“Hear Only the Good Stuff” – the dangers of Glitz and Gizmo Christianity

'Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.' Psalms 46:10

Some years back, a Singapore radio station Gold90.5FM, ran a series of clever ads on TV with the tagline 'Hear only the Good Stuff.' It depicted a tennis coach commenting to a father how talented his son was at tennis, when the boy was missing every single ball. Better put, the father only wanted to hear the good stuff about his son. It was a clever ruse for persuading listeners to switch to the radio station - Gold90.5FM only give its listeners what they want to hear.

Until the Covid Pandemic hit our shores, the mega-churches were very successful in attracting huge crowds each Sunday. Some would say that they used the latest entertainment and media techniques to communicate their message. Each worship service was chock a block full, with worshippers enjoying making music with songs of praises. They often reached ecstatic emotional levels during the service. The sermons were delivered by skilled and polished motivational speakers, moving about on stage not unlike entertainers on TV.

There is a very good reason for turning to glitz and gizmos during worship services. We live in the era of one minute commercials and 30-second sound bytes. Children grow up surrounded by every communication device delivering connections at breakneck speeds. The conventional wisdom seems to be that if one wants to get a message across, it had better be entertaining enough to attract attention and capture imagination. It is not surprising that churches have turned to these techniques. But aren't we, like the advertisement, guilty of pandering to the audience when our duty should be to worship and focus on the Triune God?

Some years back, Rev Andy Goh then a young pastor of Charis Methodist Church bravely spoke from Micah Chapter 3, telling the Charis congregation that the temptation to pander to the wants instead of the needs of society is not new. In Micah’s days, the Lord condemned the spiritual leaders and prophets for hypocritically feeding the people a diet of distorted messages to please the congregation and for their own profit.

'As for the prophets who lead my people astray,

if one feeds them, they proclaim 'peace';

if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him.

Therefore night will come over you, without visions,

and darkness, without divination.

The sun will set for the prophets, 

and the day will go dark for them.

The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced.

They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God." Micah 3:5-7

Preachers and spiritual leaders should take heed because:

• the medium of communication these days may distract and detract from true worship.
• the Church's agenda may not necessarily be God's agenda. 
• what the congregation wants to hear is not necessarily God's message for us.

'Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price,

and her prophets tell fortunes for money.

Yet they lean upon the LORD and say,

"Is not the LORD among us?

No disaster will come upon us.' Micah 3:12

Any church or church leader can fall into this trap sometimes. Hence the average church goer, like myself, should learn not go to the worship service just for the singing, nor the preaching or even the fellowship. Instead we go to worship and all these other activities in the service and programme should point and help us in that direction.

After a hiatus of more than two years, with the Covid restrictions lifted, our churches will no doubt be filled once more. Did we learn anything, any lessons during the silent years? Will our churches be houses of worship or halls of performances? 

During the enforced isolation of Covid, I learnt to meditate and I realised that silence speaks louder than sound; that in the solitude, God speaks. Hence, I will value the quieter atmosphere of a worship service at which there can be joyful singing intermixed with quiet prayers and God's Word read and preached. That is just a preference, others may think differently

Then there are times when we enter a sanctuary not just during the worship service but to sit quietly and gaze at the crucifix (for Catholic churches) or the plain cross (for Protestant churches). At Charis Methodist Church we will have the chance to look at the depiction of the Triune God through the stain glass that will dominate the chancel. We may contemplate the passion, crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are people who come early to church services to be in God's presence and pray.

"Go out and stand before on the mountain," the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord is not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 1 Kings 11-13

David Haas wrote the song You are Mine beginning with the phrase, 'I will come to you in the silence.' In the silence of the Covid years, this song helped me to know that God is present even when we could not go to church and worship Him.

I will come to you in the silence
I will lift you from all your fear
You will hear My voice
I claim you as My choice
Be still, and know I am near

I am hope for all who are hopeless
I am eyes for all who long to see
In the shadows of the night,
I will be your light
Come and rest in Me

Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine

I am strength for all the despairing
Healing for the ones who dwell in shame
All the blind will see, the lame will all run free
And all will know My name

I am the Word that leads all to freedom
I am the peace the world cannot give
I will call your name, embracing all your pain
Stand up, now, walk, and live

Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine

Lionel

Updated, 1st published 31 Oct 2010

My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me

'I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.' John 10:14a

My Christian brother, Dr Koh Hai Yong, once made this comment, "Oftentimes we as parents are overly anxious about our children. Are they doing well in school? Are they mixing with the right company? Are we providing enough for them? Then, this thought came to my mind – no matter how much we love and are concerned about our children, God loves them and cares for them infinitely more. I am emancipated!" 

Hai Yong's comment reminded me of this picture that my father in law the late Rev Kao gave us. It was a picture that hung on the family wall for many years. I chose this picture amongst many that he wanted to pass on to his children because at that time the song "My heavenly father watches over me" came to mind. This picture somehow gave me much comfort that I am under the watchful eyes of Jesus. The realisation that Jesus loves us including our young children, frees us from any anxiety of growing up in an unknown future.

John 10:14-16 states

'I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.' 

We used to sing the song 'there were ninety and nine that safely lay in the shelter of the fold, but one was lost on the hills away, far off from the gates of gold.' The song went on to indicate how Jesus the Good Shepherd will go out of His way to search for the lost sheep. 

Hai Yong was exactly right, we Christian parents can rest in the assurance that Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

Let me share with you one email I wrote to the my girls on 20 Oct 2001 when the world was filled with uncertainty. As parents, with children living far away in UK and Australia, what else can we do but to trust in the Good Shepherd? This email went, 

"Psalms 65:2 reads 'O You (referring to God) who hear prayer, to YOU all men will come.' Just one month ago, we witnessed a dastardly terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre, New York. Now, there are the Anthrax letters attacks on Washington DC. These are times of uncertainty. No one knows what the terrorists might do. Should we not turn to God?

Psalms 65: 9 says, 'You care for the land and water it, you enrich it abundantly.' This verse is really encouraging. Despite what these evil men can do, they cannot compete with the restoration God provides. God will heal the land. All they can do is create trouble, some mischief. Soon it will pass and they will be gone but God's creation remains. 

That God answers prayers is a statement of fact. It is not only when we turn to him that he hears our prayers. No, it just a plain fact that God hears prayers. And because he does, he draws us to Him, people like us who acknowledge His presence and preeminence at these times. I would you both to go to God in prayer often. 

We may not have the inclination to spend hours or even minutes in prayer. Few people do. But at every chance and every remembrance, whisper a prayer. When we travel and we remember someone say a prayer. When we wake up and when we go to sleep just pray a few sentences. If we have a need, pray to God. A few short sentences anywhere and at any time will do. We will then cultivate an attitude that acknowledges God as someone, though beyond us, is infinitely greater. Yet we can always bring a need, a fear, an anxiety, a joy, a laughter, an inspiration to Him and He will hear us."

The picture of the Good Shepherd makes me feel secure. See how the lamb is folded within the left arm of Jesus! And on the right hand is the staff to ward away things evil, destructive or predatory.

The hymn, 'My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me.' reminds us that we can put our trust in God at all times. When we experience the storms of life, when we appear to be in the lions' den or in a dark alley, Jesus is there keeping and watching over us.

1. I trust in God wherever I may be,
   Upon the land, or on the rolling sea,
   For come what may, from day to day,
   My heav’nly Father watches over me.
   • Refrain:
     I trust in God, I know He cares for me;
     On mountain bleak or on the stormy sea;
     Though billows roll, He keeps my soul;
     My heav’nly Father watches over me.
2. He makes the rose an object of His care,
   He guides the eagle through the pathless air,
   And surely He remembers me;
   My heav’nly Father watches over me.
3. I trust in God, for, in the lion’s den,
   On battlefield, or in the prison pen,
   Through praise or blame, through flood or flame,
   My heav’nly Father watches over me.
4. The valley may be dark, the shadows deep,
   But, oh, the Shepherd guards His lonely sheep;
   And through the gloom He’ll lead me home,
   My heav’nly Father watches over me.

Lionel

Updated Article, Previously posted on 25 May 2007

His Eye Is On The Sparrow

 

Helen Davies/Getty Images

'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.' Psalm 32:8

It is a great privilege to enjoy God's watchful eye upon our lives. The guidance of God in our lives is deeply personal. It is aptly conveyed by Psalm 23 which begins with the gentle statement, the Lord is my Shepherd- the Lord guides like a  shepherd guides his flock. The Lord, said the Psalmist,

• Leads us beside still waters
• Restores our soul 
• Guides us into paths of righteousness

The essential question is how does God guide us? Pastor Buddy Owen of the Saddleback Church in a sermon on God's Promises About Guidance (Ref 1) outlined the ways God will guide

God guides by His Holy Spirit. 'When the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth... He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you.' John 16:13-14

God guides by the Scriptures, His Word. 'Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.' Psalm 119:105

God guides through God's people. 'As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.'  Proverbs 27:17 'And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.'  Hebrews 10:24

God guides by circumstances. 'We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.' Romans 8:28

God guides by His still, small voice, speaking to your conscience . 'You will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.' Isaiah 30:21 

Some people expect God's answers to prayers to be immediately obvious. Some expect signs and wonders to indicate that God is at hand. While on occasions the intervention of God in our lives may be dramatic, it is often more quiet and unobtrusive. Signs are fleeting, relationship is permanent.

That we are guided by God, stems from our ongoing relationship with God. he leads us step by step in that growing relationship with Him. A quote from Sinclair B Ferguson reads, 'God's guidance will require patience on our part. His leading is not usually a direct assurance, a revelation, but His sovereign controlling of the circumstances of our lives, with the word of God as our rule. It is therefore inevitable that the unfolding of His purposes will take time - sometimes a very long time.'

There is also an element of discipline, of obedience in discovering God's leading.

 

'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you ought to go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you' Psalm 32:8-9 

Whatever our circumstances and the state we are in, be assured that God always watches over us. Jesus said,

'Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth many more sparrows.' Matthew 10:29-31

This verse became the message of the Christian song 'His Eye Is On The Sparrow' written by Civilla Martin (lyrics) and Charles Gabriel (music) in 1905. Many of us have been comforted, encouraged and ministered to by this song.  

Civilla Martin met up with a Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle whom she described as true saints of God. Mrs Doolittle had been bedridden for 20 over years and Mr Doolittle wheel chair bound. Civilla wrote, "Despite their afflictions, they loved happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle's reply was simple: "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me." The hymn "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" was the outcome of that experience.

Why should I feel discouraged 

Why should the shadows come

Why should my heart be lonely

And long for heaven and home

When Jesus is my portion

My constant friend is He

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches me;

I sing because I'm happy,

I sing because I'm free,

For His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.

"Let not your heart be troubled"

His tender word I hear

And resting on His goodness

I lose my doubts and fears

Though by the path He leadeth 

But one step I may see;

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches me;

Whenever I am tempted

Whenever clouds arise

When songs give place to sighing

When hope within me dies

I draw the closer to Him

From care He sets me free

His eye is on the sparrow, 

I know He watches me

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches me.

Lionel

Ref 1:  Buddy Owens, God's Promises About Guidance 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMQTiM1b2Zg 

Love Lifted Me!

Old Jerusalem Mezuzah P1050664 

'Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever.' Psalms 136:1

 

On the doorpost of every Jewish home is the ‘Mezuzah’, which is fixed at a 45 degree angle. This is a piece of parchment (often contained in a decorative case) inscribed with specified verses comprising the Jewish prayer "Shema Yisrael". This prayer is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9,

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates”.

A mezuzah is not meant to be a protective device, it is a sign and reminder of  God's covenant with His people. To Christians, God's covenant is anchored by Love in action. 

The word for love in the Old Testament is khesed in Hebrew. It conveys the idea of unconditional love, loyalty and generosity - a love that never fails. This is a love that endures forever, a phrase that is used 26 times in Psalms 136, which provided a litany of the wondrous acts of God for His people. Each verse ends with 'His love endures forever' to convey the unending love that resulted in many actions of God for His people. 

It is befitting that Moses in Deuteronomy was instructed not only to remember the commandment, but to impress upon the children and succeeding generations, in a very relentless way, the love of and for God. That Love is to be expressed most tenaciously, taught every time and every where, in all the places.

Similarly in Matthew 22:36 when Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment, He replied, 

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40

In putting across the two commandments in one breath, Jesus introduces the concept that love is not just a religious action but a social action as well, that is love must be seen and done.

The discourse with Jesus led to telling of the Parable of the Good Samaritan and in so doing, Jesus is saying that love of God, to be meaningful has to be expressed by love for neighbour. God loves us so we can love our neighbours. 

'This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His love for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.' 1 John 3:16-18

This dual-action love should define our Christian living. It is the realisation that Jesus rescued us from the depths of sin and despair; restored us so that we can live lives of love in action. Love Lifted Me!

I was sinking deep in sin

Far from the peaceful shore

Very deeply stained within

Sinking to rise no more

But the master of the sea

Heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me

Now safe am I

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help

Love lifted me

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help

Love lifted me

All my heart to Him I give

Ever to Him I'll cling

In His blessed presence live

Ever His praises sing

Love so mighty and so true

Merits my soul's best songs

Faithful, loving service, too

To Him belong

Souls in danger look above

Jesus completely saves

He will lift you by His love

Out of the angry waves

But the master of the sea

Billows His will obey

He your savior wants to be

Be saved today

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help

Love lifted me

Love lifted me! Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help

Love lifted me

Yes, Love Lifted Us!

Lionel

Was It A Morning Like This?

 

The Three Marys At the Sepulcher by
Giovanni Francesco Romanelli. The National Gallery of Victoria

The sunrise on an Easter morning is not like any other morning sunrise. There is an air of anticipation, of excitement and exhilaration during an Easter sunrise. We declare, "Christ is risen" and all others will respond "He is risen indeed." 

Not so the first Easter morning in Jerusalem when Mary Magdalene went with some women, with some trepidation, to anoint some spices over what she expected to be a dead body.

'On the first day of the week, very early in the morning the women* took the spices and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightening stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!" Luke 24:1-6a

Thus was declared the Easter message that has resonated for centuries, "He has risen." 

Perhaps the three women may not have recognised it but that morning was not like any other morning. The resurrection of Jesus Christ did not happen furtively; there were several extraordinary events surrounding the resurrection according to Matthew 28:1-4

• There was a violent earthquake. 
• An angel whose appearance dazzled like lightning, came down from heaven.
• The stone covering the entrance to the tomb rolled away.
• The guards were paralysed.
• The tomb was empty.
• Jesus Christ rose from the grave!

This song  'Was It A  Morning Like This' presents Heaven and Nature declaring the Easter morning news 'He Is Risen!' 

Was it a morning like this

When the Son still hid from Jerusalem?

And Mary rose from her bed

To tend the Lord she thought was dead

Was it a morning like this

When Mary walked down from Jerusalem?

And two angels stood at the tomb

Bearers of news she would hear soon

Did the grass sing?

Did the earth rejoice to feel You again?

Over and over like a trumpet underground

Did the earth seem to pound "He is risen!"

Over and over in a never-ending round

"He is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!"

Was it a morning like this

When Peter and John ran from Jerusalem?

And as they raced toward the tomb

Beneath their feet was there a tune?

Did the grass sing?

Did the earth rejoice to feel You again?

Over and over like a trumpet underground

Did the earth seem to pound "He is risen!"

Over and over in a never-ending round

"He is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!"

Over and over like a trumpet underground

Did the earth seem to pound "He is risen!"

Over and over in a never-ending round

"He is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!"

When my Lord looked out on Jerusalem?

He is risen!

Alleluia!

Alleluia!

Alleluia!

What is the central message of Easter? It is certainly not about Easter eggs or Easter bunnies. 

Tim Keller tried to put the message across when he wrote, "If you believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and you put your hope in that, then death is now a gardener, meaning it plants us. It puts us into the ground like a tulip bulb, which becomes a lovely flower, or an acorn, which becomes a beautiful oak tree. All it can do now is make us better."

St Paul was even more emphatic and succinct when he wrote, 

'Where, O death, is your victory? Where O death, is your sting?' 1 Corinthians 15:55

That is what Easter means to me; a message to be declared for all generations since that first Easter morning.

Lionel

* According to Mark 16:1 Three women visited the tomb that morning, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus and Salome or Mary Salome the mother of James and John 

The Inner Room

The Dolomites - Falzarego Pass

 'But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to the Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.' Matthew 6:6

Cathedrals have very beautiful ornate altars but God is found in the inner room. 

Father Laurence Freeman interpreted Jesus' advice to us as close the door and pray there where your Heavenly Father is, and you will be enriched and rewarded. In that room is not just the idea of God but His real presence. 

In this privacy we are not distracted by the din and loud praises of the modern contemporary worships. We are not distracted by the art pieces, statues, stained glass windows, golden altar pieces inside beautiful in the voluminous spaces of cathedrals.

In the inner room, we can pay attention to ourselves but more importantly we can give our attention to Jesus who will be present. Father Laurence Freeman in his sharing Daily Wisdom, Inspiration for everyday, wrote on the 10 Dec 2021, "Attention Matters. Our distracted culture, the fact that we spend an average of three or fours hours on our mobile devices, young people at a very vulnerable ages, spending hours, hours and hours on their social media, indicates a fragmentation of our fundamental capacity which is attention."

When Jesus taught us how to pray, He told us,

• Not to grandstand. 
• Not to make a spectacle of our prayer
• Not to let our prayers become long speeches

"And when you pray do  not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the streets corners to be seen by others." Matthew 6:5

But to

• Pray quietly
• Pray in secret
• Pray as a conversation with God 

"But when you pray go into your room and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:6

So, when we are in the inner room, we leave self behind. We are alone with Jesus, and we will be able to engage, to listen, to feel empathy, says Father Laurence, adding that attention is the fundamental essence of prayer. We engage in prayer of the heart, we lay aside your thoughts, insights, ideas, petition keeping them in the background and we give our attention, just being there with the Divine. 

Behold us, Lord, a little space
From daily tasks set free,
And met within Thy holy place
To rest awhile with Thee.

Around us rolls the ceaseless tide
Of business, toil, and care;
And scarcely can we turn aside
For one brief hour of prayer.

The Inner Room does not have to be a space, it can just as well be the inner self. It is more the our attitude during prayer that Jesus emphasised as illustrated by this parable in Luke 18:10-14

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, "God, I thank you that I am not like other people - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get."

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Jesus said

"I tell you that this man rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." 

Inner room prayers can be silent prayers or contemplative prayers. Jesus instructed that instead of making a show of it, this quiet time is where we begin to experience the transformation power of God. 

Yes, silent prayer transforms us. Henrí Nouwen calls this Silent Spirituality in his book The Way of the Heart; it 'molds self-righteous people into  gentle, caring, forgiving persons who are so deeply convinced of their own great sinfulness and so fully aware of God’s even greater mercy that their life itself becomes ministry.'

This is the Healing Grace so gently sung in this prayer song.

Merciful God and Father

Loving us like no other

Hear our prayer

The cry of our heart

As we come to You

We acknowledge our transgressions

We confess to You our sins

Show us mercy and compassion

Touch our lives with Your healing grace again

Release us from our past

As we seek Your face

Wash us free at last

We receive Your love

We receive Your healing grace

Lionel

I Have A Dream

'Though the fig tree does not bud and there were no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in God my Saviour. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.' Habakkuk 3:17-18 

On the 26 Mar 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA, police brutality caused the death and murder of black American, George Floyd. A dramatic 8 minutes video that went viral worldwide, showed footage of a white American policeman pressing his knees on George's neck against the sidewalk curb. For 8 minutes George's pleas of "I can't breathe" failed to receive any mercy until he died.

This brutal killing reignited deep-seated anger over police killings and racism. For the next 7 days, more than 75 US cities saw protests as thousands poured into these streets, which only a few days ago were deserted because of Corona virus lock-down. Unfortunately the protests soon turned violent. All over the USA, looting, burning and clashes with law enforcement became rampant. For many, these civil violence and outrage reflect years of frustration over socio-economic inequality and discrimination were still lurking in the USA.

Adam Edgerly of NewSong church in LA, in a sermon 'The Struggle for Justice' eloquently pointed out the reality of current deep-seated, oftentimes hidden, discrimination against people of colour all around the world. He warned that God will not stand for this grievous sin and will bring His judgement to bear on all of us and maybe using even the current violence that we are seeing. The prophet Habakkuk predicted that God will use the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the ensuing rampage as an instrument of His corrective action for the sins of His people, the Israelites. This sermon is recommended for your listening. 

Neither the Rev Edgerly nor Habakkuk were suggesting that Christians should use violence, looting or killings as retribution for injustices. Vengeance, rightly so, belongs only to God. God's people's way should be peaceful non-violent protest.

The finest example of a peaceful confrontation against discrimination also happened in the USA. The late Rev Martin Luther King led a peaceful protest of thousands of Americans, white, black and of all colours through the streets of Washington DC, culminating in the famous, 'I have a Dream' speech. He began the speech with, "I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation." It was a peaceful protest led by a godly person for God's people. One sentence of that speech is worth repeating, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation, where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character."  

Many of Dr King's dreams did come true in the USA but unfortunately, racial discrimination still lurks not only in America but also in nearly all parts of the world. Societies remain fragmented. Timothy Keller wrote in The Prodigal Prophet, "We cannot all put our own self-interests ahead of the common good and still have a functioning society." (Ref 1) 

Could the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russo-Ukraine war and the violence we see on the streets be a part of God's recrimination against such sins and injustices? 

Timothy Keller wrote "The dismaying news is that every act of disobedience has a storm attached to it. This is not to say that every difficult thing that comes into our lives is the punishment for some particular sin. The Bible does not say that every difficulty is the result of sin but it does teach that every sin will bring you into difficulty." (Ref 1) 

It is not fruitful to speculate on God's vengeance. Instead of speculation, let's think of God's intention for all of God's people to live in harmony. This was the same sentiment expressed by the late Dr King in his speech. Let's echo the words of this old song by the Ray Conniff singers, 'Harmony' 

In the words of St Paul,

'Live in harmony with everyone. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position...If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.'  Romans 12:16 and 18

The time has come, let us begin
With all our voices joining in
To sing of love and brotherhood
People doing what they should to

Help their fellow man decree
And fill this land with harmony
The young and old, the rich, the poor
Making sounds, never heard before

Harmony! harmony! 
Let's all join in harmony 
Sing away the hurt and fear
A great new dream will soon be here

Like the shepherd guards his sheep
Watch your children as they sleep
Like the potter turns his clay
Help to shape a better day, and

Let us sing a song of love
There's one thing I'm certain of
Love will fill the hearts of men
Peace will come on earth… 

Lionel

Ref 1: Timothy Keller, The Prodigal Prophet, Jonah and the Mystery of God's Mercy Hodder and Stoughton 2018.

Updated article. First published 4 June 2020

The Futility Of War: Destruction, Devastation, Death

The War In Ukraine

 

On the 24 Feb 2022, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, war began in Ukraine. This war is billed as the biggest military operations in Europe since WWII. Tanks rolled in, missiles struck, untold human suffering and property devastation began.  

The war in Ukraine reverberates throughout the world, affecting everything and impacts the lives of everyone on the planet. Today, 20 Mar 2022, the war ravages on for the 25th day. The Chinese philosopher wrote in the Tao Te Ching, 

"Thorn bushes spring up wherever the army has passed. Lean years follow in the wake of a great war."  

Why wage war? No one can see the rationale for going to war in the midst of a pandemic. The only explanation is the sinful nature of humankind, which leads to egocentricity and selfishness causing man's inhumanity to man. 

Humanism is an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Rev(Dr) Daniel Koh Kah Soon wrote, "Since the dawn of the Enlightenment, humanity tried to declare independence from God. The assumption is that we do not need God to help us make sense of the world or to help us find solutions to the complex challenges we face in our time. What we need we are told, is to depend on human ingenuity and with the help of human reasoning, we can progress without having to look to God for guidance and wisdom." (Ref 1)

Humanism centres on the idea of the supremacy of man, the notion of the rational, autonomous self and ignoring the conditioned sinful nature of the individual. Remember the temptation of Eve and Adam?

"You won't die!" the serpent replied to the woman. "God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil." Genesis 3:4

The prophet Jeremiah also spoke out against humanism in Jeremiah 17:5-6

Thus says the Lord:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man

and makes flesh his strength,

whose heart turns away from the Lord.

He is like a shrub in the desert,

and shall not see any good come.

He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,

in an uninhabited salt land." Jeremiah 17:5-6

Rev Koh went on, "Sadly,....the world is a mess. Many wars have been fought, nations against nations, tribes against tribes. Millions of people are homeless as victims of war and famine. More money have been ploughed into producing sophisticated weapons to destroy life and property than money spent in alleviating poverty." 

There is no end to wars. In 1918, the International Committee of the Red Cross released a statement on the Global Trends of War and their Humanitarian Impact:

• Wars are lasting much longer than they used to 20 years ago. 

• Wars are more often fought in highly populated urban areas, and when high powered explosive weapons are used, large numbers of civilians are at risk of death, injury, but also of losing their infrastructure – water systems, electricity, and jobs. These protracted, urban conflicts impact the basic health, water and sanitation systems, causing long-term, systemic impacts.

• Increasingly, the root causes of violence are unclear and difficult to address – they are often a tangled web of politically–motivated violence, terrorism and disproportionate reaction by states, inter-community and social violence, which often go hand-in-hand with economic crime. This also defies traditional legal concepts and challenges us with complex overlap between the legal frameworks.

• Armed warriors are more numerous, more radical but also less political and less structured. 

• Wars often involve partners, allies and coalitions – leading to a dilution of responsibility, fragmentation of chains of command and an unchecked flow of weapons. There is also a trend of denying responsibility or of passing responsibility to someone else down the line. This only increases the climate of impunity and ultimately causes yet more suffering.

In these times, human beings have become narcissistic self-lovers resulting quarrels and the fragmentation of human societies. The Apostle Paul warned,

'But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.' 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Against this back drop, Is there any hope for mankind? The Lord beckons us to repudiate humanism, sin and evil and return to Him. The Lord God promises blessings to all who trust in Him. The man who trust in God is secure, safe and need not seek any quarrel with his neighbour. 

'Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.'  Jeremiah 17:7-8

Remember the American Civil War Negro Spiritual 'Ain't Gonna Study War No More'? Those who trust in the Lord and lay down beside the riverside, will not go to war. 

I’m gonna lay down my heavy load, down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside
I’m gonna lay down my heavy load, down by the riverside,
I ain't gonna study war no more

I ain’t a gonna study war no more…….

Well, I’m gonna put on my long white robe,
 down by the riverside 
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside
I’m gonna put on my long white robe,
 down by the riverside
I ain't gonna study war no more

I ain’t a gonna study war no more….

Well, I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield,
 down by the riverside
Down by the riverside, down by the riverside
I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield,
 m; down by the riverside
I ain't gonna study war no more

President John F Kennedy noted,

"Mankind must put an end to war before war put an end to mankind."

Lionel

Ref 1: Daniel Koh Kah Soon, My Thoughts Are Not Your Thought. Up From The Ashes Hope Will Arise - Daily Devotions For Lent, 2022. Sower Publishers.