Thoughts about Korean hostage release: Email sent to 1520 youth group
Hi guys.
Everyone's facts are wrong! haha. 12 have been released, the remaining 7 are expected to be released in 24 to 48 hours time. The staggering of the release times are believed to be because the hostages are held at various places.
I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad. Happy because the hostages are released, sad because they were released on condition of no more Christian activity in Afghanistan. Sad also because this gives the militants the upper hand in all future kidnappings, and will make life much tougher for the international community to negotiate the next time such a kidnapping happens. No doubt, the Lord can and will raise up people to reach His beloved children in Afghanistan, but the release of these hostages are perhaps a sign that Christians may love this life more than we love the next. It's certainly true for me. As we look back in history, we see those who suffered and gave their lives for His cause. Jesus, Paul, Peter, Thomas, William Carey (first missionary to India), Hudson Taylor (missionary to China), Adoniram Judson (first missionary to Burma), Morrison (translator of our Chinese Bible). All who suffered much more than these Korean missionaries have, but look at the fruit they produced!
We are the fruit of Hudson Taylor and Morrison. The Chinese church today is estimated to stand at about 70 million people, NOT including all the Chinese overseas who heard the Word of God in their own language and turned to Christ and found their hope. India, Burma, everywhere. Perhaps the call of Jesus still stands true today. 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him.' John 12:24-26
My second thoughts are with regards to ChuanTin who called the release of the hostage a 'miracle'. I do not deny, that their release is indeed the work of the Lord's hand. But at the same time, it grieves me greatly. It grieves me because in it all i see the depravity of the human heart. Hostage taking of medical workers (christian or not, evangelistic or not), is wrong. Killing them by putting 10 bullets in their bodies is wrong. Holding women hostage for more than a month is wrong. Not taking them hostage, releasing them without condition is RIGHT. Not only right, but humane and totally expected of anyone called homosapien. In fact, so totally expected that we should not even expect reward for doing that. Does anyone get reward for loving their parents? Or for not killing their siblings? The fact that their release is a MIRACLE, on the flip side, is a mirror to our own depravity. We are hopelessly sinful, hopelessly wrong, hopelessly without God. We are totally depraved. Totally. We have become so depraved that we think that the hostage-taking and killing is 'normal' and their release is a 'out of the ordinary', when it really should be the other way around. We are so depraved that we need God to intervene and make us normal again, not even making us 'supernormal'. Depravity.
Yet in the midst of that, as I always sign off my emails, i think this signature is again appropriate for this time.
'Perhaps then, it is at the cross of Christ that we find all the things we desire in this world. Love and sacrifice, justice and mercy, faithfulness and grace. It is at the cross of Christ that all these meet, and if we dig hard enough into the core of our being, we will find that these are the things we will live and die for.' - Liren :)
Much love,
your brother in the Lord
Liren
Everyone's facts are wrong! haha. 12 have been released, the remaining 7 are expected to be released in 24 to 48 hours time. The staggering of the release times are believed to be because the hostages are held at various places.
I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad. Happy because the hostages are released, sad because they were released on condition of no more Christian activity in Afghanistan. Sad also because this gives the militants the upper hand in all future kidnappings, and will make life much tougher for the international community to negotiate the next time such a kidnapping happens. No doubt, the Lord can and will raise up people to reach His beloved children in Afghanistan, but the release of these hostages are perhaps a sign that Christians may love this life more than we love the next. It's certainly true for me. As we look back in history, we see those who suffered and gave their lives for His cause. Jesus, Paul, Peter, Thomas, William Carey (first missionary to India), Hudson Taylor (missionary to China), Adoniram Judson (first missionary to Burma), Morrison (translator of our Chinese Bible). All who suffered much more than these Korean missionaries have, but look at the fruit they produced!
We are the fruit of Hudson Taylor and Morrison. The Chinese church today is estimated to stand at about 70 million people, NOT including all the Chinese overseas who heard the Word of God in their own language and turned to Christ and found their hope. India, Burma, everywhere. Perhaps the call of Jesus still stands true today. 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him.' John 12:24-26
My second thoughts are with regards to ChuanTin who called the release of the hostage a 'miracle'. I do not deny, that their release is indeed the work of the Lord's hand. But at the same time, it grieves me greatly. It grieves me because in it all i see the depravity of the human heart. Hostage taking of medical workers (christian or not, evangelistic or not), is wrong. Killing them by putting 10 bullets in their bodies is wrong. Holding women hostage for more than a month is wrong. Not taking them hostage, releasing them without condition is RIGHT. Not only right, but humane and totally expected of anyone called homosapien. In fact, so totally expected that we should not even expect reward for doing that. Does anyone get reward for loving their parents? Or for not killing their siblings? The fact that their release is a MIRACLE, on the flip side, is a mirror to our own depravity. We are hopelessly sinful, hopelessly wrong, hopelessly without God. We are totally depraved. Totally. We have become so depraved that we think that the hostage-taking and killing is 'normal' and their release is a 'out of the ordinary', when it really should be the other way around. We are so depraved that we need God to intervene and make us normal again, not even making us 'supernormal'. Depravity.
Yet in the midst of that, as I always sign off my emails, i think this signature is again appropriate for this time.
'Perhaps then, it is at the cross of Christ that we find all the things we desire in this world. Love and sacrifice, justice and mercy, faithfulness and grace. It is at the cross of Christ that all these meet, and if we dig hard enough into the core of our being, we will find that these are the things we will live and die for.' - Liren :)
Much love,
your brother in the Lord
Liren
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