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| so i am reading fateful choices and came to this new word that i had to use my mac dictionary to look at, obsequiousness... try that on your boss the next time (actually don't do it). obsequiousness is an attitude towards a superior that is beyond flattery and may have a hint of deception (because you may go along with the big guy, but u don't really) to the point of blindness... this came in the chapter about mussolini during WWII and it was used on the fascist regime... and the author is saying the fateful and idiotic (don't look at me, the author ian kershaw pretty much is saying the same thing) decision to attack greece despite hitler's warning not to bring the axis into a collision course with the balkans is instigated by fascist ideaology that place mussolini on a pedestal. if the country and leaders had more guts to tell him he was wrong, instead of blindly nodding like a puppet, hitler may not need to fight a two front war (there are othe reasons too, like mussolini's sense of inferiority towards hitler also made that rash decision). so obsequiousness, what a cool word! how many churches run on such a system though? yes man all over telling you everything you want to hear without a shred of truth to it... i remember the episode when mr. burns lost his nuclear factory to a bunch of yes man lawyers who agreed to everything he says and does... i hope i will never be surrounded by yes man, or else god help us all if i lead the youth and the church to a dumb fateful choice as mussolini did that changed the course of history in WWII (there were others, but this blunder really could be stopped).
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| It's been such a long time since I xangaed and hopefully this won't become those 3 minutes heat type of effort... this time, it was a morning coffee with my mentor that awakened my desire to write again. I've been telling him that lately I've been trying to read 5 books at the same time (the year of living biblically, luther as a spiritual advisor, the discipline of spiritual discernment, fateful choices and a tie between sickness unto death and awake [not really a tie, consider i only bought sickness unto death like two days ago and i read about 60 pages of awake but have not yet been awake yet])... anyways, today, let me try to wrap my heads around and wrestle with luther as a spiritual advisor. towards the end of the chapter on sacraments, it talked about as a concluding reflection whether repentance (that u-turn) comes before forgiveness (that pardon of sin), or forgiveness comes before repentance. and why it struck me was the less i read "heavier" books, the more i am afraid to pardon others easily. i remember in DRIVEN i hesitated even with the notion of grace because i was afraid i would let people get off the hook too easily... i didn't want them to know you can always hold a grudge for as long as you want without changing and yet you are forgiven... then they won't learn? then they won't grow? but this chapter reminded me that's not how it works. when you repent or require someone to repent before they are forgiven, it actually becomes dangerous because it is what the reformers were always afraid of, salvation by works. that you can and need to do something to earn forgiveness. but as this book reminded me, from the story of Luke 15 of the parable of the two sons, clearly the father had forgiven the son long before he came back, or else forgiveness would require repentance, that the son would have to say what he had rehearsed to become a slave in his father's household, and not the beloved son who is lost but found. but the father didn't accept him after he said his piece, he rushed to him and kissed him and hugged him and gave him everything that was originally his. clearly, the father had already forgiven this son who went out of his way to waste the possession his father has given him. but what about Jesus' famous word, "repent, the day is near..." isn't Jesus calling people to repent first? well according to Luther, which makes sense, if we understand being saved correctly, it means we do not initiate this process (even though it appears we do). and i am always fond of saying the spirit quickens in the person a desire to repent, true, but now my understanding fuller, (or maybe just forgotten when you start to do theology instead of study it constantly in a seminary), but forgiveness has already been given but not known (because sin blinds us, no, sin killed us before God, making us unable to do anything), in other words, like everything i learned about worship and tithing and giving, God once again takes the first step to offer this forgiveness and when the sinner is aware of this forgiveness that has been blinded to them (which is also evidence of that awakening from the dead, though this has nothing to do with the book i was reading), they can repent. so Jesus' call is really saying, repent (because forgiveness has already been extended and will be fully extended when i pay for your sin on the cross), he's not telling us we need to take initiative, he's telling us the answer, the answer all of us have been searching for, "what must I do to get saved?" the answer that is the response, the only one of two response we can make: refuse accepting forgiveness or accept this forgiveness knowing we don't deserve it. but then what if someone says, how can that forgiveness be given to someone who won't accept it, is it still effective? to which from what I gather, there are two answers: of course a refused gift is void of it's power and content, but secondly and here I can only rely on the mystery of God's foresight, if He knew who was going to refuse the gift, in his divine wisdom and power, the forgiveness has already been determined (careful there...) to be ineffective. don't think i am ready to wrap my head around pre-determinism yet. but the bulk of it I believe is the only way God's love and grace makes any sense. "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" | | |
| 那天真的嚇了我一跳﹗事情是這樣的﹕我一如往常在樓上忙自己的事，看一套租回來的DVD，勿然媽媽在樓下大叫，叫得很急，實在聽不到她在叫甚麼。我就大聲從樓上叫下去“甚麼事？”我們在家裡就有這個習慣，每當有人來電，如果一個在樓上，一個在樓下，接聽到不是找自己的，就大叫，“daddy，電話！”這個方法很管用，也因為天生我好中氣，我們就這樣了。但不同的是，這次媽媽拚命的大叫，而且很焦急，我就匆匆的往樓下跑，才聽到了媽媽說“daddy快要暈倒了！”我跑進客廳，看見媽媽很徬徨，爸爸面青唇白，坐在沙發椅上。我頓時發呆，站在那裡，不知所措。有人會問，你不是在學過CPR First Aid的嗎？說來更是慚愧，我當時整個人很慌亂，不知該如何是好！我親身經歷到，當最親的人躺在你面前的時候，甚麼ABC （Airway，Breathing，Circulation）都忘得一乾二淨。我不停的拍他，不停的問他﹕“聽到我嗎﹖”也儍儍的去廚房拿湯匙放進爸爸的嘴裡，甚麼 airway都不管了！（這是很錯誤的做法，以為這樣他們就不會咬自己的舌頭。錯得很呢！事實上當人在暈倒中，是不會咬自己舌頭的，這樣做反而會使他們呼氣的通道也塞住了。）我不停的問要不要打9－1－1，媽媽也不能決定。最後拿了一張大棉被，讓他躺下來。我就狼狽的跑回樓上拿急救手冊，立刻從新溫習，想起來真丟臉！幸好爸爸也漸漸回復過來了﹐這算不算是虛驚一場呢﹖ 這件事再一次提醒我爸爸老了，不知道什麼時開始他老了。有時侯當我停下來想想，爸爸已經60了，有一邊的耳朵又聽得不好...。我想起一首歌的一段歌詞 (愛得太遲 － 古巨基)，和一段經文，作為總結： 日夜做見爸爸剛好想呻 卻霎眼看出他多了皺紋 而他的蒼老感 是從來未覺 太內疚擔心 子 孫 為 老 人 的 冠 冕 ． 父 親 是 兒 女 的 榮 耀 。箴 言 17:6 爸爸，你從來都不是很健碩的﹐也不算是讀書最多的﹐但我深信在每個孩子心中的爸爸和你一樣﹐永遠是個巨人，也是我們的榮耀。就是身體開始漸漸老了﹐但在主裡卻一天比一天年青。電視劇裡常有一句話﹐是我這個半竹星不明白的﹐但不打緊﹐爸爸，是時候享清福了﹗ | | |
| 「吃渴玩樂」這個單元終於來到樂了！但是筆者要談的不是歡樂的［樂］，乃是談音(樂)！從東方至西方文化，以音樂去留存歷史、故事的方法是源遠流長。以色列民也是這樣將他們的歷史一代傳一代，因為文字加上樂章，就能易學易記，歷久保存。從小媽媽就喜歡在我和哥哥面前唱歌﹔煮飯，洗碗碟都變了個迷你演唱會。爸爸五音不全，但他唱 [一水隔天涯] 還算不俗，雖音調欠奉，卻深情搭夠，很甜蜜。 最記得他們會在從密西沙加開車返回列治文山那段路程唱的﹔若是母親先唱，爸爸很快就會加入﹔若是爸爸先唱，媽媽就和唱，萬試萬靈﹗ (而我就會望著坐在旁邊的哥哥一起偷笑)。所以﹕ (一)父母若能憑歌寄意，哼出你們熟識的歌，兒女們可能表面看來有點尷尬 (當然千萬不要在他們朋友面前這樣做) ﹐但可從行動中看到父母所見證出來的愛，心中是滿足、快樂的。 誠意推薦﹕一水隔天涯，我有一段情，往是只能回味，分飛燕 (後兩首是反面教材，唱後必需加以心理輔導，還幸我和哥哥沒有留下陰影呢) 。 有人說上一代的歌詞比這一代的寫得好。確實有一段日子香港的歌不外乎談情道愛。像對社會、珍惜家人、朋友、自我反省的中英文歌曲 ﹐最近幾年才多見。若能憑歌教導下一代正確的觀念，也不失為一個渠道。中文情歌以分手居多，英文情歌走兩極，一是情慾泛濫(很多RAP的歌詞如此) ，二就是說出愛的甜蜜，思念的情懷，和分手的感觸 (老歌就有這種情懷)。所以﹕ (二) 父母若能熟悉這些歌，然後和兒女交談，互相交流當中訊息，可能了解多一些他們的想法，從而分享你們在這方面的人生經歷，可能是一個不錯的催化劑。 誠意推薦﹕Crazy – Simple Plan, Where is the Love – Black Eye Peas feat. Justin Timberlake, Shall We Talk 和葡萄成熟時 -陳奕迅﹐愛得太遲 - 古巨基, 後記﹕ [吃喝玩樂]單元就停在這一期了，下次會有新的題目，也會引用經文。家母雖然不是麥浸會友，但她是忠實讀者。她問為何每個傳道人都有經文，你卻沒有﹖我說這是我的風格。她說那要改改你的風格了。我想了一回﹐本著[兩代之間]的孝順精神﹐改一改作風吧。下期再見﹗ | | |
| 頇登於麥城華人浸信會的第四期［麥浸加油站］
在短短二十多年﹐青年人所玩的玩意變化萬千。今次就嘗試集體回憶﹐懷勉過去玩對青年人的影響。自小就十分喜歡玩具。在香港﹐日本卡通盛世之時﹐最愛的就是買超合金機械人。筆者猶記得小時候﹐校園歌唱比賽若然拿金牌﹐就得到超合金一盒。很開心一拿就拿了三年﹐從我們不渺小﹐到一年班的汪明荃小姐名作勇敢的中國人﹐到二年級張明敏先生的我是中國人﹐唱歌就好像成為換取禮物的條件。一盒高迪安﹐一盒六神合體。可以玩過沒完沒了。
來到加拿大後﹐再沒有歌唱比賽﹐這裡沒有超合金﹐換來的就是有極濃厚趨美的義勇群英 G.I. Joe。 我做這群愛國烈士﹐哥哥就用Cobra毒蛇黨打個你死我活﹐不亦樂乎。
當然還有近期再興起一時的變形金剛Transformers, 和長青樹LEGO。這些都陪伴很多男孩成長。
其實轉接期也是在我那一代發生﹐只是沒想到他的威力這麼非凡。我所說的就是電子遊戲機。筆者覺得模擬世界就是兩代之間的轉淚點。不是我和爸爸的那一代﹐而是二﹐三十來歲和時下年青人。我看到他帶來了兩個衝擊。這是我個人的觀察﹐願和大家一起分享。
第一﹐進入電腦﹐數碼化的青年玩意能速進家庭和諧。以前大家河水不泛井水﹐我們在地庫打得轟列﹗上面大人看義不容情﹐大時代也毫無阻隔。但是電腦是兩代共用。就算最新一代的PS3﹐Wii機都要用電視。可能是家裡維一的一部電視﹗大家就要學習怎樣包容﹐接納。這是一件好事。也聽過有家長陪同子女一起打Wii﹐這是很好的親子方法﹐大人也可以趁機減壓。
第二﹐進入電腦﹐數碼化的青年玩意卻令他們缺乏創意。怎樣說﹖如果能看破電腦遊戲的空間﹐就知道其實無論graphics有多漂亮﹐玩法有多變化﹐也是已定下的模擬世界。設計者沒可能想到你還未想到的。也就是說比起玩具大戰的創意空間實在規範了很多﹗會不會是這個原因我們這一代喜歡抄習﹐不善於創作呢﹖
哈哈。。。筆者也沒有答案﹐但是家長們若是覺得這個想法有一點道理﹐可以用此理由幫助青年人去尋找創意開啟之門。這也未嘗不何。
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