Day: January 20, 2014

Where to start or where is the circuit breaker?


From: Teh, Ian
Sent: Monday, 20 January 2014 10:51 AM
To:
Subject: RE: Ben Foo

At church yesterday – cant quite remember the trigger now, could be a song/hymn or could be one of those congregation/pulpit exchange in reciting creeds.

But what I distinctly felt during the service at St Alf’s yesterday was I have forgiven that lot in Lifegate. I have totally forgiven them. But that isn’t what matters. That isn’t the point. I think the creed we recited says God has forgiven our sins in Jesus and this includes all sins – past present and future. In that sense, God has already forgiven us even before any act occurs on our part and so I too ought to do likewise. And I so I have forgiven that lot in LifeGate.

That however, is not the point and isn’t what matters. Because just as God’s forgiveness does me no good unless I come to him in repentance, my forgiveness of that lot would do no good unless there is a desire on their part, to correct what is wrong.

In that sense, all you have said all along, needs to be acted on – i.e. they need to see what they did was wrong and want to correct that. Only then would your forgiveness mean anything and be relevant. That first step on their part is what you have asked for all this while. Until that piece falls into place, nothing else would be beneficial.

Can Ben not see that? As a leader of a church, can he not see that? Why does he push you to “talk” when he doesn’t see that? Maybe ask him that, and ask if that is not a relevant thing to address. If not, who is the one going in circles and avoiding what is necessary?

Re [ ] and others who need accommodation – we just do what we can la. Learning to cope with inconveniences… and look beyond them. Hopefully we do a tiny bit of good in this world which needs huge doses of it. You were talking to her at Gerry’s the other night so that was your support and I appreciate that. I was wondering how a KL girl who speaks no mandarin or hokkien, was enjoying herself in a household like the Hipo’s so your contribution is much appreciated… Kamsiah!

Regards
IAN TEH

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MONA and Same Sex Marriage


A colleague who sits next to me is a Tasmanian. He has in the past year, mentioned the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania and said it’s a wonderful place to visit. My boss echoed this sentiment so MONA in Hobart Tasmania has etched in my mind as a place to visit, for many months now.

Recently however, I decided to find out more – about this museum as well as its founder David Walsh, who amassed fortunes through gambling.

My discovery has in some ways, further cemented my thoughts in recent months about how in some areas, my colleagues and I are poles apart in our thinking.

Several months ago my boss was away on a weekend to Dunkeld at the tip of the Grampians, for a wedding. He alluded to the setup which sounded very nice. On the Monday after we were chatting about weekends and it turned out that wedding was between two men. I must have expressed a startled look and for a few seconds, I was wondering how I should react – ie normally as though that was the least surprising event and is to be treated as any other wedding on any given weekend, or surprise at how common and accepted this sort of thing has become.

Speaking of which – on Saturday Tress and I were at the airport to pick up an ex-colleague who is visiting to watch the Australian Open tennis and while waiting, a car next to me pulled up and two men were kissing each other as one of them was being dropped off at work in one of the hospitality establishments.
I am witnessing more and more of such displays which tend to say to the community that same sex couples are as normal and common as a dark haired Asian.


My surprise and startled state at discovering a wedding over the weekend was between two men, has surely put me in a “weird” category – that, and my views on MONA – that (apparently) venerable museum in Hobart. I may be prejudiced and it may be a wonderful place. But based on some simple google based clicks and reads, I am inclined to just cross that off my list as a must-visit. In as much as it can be claimed that it is a home for “old and new art” to be exhibited, it has come across as a monument to shock and challenge the old world where one was less ready to discard God and His ways.

I understand some may say it is discarding old world prejudices in some ways, as opposed to discarding God. Celebrating sex and death in the manner MONA appears to do however, tends to suggest it is not just old world prejudices that is being challenged. After all David Walsh is also a vocal atheist. One would not be so easily accused of unfairly seeing this as discarding God and His ways. Knowledge of good and evil – as Eve did in Eden – in the sense of being able to decide what is right and wrong and not let God do that, appears to be what this is mainly about. So is same sex marriage, I think.