I was impressed and encouraged by the participation in the latest biggest ever bilingual 30 hour famine event (at least 5000 people I heard). The staff has set up a blog too … good job! (need updates after some rest I know!)
As I was walking out back to my car after a short 7am to 8am mini-worship service, i was delighted to take some pictures and capture the above moment. Isn’t it true for the “wave” to work it needs every person to play their part in creating a “ripple”?
I confess I was a little rusty on my Mandarin phrases. But it was fun to translate myself and then lead the songs, hopefully encouraging the participants along the way. I saw many familiar faces to my delight. The mini-worship service I had the chance to conduct had around 200 people at the corridor. It was wonderful that others could eavesdrop on our singing, praying and sharing. The passage I used was from Matthew 5:1-16, and focused on, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ” After sharing a little based on that passage and phrase, I closed with what is seen by some as Mother Teresa’s Crisis of Faith but to me is a realistic picture for all of us to see. That those whom we think are extraordinary saints are really people just like us … having ordinary struggles. And this can serve to empower us to move forward rather than slip back into inaction or apathy or disillusionment. The process isn’t easy, but necessary I guess. At least that’s how I experienced it thus far and why I think many can relate to her experience. What inspires me more is in spite of her so called “crisis of faith” at different stages, the work still continues. Too often, I suppose most of us – I think I would have – given up.
My guess is .. when it’s less about us …. there’s more space for outer strength to be poured in .. to play some part for the hope for others. That’s the kind of wave I want to be part of.
Hey Sivin
Thanks for coming in at that really early hour.
We ended the camp by turning out all the lights and getting the campers to turn on their torches as a sign of their individual commitments to helping the poor. It was a really beautiful sight, as the stadium became illuminated with lights of different sizes, intensities and colours came on.
Reminded me that alone, we are but a drop – together, we are a force to be reckoned with. 🙂 Thanks for being a part of the wave!!
hsien ling – the quick one hour plus did me some good. I appreciated the chance to be in a context where people could eavesdrop and observe what we were doing, and what we valued 🙂