What is God seeing?
During
this Lent, I was meditating on the ‘Eyes of God’ – what is He really seeing? I
sensed that He was standing beside His throne and looking down at the world
below and seeing all of us busy running around doing our things and some going
to church. He also saw all Christians worshipping Him with our lips and songs
but in our hearts we are not at peace with ourselves and with others. After a
short while, He was shaking His head. I sensed that He is saying “What have
happened to you all? Everyone one of you claiming to worship Me but fighting
each other like nobody business. Are you really my children? Why are all these
hatred and divisions?”
It
has been two thousand years and there is no change in us. We tend to criticize
the Old Testament Jews for not obeying God’s law and thus God has to give them
away to the Babylonians. A quick glance will confirm that we are exactly in the
same position. There is a lot of head knowledge and heart feeling too. If the
effectiveness of the Resurrection of Christ is based on our becoming good then
Christ has NOT risen completely yet. It is nice to know that Christ’s
Resurrection does not based on our doings or becoming but entirely His
sacrifice and submission to God’s Will.
I
believe that there are some basic indicators we can watch out for. If we are
serious in following Christ, we should be working on these.
1. The sharing and working together
among denominations leaders first then members.
2. The sharing of Holy Communion and
pulpit.
3. The reduction of the usage and
attitude of ‘My church’ and ‘Your church’.
4. The sharing of resources, including
church buildings and facilities, and the sharing of personnel inter and intra
denominations.
I
am also looking at the Malaysian Church and my own church. We are still very
far from the center – the focus of God. We have fallen into the situation where
we are now being identified as Consumer Christians. We can see that from our
prayers – often in the requesting mode, little offerings and contributions –
often to our own usage, duties – often reluctantly fulfilling it when rostered,
involvements – often within our own parish and community, etc. Let us work
towards the center – we believe that that is what God wants. This can be done
by intentionally working towards the center. It is an ironic opposite – the
more we go out and reach out to others and give away and share with others, the
more we are moving towards the center. In contrast, the more we cling on to
what is ‘Me’, ‘Mine’ and ‘Myself’, the further we are drifted away from the
center.
The
news of the new Archbishop of Canterbury – Justin Welby and the new Pope –
Francis 1 certainly has given us much hope and aspiration to work towards the
center. Both of them too have given priority to Evangelism and Social Action. I
believe there is a lot of thing for us to learn and to work on – and we must
work hard on it.
Siew
Lan is working on her B.Th through Theological Education by Extension (TEE).
She is also busy with her Malaysian Indigenous Clinical Pastoral Education
(MI-CPE). Joshua is working as IT Officer in Singapore. Sarah has just gotten
married to Ching Seng and both are working in Singapore. Charlotte will be
finishing her B.Sc. this May in Texas, USA. I am as busy as ever with church,
diocese and provincial duties. My chairmanship with the Christian Federation of
Malaysia will end after Easter. This will be one burden less.
Please
continue to pray for Malaysia – the General Election is round the corner and
many believed that it can be the dirtiest election ever. The issue of
forbidding the usage of the word ‘Al lah’ is still there and its impending
court case hearing. The challenges of the Orang Asli, church ministry and the
lack of workers are so acute and desperate. The issue of the ‘Invasion’ by
foreign militants into the state of Sabah has become a national and regional
concern.
I
wish you find Christ more real this Easter than ever.
Shalom,
+Moon Hing
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| Moon Hing and Siew Lan |
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| Moon Hing and Justin |
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| Joshua, Ching Seng , Sarah and Charlotte |
