Family of God

I want to thank all who've shared with me in my recent misfortune ... the many who've prayed, expressed sympathy, referred me to reliable computer dealers, offered to loan my a laptop, 'loan' softwares, use of scanner to scan from the hard copies of my work ... and on and on. I'm grateful for the love and concern expressed. The community here and in Regent is not large but it's big enough to feel distanced. Not being a community group in College or small group in church here, I do feel a wee bit disconnected at times. Yet God's got a way of reaching me through His children... both far and near. I'm a typical Chinese in the sense that I don't like to trouble people with such matters, especially when there's nothing anybody can really do about it. When this incident took place recently I hesitated to share and was a bit lost as to whom to share it with and not having access to email and IM, didn't make it easier. Yet I told some I met in the course of the week and others whom I could think of to consult. So I was pretty touched by all those who offered consolation and to help in ways big and small.

Being away from home and my pool of 'natural' resources, I learn to ask for help. With regards to things like purchasing a laptop, I have never been very confident and would usually ask around, and even ask a friend to come along with me. This goes against my independent spirit but it's good for my soul and wisdom demands it. I'm grateful for my friend who helped me source for this laptop. I met him on Monday, following the incident, where he made a call and found out about this unit. It was good deal and I thanked him for the lead, telling him I'd think about it as I was not decided on whether to get a laptop or desktop. Without me knowing, he had actually gone down to the shop and taken a look at the unit that evening itself. This place is on the east side, more than 1/2 hour away on the bus. My friend lives even further out and it takes him over an hour on the bus to get home ... but he bothered to stop on the way and went to take a look at the unit. I am touched by his friendship. He's a fellow Malaysian and being out here, we try to look out for one another ... there's a kind of bond and I experience the family of God in a very real and tangible way.

All these added to my pool of resources which made it easier for me to forgive whoever who broke into my home. I believe the community of faith is a powerful force when it expresses itself in love. It gave me a tiny glimpse of what happened at the recent shootout in the school in the Armish community and helped me understand how the families of those victims could chose to forgive in response to the horrific events. I see the love and support they received from their tight-knitted community had given them strength to respond in love and forgiveness, instead of bitterness and vengeance. That's not to discount the fact that they had to make a conscious choice to do so and God's grace enabled them to so choose and live by that choice.

This to me is a picture of the people of God, a community of love and faith. We don't respond in a totally 'rational' way as the world expects us because we live out of faith in God as our foundation. The community gathers strength when we realise the enemy is not one of us, despite all our internal tussles or when one of our own fall into sin. The enemy is not even those who are outside of the community and do not share our views. But he is the one acts against God and use people as his instruments. He leads them to misrepresent God and focus on fighting flesh and blood, to divert attention from himself and his schemes. This is the enemy that we should unite and fight against.