Indian restaurant

So, some of us went to an Indian restaurant the other day, and even though it clearly wasn't the first time eating an Indian food for any of us we couldn't answer some of the basic questions we had about Indian cuisine and religion - like, what type of Indian cuisine were we actually eating; what's the difference between Sikhism and Hinduism; and is there any religious reason for our waiter wearing a turbin? Here is what I could find from Wikipedia. Feel free to add anything more!

1. There have been many influences on Indian cuisine, but generally speaking there are northern, southern, and eastern styles. However, in American Indian restaurant, you typically see all of three kinds mixed. For example, Tandoori Chicken is considered "northern" for it's cooking style, and chicken tikka masala is considered "western" for it's British influence. Also, "northern" uses more meat ( e.g., kebabs), whereas "southern" is more vegetarian. In terms of their religion, Hinduism and Jainism are vegetarian, whereas Sikhism allows more meat from it's Muslim influence.

2. RELIGION: There is no "national" religion for India. The most prominent ones are Hinduism (80%), Islam (15%), Christianity (2%), Sikhism (2%), and about 1% for Buddhism and Jainism. Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world (after Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism), and although some consider it as a sect of Hinduism with influence from Islam, the Sikhism would strongly say not. For example, like Muslim, they believe in one creator God (called Vāhigurū), but like Hinduism, they believe in reincarnation as a path to salvation. Again, some would argue that Sikhism, which originated in India, is really a syncretism between Hinduism and Islam.

3. Lastly, the turbins that India males wear. Actually, this is only for the Sikhs. Their religion prevents them from cutting hair (I guess for life??), so they roll it up and use the turbin to keep it from flowing around too much and also from dirts. So, apparently Hindu Indians don't wear turbins. And, some other muslims from other countries wear turbins as well.

Any other ethnic food next week anyone???

Einstein and God's Calling

Few days ago, I was reading a new biography of Albert Einstein by Walter Isaacson. Of course, we know him as a rocket scientist who invented all sorts of things that we modern people take for granted in our daily lives. But, it was very interesting to me as I read about his childhood background, his personal life, and especially his spiritual contemplations. And, how all of this, in my mind, speaks to our common desire to understand God's calling in our lives and to follow it as best as we can.

First, his childhood begins by being born into a Jewish family living in Germany. Of course, this was before the two World Wars, but what a predicament one finds himself in by being born in such a complex world. Later in his life, Einstein states that he is both Jew and German. More importantly, he asserts to everyone that he is a human being before anything else. In writing a speech to deliver at a gathering to celebrate Israel's independence day, Einstein begins by saying, "I'm here before you not as a Jew, or German, but as a human being..." To me Einstein knew who he was culturally, what his place was in history, but also who he was a creation of God.

One might think that because Einstein was such a devoted scientist he couldn't have been any religious. However, when people would ask him whether he was religious, his answer automatically wouldn't be a simple "no". Like any deep thinker would say, he would ask back "it depends on what you mean by 'religious'". Einstein was a scientist in a period when science and religion existed far apart from each other on any spectrum of civilization that you could think of. The more scientist you were, the less religious you would have to be - or at least most people believed so. But, for Einstein, he thought for himself. And, he believed, on one hand, yes, there are a lot of religious beliefs and expressions that go against the day's scientific knowledge, but on the other hand, he also firmly believed that there are many things in life that science alone simply cannot account for. In other word, Einstein would declare there MUST be a power or agent behind how the world operates but that power or agent is not a personal being that interferes with human lives. In short, Einstein was a firm believer of transcendent God (i.e. God the creator) but wasn't able to accept or believe in God of imminence (i.e. God the Lord or our lives).

This leads to another interesting dichotomy that Einstein believed - that is his pursuit of human creativity yet his belief on determinism. As a scientist and inventor, he always preached on the value of human creativity. Einstein, ever since he was young, defied normality and refused to conform to what was expected. He fought against any and all authoritarian forces and we can see how this was the energy behind his creative and unorthodox science that led to many of his accomplishments. However, he was very strong on determinism. He would say he is not inventing anything. That science is not a trait of invention. But, he would say, science is simply an effort to understand what is already there. He believed in natural laws and science to explain those laws as best as human language can. You see, Einstein believed in God the creator. God who created this world with perfect natural laws of cause and effects. And, no creativity of humans could alter that. But, you would need all your creativity to understand it. Wow, what a profound, seemingly contradictory yet so amazingly true statement he is making! You see, Einstein knew God and the proper place of human before God.

There were so many other interesting things about Einstein's life. How one thing he was bad at was language and couldn't learn how to speak until after 2 years of age... his relationships with women including two marriages... how he worked on his equations even on the day of his death... But, the most interesting observation I could make of his life is that the man knew God and knew himself. He defied authority not because of rebellious spirit but because he had deep convictions - convictions of who God was and who he was as his creation. It's hard to know whether he had a personal relationship with the creator God. But, in his own profound ways, he knew God more than many people ever would. Or at least he lived according to his view of God more convincingly than many would. And, to me, this is what it means to understand and follow God's call in our lives. To know God best as we can and to live this life according to that knowledge. Thanks, Einstein, for being a hero of faith!

SERMON SERIES: "A VISION FOR OUR GENERATION"

We just finished a year-long sermon series on Isaiah called, "A VISION FOR OUR GENERATION!" It was long and required perseverance, but was very fruitful. We began by asking what God's vision was for Isaiah's generation and desiring to know what His vision for our generation might be. It wasn't anything revelatory, but when you think about it even the most common and obvious truth from God is revolutionary. Here are some key phrases we stumbled into while going through the entire book of Isaiah: Vision, Our Generation, Calling, Justice of God, Reign of God, Trust, Jesus Christ, "Salvation is Here", Child of God, Witness of God's salvation, "Salvation is Coming", For everyone, Healing for the nations, Will not rest... You see, if we just took those phrases seriously, the world will be changed!


September: "OUR GENERATION: WHO ARE WE?" (Isaiah 1)

October: "VISION: WHAT IS IT?" (Isaiah 2)

November: "A CALLING FOR GOD'S VISION" (Isaiah 6)

December: "THE MESSIANIC VISION" (Isaiah 7-12)

January: "GOD'S SENSE OF JUSTICE" (Isaiah 13-23)

February: "GOD'S SENSE OF FAITHFULNESS" (Isaiah 25-27)

March: "A STORY OF GOD'S VISION" (Isaiah 36-39)

April: "SALVATION IS HERE!" (Isaiah 40-56)

May: "SALVATION IS COMING!" (Isaiah 57-66)

Funeral

Working as a hospice chaplain, I deal with death and dying everyday. But, the funeral I went yesterday put things in different perspective. It was for one of my co-worker's mom and nephew's sudden death last week. The whole family was on a vacation (grandparents, two sisters, and their 5 kids). And a very tragic car accident led the family to suddenly moan for two members of the family's death - the grandma and one of the kids.

Even for all of us at work who are supposedly the experts on dealing with deaths and losses, this one hit hard for many of us. One, it was so unexpected, and two our co-worker who suddenly lost her mom and a nephew was such a nice person with always positive and cheerful demeanor. She was always the one to lighten things up, and now here she was grieving her biggest loss in her young life.

It is true that we all will die. And, in that sense, death shouldn't come surprising to us. But, when it comes in a way that is least expected and least prepared, it not only comes surprising but shocking and with disbelief. You don't know what to do with it, and it will take many years to be able to come to somekind of resolution and move through the loss and grieving. Even as a chaplain, all I can do is to lift up a prayer for her family - that somewhere in the midst of all this God will be present with them with his comfort and peace.

This death also led me to think about "fear of death" we all have. Someone once said that most of how we live our lives are influenced by our attitude toward death. "Fear of death" doesn't necessarily mean we are afraid of death and dying. But, in my mind, it means we are nervous about the uncertainty and a sense of finality of death. And, this uncertainty and finality shape our present life powerfully and profoundly. And, this is the power of fear of death.

I wonder how much of how I live my life these days is being affected by my unresolved feelings about death. Do I cherish things because I might only get a limited chance at it? Do I rush things because I might run out of my time? Do I compete because I might never get another chance? Where is my sense of grace, giving, and assurance of life after death? Do I really believe in eternal life - so much that I live present life accordingly?

Yes, We will all die one day like everyone else will. The issue really is not when or how we will die but how we live our lives until our death one day. Are we living running away from death or are we living embracing the perspective that death brings and also the life after it?

Trips to NY and Chicago

Traveling sometimes has a way of stretching and shaping your thoughts in a way you couldn’t have predicted. Maybe it’s the new people and places you encounter. Probably some new food you explore. Or, simply the plane rides that take you way above the clouds and give you permission to think a little more ideally that when you were on the earth… Whatever the case is, I’ve gotten to enjoy the opportunities to travel out of town, out of county, and out of my immediate surroundings.

This past month, I’ve had two great opportunities to travel. One was to New York City with Kathy, my wife, to attend a conference on “Multicultural Congregations”. It was an opportunity to meet many other pastors and leaders from various parts of the county who share the common vision of building a multicultural and multiracial congregation as a witness to God’s kingdom and an act of obedience to his call to the church.

First of all, being in NY City was awesome. I had been there several times before, but it was the first time for Kathy. It was just great to experience a new city with her and absorbing the sounds and sights of various cultures of this amazing city. It broadened our views on life, ministry, and people in general. Secondly, being with those whom we shared the common vision was both encouraging and educational. We were motivated for the work ahead of us, and we were given some tools and strategies on how to navigate the mysterious road of being who we are yet also becoming who God wants us to be.

The second trip is to Chicago by myself for 3 days from where I am currently coming back as I write this – yes in the plane, window seat, above the clouds and the corn fields of Iowa or something… It’s not the best scenery but at least I am high above. This trip was a “retreat” with other young pastors in my denomination, Reformed Church in America. We were all invited by the general secretary of the denomination to spend 48 hours together to connect and dream together the future of our life together as a denomination. What it means to be part of RCA, what it means to be missional in this age, how to work together and support one another…

This trip wasn’t necessary a time of stretching my thoughts or learning new things. But, it has given me an image to take home with me. Two fish and five loaves of bread that a boy gave to Jesus which in turned fed 5000 people…. No church is perfect, no pastor is perfect, and no denomination is perfect. There is always something that is lacking in our mind. And, that’s why we work hard to make it better, to grow and to complete the task before us. But, it’s also ok to be lacking, because in its state of lacking it is also sufficient. We can lack in many ways but as long as our hearts are fully devoted to God and his kingdom work, whether God turns it around and feeds 5000 or not, he first says it is enough and will honor the offering and multiply it in his own ways. Often not in immediate ways with noticeable results, but soon or later it will feed 5000.

I thank God for the two trips I was able to make this month - for God's perspectives, for renewal of my spirit, and for focus of vision and faith.