By Khen Lim
Seeking the right balance
Image Source: bryanlyt.com
It is true that many of the contemporary Chinese New Year
celebrations focus far too much on the temporal earthly life and the tangible
notions of prosperity that are, at times, too vulgar and excessive.
In Malaysia, the custom of ‘yee sang’ has become so rife and popular that the neo-tradition has
even caught on in Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China.
According to Mazlan
of the Great Stuff Hubpages website, ‘yee
sang’ is explained as a “raw fish salad” that is often eaten at a shared
table as a way of ‘unity in common pursuit of prosperity’ during Chinese New
Year.
The purpose of ‘yee sang’
is for the Chinese to partake in the common desire for abundant material
wealth, luck and prosperity. Therefore when the mix is readied, everyone dives
in and participates in the mixing, using their chopsticks to toss the salad
together. It is said that the higher the toss, the more likely wishes of
prosperity will materialise.
‘Yee sang’ is now
the centrepiece of every Chinese New Year dinner or lunch where groups of
people amass at the table. According to the website,
even the ingredients involved carry significant meanings but essentially all of
them have something to do with wealth and prosperity.
If there is a neo-traditional gesture that speaks volumes
about life’s priorities among the Chinese, ‘yee
sang’ exemplifies it far more than the other elements of Chinese New Year. Some
unbelievers may brand us Christians as wet blankets, saying that such things
are harmless fun but nonetheless stay cautioned for such subliminal messages
can have their latent effects over time. Remember that it’s when we drop our
guards that we become vulnerable:
“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs
of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you.
Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front
of you. Watch the paths of your feet and all your ways will be established.” (Proverbs
4:23-26, NASB)
Chinese Christians are also constantly entrenched in spiritual
warfare. We are intensely at war with demonic forces. However sometimes we can
be so caught up with fighting the external spiritual wars that we drop our
guard against the ravages that take place within our own minds and thoughts.
What our minds process, we believe. If you allow one little temptation to get
past us, more will follow and before we know it, the battle has begun from
within.
James 1:14-16 (NASB) says it succinctly:
“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own
lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is
accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.”
Sin often begins as a germ of thought. It sprouts earnest from
deep in our minds. The moment we give it thought, it germinates and we find
ourselves dwelling on the conception of sin. We then think of the sinful action
and before we know it, we carry it out.
So the earliest form of defence is the first. We must refuse
even the slightest contemplation. Paul serves up this reminder very poignantly:
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but divinely powerful for
the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty
thing raised up against the knowledge of God and we are taking every thought
captive to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NASB)
Indeed then, let us seek to understand what these symbolisms
mean in the pagan world not to embrace but to caution ourselves, to learn what
to avoid but in as much, we must also seek to address a balance in our lives.
Is this really right for Christians to do? (Image Source: archive.xaviermissionaries.org)
While we are to be worthy of Christ’s exemplars, we must also
be careful to avoid anything that is not in accord with Scripture. Therefore to
achieve these two, a balance must be attained where we can stay in harmony with
the broader Chinese community even as we retain the wonderful opportunity to
minister to them.
However in hindsight, this is easier said than done. But to
try is better than to recoil into hibernation.
To conclude, there is a story I like to tell you.
Unfortunately it is true. Fortunately there is a lesson to learn and hopefully,
all of us can be wiser as a result.
Many years ago before my parents accepted Christ, they were
religiously following a blend of Buddhism and Taoism. In Malaysia, this mix is
a common thing amongst unbelieving Chinese although finding any distinction between
the two is often too murky for we, too, see the same confusion between Hinduism
and Buddhism.
Up till recently, I was the first and only Christian in my
family and for many years, it was a difficult path to tread, often suffering
quietly in a bid to be understood by the others but always feeling the futility
of it.
Image Source: family.wikinut.com
When a few of my parents’ friends became baptised, their
eagerness to share the Word brought them to my parents’ home where they
ministered to them. But in their zealousness, much was said that was harmful
and damaging and therefore, very little was actually achieved. My parents’
feelings were hurt but these friends had no knowledge of what they had
inflicted till today.
They mistakenly thought they did the right thing but
inevitably it didn’t produce any positive results. Instead my parents’ route to
Christ was put back many years as even up until then, many of us had been
quietly trying to lead them to Christ albeit more subtly.
What had been said was fiery. Sparked by their uncloaked zeal,
the two friends threw everything they could muster and visibly challenged my
parents to let them take their pagan altars apart, break the tabernacles, incense
urns and statues into pieces and dispose of them. I confess in not being there
to witness this but my parents shared this experience with me some years after
the event.
My parents finally did come to Christ on November 22 2013 but
under very extraordinary and different circumstances. As it always is with God,
the reasons were unusual and unique. My mom was diagnosed around May of that
same year with cancer of the duodenum.
Following this discovery, my dad’s health plunged into alarming
decline and till today, he suffers from a litany of issues involving the heart,
kidneys, blood, prostate, diabetes and even fairly severe nerve pains. Apart
from radicalising his daily diet, he also doesn’t escape with any less than
sixteen different medications he takes every day. Together with my mom’s medical
condition, the monthly medical bill between my two parents is best described as
‘staggering’ or ‘mind-blowing.’
The thing is mom confided in me in June 2013 prior to her
six-hour hepatobiliary (HPB) surgery that if the surgeons successfully removed
the cancer tumour, she would accept Christ and dad would follow suit. However
the outcome was anything but smooth or predictable.
The long and short of it was that the tumour remained in her
body (till today) although the surgeons – supposedly the top team in the whole
country – a bypass was created. But despite all of that, both of them embraced
Christ shortly thereafter.
Baptism for the two of them was a big affair. Mom said to me that,
other than their wedding day, this was equally as important. And on that very
Sunday in church, many of their friends came to be witness, including the zealous
two and their wives.
Till today they knew not what they did or said that grievously
hurt my parents. Out of respect and humbleness, my parents had chosen not to
tell them and they have also asked that I honour that as well.
Image Source: examiner.com
We all need to learn from lessons such as this. We cannot go
out there, bulldoze our way and surreptitiously offend our unbelieving friends.
Chinese New Year is one event that we should be particularly respectful of
while we can still join in and celebrate with everyone else.
The balance we must learn to seek will give us useful inroads
to do our ministry work while we still steer a wide berth from having to embrace
pagan practices.
I end this by asking us to observe what is said in Deuteronomy
8:18 (NASB):
“…you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you
power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your
fathers, as it is this day.”
Happy Chinese New Year to all our Chinese readers in Malaysia
and throughout the world. And thank you for your readership.
God bless you.
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