these are meagre defence; these are corrupt questions asked by people who try to bribe their way to be in favour with God

It is a sad commentary of the human race, depraved and tainted by sin. When we forget God, we lose our humanity we become cruel. How can we save ourselves?  

 

Instead of pronouncing sentences after the trial, God meted out three corrective measures, clearly telling what He expects of us.

• Act Justly. To act justly is to act morally, to live with a proper sense of right and wrong. Justice is to treat everyone equitably. Every human being is unique, valued and beloved; made in God's image. No one should be treated as less than the other. 

• Love Mercy. Be kind to one another. God is a merciful God and He pours out His mercy on all of us. Although we sin and forsake him He will not treat us in the way we all deserve. Instead he shows us kindness, mercy and grace and reaches out to save us. This is an act of lovingkindness and God compels us to repeat the same for all our friends and even to our enemies.

• Walk Humbly. Live in Humility. This humility is anchored in the person of Jesus Christ, placing the highest value on every human being. In the same way, in humility we value others above ourselves. St Paul in Philippians Chapter 2 instructed, 'not looking to your own interests but each to the interests of the others. 

There is a further extension to these three imperatives, we are to walk humbly with our God. All start from this relationship with God and it underpins how we treat those around us. It is the reason for our humanity, our human touch, love and gentleness.

Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly

Lionel

When I Run, I Feel God’s Pleasure



The pioneer staff of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine
From left, Andrew Ang, Rachel Lau, Lionel Lee, Lydia Tan, Chan Wei Chuen, Janet Teo



'But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary, they will walk and not be faint.' Isaih 40:31

 

In the movie, "Chariots of Fire", Eric Liddell in explaining to his sister why he wanted to run in the Olympics said, “Jenny, when I run, I feel God’s pleasure”. My friend, Benjamin Ng noted Eric Liddell's statement with this comment, “What a change it will make in our lives and what an impact God will make in our society when we can say that we feel God’s pleasure when we work”.

 

The photograph of the pioneer members of Singapore's newest Medical School, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine was taken in May 2011. At that time, we all felt that by God's grace we were given the mission to establish the School on a firm footing. It was time to be of service to the country once again and work hard to start-up the new school which saw its first intake of 54 students in August 2013. By 2021, LKCMedicine celebrated its 10th anniversary. Within 10 years, the school is listed in the top  100 medical schools list in the university rankings, an unprecedented achievement.

All of us save one person had since left the School. We left with a deep sense of a mission accomplished. We felt that to be of service to church, society, friends and country is a calling and privilege. Like Eric Lidell, it seems that we can feel God's pleasure at work. The Bible puts it more clearly

'Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Jesus Christ you are serving.' Col 3:23-24

Once, at Dover Park Hospice, an interviewee for the post of CEO, asked the panel, "What was expected of me on the job?" The answer that the interviewee got was Servant-Leadership. In some jobs like in working at a hospice, from the CEO to the kitchen staff requires an attitude of dedicated service. Leadership in such jobs needs an attitude and action of a servant; not to lord over others but to serve.

Around the same time in 2011, Singapore experienced a very exciting, some say a watershed general election. There was a groundswell of expectancy of the electorate to have  politicians who will serve the people and not just their own interests, the party’s platform or indeed even the government’s agendas. That election brought a shift in the once one-party dorminance returning more opposition members into parliament.  

Notwithstanding, the People's Action Party who has been in government from 1959 and eversince, won by a huge margin. But what ensued soon after was interesting. After winning a unexpectedly hard-fought election, the Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, in introducing his cabinet said, “Politics is not a job or a career promotion. It is a calling to serve the larger good of Singapore.” On 28 May 2011, the PM issued a 'Rules of Prudence' letter to the PAP MPs and he reminded them of their responsibility to uphold the spirit of service to the people and work hard on their behalf.

This stance indicated an emphasis on people-centred leadership. I think the Prime Minister has demonstrated then and since, the ethos of 'Humility of Service.' This was well expressed by the apostle St. Paul

'We are encouraged to have the same mindset as Christ. He did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant' Philippians 2:5-7

'Humility in Service' was dramatically demonstrated by Jesus Christ who took a basin of water and with a towel, wiped the feet of the disciples. Jesus’ example with the basin and towel is not only for the spiritual service of the church, the mission field or the monastery but for the everyday tasks in a busy world at the market and work places.

It is certainly required of our political leaders, especially the Covid-19 task force leaders, at these very trying times of the Covid pandemic in Singapore. They have to navigate and balance between imposing restrictions to curb the spread of infection and opening up the community and country to protect economy and livelihood. They need to promote vaccination to a stubborn 20% of the population who continue to resist. They have to convince the population not to fear the inevitable endemicity of the virus for many more months and years ahead. (We hope that this endemic phase will be one of  attentuated severity achieved by a high vaccination rate.)

Every press conference is clearly difficult for these leaders who, not only have to relay information but to assuage the worries of people and businesses. Few appreciate their efforts. Some criticised these leaders vehemently and with much vitriol, which goes unabated in internet chatter and chat groups. It is very sad to watch. 

How can our doctors, nurses, medical workers, nursing home staff, frontline workers and leaders carry on? Many have a sense of passion and purpose. It is not the money, it is a service-mentality often characterise by humility  

The Greek word for humility tapeinophrosunē is literally translated 'lowliness of the mind'. How we treat other people depend entirely on how we think of them and how we evaluate them. In our mind’s evaluation of our subordinates, our bosses, our colleagues we are to count them better than ourselves. This means to place a value of others as being more important than ourselves; to consider their dignity and worth. Humility is the attitude, mindset and basis for all our relationship building, our collegiality at the workplace.

Humility begins with the mind but it continues into conduct and service, that is to say, humility is 'action-able'. Jesus took actions:

• He emptied himself,

• He became a servant

• He was made in human likeness

• He humbled himself

• He became obedient

• He died on the cross

After winning the men's 400m gold medal at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, Eric Liddell followed in his parents' footsteps and served as a missionary to China from 1925 to 1943. He served in Tianjin and Xiaozhang. He was interned during the Japanese occupation of China and died in 1945 just five months before liberation. In 2008 near the time of the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese authorities revealed to his family that Liddell had refused an opportunity to leave the camp and instead gave up his place for freedom to a pregnant woman.

Serving like a servant at our workplaces; is this possible? It becomes possible when we realise that it is not just our colleagues or bosses whom we serve but God. Like Eric, we hope to feel God’s pleasure. 

In 1991, a memorial headstone in Eric's memory was unveiled at the former concentration camp in Weifang and on it is inscribed, "They shall mount up with wings as eagle, they shall run and not be weary." Isaiah 40:31

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord

Who abide in His shadow for life

Say  to the Lord, "My Refuge, 

my Rock in whom I trust'

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings

Bear you on the breadth of dawn

Make you to shine like the sun

And hold you in the palm of His hand

You need fear the terror of the night

Nor the arrow that flies by day

Though thousands fall about you,

Near you it shall not come 

For to His angels He's given a command

To guard you in all of your ways

Upon His hands they will bear you up

Lest you dash your foot against a stone

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings

Bear you on the breadth of dawn

Make you to shine like the sun

And hold you in the palm of His hand

Lionel

Updated 1st published on 28 May 11.