Monday, October 22, 2007

Balance - grace vs act

I was in an annual mission conference helping in one of the mission organization booths this weekend. When sharing one of the stories of a beggar and how the organization has help healed this beggar from an inborn disease which refrain him from standing and walking for twenty / thirty years in a small village in China, and how, through many surgery treatments over the years by this organization, he now is able to walk and is currently serving faithfully in the village spreading the good news to the villagers, a little girl coldly responded “but he’s just a beggar.” What a shock! Isn’t a beggar a human being? Are we all too good now that we are all educated, somewhat useful, “independent” individuals, we do not need to care for others who are less fortunate, who is not related to us? Honestly, it's really painful to hear such a comment from the little girl. I understand what the little girl said may reflect her misunderstanding of teachings from parents or teachers (or may be false teachings), or it may reflect the twisted value of this world she learned from our multimedia. Yet, I think in some sense, it is reflecting a part of you and me that we, too, see ourselves being different, being special, and are at times too good for something or someone else. Yet, that's not the calling of Christians at all.

It is sad that we no longer see the world the way Jesus sees it or feel it in the way he does. We are now in a culture of individualism, of having my own way. And what makes things more complicated is the emphazes on save by grace alone. Though I totally agreed to that theology, I think we sometimes take it to an extreme, or because we try to avoid having others being confused that we decided to give up talking about Jesus' compassion simply for the well being of human being and the world ... Jesus never asked if the sick or the needy accepts that he's the saviour and whether they accept him as personal saviour before saving or healing them. He genuinely care for the people, their lives and their living. It's sad to see how we gave up something so beautiful so as to be theologically correct while, in fact, keeping it has no conflict with the theology.

Yes, everything needs a balance ... when will we find the equilibrium point of the balance? I don't know .. may be never at that desire equilibrium point .. but I still think we should try.

(extract from an assignment and together with reflections after class discussion today)

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