17/01/2018

The first Sunday of the year is the ‘Vision Sunday (07/01/2018)’ for our church. Pastor Prince usually, would give us Bible verses as the vision, and we would bring three of our requests to God in prayer to kick off the new year. This year Pastor Prince gave us the theme that is ‘Hesed (Hebrew word of Grace) and Wisdom’ for 2018 (1). He urged us to redeem our time and gain wisdom, and the best place to start is to read the book of Proverbs which has 31 chapters in it that means to read one chapter a day.

Regrettably, ‘ the temptation is only common to man.’ Immediately I watched the Golden Globes 2018 the next day.  Thankfully, with the pre-recording and fast forward, I didn’t waste time watching the entire event, but it led me to work on what I was intended to do that’s to write about the movie, ‘Churchill (2),’ which I watched it on a big screen last year. It says that both the point and ploy of the movie were based on an untold story about a few days before the invasion of the Normandy beach in France, 06/06 1944.

I almost knew none of the entire cast crew including Mr. Brian Cox for his leading role to play Churchill in the movie. It was a long movie with little actual war scenes, but I enjoyed my World War II history revisits – After went through years of war, Mr. Churchill the Prime Minister, adamantly believed that the landings were to be a disaster and would sacrifice many young lives. Even with his record of ‘Miracuouls Dunkirk’ in 1940 (3)  scenes are showing that almost no one in the strategy room Amen to Churchill’s negative with the Operation, and his role in war efforts was being discounted.

As result, General Eisenhower and General Montgomery were remembered as the World War II heroes to end the war. I was intrigued by the scene when Mr. Churchill kneeled down and prayed, the night before the invasion, pleading God to use HIS Weather to stop the Operation. And it was HIS Weather that paved the landing for the miraculous conquest. The movie taught me to examine my prayer life anew. It was noble and admirable for Churchill to have the heart for those  young soldiers. It seemed that in the movie,  Mr. Churchill was in his desperation, thus he forgot that his God was the God who protects.

Furthermore, I wonder how factual of those scenes of marital strife with the couple in the film? But it warms my heart to see him holding his wife’s hand and giving thanks to her. In response, the wife say that ‘do you know that  I have lived at the edge of your life….? After seeing the movie ‘Churchill,’ my heart was burning and wanting to watch the film again but in vain, and it was disappointed that the movie didn’t make available on in-flight movie selections.

It must be disheartening for the movie producer when the box office of the movie was not doing great. But my Daddy God was being exalted in the film, not only HE personified the God of all weathers, and HE demonstrated that HIS time was made perfect in the World War II history. I was taught personally, to be mindful again what to ask God in my prayer especially for 2018. Would I stand by the conviction that ‘ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven?‘(4)

I knew it, when I was promised to be married, that marriage is the beginning of the refining process for being a Christian wife. And by HIS divine appointment, one Christmas, in those were the early years of my marriage, I received the book of ‘The Power of A Praying Wife’ by Stormie Omartian (4), from a single sister in Christ. There are 31-days focuses on specific areas for any wife who wants to pray for’ the mind and life’ of her husband. For years, I was religiously following the book to pray for my husband hoping to see changes in him.

I didn’t know, in fact, that I should have prayed more for the focus on the area of ‘ his wife’  till a few years later. Then I have moved to have my shares of feeding on HIS word, to serve in a number of capacities in my church. Apart from being imperfect both in the eyes of God and in the eyes of men, I was an average, below par  God-fearing and God-serving Christian, yet so much off  the mark as a submissive wife.

I told Linda Lai, my dear BFF who lives in Taipei saying that ‘I think my husband needs a new wife for 2018, and it must have been me,’ and especially, after he has taken a semi-retirement from the office. Therefore, I ask myself that what would come out of me, to be like Mrs. Churchill, in the film who lived at the edge of the life of her husband? or to be like Sarah’s daughter in the Bible who obeyed her husband, with a quiet and gentle spirit,,,(5)? It must be the vision for me to ask for His extra dosage of ‘Hesed and Wisdom’ for 2018.

I still like movies/TVs dramas and curious to find out winners of a few categories in the award-winning nights and love to look at the high fashion on the red carpet. I don’t know whether or not that HE is dealing with this little worldliness in me, this year? Strangely, among all nominations, I only knew one film and one TV drama. But HE always works in mysterious ways, how would I know that there’s another movie on Churchill (Darkest Hour) for Golden Globe,  and Mr. Gary Oldman, a totally unknown-to-me actor, was the winner of the best performing for his role of Churchill in the Darkest Hour?

p.s.

There is another God glorifying war time movie, ‘Dunkirk’ is highly recommended

1. josephprinceonline
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churchill_(film)
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_evacuation
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord%27s_Prayer
5. Stormin Omartian – The Power of a Praying Wife – 5.

6. biblehub.com/1_peter/3-6.ht

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

31/12/2017 modified 

30/12/2017

2 days ago, I was thrilled with the thought that I had put up my last draft before the end of 2017. This morning, When CNN briefly mentioned about the church killing two days ago, in Cairo, I was led to rework and share the following piece that I did it in 2015 on church shooting, in case, people ask why it’s happening in churches and where was God when it happens?  Especially for the pre-believers.

26/06/2015

The Massacre Of South Carolina Church

On Wednesday, the 17th of June 2015 nine people were shot dead during a bible study group at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The local police identified a man as 21-years-old. Witnesses said he spent around 50-minutes inside with the Bible studies group before opening fire then running away. The late Rev. Clementa Pinckey was facilitating the Bible study. What got into the shooter’s mind that he would do such cruel and horrific thing?

Did God allow it to happen to nine of HIS beloved children? If HE is all present, the pre-believers may ask that where was HE on that day when the shooting started? My heart went out not only to the victims who died but more of the surviving family members and their loved ones. They must be totally shocked and devastated that beyond comfort. I am sure people around the world would join hands in one spirit to pray to my dear Lord, Jesus to bring healing and restoration to those who suffered the loss.

Why South Carolina, I asked? Arthur and I had many fond memories of that part of the world.  In the late 90s,’ we were invited to visit Greenville, South Carolina twice as guests to observe events that organized by the Executive Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ ( the new name is now ‘Cru’ since 2011). We met many lovely people and befriended with a lot of  God-fearing and God-serving Christians there. And we also took an execution of touring the renowned Biltmore Estate Asheville, North Carolina. (1)

We saw the bowling alley inside the Estate; we saw the room that fills with all the Halloween costumes as part of the places for children; and of course the garden, it was Spring during our visit. It was really an eye-opening trip for us and its the showcase of how one of the US pioneers lived at the time. We also visited the city of Atlanta, GA. Before the trip  I was hoping to see some of the big roomy houses like the settings of the movie of “Gone With The Wind,” and the reality usually differs from fantasy. 

The tour at the Civil War Museum was educational, it said the tour guide that ‘the war was never ended.‘ Therefore, keywords as ‘federal flag” or “federal hate crime charges ” been added to my vocabularies ever since. Now with the heated ‘Gun Control’ debate and the most recent federal hate crime issues in the US, I felt for the country, and I would always have a special place in my heart for the US, maybe because I spent many years there for my advanced education.

In tune with what says in the following passage of scriptures (Jere 17:9) that I am at easy not to ask a question as to why the gunman did what he did to the innocent people. With our sinful nature, we probably would ask that did  God allow this tragedy to surface, and of course, HE would not? People would continue to follow the graphic coverage of the Charleston Church shooting as things evolve.

It is reported that when Armed police rescued Mrs. Pinckney with her young daughter; when the police confirmed the death of her husband, she placed her head in her mother Mrs. Benjamin’s lap; and she started to pray on her knees. And she stood up, held hands with her daughters and said to them that: 

” something terrible has happened to your dad’ but we are Pinckney girls, and we are going to stay strong, and we are going to get through this. “We have a lot of families who love us.'” (2)  

Dylann Roof is an American white supremacist, and all the victims were African Americans. The mass murderer was convicted of 33 federal hate crimes and murder charges. I was stunned to notice that he had been entirely showing no remorse for what he did to the victims during his court hearings. 

Sadly we had another gunman killed at least 26 in an attack at a small town of Sutherland Springs, Texas, in the last quarter of 2017, The gunman was gun down by one church member. So no one knew the motive of the shooter. And with the deep grief of loss, church members decided to continue to turn up the following week for Sunday worship.

Mrs. Pinckey was brutally being attacked emotionally, spiritually and physically, and Jesus was evidently seen in her suffering so she can face the blow and take a stand for herself and bring glory to her Savior. As for members of that small church in Texas, with Jesus‘ extra dosage of grace and power, they resume worship service the following Sunday after the shooting. Information on the Cairo church shooting was only limited to the death toll of 9 people, and no one has claimed to be responsible for it.

More and more, we know that we can’t afford to take things too much for granted. And there are people, Christians are hurting every day around the world. As we may in a different part of the world, but we Christians are together as ONE if Mrs. Pinckey suffered a great loss her loved one, we grief with her if she overcomes then we rejoice with her in Jesus’ name. She would never be alone, as what she puts that she has a lot of families love her and her daughters, and most importantly, Jesus loves her!

Jeremiah 17:9  – NIV

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

1. And images of a place or buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America. Its reference number is 66000586 for more images of Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina, the USA
2. read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-31321/How-wife-Reverend-Pinckney-hid-desk-nearby-church-office-six-year-olddaughter-beloved-husband-gunned-Dylann-Roof.html#ixzz3e2FQ,\mK2w
3. Dylann Roff: Charleston Church Shooter Gets Nine Life Sentences in… https://www.nbcnews.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11-10-2017

 Colossians 1:16 KJV

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, they are thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

Being a born-again Christian, also a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), people, Christians especially, often ask me all sorts of, other than health-related questions, such as can Christian consult TCM practitioner for healing? Or is the logo of Yin/Yang demonic?

Recently a feature story on the religious harmony among Singaporeans was aired on the Channel News Asia, a local TV network, and a young man when being interviewed, he wanted to know whether is it acceptable for Christians to engage into Tai Chi (太極) and what’s Tai Chi? 

I was ignorant about the essence of Tai Chi, except knew its early English translation as ‘shadow boxing,’ probably due to its soft movement, till I had watched a TV documentary series on Kung Fu, and concurrently took up Tai Chi myself, a few years ago. After that, I have had the experiential and emotional knowledge on Tai Chi to share.

Further, it’s entirely not related to his sermon theme, Pastor Prince mentioned that he was a fan of Bruce Lee when he was young, then I was contemplating to modify what I wrote in 2012. And this morning my friend Aimin sent me a link to an uplifting Commencement speech and I was very much taken by the keyword of ‘stand, ‘ so I knew that I have to put my acts together.

05-04-2012 –  Edits

‘The Real Combat, Tai Chi” – edit

There has been a particular feature series with the title of ‘Kung Fu Quest, the real combat’ on the National Geographic Channel for months (1). The first few episodes were on Bruce Lee (2)that seized my attention and wonder who wouldn’t want to watch more about Bruce Lee? I regret that I knew him superficially, only from his movies.

The documentary is validation that Bruce Lee has been the undeniable, world-renowned Kung Fu Legend for the 21-century.  By the grace of the film, now people and more people would know about his dedication and his deep philosophical conviction in the area of Martial Art, as what he said:

“Using no way as way; having no limitation as of the limitation so change with change is the changeless state.” – Bruce Lee

 In tune with his profound philosophical conviction, I was lured to watch the Tai Chi episode. But wonder why the ‘Real Combat’ was used to name the series, as part of the ‘Kung Fu Quest?’ Would it mean something more in-depth than pure fighting? Tai Chi is a simple, both of a low and high impact breathing exercise with a series of soft fist movements to tone up both of external physical and internal mental well-being.

It’s easy to take up, but it actually would require a lot of discipline, and an extended period of practices. The concept of Tai Chi (Tai Chi and Taiji are the same concepts) is a thick and creamy traditional Chinese philosophy, it is also known as Wuji (无极), which has derived from its inception from I-Ching (易经), the ‘Book of Change’ dated to 1000 BCE.

For thousands of years, people would spend their lifetime to practice Tai Chi without knowing the true essence of it. Sadly, many valuable kinds of literature, documents had been misplaced during the ‘ Chinese Culture Revolution’ in the 60’s. No one among Tai Chi masters was certain who was the originator of Tai Chi.

I personally want to take on the widespread myth that has accredited its creation to a legendary Taoist monk, Tai Chi Zhang San Feng (太极 张 三丰). But all agree that it ‘couldn’t be initiated by one person, at a certain period or in one particular place, but it put together by many predecessors.’ Therefore, it would be a fallacy for people to conclude that Tai Chi is a practice of Taoism.

Fist–movement is its principal characteristic, so it also calls Taijiquan (or Tai Chi Chuan). Forms or Taolu (套 路 pinyin: tàolù) are Chinese words that denote the combination of series of fist movements that can be practised into a harmonious and continuous set of moves. It is how each individual is able to apply various changes from within through simple breathing to be one with nature. It says that as our physical/mental well-being is in perfect harmony with nature, we would have the balance to pertain the living of life.

One episode was on Master Chan (陈 小 通) who claimed that the Chan style Tai Chi from his ancestors, as the cradle of Taijiquan for hundreds of years. Currently, he has been running a school of Tai Chi taking in students from all over the world.  Chan also mentioned that he couldn’t fathom why there were many of his students came to the school with confirmed incurable and challenged medical conditions were miraculously healed after engaging in Taijiquan (太極拳) exercises.

Vera, Dorothea, a 16-year-old German teenager, in the interview shared that she had a hearing problem with one of her ear, together with the numbness on one side of her body. She was miraculously cured after taking up Tai Chi while attending Chan’s school. Besides, to impart Techniques, Forms that are in tune with the sense of balance in the rhythm of nature, most Tai Chi masters would put greater emphasis on the gracious attitude, the tranquillity of mind, better physics than physical defence/combative skills.

While I was in the midst following the Tai Chi series, my dear friend, Kit called and asked me to sign up to attend the class of the ‘Wu style of Tai Chi (3) with her on every Saturday afternoon. Definitely out of curiosity, I immediately signed up for the class but also with great anticipation wanting to see if I could discern Tai Chi has a spiritual parallel.

Ephesians 6: 13 – ESV

 put on the full armour of God, so that ……you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.’

1.natgeotv.com/asia/at-the-apex-of-wudang

2.https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/bruce_lee.html

3.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Style_Tai_Chi_Fast_Form

Stay tuned  – to be continued

Kay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

06/09/2017

Ephesians 3:18 – NIV

‘….may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.’

20-years ago, the death of Princess Diana, dated 31-08-1997, in a fatal car crash, in Paris was profound, shocking news that ‘rocked Britain and the monarchy,’ (1),  and the whole world was also stunned by it. In a week, people from all over to pay their tributes to their beloved Princess, It was an awesome sight that was next to none in the whole history of England that flowers, note cards, and candles were piling up outside of both Diana’s Kensington and Queen’s Buckingham Palaces.

BBC Television had continuous rolling coverage on Princess Diana’s death, and the announcement of her death almost monopolised the prime times’ news headlines worldwide for days. Mr Tony Blair, the Prime Minister, then, in his words to his press spokesman, Alastair Campbell said:”this is going to produce grief like none of us has ever seen.”  (1)

20-years ago, today, an estimated 2.5 billion people around the world tuned into TV live broadcasts for her funeral (2). Diana’s funeral to me was a God-glorifying event, yet I had many would consider having the two Princes to walk behind their mother’s coffin in public procession as a circus of grief.  However, people all agreed that the most touching tribute was a special envelope with a word “MUMMY” sat atop Diana’s coffin.

Was the funeral a circus of grief? In a most recent interview with Newsweek, Prince Harry candidly voiced his disapproval to be asked to walk behind her mother’s coffin and watched by thousands (3). Although it was not a state funeral it was one of the most viewed events in history. It was believed that more than one million people lined the streets of London, and flowers rained down onto the coffin from bystanders. And it didn’t make Diana’s funeral a royal circus of grief for the world to witness.

20-years ago, today, a Royal ceremonial funeral service was held inside of the Westminster Abby (4), the Hymn of love, ‘The King of Love My Shepherd Is’ – from Psalm 23 was solemnly sung; Mr Tony Blair read the Hymn to love from St Paul’s letter 1 Corinthian 13. Also, I was deeply moved by what Diana’s sister, Lady Sara McCorquodale read that “time is slow for those who wait…..for those who love time is the eternity“ and isn’t it true that God is Love?

Little did I know that it took decades for Mr Billy Graham, the most renown evangelist of the 21-century to have his estimated 2.2 billion lifetime audience including radio and television broadcasts, worldwide (5)? And for one and half hour, Princess Diana’s funeral was instrumental in impacting an estimated of 2.5 billion people to be able to hear and watch the message of love, maybe for the first time in their lives.

20-years later, ‘Diana devotees’ still crowd around the gates of Kensington Palace with flowers, cards to pay their tributes to their idol. Many resonated that it was an emotional  ‘fascination’  that people attached to the ‘fairytale wedding and the modern monarchy so that Diana’ s impact is still real today 20-years on. In fact, it was all about God’s favours that she was given the looks, attainment, and was married a Prince, and how many real Royal Princes we can still find today?

God is the God of perfection in His time, and HE is gracious. HE allowed the funeral to be the most watched event on earth, but what if the funeral gained more than its share of public attention? And it says in the book of Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to anyone else. ”  So the world received another shocking news that Mother Teresa died with cardiac problems (26 August 1910-05 Sept-1997) (7) that is one day before the day of Diana’s funeral which certainly would keep many people in perspective.

p.s

I was led to share my thoughts on Princess Diana.  I didn’t know why I didn’t have the flow with me to write for days. Finally, I realised that I was not asked to write about Diana, but to share how people can see my LORD of God, Jesus in Diana and how HE used her life/death to minister to you and myself as women.

Kay

Stay tuned

1. www. the Guardian app – the death of Princess Diana by Caroline Davies
2. http://www.history.com/some-2-5-billion-tv-views-watch-princess-diana-funeral.
3. http://www.newsweek.com-June29.2017-
4. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
5. BBC News September 6, 1997
6. alphpress.photoshelter.

 

Emperor Kangxi – The Death of Christ

In tune with my previous posting, dated 05/08/17, and yesterday, I miraculously, located the cover of the calendar of 2005, not 2008 that was with the Emperor’s poems on it, I had been looking all over for it, for years, in vain, and it had been on the small shelf on top of my writing desk for the past 12-year. It is all because of HIM that I was able to find it.

功成十字血成溪 (Pinyin – Gōng chéng shízì xiě chéng xī)

When the work of the cross is done, blood flowed like a river,

The second part of the first sentence is about the shedding of the blood. And the Emperor correctly and amazingly stated what says in tune with the scripture (1) that Jesus was already dead, then one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear and  Jesus’ blood and water immediately flowed out.…

The poetry of any poem without punctuation would open up rooms for many different interpretations. As for 血成溪 (Xiě chéng xī), – 血 (Xiě )is blood; 溪(xī) means Brooks that is a form of water; and the Chinese etymology of 成 (chéng) according to the Kangxi dictionary means the ending, at the end (2).

Evidently, the translation is true to its original Chinese text, but for the spiritual reading of 血成溪 (Xiě chéng xī), you may have to agree with me that the scripture 1 John 5:6 (3-NLT) would be more in tune with the whole sentence than John 19:34. It is because that  Jesus Christ was baptized in water as the son of man; by shedding the blood on the Cross as the Son of God. So His finished work is done by water and blood, and the Spirit confirms it with the testimony.

So His finished work is done with both of the water and His blood, and the Spirit is the truth to testify that. I sincerely hope that by the grace of the social media would have more people to give their comments on it.

五(5) 百(100 – Hundred) 鞭挞寸肤裂 (- pinyin – Biāntà cùn fū liè)          

Five hundred lashes tore every inch of His skin

It has always been for over an hour; without having outlines, only power pointing scriptures and without giving out the sermon topic till the middle of the coming week, that’s how Pastor Prince gave his sermon. Last Sunday, (06/08/17)(4), we were on ‘by His stripe(s) we are healed, from Isaiah 53:5b, (5)1 Peter 2:24-25 (6) and beyond. 

It was Pastor’s continuation on the theme of how of God’s healing virtue would have impacted us as Christians. He prayed for God’s healing for the sick during the worship service.  And I was stunned when he called out the in-house-produced big screen visual aid with the sound effect to show how the soldier would deliver blows to Jesus.

I first heard Pastor Prince’ in-depth word study on ‘stripe(s)’ in October 2016. He explained that how the “Hebrew noun translated “stripes” uses a grammatical singular” to fall in with the cruelty of how Jesus was inflicted on the road to the Cross. Last Sunday, Pastor used the Greek translation of the English word of ‘laceration.‘

Physically, the succeeding blows would ripple all the small blood vessels, and all whiplashed were soaked into the skeletal muscles with no skin adhesion left, therefore, what covered Jesus‘ upper back would appear like a Single Strip. Then we would want to ask, as to how many lashes Jesus received?

Pastor Prince further contended that according to Moses’ Law, scourging couldn’t exceed forty (40), but it was under the Roman Law, so Jesus was scourged with more than forty. Although the Emperor brilliantly used 7-word poetic sentence to animate the beatings, however, 500 lashes would be unreal, a hundred is more acceptable, right?

Then I pondered why the Emperor put the 五(5) before the hundreds (百) lashes?Is it that he understood the symbolism of Hebrew numerology? As the number 5 symbolizes God’s grace. Can we conclude that in Nature, Jesus even had to endure a hundred brutal beatings, God’s  grace was sufficient for Jesus to glorify Himself and the Father Supernaturally.

Obviously, we saw the numeral 7 occurs in the last sentence of the poem. Frequently the number 7 is found in contexts that talk about the completeness, but it’s also about the 7 pieces of evidence of Jesus’ Messiahship; 7 miracles (signs) in the Gospel of John and more than 50 times in the book of Revelation. 

There is more symbolism of 7 occurs in the Old Testament. Of course, we can light-heartedly say that 7 is just a number, but we can’t overlook the spiritual significance that’s evident from cover to cover in the entire Bible. So I would have to write another chapter to see how the Emperor puts his magnificent number 7 into his poem contextually.

Please stay tuned

Kay

1. //biblehub.com/John/19:30b; 19:33-34 ESV
2. 又終也。凡樂一終爲一成。 【書·益稷】簫 – www.zdic.net/z/a4/kx/2
3. 1 John 5:6 New Living Translation- ‘And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross–not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is the truth, confirms it with his testimony.‘
4. JosephPrince.com – http://bit.ly/2urxBen
5. /biblehub.com/Isaiah/53-5.htm – 18k
6. /biblehub.com/1 Peter 2:24-25.htm – 18k

p.s. Pastor Joseph Prince’ sermon dated 06/Aug/2017 was ‘ See the Price God Paid for Your Healing and Receive with a Merry Heart.’ -www.miltongoh.net

 

It probably was in 2008, I received a calendar from the local office of Campus Crusade For Christ (1 )as a give away to people to for the New Year. I immediately felt seriously humbled and challenged as I saw Emperor KangXi – The Death of Christ as the cover of the calendar with the English translations as below:

康熙皇帝 － 基督之死 (Jīdū zhī sǐ) (2)

Emperor Kangxi – The Death of Christ

功成十字血成溪 When the work of the cross is done, blood flowed like a river,
千丈恩流分自西 Grace from the west flowed a thousand yards deep,
身列四衙半夜路 On the midnight road he was subjected to four trials,
徒方三背兩番鸡 Before the rooster crowed twice, three times betrayed by a disciple.
五百鞭达寸肌裂 Five hundred lashes tore every inch of skin,
六尺悬垂二盜齐 Two thieves hung on either side, six feet high,
慘恸八垓惊九品 Sadness greater than any had ever known,
七言一毕万灵啼 Seven words, one completed task, ten thousand spirits weep.

The structure of the poem was in the total conformity with the ancient Chinese classical of 七 言 诗 (qi-yen-she) format, which means that every complete sentence consisted exactly seven words with rhymes. So the poem only has had 8 complete sentences with 56 Chinese characters, in total and with no punctuation. 

With an unbroken history for 5000-year, the Chinese people have been exposed to many folk religions even longer before philosophies such as Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism that didn’t come into China till 5th/6th centuries. So it would need more than a miracle for the Emperor to tell the story of the Cross to the Chinese during his reign.

I was gravitated by the Chinese numerals that amazingly occur in the poem, which has symbols for the decimal power from 1 (一, Yi); 10 (十, Shi); 100 (百 –Bai); 1000 (千 – Qiān) and 10,000 ( 万– Wàn).  And 13 out of the total of 56 words are Chinese numerals. And each numeral has its deep scriptural significance.

功成 十(10)字血成溪    千(thousand)丈恩流分自西      身列四(4) 衙 平夜路    

徒方三(3)背两番雉      五(5)百(100)鞭挞寸肤裂             六(6)尺悬垂二(2)盗齊 

惨恸八(8) 垓惊九(9)品      七(7)言一(1)毕万灵啼     

People may puzzle why the Emperor would choose to use a numerical approach to convey his faith? Presumptuously I would think that he, being a Manchurian was probably led to show his cultural sense and sensitiveness as of the Han ethnic people, many in general, are superstitiously obsessed with numbers and even till today.

1 =     Once for all, the finished work, or you can say ‘the one task’

2 =      Two thieves

3 =      Three times denials

4 =      Four trials back and forth

5 =      Five hundred stripes

6 =     Six feet high tree for crucifixion

7 =     Seven final words to

8 =     Eight points of a compass – to the furthermost point of the world

9 =     Nine ranks of officials – all walks of people

10=    Chinese Numeral 10, also the pictographs of the Cross

The poem is descriptive and pictographic as if the Emperor were at the scene as the spectator to witness from the trials, the beatings, Peter’s denials and as if he was at the foot of the Cross next to Jesus’ earthly mother, Mary when the physical crucifixion actually took place.

Let us intently look at how the Emperor magnificently weaved the Chinese numerals and his choices of words into this awesome seven-word poem. Evidently, the Emperor had interfaced his perfect grip of the spiritual significance that’s our dear Lord Jesus’ finished work on the Cross.

I would never be in any position or attempt to compare and definitely not trying to contrast with the existing translation, but to share my reflection on the original text with my Chinese resources and prayerfully in tune with passages of scriptures in the Bible.

功成十字 ‘When the work of the Cross is done’

The first 2-word phrases are “功 成 (pinyin – Gōng chéng), “ which literally, means ‘the work is done,’ or, ‘it is finished.’ And 十 (Shi)is the Chinese numeral Ten (10) but according to the “Historical forms of the character 十” (3)as below, don’t you think that it pictographs the Cross to us, especially the large seal script? but definitely how I see it. 

Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bamboo and silk script	Large seal script	Small seal script

The character of 字(Zi) means ‘word’ or character in Chinese. And the commonly used translation of the Cross  in the Chinese version of the Bible would be十字架 (Shízìjià). And 架 (jià) means ‘frame,’ ‘rack,’ ‘stand,’ or ‘shelf.’  however, I think that with the restraint of 7-word poem in consideration, the Emperor omitted the word of 架, but it wouldn’t compromise what he intended to express.  

And it shall be easy for Christian to relate the four (4) words of – “功 成 十字(- Gōng Chéng Shi Zi)“to the following passage of Scriptures, which Apostle John has entailed the ‘finished work‘ with four (4) passage of scriptures that occurs both in the book of ‘Revelation,’ and the Gospel of John. 

John 17:4 “ I have finished the work, which You have given Me to do.”

John 19:30 – “It is finished.” And it says “that is the final word in the redemption of humankind,’’– Oswald Chamber.

Revelation 16:17  “when God proclaimed the end of His catastrophic wrath.. and

Revelation 21:6a  “HE said unto me, it is done –“

To be continued

Kay

1. https://www.cru.org/communities/campus.htm
2. blogspot.com/2008/12/kangxi-his-poems.html
3. wiktionary

 

 

I had a lunch fellowship with my BFF We Tsoo, a few months ago. Apart from catching up with each other, she asked if I knew of whether Emperor KangXi (1645-1722) (1) was a Christian? Immediately, two of emperor’s poems with English translations, which I came across a few years ago, came back to my mind.

After the lunch, I reflected on what’s the significance for people to know whether or not the Emperor was a Christian?  It probably would bring a sense of purpose to Christians who were called to serve our dear Lord of God, in China if they knew about KangXi’ policy to open doors for foreign mission works done in China.

Time flies, a few months later, today, Arthur and I had lunch with my cousin Michael and his wife, Taky. And I couldn’t believe that in the course of having our fellowship, we were talking about Emperor KangXi and his magnificent poems.By the grace of social media, Michael managed to show Kangxi’ ‘The Death of Christ,” on his smart phone for us,

In the restaurant, Michael and I joyously recite the poem together. We were a bit loud but surely, we had Christ centered conversation at lunch with the family member. And Taky suddenly asked if KangXi was a Christian? What an awesome way to direct me that’s what I am going to put up for posting today.

Although evidently no record of the Emperor being baptized as Christian, but in Chinese history, he had befriended with Ferdinand Verbiest,(2) a Catholic missionary from Belgium, Europe.Many Jesuit priests managed to win his trust and lived in with him in the Forbidden City.

And in 1692, he personally issued a decree to legalize Catholic churches and the practice of Christianity nation wide. Regrettably, the friendly relationship had its ramifications. Speculations were saying that the live-in priests disapproved the emperor to have more than one wife.

As a matter of fact, it was that his priest friends sent by the Vatican fervently condemned Chinese ‘Ancestor worship and ‘Confucian Ceremonies. In a rage, therefore, the Emperor thus decided to closed hundreds of churches and banned missions, so the Emperor was never a Catholic.

My former Pastor, David Packer, once contended that “you don’t need to tell people that you are a Christian, but let them be surprised when they found out that you are one.” So, it is immaterial that no record revealed that the Emperor was Christian. And it wouldn’t surprise us if we saw him when we get to heaven because of the Christ centered poems he wrote.

Has it ever occurred to you, that the Manchurian, descended from North Nomadic (游 牧) tribe, hunters and horsemen of China came to rule the majority of sophisticated civilized, ethnic Han-Chinese people during the Feudal times for almost two hundred years if it were not by God’s will? (3)

It was a miracle for a non-Han emperor not only to have an exceptional good command of the language that’s differed from his own, but was also given a vision, in 1710 to order the compilation a new version of Chinese dictionary, the KangXi Dictionary (康 熙 字 典– Kāngxī Zìdiǎn) (4) that had evolved from an early 2^nd Century, Classical ‘Chinese Dictionary (说 文 解字 – Shuōwén Jiězì),’(5) on Han Dynasty.

It took more than 5-year to complete the compilation. Therefore, the  KangXi Dictionary was named after the emperor’s era name. And it was the standard Chinese dictionary during the 18th and 19th centuries. And it has always been a useful tool for people who are learning the Chinese language ever since.

It is hard to fathom that the Emperor had never left the country, and the printed bible was probably not readily available during his entire reign, especially after he parted with his Jesuit priest friends, but he could compose few spirit led poems. The one with the title of ‘The Death Of Christ,” with only 8 completed sentences and 56 Chinese characters to depict the suffering Christ and the essence of HIS finished work on the Cross.

God has always worked in mysterious ways. Last year, in 2016, I couldn’t find a single slot to rejoin the local BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) (6) for the book study on Revelation. At the end, thankfully I got into the one and only Chinese class, in Singapore, and it’s the first time, in my life, to study the Bible with my Chinese resources.

I have continued on the Gospel of John in the Chinese class since the beginning of 2017. I didn’t expect the Chinese version of the Bible would come as a perfect aid for me to ponder Emperor Kangxi’ poem, ‘The Death Of Christ,’ all over again. The English version of the poem is available via Google search(7).

In general, I rejoiced that the profoundness of the poem was not lost in translation. But have a bit of reservation to say Amen to few sentences of the translation when I refer to the actual scriptures.  And prayerfully, I hope to be able to footnote the original text with the passage of scriptures from the Bible, on ‘The Death of Christ.’

To be continued!

Kay

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangxi_Emperor
2. 2014.net/blog/background-jesuit-relations-with-emperor-kangxi
3. com/romans/13-1.htm
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangxi_Dictionary
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezihttps://en.wikipedia.or
6. http://www.informationvine.com/Results‎
7. blogspot.com/2008/12/kangxi-his-poems.html