Shifting from Agony to Hope: Learning How to Lament
“We waited a few weeks to tell you this, but your dad has cancer.”
It was a phone call I never expected to receive. My mom called from Korea and said that my father had been diagnosed with cancer. I was in the United States at that time, but bought a ticket to Korea as soon as I could. I knew it was important for me to see my dad, and to be with my family during this difficult time.
True Shalom
Shalom (שלום). As a Christian, we may have been greeted with this word at least once. There is something unique and heartwarming about being greeted with this Hebrew word. But what is it about this word that comforts the heart of every believer in Christ? Simply put, shalom is the Hebrew word for “peace”, and it is commonly used among Israelis and occasionally used among Christians as a greeting and a farewell. And in both modern and Biblical days, shalom is also used to ask about one’s wellbeing. Most of us think of peace as a state of quietness or tranquility.
Creation: From Groaning To Glory
We are in the second half of 2021. When the pandemic started early last year, I thought that it would be a small matter and that the situation would get better by 2021. How naïve I was! The pandemic has not resolved as I expected. Cases are soaring in our country and in other parts of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the examples of evil in the world. On other fronts, most of us have loved ones or friends who are terminally ill. Maybe some of us are experiencing severe illness. The list goes on and on.
Why I Joined Befrienders
Last October, I decided to sign up as a volunteer with the Befrienders Penang. As a believer in mental health and a psychology graduate, it is something that I have wanted to do a few years ago. Despite the COVID pandemic, the Befrienders continued running their recruitment drive in order to raise more volunteers. The opportunity arose and I quickly signed up.
The Church & Mental Health
Recently, the suicide rate in Malaysia has been climbing. There were 631 suicide cases recorded in year 2020. The Bukit Aman CID director said in a statement on 1 July 2021 that there were 468 suicide cases between January and May 2021. For the same period, the Penang police commissioner reported that 19 suicide attempts were recorded in Penang, on top of 53 deaths from suicide.
Don’t hold back, let us spark Joy!
In a world that has been ‘silenced’, all of us have been thrown into a state of apartness during the FMCO. The lyrics from the Christmas carol “Joy to the World” plays a silent tune in my mind. In Psalm 19, the psalmist describes the heavens and the skies- no speech, no words, no sound yet their voice go out into all the earth. All this reminds me that Heaven and nature sings, yes Heaven and Nature sings!
Why I Am A Christian
Once in a while, I feel the burden of existential crisis upon my shoulders. Thoughts concerning my existence and my worldview circle around my head. Well, these thoughts do not roost permanently on my mind and build nests, metaphorically speaking. But they fly around my mind.
I am the author of my life. True?
We tend to admire men and women who have forged their own paths in life. Like Captain James Cook who was famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean and to Australia in particular.
Soli Deo Gloria
Just a few days ago, someone asked if I could recommend a daily devotional. Without hesitation, I recommended For the Love of God by Dr. DA Carson. It comes in 2 volumes, Vol 1 and Vol 2, and you can download them for free from the internet! Just search for these from your browser and you should find them easily. (In case you can’t, drop me an email at aslmok3@hotmail.com and I’ll send you a link.)