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.

Work For The Night Is Coming

22 Nov 2011 Planning the Curriculum for a New Medical School

'Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don't know if profit will come from one activity or another - or maybe both' Ecclesiastes 11:3-6 (NLT)

A familiar hymn 'Behold Us Lord A Little Space' extols the relationship between work and worship, particularly this stanza:

Work shall be prayer, if all be wrought

as You would have it done;

And prayer, by You inspired and taught,

shall then with work be one.

I have worked for 47 years and I have always treated careers and tasks as part of Christian service. That work and worship are inseparable was also the view of Martin Luther the reformer, "Every occupation has its own honour before God. Ordinary work is a divine vocation or calling. In our daily work no matter how important or mundane, we serve God by serving the neighbour and we participate in God's ongoing providence for the human race." Martin Luther dignified all work, even the most menial and unsavory. He described work as the place to serve God and people.

In more modern times, Martin Luther King also expounded the sanctity of work. He said, “No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. Whatever your life’s work is, do it well.”

Recently in a newsletter, Lam Kok Hiang, Leadership Mentor for Campus Crusade for Christ in Singapore, wrote, "Steward well what has been entrusted to us. We reap what we sow. We must be diligent in our assigned roles and responsibilities. When we steward well what God has entrusted to us and spend each day wisely, we can rest assured that He will bless and establish the work of our hands, for His glory." 

Apichai Chenrungrotsakun, fondly known as Loong, introduced me to the Hebrew word Avodah (עֲבוֹדָה). Do you know that in the Bible the English translated work, worship and service all originated from one Hebrew word, Avodah? For example, 

“Then man goes out to his work (avodah), to his labor until evening.” – Psalm 104:23

“This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship (avodah) me.” – Exodus 8:1

“But as for me and my household, we will serve (avodah) the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15

Using Avodah, William Perkins puts it altogether, "The main end of our lives…is to serve God (worship) in the serving of men (service) in the works of our calling (work)." Our work, our service and our worship are all intertwined because it is all part of living our lives devoted to Christ Jesus. And St Paul summed up,

'Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.' Colossians 3:23, 24b 

There is no separation between the spiritual and the secular. Every moment, every hour, everyday we are living for Christ, whether we are missionaries or plumbers, doctors or gardeners we are working and serving God and treating every action as an act of worship. This changes everything, no task in life is too hard and or too menial. 

John Wesley had this to say about Christian industry, "Use all possible diligence in your calling. Lose no time. If you understand yourself and your relation to God and man . . .If you understand your particular calling as you ought, you will have no time that hangs upon your hands. . . . Never leave anything till tomorrow, which you can do to-day. And do it as well as possible. Do not sleep or yawn over it: Put your whole strength to the work. Spare no pains. . . ."  (Ref 1)

Minister Lawrence Wong, Singapore's Finance Minister and the designated next Prime Minister said, "I suppose in the Methodist tradition, you would say your work is your worship, right? You don't delink faith from day to day. Whatever you do on a day-to-day basis, if you do it well, if you take responsibility, that in itself is a testimony of how you as a person are an example, you know, a light for the world." (Ref 2)

'We need to be energetically at work for the One sent Me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls the workday is over.' John 9:4

Jesus Christ worked to do the will of His Father with a single minded purpose and mission, He said 'Work for the Night is Coming,'

Work for the night is coming

Work thru the morning hours;

Work while the dew is sparkling,

Work ‘mid springing flow’rs.

Work when the day grows brighter,

Work in the glowing sun;

Work, for the night is coming,

When man’s work is done.

Work, for the night is coming,

Work thru the sunny noon;

Fill brightest hours with labor –

Rest comes sure and soon.

Give ev’ry flying minute

Something to keep in store;

Work, for the night is coming,

When man works no more.

Work, for the night is coming,

Under the sunset skies;

While their bright tints are glowing,

Work, for daylight flies.

Work till the last beam fadeth,

Fadeth to shine no more;

Work, while the night is dark’ning,

When man’s work is o’er.

President Ronald Reagan once quipped, "There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit." 

'Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working to the Lord, not for human masters.' Col 3:23

Lionel

Ref 1: Christian History Institute, Christian History, Issue 110, 2014

Ref 2: The Straits Times, Lunch with Sumiko, 1 Nov 2020

Just As I Am

 

Hermitage Museum

'Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.' Psalms 51:1-2

On the 2nd March 2022, this past Wednesday, Christians observed Ash Wednesday as the beginning of 40 days of contemplative repentance of sins until we all celebrate Easter on Sunday 17 April 2022.

The season of Lent is a practice of the churches for many centuries and attempts to emulate the 40-day period of fasting and prayer of Jesus Christ in the wilderness. The Rt Revd Titus Chung, Bishop of the Anglican Church in Singapore wrote, "Lent, a period of of self-examination and penance leading up to our Easter Day celebration, when we celebrate Christ's resurrection. This is the season in which we can come to grips with our human conditions and emphasises our need for a Saviour." (Ref 1)

Someone from the Old testament went through a similar, personal Lent period, the great King David. The background is David's adultery with Bathsheba. At the height of his glory David fell into a grievious sin. He was idle in Jerusalem having sent his army to battle. It was not the usual experience for David, enjoying the comforts of his palaces while his kingdom was at war. In that idleness, he caught sight of Bathsheba bathing, coveted her and committed adultery. He tried to cover up his sin by recalling the husband Uriah back from battle to sleep with his wife. When this failed, Uriah was sent back to the very heat of battle, wherein he was killed.

The Lord castigated David through the prophet Nathan. David must have spent many days of regret and self-reflection which finally brought him to repent and make a sincere confession of sin.

'Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgression, and my sin is ever before me. Against you and you only have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight.' Psalm  51:1-4a  

Emeritus Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore, Rev (Dr) Robert Solomon spoke on this passage at the Ash Wednesday combined service of Charis and Living Hope Methodist Churches. The Bishop described the Horrors of Sin using three words found in the passage:    

• Sin - which is an offense towards God's Laws. It may heinous act or any offensive behaviour, some even appearing innocuous. 
• Iniquity - which is an inner corruption in every human. Charles Wesley call this a 'bent to sinning' in his hymn, 'Love Divine All Love Excelling.'
• Transgression - which is a rebellion against God, breaking of a vital relationship with God.

The Bishop began his sermon by asking 'What is wrong with the World?' Some, thinking of what's happening in Ukraine these days may say Putin. Others may name equally evil men like Hitler. The Bishop's answer is all of us; all of us is what is wrong with the world. Since time immemorial we have corrupted the world with our sins, our iniquities and our transgressions.

However the Bishop also reminded that the Psalm 51 rendered Hope for Sinners as King David experienced and wrote in his confession.

'Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart and renew a right spirit within me.' Psalm 51:7,9,10

There is a solution for our sinful nature and a hope for sinners

• A cleansing of our sins  
• A creation of a clean heart - a regeneration from our iniquities
• A renewal of our spirits - a relationship that overcomes our transgressions   

You might asked, can David escape from such a heinous act? Can we escape from the clutches of sin? Jesus Saves! Yes, the answer is Jesus made the atonement for our sins as Saint Paul wrote matter-of-factly,

'For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Romans 6:23

In Jesus we will find

• Real Forgiveness
• Lasting Transformation
• Renewed Relationship

The season of Lent will lead us to reflect on repentance and restoration, the same that were found by King David. Eventually Lent will point us to Christ, His death and resurrection. I am reminded of a song sung at the close of every Billy Graham crusade inviting sinners to come forward with repentance and receive restoration, Just As I Am. That song has been updated by Travis Cottrell, I Come Broken - Just As I Am.  

Just as I am, without one plea

But that Thy blood was shed for me

And that Thou bidst me come to Thee

O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, and waiting not

To rid my soul of one dark blot

To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot

O Lamb of God I come! I come!

I come broken to be mended

I come wounded to be healed

I come desperate to be rescued

I come empty to be filled

I come guilty to be pardoned

By the blood of Christ the Lamb

And I'm welcomed with open arms

Praise God, just as I am

Just as I am, I would be lost

But mercy and grace my freedom bought

And now to glory in Your cross

O Lamb of God I come! I come!

I thought we might also ponder over the original lyrics of Just As I Am

Just as I am, without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, and waiting not

To rid my soul of one dark blot;

To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, though tossed about

With many a conflict, many a doubt;

Fightings within, and fears without,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;

Sight, riches, healing of the mind;

Yes, all I need, in Thee to find,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, Thy love unknown

Has broken every barrier down;

Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

The Prophet Joel wrote Joel wrote,

'That is why the Lord says, "Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping and mourning." Joel 2:12

Lionel

Ref 1: Bishop Titus Chung, in Forward, Up From the Ashes Hope Will Arise, Daily Devotions for Lent 2022, Sower Publications.

Inspired by the Sermon 'Dealing Decisive With Sin' by Bishop Dr Robert Solomon on Ash Wednesday 2 March 2022

The River Of Life

Niagara Falls

'Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.' Revelation 22:1

Anyone who visits the Niagara Falls will be overwhelmed by the immense, never ending stream of overflowing water. Long before one reaches the falls, one will become soaked by the heavy mist that arises from the force of the waters spilling over the banks of the Niagara river at the border between Canada and the United States. Visiting the falls for the very first time in 1991, I was so overcome by the sight and sound that copious tears swelled up in my eyes. Some say that it was a natural response to the presence of God in nature.

On 10 May 2020, in a comment on this blog, Lee Soon Ghee shared his inspiration at reading Ezekiel 47: 1, 3-5. 

'I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the the east.....As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits, and then led me through water that was ankle deep. he measured off another thousand cubits and led through water that was knee deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was up to the waist . He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, but now the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in - a river that no one could cross.' 

In this bible passage, Ezekiel saw streams of water coming out from the threshold of the temple. But the streams soon became a gush, then a flood and finally a deluge. The sight facing Ezekiel was of the increasing and overwhelming amount of water with depths at first ankle deep, then knee deep, waist deep and finally over the head requiring the prophet to swim.

Lee Soon Ghee wrote, "This speaks to me about our relationship with the Holy Spirit. It gets deeper and deeper as one matures in the faith. It talks about the need for us to interact with the Holy Spirit in increasing intensity and immersion; being overwhelmed such that we can wade but be carried away by the current/strength of the movement of the river simultaneously. Finally, it talks about letting oneself be carried by the river, swimming along with the Holy Spirit, and perhaps not knowing where it will lead one to, but always trusting and believing."

What a lovely understanding of a life filled with the Spirit. Such waters represent the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ said,

'Whoever believes in me, as Scriptures has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believe in Him will later to receive.' John 7: 38-39

The Holy Spirit comes on us like a river, purifying and cleansing us. Grace flows to and through us who believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. That water is

• Life Saving 
• Life Sustaining 
• Life Empowering

John Wimber, a charismatic preacher and pastor, wrote an excellent song, the 'Spirit Song' about this grace and experience.  In a very gentle and refreshing tune and manner, this song describes the relationship between the Triune God and us. It highlights a certain gentleness in that relationship, a sweet surrender to God. As one listens to the gentle flow of the music, like the gentle flow of water, one becomes immersed in the saving, sustaining and empowering grace of the Holy Spirit.

Oh let the Son of God enfold you

With His Spirit and His love

Let Him fill your heart and satisfy your soul

Oh let Him have the things that hold you

And His Spirit like a dove

Will descend upon your life and make you whole

Jesus, oh Jesus

Come and fill Your lambs

Jesus, oh Jesus

Come and fill Your lambs

Oh come and sing this song with gladness

As your hearts are filled with joy

Lift your hands in sweet surrender to His name

Oh give Him all your tears and sadness

Give Him all your years of pain

And you'll enter into life in Jesus' name

Lionel

The Love Of God

A Mural in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem

'For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' John 3:16

Christians understand the love of God as that love that compels the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our salvation. While this atoning love of Christ's sacrifice is indeed the greatest love of all, many Christians have a very narrow, almost self-serving understanding of God's love; the love of God is all about us and our salvation. But God's love is far more than just for our salvation. It is timely for us to understand how deep and how wide, how ubiquitous and permeating the Love of God is not only to us but for the whole world.  

Allow me to share with you a remarkably tender video. This past week, my grandchildren were down with Covid. The eldest, James came down with Covid-19 and he kept himself to his bedroom, resting all day. Now the family has two pet cats who are lovingly close to the family, especially with our three grandchildren, James, Eleanor and Luke. The cats seem to know that the children are sick. Auri, one of cats, went to my daughter, meowed and then led her to James' bedroom beckoning her to open the door. She then got on to his bed and started comforting him.

What do you think of it? My first thought was that of reciprocal love. Pets are capable of empathy and often return the love and care expressed to them. Pets are especially sensitive and endearing towards their caring owners. Love and care received translate to love and care returned.

Another lingering thought is that this gesture by animals show the love of God expressed in all creation. So like all of God's creatures, humans are also capable of expressing God's love in the most loving and tender-hearted manner. Unfortunately. it is most tragic that sin prevents some of us from expressing that innate love of God.

The Psalmist extolled the Love of God manifested in all creation; inanimate and animate, physical and biological Nature

'Your unfailing love, O Lord, is a vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is Your unfailing love, O God. All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings. ' Psalms 36:5-7

O the depths and the ramifications of God's love. Thus, to see this love only from the perspective of salvation, however important it may be, is to miss this love altogether. We need to unpeel the camouflage that Satan and sin imposes on this love. We need to realise that The Love of God Is Greater Far than we can ever conceive.

The love of God is greater far

  Than tongue or pen can ever tell.

It goes beyond the highest star

  And reaches to the lowest hell.

The guilty pair, bowed down with care,

  God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled

  And pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure!

  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure

The saints’ and angels’ song

When hoary time shall pass away,

  And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;

When men who here refuse to pray,

  On rocks and hills and mountains call;

God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,

  All measureless and strong;

Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—

  The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
  And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
  And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
  Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
  Though stretched from sky to sky.

This love is anchored in us and St Paul boldly said that nothing can separate us from God's love.  

'For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, 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.' Romans 8:38-39 

We have come in full circle, the Love of God seen externally and beyond us eventually leads to the Love of God felt within us; leading to our full salvation

'Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should how wide, how long, how high and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.' Ephesians 3:17-19 (NLT)

Lionel