Lord of All or Not at all.

Dear Diary,

The preacher standing at the pulpit this morning was Rev Canon Dr George Kovoor. He is the principal of the largest Anglican theological college in Britain, Trinity College of Bristol. He is also a chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II and a lecturer at University of Birmingham. Yet, the irony is that he is a Presbyterian from India. Apparently in India, all the protestant denominations are banded together as one. Anglicanism has always been a denomination that values the visible unity of the church and is involved in many ecumenical movements.

Anyway, he preached from Luke 4:1 – 11. In that passage, Jesus was preaching to the multitudes by the Lake of Gennesaret (v.1). As the crowd pressed in, he boarded Simon’s boat and asked him to move the boat slightly away from the shore (v.2) so that he could teach the crowd from a slight distance. When he had completed teaching, he told Simon to lower the nets for a catch of fish (v.4). This is strange because Simon had caught no fish the night before and as a fisherman by vocation, he knew that he would not be able to catch any fish in the day. Despite Simon’s reluctance and fatigue, he obeyed Jesus who obviously was trained in carpentry and had no knowledge of fishing (v.5)! Then, the nets were overflowing with fishes and the boat started sinking due the weight. Yes… like “Caught Almighty”, haha… However, unlike the usual reaction of someone who found the “golden goose”, Simon fell on his knees and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” (v.8). Many probably would have said, “Hey, do join me when I go fishing again, hahaha…” Well, the difference is that Simon had a change in his heart. Jesus then told him that he would be a fisher of men. When they reached the shores, the fishermen left everything (including the fishes they caught) and followed Jesus (v.11).

So many times, we seek God only when we are in trouble, when we have exams or in a tight situation. I am so guilty of that. I remember a beautiful song “A Soldier’s Prayer” by Collin Raye. It reflects the mood I once had as a conscripted soldier. The days were tough and God was probably closer then than ever. Yet, in the earlier passage, we can see that God is not just a God of our difficult times or inadequacies. He is the Lord of even our strengths and expertises. It was once put across that God is either Lord of all or not at all. We cannot dichotomise our lives and entrust only fields of our weakness to him. Simon was a fisherman and probably his ancestors were too. He was experienced but yet by faith (overcoming his initial reluctance), he listened to the instruction of a carpenter’s son. His huge haul of fishes reflected the Lordship of God in everything. Simon and the other fishermen were so amazed that the fishes were no longer important. They left the catch and followed Jesus.

When I reflect on this, I see how much I have emphasized on academic grades, career achievements, size of pay cheques, earthly possessions and status over the years… it may not be so explicit but implicitly it is evident. As I typed this entry, there is a song been sung faintly at a distance. The church just beside my apartment is celebrating the birthday of their priest Rev Fr John Khoo. I saw the festivities, the stage, the chefs earlier on when I returned from my evening run. I admire the Catholic clergy because they gave up everything for God. Their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are absolutely demanding. As what is said in the Catholic Church, you are either married to a spouse or, in the clergy context, to the church. Yes, it is the concept of their priests being part of the lineage of the Melchizedek priesthood, an apostolic succession and an “alterus Christi”. Whatever the doctrine, I take a dim view of pastors who hoard excessive wealth, get paid with embarrassingly huge salaries, run churches like profit-spinning investment corporations and conduct worship services like motivational seminars. They will have to answer to God someday on why the cross they are carrying is golden and encrusted with precious stones.

Anyway, there is nothing wrong with being rich. Just make sure that wealth does not become the Lord and goal of your life. After all, as the author of Ecclesiastes pointed out, “As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.” (Ecclesiastes 5:15).

God Bless,

Andrew