There is a Chinese saying – 耳边风(er bian feng), translated literally into English means the “wind beside the ear.” This saying means to ignore what others are telling you, treating the words that come out of their mouth as air passing by the ear but not entering. I confess, growing up, I have had adults …
My parents moved around a lot and met many people along the way. I am unsure whether that upbringing influenced me, but I started my little world tour after gaining independence at twenty-one. During my “tour de world,” I met many people who knew my parents, most of whom recognized me first. Why? It is …
One of the things that I have always been fascinated by about Scout’s camp meetings is the impressive structure they build out of wooden logs and rope. That made me join the Scouts when I was nine years old. I learned that it is not the log nor the rope that is the star of …
The world is complex. I think the Greater China Region is even more complex. To have at least 56 tribes coming together to form a country is complicated. Cultures, languages, customs, attitudes, history and personality all add to the complication. What surprises me about living here is not the complication but the attempts by organizations, …
My birth country Singapore prides itself on being one of the most peaceful and cohesive multiethnic societies. There are four major ethnic groups in Singapore, the Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians (people of mixed European and Asian heritage). The Singapore government is meticulous in its planning so as to ensure racial harmony and acceptance. For …
Horse trainers designed blinkers or horse tacks to keep the horses focused. Many racehorse trainers believe that blinkers keep horses focused on what is in front, encouraging them to pay attention to the race rather than to distractions such as crowds. The blinkers shut off the horse’s peripheral vision so they can only look forward. …
I recently restarted my training in Brazilian Jujitsu as exercise and something to take my mind off pastoral work. The side benefit is that I get to interact with more non-Christian friends. Being a pastor at training is still a pastor in his mind (always looking for the next best sermon illustration), so I can’t …
“To build a peaceful and better world in the Olympic Spirit which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play” The Mission of Olympic Spirit An interesting photo and article caught my eye just the other day. One of my favorite sport is archery, and a few days ago, it was …
As I began a season of transition – selecting and working with a brand new team of Elders, I started to think of the relationship between Affective Theology/Spirituality and Church Elders’ qualifications. For me, it came down to the difference between two tables – the conference table and the dining table. I worked in the …
In this midst of this COVID-19 Pandemic, I thought I would have more time to pause and think about what I am reading and learning in my DMin program…