Chairman's Message - The unnamed doing the unimaginable!
by Rev Eu Hong Seng
Almost everybody talked about them. Yet, today we know so little about them.
They brought their paralysed friend to Jesus, fought through the crowd, did not do the conventional thing (going through the front door), took risks (broke the roof of a home when they most probably didn't know the owner), did much preparation (they knew where Jesus was and they had the ropes to let down their friend from the roof) - all because they were determined to see their friend healed.
They had no name cards, no e-mail addresses, no hint of postal codes, no names, no traceable background, no references, no mobile contacts.
The only thing they had was "faith." Yet two miracles happened that day.
Firstly, their crippled friend was undeniably healed, and secondly, the community burst out in praise, "We have never seen anything like this!" (Mark 2:12 NLT)
As I think of the Malaysian Church and the transformation of the nation, I often think of this parallel.
Unfortunately the Church is very much like the paralysed man - "sick" - and had to be carried. Whilst much of society is immobilised by sin, the Church is so slow moving that she might as well be paralysed. Sometimes it takes years, before a community hears of Christ or gets to see any good works done in the name of Christ.
Is it not true that often we had to be carried - we are overly dependent on grants, not to mention that many of other faiths are more forward looking and are quick to respond to needs, crisis and injustices?
Surely we need the unnamed to do the unimaginable today.
Whilst we preach "transformation," we practise "transmogrification"1. Indeed much of what we do is sometimes "laughable" because it's so insignificant and inconsequential. It does not impact society and the only people who are excited about it are the church folks, because we have "done something," albeit not significant. We have forgotten that it is "us" who are suppose to be "insignificant", not the works.
At the recent NECF Malaysia BGMin May, for the first time in our history, the members of NECF endorsed two noteworthy nation-building projects costing over RM40 million, viz the launch of the e-portal "Good Times" and the purchase of a 30-acre land to set up a vocational school2.
The challenge before us is to have faith, not to waste time "reasoning" like the religious leaders of Jesus' day. And trust God that as we do what we can, He will do what we can't. It was the faith of the unnamed four that helped them "accomplish" the task before them. Today, we need similar undoubting creativity and determination to move forward.
It's time we humble ourselves so that God can use us. Be content to be anonymous, plan the work well, exercise faith, press in "into Jesus' presence", then see miracles unfold before us. Apartially paralysed Church awaits healing and our society needs genuine transformation.
For nation building to succeed, we need "nameless carriers" of the vision. If we do it right, the Malaysian community is bound to exclaim "We have never seen anything like this!"
1 To transmogrify is to change something in a funny or strange way; to change something into something very different, especially in a way that is funny or strange.
2 Subject to Government's approval. |
