Treasures in Jars of Clay

This summer, four seminary students graduated from CRTS. I was invited to play the piano during their commencement ceremony, and had the opportunity to listen to the commencement message given by Dr. Andrew Silman, a pastor and board member of Friends of CRTS (the mission organization that supports CRTS). His encouragement to all who attended the ceremony came from 2 Corinthians 4, on how we are like jars of clay which have been given the greatest treasure of all— the grace of God. Jars of clay have nothing to boast of themselves— they often served menial purposes, they were easily broken and cracked, and they were cheap and replaceable. Dr. Silman reminded us that we are like these lowly jars of clay, truly unworthy for anything, not like the beautiful Chinese ceramic pottery that we often see preserved in museums today. Yet, God in His great mercy and love gave us the greatest treasure to be put in these jars of clay— so that through our brokenness, like visible cracks in the jars of clay, the glory of God might shine all the brighter so that the gospel is clearly seen.

Dr. Silman also reminded me of my required humility in light of Romans 9:22, “What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?” We were once all objects of God’s wrath— let us never forget this— and now through Christ, we have become the objects of His mercy as He bears patiently with us each and every day. I was convicted of the fact that everything I have and everything that I am is ultimately from God, given to me undeservedly in His great mercy so that I will never be able to boast. So, whether in school, in the workplace, or in ministry, Dr. Silman encouraged us to never forget our brokenness and to recognize God’s great and continual mercies in our lives. In us broken jars of clay, may His power and His glory be shown all the more clearly. This is the truth of the gospel— what good news!

Walking Through Open Doors

While at the seminary, I was frequently asked what I would be doing after my time in Taiwan. When I told people that I would be continuing my studies in a graduate school program, many of them were curious as to why I had decided to volunteer at the seminary over my last summer. I told them the truth— I didn’t know for sure what I wanted to do in the future, but the possibility of a ministry lifestyle always intrigued me, so I wanted to see what it was like through my time at the seminary. The summer was an opportunity to experience the seminary lifestyle, and to also spend time with Chinese people in their cultural environment, which I had not been able to do since my short term missions trip to China in 2009.

I’ve also often wrestled with the idea of God’s leading and will in a world with so many choices. How do we know we’ve made the right choice? At one point, I had strongly considered serving with a campus ministry or overseas missions organization, for these things to me held a greater eternal value. I struggled with the decision to go to graduate school, but I finally made a decision after praying and seeking wise counsel. Looking back, graduate school was an open door— I had been accepted at many prestigious schools, and I knew that I could use my gifts in academics to glorify God. With many Chinese international students leaving China and entering graduate programs at Johns Hopkins, there is another rich harvest field of souls ready to hear the gospel. In this new season of my life, I praise God for giving me the opportunity to more closely trust in Him in my studies, to continue to grow and serve in my faith, and to be a witness for Him in the world of academia. To God alone be the glory!

The Beggar Lying in the Rain

On a rainy afternoon, I went out to walk around Taipei by myself. I was trying to find the Eslite bookstore, which is a common hang out place for many Taiwanese people who stay in the store to read the books without having to purchase them. As I was walking down the sidewalk in the rain, I noticed a beggar lying prostrate on the ground. As he lay there, his clothes and a cheap cardboard sign that he had written on were being soaked by the downpour. My heart was deeply moved to see such a sight, and I walked away sad because I did not know what I could give him. Beggars were not a new sight to me— I had seen many in Pittsburgh, and even others during my time in Taiwan. However, I had recently finished reading World Vision President Richard Stearn’s book, The Hole in Our Gospel, which made me think more about our response to the poor and needy in light of the gospel.

So, what should our response be? In the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), Jesus tells us plainly that one way we will be judged on the last day will be based on our love towards the poor and the needy. This passage is an easy one to ignore, but it is a critical extension of our understanding of the gospel. We were all once like the helpless beggar lying in the rain, but God rescued us and gave us new life and new hope. In response to God’s great grace and love, we must be a people of mercy and compassion. We must bring the light of the gospel to the unjust practices and systems in place that continue to oppress the poor and the needy, for the gospel is their only hope unto salvation. True righteousness requires us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before our God (Micah 6:8) in a way that we cannot simply just ignore the poor and the needy. I pray that God would continue to open my heart to the poor and needy around me, and help me show forth His great mercy and compassion.

Longshan Temple: A Glimpse into Confucian Taiwan

On a free weekend afternoon, I ended up visiting Longshan Temple（龍山寺）, which is located in western Taipei. I was curious to see the inside of the Buddhist temple, mainly for its old architecture and layout. I was expecting only a few tourists to be there, but was surprised to find that many Taiwanese people had also come to the temple to make food and incense offerings to their Buddhist gods. The worshippers ranged from the devout to the nominal; there were young people who seemed out of place and old monks with calluses on their knees from extended periods of kneeling and praying. From the many new churches I had seen in Taipei, I had the impression that other faiths were slowly dying out— however, my visit to Longshan Temple convinced me that there is still much Kingdom work left to do in Taiwan as people cling to false gods deeply rooted in their culture and families.

The environment of the temple also reminded me of when Jesus’ anger burned against those who were not truly worshipping at His Father’s temple (Matthew 21:12-13). Inside the temple, a store sold incense, food, and paper money that could be offered to the Buddhist gods. Not much further from the temple entrance, people had set up booths for selling various goods, and even stands for betting and gambling. Many of the people at the temple looked like they had come to offer up a one-time prayer, driven by a pressing need either for a job, health, or family. My heart was deeply moved and saddened to see so many lost people, worshipping false gods that would never be able to provide true help or hope. My only prayer is that God would continue to work mightily in Taiwan, rescuing people from the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of truth and light of the knowledge of Him, the one and only true God.

My Taiwanese-American Cultural Identity

I’ve often struggled with how to describe myself in terms of my cultural identity. I wrestled daily with this question as I took in the sights and sounds of living in Taiwan as an American. As part of my volunteering at CRTS, I had the opportunity to spend time with elementary school children as part of a Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) program. Two days a week, I would go to an elementary school classroom to help lead the children in games and singing, while another co-worker taught a short Bible story. This co-worker eventually asked me to share my testimony in Chinese with the students in the class— I was very reluctant at first, but eventually I did it, albeit using very broken Chinese that was probably barely intelligible (with some made up words and phrases along the way).

One day when I was in the classroom, one of the students asked me whether I was Taiwanese or American; to them, it must have been weird to see a Chinese person who couldn’t speak Chinese. I truly didn’t know how to respond at that time, but I envied the children because their cultural identity was secure— they had the experience of growing up in Taiwan, which I never had. In Taiwan, my language deficit became even more apparent to me— although I looked Chinese, I couldn’t speak the language fluently, and once people discovered that their English was better than my Chinese, they started using English to talk to me. Despite all these things, I was encouraged by my secure identity in Christ (Galatians 3:26-28), and the knowledge that the Father knows me intimately, for I was “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). May God use my unique cultural identity for the furthering work of the Kingdom!

CRTS: Returning to the Reformed Tradition

While volunteering at the China Reformed Theological Seminary (CRTS), I had the opportunity to audit two seminary classes. Although I was excited to experience what it was like to take classes, I was also apprehensive about returning to the Reformed tradition. In my eyes, the Reformed faith often exuded a spirit of pride and arrogance, touting a theological superiority above that of the other denominations. Although I had grown up learning about the central tenets of the Reformed faith under former Pastor Rich Coffeen, I ended up attending a non-denominational international church when I went to college in Pittsburgh.

Surprisingly, as I sat in on the classes, I found the Reformed tradition to be spiritually refreshing. Instead of hearing fancy, yet empty ideas wrapped up in rhetoric, the truth of the Bible was clearly proclaimed, showcasing the beauty of the gospel. On Sundays, I attended the church connected to CRTS, and the weekly confessional practices again reminded me of the importance of knowing our faith. I will also always remember one conversation I had with an older seminary student. This student had spent many years searching for the “right” doctrine, having served in many different churches that often eschewed biblical truth. Only after many years of searching did he finally decide to become a full-time student at CRTS. When he found out that I was still quite young, he genuinely expressed his belief of how lucky I was to have found the Reformed faith so early on, and how he wished he could have been in my place many years ago. I’m eternally grateful that God in His abundant grace brought me back to the Reformed tradition— the issue for me is no longer one of pride, but of truth: “’Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (John 8:32).

The Taiwan Food Scandal: A Metaphor for Sin

During my time in Taiwan, an emerging food scandal became breaking news. Many food companies were exposed as having used a dangerous, cancer-causing chemical in their foods. What began as recalls of only a few affected beverages soon spread to also include yogurt powders, bread, tea, and jam. In many ways, sin is similar to the Taiwan food scandal— it is systemic to our society today, and oftentimes we do not realize just how far-reaching it is until it is exposed before us. The breadth and depth of the Taiwan food scandal was particularly alarming. Over time, best practices in the food industry, driven by the greed and corruption of those on top, made it acceptable for the dangerous chemical to be used in foods marketed to an unknowing public. According to statistics online, more than 900 food products were recalled, affecting nearly 40,000 Taiwanese retailers.

Presumably many Taiwanese enjoyed having the tainted food products before the dangerous chemical used in them was exposed. However, if they continued to consume these tainted food products, they would have faced serious health consequences possibly leading to death. In a similar manner, our sin leads us to imminent death, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), a death that is unavoidable because of our fallen and depraved nature. By the grace of God, the companies using the dangerous chemical were exposed, their products were taken off the shelves, and the Taiwanese public became more wary of what food products they were consuming. Similarly, it is only by the grace of God that we as sinners have been rescued from death unto life, shown the Truth that is the Word of God, and been given the Spirit to powerfully proclaim the Kingdom of God.

Learning to Boast in Christ Alone

From an article titled “Six Weeks in Taiwan” that I wrote for my church newsletter on my trip to Taiwan:

While in Taipei, I stayed with my grandparents, who graciously offered to host me in the extra room of their apartment. I was excited for the chance to spend more time with them, but living with my grandparents, who are not Christians, was a daily test in humility and patience. My grandfather had strong opinions about everything, which he subsequently made known to everyone, and his comments often revealed a deeply
prideful and self-righteous heart.

I thought  about how Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:27-31 that God chooses the foolish, weak, lowly, and despised things of the world to shame the wise and the strong. How does this happen? The answer is at the cross— for the cross calls us to boast not in ourselves, but in Christ alone. My grandfather was an accomplished two-star general who later became a high-ranking government official, easily considered “wise” and “strong” by the world’s standard, but he will be shown to be foolish and weak in the Kingdom to come unless he boasts in Christ alone. Through God’s grace and mercy, I pray that my grandfather might humble himself and come to know Christ. Through this experience, I was also reminded of my own constant need to boast in Christ alone and recognize that humility and patience come as responses to God’s grace.

Second Chance?

I’m going to give my blog a second chance, since I haven’t posted on it for a long time. I’m hoping God will honor this desire to meditate on Him and His Word more by providing me with some keen insights that I can share and reflect about. Wishing everyone a blessed new year!

Fruit of the Spirit

I had always thought that the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) was something that came from the outside, obtainable through practice and experience. I never thought that the fruit of the Spirit came from within ourselves- that we are the bearers of this fruit. I realize now that it is the Spirit who works within us to grow and eventually bear our fruit, which will have the marks of the fruit of the Spirit. To enjoy the fullness of the fruit of the Spirit, we must let the gardener (the Spirit) do his work in watering, tending, and growing the fruit, which all takes time and patience (ironically, a fruit of the Spirit). When we try to enjoy fruit of the Spirit that is not grown in the soil of our hearts by the Spirit himself, we cheat ourselves and others of what real fruit should taste like. Furthermore, we have missed the point of bearing fruit when we try to solely work on practicing and experiencing the fruit of the Spirit- the fruit is not for ourselves to eat, but it is meant to bless others out of the abundance of what we have experienced in God. God, give us the patience to know that you are making the fruit of our lives more like the fruit of the Spirit; that this fruit is meant to display your glory and your abundance in our lives.