Firm Foundation

The world was thrown into disarray recently with news of repeated tainted milk cases coming from China. It is sad how profits could drive one to adulterate milk with melamine. According to Reuters (Beijing), this has resulted in an estimated 94,000 victims in China thus far. Similar cases were beginning to surface in other parts of the world. As if a conspiracy has been set, we were then struck by yet another setback on the global financial sector - the collapse of the century old Lehman Brothers. This has impacted employees, investors, creditors, and government worldwide. The sub-prime mortgage crisis is like a bubble waiting to be burst that has plagued the US financial sector.

What is significant about both tragedies are the impact that they have wrought and the efforts involved to cover up the harm done. These cases teach us a thing or two in life. It is a timely reminder about accountability and the need for a firm foundation. There is simply no short-cuts in life. There comes a day of eventual reckoning. We reap what we sow. The same can be said about those of us in ministry as well. We never know the impact we have on other people's lives. Thus it is frustrating when we encounter people who gloss over what they impart in faith knowledge, or having insufficent preparation for the liturgy (e.g. choir etc). When we stinge on our preparation, how then can we expect the church to grow with passion, wisdom & mission?

But the output is as important as the input. This is the same principle why some banks & milk companies collapse & others do not. In order to do our mission effectively, we need to address the fundamentals - for whom & why are we doing it? We need to get our foundation right. This is probably the reason why many people today get so frustrated & despondent about ministry work. Many people claim that they are doing it for God but left unchecked, the real motive could for self acceptance, recognition, power etc could creep in. Jesus needs to be the foundation upon which we build our mission.

Sometimes, our involvement with ministry started out with good intentions, but along the way, our self interest took control. The questions raised by most frustrated victims of the 2 recent cases were : "how on earth did the actions escape detection?". Somehow, a checklist/control measure was missing or that the corporate culture was so strong that employees (or those in the top management) were led to believe that they did the right thing, and no harm was done. Today, I wonder if I too, have fallen prey to this fallacy. Have I stop to check on my values & actions? Following the crowd may not always necessarily be the right thing to do.

For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit;
For each tree is known by its own fruit.
For figs are not gathered from thorns,
Nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.
The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good,
and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil;
for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
"Why do you call me `Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?
Every one who comes to me and hears my words and does them,
I will show you what he is like:
He is like a man building a house, who dug deep,
And laid the foundation upon rock;
And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house,
And could not shake it,
Because it had been well built.
But he who hears and does not do them is like a man
Who built a house on the ground
Without a foundation; against which the stream broke,
And immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."
~ Luke 6 : 43 - 49

Finding God in Work

I had a good catching up with a friend on Sun for lunch. And it was a timely reminder as we discussed about how we find God in our daily lives and especially so in the most challenging place - work. All the more so for me, who have just switched to a new job.

In my old workplace, I recalled how I would share my faith freely & to say my grace before meals in front of my colleagues. With this new environment, I have somehow stopped all these. Was it a momentarily amnesia as I adapted to my new environment, or was it cos I was ashamed in proclaiming what I believe? I must say the reminder could not be more appropriate. I should only be fearful if my behaviour contradicted to my belief. So yes, a new environment presented a new opportunity again - to share about my faith. I am determined to make God present in my workplace and not just kept in the shelf (church) on every Sunday.

Today I went to work, mindful of finding God in my workplace. As I was walking to my workplace, the radio from one of the cafes was playing the song "Miracle" from the Prince of Egypt movie. "There can be miracle, when you believe...", that's how the line of the chorus went with Mariah Carey singing it. Wow, what a way to start the day! During lunch, I was given the chance to say my grace before meals. It felt a little awkward at first, since my colleagues were mainly non-Christians. But nonetheless, I feel this faith means something to me. I ought to be proud to live it & testify to it. During the end of the day, I received a sms from a church friend who worked in the same area as I did. She informed me that there's a lunch time mass organized on every Tues near my workplace!

What more can I say? It's really not that difficult to find God. Yes, even in the most challenging place. I guess that's what they meant when it is said that we only need to make our first step towards God, and He'll take the rest of the 99 steps towards us. Although He may not necessarily come in the way/form we expect (thunder, dreams, miracles), but He is surely present if we only look (and not see) and listen (and not hear). All it takes, is a simple awareness (examen) and some pondering in our heart, to make meaning of what we experienced. There is no shortcut to this, but a disciplined routine practice, which many before us have come to learn - the art of finding God in our daily lives.

"When you call to me and come and pray to me, I shall listen to you.
When you search for me, you will find me;
When you search wholeheartedly for me, I shall let you find me"

~ Jeremiah 29 : 12 - 14