如果你唔見左7000萬你會點？

I have a friend whose life is quite different from most of us. By chance, in 1984 his family had the opportunity to purchase 0.25% of one of the Blue Chips at $90 thousands and in 2007 the company proposed to purchase their stock back at $110 millions.  Furthermore, according to my friend in these 30 years, the company has given them around $600 thousand dividends each year, which the total of the dividend is $18 million. To sum up, roughly, the family’s capital has increased 140 times in these 30 years. What makes the case funny to me is that, my friend’s family has only sold 1/3 of their stocks in 2007 and since there was a change in the company’s structure, my friend told me he has been worried about whether they will be “written off”. To most of us, we might think, “How will you be write off in case you have paid real money for an investment in a reliable place?” But this is not my concern here, my concern is: what will you feel if you were my friend and your capital has been written off.

At the very beginning, let’s elaborate more on how my friend’s family seized to have the chance to purchase the stock at such a great price. My friend’s family used to work for the company and like most traditional Chinese tycoon, the boss didn’t let the soldiers fight in hunger; as a result the tycoon both being nice and to boost up the morality, he offered a great deal to most of his loyal employees. Right after the acquisition of the stock, his father passed away. Put things otherwise, if, judging form a realistic angle, the tycoon’s endeavor did not work very well in my friend’s family. Since my friend was young, his mother has educated him with the mindset that the stock is a favor from the tycoon; however, like one of his friends, let’s call him A, responded, A told my friend, “It is ridiculous, your family has invested real money and if you have not invested there, you might have invested in better place and gain more profit so there the favor talk is just plainly stupid.”

I think A’s comment, to most of us is valid. It is because we have been educated in a capitalistic society where when we invest in something, we expect return; nevertheless, as logic tells us, what has been happening in the society or believed by the mass does not justify a notion. Moreover, as Christians, we have to be very careful not to be encroached by the mass for we are the salt and light of the community.  So here, I would have to ask, today, if you were my friend and $70 million of your assets have been written off, how would you feel? To me, if I were my friend, I would think in this way: as a matter of facts, it might be true that his family has paid $90 thousand for the stock; however, obviously it is, rather than calling it an investment, it was more like a favor from the tycoon. Truly as we can see the tycoon didn’t need $90 thousand for anything, his proposal, though not completely benevolent did imply a sincerity and respect to my friend’s father as a loyal worker. So after paying $18 million investment and around $37 million for selling 1/3 of the stock, the tycoon has already spent $50 million on this family, which since the father’s diseased has not contributed anything to the company, I can imagine if the tycoon were the bosses today, my friend’s family should be written off right after his father’s diseased.

So here we have 2 different sets of thinking, one represents a post-modern thoughts that takes things factually and the other represents a more traditional way that take things with consideration of values like being grateful. Which one is more Biblical? I suppose the second view is more Biblical, it appears to me that the tycoon is pretty much like a “lite” version of God. Undoubtedly, trying to say the tycoon is “like” God might sounds weird and insolent; nevertheless, it is not my point here. My point here is that: As Christians, how do you make judgments? Are you judging things from the standard of man or from the standard of God?

Being educated in Hong Kong, we have a tendency to take things for granted and undermine the beauty of other’s grace. When someone does you a favor, there is always more than one interpretation. When your boss gives you the year-end bonuses, you can always think critically, claiming the bonuses are a social string to reinforce you to work harder and it has balance out with the profit you have made for the company. For sure, there are cases where the deal is fair; nevertheless, I am not sure if every case is like that. The point here is quite straightforward, contemporary teachings tell us to always looking for more and protest when there is less. To be wise is to ask for more, even, when you do not deserve any.

Here, as Christians, we have to be very careful not to be encroached by the value of the society, we live in the society but we do not blindly follow the values of the society. So even the society tells us that we should ask for more, we have to step back and think, “How much do we deserve?” Without having such a mindset, inevitably, we will fall into the trap of ungratefulness. The logic is pretty simple, humans are greedy, our greed keep reminding us that more is better; nonetheless, Christian value indicates that more is not better. Being grateful is a great virtue. As a result, when two sets of beliefs are in contest, Christian value triumphs a desire.

So we come across a cross road, either my friend should believe ask for more and protest when less or being grateful and be thankful even when he has been written off. The decision is not an easy way, $70 million is not a small amount and most of us cannot earn $70 million even if we work very hard for 100 years. What I can do now is to pray for him, hoping God to illuminate him to understand that, being a Christian, he should be thankful, he should count everything he has, rather than baffled by the fact that he might lost $70 million, which rigidly speaking he does not deserve. Furthermore, may God pity his soul, letting him know that no matter how, he has already been more fortunate than 90% of the population in Hong Kong, considering he has a very warm family and his financial status. 

踏出去？

昨晚和呀B和WAYNE哥哥傾了幾個鐘。對於我想踏出去，他們的評價是十分正面的，他們罵我，逼愛只因為他們的關心。事實上我是一個想很多東西的人，但這真的是我人生的缺點嗎？身為一個基督徒，我最大的責任就是做一個好管家，世俗的價值不是我最緊張的事。（我不否定我需要活在世俗的價值上。） 可能對一個普通人來說，沒錢就去工作，有錢就做自己喜歡的事。但一個基督徒，我要問的是：神想我做什麼？ 聖經清楚的告訴我們人是要工作的，我亦十分認同我是要工作的，但當我問我如何放那一件事優先的時候，我其實是問：神想我如何做？ 如果一個基督徒只想自己應該做什麼，這是一件可悲的事情，事實上有很多的時間非基督徒亦很難明白一個基督徒的困難。（簡單點說基督徒要在現有的價值上再加上另一套價值）加上我本身的限制，有時我自己會反問自己我可以做多小？

我深信神是想我做一些東西的，不單是一個去賺錢的人。這不是一個借口，因為我不想和現實溝通，所以我拿神出來。應該這樣說，我放RESEARCH行先的原因是因為我相信這是神放我在這裡的目的，工作是我對不肯定的前路的回應。可能有一天當我什麼也沒有的時候，人家會笑我這是自找的因為我沒有好好用我的優勢去賺更多的錢，但我深信神不會關了你的門就算，這是一個信心的功課，也是踏出去的功課。謝謝你們的意見，我會踏出去，找鄭明信生存在世上的價值。但請見諒我緊張的，相信的可能在現在的世代是不智的，不理性的。

＊中間有很多地方其實要多加解釋，我不希望別人說基督徒怪，但最簡單的看法：在基督教我們相信有AFTERLIFE，而我們的價值是放在AFTERLIFE，不在CONTINGENT LIFE。很深的神學問題，有時間再和大家討論。

基督徒沒人性？

有時親友都會問我，“喂信基督教D人好鬼沒人性，老板出糧比你，你感謝神，老豆養你，你又多謝神。” 呢D人完全本未倒置， 唔識珍惜眼前人。呢度我想講一講，其實基督教基中一個最重要既教義就係感恩。係我既人生行到來呢一步，我一定要多謝我既媽媽，我本身係一個好過份既人，好多人，好似我家姐都曾經叫佢放棄我。但係我媽媽不單止沒放棄我，反而用盡佢既愛心去教導我。另外我亦好感謝祥叔由細到大當我係自己親生仔咁看待。 可能大家會問，“係LOR， 多謝來多謝去都係你身邊既人，點解你要多謝神？”

好， 用返中國人既講法，我同媽媽同祥叔既關係係一種緣份， 沒得解。正如大部份學者認同，由孔子開始中國人理解既天就係一種道德既融合，當中天和人的關係就係人由天導中理解人性，天和人沒有一種人性的關係。但係對基督教來講， 如果神等同天，天係有又有人性和又有神性既存有， 係呢個情況緣份就可以比解釋。緣份應該看成天對人既安排。 用返我既例子，我媽媽同祥叔對我好，係因為佢地對我好錫我 。但係最基本，如果神唔放我係呢堆咁好既人中間，我根本沒基會比佢地愛，比佢地關心。用一個例子，一個地方有好既土壤，好既陽光，好既水源，但係如果一棵值物唔係呢個地方，有幾好既還境都係一種浪費。所以如果珍惜眼前人係緊要，但係我否定放我係度既神，講真我自己都覺得講唔通。

可憐的小魔怪

As a private tutor, I share the obligation to teach and look after little monsters. The debate about who creates these monsters is not my concern here, I just want to show my sympathy to them. Raising a kid in Hong Kong is extremely hard, so does being a kid. I heard from my relatives that my cousin has to write a resume for her new born baby. I cannot help but wonder, what should she write? I cannot imagine what a kid needs in order to enter the so called band 1 schools. Maybe they have to master 3 languages at 6 years old or so so.

If we believe Hong Kong is one of the best model reflecting a materialistic society, then the campuses do project our society. As a result kids growing in such a hostile environment have developed a mechanism that they should compete for, basically everything. From academic achievements, to sports excellence or even who has the better pencil box. In one of my classes, there are 3 primary 3 students, 1 of them is very poor at English, she confuses am with an, how with who; the other 2 are slightly better, one of them does do very quite well in her school. So the better 2 compete with the other with anything possible while seizing every chance to show the weaker one they are far better. When I look at them, I cannot help myself from feeling sorry for them.

As human beings, psychologists tell us that we all need validations, we desire others' respect; however, if our value is purely dependent to others, then who we are is just how we are defined or labeled. Furthermore, in most cases, as Mass is fool, we tend to judge things from the obvious. By using a Hermes' bag, you are classy. By using fancy words in your essay, you are well-educated. By being confidence, you are capable. I believe competition is good for students but competition for shallow validation is not. For instance, my students always compete on who finish the exercise first, they parallel doing exercise with racing, fast-finisher means clever, slow-finisher means stupid. Well, I believe every of us knows things do not work this way, besides finishing the paper fast, how many correct answers you get is more important.

As I have said, I do not know why they have to compete on everything but it is pathetic to compete for other's validation, especially things that have no values. One become the puppet of the master when what one desires for is directed by another. It is not wrong for parents to give direction for their kids but it is also the parents' duty to guild them to the correct path. I sympathy these little monsters because they do not know what they are heading to and I sympathy the masters who create these little monsters.

重有14日就結婚啦！

倒數開始，還有14日就和小熊結婚啦！心情沒有想像中緊張，可能人本身don't give a damn to formality吧，反而聽到一圍的價錢心中就是沈了一沈。要豬媽媽又用15萬在我們第上，加上之前裝修的40萬，總數55萬。當她自己有病也不願看醫生，自己就會問，是不是時間“現實”一點。不知道，真的不知道。

What did you see?

In Genesis chapter 1, the Bible tells us, “God saw everything which he had made and it was very good.” However, in chapter 6, the Bible says, “And the Lord saw that the sin of man was great on the earth, and that all the thoughts of his heart were evil. And the Lord had sorrow because he had made man on the earth, and grief was in his hear.” The first question that comes into my mind is: Isn’t God all knowing? If He is all knowing, shouldn’t He know that men would become evil before He created us? If it is the case, it is reasonable to ask, “Why did He commented His creation as very good?”

The question does demand an answer, at the very beginning, I believe not many of us will question God is all knowing. So in this article I do take God’s all knowing for granted. Granting God is all knowing, He should have known that mankind would fall from the very beginning, so it is rational to conclude: if something carries a serious flaw, it is not something that is very good. For instance, we want to purchase a LCD TV, a LCD’s graphics are fantastic and the price is very reasonable, maybe we know that every electronic product does have its life cycle and the TV’s life cycle is 5 years; however, we would not comment the LCD TV as very good if it has a serious flaw, like, it will burn itself when the temperature reaches room temperature. Parallel to God’s creation of mankind, the fell of human and the evil deeds we have been doing are definitely not a tiny flaw, especially when we put in consideration the holiness of God Himself.

Then we have a dilemma, God is all knowing but God regretted His creation that He believed was good earlier. To most Christians, I believe neither we would say God is too passionate in commenting something as good naively nor having a very different standard of goodness from what He has been suggesting in the Bible. So to us, it is obvious that since God cannot contradict Himself, there must be something “in between” us being good and being wicked. According to the Bible, we are created in the image of God but at the same time we are slaves of sins, we own the holiness of God and that’s why God Himself interrupt the History by becoming human in the name of Jesus Christ, died for our sins so that we can repent and once again become His sons and daughters.

So if we consider the story once again, we were created and God believed we were good, then He regretted because we were sinful, but He also prepared Himself for our sins. Put all things together, it is true that we are seriously flawed but we are good because God has chosen to make us good. It is not because good is unfair in treating wicked as virtue, it is just because God does not calculate our sins if we repent. (God Himself has paid the high price.) That means to say, it is a fact that we are wicked and there is no way under the standard of God that we can be good; nevertheless, God has the mercy in treating us as good, as something He can love, it is a gift, the attitude of being merciful is something we should have learn.

The Bible tells us that because God first loved us so we know what love is, I believe there is something we should learn from the passage, Protestant Christians have always been critical, we have a very strict sense to sins and we have been trying our best to “punish” sins, the accusation that we have been judging from a moral high ground is not entirely false, we do have such an inclination. However, today God teaches us something very differently, God is justice and He has the reign in saying, “You are sinful and I don’t think you are good so I don’t love you.” Not only does God love you, He also loves you so much that He died for your evil nature so that you are a new person and you are good once again. As a result, now when we see your brothers and sisters did something problematic, rather than criticizing them of doing wrongly, shouldn’t we first ask ourselves is there some rooms for us to say they are good rather then concluding they are bad? Are we so very different from them in God’s view? If we judge them strictly, will God judge us in the same way?

When we look at a painting, we conclude a painting is good not because it is flawless; maybe the flaws are making the painting even better. So today, when you look at your fellow brothers and sisters, what did you see? A flawed human being who has done a lot of evil deeds or a creation of God that God has commented as good at the very beginning? Here, I have to propose that it is not the case that we tolerate one’s evil deeds; here I am asking us not to be a critic but being a sinner looking at another sinner, if God calls someone good how dare you say he/she is bad? If God our master has the mercy to forgive our evil deeds by dying for us, how dare you to criticize the new person as wicked?

So to the end, I believe God doesn’t judge us because we are bad, God looks at us because we are good. It is true that we are sinful, it is true that we always do something that are unacceptable to God, but, no matter how the Bible tells us that God loves us very much. By using the LCD TV analogy, human being are a rubbish LCD, it is small, bad in quality and like the TV produced in China, we will explode; however, our buyer, God, did not just return us to the manufacturer, He fixed us and commented us as good. So if you see your brothers or sisters’ bad side, try to think about their good side, appreciate their goodness before accusing their evilness, maybe to the end, they have really done something unacceptable, but at least we have tried to look at them as a good creation from God rather than an expired milk that we despise. Let us be less critical and more sentimental.