The Prayer Habit

'Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.' Mark 1:35

I used to find difficulty praying. My mind can never be still on a single topic for any sufficient length of time. I think too many thoughts at one time. Soon after I have settled on a prayer item, my mind would begin to wander. I have struggled with this disability for many years.

I used to watch my late father-in-law, the Rev Kao Jih Eng pray. He was a very active Chinese pastor for more than 40 years. He made for himself a ‘kneeling’ platform on which was attached a reading stand with a cross. Under this stand was a shelf holding 2 compartments. He would place cards with prayer petitions from his parishioners in one compartment. As he prayed through each item he transferred these cards into the other compartment and back again. He woke up early every morning to pray.

I read about St Theresa of Avila for whom prayer is the journey of the mind into the depths of the soul. She described prayer as moving from one room into another in one's spirit. Then, in the innermost sanctum of one’s being, one finds God and ecstasy.

In the heydays of the Charismatic movement, I would practise praying in tongues. Since my mind always strayed, why not just pray in tongues? I need not focus. Perhaps like St Teresa, I could still achieve the soul-satisfaction she described. But, there was a lingering worry that all I was seeking was some form of self-gratification and was not really communicating with God. 

Finally, I reckoned to live every moment and dedicate every day as a prayer to God. Just live through the day and when a petition, a thought, a praise comes to mind just whisper to the Lord, a word of thanks or a quick petition.

Here is an example of a prayerful moment. Whilst walking down a busy street one day, out of the blue, a song which I had not sung for more than 30 over years came to mind. It’s a composition from Sister Soeur Sourire, the Singing Nun and it is called 'It’s A Miracle.'

How I love to go for a walk along the street,

And to say, "Hello" to the people that I meet, 

And to watch the show of their happy, happy feet, 

And I say to myself, It's a miracle. 

Hal-le-lu, Hal-le-lu-ia! I sing as I walk along, 

Hal-le-lu, Hal-le-lu-ia, God gave me such a happy song.

Can’t you feel his love and joy in everything

In the wonder of the sparrow on the wind

In the sky above and the song that I now sing

And I say to myself it’s a miracle

Hal-le-lu, Hal-le-lu-ia! I sing as I walk along, 

Hal-le-lu, Hal-le-lu-ia, God gave me such a happy song.

In the joy of his love and the sky up above and the song that I sing

It’s a miracle.

I could not stop humming and singing the tune. So I sang it as a prayer to God and a prayer for all the people I was passing by. This is making prayer ubiquitous, praying all through the day, this is Continuous Prayer.

Henri Nouwen taught me another way to pray, "Listen to your heart. Praying is first and foremost listening to Jesus who dwells in the very depths of your heart. He doesn't shout. he doesn't thrust himself upon you, His voice is an unassuming voice, very nearly a whisper, the voice of a gentle love... This listening must be an active and very attentive listening, for in our restless and noisy world God's loving voice is easily drowned out. You need to set aside some time everyday for this active listening to God if only for ten minutes. 

You'll find it not easy to be still for ten minutes at a time. You'll discover straightaway that many voices, voices that are very noisy and distracting, voices that do not come from God, demand your attention. But if you stick to your daily prayer time, then slowly but surely you will come to hear the gentle voice of love and will long more and more to listen to it." Ref 1

This is Contemplative Prayer. So instead of trying to spend an hour in prayer, it might be better for me to spend short times of 10 minutes to find the place where God is, empty my thoughts and let God fill my mind. I used to think that contemplative prayer is some highly spiritual activity reserved for hermits and the Desert Fathers but difficult for the average person. It is something unachievable by people who are easily distracted. I no longer think this way. The discipline of contemplative prayer is particularly good for people who are busy, people who have many things on their plate so much so that it is good for them to get away for brief moments with the Lord. The Don Moen song 'I Just Want To Be Where You Are ' aptly describe this desire. 

Then there is Community Prayer, Henri Nouwen said, "Prayer is the language of the Christian community. In prayer the nature of the community becomes visible because the prayer we direct ourselves to the One who forms the community. We do not pray to each other but together we pray to God, who calls us and makes us a new people. By prayer, community is created as well as expressed."

When we pray in groups, we bind ourselves together. We learn that prayer is a most precious expression of our individual faiths so it needs the constant nurturing and support of the community. Jesus said

 

"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree on anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there I am in the midst of them." 

Matthew:18: 19-20 

Lionel

Ref 1: Henri Nouwen. You Are The Beloved. Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living. Hodder & Stoughton, 2017

First Published in May 2007

Unceasing Prayer

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'Pray without ceasing.' 1 Thess 5:17

18 August 2007, my daughter Becky wrote something on prayer: I tend to hang out a lot online and have become a member of a number of prominent message boards. One particular message board struck me, it started a little thread for prayer requests. The introduction of which is as follows,

"I am placing this thread here as a place for Christian players to request prayer. I plan to check the thread regularly, and pray for the requests. I encourage others to also pray in response to the prayer requests. I'll make the first request. Please help me pray for the wisdom, knowledge, and strength to be a better servant of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of the one true God. I hope that God is glorified through this thread." - Shaper Geneson

Although the thread itself isn't really popular, there have been a number of prayer requests from people and it's heartening to see prayer used to help others. 

I check the message board daily to pray for friends that I know and quite a  few people that I don't even know their real names. I figured, God knows who I'm talking about, even if I don't. I started to have had online friends who had troubles and told me about them. Seeing as I can't get out to Canada or Switzerland or America in the blink of an eye to give them hugs or advice directly, my best way of helping is to pray for them. I'll tell them that I'm doing it and pray with them over the microphone or just over chat in a chat room. 

God knows best, and it's almost surprising how much comfort people can take in prayer. And the prayers are answered, sometimes in very specific ways, I get feedback from friends about it. This keeps me going, even if I do feel embarrassed praying over a microphone for someone that I haven't even met. In fact, I've had people tell me that they've never been prayed for before. 

I cannot imagine not being prayed for. Praying for others and being prayed for is something I remember from way back when. I remember waking up early in mornings sometimes, lying in bed, I can see Papa or Mummy kneeling by my bedside praying for me. It is something comforting, knowing that God has my back and that I'm not the only one struggling to pray for myself - that other people care as well. To me, prayer is the most powerful tool that we Christians have. I mean, to be able to talk with God? That's pretty important stuff! 

I recall that one pastor in my church once observed that in Jerusalem, they rock when they pray. Why? Because it's GOD that they're talking to when they pray. Why shouldn't they pray with all their heart and soul, mind and body? It's GOD. 

So, take some time off sometime today and do some praying. I generally do every day before I sleep. I take time to tell God what I've done today, thank him for the funny addresses (simple pleasures that keep me going) in my work as well as for the many many blessings he has given me, I thank him for dying on the cross for my sins. I pray for my family, for friends that I know the names of, for friends I don't know the names of and for people I don't know from Adams. Then I pray for myself. Then, I thank God for listening to it all and being patient enough. 

Praying really reminds me of everything that I have to thank and praise him for. The words come out easily. Sometimes, I have so much to say, I fall asleep saying it. But, it's a good thing, because I've touched base with God.

So, take some time now, today, whenever... and just sit down with your family, or someone that you know, or someone that you don't even know but you've been listening to (My pastor even prays for complete strangers he's met on the bus!) ... and pray. Because it's important.  

Lionel adds: We could make our prayers instinctive as Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, 'Pray without ceasing.' But how do we pray without ceasing? 24/7? I think the answer is to try weave prayer into our everyday life and routine. To some extent Becky has weaved prayer into her IT routine. We are now learning to have Zoom prayer sessions. 

We can also establish a ubiquitous prayerful attitude for all our waking moments. Brother Lawrence observed that it is a great delusion to think that the times of prayer ought to differ from other times. Henri Nouwen wrote, 'By the discipline of prayer we are awakened and opened to God, who enters into our heartbeats and our breathing, into our thoughts and emotions, our hearing, seeing, touching and tasting. We give ourselves over to this incredible Presence, who takes possession of all our senses. By doing this, our unceasing thinking is converted into unceasing prayer, moving us from a self-centred monologue to a God-centred dialogue.' Ref 1

Dallas Willard noted that 'Prayer is never just asking nor is it merely a matter of asking for what I want. Prayer is a matter of explicitly sharing with God my concerns. And of course he is concerned about my concerns and, in particular my concerns should coincide with His. It is the inevitable result of someone who understands God and is actually living interactively with Him.' Ref 2

The song, The Prayer, popularised by Andrea Borcelli and Celine Dion celebrates this interactive living with God, that resonates in our prayers.

I pray you'll be our eyes, and watch us where we go

And help us to be wise in times when we don't know

Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way

Lead us to the place, guide us with your grace

To a place where we'll be safe

With such a prayerful 24/7 encapsulation of our lives, we become receptacles of the divine through the pathway of prayer.

 

Becky and Lionel 

Ref 1: Henri Nouwen. You are the Beloved, Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living. Hodder and Stoughton, 2017

Ref 2: Dallas Willard. The Divine Conspiracy, Rediscovering our Hidden Life in God. HarperCollins, 1997

1st Published on 18 Aug 2007

Excessive Happiness

'My joy may be in you and that your joy may full' John 15:11

Excessive happiness is the theme of the movie Patch Adam. It is based on the true story of a doctor who wanted to build a hospital where the ethos is humanity and laughter. Patch Adams used play,  laughter and humour to treat his patients with significant success especially for those with mental illness.

In the 1998 movie, Robin Williams plays a doctor who thinks play is part of healing. The movie starts with a suicidal Adams in a mental institution who discovers a new view on life by using pranks to manage his condition. After qualifying as a doctor, Adams started a free clinic where he clowns around with patients as part of their treatment. 

In life we must learn to take things less seriously, relax and have fun. William Wilberforce asserted that Christians should learn to have fun, 'God has provided a multitude of ways to provide good, proper recreation and amusement. True Christians find relaxation in the company of friends and social discourse. They enjoy the benefits of the experience of love, hope, joy and all sources of goodwill extended toward others. The deeper source of happiness comes from the peace of mind from a relationship with Jesus Christ.'

Dallas Willard wrote 'One of the most outstanding features of Jesus' personality was precisely an abundance of joy.' He want to give us His joy and there should not be any joyless Christians. Such Christians did not learn this secret, they are running on their own steam and are not anchored to God so that they may go though life not expressing this joy that is in them. 

Jesus reveals to us God's love so that His joy may be ours and that our joy may be complete. This abundance of joy or excessive happiness, is a hallmark of Christianity. C.S. Lewis discovered this early; in the autobiography of his conversion to Christianity, expressed that in becoming a Christian he appropriated Joy. Hence he entitled this book, 'Surprised by Joy.'

I think that there is a difference between happiness and joy; happiness is a state of the mind whereas joy is a state of the soul. Some people think of joy as a feeling but feelings can be fleeting, subjective and dependent on circumstances whereas as a blessing from God it is best seen as an attribute, a quality in the person. The Chinese have a saying that it will show on faces, that which is really a quality within.

The bible promises: 

'You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. 'Psalms 16:11

'The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy.' Psalms 126:3

'You will go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the filed will clap their hands.' Isaiah 55:12

'You have made known to me the paths of life, You will fill me with joy in your presence.' Acts 2:28

Dr Adams used happiness to bring healing to the body and mind but the joy that the Lord gives is healing for the soul. Let's determine to be and stay joyful all the days of our lives, as advised by this verse on a greeting card.

'Choose this day to live in Joy

Life goes by in a blink of an eye.

It is too short to live upset, angry, resentful or ungrateful.

Choose to be happy, to be at peace

Decide each day is going to be a great day

and grab each moment and make the best of it.'

Be joyful in every circumstance for 'The Joy of the Lord is My Strength.'

The joy of the LORD is my strength

The joy of the LORD is my strength

The joy of the LORD is my strength

The joy of the LORD is my strength

He heals the broken-hearted and they cry no more

He heals the broken-hearted and they cry no more

He heals the broken-hearted and they cry no more

The joy of the LORD is my strength!

He gives me living water and I thirst no more

He gives me living water and I thirst no more

He gives me living water and I thirst no more

The joy of the LORD is my strength!

He fills my soul with laughter

Ha, ha, ha … ha, ha (ha ha)

He fills my soul with laughter

Ha, ha, ha … ha, ha (ha ha)

He fills my soul with laughter

Ha, ha, ha … ha, ha

The joy of the LORD is my strength!

If you want joy you must ask for it

If you want joy you must ask for it

If you want joy you must ask for it

The joy of the LORD is my strength!

Lionel

The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow

Sunrise over Corfu

'Why my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Pit your hope in God for I will yet praise him, my saviour and my God.' Psalms 42:5

The sun will come up tomorrow. This is not a statement of inevitability, it is a statement of hope, optimism and expectation. The phrase comes from the title of a song in the 1977 musical 'Annie.' Li'l Orphan Annie is an eleven-year-old girl; a plucky, generous, compassionate, and optimistic youngster. In 2014, modern version of the motion picture 'Annie', starring Quvenzhané Wallis was released.

It was this song 'The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow' that captures her optimism and enthusiasm 

The sun will come out tomorrow

Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow

There'll be sun

Just thinkin' about tomorrow

Clears away the cobwebs and the the sorrow

'Til there's none

When I'm stuck with a day 

That's gray and lonely

I just stick out my chin 

And grin and say, oh

The sun'll come out tomorrow

So ya gotta hang on 'til tomorrow

Come what may

Tomorrow, tomorrow

I love ya tomorrow

Your're always a day away

Today we are stuck with this horrendous Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the potential of second and other waves, many of us hang on to prospect that it will disappear one day. There will be a tomorrow where the Covid-19 virus will be eradicated. We refuse to be brought to heel and those who believe in tomorrow can live better today.

 

This is Christianity, a religion of hope. The Lord assures us in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Indeed those of us who have no hope for the future cannot live creative and purposeful lives today.

Martyn Lloyd Jones described a living hope that, " not only enables a man to go through the very worst that hell can produce against him. This lively hope also enables him to do so with assurance, and with a sense of triumph." He quotes from Romans 8:37-39, 'No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' 

This optimistic hope is witness of true Christianity and opens up an avenue for evangelising. The hope in every Christian even in the darkest of times can be a beacon of light. 'Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asked you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear' 1 Peter 3:15

So what is the reason for the hope that is in us? The love of Christ

Lionel

Let Your Love Flow



Let Your Love Flow Like A Mountain Spring

"Love one another because I loved you first" John 4:19

The Shiraito Falls is in the Karuizama-maci in the Nagano Prefecture. It is the spring head of the Yukawa River and flow like white threads rolling down the the rock face. The source of water comes from rainfall on Mount Asama and it penetrates the earth, travels underground only to surface as the Shiraito Falls an estimated six years later. It is a never ending flow of water, it seems, never drying up.

On 3 October 2018, Pat, Christine (my sister) and I went in search of Shiraito Falls. We almost could not find it as the road leading to it was not clearly signposted. Then we had to walk into a forest before we came to an opening. The scene that greeted us was quite unique, a long stretch of crystal clear water flowing down a low embankment like bridal veils. As I stood there enjoying the misty sprays of cold water a catchy refrain, 'Let your love flow like a mountain spring' came to mind. The same expression of love as flowing water is used by the Bible in the Song of Songs 4:15, when describing a lover, 'You are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon.'    

The Bellamy Brothers, Homer and David, released 'Let Your Love Flow' in 1976. People see this as a romantic popular song.  However, the Bellamy Brothers come from a Christian background and started off their career in Gospel music. "Gospel was really the first thing we sang," Homer said, recalling early performances at a nearby church growing up in Florida. Hence this song Let Your Love Flow also celebrates the Love of God, a forever fresh love that flows like the mountain spring.

There's a reason for the sun shiny sky

And there's a reason why I'm feelin' so high

Must be the season

When that love light shines all around us

So let that feelin' grab you deep inside

And send you reelin' where your love can't hide

And then go stealin'

Through the summer nights with your lover

Just let your love flow like a mountain stream

And let your love grow with the smallest of dreams

And let your love show

And you'll know what I mean, it's the season

Let your love fly like a bird on the wing

And let your love bind you to all living things

And let your love shine

And you'll know what I mean, that's the reason

There's a reason for the warm sweet nights

And there's a reason for the candle lights

Must be the season

When those love rites shine all around us

So let that wonder take you into space

And lay you under its loving embrace

And feel the thunder as it warms your face

You can't hold back.

This song describes the Joie d'Vivre (Joy of Living) that stems from the love of God whenever we can express it.

In the 1970s, there was a popular small booklet written by a Walter Tobisch entitled 'Love is a Feeling to be Learned.' It is an advisory book on love and courtship but the title, is intriguing. Love is a feeling to be learnt? One usually thinks that love just happens, spontaneous and inexplicable; sometimes defying reason - so how could it be learnt? As we grow older, it will start to dawn on us that love is often learnt and the knowledge of how to be and stay in love anchors all lasting relationships. If romantic love is but a fleeting moment, unconditional, agape love that God gives is a never ending stream.

An advice from CS Lewis is pertinent, “Now ‘being in love’ may be a good reason for getting married, though,  as far as I can see, it is not a perfect one, for you can fall in love with someone most unsuitable, and even with someone you don’t really like or trust. Being in love is not the deeper unity that makes man and woman one. I am told (indeed I can see it by looking around me) that ‘being in love’ doesn’t last. I don’t think it was ever intended to. I think it’s a sort of explosion that starts the engine; it is the pie-crust not the pie. The real thing, I understand, is something far deeper – something you can live on. I think you can be madly in love with someone you would be sick of after ten weeks; and I’m pretty sure you can be bound heart and soul to someone about whom you don’t, at that moment, feel excited.” 

The thrill of being in love can be so irresistible. We act right away on the impulse that romance, a feeling call love, is the only important thing in marriage. However, there is a big difference between what we call ‘being in love’ and the solid, persistent and indeed ever-increasing sacrificial quality - not only of attraction, but of bonding - between a man and a woman. That kind of love works on a spiritual dimension, given and sustained by God. This is the love for husband and wife and the key to a successful marriage.

Such love, also goes for other relationships, beyond marriage, for the love we can give is underpinned by the love of God. It is this agape love that keeps the fire of these relationships warm and alive. By the giving of God's love in us, we make His unconditional love, visible.

Lionel

Ref 1: Deborah Evans Price Reuters/Billboard 21 May 2007

First Published 11 Aug 2012

Why Do Fools Fall In Love?

"Those who loved me," Jesus says, "will be loved by my father, and I too will love them" John 14:21

In 1956, a song "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" reached No 1 on the R&B charts and was acclaimed to be one of the records that defined the new and rising genre of rock and roll. It was written and recorded by a group Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers and helped to make Frankie Lymon a rock and roll pioneer. Frankie was only thirteen years old when the song became a hit. 

 

“Love is a losing game

Love can be a shame

I know of a fool you see, for that fool is me

Tell me why, tell my why?

Why do fools fall in love

Why do birds sing so gay?

And lovers await the break of day

Why do they fall in love?”

 

The song proved to be a self fulfilling prophecy for Frankie Lymon. After the success, Lymon started a solo singing career but it all fell apart. Lymon's career was over by the time he was eighteen years old, and he died of a heroin overdose seven years later. He was unable to develop any meaningful relationships with women.

One could well have asked the same question, “Why do fools fall in love” of the marriage between the prophet Hosea and his wife, Gomer. In Hosea 1:2 it is recorded “The LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her.”

 

It was a strange command; a strange relationship developed. Time and time again Gomer, Hosea’s wife, would prove unfaithful to him and repeatedly, Hosea would reconcile with her. Hosea 3:1 recorded “The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulterer. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

 

Why? The love-relationship between Hosea and his unfaithful wife, Gomer would be the showcase of God’s relationship with His people. Despite the unfaithfulness of God’s people, the Israelites, who would time and time again turned to other gods, God’s forgiving love continually forgave and restored the special covenant between God and His people. Hosea's love mirrored God's redeeming love for the Israelites and for Christians.

 

Recently, Michael Card composed “The Song of Gomer”; the first verse and chorus read:

“Don't know what he sees in me

He is spirit, he is free

And I, the wife of adultery

Gomer is my name.

Simply more than I can see

How he keeps on forgiving me;

How he keeps his sanity

Hosea, you're a fool.

Chorus: 

A fool to love someone like me, 

A fool to suffer silently;

Though sometimes through your eyes I see

I'd rather be a fool.”

There is a sharp contrast between Michael’s song compared with Frankie’s. Michael’s song speaks of a true and faithful love, Frankie’s song spoke of fleeting romance.

Love is all about relationship. As Christians, we are blessed; we enjoy an enduring relationship with God. This began when we received our salvation in Christ and this love grows as our relationship with Christ matures. Even then we often fail God; our love for God fickle, failing and fleeting. Yet, God’s love for us is forthright, faithful and forever. It forms the basis of our enduring walk with God.

We are loved by God and we belong to Him. Henri Nouwen wrote, "God says to you, "I have called you from all eternity and you are engraved from all eternity in the palms of My hands. You are Mine. You belong to Me and I love you with an everlasting love." (Ref 1) 

Lionel

Ref 1: Henri Nouwen, You Are the Beloved, Daily Meditations For Spiritual Living. Hodder & Stoughton 2017

Adapted from a sermon given by Rev(Dr) Andrew Peh on the 23 Sep 2012

Updated from a previous article dated 10 Nov 2012

 

A Many Splendoured Thing

 

'Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ?' Romans 8:35a

Christians usually describe four types of love:

• Affection (storge,). A fondness between family members or people who have found themselves in a relationship.

• Friendship (phileo). A strong bond between people who share common interest or activity.

• Attraction (eros). Romantic love.

• Charity (agape) - Unconditional love.

Unfortunately when we look at love in this way, love becomes cold and expressionless. We reduce love from a powerful emotion and attribute to an intellectual concept. Instead, when we experience love, it is a wonderful and overflowing feeling. It's exhilarating! 

Therefore, I prefer to look at love as in the song 'Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing' based an a romantic novel by Han Suyin:

Love is a many-splendoured thing,

It's the April rose that only grows in the early spring,

Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living,

The golden crown that makes a man a king.

Once on a high and windy hill,

In the morning mist two lovers kissed

and the world stood still,

Then your fingers touched my silent heart

and taught it how to sing,

Yes, true love's a many-splendoured thing.

To help us experience and appreciate this kind of love, the Bible teaches us to love sincerely and absolutely, that is, to “Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it” (Romans 12:9 The Message).

The 17th Century French Bishop Francois Fénelon, (Ref 1) wrote, "I live on love. Love does everything within me. It is only out of love that I was created. And it is only inasmuch as I love, that I do what God intended to do by creating me”. Fénelon knew that to be loved and to love is the deepest yearning of the human spirit. He also knew that love must be everything to a person, in order to give and receive love unconditionally. 

Hence, Saint Paul, in 1 Cor 13:4-8, described love unabashedly, 

"Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonour others,it is not self-seeking,

It is not self-seeking, its is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails." 

We all want to have somebody love us truly. God has given us the grace and ability to give and receive such a love. He loves us so that by His example, we can also love another. Love is at the centre of every Christian inter-relationship. It does not matter what kind of love, romantic, filial or agape; just love sincerely, absolutely and unconditionally and we will be living out God’s will and intention for us.

Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. As I have loved you, you should also love one another” (John 13:34).


Lionel

Ref 1. R J Edmonson and R M Helms The Complete Fenelon Paraclete Press, 2008. pp 238-240

Post previously November 2010

Love Changes Everything

'Love never fails.' 1 Cor 13:8

On 20 Jan 2011, as any first-time tourists to Northern India would, Pat and I made the customary visit to the Taj Mahal. It is the most beautiful building we have ever seen. The Taj Mahal certainly lives up to its name and reputation as the "crown of buildings”. It has a simplistic, symmetrical, white, pristine and feminine beauty which will fix the eye and drop the jaw of any observer. I stood in awe of it and celebrated the artistic imagination and creative inspiration of the human race.

This pure beauty aptly and eternally celebrates what must have been a stunning beauty of a woman, Mumtaz Mahal, to whose memory this mausoleum was built. Mumtaz Mahal, meaning 'jewel of the palace', was the third wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. So enthralling was her beauty that Shah Jahan fell in love with her at first sight at the age of fourteen. They were married five years later and she became his inseparable companion till her death after giving birth to her fourteenth child. It is said that Shah Jahan was so heartbroken that he ordered the court into mourning for two years.

Some time after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world's most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. Construction took 22 years from 1632 to 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen and in its building, almost bankrupting the coffers of the rich and mighty Mughal Empire. It also cost Shah Jahan his kingdom. When the building was completed, his son confined him to house arrest and usurped his throne in an effort to stop the blatant expenditure and save the economy of the country.

The Taj Mahal stands today as a symbol to love and romance. For Shah Jahan, “Love Changes Everything”

Love, love changes everything:

Hands and faces, earth and sky,

Love, love changes everything:

How you live and how you die.

Love can make the summer fly,

Or a night seem like a lifetime.

Yes, Love, love changes everything:

Now I tremble at your name.

Nothing in the world will ever be the same

(click on title to hear a Michael Ball’s rendition of this song on YouTube).

One thing love changes is fear. Henri Nouwen stated, "Fear makes us run away from each other or cling to each other but does not create true intimacy. Fear makes us move away from each other to a safe distance. But laying our hearts totally open to God leads us to a love of ourselves that enables us to give whole-hearted love to our fellow human beings. In the house of God's love we come to see with new eyes and hear with new ears and thus recognise all people, whatever their race, religion, sex, wealth, intelligence or background, belong to the same house. God's house has no dividing walls or closed doors" (Ref 1).

We are afraid to commit. We are afraid of the 'Taj Mahal' brand of love. Ravi Zacharias wrote  “Love is a commitment that will be tested in the most vulnerable areas of spirituality, a commitment that will force you to make some very difficult choices. It is a commitment that demands that you deal with your lust, your greed, your pride, your power, your desire to control, your temper, your patience, and every area of temptation that the Bible clearly talks about. It demands the quality of commitment that Jesus demonstrates in His relationship to us.”  

Yet, Jesus Christ expects all Christians to aspire to the highest aspect of love - Agape or unconditional and sacrificial love. In John 15:12-13 Jesus said “This is my command: Love one another the way I love you. This is the best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friend." By these words Jesus shows how far love to another should extend, even to the laying down of our lives for our friends and neighbours.  

Lionel

Ref 1: Henri Nouwen, You are the Beloved. Daily Meditation for Spiritual Living. Hodder and Stoughtom, 2017

Peace That Breaks Down Every Wall.

Great Wave off Kanagawa

'For He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.' Ephesians 2:14

Most of us can instantly recognise the Japanese woodblock print, Katsushika Hokusai's 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa.' The raging tide and high waves in the forefront confront the viewer. Yet set in the background is the peace and tranquility of Mount Fiji, Japan's revered mountain. One art critic states that this wood-print 'gracefully distills the power of the ocean.' The serenity of a perfectly symmetrical, pristine snow capped Mount Fuji, calms the oceanic forces. 

These are very turbulent times. The Covid-19 pandemic caused severe disruptions to life and stability. The images of community protests and riots in the USA disturb the soul. There is fierce anger against racial discrimination, may be rightly so, but very destructive nonetheless. At such times when we look for peace, our minds conjure up the picture of the tsunami interpose with serene picture of Mount Fuji. Then, we wonder whether the waves will subside, in time, before they reach the shore and destroy everything. 

The Hebrew word Shalom for peace connotes a total and comprehensive well-being. It is peace with fullness, completeness; harmony in every way. A serenity which transcends all people and nations. But unfortunately, it is so elusive.

Perhaps the juxtaposing of a peaceful Mount Fuji against turbulent waves is no more than cynical expression of this impossibility. 

Jesus holds out the hope for peace. His birth ushered in this hope and His second coming will establish peace forever (Isaiah 9:6, 7a):

'For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given

and the government will be on His shoulders.

And He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Might God, 

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end.'  

  

There will be everlasting peace, Isaiah 11:6-9:

'The wolf will live with the lamb,

the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together; 

and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear,

their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play near the hole of the cobra

and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. 

They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.'

There will be personal peace, John 14:7

'Peace I leave with you,

my peace I give you.

I do not give as the world gives.

Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.'

 

In turn,we are expected to become peacemakers and a blessing was pronounced 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God' Matthew 5:9. Start small, first with ourselves, then family, friends and colleagues. Expunge every prejudice. Endeavour to live out the prayer of St Francis, 'Make Me A Channel of Your Peace.' 

Lionel

 

 

  

Water Everywhere Yet Not A Drop To Drink

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" Matthew 5:6

The Rime (Rhyme) of the Ancient Mariner was written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and published in 1798. It tells the story of a mariner, who was doomed to sail aimlessly through stormy seas and adrift in hot endless oceans. They were endlessly drifting because the ancient mariner, on an impulse, shot and kill an albatross who was leading the ship out of the Antarctic ice sheets on which they were trapped. The ship's crew blamed him for their misfortune and placed the dead albatross around his neck. 

The Albatross Around His Neck

The Ancient Mariner struggled to find a meaning to his suffering and solutions to the long-term predicament but to no avail. At one point the ship ran out of water in a lifeless ocean which spawned the memorable line in this poem, "Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink."

Like the sailors in the tale, we find ourselves adrift searching for answers to questions during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Why is it taking so long for the pandemic to pass? Will we be able to maintain our jobs and livelihoods? We try to find meaning to this suffering and grief that affected so many families. We are apt to lay blame on anyone and anything. Some may even blame God. 

Yet, this is exactly the right time to look to God. The Bible often spoke of times of famines, hunger and thirst during which people turned to God. During such times we look to God to be filled. In his struggles, the Ancient Mariner managed to pray, the albatross finally fell from his neck, his guilt was expiated and his suffering alleviated.  

"Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink" is a refrain of despair. There are other words about thirst and water, the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman at the well. It is one of reassurance, "whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst again. Indeed the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." 

This conversation, Jesus Met The Woman At The Well was made into song in the 1960s and sung by Peter, Paul and Mary. It began with a simple question by Jesus, "Will you give me a drink." Jesus was thirsty and He knew it; conversely the woman was thirsty but she did not know. He led her step by step, going over embarrassing facts about her life, until she  realised her greatest need. She met Jesus, He transformed her life. 

My elder daughter, Debbie said, "It is so amazing how Jesus always had the right words to say to people. He was able to tailor his conversation to inspire the educated as well as the despised. At the well, Jesus met a Samaritan woman and he offered her the water of life. How appropriate, to be meeting at a well and talking about water! It was the right thing to say at the time." 

We are all seeking for answers especially now than ever before. There will be an appropriate word for us today. Come to Jesus, Come to the Water.

You said You'd come and share all my sorrows,
You said You'd be there for all my tomorrows;
I came so close to sending You away,
But just like You promised You came there to stay;
I just had to pray!

And Jesus said, "Come to the water, stand by My side,
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied;
I felt ev'ry teardrop when in darkness you cried,
And I'm here to remind you that for those tears I died."

Jesus, I give You my heart and my soul,
I know that without God I'd never be whole;
Savior, You opened all the right doors,
And I thank You and praise You from earth's humble shores;
Take me, I'm Yours.

Lionel