A Good Person

I have always been told by people that I am a “good person.” There are certain people that I always call a “good person.” It is common for people to call each other a “good person.” We have all heard it or done it in our life. I believe everyone has good in them. I also believe that in some people it is harder to find/see the good that is in them. Some people are naturally good and some people really make an effort at being good. (I can continue with this idea of good but I think you get it.)

All this talk of “being good” started when me and some friends were talking last night about the idea of being a good people. I try to be a good person because I am a Christian. I see it in the Bible, so I try to model it. I am told to be that way in the Bible, so I do it. I try to be good because I feel and believe it is right, but is that the only reason why I am good? Does it take following God to be considered “a good person?” I think not. Before I was a Christian I would consider myself a good person. I know many really good people who do not share my faith or even believe in God. I am around them and interact with them everyday. You may even mistake some as being Christians until they tell you otherwise.

My question is this to my reader: I am always trying to find ways of telling people about God. One of the things I get most from people here is, “Kevin, you are a really good person. You are always so nice and thinking of others.” An easy answer to it is “I am that way because I am a Christian.” Which is an ok answer. However, I feel that it can come across to someone as “the only way you can be a “good person” is if you become a Christian,” or “Kevin only thinks Christians to be good people.” Which is not even close to the point I am trying to make. The question is “What would be a good way of telling people that I am a good person because of God, but not that the only reason I am a good person is because of God?” I do not want people to think that I am only good because of God, but by having God in my life I feel like an even better person and try harder to be good. I want to leave them thinking about how following God might make them a better person, and not how they are a bad person for not being like me. Or maybe get them to thinking, what is it about serving God that makes people want to be even better?

Back to Jerusalem

I have recently started to read a book called “Back to Jerusalem.” Most people may have heard about the book, or at least something about the “Back to Jerusalem” mission that many Chinese believers have committed their lives too. If you have not heard about it, I will give a quick summary on it.

In a nut shell, the Chinese Christians believe that they have an access to the East and Middle East that the West does not have. There is not as much tension and hatred towards the Chinese, so they are tolerated much more than if someone from the West would go in with the Word. By not having that tension they are able to open up and communicate with people that may have never been reached by others from the West. Also, Between the Chinese and Jerusalem is three major global religions that they will come across and be able to evangelize. They are Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. I encourage you to read more about this movement.

The first chapter talks about the growth of Christianity in China, especially focusing on the last 200 years. While I was reading I came across an interesting quote from a Chinese onlooker listening to a sermon by a Chinese Christian. Before you read it, I want to say something about why this quote was mentioned. This section was talking about what little success the foreigners were having spreading, what was considered, a “foreign religion” to the Chinese. However, the foreigners coming in started to realize that growth started to happen when they started to equip and enable the native Chinese Christians and then got out of their way and let them do the work. What happened is growth started to happen at a faster rate.

After all this was said it brought me up to this quote by the onlooker:

Once a forest was told that a load of axe-heads had come to cut it down. “It doesn’t matter in the least,” said the forest, “they will never succeed by themselves.” When, however, it heard that some of its own branches had become handles to the axe-heads, it said, “Now we have no chance.”

So as long as we only had foreigners to deal with, we were safe, but now that everywhere our own countrymen are enlisted on that side, certainly Christianity will flourish and conquer us.

I thought this was an excellent quote, and it teaches a great lesson. I hope this encourages anyone who reads this to carefully consider the words of an “onlooker.” It is important to ask the question, “Am I doing what I want to or what He wants me to do?”, or even, “Am I doing what my cultures says to do or His Word says to do?” One of the most amazing things about God’s creation is that He made us all different. Not only did He create us different but He established different cultures for us to live in and to experience, sometimes even within our own culture. What is even greater is that He gave us a Gospel that can be learned, obeyed, taught and applied in any culture, at any period of time. It is our job to make sure that we trust His plan and learn that “our way” may not always be the best.

My happy and safe third place

For all those who have ever been to Xiasha (the area of Hangzhou I live in) you will know that there is not much of anything out here to do. About the only Western type food you can get is KFC. And if you are like most people KFC is probably the last place you would request as your only foreign place for food.

Well, about little over a month ago a rumor of a Pizza Hut started to travel around Xiasha. We have all heard that a Pizza Hut was coming this year at a mall they are building close to my campus, but this rumor was about another mall that is a little outside of Xiasha and that a Pizza Hut was already there. So, me and a few others journeyed out on our ebikes trying to discover this hidden mall in the middle of nowhere with a Pizza Hut waiting for us.

Sure enough, out in the middle of nowhere there was a mall. Not any mall, this mall can rival most nice malls found in America. Not that China cannot design good looking places but this mall was out in the middle of nowhere. It made no sense! I could not comprehend what I was seeing. Just think about going out into the country and suddenly coming across a mall that would normally go in the nice part of most cities. I was excited to have the Pizza Hut but I found something else even better “A Starbucks.”

This Starbucks has since become my oasis of safety from the culture of China. I go there to relax, study my Chinese, prepare for class, and to mediate on the Word. However, I did not think this place to be a place of outreach. I came here for me time. What I have discovered is that some of my best talks and opportunities are starting to happen here. I do have my days of not talking to anyone but from time to time I have very nice conversations with people I would have normally not talk to in other settings. I also find myself not irritated with the talks. I think it might have something to do with the relax atmosphere and that I am in a good place mentally. My friend Stan made a comment that made sense. Most people that come to a Starbuck’s tend to speak English much better and most have a better understanding of Western culture. This has helped me to quickly get into deeper and more enjoyable conversations then you might have with someone on the street.

I have decided to make this Starbucks my “third place.” This idea of a “third place” was discovered in a book I am reading called, Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture by Michael Frost. A “third place” is a place that is neutral to both me and the person I am talking too. A place that has a relaxed atmosphere and people go to get away from work and normal life. In these places most barriers that people put up are temporarily taken down. The exchanging of ideas, even those foreign to you, seem to be tolerated more then in other settings. At times the ideas are entertained or seriously considered. This could lead to more conversations later, or you could at least leave that person thinking about something they normally might have never thought about. I encourage everyone looking for ways to do outreach to discover a “third place.”

I really enjoy my down time, but I have come across an excellent outreach that I cannot ignore. Please remember this opportunity and myself in your daily conversations to Father.

Limbo

I have always wondered what the apostles were thinking after the death of Jesus. The waiting, the questioning if he would return, the anxiety of dying next, or maybe trying to decide their next move. I can only imagine that it was an uncomfortable feeling all around.
I have recently found myself feeling the same way about life. This year in China is not going like I thought it would. I feel really disconnected from my new students because of their lack of English (probably the worst ever), for some reason I am missing home more then at any point before, and trails continue to hit me and those around me. I feel like I am in limbo between the past and what is to come. Don't get me wrong, I feel great about life. I have been exercising, I am pretty content with most things, and I have been learning more Chinese then ever before. However my Direction is off. I am not sure what all it takes to get back on track but I pray that it happens soon. I write this with the hopes of connecting with many other people who have felt the same way or feel this way now. I trust the limbo feeling will pass in time but until then I ask that you all remember me.

Something to pray about.

This past Sunday a few of us took a look and discussed Luke 10: 1-2. I have studied this passage many times in the past. I was going in with the idea of focusing on the harvest and the being "sent" part. In these two verses Jesus tells all the people he is sending out to “PRAY earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” I have read over this part many times before, but for some reason this time something hit me.
1)I do not pray enough.
2)Jesus just GAVE me something to pray about.
At that moment an idea hit me. I am going to read through the 4 gospels and look for every mention of Jesus giving us something to pray about. I will just read a few chapters a night, so not to get overwhelmed, and write down any mention of Jesus talking about how or what we should pray about. After reading and writing down what I come across, I am then going to pray about those things.
For example, Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:44 to “pray for those who persecute you.” So, when I pray I am going to focus on people or groups that I feel persecuted by. I will write them down and pray for them individually.
In addition, I will take the passages I come across and use it as a kind of measuring stick to see how I am helping the Kingdom.
For example, going back to Luke 10:2 that I mentioned earlier. Jesus mentions how we need more laborers for the harvest, and it is so vital that we need to pray to God for it. I need to ask myself “how am I helping with the harvest?” If it is needed enough for Jesus to mention that we need to pray for it, then it is something that must be important to Jesus. We need more laborers.
With all of that being said, I understand not all passages will be able to be treated this way and that some may focus on how we pray or what to pray about (Lord's prayer in Matthew 6 is a great example of what I am talking about.)
I challenge whoever reads this to do the same. It has given me many things to pray and mediate on, and I find my prayers to be more focused.

Tidal Bore of Qiantang River

Each month during the full moon, and the few days around the full moon, you can see a wave coming up the Qiantang River. This week we had a holiday called the "Mid-Autumn Festival." For some reason this month the wave becomes a big deal to China. Many people come from all over China to see this phenomenon. What happens is when the high tide comes into the Hangzhou Bay it meets with the Qiantang River, which is flowing into the Hangzhou Bay. When the wave meets the water flowing towards it it causes a tidal bore. The river feeds the wave up the river and it can go for many miles. After the wave passes by you the river changes directions just for a short time.
Here is a video showing you the event.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to you all!

My well known fear.

Anyone who really knows me knows that I have a huge fear of flying. I have been around the world several times in my life and feel that I fly more then most people. And even after all of that I still get real nervous the days leading up to a flight. When I am on a plane I am really tense and aware of what is going on at all times. The littlest bit of turbulence has me going for the seat handles right away. I even find myself getting irritated at the pilot for not doing a better job avoiding the turbulence. Not that he has much he can do about it. And every time I land, I make a promise with myself that I will never fly again and will just have to take a boat back. I think you get the picture.
With that being said, I would not be here in China today if it were not for me dealing with my fears and powering through. We all have fears in life. Some are worse then others. Sometimes our fear is not really understanding something enough to realize it is not that bad or hard to do. If I let my fear over come me I would never get on a plane and would only live life in the South. Because from there I can drive to beaches, mountains, and all the best theme parks within a few hours. All my family is close and I would feel safe.
Today many people have a fear of talking about our Father. The fear of rejection, mockery, or the unknown are usually common reasons. We get comfortable going to our building and meeting with the Family, but the idea of going out and doing something is not for me, "We have specialist that do that." We are all challenged by the Son to go out and talk about Father. Yes, some of us may be better then others at it but who's to say you are not better at it then you think you are. No one is great at something the first time. It takes time to learn and grow. In the end, overcoming your own fear could be the only real challenge.