01/09/2021

: “Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.” Matthew 2:7, NIV

Time is fleeting, and the class break is over. The new term of study finally kicked it off last week. The audio lecture after the introduction and announcement was uplifting. The written note has promised me new learnings. Initially, I decided to miss it because I thought the book was too familiar, even though it marks my first time studying Matthew in Chinese. However, it seemed that God had had a firm grip on my soul; that’s like every turn I made, either during my quiet times, readings or critical verses from the pulpits, all passages of scriptures pointed me to the book of Matthew. I got it, afforded not to ignore it, and immediately I finished reading the entire book. That’s what I know for the first time how I prepared my heart for the study. 

The Genealogy of Jesus, our LORD, is not a list of names for us casually skim through. Still, an incredible vision to see God’s timeline that 14 generations after 14 generations to testify Jesus’ linkage to be the Son of man. And how the five women with questionable background listed in Jesus’ family tree is no more puzzling, but to take rest that HIS thoughts are not ours, nor HIS ways are our ways. I was stunned to relate my last upload, ‘The Second Resolution’, to the personal question in the homework assignment –‘when has obeyed God been costly for you? How has GOD met your needs and demonstrated His faithfulness?’ My experiencing personal God wouldn’t merit a significant impact on others, but to share how God can drum up the vision in the past into future reality in His time. Therefore, my answer in group discussions would be that ‘God is faithful, whenever we are faithful,’ and that’s not a cliché. Faith must be tested. 

The world that we live in now is getting darker and darker. All nations are in combat with the pandemic for the past eighteen months; the mutation of the COVID have out-run the fast-track vaccines that warrant not much protection, and the availabilities are in shortage demand. In the primetime news, we saw the drama and trauma of the US sudden withdrawer from Afghanistan that after their troops stationed in that country for more than twenty years. In tune with the latest update on the Afghan withdrawal, there were suicide bombers attacks, 13 American troop members, 170 civilians were killed. Many children have died of starvation. People who couldn’t make it to the Kabul airport on time with proper travel documents would be left behind. I wonder who determined the timeline? 

We did have the Olympic game in the summer, but it wouldn’t counterbalance when people suffer from natural disasters such as a large scale of earthquakes, bush fires, tsunamis and floods here and there. Who would expect to see a surge in Central Park in New York City? And it is devastating to hear that hurricane Ida batters Louisiana on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Nearly a million customers are without power. It may take weeks before people can have it back. The ongoing hate crime in the US has widely spread into Asian American society. We have more reports on young people batters the old defenceless Asian women while no Samaritan walking by. 

Mine relearn on why king Herod was troubled and wanted to kill the baby Jesus in Matthew and reflection on what happened to baby Moses during king Pharaoh’s period in the Old Testament that help me to decern the manifestations of ‘SINO phobia ‘in the world of politics, military, and trades. What has gone wrong? What must we do as Christians? We need to seek His face to find out that is it ‘the beginning of the final day (I like David Possum’s quo better than the term of ‘the end time,’ but not on his teaching on salvation). ‘It makes the study of Matthew timely. Especially chapter 24. We need to pray for the salvation of our loved ones; pray for ourselves to allow God to expound His truth that is found in His words to tone up our spiritual muscles to prepare for His return, and no one would be left behind. 

It says that when we receive much, we must give much. Being the case, we need to be mindful the purpose of the Cross and God’s heart desires is that ‘none should perish, but to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9b). Thus, we need to reach out to pre-believers. It is probably the most challenging period for Christians to share the good news and telling people how Jesus has personified God’s love as in John 3:16. First, our nature brainwaves are not receptive to Spiritual things above; second, our emotional make-up is not capable of loving. Apostle Paul says that the Jews look for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom; Jesus’ crucifixion is the stumbling block for the Jews and the foolish things for the gentiles (1 Corinthians’ 2:22-23). 

In reflection, with many things going around beyond our human comprehension, and our life has been much affected by the epidemic, we probably wouldn’t be able to go back to where we were even after we are COVID free. Given travel restrictions, social distancing, city lockdowns, not even for children to attend school, believers to have physical, public worship, and people have employment but don’t have an office to go to but work from home. Therefore, now is probably the best time for Christians to get equipped to win souls for Christ and in His time; otherwise, it would be labour in vain. Although I am not a Roman Catholic, it is wise to echo Pope Francis’ call for all Christians to pray for world peace. 

Ecclesiastes 3:17
I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”

30/11/2020

It would ever stir up ripples in our deep emotions whenever we think of things that ever happened to us for the first time, in our lives. Like many people would never forget about their first loves. Those heart-rending poetries;  songs with enchanting lyrics, even the romance didn’t end it as happily ever after. There are two significant events in 2020 that would probably be the First Time for many to encounter, or to witness, globally. 

Would people ever puzzle how a vision of a small bug as COVID-19 that has affected the normalcy of people’s daily life, works, travels, regional and global economics for nearly a year? No one knows when this pandemic would put to an end. The First time, I witnessed a sweet virtual church wedding for our young lady friend, and parents were devastated for not giving their beloved daughter a proper wedding. It cut my heart twice when I couldn’t travel back to Hong Kong to see my beloved aunt for the last time, and to attend her funeral, respectively.  

The 2020 US Election, First time in the modern history with its highest turnout rate ( as estimated 161 million), and people around the world tuned to watch situations of how voters to cast their ballots. It is the First time, for Americans, and the world to witness a Black Woman, with Asian ethnic DNA to possibly become the running mate for the US president. And the First time, Mr Biden is 78 years old, and age doesn’t matter. While Americans still wait for the winner,  Trump falsely declared himself the winner. The election saga brought back many of my ‘ First Time’ encounters with the US. 

It was nothing that I would be dreaming of, but in late 1970, I had my first  White Christmas, in Chicago, where my uncle David and his family lived. The First time, I ever saw many beautiful homes with Christmas trees, decorations, and lights on the driveways in the neighbourhood of Deerfield, Ill., which non like any gigantic gingerbread house that was on the shop window. Archie and Gerald, my other two cousins, flew in from Lincoln, Nebraska for the school break. Every day was a train ride for three of us to the city, downtown. My eyes First opened to Skyscrapers like the Water Tower Place; the 110-story Sears Towner, then, and is now the Willis Tower and many praiseworthy, award-winning architectures that animate the entire city. Festivities, Christmas Carols and the dazzling displays of merchandise inside the shops and department stores.

The First time, I walked into the Lord & Taylor, to do my First Christmas shopping. The store was huge in area as a small town to me, and I found it hard to pick a necktie for my uncle, out of, if not one thousand, but hundreds of choices. Then I was curious what would happen when the arrival of the new merchandise for the coming seasons? Of course, my First time to have the deep dished pizza for lunches was unforgetable. It has set the tone for me since, especially after I become a Christian that Christmas must be in a cool place. God has been gracious to us. We had only a few of our Christmas in Tropics. If it were not in the US, it would either be in Japan ( mostly in Tokyo with less flying times from Singapore), Taiwan or Hong Kong. The most memorable one was our Vatican Christmas, in Rome, 2013. We attended Pope Francis’ First Christmas Eve mass and Christmas day benediction to the world from St Peter’s Basilica, as the New Pope.  From there on, whenever, we were in Tokyo, we would attend the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass in the Catholic church for the spirit of reverence.

In early 1984, I returned to the US and for my advance education, as planned.  The most significant, life-changing First time happening for me was to allow Jesus to be the Lord of my life. My First set back, according to the student consul, after the evulation, according to the ‘ 1985 Calendar’ that I needed to make up  a little over 100 units of general education, Classes such as  ‘Political Science 201.’ Besides knowing the ‘Check and Balance System.’ First time, I heard that the philosophy of  US politics is to run  the country like running a business. And Class as ‘Logic 101,’ to learn how to think critically. In my entire being, I was in a hurry to get into the next level. Still, every day, in the campus was like me into a candies store. My American dream is to have US$1 million in my bank account, so I can take classes from one Major to another.

There was cross country tension in trade, especially with the garment exports into the US from many Asian counties. Thus, I choose the US Textile, Apparel and Apparel Related Industries as my career emphasis in my studies. Researches involved in the ‘US Textile Quota System,’ ‘ Place-Of-Origin, Labelling Laws in Garments,’ and ‘MFA (Multi-Fiber-Arrangements).’ I had the chance to look at the ‘US Tariff Schedule on Textiles,’  and to soak up the air of the campaigns on ‘Clothing Made-In-USA’ movement. I worked very hard to put up a term paper that expounded the dilemma in ‘US Apparel/Apparel Related Quota.‘ It was by God’s power,  I Aced+ the report, and I had one year of internship with one of the top five Textile companies at its LA branch office. Finally, the ‘Clothing Quota System’ ended on January 1 2005. 

I struggled with my time management when programs on ‘Retail Management’ and ‘Fashion Merchandising’ were made available. Miraclously, with the flexibility of the US school system, I got approval to do it and was allowed to take 18 units/per quarter on-campus. It pained me deeply when the news on Lord & Taylor, America’s oldest department store went into Chapter 11, in August, 2020. With my hectic schedule, it was only by God’s Grace that I was able to find times to watch the 1984 Olympic on TV, Dudley Moore in Concert, Live, in Hollywood Bowl. As a movie bug, I couldn’t complain that I was in the center of Hollywood with more movies and mini TV series that I could watch. I daily tuned into Mr Peter Jennings (1938-2005) world news, and ‘The 60Minutes+ Interview’ on weekend. (https://www.cbsnews.com/60-minutes/).

For the First time, every Sunday was a 45-minute drive, one way, for me to attend church at the famed Crystal Cathedral (a towering glass megachurch, has become a Catholic church now). Soon, I learned that God’s church is not about a building, and settled for a smaller, Word-based church. With the triple dosage of God’s grace, that I had another White Christmas and the New Year Eve countdown in Time Square, in the City of New York for the First time in my life. Later, I moved to the Bay Area for the First time  to help out my late cousin, David with his business for less than a year, before I head back to Asia for work. It would be an injustice not to bring up San Francisco. But I instead let an old song, “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” that not only later become one of the ‘Song Of The Century, and also resonate ardently till today, to allude. 

Every year, I made a point to go back to Los Angles for emotional reasons before I was married. Arthur and I were able to have a few of Chicago, and New York revisits from Singapore after we married. He has never keen on the rapid driving in Los Angeles, and San Francisco is more a sensible place for us. Best of all, Archie, my cousin lives there. In 2008, it was our First Time, to witness the Bush/Obama Presidential Election. We saw Archie, and an architect spent a lot of times on the ballot paper before he went to the voting booth, the next morning. It was absolutely a fantastic, educational experience that would stay in our memories forever. But deep inside, we both puzzled how people would know how to vote if they didn’t understand what’s in the ballot paper? 

As I was looking back and I sincerely felt America in the 1980s was God-glorifying to have President Reagan had a prayer in support of a constitutional amendment that would allow voluntary prayer in public schools (‘Reagan’s Remarks On Prayer‘ – May 7, 1982, The NY Times ). As for the US “War on Drugs,” Mrs Nancy Reagan, the first lady, would ask the children, ‘Just to Say No To Drug.’ Critical thinking, although President Reagan was a Republican, it was him as a prayerful president, it would be an over gernalization or a fallacy to conclude that Republican as the political party is prayerful.

With all of my unforgettable, splendid First Time, happenings, I thought that I would always hold America dear to my heart, as long as I have ever lived. However, with the epidemic of Sino-Phobia sentiment in the minds of American people; when people, wouldn’t let go of their assumptions either on their conscious or unconscious level that they are more superior to any other ethnic race. And it seems rightful to hate or bully people for the colour of their skins. I have to say that for the First time, I have had my misgivings in America. In reflection, the following scripture comes to my mind, it is not about America, or anything at all, it is all about HIM.

Psalm 16:2 reads: “I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.'” (NIV)

I would leave you with Roberta Flack’s song, on her 2002 concert – ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face/,’ that I would assume it as the Face of Jesus.

First Time Ever I Saw Your Face –

I thought the sun rose in your eyes  
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave  
To the dark and the endless skies ..’ 

http://sweetsoundtrack.com/Movies/robert-flack-in-concert-2002

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – YouTube

31/10/2019

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”  Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

I have not been in the right frame of mind to write anything since August. When the initial peaceful demonstration in June has gone out of hands, I was able to have much of inner peace soon after I posted my last article, ‘This Present Darkness’ dated 20/08/2019. I am devasted and totally heartbroken when the level of violence has escalated, and it becomes the primetime news around the world. After more than four months of protest, the demand of 5-requests remains, even the extradition bill was officially ‘dead.’

I didn’t elaborate on protesters’ 5-requests in my previous posting because I had the faith that whoever had passed the ‘Critical Thinking 101’ would be able to discern the situation from a logical perspective. Soon, ten-thousands of demonstrators were mobilized by the grace of the social media to march-in and smash some government office buildings, to burn the national flags of China; occupy the Hong Kong International Airport that disrupted over thousands of flights and more.  

The same disruption extent to the Hong Kong MRT, the public subway systems. If the darkest near the dawn, then I thought that being young and restless the young masked protestors would have to go back and attend school when the Summer break was over in September, but that was not the case.  There may have been some ‘fake news,’ conspiracy theories and more, and it is needless for me to say any further if people had been following the latest updates from major news networks or YouTube.

Many countries sent out travel warnings to Hong Kong. It has been the most trying period in Hong Kong since the outbreak of SARS. Is the movement funded? Who’re the mighty black hands behind it? Any speculation wouldn’t help to put the end of this present ill-starred situation. Worst of all, a few of the ring leaders of the movement with their self-indulgent approach and emotional appeal turned to the US and other European countries seeking moral supports for their quests.  Ironically, we can conclude rioters’ sinfulness of moral value when they relentlessly show so much of their violent behaviours. 

It says in the bible that “human hearts are deceitful.” Recently many countries are also in the same chaos. People in countries like Chile, Spain and Indonesia are going onto the street and emulate the Hong Kong tactics to protest against their governments. The gloomiest of all is when a few of church pastors in Hong Kong led his congregation to participate in the demonstration. Don’t they fearful the stricter accountabilities that glue to their divine callings? Even with their selfish reason or weakness in the spirit, it would have made a world of difference if they would point their flocks to God’s word, for example, the Book of Romans chapter 13 that’s to uphold the government, to pray for wisdom to be upon the leader and to show love.

When enough is enough, it’s the time for me to pray with a prayer of relinquishment for the future of Hong Kong. As I prayed for my closing, suddenly, the hymn ‘The Prayer of St Francis” came to my mind. It was many years ago, when we were in Tokyo, the first time for Christmas. We need to find a church service must be in English, and the hotel concierge directed us to attend the Christmas Eve service in one local catholic church. It was the closing hymn for that glorious evening that brought me to tears. I thought that I was done and wanted to post this piece a few times but in vain. This morning I got up very early, and the following message came in for me from Samantha, who is one of my chat group friends.

“HE is the light in our lives!”

“In a moment You turn mourning into dancing. When I praise I can feel the darkness trembling. All my fear is swept away by perfect love. You fan my faith into flame

—

No darkness can stand against this brighter glory. HIS promise is sure, Jesus decides my story

The Prayer of St Francis

Make me a channel of your peace. 
Where there is hatred, let me bring your love. 
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord, 
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.

Verse 2: 
Make me a channel of your peace. 
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope. 
Where there is darkness only light, 
And where there’s sadness ever joy.

Refrain: 
Oh Master, grant that I may never seek 
So much to be consoled as to console. 
To be understood as to understand, 
To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Verse 3: 
Make me a channel of your peace. 
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; 
In giving of ourselves that we receive, 
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

20/08/2019

Isaiah 60:2 -NLT

Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you.

I noted that my last posting was on 13/06/2019. Is not that I didn’t have views to put out, but I was religiously following the news of a series of ongoing riots in Hong Kong, since early June 2019. Although I have left Hong Kong in the 80s’, I was born there. I can identify some of the discontent and grievance behind the demonstrators, but I was deeply troubled to see the demonstration of tenacious anger and hate in the whole situation.

It saddens me the most to know that many Christians were participating in the protect. Don’t they know that we have been set apart ‘to be the salt and the light‘ for our LORD in this fallen, and imperfect world that we live? Or has it ever occurred to them that they should resolve to ask for God’s extra dosage of His grace and His unfailing love in the wake of this present darkness?

I am not in the position to elaborate on the law, Especially when Clarrie Lam, the Chief Executive declared the bill is  ‘Dead’ on 9 July. Unfortunately, after a few violent clashed between the demonstrators and the Hong Kong police force, hundred thousands of Hong Kong residents joined street marches against the bill, and immobilise the city from day one. The complete mayhem at the Hong Kong International airport disrupted a few hundred flights for a few days. The movement further demands broader pro-democracy ambitions. 

According to the coverage by www.theguardin.com/world, ‘ the protests have gone from weekly to almost daily.’ In addition to ‘demanding the territory’s chief executive, Carrie Lam to resign and calling for:

The complete withdrawal of the proposed extradition bill; to withdraw the use of the word ”riot” in relation to protests; the unconditional release of arrested protester and charges against them dropped; an independent inquiry into police behaviour; and Implementation of genuine universal suffrage. ‘

I,  like most of the people outside of Hong Kong, have no idea when and how this whole chaotic situation is going to end. Suddenly, Mr Frank E. Peretti’s bestseller “This Present Darkness” came to mind. The title in line with the book of Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)- ‘For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.’

Coincidently, since all the protestors are in black outfits wearing black facial masks, so I borrow Mr Peretti’s book title as mine for my blog. I am thankful that his book, which I read 20 some years ago enables me now to view this riots in perspective. However, I am still flesh and blood, I can off the news, but where can I find peace when my friends, relatives are still trapped in Hong Kong? Last Sunday, my dear Lord of God, Jesus sent His comfort from the pulpit during worship service:  

Luke 21:26 & 28

26..”Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth,… 28..When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads,… because your redemption is drawing near.”…Berean Study Bible · Download

12/06/2019

I was trying hard to post my article on Emperor Akihito’s abdication a week before I was about to journey to Europe but in vain. In the end, Lester, my dear brother, in Christ, helped me to put it up while I was about to catch my flight. Then I received my BFF, Linda Lai’s comment, and she asked if I forgot to have a passage of scripture on my article. I was not rattled by her question, but I didn’t know why I gave the Bible verse a miss?Haven’t I seen Jesus in the event?

It’s probably because of what I thought that the Bible scripture is probably not relevant because historically, the emperor of Japan not only is the symbol of the state but also is the highest authoritative figurehead of the Shinto religion. Strangely, on the second day (21/05/2019) of my trip, in my hotel room, during my morning quiet time, the following scripture was popping up and it says from:

Proverbs 21:1

‘The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.’ – New Living Translation biblehub.com

I felt that God gave me the verse to mull it over, and immediately, I also started to ponder and wanted to trace if I could see my Jesus in Emperor Akihito’s life, his reign and his decision to abdicate. At first, I thought that he was pre-destined to be the Emperor of Japan before he was born, I quickly found the validation for his fate, from the book of

Romans 13:1b:

‘For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.’

With the image of the oversized rules in the imperial palace, and it was unheard of that the royal family would allow an American woman to invigorate the mind of the young prince, inside the castle. As for the royal marriage. Then the young prince headstrongly refused to yield to the imperial tradition and pressed for marrying Michiko, a commoner to be the empress, in the name of love, it says in:

Genesis 2:18

‘it is not good for man to be alone, and I will find him a suitable helper.’

I wonder who had a ‘heart of flesh’ in the imperial household, to give the blessing to the marriage? It says that every marriage is a refining process for both the husband and wife, the royal couple should be without exception. It must be a long trying period for the Empress to fit into the imperial family life. However, after being married to Empress Michiko for more than 60-years, evidently, the emperor has been a partaker of wisdom as what spells out in the book of

Proverbs 5:18

‘Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.’

In his reign of 30-years, he convicted of being the emperor to his people. Non-like any emperor in the past, the royal couple would pour out their hearts specially to visit the relief shelters in the country to reach down to those ordinary folks that were severely afflicted by various natural disasters, to talk to them, to lend them the sympathetic ears severally to listen to the people in front of the TV cameras. I only relate how Jesus feeding the 5000 out of compassion in

Matthew 14:13-21

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large group, he had compassion on them.

Luke 14: 11b

..and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’

As a committed pacifist, the couple frequently made conciliatory trips to Japan’s former enemies and victims with the attempt to atone for his father Emperor Hirohito’s fatal mistake to start the war. When the ruling government was trying to reinstate a militarised Japan, the emperor’s ‘apology diplomacy‘ was not shared and appreciated by the so-called ‘right’ wing group.

It is axiomatic that the big clash of philosophy with the ruling government would never be pleasant. After 30-years in reign, at 85, ‘health’ is the most perfect reason to relinquish his duty as the emperor of the people. The polls indicated that most people in Japan sympathised with him. I think most people would want to see their most ever beloved Emperor to be blissful as long as he lives.

I couldn’t get over what I saw at the end of the abdication ceremony, how the emperor suddenly turned back not to look at the people in the room, but to look at his wife and help her to leave the room. For me, as a woman
with starry-eyed emotion, the emperor’s in-depth affectionate look toward his wife, in a stately setting would lead me to conclude that his wife of more than 60-years probably was the real reason for his abdication.

Often I wonder if the emperor was a Christian or the couple was a Christian couple, then I have to admit it honestly that I don’t know. Only the LORD searches man’s heart and tests man’s mind (Jeremiah 17:10). But I would not be surprised to find out, one day that both of them are. Therefore, I would like to use the following passage as a prayer for the royal couple in my spirit that says in:

Proverbs 5:19 – Young’s Literal Translation

A hind of loves, and a roe of grace! Let her loves satisfy thee at all times, In her love magnify thyself continually.

19/05/2019

We are in the half of the second quarter of 2019. But we continually have news on the complexity of the China/US trade war, it seems that we have found no exclusive and full perspective on Brexit. Furthermore, we had news coverage on hundreds of worshippers died when the bombing attack took place inside the church on the resurrection Sunday in Sri Lanka, and we have the ongoing tension between Iran and the US. It may deem wise for us not to follow the world news at all, probably including some of the local news. If what it says that the news of today is the history of tomorrow, then I would indulge myself in savouring the story on Emperor Akihito’s abdication and in reflection on the use 令和 (Reiwa) to mark the new era of Japan.

I regret that I was only able to watch Part 3 of the NHK documentary on Emperor Akihito. It starts from when he was a youth, an American private tutor was acredited with being the one to open his eyes to see the world outside of Japan. His school days on formal education both in UK and in America. Later, he met the love of his life at the tennis court in Karuizawa, Japan. It was revolutionary for an Emperor in transition wanting to marry a commoner as a wife. Finally, the captivating Royal Wedding, and later, they both agreed and insisted actively to raise their children on their own.

After being the symbol of the state for 30-years, the 85-year old Emperor Aikihito finally had the permission to adbicate. He is the first Japanese Emperor to stand down in more than 200 years. The Emperor has known as a staunch pacist and he travelled extensively making efforts to reach out Japan’s fomer enemies and victims to mend the wounded nations. During his ground breaking Royal visit to Bejing in 1992, he openly shared how much he had admired the Chinese cultural and what were the Chinese Classical literatures he read. And in his speach, he openly shared his deep heart-felt remorse for the scars inflicted the Chinese people under his father during the war.

Unlike most of the Japanese politicians, the Emperor and Empress Michiko did no emperor had ever done before. It was after the 2011 disaster, people were camped on the floor only with a few personal belongings next to them. They had left almost everything behind, in a hurry, didn’t know when they would be able to return to their hometowns. The Royal couple arrived at an evacuation center, knelt on the ground with each affected family and softly spoke directly to his people in front of a TV camera. He was an Emperor with compassion and wanted to be the emperor close to his people. He would always be remembered for his loving kindness.

As to why the emperor chose to abdicate, in his own statement in 2016, that he feared his age would make it difficult for him to carry his duties, and strongly hinted that he wanted to step down. The polls showed that most people sympathised with him, and in 2017, parliament enacted the law that made it possible for him to abdicate. The emperor’s ‘apology diplomacy‘ as is pacifism is no more in vogue. The current prime minster, Shinzo Abe and others the ‘right,’ the ultra-nationalistic group of people want to bring back patriotic education, and make no secret of wanting a remilitarised Japan.

令和 (Reiwa), which is the name of the new Japanese era. I was intrigued to learn from the documentary, that they derived the two characters from the book of 中庸 (Zhōngyōng), which is the Book of Mean. The doctrine of Mean is a core value of Confucianism. The simpliest way to put it would be ‘to act middle.’ It also says that in all words and deeds one must be firmly entreched to moderation. The Japanese must know the word 令 reads (Ling) in Chinese, which can be a noun or a verb such as ‘order,”cause,”allow, ”expand,”spread out, and ‘ream. ‘ A new era called Reiwa, meaning ‘Order and Harmony’ to mark the new Japanese calendar.

I have to say that even for the Part 3 of the documentary that merits a few of replays, simply because I was personally mesmerised by the togetherness of the Royal Couple in all of their public appearances and their Royal visits. Empress Michiko has never failed to be the exemplary of a submissive wife with her forever gracious, elegant body language. I was moved by the end of the abdication ceremony, the Emperor suddenly turned back not to look at the people in the room but to look at his wife and help her to leave the room. That’s a legendary look and it’s a revolutionary look at the end.