A fair-go is the answer to IS

Given the massive military operation undertaken by a coalition of countries to defeat the Islamic State (IS), one would think that the war against IS has already been won and Iraq restored. Alias no, U.S. officials conceded that Islamic State fighters still control large parts of northern (including the major city Mosul) and western Iraq (“U.S., Iraq Prepare Offensive to Retake Mosul From Islamic State” the Wall Street Journal 22/1/2015). More importantly, the counter-insurgency analyst David Kilcullen (“Remote Control Terror” The Weekend Australian 17-18/1/2015) wrote:

“Finally, it should be clear that there’s no magic bullet here: no technological fix,  … that can protect society from this threat (terrorism). … We need new approaches, designed to break the escalatory cycle of threats and counter measures seen since 9/11. ..” But I believe Kilcullen’s real message is that the front-line of the battle against modern terrorism is neither on the battlefield nor the Internet because Kilcullen went on to write:

“It might also involve a debate on ways to detect and intervene in the radicalisation pathways of at-risks individuals …”

Clearly the International community needs to do more to address why seemingly rational individuals (and even Western educated youths) are being radicalised (“Drop the idea of the lone wolf as a madman: most terrorists think rationally” The Weekend Australian 24-25/1/2015). The problem of radicalisation is further highlighted by the fact that young Australians, in spite of massive Australian government effort, continue to be attracted to IS.

The problem of IS has its root in history. The backlash over the invasion of Iraq (supposedly to rid Iraq of the weapons of mass destruction) and the Syrian Civil War created the prefect condition for the rise of IS. However even before the appearance of IS in 2014, Australia has already have de-radicalisation programs (“Investing in Mentoring and Educational Initiatives:The Limits of De-Radicalisation Programmes in Australia” Shahram Akbarzadeh  Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs Vol. 33, Iss. 4, 2013). Researchers such Dr Clark Jones (“Terrorists can be turned around - here's how” ABC The Drum) also advocate de-radicalisation programs.  If de-radicalisation programs have worked why then does the secular West continue to bleed their youths to the IS cause?  Henry Ergas (“Islamists cannot be permitted to abuse our tradition of tolerance” The Australian 26/1/2015) on the other hand argued that it is “… impossible to lull the intolerant into tolerance …” and therefore “… no Islamist should qualify for Australian residence or citizenship. “ But must Australia’s or even the rest of the Western world be forever polarised between the liberal left and the conservative right? Should we perhaps first ask the Islamists what is it they are riling against? The answer to this question can be found in the media reports on the Anti-Charlie-Hebdo protest at Lakemba on the 23/1/2015. It is interesting that both Associated Press and SBS chose to highlight the organiser’s (Hizb ut-Tahrir) attack on the Freedom of Speech.  At the protest Sofyan Badar from Hizb ut-Tahrir argued that Free Speech is a smoke screen for Western politicians and media to hide the underlying issues.  He further suggested that the West use Free Speech to maintain dominance over Muslims. The idea of the alienated youth is clear but the media completely missed the earlier part of his speech where Badar accuses Christians and Judaism of compromising their beliefs with secularism. Presumably Badar is suggesting that only Muslims (Sunnis? Shiites??, others???) are true believers. So while Muslims argued that it is wrong denigrate the prophet Mohammed but is Badar suggesting that it is OK to denigrate other religions? At the very least his comments show a complete lack of understanding of the Christian faith.  In the Gospel of John, just before Jesus execution on the cross, Jesus explicitly stated “My kingdom is not of this world.” Christians do not need to live in a theocracy. Christians believe that the Good News Jesus Christ is spread by reasoning and love rather than through the threat of violence.  That is not a compromise to secularism rather it is a realisation that God is love.   

Finally Ergas rightly pointed out that the founders of the Australian constitution ensure that Australia is religiously diverse, not favouring one faith or denomination over any other. However Ergas is wrong to suggest that we are to practice our faith privately. No, because this is exactly what Badar riled against. For too long Australians, whether they are secular, Christians and other faiths have been silent on justice and righteousness issues. Australian Christians, in particular, need to stand up when asylum seekers are being denied justice. Australian Christians need to stand beside Australian Muslims when they are being attacked for living out their faith.  After all, our Lord Jesus himself calls on us to “seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness”.  Australians have taken the lucky country for granted, failing to realise we must continue to uphold the Fair-Go idealism. Interestingly, the Fair-Go idealism has its root in the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Perhaps it is time for all Australians (Christians and non-Christians) to revisit Peter Jensen 2005 Boyer Lecture (The Future of Jesus http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/boyerlectures/the-future-of-jesus/3339436) to see how much our contemporary Australian culture is rooted in Jesus because on this Australia Day we need to realise that a fair-go is for all Australians.

We have a duty to refugees

Indian Baby Factories and Same Sex Marriage

My letter to the Courier Mail (not printed) 14/7/2014
 
Why do people continue to push the myth that what we do in private makes no difference (re: Ian Thorpe)? The baby factories in India are looking forward to the passing of the same-sex marriage in Australia. More poor Indian women will be lured to be surrogates for Australian gay couples to satisfy a huge rise in demand for surrogacy. These women are exploited and some will die because they shouldn't even be pregnant.  What we do in private does matter and worse who will stand up for the rights of these poor Indian women?

Thanks for the New Lease of Life

On the Monday afternoon of the 20/10/2014, I woke up from my deep valium induced sleep. My first angiogram was over, the angiogram team did not find any major blockage and I didn't need a stent. I felt like God has given a new lease of life. I am grateful to the Angiogram team consisting of dedicated professionals like Claire, Sarah and Jono (the Cardiologist).  Right from the start while waiting outside the procedure room, Claire reassured me. I was not anxious and even joked with her about the black knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I felt an instant rapport with her and the team. And they are a team, a well-oiled operation with the sole aim of ensuring the best outcome for me. They checked out my ticker and get me on my way for the next phase of my life. But the story did not start or end there. In fact there are a whole bunch of other dedicated workers who worked tirelessly to make my new lease of life possible.

Saturday night, the news of my high calcium score (219) was still sinking in, I felt a tightness in my chest. I re-read the letter from the X-radiology. It is time to call the ambulance. Within less than 10 minutes, Ben and Rachel arrived in their ambulance. In no time they had me lying in their ambulance bed and running an ECG on my heart. They checked my blood pressure and quickly relieve my chest discomfort with a shot of GTN. Another few more minutes they got me and my wife Christine into the emergency department of the Wesley Hospital. Adam (the emergency doctor) and his team ran more tests on me and gave me more GTN as I experience more tightness of the chest. Adam and Ben (the Cardiologist) decided to keep me in for observation and an angiogram. In the meantime a church friend (Jennie) kindly offered to take Christine home while I waited for a room in the Cardiology section of the hospital. Poor Christine not only had to accompany me to the hospital but now has wait to find out what was going to happen to me.

One cannot possibly even understand what a huge scourge heart disease is to Australia until you have journeyed with me. The demand for Cardiology beds (even for a private hospital) was so huge that I had to wait till 2am when they could finally move me out of Emergency. Even in Cardiology I was not alone. The first thing Renee (the duty nurse) asked me was whether I was hungry. The sandwich and the bottle water were most welcome. After some sharing, I discovered that Renee is a natural mother and I felt I was just one of her children! I didn't sleep well and by about 5am the sun was already shining into my room but Leigh brought me much needed cup of tea and breakfast which cheered me up immensely.

Later Sunday, Christine came, bringing some much needed essentials like my toothbrush. Thank God for Christine, the hospital may take care of the immediate health needs; it is the spouse who brings the comfort of home. Later still friends from my Salt and Light fellowship group turned up. Eric, Fan, Jenny, Tinkei and Tracy were like my personal cheer squad getting me ready for Monday, the big day where I find out what is wrong with my heart.

After a better night sleep (although still more tightness of the chest), the dawn sunlight came through the window. The orange glow of the dawn sky along with all those wires on my chest made me think that I am an astronaut completing yet another orbit around the earth on the ISS (International Space Station). This is the big day! Ben (the cardiologist) patiently explained to me what is going to happen. Christine came again to check how I was and Jo (the duty nurse) got me ready for the transfer from the Cardio ward to the procedure room where Claire and her team was ready for me.

In this journey of mere three days, I met many people whom I have never met before. Yet they worked tirelessly for me. Please don't be upset if I didn't mention your name because there are just too many names to remember! But be reassure, I and many more patients are very appreciative of all the sacrifice that you have made to give us all a new lease of life.

The battle against heart disease has to go on but I really wonder whether Australia has her priority set correctly when McDonalds recently announced that they will provide a new fast food service. Is the relentless consumption of fast food and the earth resources more important than spending time with relatives and friends? When the world calls us a sport-mad nation, do they really know that the majority of us merely sit on the side line downing yet more burgers and fries?

Can Love and Perfection Overcome earthquake, tuberculosis and the Evils of World War 2?

Are you sick of the same old computer generated violence that Hollywood continues to serve up movie after movie? Even the Hobbit (a children’s book) could not avoid Hollywood’s lust for violence. If so then you should not go pass Hayao Miyazaki’s animated movie “The Wind Rises”.  The Wind Rises is a fictionalised account of Jiro Horikosh – the designer of the famous A6M Zero. The A6M is a fighter aircraft. In the Second World War, a fighter plane serves two purposes: It can defend ones territory from enemies’ bombers or to protect one own bombers in their mission to bomb the enemy.  As one is drawn into Miyazaki’s story, one realises that this is an anti-war movie. I do have more to say on this question but this is first and foremost a review of Miyazaki’s creative ability. My concern for Miyazaki’s treatment of Japan’s responsibility for the war will come later.

Right from the start Miyazaki uses one of Jiro’s many dream sequences (the animation is vibrantly beautiful) to help the audience become familiar with Jiro’s passion for flying and plane design. Not only that, Miyazaki uses the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 (where Jiro rescues his future wife) and the great depression of the early 1930s to bring out Jiro’s selfless nature.  Growing up with a diet of Godzilla, Ultraman and Japanese animation it is really refreshing to see that Miyazaki’s can use animation to weave together these historical events to build up Jiro’s story.  It would be so easy for Miyazaki to simply dazzle his audience with more and more animation so as to turn his movie into yet another Hollywood feel good cartoon. Instead Jiro the genius aeroplane designer not only dreams of setback but is also plague by real setback that nearly cost the life of one of his pilot. Just when the audience think that life cannot get worse, we found that the love of Jiro’s life Naoko suffers from tuberculosis and will soon die.  To be honest, my eyes were getting quite wet by this stage. However Miyazaki wants his audience to see through all these failures, sadness, and even the evils of World War 2. Why? It is because nothing was going to dampen Jiro’s passion to build the prefect aeroplane.  Naoko rather than demanding Jiro’s complete attention instead left her sanatorium to be with Jiro. Jiro in turn married Naoko even though he knew Naoko’s tuberculosis would mean their time together would be short.  It is this sacrificial love that Jiro and Naoko have for one another that makes it all worthwhile.

It all sound so wonderful doesn’t it? Even though Miyazaki’s Jiro is not the real Jiro, we do know love can do much more than even what Miyazaki can imagine. Why? It is because we have seen the Cross.

Finally one question that I realise cannot be bypassed.  Yes, Miyazaki did point to the futility of war but did he do enough to question Japan’s responsibility? At the start of the war, the Zero out manoeuvre all Allies fighters.  In this way, Japan was able establish air superiority wherever they went. In the city of Hong Kong (where I was born), the Japanese bombers were able to drop bombs on the Kai Tak airport with impunity.  Hong Kong had no hope of defending itself and had to live under Japanese oppression for three years and eight months. As an engineer, I realised that whatever I design or built, it too can be used for evil. On the other hand even Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of the AK47 also had to ponder about the damage that his invention had caused.  Kalashnikov was so troubled that he sought spiritual advice from the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church.

What Swimming has taught me about Spiritual Growth

Australians are often proud of the ability of our Olympic swimmers and children start early in the pool. So it is a surprise to some people that I am such a bad swimmer. However I am not alone, I have come across a number of people who also swim poorly or not at all. Recently a sister-in-Christ who once helped people correct their stroke (improve their swimming) started coaching me so as to correct my stroke. I believe my poor swimming style falls into two groups:

1.       Bad habits that no one ever help me to correct. For example, I didn’t know that I could be more efficient by rotating my upper body with each stroke of the arm.

2.       My stress from fear.  My sister-in-Christ pointed out to me that my right arm was very stiff and that I could swim more efficiently by relaxing.

The apostle Paul brought the Gospel to a world dominated by Greek culture. Our modern Olympic Games had its origin from the Olympic Games of ancient Greece. In Paul’s time, an athlete can gained money, prestige, and privileges by winning in the Games. But in order to do so they have to train hard. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Sports training like swimming are good examples of our Christian life.  Some of us learn to swim when we are children; others like me only learn good swimming techniques late in life. The freedom of being able to swim freely without the fear of not touching the bottom is like the freedom we feel when we finally realised that we can have friendship with God because of what Jesus had done for us. This is exactly why Jesus in John 8:32: “then you will know the truth and truth shall set you free.” But we shouldn’t stop once we know how to swim because we can swim more efficiently with better swimming technique. Whatever exercise you do (e.g. running, cycling, ping pong, swimming etc.) you will develop what is called muscle memory. That is why people say once you know how to ride a bicycle you will never forget. However if you are using poor techniques then you will need someone alongside you to help you develop new muscle memory to replace the old one. In the same way we shouldn’t stop growing spiritually once we have turn to Jesus. Because at conversion, your life would still have old spiritual muscle that would hinder your journey to be more and more like Jesus. In Romans 5:1-5, Paul wrote:

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ² Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

We train hard in the pool. We “do not run like someone running aimlessly”. We “do not fight like a boxer beating the air”. In the same way we work to train our spiritual muscle so that we can receive the everlasting crown.

Finally we must not forget the other ingredient to spiritual growth and that is our spiritual coach or mentor. This is because spiritual growth is not easy and we need Christian brothers and sisters who are willing to swim or walk along side us to help us unlearn the bad and train hard so that we can one day be completed in Christ! In 1 John 4, John wrote “There is no fear in love …”, when we have loving brothers and sisters then there is indeed no fear even in the pool!

Religion - Opium or Character Builder?

According to Wikipedia, one of Karl Marx's quotes is "Die Religion ... ist das Opium des Volkes" which is paraphrased as "religion is the opium of the people".  This must be a phrase that is most quoted by atheists. For Christians there are two issues. Firstly the connotation that our faith is somehow related to a deadly and addictive substance is obviously degrading. Secondly one has to question the veracity of this statement. 

As a human being, I certainly feel insulted by such a statement. This is not because I look down upon drug addicts. Rather that I have been accused of needing a substance akin to opium to keep me going through life. Worse still this is nothing like the reality for untold millions of Christians. I myself is far from perfect (ask my wife, sisters, parents, cousins and friends) but they can tell you how faith has changed my life in positive ways. My faith in God has built me up spiritually, emotionally and even surprisingly physically. In just the last three days, I have been lumbered with more work than I could really cope. It is easy to complain and if religion is indeed a drug I will go through each testing period at work merely to survive to the next one. One common term we use around work is "hump day". Hump day is Wednesday, supposedly we carry our heavy work load through Monday, Tuesday and then the hardest is pushing through Wednesday. With the weekend insight by Thursday, it is downhill from then on. Surely if we are looking for an addiction then one would have to say the weekend is our addiction. Like my co-worker I too look forward to the weekend but I don't see it as a drug to keep me going through the hard work. Sure my faith supports me and gives me rests like the weekends but it does more than that. My faith builds me up. Why? Because whether I succeed or fail, I know that I am part of the bigger picture where the faithful and loving God is in charge. As much as I have delusion about being the Doctor (Time Lord) I don't know the future but I don't have to because God will take care of it. Knowing these facts not only drag me from one crisis to the next, it actually builds up my character. 

My example is not much to look at but if people of faith merely survive day to day on their diet of religion and addicted to the point that we become dis-functional then you better start worrying about the Australian economy. In 2010, Glenn Steven (chief of the Reserve Bank of Australia) revealed on Channel Seven Sunrise program that he is a church-going Christian. Steven even plays the guitar in his church band. How can a religious addict become the head of the RBA? 

But don't just take my word or even Glenn Steven's word. Examine the Bible for yourself. When Paul wrote to his friends at the church in Roman 2000 years ago, Paul said 

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5)

By suffering, Paul meant the suffering that the Roman Christians were under official persecution (nothing serious really, just death at the Colosseum through being torn to pieces by lions). If religion is like opium then surely the Christians at Rome would have given up and took to watching the games (the real opium for the ordinary Romans). And this not the fanatical faith of people who blow themselves up with high explosive in crowded markets, no this is a faith that promotes love and care even for ones enemies. 

Religion is like opium? I just wish I could say directly to Uncle Karl whether he still believes in such a silly notion.