Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Friday, March 06, 2009

On the art of chairing meetings

Sometimes, a simple act of summary and appreciation is helpful. I got to learn this.

"Thank you for sharing that, It helps me understand ... ..."
"So you are saying ... ..."
"I am glad to know that ... ..."

I think I was too curt in my last meeting. Live and learn.

WoW39: Take time to be polite. It beats the time spent repairing relationships.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

On Lent

Apparently, the CAC of the Methodists has a very good Chinese Article on Lent. I found it while I was looking for an article for Pretzels.

Enjoy this link.

"慢慢地,这40天的大斋节期不但是新信徒上洗礼课程或新会友上会友课程的时候。大斋节期也成为一般信徒透过读经、祷告、禁食、施舍救济、重新与主建立亲密关系的时刻,以便落实他们的信仰生活。"

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

My idol: Anthony Thiselton

I just read this from Scot McKnight in Christianity Today.

"As I was reading The Hermeneutics of Doctrine a friend wrote me and said he had heard that Thiselton had died. I knew Tony had a stroke. Rosemary, his wife, wrote a short postscript to the Acknowledgments informing us that her husband "was devastated by a stroke." So I wrote to a friend at Nottingham, where I did my doctoral work and where Thiselton now teaches, and the friend told me that Thiselton had had a remarkable recovery and was now back at work. I am grateful and, Tony, I'm standing in line for your next dense book."

Phew! Anthony Thiselton is the absolute best in the field of hermeneutics. May the Lord keep his health well.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Quote of the year: This too shall pass

Whenever I am faced with a difficult project, there is always a quote I remember. "This too shall pass". No matter how painful is an experience, it will always pass away. That has always gave me comfort and courage on all things I'm facing and what I must overcome. I am delighted to learn the context from Wikipedia.

One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister. He said to him, "Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you six months to find it." "If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty," replied Benaiah, "I will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?" "It has magic powers," answered the king. "If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy." Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility. Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day's wares on a shabby carpet. "Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?" asked Benaiah. He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet and engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile. That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. "Well, my friend," said Solomon, "have you found what I sent you after?" All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled. To everyone's surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, "Here it is, your majesty!" As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. The jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: gimel, zayin, yud, which began the words "Gam zeh ya'avor" -- "This too shall pass." At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust.

Monday, March 02, 2009

On Movies II

I last commented on the type of preferred storytelling in this entry. While I like movies with a message, it must never be in your face. Strangely, by being more descriptive, the movie becomes more prescriptive because of its ability to convince. I am happy to note that Letters from Iwo Jima is one such movie done to perfection. Without the use of too more gore, the story is strangely shocking to its audience because the questions on war is always there. There is a quote in the movie that is craftily done:
" Do what is right because it's right"
This quote comes from a letter from a mother to an American captive. Yet it was the same order given from a Japanese officer to his soldiers.
Both the American and the Japanese soldiers are "doing what is right", the American is toppling Japanese imperialism, and the Japanese in defending against American invasion. Yet it is blatantly obvious that they are fighting against each other when both are trying to do "what is right".
Shocker, isn't it?

WoW38: Keep the question hanging there. The point will be driven through in the end.