|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sermon and Prayers
|
|
THE PARADOX IN GOD'S KINGDOM You can imagine the audiences of Jesus were shocked when Jesus started his sermon by saying: happy are those who are poor in spirit, happy are those who mourn…If I filed for bankruptcy, it would be unimaginable for you to come up to me, saying “congratulation Sunny, Blessed or happy are those who are poor or who mourn. Yet, each teaching of Jesus in the Beatitudes is a statement of paradox; and life itself is full of paradox For the last three month, I have been serving at the Royal Children Hospital as part of my placement. I came across many sad stories. I met a 10 year old boy who was suffering from a rare blood disease - after staying in the hospital for almost a whole year; he ended up in the Intensive Care Unit. I still can remember vividly that particular morning, when the medical staff told his parents that he would not be able to survive long, I was there with the family when this devastating news was announced. The worst part was that the boy was still conscious when the medical team with the consensus of the family decided to stop the life-support machine. The last wish of this young boy was "Can I have some orange juice please?" He repeated this wish several times, and every single time, the medical staff had to turn him down, fearing that it would complicate the situation. I was there, trying to stay composed, holding back my tears. The young boy eventually passed away that night. The next morning in the hospital, almost everyone that knew him, including one of the most respected chaplains expressed with relief: “Praise God”, or “Thank God”. You might ask, a little boy just died, how could you say “thank God”? It is a paradoxical statement that almost sounds sarcastic. But I was there; I have seen the torture and the torment that this young boy had gone through. I thank God that his life of hell has come to an end, and he was received back by the loving God. Life is full of paradox. Now, you may ask, what is the key teaching in the Beatitudes apart from paradoxical statements made by Jesus? In fact there are many ways to interpret the Beatitudes. In order to explain one of the interpretations of this passage that I adopt today, bear with me as I try to explain to you some writing and communication styles of the ancient Israelites. As a Chinese growing up in Hong Kong, I later received my postgraduate education in the United States. I am always amused to see the difference between the Eastern and the Western way of thinking and communication style. In the western world, people usually think in a linear way; logical and direct. When I look back at the essays that I completed for my master degree some ten some years ago, the format of every single essay was almost the same - introduction, arguments, and conclusion. Eastern or Asian way of thinking on the other hand proceeds in a circular way, they are neither direct nor confrontational. For instance, when the Sino-British declaration was signed back in the 80's concerning the future of Hong Kong, British delegates were very direct in answering the questions posted by reporters. Meanwhile delegates from China always started with the discussion of the weather, using it to illustrate how well or bad the negotiation presided. In the same fashion, a Chinese church council meeting proceeds in a circular way. It was very frustrating for me to see that the agenda, whilst it is present, is usually ignored until half an hour later before people start to get to the point. If you pay attention, Chinese dining table is always round in shape – perhaps it reflects the circular way of thinking. In the ancient times, sometimes the Israelites used symmetrical style in writing and communication; they put a marker in the beginning of a passage and the same marker at the end of it. For instance, if you pay attention to the Beatitudes, you can find the same phrase: "theirs is the kingdom of heaven" in the first and eighth Beatitude. This is what we called an “Inclusio” maker. According to the Inclusio structure, sometimes, the most important idea is expressed at the very end. Inclusio is almost like establishing a starting point and the most important point is made at the end before a conclusion is drawn. In other words, sometimes the climax is stated in the second last statement, whilst a conclusion is drawn in the very last statement. Therefore, the climax of the Beatitudes, according to this interpretation, is a calling: God calls us "to be peacemakers". The conclusion of it is that we might face persecution and opposition. Do you know that being a peacemaker is never easy? I have experienced being one; particularly Three years ago my church was at the brink of a split. The church council was divided into two groups; I was heart broken to see relationships being torn apart because of bitterness and misunderstanding. Worst of all, friends launched malicious attack on one another. Suspicions and doubts clouded judgment of the church leaders. During that difficult period, I took up my courage and began my mission as a peacemaker. I tried my best to clear the misunderstandings, pulling the two parties together, facilitating opportunities of reconciliation, yet to no avail. At the end of it, one group called me a traitor, whilst another group called me a spy sitting on the fence. The piercing comments from the people that I love brought me to tears. Then, I realised how hard it was to be a peacemaker. Eventually the church split up two years ago. After the conclusion of the Beatitudes, Jesus said "blessed are you when you are reproached, persecuted and are wrongly accused," Peacemakers are not usually well received and at best misunderstood and rejected by their fellowmen. Yet Jesus assured us that we are called to be peacemakers and God honours us. The Bible that I am holding now has been used for many years ago. When I was still a teenager, I requested a lady to autograph on one of the pages. She was not a movie star, nor was she famous. In fact, she was in her sixties when I met her. She was an English lady who looked short and fragile. Her name is Helen Rosevere. Her story has been an inspiration to me. Helen was a young physician who grew up in England. She went to Congo in Africa in 1964 because she wanted to share God's love with the people there. She worked as a doctor, helping the poor who could not afford medical treatment. However, a civilwar broke out, she was not conquered by fear, rather she decided to stay there, to be a peacemaker whilst continued to serve the local people in a very difficult situation. Unfortunately, she was captured by one of the rebel groups, and imprisoned in a living hell. At the place, she was abused on a daily basis. Humiliated and tortured for several months before she was released: and this is what she wrote when she recalled her nightmare: “Beaten, flung on the
ground, kicked – teeth broken,
mouth and nose gashed, ribs bruised – driven at gunpoint
back to my home, insulted, threatened… It was a very dark
night… For a brief moment, I felt God has failed me. God
could have stepped in and prevented this rising crescendo of
wickedness and cruelty. God could have saved me out of their
hands. Why didn’t God speak? Why didn’t God
intervene? And in desperation, I almost cried out against Him:
“It is too much to pay!”
In the darkness and loneliness, God met with me. God was right there, a great, wonderful, almighty God. His love enveloped me. Suddenly the “Why?” dropped away from me, and an unbelievable peace flowed in, even in the midst of wickedness.” A lady who gave her life to bring peace and healing ended up being wounded by violence and abuse. This is again a paradox. However, this is not the end of her story. The most inspiring part of her life is that she decided to stay behind and continued to serve the local people instead of going back to England. Her courage and love becomes a great example for me. In God’s kingdom’s, life is full of paradox. Jesus himself lived a life of a paradox – he came as a peacemaker, reconciling the hostile world to the loving God, yet he was utterly rejected and crucified. He calls us to be peacemakers. Are you willing to be a peacemaker? Are you experiencing the struggle as a peacemaker? Are you willing to follow God's call to be a peacemaker, standing between the gaps even it may cost something dear to you? You could be misunderstood, rejected or patronized, but yet, God, the one who reconciled the whole world to Him will honour you! May we all be peacemakers in such a world which is plagued with wars, broken relationships, doubts and wounds! Amen! ___________________________________________________ A sermon presented by Sunny Chen at St Aidan's Uniting Church
North Balwyn, on 30th
January, 2005. IT MAY BE
REPRODUCED WITH ACKNOWLEDGMENT. |
|||
Page updated 18/02/05
