Sunday, January 19, 2014

Hope

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship his holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship your holy name 

--Matt Redman, "10,000 Reasons"

The first verse of this song has always had an impact on me. Each new day has so much hope that things will go well, that there will be new opportunities, new conversations, new grace and forgiveness for what I did wrong the day before. However, I sometimes find myself discouraged, definitely not singing, at the end of a day. Most of the time I find myself discouraged about school-related issues, particularly during this time of the school year when none of my students want to be there, let alone learn, during the school day. I find myself focusing on the frustrating aspects of the day instead of the things that went well, or the good conversations I was able to have with people. 

Today this song has a different meaning. We sang it in our morning service shortly after the elders announced that our pastor, after battling liver cancer for several months, passed away this weekend. Pastor Colin and his wife Denise came to our church just over a year ago (December, 2012), ministered to/with us until October, when they went to the UK to seek better medical treatment for Colin. The whole time he was sick (since last March/April), Colin continued to give his time, energy, and passion to his ministry. We didn't know him for very long,  but he will be sorely missed in our community and lives. 
As our church enters a time of mourning and giving extra support to one another, please pray for us. I don't know what the plan is or what will happen from here. I do know that our lives were made better because of the time Pastor Colin was with us; I know we are thankful for the time and interactions we did have with him; I know that we serve a God who is bigger than death and whose plan continues on past this time. 

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing your song again.
Additionally, things in Thailand have gotten a little crazy lately. School was cancelled for us on Monday due to protestors marching down our street. The actual march on our street was not too large and didn't last more than 30 minutes; the protestors were on their way to a different location where many other people had already gathered. 

Instead of school, we had a work day for teachers, which allowed all of us the opportunity to go out on the street and watch what was happening when the group came by our school. There were flags, costumes, cars, and other vehicles with loudspeakers projecting music and speeches.




Monday was the first day of the "Bangkok shutdown" - supporters of one political group have taken to the streets and started occupying some of the major intersections of Bangkok, intending to stay put until the prime minister resigns and a new government comes to power. People have been protesting the government for a couple of months now, but both government-supporters and government-protestors seem to be gathering together in much bigger masses these days, with violence occasionally breaking out.













I am not afraid; I have no reason to be. We do not live in the middle of the political conflicts that are happening, so most of the time life goes on as usual, even with people demonstrating around the city. This is the way Thailand works. Michael and I came to Thailand in the first place because the protests in 2010 caused some GES teachers to change their minds about coming. On the other hand, I am concerned. I have come to care deeply about this country and its people, and while I normally do not pay much attention to politics, it's a little hard to ignore in this situation. Prayers for the country of Thailand are greatly appreciated. Elections are set to be held on February 2, and protestors seem pretty intent on staying in the streets until then.

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

How can I keep singing? How can I worship when there are difficult situations around me? These questions have come into my mind repeatedly lately, especially today. I think there is only one reason for me to continue worshiping under uncertain or difficult circumstances: hope. Romans 8 reminds us that the whole of creation is groaning in pain, and that we as Christians feel that pain as well. And yet, we have hope. We don't hope for something we already see, we hope for something that has not yet been attained: the redemption of all of creation.

I ask the same question that Paul asked later in the chapter: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Nothing. No one. Not political demonstrations. Not fear. Not even death. None of these things even come close to comparing with the power of the God who holds us all in his hand.

I can bless the name of the Lord as I mourn the death of someone I respected very much. I can bless the name of the Lord in the midst of an uncertain political situation in a country that I love. I can bless the name of the Lord after a hard day at work when I hear more complaints than anything else.

Why?

Because I have hope.

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship his holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship your holy name

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