Dear ..
If white is angelic, then snow covered Edinburgh is Heaven?
For the Presbyterian Church has it's origins in Scotland.
Leaving the bitter cold of Scotland, I will soon be in a slightly less frosty Manchester, the 2nd largest city in England. But I doubt it will get any less cold, though my son is looking forward to his visit to the hallowed grounds of Old Trafford, home of the Red Devils. If soccer is the religion of the world,then England is the cradle of this great obsession.
On the subject of passion, one observation in many mainstream guides on the
cities I visit is that an active gay and lesbian nightlife is now very much
part of the promoted colors that make the city an attraction. Churches are
passé, unique lustful relationships are now natural
'For I have no man like minded, who will truly care for your state, for they
all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ.'
Philippians 2:20-21
It's past 4am again UK time, 12pm Singapore time. Guess my biological clock is
only half set to the new realities of my present physical location. But is it not the same for all cultures that find themselves ensconced in a
land away from home? Many first generation immigrants to foreign lands cling on
to the vestiges of their culture and food for more emotional comfort than
reasons of nostalgia.
Being a china man gastronomic wise, after 3 days in the land of fish and chips, we finally had a welcome Chinese meal at a restaurant in Chinatown in
Manchester. It was also great to see and speak in Chinese to the waitress, much
as it took some time to figure out the apt dialect within the broad spectrum of
the varied tongues of the Chinese race.
'Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that
times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
Acts 3:19
But life is more than satisfying the stomach. Would it not be great in a
strange land to meet more friendly and helpful fellow human beings who can guide
us babes in a strange ward? Moving on our own within UK via rail, we have been
blessed to meet nice locals who have helped make the trip pleasant and less daunting. Are they Christians? I am not sure. Does it matter? No if it is just
about directions to a place on Earth, but an imperative yes if it is about
pointing us to Christ, our redeemer. Would it not be a blessing if in every
place big or small that there resides faithful Christians whose life would
magnify forth the light of God's love, a welcome respite for the traveler that
all humanity is, till Christ calls us home?
'Finally my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you to
me indeed is not irksome, but for you it is safe.'
Philippians 3:1
Rudyard Kipling is one of my favorite writers, much as my dalliance with his
work has been limited to a couple of short stories and one movie cartoon " the
jungle book." Yet this man of bygone days of the British Raj when Great Britain
was truly great in his writings must have captured and inspired many of his
peers to venture forth into the exotic lands of the Indian subcontinent. And for
the present man like myself, his writings evoke a nostalgia for a romantic
bygone era. Would my sharing be in the same league? If it is from me, it is but a wistful hope. But if it is truly from the Lord, then it will not just assure a searching heart, but invoke that responsive desire on your part to take that step unto His presence.
God indeed blesses
Eng Hieang
Dec 1st 5am minus 1 degree Manchester
One afterthought
I have progressed from writing from the washroom to sharing the inspiration of
our Lord from the bedroom. The wonders of an iPhone with free wifi where one can
happily tap away while lying on the bed. Only risk is a static finger and a sore
neck from this less than ideal posture.
And indeed God is good. The cold snap has moved ahead of me, from North in
Scotland going down South and South West. By the time I headed down from
Scotland to Manchester in the North East, I still feel the biting coldness but
have avoided much of it's collateral damage. And severe it is with massive disruptions in transport and daily living with many stuck overnight in the extreme cold on the roads, train stations and airports(see link http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20101202/tuk-no-hope-of-respite-for-frozen-britai-dba1618.html)
'we are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed.'
2 Corinthians 4:8
And this has summed up my journey through this 'annus horribilis' weather in
UK to date, yet God protects and provides. Queen Elizabeth made famous this term
'annus horribilis' when she summed up the terrible year of scandals besetting
the royal family back in the early 1990s.
And one final final after thought, for insomnia makes the mind fertile and
frivolous? Man plans God indeed directs. Many Irish fled both their English
rulers and the potato famine to new lands. I like many have benefited from the
Irish catholic priests who ended up as educators and religious teachers in the
developing countries. The Americans had the benefit of the Irish origin Kennedy
'royal' dynasty. A comeuppence for the English who were not just kicked out of
America by their ex citizens, but had the conquered, an Irish descendant running
a bigger country to theirs. So much for the much vaunted special
relationship.
The Scots were not far off either. Many ended up in Dark Africa as missionaries
and explorers like Dr David Livingstone. And the English might think they own
HSBC, but it is the Scots who are the engine room.
And like the Romans whose land routes in her empire facilitated the spread of
Christianity. The sly English, at least that seems to be what the conquered in
the British Isles think of them, by their sea routes in their empire opened up
even more opportunities for the spread of the gospel.
And what about Wales? For now, they had the late famous actor Richard Burton
and the present actress Catherine Zeta Jones, wife of Wall St actor, Michael
Douglas.
But in truth they had Sir Henry Morton, a Welsh who managed to find the long
lost medical doctor and Christian missionary, Dr David Livingstone in dark
Africa. How apt, a Welsh meeting a Scot in Africa during the reign of Victorian
England which was at the zenith of her power
Always at God's timing
2 Dec minus 2 degrees Manchester
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