Now, throughout that session, several delegates discussed this question and repeatedly there was the critique against “conservative Christians” or “evangelicals” who have not cared about society.  On the one hand, as an evangelical myself, I was a bit offended by the attacks levied by those in attendance.  On the other hand, I must confess that conservative Christianity has not been on the forefront of the social problems this world faces.  Historically speaking, conservatives have shunned away from social reconstruction and emphasised an individualised, spiritual reconstruction.  This world is fleeting and not of our concern — we must simply save souls.  What I find additionally interesting is that, while I cannot agree with Hick’s thinking, I have to say that his theology has given him the philosophical impetus to engage the society and work towards remedying the groans of the cosmos (Romans 8:22).

Then yesterday at church, the preacher Barry spoke about the problem where Christians can be too “academic.”  In saying that, he was not attacking education or theology, by any means.  What he was saying was that we often are too interested in aimless discussions and heresy wars.  We therefore forget that we are Christians who are to be a city on a hill — shining God’s light upon this world and society.  Again, rightly so, the same critique is levied against conservative Christians.  Yet I would say (and I think Barry agrees with me here) that the “academic” aspect of Christianity in and of itself is not bad as long as that is not the entire preoccupation of the faith.

Such academia is meant to spill out in practice (much like with Hick).  We know that God is a loving God hence we too must be a loving people, loving those who are unloved.  We know that God is a just God hence we too must be advocates of justice when our local communities are not interested in justice.  We know that God offers hope in the midst of desperation and dire situations and hence we too are to bring that hope to those who have no hope at all.  If anything, conservative Christians should be even more on the forefront of leading the charge for concern in this world.

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While money is never the end solution for the world’s problems, Christians are called to use whatever we have to participate in God’s work, as a means of worship.  On the morning of the last day of the conference, just before we academically discussed the question of social advocacy, an 8.9 earthquake hit Japan followed by waves of devastation and despair upon that island.  One organisation to consider supporting is Asian Access who, through their network of workers in Japan (a friend of mine included), are trying to help in the relief efforts at this crucial time. If you are able, put some moneys to the work in Japan, whether it be Asian Access or another.

Update 15 March 2011 @ 19:25 GMT: Just got word that my employer will match dollar-for-dollar up to $10K for Japan relief, through World Vision.

Earlier this week, I took a 3hr+ train from Birmingham to Durham to attend a conference at the University (put on by CODEC) that explored the “theological refraction” of the internet.  One of the major questions discussed in the conference was should theology play a role in the internet, and vice versa.

The morning the conference was to begin, I decided to go down the road to the magnificent Durham Cathedral for morning prayer service.  I am not an Anglican, but wanted to pray and figured what better place to do that at the time then to go to this beautiful cathedral (below is a shot I took the evening before).

So I went… and was saddened.  In this grandiose building, there were but a handful of attendees to morning prayer.  But what was even more sad was that I had no clue what was happening the whole time I was there.

About an hour later, I attended this conference where one of the major themes discussed was whether or not we should engage theologically with the internet.  The answer seemed too obvious to me – but of course!  Maybe I am biased because I grew up using computers.  But technologies like the internet seems so much like an extension of the greater culture we live in and, therefore, an extension of what we must engage in what some theologians call a “theology of culture.”  Churches and cathedrals will remain relics of the past unless they are able to engage the advancements of this age.

I appreciated many of the discussions at this conference.  I think there was only one other technical person there (I was so jazzed up when he brought up the Turing test in his presentation!).  But that’s okay.  I appreciate the fact that many thoughtful people are asking questions about the internet’s impact on one’s understanding of the church, identity, society, etc.  (Among the many presentations, I found Tim Hutchings’ paper on Online Churches thoroughly fascinating.)  As Abraham Kuyper is often quoted as saying (and was echoed at the conference), “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”

When we moved to our new home in the UK, one of the first purchases for the house was a compost bin.  Most municipalities will subsidise the cost of such an investment (which is nice), so we got one from our local water company and have been filling it since.  I tell our friends that I will gladly compost their kitchen waste, but they think I am joking (and so does Betty).  Unfortunately, the other day when I was checking our compost bin I noticed a bunch of green stuff sprouting on the bottom.  Evidently, some grass has been growing in this rich, composted soil!  That’s okay — I just cut the grass and threw it back into the compost bin.  :)

I can’t find it now, but I remember reading a few weeks ago a blog that commented about St. Francis of Assisi’s love for nature.  The post basically argued that his love for nature was an outpouring of his love for God and all that God creates and works through.  While some people think it is weird to be “eco-friendly” or concerned about your “carbon footprint,” it is often forgotten that this is perhaps one of the first commands of God (besides making babies like rabbits) in Genesis 1:28. Being green is not only about being in vogue, but it is also about loving your Creator and all that He has made.

When we first got married, Betty moved into my basement suite underneath the home of a pastor and his family. They were good people but, on a regular basis, we could hear the piano playing next to our bedroom and the ping-pong table being used next to our kitchen.

The next time we moved was when we relocated here to the UK in September of last year. We stayed with good friends in a shared home as “temporary housing.”  Honestly, we have been really blessed by good friends and strangers who have opened their places to us to live.  But, as a young married couple with a desire to bless others, we thought it would be important to find a more personal “home”.  So, this all changed last week.

Here’s a shot of the front (with our Civic parked there) and our back garden (with the new compost bin we got — which, incidentally, is sold at a reduced cost since most municipalities actually subsidise them).  Our hope is that we will be able to use this place for God’s glory and, perhaps, entertain angels unaware.  If you would like to visit, drop us a line!

Its been 365 days since Betty and I wed.  Since the exchange of vows, it has been quite a whirlwind.  She changed jobs; I began a PhD.  We moved countries and have lived in two homes (Lord-willing, going to a third one at the end of this month).  Had the addition of two members to our family — a MacBook and MacBook Pro (what else were you thinking?).  We have been homesick, rejoiced at the news of an expectant nephew, mourned the passing of a loved one, surrounded by encouraging friends, faced with major decisions of housing and traveling and weddings to attend or miss, and had much anxiety over exams to come (my first year PhD panel review in June and Betty’s professional certificate exam THIS TUESDAY — prayers appreciated!).  Needless to say, in one sense it seems like we have been married for much more than one year.  Yet at the same time, I feel as though we are still newlyweds.

It’s a lot of fun being married (especially to this gem!).  I treasure the times we have when we “go to sleep” at the same time and talk about our days or just be silly.  I love waking up on Saturday mornings when we have a “lie in” (that’s how Brits describe “sleeping in”) and can carry on with our random conversations.  And on a daily basis, with a few exceptions, I wake up around the same time as her (well, maybe a little later) and drive her to work and pick her up in the evenings (though, since the weather has improved, she has walked home more often lately).  Though some people think it may seem like a chore, I actually really like seeing her off to work and wishing her a good day.  I also love the fact that she has a very different mindset than me.  She thinks about writing cards and getting gifts and baking cookies while I am never as eloquent with my words nor good at remembering birthdays.  She also loves to travel (after her exam on Tuesday, we are flying to Italy to celebrate our anniversary!!).  As the picture above attests, she is also so silly that she allows me to let down my hair and be silly too.

Having said all that, I think this year has been one of great learning too.  I was thinking about this recently and I realise how individualistic I am — focused on myself.  Now, I have historically not really stressed over things much or had much anxiety.  When I make decisions, I just do them and that’s that.  But now, my decisions impact another person.  They probably always impacted somebody else in some way — the difference, I realise, is I now care about who my decisions impact.  I mean Betty probably worries about things more than I do.  However, since getting married, I realise that I have begun to worry about things more.  Part of it is I worry because Betty is worrying about something.  But other times, I worry when I think Betty should be worrying about something (though she may not!).  I find that I am beginning to emote and I don’t know what to do — I mean, I didn’t think I had a heart before!  (So, if you think you are too selfish, maybe you should get married!  If you are married, maybe you should have a kid!  :P)

All this makes me think about one of the first passages Betty gave me when we first started dating: Matthew 6:25-33.  You know the passage… it’s about not worrying because the Father is always THE provider.  I suppose part of it is knowing that God has provided an awesome wife and I should trust that He will take care of her.  Pray for us, if you will, on our anniversary that we may be a couple, united in heart, mind and spirit, in following Jesus’ exhortation in verse 33: “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Thank you Lord for Betty, my wife and sharer of my life.  Help me to be thankful each day for her and to grow in my love and care and service to her.  Amen.

So my friend Christina and I went off to the Peak District for two days this week, visiting historic homes like Chatsworth and staying in a quaint village hotel called The Maynard. As we finally made it to our first stop, Chatsworth, we were both quite in awe of the beauty that surrounded us. When we drove upon the estate, we spot this rather large herd of deer! I had never seen so many deer together. It was too bad my camera couldn’t capture them very well, but that truly was a scene of British countryside that I shall not forget easily.

Upon entering the historic home, I easily slip into my imaginary world of Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice. In fact, this was the place that stood as Pemberley in the latest movie version of P&P. My heart still loves the BBC version best, but the new one was pretty good. There was even a movie exhibit inside Chatsworth, because the latest film to display this home was ‘The Duchess’.

I’ve always wondered what life would be like 200 years ago, living in such a surrounding and lifestyle. There certainly would not be any modern conveniences that I love now, like indoor plumbing and central heating. But there’s something intriguing about the lives people lived back then. A little simpler, in some ways, where people had their roles determined by class/status/female/male. Very elegant, I imagine, but a very hard life too.

So anyways, back to the countryside, did you know that back then, people feared travelling because of highway robbers and thieves? It just was not safe on the roads back then. And for that, I am thankful I can take my time on the roads now and just enjoy the peaceful nature and beautiful of the English countryside.

September 1, 2008 is the two year anniversary of my arrival in Vancouver, BC from California as a new student at Regent College.  It is also the day I leave Canada, with my bride, to another new country — England.  Though considered by many Americans as the “America’s hat” or the “51st state,” I have grown to appreciate this country for its own goodness.  As I leave, I leave with many things — the most important, being a love for a place that is not my own.  Here are the top 10 things I have learned from my pilgrimage in the True North:

10 – Very few Canadians really live in igloos.

9 – Snow is really pretty —  but it is also really cold!

8 – They truly are nice people.

7 – They LOVE hockey.  And I mean LOVE hockey.  Even girls are die-hard fans of it.

6 – Loonie and Toonie are not only words to describe the Warner Brother’s cartoon, but refer to the $1 and $2 coins.

5 – Canada has a Queen.  Go figure.

4 - Poutine!!

3 – “Garbarator” is not a comic book hero, but the Canadian word for “Garbage Disposer”.

2 – God’s creation is gorgeous up here!  Two examples are Lake Louise (pictured above) and the glaciers.  Glaciers are not mythological creatures like Sasquatch, but do exist and really do devour the land below them.  (Betty and I walked on one in our recent road trip to Banff.)

and… number one is…

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1 – The Bible is right!! I am blessed to have such an excellent wife!

So it’s the last few weeks before we leave Vancouver now (well, a month and a half still, I suppose). I’ve never been good with transitions. Especially the times before the change, when I know the change is impending. My last physical move was about two years ago, and that was a short transition time. I secured my job in Vancouver, gave one month’s notice with my UK job and then left England. The time was so packed. It didn’t feel like I had enough time to say good-bye.

But this time, it feels different. I am now a “we”, so it’s not just myself who is going through this transition. We’ve also been saying that we’ll be moving to the UK for a long time now. Even though things were not always decided yet. Even now, with less than two months to go, things do not seem to be so decided. And me, with a small faith, often have trouble getting used to everything. It is, of course, through these times that I can recall all the moments in my past where I believe God had been so faithful to me, when I didn’t know what was to come. I do remember these times, but it’s still not so easy sometimes. 

Though now on such a day, I can look around me and remember. And know that if God can create and take care of such a beautiful natural world as I see here, then how infinitely more will He care for us!