Death

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On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. (Luke 24:1-9)

This past Palm Sunday, as many Christians took up olive branches and went out into the streets, a spirit passed out of its mortal flesh and away from this life.

She wasn’t tall. Her body was petite but her laugh was very clear and resounding, so you never had to worry about how to find her in a large crowd. She had a blunt personality. If you said something wrong, she would be sure to loudly correct you right away. If she was angry she would loudly announce her dissatisfaction. She was a simple yet sensitive person. Her hair and her eyebrows were jet-black which contrasted with her fair skin. She had a set of piercing, pitch-black eyes and she could speak with those eyes. One look into her eyes and you could tell exactly what she was thinking, whether she was sad or perplexed or perhaps just joking with you. The very first time I saw her I said to her, “You’re so beautiful!” She replied, “Me? No, I’m not.” She never discovered how truly beautiful she was.

Those beautiful eyes closed in the midst of charcoal fumes, closed forever. I think she was so selfish. How could she decide it was her time to go? How could she leave behind those of us that loved her? But none of us can understand the pain she carried. None of us can judge. We only know that her fear of living was greater than her dread of death. People had scheduled meals together with her, but whether or not those meals will happen, that we must leave up to the Supreme Judge for an answer.

At her memorial service on the morning of April 15th, I thought about what happened to her lively spirit, fun-loving yet full of hurt and suffering. What happened to it? As I watched her body being pushed into the little room my own spirit felt heavy. The spirit. It’s a heavy thing, unique and precious. How can we bear something so heavy?

I thought of a Body with a spirit inside which carried the weight of all things and all time on the day that heaven and earth were changed…it must have been extremely heavy. Exhausted, parched, misunderstood; He seemed to be voluntarily moving, slowly but steadily, towards His own death. One step, one fall, one lash of the whip, one tear, one nail, one sigh…the end. His eyes, closed forever. People moved His body but they knew He wasn’t inside anymore. The next day they knew He was gone, remaining only in memory.

But then I saw, on the day after that, His eyes opened forever. He is the only one able to bear the heavy weight of the spirit, and without one broken bone!  He is the only one who has experienced death and yet the poisonous, evil power of death could not harm Him! My friend’s coffin bears the weight of her corpse, sad and decaying, but Jesus’ grave is empty! “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5b) We no longer need to be a witness to death in this dark world. We just ask that when He walks with us and guides us we will be able to recognize when He comes. (Luke 24:13-34)

Some say that the situation Christians are in now is like the Saturday of the first Easter weekend. Jesus has already died on Friday and Sunday is on its way when we’ll get to see Jesus’ resurrection manifest before our eyes. Even though we’re in this “already but no yet” stage, we still need to encourage each other and remind each other not to forget our true hope. To put it simply, even though we still need to go to work, even though we can’t skip class, even though our heads might still hurt, we still should be reminding each other of God’s love, remembering Jesus in daily life, talking with Jesus, loving Him and receiving His tender care. Remember, He came to put an end to the anguish of suffering. He came to put Death to death. He came so that one day His people can be reunited with His beloved Father. Together. Sitting down for the feast that we have longed for for so long.

My friend is gone and I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again, but I know my Jesus is still alive. He knows all things and He’s in charge of all things.

 

Death, be not proud

by John Donne

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

 

What God’s Will Isn’t

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Photo Credit: www.flickr.com/photos/archetypefotografie/

Recently there are so many decisions I have to make. I’m seeking for God’s guidance on my service at church and the future plan after I graduate college next year. I really want to know what God wants me to do also His plan for me. How do you pray and what do you do when you are seeking God’s guidance and hoping to get clear signs? —a former VOICE student

This is an excellent question, namely because you’re crossing from making your own decisions to wanting to know what God wants for your life. If this is where you are, congratulations on making a very big first step. The subject of God’s will is incredibly broad, so I will only tackle a tiny aspect here…

God’s will is not like GPS. He does not list out all of the steps to our final destination. He does not (usually) give us step-by-step instructions on how to get there (“Go to this school.” “Date this person.” “Accept this job offer.”). He does not warn us about construction or traffic jams ahead. If this is what you’re looking for in God’s will, you’re not looking for the right thing. Seeking God’s will is actually more like knocking on doors. You may have absolutely no idea who or what lies on the other side. Or you may think you know and then find out it’s not at all what you thought. Whatever the case may be, your only responsibility is to knock and then enter when a door opens.

God’s will is not a safeguard against suffering. I once thought that if I just followed Jesus carefully, my life would (only) be blessed (read: safe, secure, and successful). If something went wrong, I must have screwed up somewhere along the way. I have since learned that while I do feel blessed, that does not mean that everything always goes well. In fact, I often feel more insecure following God, because He’s pinpointing all my false securities and tearing them down. That is exactly why He is my Savior—He is destroying all the things I trust in that can’t save me.

God’s will is not about your life. It’s important to seek God’s will for the big (and little) decisions in your life—but keep in mind that this isn’t about your life. It’s about the story He’s writing for the world. And because it’s His story, He cares infinitely more than you do about your part in it.

And lastly, God’s will is more about the journey than about the destination. Of course, God cares about whom we marry and what we do with our lives, but this whole issue of seeking His will is actually about learning to trust Him one step at a time. It’s about letting Him expose our hidden fears by taking us places we don’t want to go. It’s about resting in Him when our pressures are too great for us to handle. It’s about learning who this God is that we (thought we) decided to follow. Someday, we will arrive at the Final Destination and see Him face to face, but for now, living life is about knowing Him, and that is what following Christ is all about.

“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

You’ve Got a Friend in Me

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Last time I wrote on the VOICE blog, it was about the beauty of friendships in Bible Lab. (You can read about it here). In addition to Bible Lab, God has given me some of my best friends through serving in the Children’s Institute. However, this year, God had something a little different — even better than friends — prepared for me. Continue reading →

Belief Over Time Produces Faith

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On Chinese New Year, we went to visit our pastor’s family. Pastor Samuel is passionate about the truth and getting his congregation to understand why and how Jesus is real and worthy of belief. As I’ve written before on this blog, it has been a huge struggle for me to believe this.

After dinner, instead of the planned board games, he initiated a Socratic discussion (asking and answering questions) where he asked us “who is Jesus?” Somehow we arrived on the topic of Abraham, and I realized for the first time the amount of time between promises God gave to Abraham and their fulfillments. Decades of time where Abraham wondered if he would ever see his promised descendants, let alone a single son.

Belief over time produces faith.

When I first found out I was pregnant, it was hard to believe, especially after a few emotional months of “not yet.” Those first weeks were flooded with all kinds of anxiety, but also a prayerful hope…

When I first saw my tiny baby during the 10 week ultrasound, I believed a second time. I was shocked at the stillness of the baby sleeping on its side, but heard a strong heartbeat and so I cried.

The third time, the baby lay on its back like a little cockroach, wiggling arms and legs. He was alive and moving. I believed again and cried.

These times of actually seeing how my baby was growing were spaced out by months at a time. Not as long as Abraham, but still requiring a kind of faith that the baby would continue to grow and thrive. Now I have almost daily evidence of his (yes, he’s a boy) existence through his kicks, punches, and rolls.

Belief over time produces faith.

Matthew and I have already given him Chinese and English names. The essence of his name meaning is “to understand the truth.” This is something that has been a struggle for me and one of the reasons I’ve struggled in my faith. Even with a name like that, my baby has that potential as well. But he has already helped me understand a very small truth that faith is about the experience of seeing God at work in the past and present in the hope that He will continue in the future.

Belief over time produces faith.

Identity in Christ

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My identity in Christ. This is a phrase that I’ve heard my whole life, and I know the right places in a conversation to say it, but I realized that I don’t really know what it means. Yet it makes a big difference in life who I see myself as: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17).

What is my identity to begin with? Who am I? What is your identity? Who are you? I’m Luke. OK, is that all? That’s my name, but is that me? I can change my name at any time, but surely that wouldn’t immediately change who I am as a person? The movie Batman Begins has the famous line in it, “It’s not who you are inside, it’s what you do that defines you.” Is that right? A lot of times, when we are “getting to know” someone, we ask what they do. Once we know that, do we know them?

Well, I’m learning that the meaning of having identity in Christ is that, in some way, it’s what he does that defines me. In fact, whatever it is that defines who Christ is, that also is what defines me if my identity is in Christ. So it’s helpful to think about who Christ is and how I get to know people in general, including Christ. Two things come to mind:

  1. I get to know others by learning facts about them.

I could spend a lot of time with someone, then later find out it was the governor, and what might I say? “I didn’t know who I was talking to.” Similarly, the Bible presents a lot of facts about me that are true because of my adoption into God’s family through Christ:

  • I have been given the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16
  • I am not my own; I belong to God (1 Cor. 6:20)
  • I may approach God with boldness, freedom and confidence (Eph. 3:12)

There are lots more facts like this that are true of us because of our relationship with Christ, and understanding and taking these to heart is part of knowing my identity in Christ.

  1. I get to know others by spending time in relationship with them.

Conversely, I could learn all the facts there are about someone, and yet not know them: reading someone’s life story, however detailed and accurate, is nothing like being friends with them. So to know well who I am in Christ, I need to know Christ well. This is probably where I fall short the most – Christ is a person who is alive and can be interacted with, conversed with, related to. Like any relationship, it takes work and effort to learn the best ways and then do it, but there is intrinsic reward and benefit for making that effort.

Maybe working on these two aspects, I’ll make some progress in understanding my identity in Christ.

Act, Love, Walk

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One week ago, President Trump issued an executive order temporarily banning “immigrants” and “non-immigrants” from seven countries for the subsequent 90 days and suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for a minimum of 120 days. Protests ensued, detainees were released, and federal judges took a stance, but if this country’s division was evident before, my tiny section of America has made it clear that the gulf now gapes at widths precarious for those on either side. Deeply-rooted fear, rational or not, is here.

This post has taken me over a week to formulate. I would prefer to give tangible answers of how I’ve sought and now understand the key to responding correctly to politics. I’d prefer to.

But I am the child, friend, and teacher of immigrants, I am an American who desires a safe future for myself and those I love, and I am a Christian whose hope is to shine for Jesus. How do I reconcile those parts into a whole?

I have listened to atheists, Christians, Muslims, Jews, agnostics, individuals of all different sexual orientations and gender identifications, educators, the educated, and both the blue- and white-collared, and their hearts make sense in one facet or another. So how do I find an answer for myself?

A sign in one of my favorite coffee shop’s restroom reads “Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly”.

This verse comes from the Bible’s Book of Micah. God is speaking to the Israelites, calling them on trial for their disobedience, dissatisfaction, and disrespect. He reminds them of His faithfulness and mercy in bringing them out of Egypt and consistently protecting and blessing them.

The Prophet Micah asks God what, in light of all His mercies and blessings, would satisfy Him.

“With what shall I come before the LORD,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

And God answers with oft-quoted Micah 6:8 –

“He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?”

Thomas Constable’s Expository says, “There is a progression in these requirements from what is external to what is internal and from human relations to divine relations. Doing justice toward other people demands loving kindness, which necessitates walking humbly in fellowship with God.”

The bottom line is that I don’t know what to do. I have no plan of action that every Christian should march upon. I cannot tell you an exhaustive list of do’s and don’ts. I will not tell America to freely take in foreigners as God did and does because it is not the same. I will not tell America to shut her doors and give her people the guarantee of everlasting peace and protection that God has and will continue to offer to all His children.

But the overarching idea is that in light of what God has done for us all, we must individually and collectively seek His guidance on what it looks like to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.

How do you treat immigrants, refugees, Muslims, the LGBTQ community, women, police, and blacks? The same way God has called us to treat everyone else, and certainly, as Ethan wrote over the summer of 2015, with empathy.

Are my actions just?

Have I given mercy?

Do I walk humbly?

Not one exists without the other.

One thing remains: in, out, and up, seek the example of Jesus Christ.

 

The Important Things in Life

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This past Monday one of my uncles died. He had been sick for some time, so it was not a big surprise, but it was still a shock to me. Somehow I was expecting to have more time to say “goodbye,” and “I love you” again. Thinking about his death has caused me to think hard about life, and what I am doing with mine. His death is a reminder not to let the unimportant, or even the important, get in the way of doing the essential.

When we think about death, the Gospel is a game-changer, completely changing the way we look at it. Death looses its sting when you believe the good news that Christ has defeated death and given eternal life to those who are in Him. What I am thinking about this afternoon was way that the gospel effects life here on earth. What is essential if the Gospel is true?

This led me to two scriptures. The first is Luke 10:27:

“…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

The second is John 15:5:

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit [Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control], for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

As I reflect, I am reminded that it is essential to spend time with God, learning to love as He does, and then letting that love fill my life and change it.

worthy.

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When I was pretty young, I came across a play that had a quote that I’ve always really liked. In that play, one of the characters commented on how a friend would sign her mail with her address and then add “United States of America; Continent of North America; Western Hemisphere; the Earth; the Solar System; the Universe; the Mind of God“. I thought it was so fascinating how you could simultaneously be the most insignificant thing in the universe and yet still reside in the thoughts of God, which is the most significant place you can ever be.

This summer when I was at VOICE, one thing I was really wrestling with was understanding my state of worthiness. On one hand, I could see all the sin and shortcomings of my life, and I would feel the conviction of my sin and failings. It chipped away at my pride and showed me just how much the sin of my flesh made me unworthy. I was a sinner, and worthless. But on the other hand, I would read my Bible and hear God talking to me, and I felt like God was telling me that I was precious, loved, and utterly and totally significant and important in His eyes. That I was worthy.

At Northwoods, I would go out almost every night and look at the stars, and this is one of my favorite things to do. But even as I would be filled with awe and wonder, I could also feel the weight of my insignificance. My God made that universe with His words. All of that was right in front of me, and here I was, just one tiny human lying on an airplane tarmac. Who was I to demand anything of that God? Who was I to ask Him for His love and forgiveness? I truly was deserving of nothing.

Slowly I began to understand that I *was* both worthless and worthy at the same time, and that paradox is what makes Christ’s work on the cross so powerful. Yes, *I* am worthless. But when Christ died for me, and came into my heart and took up residence, He transformed me. I did not transform myself or become better, but became changed by the pure being living inside of me. When God looks at me, He doesn’t see my worthless, sinful self…all He sees is the holiness and worthiness of His Son. And He declares me worthy.

The God of the universe not only spoke the world into existence but also sent His son to die so humanity could be redeemed and made worthy, and calls me by name and says I am His beloved daughter. And that, to me, is more beautiful than any star in the sky. ❤️

Photos: Tracy Chang

The Mind of Christ

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For a lot of the holidays we celebrate, people usually have several regular traditions. For example, on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day we will make a special effort to show our gratitude to our parents. On Thanksgiving we take the opportunity to thank those around us and also give thanks to God. On Christmas we gather at church and celebrate that Jesus Christ came to Earth. For New Year’s, it’s a time where we can set new goals for a new year.

As I was think about how to celebrate Christmas this year, God gave me this passage: Philippians 2:5-11.

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The “form” that is mentioned in v. 6-7 is referring to the fact that Jesus has the status of God with power and authority. “Likeness” in v. 7 is referring to His physical appearance while on Earth. “Made Himself of no reputation” means that He emptied Himself and took on complete submission born out of humility. V. 6-8 talk about Christ’s coming and the reasons for it. V. 9-11 talks about God’s exaltation of Jesus Christ. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name (for He will save the people from their sins).

Many times when I have a lot on my mind I will think of my dear little brother. That was the case while I was thinking about this passage. In the midst of the pain of my brother’s passing there was one thing that God helped me understand and brought comfort to me. That thing is our dear Heavenly Father is also a Father who has lost His Son. And because of that loss He can completely understand my feelings and comfort me. It’s hard to imagine how God must have felt watching His Son come to Earth. It’s also hard to imagine how much God loves us that He would give us His only Son so that those who believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Jesus Christ was willing to take upon his shoulders this huge and weighty mission by humbling Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. He died on the cross for our sins, to save us from the power of sin and death. The love Jesus showed for the Father is what we should be emulating. A love that is fully aware of the Father’s love for the world. A heart that was willing to empty itself for the sake of the Father. He was willing to humble Himself. He was willing to submit. This passage’s most important line is right there at the beginning:  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

This Christmas is a great opportunity for me to think about God’s love for me. To think about whether or not I’m willing to follow Jesus Christ’s example of humility. To follow His example of submission. To follow the example of intense, deep love that our Prince gives to us. To follow the example of Jesus Christ and let that heart be in me which was also in Christ Jesus.

On the flight back to Taiwan I saw a movie where a girl became crazily infatuated with a boy to the point where she was willing to try anything to make him happy. One day the boy asked her “Do you love me enough to die for me?”. After the girl said she would be willing to die for him the boy immediately posed a second question “No, dying is too easy. Are you willing to live for me?”

We should often be considering whether or not we love God to the point where we are eager to live for Him. We are carrying His death with us and we should let the Life of Jesus Christ also be evident in our lives. By having the mind of Jesus Christ we let Him become our living navigation system, our Google Map, a mobile battery pack that never runs out, fresh water on a sunny day or a warm coat in the middle of winter.

Jesus Christ’s gift of salvation is already there in front of us, but if we’re not willing to open the gift, it will never really be ours. And if I open the gift but don’t appreciate it then I’ll never understand its beauty. I’m willing to open this wonderful gift, enjoy its beauty, and practice throughout this new year how to have the mind of Jesus Christ.

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Author: Uria Hsiung

Translation: Ethan Feig

life after VOICE

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So a common question that my VOICE friends have asked since this summer’s conference is “What’s your life like now?”

Good question. Mostly, I am learning what it looks like to be a stay-at-home mom—with no other competing priorities. “That is the most rewarding work—you won’t regret it,” others tell me. And I know that.

But at the same time, VOICE was my first “baby.” I didn’t just work on it—I dreamt about what it could become. Now that I’ve stepped down, there’s a big empty hole in my heart, like part of me has died. Most days I’m too busy doing the next thing to notice, but when I try to articulate how I feel, the tears come.

v2006-067

Back before I had little kids underfoot, I joined everyone for the faith challenges at the Northwoods. That first year, I crossed the log without batting an eye. When I faced the log in 2006, however, my knees started shaking uncontrollably. I tried blocking out the well-meaning cheers coming from different sides of the pond (which meant that more and more people were watching). I inhaled deeply and coached myself with the words I’d used to coach dozens of others—”Don’t think about falling. Focus on the opposite end of the log.” I didn’t fall, but I couldn’t walk—so I ended up scooching awkwardly on my bottom.

Leaving VOICE has felt a little like that. Realizing that God was calling me out of VOICE was like taking that first step onto the log. Following Him out of VOICE—saying good-bye to something I loved so dearly, redefining my identity apart from it, and learning to live ordinary life for Him—has been hard.

But friends, this I know—Jesus gave up everything to make me His, and He deserves nothing less from me. I may no longer be the VOICE Conference Coordinator or the V2 instructor, but I am a child of God, and that will never change! Whether you are running, walking, or scooching in your Christian life, remember—we are not defined by what we do but by what He has done for us.

“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15 ESV)