Go Forth

Fantastic!! Excellent!! Eye-opening!!! Chim conference...

Spending my last 3 days at the conference was a great time of learning. No doubt it was very tiring, and sometimes I fell asleep during the conference, but its still a very good conference..

It really open my eyes to the big world out there. Now as i read the bible, its no longer just me and God. But me, God and the world which God has created. Suddenly, I know that I was just a child in the things of God. And the conference open my eyes to the world out there and initiating me to teenage-hood.

I remember a prophecy told of me, "You are young in the faith, though you are not that young as a Christian...You leave the big things aside and think that those belong to the adults. You can grow, but you need to embrace growth...". That makes so much sense now. I need to involve myself in the things that God is doing in the world, and not just be happy in my la-la land. Some things may be enormous and they may seem like they belong to those spiritual giants, but I need to be involved in those matters. I cannot adopt a bo-chap attitude or a "as long as they dont bother me attitude".

Some lessons learnt:

1. Missions has a long history that had been entangled with colonialism. Super powers in the past colonised Asian countries and preach the gospel to us. They hold sword in one hand, and bible in the other hand. We, Asian, cannot resist the super power of the west and had to bow down to them. We submit politically. Yet we are angry. And the colonial rulers tried to preach the gospel to us and change us to become like them. They may take control of our country, but they cannot away our national identity. And so people become more and more angry. Bitterness and wrath toward the "ang moh" religion happened as a result. If only the colonial rulers were more careful and thoughtful about the ways they do things. If only there were more humility and love. Christ did not come to change culture. He was born into a culture and adopt the culture of the Jews. He was humble and lived among them.

2. Today, missions has another challenge. No longer is colonialism a problem. But something else that look familar to colonialism. Super economical power came into Asia and look so much like colonialism. Perhaps it brought back for the Asians past memories and fears of colonialism. A fear that behind the facade of economic advancement, its actually an attempt to take over the land. A fear that behind the promise of prosperity, its an attempt to corrode the national identity and culture.

3. Hence the way to approach countries who have been hurt by such painful memories of war and having been robbed away of national pride for many years, the way to resolve bitterness is really to love them. As a nation, they are hurt and they need healing.

Singapore may not feel so much of this cultural threat. In the first place, Singaporeans like me take pride in being a mix. I am uniquely Singapore when I am Chinese with roots in China, and yet trunks, branches, leaves, fruits growing in another island. I am neither Eastern nor Western. I am Singaporean, hua ren. One day, I shall return to my roots...

Are you following me so far? This is just my thought on 1 day of the conference. Haha! I have others! This is an appetiser for those who want to know more. And a main course for those who feel that they have had enuff =)

Thank you my dear Lord!!!!!!

And not forgetting, one good thing is I can only go for 3 workshops, but I have friend going for other workshops, so we can exchange notes! haha.. And i help her take lecture notes for those main messages that she missed. Its so much like Uni days =)