No Man Is An Island

Fyfield Down Neolithic Stones

'Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls down one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.' Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

A sad commentary of our individual-centric modern living reality is found in the words of Simon and Garfunkel ‘I am a rock. I am a Island’ This song drums in all the loneliness of life without companionship or friendship. The second verse reads,

“I've built up walls, a fortress deep and mighty,

that nothing penetrates.

I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain.

It's laughter and it's loving I disdain.

I am a rock, I am an island.”

In Tokyo, a guide informed that there are many homeless people in the city. And it is entirely by personal choice and preference that they desert friends and families to wander the streets alone. They are not poor. They are never hungry because the Japanese strict laws on the validity period of food ensured that they had lots to eat. Food sold in supermarkets had to be discarded immediately, once expired. These people are spoilt for choice as far as food is concerned. They choose to become distant islands in a sea of humanity.

During the lockdown caused by Covid-19, our church decided to house homeless people. We discovered to our dismal surprise that there are many homeless men and women in Singapore!

They preferred to be left alone; pitiful sights of old men and women left to wander alone in crowded cities. In 1969, Ralph McTell wrote the song, "The Streets of London." It was inspired as Mc Tell was basking at the Surrey Street market in Croydon. The song laments the plight of the homeless, lonely and elderly who are largely ignored by society. 

"Have you seen the old man in the closed-down market

Picking up the paper, with his worn out shoes?

In his eyes you see no pride and hands held loosely by his side

Yesterday's paper telling yesterday's news.

So how can you tell me you're lonely, And say for you that the sun don't shine?

Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London

I'll show you something to make you change your mind."

We ask, why this sad state of affairs? The likely answer is that in a modern city, Singapore included, everyone is busy. We are too busy with climbing up the corporate ladder, too busy for anyone. Along with this busyness is a healthy dose of selfishness; too much of worrying of one's self to be concerned with others. 

Remember the song, “The Cat’s in the Cradle?” The son is always asking his dad when is he coming home. The father replies that he will be home soon enough but he does not know when. But when the dad comes home they are going to have a good time together. Unfortunately, this never happens. So tragically when the father finally had the time, the kid had grown up and this time the kid has no time for this dad.

The last verse of the song recorded that the father retired and now has time for his son but the son is too busy.  

I used to think that I would work till I die but when I turned 68, I decided that I will retire. I realised that the desire to keep on working was an ego trip designed to satisfy the feeling of being wanted or important at work. I changed my mind because by that time we had an empty nest at home for several years. I felt that the two of us, Pat and I should be able to spend our remaining years with each other and with people who are dear to us. 

So now we decided to holiday more and visit with our two daughters and their families in Newcastle, Australia and Marlborough, UK. We enjoy the privilege of scenic views, different cultures, different cuisines and understanding different histories. We realised that the world has diminished in size; people and places are not that far away after all. It is good to be able to view life and world together. 

We were ever so busy, growing our marriage, my career and our two daughters. Watching our children through their childhood and formative years was a delight. Before we know it we have been married 45 years now. The time to build a career and raising a family has taken all our attention. Before we grow too old, we should appreciate what we have the love, the companionship and the time for each other.

This was also the insight for King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 4:8-12. Solomon concluded that life on earth was futile. The sad commentary Solomon made was about a rich man who was all alone. No one, no family, no relatives, no friends,

'There was a man all alone; he had either son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked, "and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" This too is meaningless- a miserable business!' Ecclesiastes 4:8

Solomon came to the conclusion,

'Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. Also if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves, A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.' Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

In the many places that Pat and I have visited around the world, we view with much pity the lonely lives of old men and women. This is a sad reflection of modern societies that revere individualism and independence and do not value friendships, dependencies and community. 

John Donne, who was left alone and expected to die of bubonic plague wrote in 1623. "No man is an island, entire of itself; Every man is a piece of a continent, a part of the main..." 

Loneliness should not happen in Christian communities. An understanding of the fellowship and interdependencies between men and women was evident in the early church among apostles and believers,

'They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.' Acts 2:42. 

Appreciating neighbourliness and friendships is a counterpoise to the proud and boastful, "I am a rock, I am an island." Better the old Swedish saying, 'Shared joy is double joy, shared sorrow is half a sorrow.'      

·    Lionel

Updated 1st published 12 Jul 2008

The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth

Saint Patrick

'Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.' Matthew 5:5

Life is full of paradoxes and the most intriguing paradox is the statement 'The meek shall inherit the earth.' Given this dog-eat-dog societal mentality these days, it would have been most laughable if it had not indeed been uttered by Jesus Christ Himself in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:5. But if you have lived for three scores and ten years, like me, you will realise after observing life on this earth, that there is much truth in what Jesus said. 

Two messages I heard recently lend credence to this Beatitude. 

• The weak shall become strong - Nicky Gumbel
• Silence speaks louder than words. - Bishop (Dr) Gordon Wong

Both messages were about missions and missionaries. They bring much hope and confidence for the simple, ordinary folks who availed themselves to actualise God's calling to serve Him as missionaries. 

The Weak Shall Become Strong. Nicky Gumbel (Ref 1) shared about the life of  Saint Patrick. Patrick came from Cumbria in Northern England. At the age of 16 he was captured by Irish raiders who brought him to Ireland to serve as a slave herding and tending sheep. 

Nicky Gumbel wrote, 'Patrick was poorly educated, ineloquent and faced significant opposition throughout his ministry from those who felt that he wasn't up to the task. Even as an old man he admitted, "Today I still blush and fear more than anything to have my lack of learning brought out to the open." Yet despite all his disadvantages Patrick remained convinced that God had called him to be an evangelist.' 

Patrick wrote, 'We are a letter of Christ for salvation even to the back of beyond - and what does it matter if it is not a learned letter? For it is still to be found valid and plain for all to read, written in your very hearts and not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God!' 

Understanding his weakness, St Patrick said, "If I have any worth it is to live my life for God so as to teach these people; even though some of them still look down on me."

Nicky commented, 'Even Patrick's weakness was anointed! Today long after his more eloquent contemporaries have long been forgotten, the impact of St Patrick's ministry and mission to Ireland 1500 years ago is still recognised around the world.' 

Patrick became the patron saint of Ireland and is annually honoured in Ireland and many Catholics with the celebration of Saint Patrick's Day on March 17. 

Silence Speaks Louder Than Words. The Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore, Rev (Dr) Gordon gave the message on the 30th anniversary of the Methodist Missions Society. He entitled it, 'Spreading the News?' with a question mark on purpose. The Bishop said that contrary to all expectations, after performing miracles, Jesus cautioned his disciples against spreading the news. 

After healing a leper in Matthew 8:4 Jesus said to him, 'See that you don't tell anyone.'  After restoring the sight of two blind man, Jesus warned them sternly, 'See that no one knows about this.' Matthew 9:30. When he was healing large crowds in Matthew 12:15-16. Jesus warned them not to tell others about Him. In Matthew 16:20, Jesus ordered His disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Isaiah prophesied the coming of Jesus Christ,

'Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him and He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout out or cry out or raise His voice in the streets.' Isaiah 42:1-2

In these days, of public relations, we might think it strange that Jesus preferred to do things the quiet way. Someone said, 'If you can't win by reason, you got to go for volume.' 

Similarly, Bishop Gordon Wong advised the Methodist Missionaries not to spread the gospel by shouting loudly in public but by being the good news. He said more powerful will be good deeds done with quiet love in secret. St Francis of Assisi was quoted.

'Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words' 

The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth. Bishop Emeritus Robert M Solomon in his book, the Sermon of Jesus wrote that meekness is not listlessness, a lack of courage nor the absence of strong convictions. In a world where people fight for supremacy, to be king of the heap, the person who is meek is someone who

• Trusts in God
• Gentle because strength is from God.
• Depends on God and not on own resources
• Strength under control, derived from submission to God
• Has a passionate delight in God
• Enjoys God's presence
• Knows and Obeys God's Word.
• Waits on God in stillness and patience
• Inner strength that need not be outwardly visible
• No drive for fleeting and temporary gains

Such a person, wrote the Bishop, has no need to emulate the winning ways of the world. That person is Jesus Christ as Graham Kendrick aptly described Him in the paradoxical mystery of this song Meekness and Majesty: 

 

Meekness and majesty,
Manhood and Deity,
In perfect harmony,
The Man who is God.
Lord of eternity
Dwells in humanity,
Kneels in humility
And washes our feet.

O what a mystery,
Meekness and majesty.
Bow down and worship
For this is your God,
This is your God.

Father's pure radiance,
Perfect in innocence,
Yet learns obedience
To death on a cross.
Suffering to give us life,
Conquering through sacrifice,
And as they crucify
Prays: 'Father forgive.'

Wisdom unsearchable,
God the invisible,
Love indestructible
In frailty appears.
Lord of infinity,
Stooping so tenderly,
Lifts our humanity
To the heights of His throne

Lionel

Ref 1. Nicky Gumbel The Bible in One Year Day 154

Ref 2. Robert M Solomon The Sermon of Jesus. Armour Publishing, 2013

Overcoming Giants

The Coronavirus

The virus is infinitesimal in size, only  80 to 120 nm in diameter. But it has caused a gigantic public health problem, which by today 261,369,507 citizens of this world were infected and 5,212,341 people died.

Put yourself in the shoes of the Scientists, Public Health and Infectious Diseases experts helping the various governments deal with the scourge of the Covid-19 virus. They faced, waves after waves of infections, one lock down after another as the virus like a chameleon start to morph into different strains each threatening to be deadlier than the former. 

Recently a new variant, the Omicron from South Africa is causing a scare as it was reported to have multiple mutations on the spike protein, an essential pathway for the virus to gain entry into the cells. Countries in Europe that open up for travel and business now face new lockdowns and record infections as winter approaches

A world war has been launched against the pandemic. The challenges and obstacles for the virus fighters seem to be almost insurmountable. How will we overcome this giant? I am reminded about another battle of unequal odds, David and Goliath. We could draw lessons from this epic battle described in the Bible to encourage us as we face our own clear and present dangers. 

Goliath was a giant. He was 9 feet tall and a champion of the Philistines. He looked formidable and towering. Facing him was a young shepherd boy, David who had chosen to come at Goliath with 5 stones and his sling. There was never a match in history that was so one-sided. 

But David had God on his side. David said to the Philistine,

'You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty... This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down.' 1 Samuel 17:45-46.

We all know how this battle ended. We all sang the familiar Sunday School tune, 'Only A Boy Called David' and his little sling and five stones. But just knowing the narrative and singing the simple Sunday school tune fails to elicit fundamental truths that ultimately led to David's victory.

These are the qualities David brought into the battle 

• Courage to face huge risks and dangers.
• Tenacity to stay in the fight against all odds
• Belief in the miracle of a winning outcome
• Faith in God who gives strength.

A new song, 'God of the Impossible' features these qualities of David: 

Oh oh oh

Oh oh oh

Just a boy with a sling and a stone,

But the heart of a lion dared him to go.

To hear the sound of the cynical,

Die out with the sound of the giant's fall.

Ohhh, oh oh!

I dare to believe in incredible things

Ohhh, oh oh!

I'm ready to go, I'm ready to go

Here I am! Lord send me!

I won't look back, cause I was made

To be a part, of the, impossible!

You're God, of the, impossible!

Here I am! Lord send me!

I won't back down, cause I believe

You are the God, of the, impossible!

Here, I, am, send me!

Empty bones and a thirsty soul,

Dreaming for more than the life I have known.

'Til I tasted a burning coal,

And my guilt was erased, and my sin was atoned!

Ohhh, oh oh!

I dare to believe in incredible things.

Ohhh, oh oh!

I'm ready to go, I'm ready to go!

Here I am! Lord send me!

I won't look back, cause I was made

To be a part, of the, impossible!

You're God, of the, impossible!

Here I am! Lord send me!

I won't back down, cause I believe

You are the God, of the, impossible!

Here, I, am, send me!

Yet, by just looking at the battle from the qualities of David, we will miss the most important lesson of all. There is another reason why we can win this Battle of the Pandemic and overcome this giant just as David won against Goliath. This insight was not lost to David.

'All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the the battle belongs to the Lord.

This is the fundamental reality when we battle the giants of the day whether it be personal giants, national giants or global giants, The Battle Belongs To The Lord. 

The toll of the pandemic is felt by the ordinary person, countries and globally. It is like a giant tsunami over sweeping our daily and personal lives. Against the mountains of trouble afflicted on us we may feel overwhelmed, too weak to fight against this giant of a threat to our lives. However, Goliaths of today are not without precedence, pandemics have occurred in the past and no doubt will occur in the future just as the experts have predicted.

It is best that we look to God and His promise to be an ever present help in such times:

 

'God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.' Psalm 46:1-3

The battle belongs to the Lord!

Lionel

The Enduring Word

'The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.' Isaiah 40:8

Bishop Robert Solomon entitled his book on the authority and reliability of the Bible, 'The Enduring Word.(Ref 1). No doubt the Bishop had in mind the passage from Isaiah Chapter 40 which compares the enduring impact of the God's Word to the fleeting influences of humanity.

The Bible is God's 'Enduring Word' in that it has moved in the hearts of people since the beginning of time and its inspiration has transformed us and people throughout history. The late, Dr Bobby Sng, former President of the Singapore Bible Society wrote in the foreword of Bishop Solomon's book, 'For the Christian, no book is more important than the Bible. It stands at the very heart of our faith. All of what we believe in and all of how we live stems from the teachings of this book.'

Today it is an international best seller, in print and in digital form. Credit for this should go to the Bible Society which was founded more than 200 years ago. Their endearing work is summed up in this statement, 'We take the Bible and find ways to translate and distribute it, create digital formats, advocate for its place in society and help people relate to and make sense of it in their everyday lives.' (Ref 2)

In 1800. a Welsh girl, Mary Jones, trekked 26 miles to buy a bible that was translated in her own language. That feat drew the inspiration of many clergymen including William Wilberforce and the Clapham Sect. On 7 Mar 1804 at a meeting in a London tavern at Bishopsgate, these gentlemen formed the British and Foreign Bible Society with the aim of making the Bible affordable to the people of the world in their own language. 

The Singapore Bible Society was started in 1837 as the Singapore Auxiliary Bible Society. Rev (Dr) Robert Morrison* who was instrumental in translating the Bible into Chinese became a founder member of the Singapore Bible Society. Thus, Singapore had a considerable influence in the distribution of the Bible to the Malay archipelago and to China. View the video the Bible Movement Story which outlines the often unknown role that the Singapore's Bible Society has in the distribution of the Bible in East Asia.

The Bible is now especially popular in digital form. Recently, YouVersion, an online Bible App celebrated 500 million installations on various devices all over the world. This Bible App is offered free and has 2,619 Bible versions in 1,757 languages.

Celebrating the widespread distribution of the Bible is one thing, but does the Bible a have personal and spiritual impact on our lives? In the Bible, God reveals Himself and His plans to save and restore humanity. Every section of Scripture has the power to counsel, convict and change us.

'For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing soul, spirit, joints and marrow; It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.' Hebrew 4:12

The YouVersion Mission is impressive and worth noting, 'To encourage and challenge people to seek intimacy with God every day.' Using an easily accessible online Bible, YouVersion hopes to engender 'biblically centred Bible, culturally relevant experiences that encourage and challenge people to seek God throughout the day. (Ref 3)

Now that the Bible is so readily available, how much will we value it? A familiar hymn Wonderful Words of Life put this across very simply,

Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life,

Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;

Words of life and beauty teach me faith and duty.

Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life,

Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.

Christ, the blessed One, gives to all wonderful words of life;

Sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life;

All so freely given, wooing us to heaven.

Sweetly echo the Gospel call, wonderful words of life;

Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life;

Jesus, only Savior, sanctify us forever.

Yes, God intended His word to have an impact on our lives,

'As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My word that flows out from My mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.' Isaiah 55:10-11

"Is not my word like fire," declares the Lord, "and like hammer that breaks a rock in pieces." Jeremiah 23:29

'All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.' 2 Timothy 3:16-17

In his concluding remarks in the book, The Enduring Word, Bishop Solomon wrote, 'God has indeed brought His word close to us and invites us to make it very much a part of us (touching our mouth and heart) - so that when we read it, we can hear the Master's wonderful voice and feel the Spirit's life-giving breath.'

Lionel

Ref 1: Robert M Solomon. The Enduring Word - the Authority and Reliability of the Bible. Genesis Books and the Bible Society of Singapore. 2011.

Ref 2: https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/about-us/

Ref 3: https://youversion.com/mission/

* Rev (Dr) Robert Morrison was also a Principal of Raffles Institution. Morrison House was named after him.

Don't Let The Sun Come Down On Your Anger

 

'My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.' James 1:19

Some of us think that there is such a thing as 'Righteous Anger'. We justify this by pointing out to the many times God was angry in the Old Testament or to Jesus Christ strenuously driving the merchants away from outer courtyards of the temple in Jerusalem. We even point out to Ephesians 4:26, which says 'Be angry and do not sin' to excuse us when we lose our tempers.

Can we lose our temper and not sin? Solomon in Proverbs 29:22 had already made up his mind,

'An angry person starts fights; a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.'

I do not think that there is a right to be angry. Righteous anger is self-righteousness on display. However it is easier said than done. I thought as I grew older I became more mellow but at a recent committee meeting I became very angry and upset at the lack of progress of an outstanding matter. It was very regretable. Then, the Bible reminded

'In your anger do not sin: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.' Ephesians 4:26

There is a lesson in this: Do not let your anger broil up nor let it simmer for too long. That is not a characteristic of Christians. Rather, the apostle James instructed,

'My dear brothers and sisters, take not of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.' James 1:19-20

The words from James describe a 'measured' person to whom we should all aspire. One characteristic of measuredness is being 'slow to anger' which is also describes the anger of God. God wants everyone to have a chance to turn from their wrongdoing.

 

The experiences of the people in the Old Testament with God clearly illustrate this as we read of episodes of God's anger and punishment followed by forgiveness and mercy. God's anger is a divine reaction to selfish and destructive human decisions and behaviours but it's rooted in God's love. 

Exodus 34:5-6 tells us that despite God's righteous anger, His core character trait is rooted in generous mercy, compassion and love. God's anger is followed by redeeming love as noted by this experience of Moses,

Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him (Moses)  and proclaimed His name, the Lord. And He passed in front of Moses proclaiming, "The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." 

Another characteristic of God's anger is that it is relatively short-lived,

'For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.' Psalm 30:5

There is a flip side to God's anger and that is God's grace, which the Psalmist described as lasting a life time. In Greek the word for grace is 'kharis' which means graciousness or undeserving gift. 

Saving by Grace - the Gift of Salvation

Charles Wesley wrote of this salvation in Christ in his famous hymn, "My chains fell off, my heart was free. I rose when forth and followed Thee." Underdeserving though we may be, in Jesus we found saving grace. God's anger did not rain down on us, instead His grace did. God's grace saves us thoroughly.

'God has shown us undeserved grace by coming to save all people. He taught us to give up our wicked ways and our worldly desires and to live decent and honest lives in this world' Titus 2:11-12 (CEV)

Light of Grace - the Gift of Freedom

Charles Wesley wrote of being set free from the oppression of sin. "Long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature's night. Thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke the dungeon flamed with light." The apostle John opened his gospel referring to this light, 

'In Him was life and that life was the light of man. That light shine in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.'John 1:4-5. 

The Bible described the birth of Jesus Christ as the dawning of a great light and the star in the east signifies this. 

Here is a modern version of the Charles Wesley hymn: Amazing Grace! My Chains Are Gone   

Amazing grace how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now I'm found

Was blind, but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed

My chains are gone, I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy reigns

Unending love

Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me

His word my hope secures

He will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow

The sun forbear to shine

But God who called me here below

Will be forever mine, will be forever mine

You are forever mine

'Out of His fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.' John 1:16

We have received grace upon grace. Don't let the sun come down on our anger. Replace all anger with grace.

Lionel